The air in the Teikō First Team Training Hall still seemed to retain the suffocating pressure left by Akashi's cold domination in the one-on-one match. Captain Nijimura Shūzō's booming voice deliberately shattered the silence, carrying unquestionable authority. "Everyone, pay attention! Full-court five-on-five! Red Team: Akashi, Aomine, Midōrima, Murasaki-bara, and Takahashi, a third-year defensive powerhouse! White Team: Bai Ze You, Sato, the point guard, Ishida, the small forward, Kobayashi, the center... and one more—Kuroko Tetsuya!"
"Kuroko Tetsuya?" The name was like a stone tossed into a calm lake, sending ripples through many hearts. Several second- and third-year players exchanged puzzled looks. They vaguely remembered this quiet, inconspicuous first-year newcomer, who always seemed to practice only the most basic passes in a corner during training and had almost never appeared in a scrimmage. A rookie with no presence at all? Why would Captain Nijimura put him on the White Team to face the starting lineup?
Aomine Daiki impatiently curled his lip. His deep-blue eyes swept over the White Team. Aside from Yū, the others seemed utterly ordinary. "Hey, Captain Nijimura, is there anyone over there who can actually play besides Bai Ze? Don't waste time!" His voice held undisguised contempt.
Akashi Seijūrō stood quietly to one side, his Heterochromatic Eyes calm and unruffled, as though Nijimura's arrangement were merely an ordinary move on a chessboard. Murasaki-bara Atsushi chewed on an Umaibo, his purple eyes half-lidded and clearly uninterested in this so-called "Kuroko Tetsuya." Midōrima Shintarō adjusted his glasses, his sharp gaze sweeping over the White Team's roster as though assessing the weight of the data. Only Bai Ze You's amber eyes shifted faintly when he heard the name "Kuroko Tetsuya." He remembered the water-blue-haired boy in the corner of the basic training court since the start of the school year, silently repeating the most basic passing motions with an unusually focused gaze. A faint, almost instinctive premonition rose in his heart.
The whistle blew! The match began!
The Red Team started with the ball. Akashi Seijūrō steadily advanced while controlling it, his movements carrying the composure of someone who commanded the entire court. His Heterochromatic Eyes swept across the court in an instant, like the most precise radar. The White Team's defensive formation was a transparent model in his eyes.
"Left!" Sato nervously directed his teammates to cover the possible passing lane.
Before Sato's voice had even faded, Akashi's right wrist gave an extremely subtle twitch! The basketball seemed to come alive, tracing a low, swift line close to the floor and passing precisely through the seemingly impossible gap between two White Team defenders!
Target—the left corner!
Almost the instant the ball left his hand, a deep-blue bolt of lightning had already launched! Aomine Daiki, like a leopard that had scented blood, instantly shook off Ishida's defense. After a hard body collision following his change of direction, Ishida was knocked aside and space opened up. Aomine appeared exactly at the end of the passing lane. Player and ball arrived together!
He caught the ball without the slightest adjustment! Aomine forcibly launched himself into the air while moving at full speed! His motion was wild and packed with power! Kobayashi, responsible for help defense, leaped with all his strength to block the shot, but his jumping height and acceleration were on an entirely different level! Aomine's body was like a drawn bowstring in the air. His arm rose high, and before the opponent's desperate fingertips could reach him, he slammed the ball into the hoop!
"Boom—!"
"1:0!" the referee announced.
Fast! Precise! Ruthless! The strength of Teikō's starters was revealed in their very first attack!
It was the White Team's turn to attack. Sato had barely crossed half court when Akashi's seemingly unimposing figure closed in like a ghost. His precise anticipation, perfectly measured physical contact, and suffocating pressure made Sato feel as though every dribble were a dance on the edge of a blade!
"Here!" Kobayashi established position near the free-throw line and reached for the ball.
Eager to escape Akashi's deadly pressure, Sato attempted a risky bounce pass to Kobayashi! Yet the instant the ball left his fingertips, a slender, fair hand shot out like lightning, as though it had been waiting there all along!
Smack!
A clean steal!
It was Midōrima Shintarō! He had perfectly anticipated the passing route!
Midōrima did not pause after stealing the ball. His arm was like a fully drawn bow as he instantly sent it toward the already advancing Aomine! Another textbook fast break! Aomine caught the pass with open space ahead of him. Like a black storm, he swept across the court and performed another violent dunk!
"2:0!"
In barely ten seconds, the White Team had conceded twice, both times on fast-break counterattacks after being directly intercepted! Their morale instantly plummeted. Sato, Ishida, and Kobayashi looked ashen, their eyes filled with helplessness before an absolute gap in strength. As for the water-blue-haired figure in a brand-new First Team uniform—Kuroko Tetsuya—he seemed to have completely melted into the shadows beside the court, utterly without presence. He had not even made a defensive or positional move, merely standing quietly near the top of the arc like a forgotten transparent man.
"Hey! Blue hair! Are you sleepwalking?!" After landing, Aomine pointed at Kuroko and shouted bluntly, his voice full of disdain and irritation. "Get off the court! You're just in the way!"
Kuroko Tetsuya's body seemed to sway faintly. Beneath his water-blue hair, his sky-blue eyes were lowered, making his emotions impossible to read. He did not answer, merely returning silently to his position.
The substitutes beside the court began whispering among themselves.
"Kuroko-kun... can he really do this?"
"It feels like he can't keep up at all..."
"Why would Captain Nijimura put him in?"
Captain Nijimura stood at the sideline with his arms folded. His rugged face showed no expression, but his sharp gaze remained fixed on Kuroko, carrying deep anticipation. Akashi Seijūrō's Heterochromatic Eyes also swept over the water-blue-haired figure from time to time, a glimmer too faint to detect passing through their depths.
Bai Ze You took a deep breath. He walked over to the somewhat dispirited Sato and spoke loudly enough for his teammate to hear. "Give me the ball. Steady the pace." His amber eyes passed over Kuroko Tetsuya near the top of the arc, the faint premonition rising once again.
Sato grabbed at the lifeline and immediately passed the ball over.
Yū caught it and firmly controlled the pace. He did not hurry forward, instead dribbling slowly across half court while calmly surveying the opposing defense. Akashi did not guard him personally; Takahashi was responsible for him. The other Red Team players, including Aomine and Midōrima, concentrated most of their defensive attention on him like sharks that had smelled blood. Kuroko Tetsuya still stood at the left side of the arc, forty-five degrees from the top, as though he did not belong on the court at all.
At that moment, Yū's pupils suddenly contracted! From the corner of his eye, he caught an extremely strange, indescribable sense of wrongness! The Red Team defenders—especially the second-year rotation player guarding Kuroko, Yamamoto—seemed to have briefly lost focus. His eyes should have been fixed on Kuroko at the top of the arc, but for that instant, his pupils subtly shifted, subconsciously overlooking Kuroko and turning all their attention toward Yū with the ball and Ishida running on the opposite side!
Now!
Yū's Wildness First Sense flashed through his mind like lightning! Without hesitation, his right wrist moved so swiftly that it seemed to vanish! The ball did not fly toward any open teammate within his line of sight. Instead, it traced a swift, concealed line directly toward the position everyone had subconsciously ignored—the left side of the arc, forty-five degrees away, where Kuroko Tetsuya stood!
The pass was incredibly bold—almost reckless! To outsiders, that spot held nothing but "empty space." The ball flew straight toward "air"!
"What is Bai Ze passing to?!" Sato cried out.
"Did he mess up?!" Ishida stared in astonishment.
The Red Team players, including Akashi, Aomine, and Midōrima, all showed confusion and derision. Had Bai Ze You buckled under the pressure? Had he started passing wildly?
Yet just as the ball was about to fly across that "empty space," a water-blue figure seemed to emerge from the void! Kuroko Tetsuya! At some point, he had quietly moved to the end of the passing route. Leaning slightly forward, he caught the surgically precise pass securely in both hands, as though he had practiced it a thousand times!
"What?!"
"When did he get there?!"
"Damn it?!"
The entire training hall erupted in incredulous cries! Everyone stared wide-eyed at the water-blue-haired figure who had suddenly "appeared" at the ball's destination! The visual distortion from that instant sent chills crawling across their scalps.
Kuroko Tetsuya caught the ball! Without pausing, without even looking at the hoop, his body functioned like a precision conveyor belt. The instant he received it, his wrist gave an almost invisible twitch! The basketball seemed to gain new life, tracing an even faster, more concealed line like lightning. It passed precisely through the momentary gap in the key caused by the defenders' shock and reached Kobayashi, who had already cut toward the basket in perfect understanding!
"Bang!" Kobayashi caught the ball and easily scored off the backboard!
"2:1!" The referee's voice trembled with disbelief.
The entire gym fell into deathly silence! Everyone stood frozen, staring blankly at Kobayashi excitedly pumping his fist beneath the basket before looking toward the water-blue-haired figure who had retreated to his position with an expressionless face, as if he had merely completed an ordinary task—Kuroko Tetsuya. What had just happened? That pass, that catch, that assist... it was like magic! Like a ghost!
"What... was that?" Aomine Daiki's deep-blue eyes were filled with shock and confusion. He instinctively looked toward the area he had guarded. It had clearly been empty! When had Kuroko slipped there to receive the pass? Why had he noticed nothing?
Midōrima Shintarō adjusted his glasses, his sharp gaze like a blade as his brows drew tightly together. His precise calculation model showed that the defensive coverage in that area had been one hundred percent; there had been no opening. In his data stream, that passing route had been an absolutely "invalid pass." Yet the result... "A blind spot? Or..." For the first time, he doubted his own calculations.
Deep beneath Akashi Seijūrō's Heterochromatic Eyes, the frozen lake finally stirred with genuine waves. He stared at the water-blue figure, his fingers unconsciously gripping his cuff. In that instant, he had keenly caught the defenders' brief loss of focus, as well as Kuroko's nearly perfect positioning and movement, blending into the surroundings before receiving the ball. "Misdire..." A cold and precise term surfaced in his mind.
At the sideline, Momoi Satsuki's cherry-pink ponytail swayed with excitement, and her fair cheeks flushed red. The pen in her hand flew across her Shorthand Notebook, her cherry-pink eyes shining brilliantly. "Incredible! Pass reception rate, one hundred percent! Estimated defensive gaze-shift rate, over eighty-seven percent! Presence-reduction effect... preliminary judgment: a 'disappearance' effect achieved by exploiting the limits of human visual attention and his own movement patterns! Data! I need more data!" She looked up at the water-blue-haired boy on the court as though she had discovered a rare treasure.
Captain Nijimura's clenched fist slowly relaxed, and the corner of his mouth curved into an almost razor-sharp smile of satisfaction. Good work, Kuroko Tetsuya! Your 'shadow' is finally beginning to reveal its edge!
Bai Ze You stood at center court, the faint premonition deep in his amber eyes transformed into dazzling light. He watched Kuroko Tetsuya retreat on defense. Kuroko's sky-blue eyes remained calm, as though that astonishing assist had been an insignificant matter. Yū's lips curved into a clear smile filled with discovery and appreciation. He understood. He understood Captain Nijimura's intention, and he understood the significance of Kuroko Tetsuya's existence.
"That was a beautiful pass, Kuroko." Yū's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached Kuroko's ears.
Kuroko Tetsuya's steps seemed to pause faintly. He raised his head, his sky-blue eyes meeting Yū's gaze. They remained calm, yet seemed to hold the faintest ripple. He nodded lightly, his voice as soft as a breeze. "Bai Ze-kun made the good pass."
"Hey, blue hair!" Aomine Daiki's irritated voice rang out again, but this time it was no longer pure contempt and dismissal. Shock, confusion, and the annoyance of having been toyed with were mixed into it. "What the hell was that?! What happened to that pass just now?!"
Kuroko Tetsuya turned to face Aomine's questioning. His expression remained as calm as ever, and his voice was clear and composed. "Aomine-kun, I merely received Bai Ze-kun's pass and sent it to Kobayashi-senpai, who was in a better position. That is all."
"That is all?!" Aomine nearly jumped. "Do you think I'm blind?!"
Akashi Seijūrō's cold voice interrupted his roar. "Aomine, focus on the game." His Heterochromatic Eyes looked deeply at Kuroko Tetsuya, then swept over Bai Ze You, finally landing on Captain Nijimura. That gaze was complex: the cold scrutiny of a plan disrupted by an unexpected variable, a renewed assessment of Nijimura's judgment, and a faint redrawing of Teikō's future tactical landscape.
The match continued!
The White Team attacked. Yū again dribbled across half court. This time, the Red Team's defense was clearly different! Aomine no longer focused on Ishida, instead clinging to Yū like a parasite. Midōrima's positioning also subtly blocked Yū's passing route toward Kuroko. Akashi's gaze was a cold probe locked onto Yū's every move. They had recognized Kuroko's threat and were trying to sever his connection with Yū!
The pressure surged! Yū struggled to control the ball under Aomine's wild man-to-man pressure, every dribble like walking on a knife's edge. His eyes rapidly scanned the court. Kuroko Tetsuya still stood near the top of the arc, but Red Team rotation player Yamamoto clung to him like glue, clearly acting under orders to guard him tightly.
What should he do? Attack Aomine head-on? Too risky! Pass to Kuroko under tight coverage? Almost impossible! Pass to another teammate? No obvious opening was visible!
In that instant, Yū's pupils once again caught an extremely subtle anomaly! Yamamoto, clinging tightly to Kuroko, seemed to lose focus for a fleeting moment. His gaze was unconsciously drawn to Ishida's sudden acceleration and change of direction on the other side. It lasted only a fraction of a second!
The opportunity vanished in an instant!
Yū did not hesitate! Under Aomine's overwhelming pressure, he forced his body into an exaggerated feint to the right. His shoulder dropped, his sharp gaze stabbed toward the right lane—a completely convincing Fake Move to drive right!
Aomine's Wildness First Sense issued a frantic warning! His center of gravity was deceived in an instant!
The moment Aomine's weight shifted, Yū's right wrist moved like a swift serpent! In an extremely confined space, the basketball traced a bizarre arc, passing from behind his own back into his left hand! At the same time, the body that had drawn his opponent's balance shifted around his right foot in a rapid Spin Move, attempting to break free!
Aomine forcibly twisted his balance and pursued! Midōrima immediately collapsed inward to provide help defense!
Yet halfway through the turn, Yū suddenly stopped! His spinning body, driven by immense core strength, halted abruptly in place! At the same time, just as his body lost balance and seemed about to fall, his left wrist gave an almost invisible twitch! The basketball did not fly toward any teammate. Instead, it traced a low, swift line like a venomous snake skimming the floor, passing impossibly through the gap between Aomine and Midōrima's instinctively closed legs! A Nutmeg Pass!
The target was still that water-blue figure almost forgotten in the corner of everyone's vision—Kuroko Tetsuya!
As the ball passed between the players, Yamamoto, still glued to Kuroko, suffered another fatal, induced lapse in focus! It was as though Kuroko had "vanished" before his eyes for a fraction of a second!
The ball reached Kuroko's hands precisely, as though the play had been rehearsed a thousand times!
Kuroko caught it! Without pausing, his wrist flicked!
The ball shot like a precision-guided missile through the key, briefly left open by the help defense on Yū, and once again reached Ishida, who had cut beneath the basket!
"Bang!" Ishida caught the ball and scored on a layup!
"2:2!"
"Whoa—!!!" The entire training hall erupted! If the first play had caused shock, this one drove everyone completely wild! Under pressure from Aomine and Midōrima, Bai Ze You had used an unbelievable Nutmeg Pass to find the "vanished" Kuroko! And Kuroko Tetsuya had once again pierced the Teikō starters' defense with his ghostlike pass!
"The Phantom and Ghost Connection!" someone shouted excitedly from the sideline!
Aomine Daiki stood frozen, looking at the rolling ball before turning toward the calm water-blue-haired Kuroko. His deep-blue eyes held unprecedented shock and bewilderment at having his understanding completely overturned. For the first time, he clearly felt that on a basketball court, beyond strength and speed, there was another terrifying force he had never understood—one powerful enough to change the course of a game!
Midōrima Shintarō adjusted his glasses. His gaze remained cold and sharp, but an unmistakable frustration showed through. His precise calculations appeared painfully pale and powerless before this "disappearance" and "connection" that could not be measured with data at all!
Akashi Seijūrō stood motionless. Beneath his Heterochromatic Eyes, under the frozen surface of the lake, Undercurrents Surging roiled. He looked at the two figures on the court—the silver-gray phantom and the water-blue ghost. Bai Ze You's insight and creativity in finding the "shadow" and delivering a lethal pass even in desperate situations, Kuroko Tetsuya's eerie ability to achieve an almost literal "disappearance" by exploiting human visual blind spots, and the connection between them that seemed telepathic... all of it completely disrupted his cold blueprint for Teikō's Absolute Victory. A new tactical dimension filled with unknowns and possibilities had been forced open!
Captain Nijimura clapped hard, his hearty laughter echoing through the boiling gym. "Good! Beautifully done! Bai Ze! Kuroko!" His praise was filled with admiration and anticipation for this "light and shadow" combination that had only just begun to show its brilliance.
At the sideline, Momoi Satsuki's cherry-pink eyes shone like stars. In her Shorthand Notebook, the name "Kuroko Tetsuya" was rapidly added, surrounded by dense notes of speculative data and exclamation marks. "Misdire... preliminary confirmation! Passing accuracy, S-rank! Presence-reduction effect, A-plus... Compatibility with Bai Ze-kun's connection... immeasurable! A new Core Variable!"
Bai Ze You walked over to Kuroko Tetsuya. Sweat soaked through his Red and White Training Uniform, clinging to his smooth, powerful muscle lines. He looked into Kuroko's still-calm sky-blue eyes. Deep in Yū's amber gaze was the excitement of discovering treasure and the appreciation of finding a worthy rival. He extended his hand. "It's a pleasure working with you, Kuroko."
Kuroko Tetsuya raised his head and looked at Yū's outstretched hand, then at the sincere appreciation in Yū's eyes. In his usually placid sky-blue eyes, a faint but genuine ripple finally appeared. He extended his hand and gently shook Yū's. His voice remained calm, but now carried a touch of warmth. "Please take care of me, Bai Ze-kun."
At the sideline, Akashi Seijūrō watched the scene, his Heterochromatic Eyes like unfathomable whirlpools. He picked up Momoi's Shorthand Notebook and drew a clear line between the names "Bai Ze You" and "Kuroko Tetsuya." The beginnings of light and shadow intertwining had quietly emerged on Teikō's court. And Akashi Seijūrō would reassess this game of chess, incorporating this pair of unpredictable "light and shadow" into his cold and grand blueprint for Absolute Victory. Teikō's future had become even more enigmatic—and even more exciting—because of the collision between these two newcomers.
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