112 – 55

The whistle is heard blown as the sounds of cheers and joyous jumps were heard from the side of the guys in black. On the other side, the team in white jerseys were simply quiet as they accepted their loss in such a black face. But one of them, a certain Kuroko Tetsuya, the vaunted Phantom Sixth Man of the famous Generation of Miracles kept his head low as he follows his team towards the bench. But despite his massive loss, he didn't cry nor did he even complain. But when he passed his former light, the super scorer and ace Aomine Daiki, he didn't even bother to say anything as they passed each other without even saying anything. Momoi Satsuki, their former Teiko manager, can only look in despair as she feels their victory is bittersweet.

"See you Kise," On the seats, Midorima Shintaro, the current shooter of Shutoku High School, suddenly bade his farewell to the blonde, who is now the ace of Kaijo High School.

"That was quick!" Kise replied as he turns to chase the green haired megane, "Aren't you all shocked by these results!?"

Midorima stopped then turns around before replying, "You should be worried about Kuroko instead of me. Kuroko's basketball is completely useless against Aomine. It must have been pretty psychologically damaging. Not only that but Seirin is a young team. It won't be easy for them to come back from that overnight. We can only hope that it doesn't affect their remaining two games." He then left the blonde Kise in bewilderment as goes in his own way.

Meanwhile, things in the locker room were going on as expected. The Seirin team was simply quiet and down in their spirits as they just sat in the bench aimlessly as they watch Kagami punding his fists in the lockers while cursing out aloud. Kuroko, for his part, was simply dazing off as he looks at the floor while turning his back.

The coach, Aida Riko or simply Riko, was still talking about how they shouldn't be sad as it wasn't yet time to be sullen with the remaining two games that they still have in their schedule. After that, it was just only Kuroko and his new light, Kagami Taiga, who was quiet as well. Then suddenly, the red head stood up and said, "Hey, this might be our limit."

Kuroko froze at what he just heard.

"I thought we could go further," he continued, "But look at us. In face of overwhelming power, I don't think we can just win by working together…" Kagami then leaves the locker room and let the door slowly shut, leaving Kuroko in the state of confusion and a tinge of pain upon hearing the words of his new light. Then it brought him memories. Memories of his past where his Teiko teammates weren't yet monsters until they have become one.

He bit his lip, trying not to let tears rain from his eyes.

My basketball failed to save Aomine-kun...


For the next two days, Seirin seemed to be not in their best state to even play as they were nipped by Meisei before getting routed by Senshinkan. Due to his injury, Kagami didn't even play while Kuroko simply slumped as is usually-accurate passes weren't cutting at all. As a result, Seirin's chances at the Interhigh ended.

The team once again went home down in spirits as none of them even bothered to say anything. Kagami was simply in his own world as Riko was busy texting someone. Suddenly, as he was pondering on what to do next, Kuroko suddenly felt his phone vibrating. Fishing it out, he was actually amused to see who it was.

From: Shirai Kuroko

Subject: Your Basketball Game

Message: I heard you lost so terribly. It's alright! Your still awesome, Tetsu-nii! Anyway, summer vacation is just around the corner in two weeks. What do you plan to do?

As caring as always, Kuroko actually giggled inwardly as he types his message.

To: Shirai Kuroko

Subject: Summer Vacation

Message: I don't know yet but knowing coach, I think we would spend our summer in a training camp.

After a few minutes, he again received another message that says:

From: Shirai Kuroko

Subject: Your Think Nothing, You Breathe Nothing

Message: …But basketball. But if you have any problems, just text me anytime. I felt bad for you, you know. And if you're going to ask me if I'm fine, I'm supeeeer fine with onee-sama!

For the first time since they lost to Touou, Kuroko was able to put up a small smile in his face. At the very least, there is still something to look forward and smile on.

The next week, Kuroko realized that he wasn't actually far off about him saying that there summer would be spent in preparing themselves for another gruelling tournament in the Winter Cup, which determines the best high school basketball team nationally by the end of the year. At that time, Kagami wasn't even present since he was actually busy in recovering from his leg injury he sustained from the games versus Shutoku and the recently, Aomine's team. It was also that day that he had met Kiyoshi Teppei, the founder of the Seirin Basketball team and one of the so-called Uncrowned Kings with the nickname "Iron Heart."

"It's just like I heard," Kiyoshi said on that fateful night as he enters into the gym where Kuroko is busy practicing some jump shots, "You're not much good at anything besides passing." The tealnette frowned at that remark but what the brunette center said next actually caught him off-guard.

"But who cares about that? I like your basketball."

Astonished at what he said, Kuroko and Kiyoshi then introduce themselves to one another and there, they began to have a heart-to-heart talk. And in those manly conversations, Kuroko's eyes had grown wide at the gist of what Kiyoshi is trying to convey to him.

"Is that all you can do? Believe in your potential a little bit more."

The center's words sounded like he was just talking to himself but every bit of it had an effect on the tealnette's resolve. Then suddenly, he found himself smiling. I think I know what to do. After Kiyoshi had left, he turned off the gym lights before eventually leaving for home. But as he was already going home, one question was begging off to be answered.

How am I going to do it, then?

Eventually, he and Kagami had make up after almost two weeks of not even talking to each other as they eventually settled their differences in a nearby basketball court, the same say that the Iron Heart as returned to finally rejoin the Seirin basketball team after missing out for a year after getting an injury which cost him his knee. But despite the make up, Kuroko can't help but ponder upon what Aomine had told him in their late encounter.

You haven't changed, Tetsu.

I'm disappointed.

Do you still think you can defeat me with your style?

Akashi was right. Your basketball will never win.

The former GoM's Phantom Sixth Man still shudder at those words thrown to him by his former light. Was it his way of trying to tell me that I haven't really improved or was he belittling me? He would be lying if he says that it didn't hurt him. In fact, he was close to crying after he saw that his style was deemed useless by his former best friend. But at the same time, it hardened his resolve to do one thing.

If it comes to that, I'm determined to be stronger, this time!


Kuroko, though, never knew that he would actually have to make this decision.

Ever since he had already settle his differences with Kagami and renewed their partnership with an even stronger resolve to defeat the Generation of Miracles, Kuroko had kept thinking about how to make himself stronger so he can combine his strength with those of Kagami, who super jumps is yet to develop.

I cannot shoot properly and consistently like Midorima-kun or Aomine-kun so it's either I fix that or abandon it.

He then thought of a high-level dribble…

But my dribbling isn't that much good, either.

He sighed. This is really getting out of hand.

He then blankly stared at his teammates, who were still busy eating curry. It was this day where they had a taste-testing experiment with Riko's curry since it's a common knowledge that the coach is a bad cook, a direct opposite on how she's good in coaching their team. The first try was a disaster. The meat was raw, the rice was soft like porridge, and the sauce had a bitter-sour taste. But thanks to Kagami, she was able to perfect it quite decently and right now, everyone is busy wolfing down their meal.

The tealnette then remembered the training camp which Hyuga and Riko had both decided. A training camp, huh? I wonder what kind of training we would get? Come to think of it, Kuroko-san's training in the Judgement grounds is actually worst—

Suddenly, a bright idea came upon him as if a light bulb had just lit.

Wait…what if…I try to distance myself for a moment so that I can find an answer on how to make myself stronger…

He had an hour to think about his decision as they still have to rearrange their belongings in the gymnasium. In those 59 minutes and a second, he quickly weighed his options as well as the pros and cons of what he was planning to do. After pondering, he had made his ultimate decision. Gathering his courage to actually to the initiative to speak to his coach, Kuroko quickly approached Hyuga and Riko who were busy talking about something. The tealnette quickly made his pale presence known them.

"Kantoku…anou…excuse me…"

Riko sputtered as she holds her heart after seeing Kuroko suddenly appearing to her side, "Konoyaro! You should have made your presence known earlier!" She was tempted to hold her passing specialist in a chokehold.

"Sorry, coach…" Kuroko quickly shuddered to avoid getting a punishment from his sadistic bench tactician, "But actually, I have an important message to tell to the two of you. Kantoku…captain…I won't attend in the summer camp."

Upon hearing the words of his kouhai, Hyuga almost spitted his drink as he glares at Kuroko with a glint of a psychopath.

"Huh!? Why?" Riko asked intensely as she was cracking her knuckles, a sign that she was getting annoyed at what her junior just asked, "You better give me a good and right reason for your would-be absence."

"I have a good reason and this is for the sake of our team," Kuroko defended his decision, "Actually, I have been contacted by my cousin who happens to be an expert in actual combat, martial arts, and physical fitness." He was referring to a certain girl from a certain city in though he twisted it a bit, "She offered to teach me ways on how to become physically stronger."

"Oh…really?" Riko put up a Cheshire smile, "If that's the case, then why don't we come as well?"

"Anou…" Kuroko had to choose his words wisely as seeing the smile of his coach, he knew any slip and he can get into trouble, "Unfortunately, she doesn't really accept outsiders and prefers to teach on a one-on-one basis. So please, let me go on my own for the moment. I promise I'll make it up with a tripled menu when I come back from training."

Hyuga and Riko watch their Phantom player bow his head and look at them blankly, as if trying to plead his case with the two of them. After thinking hard of this, the coach sighed and she said, "Fine but make sure that you really learn something. Oh and don't forget your promise of triple training."

"Arigatou!" Kuroko bowed down once more again as he happily runs out of the gym.

"Eh, coach? What was that? Where is Kuroko going?" Kagami was dumbfounded to see his partner suddenly running out of their gym with his duffel bag. Instead of replying to their ace, Hyuga decided to gather his team, "Everyone! Gather 'round!"

When everyone was already gathered in a semi-circle, Riko had a grim look on her face as she made an important announcement, "Tomorrow, we'll have our call time here in Seirin at 8 am. And we will go to our training camp without Kuroko-kun."

"Eh!?" Everyone's reaction was expected as they didn't expect that their passing specialist would actually skip a training camp. He was always present in a basketball practice.

"He didn't elaborate but he said he had a cousin who's an expert in physical fitness and martial arts. Apparently, he was contacted and was offered training," the brunette coach explained as she actually made an evil thougt. Just make it sure that it's training Kuroko-kun or else, you'll get more than just a Boston Crab Hold.


Academy City

It is a landlocked sovereign city-state whose territory consists of a walled enclave within Tokyo Metropolitan Employment Area. It is a city of several schools and institutions of higher learning from kindergarten to university level that learn side-by-side along with the scientists who research on psychic powers and higher technology, the latter being one of the primary reasons for its establishment. It is the most advanced city in the world and its technology is said to be 30 years ahead of the world.

Academy City is composed of 23 districts, called School Districts which are simply numbered from one to twenty-three and each of these districts have a specific purpose.

And it is a place where a certain tealnette didn't expect until yesterday afternoon to end up to for his personal intentions.

I want to be strong. I will force the Generation of Miracles to recognize my style…

Kuroko contemplated this as he makes himself comfortable in his seat in a bus that is destined to take him to where he's supposed to train himself to become stronger.

As the bus was threading in the road slowly, Kuroko had been drowsy as he nudges in his bed. "Academy City, huh?"

Yes, he was once offered a chance to actually study there in middle school before eventually settling in Teiko to continue his basketball path.

Should I regret that decision? Kuroko thought. No. I don't regret playing basketball. It's just that…

He didn't know what to think next.

After a few hours, he then heard an automated monotone announcement said, "Minna-san, we, here at Academy City would like to welcome first-timers here. We would also like to welcome back those who are returning. We hope you enjoy your stay if you're visiting. We are, as of now are nearing District 7, for those who are planning to move out please stay on-tracks. Thank you for listening!"

He was awakened by the sight of windmills working and the sounds of automated robots suddenly lining up in the road.

He sighed.

Hopefully, Kuroko-san wouldn't mind if I arrive unannounced.


Sneak peak for the next chapter!

Kuroko Tetsuya finds himself in Academy City's District 7. Here, he reunites with his cousin, the Level 4 Teleporter and Judgement's best officers, Shirai Kuroko. The two then have an agreement in helping the Seirin passing specialist find his answer. But along the way, he also meets a lot of people, specifically a Level 5 Biri Biri, a man whose luck is the worst, and…an English silver-haired nun?

And while he would be staying there for the whole summer, more questions would be asked: who is this Himegami Aisa and what is Ars Magna? Before he knew it, he would be sucked into the on-going struggle between Magic and Science.

* The story is set after Seirin's first match against Touou in the original arc and the Index Arc in the Toaru original canon.