Title: Love Hoop
Rating: T (language warning)
DISCLAIMER: Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi and Kuroko no Basket belongs to Tadatoshi Fujimaki. Two respected mangaka! I do not own the characters in any way nor the story plot. Only the idea of this fanfiction!
MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: I have finally updated! This took way too long to write. I had no idea Shutoku versus Rakuzan would take this long. The outline took FOREVER! So I apologize for the late update. I do hope you forgive me.
Now this chapter focuses more on Rakuzan and Kagome making her own observations. We are getting closer to Kagome telling Seirin about herself, perhaps the next chapter? Or the one after? We will see~ I did have to make a few changes to the original story line, so bear with me, okay?
I want to thank you all for the support you have given me thus far. This story would not be close to completion if it were not for the reviews, messages, and support everyone has given. Please continue on supporting me!
I do hope you enjoy!
Chapter 29: Emperor of the Court
Despite the huge crowd cheering in anticipation for the next match, the miko's world had become silent as she stared at the female coach's back. Having walked a few feet away from the Seirin locker room, she only wondered what Riko would want to talk to her about. Had she done something wrong? She could not blame Riko's suspicions because even she knew she was acting weird. Parting her lips to speak out, she blinked the moment she heard Riko's words being released first.
"Is something troubling you, Kagome-chan?" she questioned with crossed arms. Looking over her shoulder, Riko raised a brow as she caught a glimpse of the miko's gaze dropping down in a silent reply. "You have been acting strange lately."
No reply was given as only a sigh was heard from the miko's lips. Kagome knew it was only a matter of time before they truly questioned her. There was only so much she could hide now, but was it the right time to tell? The true question was how Seirin would react to the information. But before she could release her information, she had to be patient and wait to at least see Rakuzan.
She had to see Akashi's play.
A smile curved up her lips as she rose her head to meet Riko's curious blinks. "Everything is alright, Riko-senpai. Nothing too serious is troubling me."
"Kagome-chan, you can't hide it. There is something in the back of your mind that keeps pestering you," Riko sighed as she uncrossed her arms and turned to face the miko. "I can't force you to tell me or the team, but I want you to know that you are not alone, Kagome-chan. We are here for you. We are a team after all, right?"
The words sunk deep into the miko's heart as an automatic warmth filled her. Not even a year had passed with the team, but she felt secure and accepted with them. The team had filled her with a purpose all over again after returning from the feudal era.
The void was filled once more.
"Riko-senpai, the time is not right for me to tell everyone about myself…"
"Yourself?" Riko blinked. Was there a secret she had kept for this long?
"But I promise the time is coming soon," Kagome gave a bow, startling Riko slightly by the sudden politeness. "Sumimazen, Riko-senpai! But please give me some time to collect my thoughts. Onegai shimasu…"
Silent over Kagome's request, the female coach's shoulders relaxed. She could hear the pleading behind the miko's words and who was she to deny her the one favor she asked for? Exhaling, Riko placed her hand over Kagome's shoulder before sending her a smile. "Take the time you need, Kagome-chan."
With silent observations, brown orbs scanned over the features of the two older males inside the locker room. Kiyoshi blinked, noticing the orange haired male speak with Koganei and the other three first years as Koga simply stood in silence with crossed arms. No doubt everyone was curious over Riko having pulled Kagome out of the room for a talk.
Question was – what were they talking about?
Kiyoshi knew Kagome was anxious about keeping something so secretive over the people that trusted her, but he could not blame her for the secret was something even he would not tell about. 'And yet she told me first,' the brunette told himself, his eyes glued on the wolf. 'I wonder though…she mentioned youkai. Could these two be youkai, then?' Kagome had not told him the whole story nor any names to put to faces, but something told him from the closeness of these two to their manager, that they knew something.
"You sure are doing a lot of staring there."
Hearing Koga's voice from the other side of the locker room, all eyes blinked as they followed his line of sight to see Kiyoshi blinking in confusion.
"Me?" Kiyoshi pointed at himself. "Ah, well," he chuckled nervously as he scratched the back his head, "I was simply admiring how you two take care of Kagome-chan."
The wolf youkai raised a brow before meeting Shippo's orbs. Snickering over Kiyoshi's words, Koga closed his eyes: 'he is figuring it out himself. Guess he isn't as clueless as we thought.' With a sigh, he knew the other members waited for a reply. "We take care of her because she has taken care of us for many years in…the past. We owe her a great debt that can never be repaid fully."
"Well, Kagome-chan seems like a strong girl to us," Hyuga cut in. "If anything, she has dealt with many of the annoying basketball players since the beginning of the school year."
Shippo gave out a shrug as he made his way beside the wolf: "Kagome is strong – mentally and physically, but she is human too. She has her own challenges she must face. That is why, we ask you all to take care of her when we can't."
Releasing a chuckle of his own, the captain placed his hands inside the pockets of his sweat pants. "We have been doing just that since she joined. This team looks after each other."
"I am glad to hear that," Koga smirked.
"Is…Kagome-chan still conflicted?"
Hearing the question come from Kiyoshi's mouth, heads turned to see the serious expression he held. Conflicted? What did he mean by that? Seirin blinked in unison before turning to face the silent youkai. Both Koga and Shippo were covered in a silence as their eyes remained glued on the brunette. That silence should have given Kiyoshi the answer.
"Ano, what do you mean, Kiyoshi-senpai?" Kuroko questioned, becoming curious on the topic. He was becoming worried over the miko's well-being as he saw Kiyoshi's own concern. Was there something they were supposed to know?
Before anyone else could add to the conversation, the click of the door caught their attention as they saw both females walking back inside. Riko sent the team a smile as she heard Kagome close the door behind her. "Well, the crowd is definitely ready for the match."
"Then we should get going," Koga spoke, giving Riko a bow with his head as he turned to open the door for the miko and the kitsune. "Shall we go?"
"Uh hai," Kagome nodded slowly. As Shippo gave his wave, the miko stopped in her steps before turning her head over her shoulder. The smile on her lips returned as she saw a wave of concern wash over the team. "I will be back, miina. Don't look so worried," she chuckled softly, "I promise you all that everything is okay." Giving them a bow with her head, she headed out the locker room with Koga behind.
Raising a brow at the sudden confusion lingering in the room, Hyuga rested his hand over his hip. "Something is definitely going on with Kagome-chan. Do you know anything, Kiyoshi?" he questioned, turning to see a smile still glued on the brunette's features.
"Hm?" he cocked his head to the side. "I was just asking if Kagome-chan was okay."
"Uso!" Hyuga shouted. "You know something!"
"Mah, mah," Riko sighed, fanning her hand up and down, "no need to get over worked by it. Kagome-chan is okay. It seems the stress of the game is just getting to her. When Kagome-chan is ready to tell us whatever is bothering her, let us just all be there for her, okay?"
The phantom player blinked as he turned to take a glance at the sitting tiger. Kagami nodded with a sigh as he could see Kuroko was becoming worried himself over the girl. He would not lie and say he was worried himself, but their coach's words were right.
They had to be patient and wait for Kagome to come to them.
As the miko's eyes remained glued on the backs of the youkai, she continued her way down the hall leading to the court. She was beginning to wonder why they decided to watch the game from there, but she agreed that maybe it was for the best to see Rakuzan's play. With a soft exhale, Kagome's head flashed her back to the image of her team. She knew it was time to tell, but when exactly?
"I have made my decision," she spoke in mid-whisper.
Koga and Shippo looked over their shoulders as they saw the miko's eyes lowered down from their view. With a smile forming over their lips, they continued their way ahead as they saw the open entrance to the court. "If that is what you have decided," Koga chuckled, "just let us know exactly when."
"Oh! Imagine the look on their faces!" Shippo laughed. "Especially the Generation of Miracles."
"Huh?" the miko blinked. "The Generation of Miracles? I was planning on only telling…Seirin."
"Eh?" the kitsune blinked, lowering his arms from behind his head. "Really? I thought you were close to the others, too. Are you not going to tell them?"
She had not thought of it in the first place. She was so focused on Seirin, the thought of telling the Generation of Miracles had not crossed her mind. Do they have the right to know? Although they were not as close as she was to her own team, she had begun to think of them as her friends. "I don't know how they would take it, to be honest."
"Well, when the times comes, I am sure you will know," the wolf youkai sighed. "If you decide to tell them, just make sure you know who exactly should know about your past."
"We can bring them all together!" Shippo shook his head, "imagine the look of confusion they will have when they are gathered."
Would she tell others beside her own team? Could she at least trust Midorima, Kise, Aomine, or even Murasakibara? A gentle sigh passed her lips as the light of the court hit her eyes. She had time to think it over; time was ticking with each passing second though. Deciding it was best to concentrate on the upcoming match, Kagome shook her head. "I am surprised you two decided to watch the game from the court."
"I think it would be more interesting," Shippo smiled as he stepped out first and stopped in his tracks the moment he caught sight of a silver haired male to his left. "Oh?"
"What is it?" questioned Koga.
The kitsune tilted his head to the side for their attention as he showed them the person he had noticed. Eyes blinked as they saw the familiar silver haired youkai standing with a few scouts as they spoke amongst each other.
"Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome whispered under her breath.
"Wah, Sesshomaru, I didn't expect you here," Shippo spoke as he watched some of the scouts move to the nearby table for their work. "I thought you would be in the suite."
Walking behind the enthusiastic kitsune, Kagome and Koga blinked in unison as they saw the inu raise a brow with narrowed eyes. Crossing his arms, Sesshomaru returned his gaze to the empty court as he released a small sigh. "This Sesshomaru came with the college scouts and other sponsors to decide which team would represent the new sports line for Taisho Corporation."
"And?" Shippo tilted his head to the side, "who has caught your eye?"
"Oi," Koga glared, placing his hand over the kitsune's head, "why are you being nosy all of a sudden?"
The miko chuckled as she watched the two youkai bicker before seeing the clean court. Nothing but reporter and referees surrounding the area as the crowd awaited for the two upcoming teams. Who would win this match? It was a tough call to make on her own.
"Miko."
Turning her head at the call of her name, Kagome blinked as she saw Sesshomaru's own sights on the court. "Yes, Sesshomaru-sama?"
"This Sesshomaru believes Shutoku High will be going against Rakuzan High," he stated as his eyes observed the entire area. "Miko, do you have an idea who would win?"
Was he really asking her? Rarely did Sesshomaru care for someone else's opinion, let alone, thoughts. Not wanting to ruin the moment of their talk, the miko's shoulder relaxed as she gently scratched her cheek. "Seirin has gone against Shutoku twice and they have made it this far already. I have heard Rakuzan is a strong team, but Shutoku is equally as strong. It is hard to say, Sesshomaru-sama."
The stadium was soon filled with the crowd's cheers as the first team made its appearance. The youkai along with the miko looked to their right as they saw the familiar orange basketball uniform making its appearance. Shippo released a whistle as he came to see the green haired male standing behind his seniors. "Looks like Shutoku has arrived," he whispered, resting his hands inside his pockets.
"They are out!" shouted the audience. "The veterans of eleven consecutive appearances! The veteran kings, Shutoku High!"
Kagome's eyes followed the team as they made their way towards their bench. Blinking at the sight of Midorima's green orbs on her person, she sent him a nod in a form of greeting. This would be the first time seeing Midorima play against another Generation of Miracles member and the former captain nonetheless.
"Eh~," Takao chuckled, giving a light elbow push to the green haired male, "I see you have your eyes on Kagome-chan. Don't go embarrassing yourself out there, you hear?"
"Uruse, Takao," Midorima pushed his glasses in, turning away from the miko as he took off his orange jacket.
"Midorima looks concentrated," Koga whispered, crossing his arms as he observed the whole team, "the entire team knows who exactly they are going against. They have to be cautious from the start."
"They are here!"
"The strongest high school team!"
Hearing the audience speak once more, attention was drawn to the incoming team dressed in white and light blue. The miko's eyes narrowed as she caught sight of the confident auras surrounding the entire Rakuzan team; the strongest and calmest aura being enveloped around the captain nonetheless.
"The emperors since the beginning of time, Rakuzan High," the wolf youkai spoke, seeing the Uncrowned Kings in the front with no concerns of the upcoming match.
"Ah! It's you!"
The miko and youkai blinked as they noticed the blonde Rakuzan player give a wide smile as he came towards her. Kagome raised a brow in confusion as she saw the toothy grin from the green eyed male. Who was he- 'ah, wait…that is the guy I saw inside the shoe store this morning!'
"Kagome-chan, was it? Or can I call you Kagome-nee?" he smiled, grabbing her hands into his. "It is an honor meeting the girl Akashi has his eyes on!"
"Nani?" Koga's eyes widened slightly with an angry glare glozing over. He took a glance towards the kitsune and inu and saw the curiosity hit them. Who was this guy to say Akashi had his eyes on the miko?
"Akashi-kun?" the miko whispered. The Rakuzan captain had his eyes on her? Did she hear that right?
"Kotaro, you are scaring the poor girl."
Hayama blinked as he turned his head over his shoulder to see the black haired Uncrowned King walking towards them. With a small pout, Hayama brought the miko closer – much to her surprise. "But this is the first time I got to meet Kagome-nee! I was only curious about her since Akashi had become fond of her, Reo-nee."
Mibuchi sighed as he saw Hayama release the confused girl. "I do apologize on his behalf, but I cannot blame him for his curiosity over you, Kago-chan."
"K-Kago-chan?" she repeated.
A burp was heard from behind the males as eyes came to see the buff tan male hitting the middle of his chest with a grin. "I guess I ate too much," he sighed with a smile before cracking his neck.
"That is gross," Mibuchi spoke, taking a step back from his teammate. "That is not gentleman like, Eikichi, especially when in front of this young lady. Why would you eat so much before a game?"
Nebuya released a scoff as his eyes glided to the corner to stare at the disgusted black haired male. What was his problem? "I am stronger when I eat meat." Taking a glance at the silent miko, he chuckled under his breath: "wouldn't you agree, onna?"
The miko's eyebrow twitched as she heard no name behind his question. She could accept the weird nicknames coming from the weird basketball players, but it was clear to her that Rakuzan knew her name. "I have a name you know," she glared.
"Do you know mine?" Nebuya asked with a raised brow.
"Uh…no," she took a step back. She did not know any of them, but they seemed to know their information on her. Could these three be-?
"Kotaro. Eikichi. Reo, the game is about to start."
Hearing the order from the familiar cold tone, the three Rakuzan members turned to see none other than Akashi's fixed on them. "R-Right, Akashi," Hayama chuckled, "gomen!" Giving the miko his signature toothy grin again, he saluted her a goodbye. "Watch us play, Kagome-nee! Make sure you root for u!"
"Why would she cheer for us, baka?" Mibuchi sighed with a shake of his head. "She is part of Seirin's team."
"Ah…that's right," he chuckled again, passing by the Rakuzan captain as he left him to face the silent miko.
Akashi's eyes slowly glided to meet the miko's blue orbs before sending her the soft smile he always held. With a slight bow of his head, he closed his eyes: "I do apologize on their behalf for making you feel uncomfortable, but the Uncrowned Kings mean no harm."
'So they are the Uncrowned Kings…,' Kagome blinked, 'they are the ones on par with Kiyoshi-senpai and Hanamiya-san.'
"Seirin will be going against Kaijo, is that correct?" Akashi questioned, grabbing the miko's attention back on him. Seeing her nod as a reply, he released a low chuckle under his breath, "then I wish you and Seirin the best of luck."
"Likewise…"
The Rakuzan captain pressed his lips shut as he held back his snicker, "I am afraid I will not be needing it, Kagome, for I am absolute."
"Huh?" Kagome blinked in confusion. What did he mean by that? Was his confidence that high for him to feel the victory at his fingertips? Narrowing her eyes at the red headed male, she had caught the name he had called her by. 'Last time he called me 'Higurashi-san', and now…he is using my first name?' Letting her eyes fall suspiciously, she watched as he turned his back to her before making his way to the Rakuzan bench. 'Two auras…there is no mistake.'
"Tch, those three got too close to my woman if you ask me," Koga spoke as he took a step forward. What the hell did they mean Akashi had his eyes on her? That didn't suit him right.
"Your woman?" the miko's eyebrow twitched.
"Nee~," Shippo cut in, his eyes glued on the undefeated team as they prepared for the game, "this thought just occurred to me, but doesn't Akashi remind you of someone?"
With a few blinks, both Kagome and Koga raised an eyebrow as the question sunk in. With three pairs of eyes glided towards the silver haired inu, they could not help but see the meaning behind Shippo's question. Akashi had a personality similar to someone's – well confidence wise.
Sesshomaru felt the stares on his person, making his eyebrow twitch as his eyelids closed. He could feel irritation drape over him the more the three stared. "Do not compare this Sesshomaru to a mere high school student; that is a warning."
The three jumped from the warning tone, making them turn away before they faced the inu's deadly glare. Shippo chuckled under his breath with a scratch of his head as he thought of way to clear the atmosphere. "Well, now that we have met the members of Rakuzan, I thought they would be more uptight since they are so strong. They are pretty normal, if you ask me."
"What are you talking about?" Koga sighed, giving Shippo a light push on his shoulder.
"Huh?" Shippo blinked.
"There is nothing normal about them," the miko cut in with a sigh. She hated to admit it, but they were acting to laid back for being in the semi-finals.
The wolf crossed his arms as he kept his eyes on the elite team, seeing them prepare for the match themselves. Besides the three Uncrowned Kings having set a bad impression on them, Akashi had presented himself and set his curiosities even higher. "Number four is their captain, Akashi Seijuro. From what I have heard, no matter how amazing a first is, becoming a captain almost never happens. What is even more incredible is not a single player on the bench or the rest of the team seems to have a problem with it."
"Neither do the Uncrowned Kings," Kagome added, seeing the calmness and support Akashi had within the team itself. "They all have their quirks and a lot of pride. All of them accept him as their captain. As someone who knows them, something seems really out of place. At the very least, you can't call someone who leads so naturally…normal."
"The Akashi family have a confidence even this Sesshomaru will acknowledge," Sesshomaru spoke, grabbing the attention of the three in front of him. "For mere humans, Akashi Seijuro has what most don't possess."
"Do you know him, Sesshomaru-sama?" Kagome questioned.
Shippo chuckled under his breath as he came back to stare at the back of Akashi's jersey. "Akashi's father is a CEO himself. Apparently, he and Sesshomaru made a contract not too long ago over a few business matters. If I remember correctly," he placed his fingers under his chin, "Akashi-san and his son were present."
"You mean Akashi-kun is the son of a CEO?" Kagome whispered with wide eyes. She had a feeling his was well off financially, but to know he was at the same level as Sesshomaru definitely surprised her. Just how strong was Akashi?
"What a pain in the ass~," putting two more sticks of Pocky into his mouth, the purple haired male made his way to his teammate as he looked over from the balcony. Seeing both Shutoku and Rakuzan walking onto the court, he released a sigh as he felt pure laziness. "If you want to watch the game, watch it yourself, Murochin."
"Don't be that way, Atsushi," Himuro chuckled, seeing the tall male staring at him from the corner of his eyes. He was curious over the semi-finals and thought having Murasakibara beside him would help in analyzing Rakuzan's play; Akashi was the biggest mystery of them all.
Murasakibara's eyebrows furrowed as he knew there was no benefit for his coming: "can I leave-?"
"I have seaweed and salt chips," bringing out a bag of chips in front of the snack lover, Himuro's lips curved as he saw he had won the persuasion the moment Murasakibara took the bag into his hands.
"I will have some."
"Besides," Himuro spoke, "it looks like Kagome-san is watching the game as well."
Purple orbs glided down to the court before landing on the miko standing beside the three mysterious males. "Eh~, Gome-chin is with that famous athletic trainer?"
"Huh? I guess you're right, but isn't that Taisho's CEO?" questioned Himuro.
"I'm going to win, Akashi."
Stopping in his steps, the Rakuzan captain raised a brow before turning to face Shutoku's shooting guard. A smile appeared on his lips as he faced his former teammate. "That is impossible, Shintaro. Have you ever forced me to concede?"
Midorima's eyes narrowed as he saw the confidence permanently glued on Akashi's features. It never surprised him that Akashi always knew victory would be his; this time it would be different. "Shogi and basketball are different," he replied.
"They are the same. I have never been wrong," Akashi chuckled as he saw the glare tighten on Midorima's features, "because I always win, I am always right."
"The first semifinal game of the Winter Cup between Rakuzan High and Shutoku High will now begin! Bow!"
Watching Rakuzan and Shutoku give their respective bows on the middle of the court, the miko's shoulders relaxed down as an exhaled was released. As the referee threw the ball for the tip off, she was surprised the moment Otsubo pushed it away towards Takao's spot.
"Yeah!" Takao smirked, seeing Mibuchi heading his way, "just kidding!"
Kagome blinked, seeing Takao send the ball behind is back and onto Midorima's hands as he prepared his knees for his three pointer.
"Crap! Already?" Hayama chuckled with a grin.
"You are always right?" Midorima spoke out, raising his arms slowly as he took his aim. "Don't make me laugh, Akashi. Don't talk like you know everything when you have only ever won!"
Eyes followed the arc of the ball as it was perfectly made into the hoop. Koga chuckled under his breath as he crossed his arms across his chest: "well what do you know, he already came out strong."
Back and forth they watched both teams score as nothing but Midorima was giving his ultimate best. The miko remained silent as her eyes stayed glued on Rakuzan's movements. Nothing out of the ordinary was happening and it was beginning to make her feel uneasy. 'Wouldn't Rakuzan do something about Midorima-kun's three pointer shots?' Midorima gave high precision with each shot, despite Rakuzan being closely behind their score. 'Nothing but ordinary shots are being made by Rakuzan themselves…what is going on?'
Her ears soon heard the sound of the ball being bounced in place by none other than Akashi himself. Narrowing her focus on the Rakuzan captain, she noticed the calm aura still lingering around. 'That aura of his is what gets me confused. He is really confident in himself,' her eyes landed on Takao, seeing him come in front of Akashi's path. Seeing him exhale, she knew Takao was forcing himself to focus on Akashi's movements as his aura wavered slightly with fear.
She gasped as she saw Akashi's fast break as he took the ball in a dribble: 'he's fast!' Blinking at the speed Akashi took, she was surprised the moment she caught sight of Takao having caught up to the captain.
Akashi quickly sent a pass over Takao's head into Nebuya's hands as he ran towards their hoop. "Nice pass!" he shouted as he tied the score with his shot.
The buzzer was soon released into the ears of the audience, making the miko blink. "Eh? The first quarter is already over?" she questioned herself. Where had time gone? But something was not sitting right with her. "That's weird…," she whispered, catching Koga's and Shippo's attention.
"What is?" Koga blinked.
"Akashi-kun is good and he has the skills. He is as good as you would expect a point guard to be, but Takao-kun was able to keep up with him. Is this really the captain of the Generation of Miracles?" she questioned, knowing Koga and Shippo heard her question. 'Even Midorima-kun is being too silent.'
"The game is going well."
Hearing Rakuzan's captain speak, the miko blinked as she saw the serious and unchanged expression on the members. Where they not worried at all?
"No changes to our game plan," he continued with crossed arms. "I will leave the detailed game-making to you guys. If you need to fix anything, listen to Akashi."
"Yes, sir!
"Tch, even the coach is giving Akashi high praise and authority," Koga spoke, resting his hand over his hip. Even he would not give so much power to a first-year, but perhaps Akashi did have the traits of a leader. He could understand the miko's concern over Akashi's game play, but even with the experience he had over athletes, he could tell one thing. "Akashi is definitely not holding back, if that is what you are thinking, Kagome."
The miko blinked, taken back by Koga's words. Turning to face the wolf youkai, her eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean?"
"The course of this game closely resembles shogi." The three turned at the sound of Sesshomaru's voice, seeing his eyes focused on the red headed captain. "Right now, they are still feeling each other out; an enemy coming to meet the enemy face-to-face." His golden eyes narrowed down as he let out a chuckle, "they will probably start making their move…in the next quarter. Shutoku will try to make the first move."
Was Sesshomaru seeing this a battle strategy? Kagome kept her eyes on the inu before bringing her attention back on the court. She had a feeling things were not going to be like they were during the first quarter.
"The break it over!" the referee announced. "The second quarter will now begin!"
"Don't underestimate me, Akashi," Midorima spoke, stopping Akashi from walking to his post. The green haired male was not stupid to know what Akashi was doing during the first quarter; spending three years at Teiko with him had given him observations himself. "It was rather leisurely of you to so obviously watch and wait during the first quarter. Surely you don't think you can win without using your eye."
Akashi's eyes slowly glided to the corner, seeing the serious expression Midorima gave as he mentioned his ability. "I don't underestimate you, Shintaro. If anything, I couldn't be playing more carefully. One must be careful how they play their trump card. However," tightening his sight, he sent the glare to his former teammate, "at this rate the game may end before I even play it."
"What did you say?" Midorima returned the glare.
"Eye?" whispered Shippo as his face shifted with his confusion. "What is he talking about?"
Curious over Midorima's warning, she was beginning to wonder what Akashi was hiding from everyone else. 'Eye? Does he mean his eyes?' With the sound of the referee's whistle breaking her out of her inner thoughts, she blinked as she saw Takao stop in his tracks with the ball as they noticed the two Rakuzan members marking Midorima. "They are doubling teaming Midorima-kun?"
'Shin-chan doesn't know what to do?' Takao bounced the ball as he noticed his teammate trying to break free from the defense. 'Tch! We expected this from Rakuzan! Their defense is strong!' Chuckling under his breath, Takao gave the ball one last bounce, "but we knew it would be!"
Passing the ball over to Miyaji, the small forward took a step back as he saw Hayama coming in front of him with the usual grin. "All right, a one-on-one!" chuckled Hayama. "Come on!"
A tick appeared on Miyaji's forehead as he heard his junior's enthusiasm: "what are you getting so excited about, huh!?" Dribbling the ball around the blonde, he quickly passed him and passed the ball over to his captain.
'Huh?' Hayama smirked with glee. 'He is good at dribbling!'
Watching Otsubo make the dunk, the miko blinked in awe as Shutoku's score was raised. "Sugoi," she whispered, "Shutoku has definitely improved since the last time."
"Oi!" shouted Nebuya, seeing Hayam's apologetic look. "How could you just let them pass you?!"
"G-Gomen!"
"Chotto!" Mibuchi joined in, seeing Hayama's over excited expression kicking back in, "you're not asleep, are you? Keep it together."
"Gomen, gomen."
"Kotaro."
The blonde jumped at the sound of Akashi's voice coming from behind. Turning to face his captain, Hayama's sweat drop appeared as he knew the tone well. "A-Ah! I'll get them back! Don't be mad, Akashi!"
Keeping his stoic expression, Akashi took a step forward as he ignored Hayama's apology. "That is fine, but if you don't want to play, I will sub you out."
"I'm fine!" Hayama smiled, sending him a thumbs up. His teammates were scolding him for nothing! "No one is better at dribbling than me!" he reassured them.
Seeing the ball coming into Hayama's hands, Koga raised a brow as he saw the Rakuzan blonde face Miyaji once again. "Eh~, does he intend to get his revenge already?" After hearing Akashi's warning, he was now sure Akashi had full control of his team.
"Huh?" smirked Miyaji. "You're not going anywhere."
"No, I'm going to do it," Hayama spoke, letting the grin on his lips widen. Adjusting his fingers over the orange ball, he placed his three fingers firmly upon it, "three should do it."
'Three?' Miyaji blinked. What was he talking about?
With one bounce of the ball, Miyaji and the rest of the audience were taken back by the vibrations and loud echoing of the ball hitting the wooden court. Another came soon after, making Kagome, Shippo, Koga, and the rest of the audience cover their ears in irritation.
"Oi! Oi! Does he want us to go deaf!?" Shippo grunted, feeling his eyebrow twitch as his ears rung with each dribble.
Koga scoffed under his breath as he felt his sensitive ears take in the dribbling's sounds more loudly than the humans; the perks of having youkai ears. "The hard you dribble, the faster the ball travels and the more difficult it is to control. But that technique…is not easy," he smirked, surprised Rakuzan had such a member to perform that technique.
The inu youkai's eyes narrowed as he began to feel annoyed over the sound, but had to give props to Rakuzan as they were beginning to show themselves worth of the name as the emperors of the court.
"If you had trouble understanding me earlier, allow me to rephrase," Akashi whispered, catching Midorima's attention as he stood beside him. "I don't need to do anything myself. That is all."
'How is he dribbling like that?' Miyaji's eyes widened as he tried keeping up with each bounce Hayama gave. 'My eyes can't keep up!' In a blink of an eye, he found himself staring at an empty spot as Hayama dribbled the ball under Miyaji's legs before making a quick pass his defense.
Dodging Kimura's reach for the ball, Hayama smirked as he ducked under his arm and threw the ball over his head to make the shot.
"Eh~," Koga blinked, surprised by how fluid Hayama's movements were, "a double clutch, huh? He is very agile."
"He passed two Shutoku members in the long run," Shippo sighed, seeing the score tied once again.
"His dribbling is so loud," Murasakibara dug his pinky into his ear as he eyed the blonde Rakuzan member. He was becoming annoyed by how loud Hayama's dribbles were and that is not what he needed.
Himuro nodded, having to agree with the purple haired male beside him. Never in his life had he seen such quick dribbling – not even in streetball back in America. "They say it is better to dribble harder, but I have never seen anyone dribble that hard. But why does his dribbling seem so strange?"
Miyaji's eyes shook as he remained frozen in place; Hayama's words echoing inside his head. 'I barely saw it, but is that even possible? Hayama only touched the ball with three of his fingers. Three meant the number of fingers he was using to convey his entire body's strength to the ball.' His fingers curled into his palm as he saw Hayama running back to capture the ball from Mibuchi's pass. 'Does that mean there are two higher levels of that dribbling?!'
Narrowing her focus, the miko watched as Hayama easily passed Miyaji's defense one time after another with ease. His speed was increasing with each dribble he gave, but she was sure she saw him only using three fingers. Seeing the ball being passed to Nebuya, she sighed the moment the dunk was made. "The gap is getting wider," she commented as her eyes glided to the score board.
"Nice pass!" Nebuya exclaimed as he gave a smack behind Hayama's head.
Hayama's eyebrows furrowed as he felt the sting of the hit. Rubbing the back of his head, he turned around to face the grinning Rakuzan center. "That hurt, you muscle-bound gorilla!"
"Oh, thanks!"
"That's not a compliment!" Hayama's eyes tightened in a glare, seeing he was not going to insult this big guy in any way.
Kagome shook her head as she saw the two Rakuzan members argue before noticing the ball in Takao's hands. Her eyes narrowed as she saw Akashi coming in front of Takao's path, preventing him from going any further. 'Shutoku is managing to score with Midorima-kun, but the difference is too great. Miyaji-san is not the only one who is struggling with Hayama-san,' her sights landed on the Shutoku captain as Nebuya defended against him. 'They are completely overpowering Otsubo-san, too. Not to mention they are leaving Kimura-san open by double-teaming Midorima-kun, but both of them are struggling. What is weird,' her cerulean orbs landed on the stoic Rakuzan captain, 'is Akashi-kun hasn't done anything yet. He is just passing effectively, but Shutoku can barely keep up!'
"Wari, but the rest of your team is just holding you back," Mibuchi spoke, catching Midorima's attention in the middle of their defense. He could see Shutoku struggling and it was a disappointment that the shooting guard of the Generation of Miracles was being held back by such a weak team.
"What did you say?" Midorima glared.
Mibuchi chuckled under his breath, seeing he had grasped on a tick inside his head. "We are barely keeping you under control by double-teaming you, but the other four are average at best."
Eyes widened as Akashi tipped the ball away from Takao's grasp, letting Hayama grab the ball and head towards their hoop. "You aren't going anywhere!" shouted Miyaji, stopping in front of Hayama once again. There was no way he would let Hayama ridicule him the way he did.
"Weak!" Hayama smirked. Placing three of his fingers on the ball once more, he quickly dribbled past Miyaji's defense before he took his jump for his shot.
Miyaji cursed under his breath before blinking at the blurry sight of green hair moving past him until his team member came beside Hayama and tipped the ball away from its intended course. "M-Midorima?!"
"Nice!" Takao chuckled, catching the ball into his hands. Throwing the ball across, he smirked as his green haired teammate made his way towards two Rakuzan members.
"Holding me back?" Midorima's eyes narrowed, seeing Mibuchi come first. His words still echoed in his head as he remembered the times he had seen his seniors stay late practicing their skills. He was prodigy, but he valued hard work.
The miko blinked as she noticed Midorima easily pass the silver haired male before charging towards Mibuchi head on. 'Chotto…,' she blinked again, coming back to stare at the fifth Rakuzan member. Her pupils widened slightly as she lost sight of the male in an instant, 'I was sure I saw someone there!' She placed her attention back on the court, seeing Kimura having screened Mibuchi's defense before Midorima came face-to-face with Nebuya.
"You're not taking this shot!" Nebuya shouted, extending his arm out as he saw Midorima's knees bend
In a blink of an eye, Rakuzan and the audience were taken back by Midorima's sudden pass to the right as Miyaji caught the ball and made his shot. The green haired shooting guard adjusted his glasses as he saw the two points added to their score. "I don't know of anyone who holds me back on this team."
As the cheer of the audience echoed, the miko was left in awe at the sudden sportsmanship Midorima had displayed. Seeing Miyaji pat Midorima's back with a smile, she blinked at the sight of the small curve on his lips. 'Midorima-kun…,' she whispered, 'looks like you have changed as well.'
With one last three pointer shot from Midorima, the buzzer was heard once again, revealing the ending score of the second quarter. Kagome blinked as she saw the score having tired off again. "Thirty-nine to thirty-nine. Both are not giving in."
"That will change soon," Sesshomaru spoke, catching their attentions as he crossed his arms. "One side's balance will tip off."
"Midorima Shintaro is not easy to handle," Nebuya sighed, sitting on the bench as his other benched teammates handed him a water bottle. His eyes glided to the green haired male, seeing him collect his jacket before putting it on. "What should we do?" he questioned, turning to his own resting teammates. "Should we put another man on him?"
"No, that is not necessary."
Rakuzan blinked as they heard their captain's voice. Turning their heads ahead, they watched as Akashi made his way towards them with a tightened glare.
"Putting more men on him would be counterproductive. You may be Uncrowned Kings, but it will be difficult for you to stop Shintaro now. We will put one man on him in the second half."
"Eh?" Hayama blinked, taken back by Akashi's plan. "Only one?"
A smile grew on Akashi's lips as he gave his teammates a nod, "I will take on Shintaro."
"So?" Shippo spoke, watching both Rakuzan and Shutoku stand from their benches, "what do you think Rakuzan will do about Midorima? Obviously when they come back from their break, Akashi is bound to have something planned."
"Who knows," the wolf spoke out, hearing the crowd cheer as they saw both Seirin and Kaijo make their way towards the empty benches. "Seirin and Kaijo are coming out to warm up, huh? Amazing how fast this game is going, huh?"
The miko sighed under her breath as she noticed Midorima making his way behind his team as Kaijo walked the opposite direction. Midorima was definitely shouldering heavy worries.
"You seem to be doing all right," the Kaijo ace spoke, seeing Midorima's attention on his path. Stopping beside him, he chuckled under his breath as he heard Midorima's light scoff. He was quite surprised by the score. He had heard the first quarter had ended at a tie too, but he guessed this was the expectation when you put two Generation of Miracles on the court against each other.
"I'm not so sure," Midorima sighed as he adjusted his glasses. "Akashi has not used his eyes yet."
Kise blinked, taken back by the news. Akashi had not used his skill yet? Letting his eyebrows furrow, he turned his head to see the seriousness painted across Midorima's features. No doubt Midorima knew the worse was coming.
"If he does use them, it will be during the second half," narrowing his eyes, Midorima continued his path down towards the exit, "then the true battle will begin."
Noticing the emperor team walking towards the other side of the court, the miko raised a brow as Akashi made his way towards the incoming Seirin first-year duo. The emperor stopped in his steps as he let his teammates continue towards the locker room; a smile presented itself on his lips as he saw the phantom player's eyes on him. "I haven't seen you since the opening ceremony, Tetsuya," he chuckled.
"Hai," Kuroko nodded, seeing the two colored eyes on his person.
'This is Rakuzan and Akashi Seijuro…,' Hyuga observed the walking team, feeling the strength and confidence just by being a few feet away, 'they seem different from everyone else.'
Akashi raised a brow as he noticed the red headed ace come forth and stand in his view. Raising his eyes, he was unfazed by the dark glare the tiger sent him. "Yo," Kagami called out, "you haven't forgotten me, have you? You pulled some dangerous crap on Kagome and me back then. I will beat Kise, and I will beat you."
'B-Baka!' Kagome sighed as she saw Kagami having stood against Akashi right away. There was no way to control the tiger. She could see the intense anger in the tiger's eyes as he looked down at the emperor – who had no change in expression.
"Of course I remember you, Kagami Taiga," Akashi replied, "I should warn you. Only those who serve me are allowed to look me in the eye when they speak to me." Placing his hand over Kagami's shoulder, his eyes narrowed as he saw Kagami's pupils widen. "I never allow those who oppose me to look down at me." In a blink of an eye, Akashi's hand pushed the tiger down on the floor as his own heterochromatic eyes lowered to see the shock painted across Kagami's features, "lower your head."
Seirin's eyes widened as they saw Kagami sitting on the court by Akashi's strength. Where they hell had that come from!? The miko gasped as she made her way towards her team before kneeling down beside the red head, "Kagami-kun! Are you okay?'
"What the hell?" whispered Koga with a raised brow. "That definitely wasn't strength. What the hell did he do?"
"Kagami!" Hyuga called out, making his way towards the three first-years in front of the emperor.
"Ah, Kagome, Tetsuya." Hearing Akashi's voice call out to them, both teens turned their heads to the side as they saw Akashi's unchanged expression. "If you intend to fight me, you must prepare yourself," his eyes landed on the phantom player, seeing his own eyes narrow at his person. "I am the one who discovered your power, Tetsuya. You will come to realize what that means."
Letting the Rakuzan captain walk past them, the miko's teeth clenched as she bit back the words that threatened to release. Oh how much she wanted to give him a piece of her mind! Letting a sigh pass her lips, she relaxed her fuming desires to open her mouth knowing that would only seek further issues. 'Besides, it is best I stay quiet until I get more information on Akashi-kun…,' standing back on her feet with the tiger following after, her cerulean orbs looked over her shoulder before letting curiosity swim back into her mind. The miko raised a brow as she caught sight of a silver haired male with an aura she recognized. 'Huh? His aura is…'
"Are you three okay?" Hyuga questioned, bringing in his first-years attention.
The three remained silent as their eyes dropped down the court. It was more than nerves at this point getting to them; they had to be cautious now.
"Kuroko-kun."
Hearing the miko's voice, Kuroko blinked as he turned around. He noticed her eyes staring at the exit Rakuzan left as her expression seemed a bit lost. Was she alright? "Hai, Kagome-chan?"
Taking in a deep breath, Kagome slowly faced the phantom player as she remembered hearing Midorima's words. "Midorima-kun mentioned something about Akashi-kun's eye…," her words trailed off as she caught Kuroko's pupils slowly widen, "what exactly does he mean?"
Confusion hit the Seirin members as their attention was placed on the silent phantom player. No reply was given from his side as they waited. Akashi's eye? What did that mean? From observing Kuroko's odd behavior to the topic, they had a feeling it was something to be concerned about.
"Has he used it yet, Kagome-chan?" he questioned.
No response.
Kuroko gave himself a nod as his eyes glided to the empty court: "he will soon."
"Akashi discovered Kuroko-kun's power?" Himuro questioned, seeing Murasakibara grab a snack from the vending machine inside the lobby. As they waited for the third quarter to begin, Murasakibara had requested to buy snacks for the rest of the game upon Himuro's payment.
"Yeah," the purple haired male nodded, bending down to collect the three bags of chips inside.
Raising a brow, Himuro sat on the nearby bench as his eyes narrowed to stare at the tile floor. "So his eyes allow him to discover hidden powers in people?"
Murasakibara shook his head as he put another yen inside the machine and searched for the number of his appetite. "Well," he spoke, "Akachin is good at that, too, but it's different on the court. He makes everything powerless, both offense and defense. That is how his power works." Pressing the button to his snack, he released a sigh, "you will see soon enough."
Observing her team warm-up on half of the court, Riko crossed her arms as she exhaled the worry she had for the upcoming match. The more she saw Kaijo's movements, the more she became anxious. The bigger question was about Akashi – the emperor of Rakuzan. There was still so much that was unknown to them. Moving her sights to see the miko standing beside her, she parted her lips to speak. "So?" she asked. "What do you think about Rakuzan?"
"Nothing," the miko replied.
"N-Nothing?" Riko blinked, taken back by Kagome's words. What did she mean by nothing? What was she doing the whole time she was here?!
Kagome sighed as she scratched the back of her head: "don't get me wrong, Riko-senpai. No matter how hard I tried, I could not catch anything. Rakuzan has not shown anything for me to observe and analyze. All I have gotten was Hayama-san's dribbling, but he isn't even showing his full potential."
"Akashi-kun should have already made his move seeing that the score is tied," Riko's eyebrows furrowed as her focus returned on the court.
"He will…"
With the referee blowing on his whistle, both females turned their heads as they watched both Rakuzan and Shutoku making their way back to the benches as Kaijo and Seirin returned the balls on the nearby basket. Riko sighed under her breath as she saw her team walking towards her. If Kagome could not get a grasp on Rakuzan, then she had to make the decision to watch herself as well. "Seirin," she spoke, "we will stay here and observe the second half."
"Huh? We are watching the game, coach?" Kagami blinked.
"We might as well," her eyes narrowed, "we do not intend to lose to Kaijo and we need to observe both Shutoku and Rakuzan."
Watching the team walk around the miko, they made their space as Koga and Shippo stood in front of them. After witnessing Akashi's strength against Kagami, they only wondered what his true strength was.
"Ah! Kagomecchi-!"
"No you don't!" Kasamatsu quickly grabbed the back of Kise's collar as he stopped him from charging towards the miko. He knew his ace would go crazy over the girl the moment he decided to stay at the side lines to observe the game, but he did not think he would go jump on her so quickly. "You are going to focus on the game."
Kise's lips formed a pout as he looked at his captain over his shoulder. "But senpai~," he whined. It was not every day he had the chance to see the miko in person!
The Kaijo captain sighed as he released his ace's clothing before tilting his head to the side for Kise to follow. "Don't you see that Higurashi-san is focused on the game, too?"
Blinking at the sight of the serious manager, Kise could see what his captain was trying to tell him. The miko was fully focused on the court as both Rakuzan and Shutoku prepared at the benches. Sighing under his breath, he gave himself a nod as he turned to face forward. He could feel the heavy anticipating atmosphere as the referee gave Kimura the ball outside the court.
As Kimura passed the ball over to Midorima, all eyes widened as they noticed the person in front of him blocking his path. The Shutoku shooting guard narrowed his eyes as he met a pair of heterochromatic eyes. "I knew you would do this," he whispered, seeing the challenge written on the emperor's expression.
"Come, Shintaro."
"It was about time Akashi made his move," Koga scoffed, seeing no movement from the two. He was wondering when the Rakuzan captain would actually go head-to-head with his former teammate. "Midorima versus Akashi, huh?" His interest had peaked to see the outcome of the two.
"They are challenging each other already," the Seirin coach whispered with narrowed eyes. "It is a one-on-one with both teams' aces. Whichever team wins this is sure to take control of the game."
Eyes widened as Midorima made the first move and took his aim from the same spot. Hyuga's pupils shook as he saw the form Midorima had taken: "He is going for a three without a fake!?"
"Chigou!" the miko exclaimed, seeing Akashi's eyes focused in on the ball. In a blink of an eye, Akashi's hand had tipped the ball away in between the moment Midorima had raised it above his head. Shock overfilled the audience as Akashi took the ball into his own hands and charged towards his basket. 'His aura glowed slightly the moment he tipped the ball away from Midorima's hands!'
"Impossible!" Shun shouted. "I can't believe he intercepted the ball before he jumped! His reactions are too fast!"
Kuroko narrowed his eyes as he watched Akashi stop in his run the moment Takao came forth. "Akashi-kun is not fast," he spoke, "he just sees it. Akashi-kun's eyes make both offense and defense powerless."
"Huh?" they blinked in unison.
"I am not letting you pass me!" Takao yelled, stretching out his arms as he focused his attention on the Rakuzan captain. He was filled with complete shock the moment the ball was stolen from Midorima's hands, but he could not let him score; he would not let him!
Akashi bounced the ball under his palm as his two different colored eyes took in Takao's stance. "Pass you?" he questioned under his breath. "I don't need to." Closing his eyes for a split second, he quickly opened them as he focused in on Takao's foot. "You are going to move for me."
As he dribbled the ball between his own legs and moved forward, Akashi raised a brow the moment Takao lost his footing and fell back onto the court. Takao's eyes widened as he was in complete shock of what had happened in a second. 'H-He did a crossover during the second I was reacting! Crap!'
"I never allow those who oppose me to look down at me," Akashi stopped his dribbling as he took a step forward with his eyes looking down at the silent Hawk Eye player. Taking his aim to the hoop, Akashi released the ball with a flick of his wrist before setting his eyes back down on the fallen Shutoku player, "lower your head."
Silence was draped over the opposing teams as they watched the ball fall into the basket and bounce on the wooden court. No words were said as everyone stood frozen in disbelief as they saw Takao still on the ground. Akashi had begun using his eyes.
"He can predict every movement with his eyes."
Himuro turned away from his mid-shock as he saw Murasakibara chewing on the chips he had placed inside his mouth. He had never seen such precision in an ankle break and it was almost frightening to see it being used by the emperor.
"All abilities are rendered useless," Murasakibara continued, "people can't even remain standing. Akashi Seijuro can predict the future movements of his opponents."
"Shutoku is fourteen points behind," Kasamatsu commented, seeing the game already being brought to the fourth quarter. He had thought the game would be a close call after the second quarter, but as Akashi slowly revealed his skills, the score was widening.
The miko's eyes scrunched as she stood watching Midorima struggle to free himself from Akashi's defense. With every step he took, Akashi took one in front; no freedom was given to him. She watched as Kimura quietly made his way beside the Rakuzan captain and prepared himself for a screen for Midorima's escape. Narrowing her focus, she noticed Akashi's eyes pulse slightly as Midorima made his way past Kimura with Akashi effortlessly pivoting around Kimura's screen. 'Impossible!' her eyes widened. 'Akashi-kun managed to avoid the screen!? He was in his blind spot!'
Catching the ball from Otsubo's pass, Midorima cursed under his breath as he saw his former captain stand in front of him once again. 'It's no use. I can't get into a shooting stance!'
'He intercepts the ball the second he starts to shoot or dribble! Shin-chan can't move a single step!' Takao clenched his teeth as he saw his shooting guard struggle. Who knew someone would give this much hell to Midorima. He could not even make his three pointer shots! "Hey!" he shouted, catching Midorima's attention with a wave of his hand.
Akashi watched in silence as Midorima turned his body slightly to the side as he aimed for a pass. He quickly caught Midorima's intentions and pushed the ball away from Midorima's hands the moment he returned to take his aim once more.
"He even saw through that fake pass?" Moriyama's eyes widened, surprised by how well Akashi's observation were.
"The triple threat," Kasamatsu sighed, crossing his arms as he caught no flaws in Midorima's movements. "The most basic form in basketball. The stance sets up shooting, passing, and dribbling. No matter how quick someone is, just before he moves, he always enters the corresponding form."
"Akashicchi's future-predicting eyes never miss that moment," Kise added in, knowing just how threatening it was to go against Akashi's eyes. "No one can even move in the face of his defense. Not even fakes work against him."
Dribbling the ball to the other side of the court, Akashi watched unfazed the moment both Kimura and Miyaji came in front to stop him. "You're not going anywhere! Don't get ahead of yourself, first-year!" Miyaji shouted.
"Why don't you get out of my way?" Akashi questioned.
Kimura sent him a glare, annoyed that someone like him actually thought they would do that freely. "You can't seriously think we will do that!"
With nothing to say back, Akashi quickly dribbled the ball back and forth between his legs as he made both Kimura and Miyaji trip back as they lost their balance in the middle of their movements. Akashi's eyes remained glued ahead as he bounced the ball slowly while walking down the middle path the two Shutoku members had opened. "No," he spoke softly, "my orders are absolute."
"An ankle break," Koga nodded, seeing the talent Akashi had with his eyes. He was finally understanding why the others feared his true potential. Feeling Seirin's eyes on his person, he exhaled, "skilled high-speed dribblers use that technique to throw their opponents off balance and make them fall. That technique can only be performed when your opponent's center of gravity is on his pivot leg while he is turning. For Akashi and his future-predicting eyes, it is an easy task."
The miko's eyes widened as she turned her head back to the court and saw Akashi jumping up for a shot. With Otsubo jumping in front of him for a block, she released an inaudible gasp as Akashi moved the ball behind his back before passing it with his elbow to Nebuya's way.
"Nice pass!" Nebuya quickly dunked the ball in with full force.
Kagami's mouth fell open as he saw how quick Akashi was to make his decisions. "He is crushing Shutoku like they are children…this is Akashi Seijuro."
Watching Akashi catch the passed ball from Nebuya, everyone fell silent as Midorima came to meet the emperor once again. "Akashi!" Midorima shouted, clenching his teeth together as he saw the unchanged expression on the captain's features.
"Shintaro, you are strong," he spoke, bouncing the ball in place, "but you will lose. Who do you think commanded the Generation of Miracles?" Moving the ball back and forth, Akashi's eyes moved to the hoop as Midorima slowly fell back. "Not even you can stand against me."
Kagome took a step forward as she saw Akashi's simple double clutch make it into the net as the score increased on their side. Not only was Shutoku in disbelief, but even Seirin and Kaijo were. Her heart clenched at the sight of the green haired male still sitting on the ground with his eyes hidden underneath the shadow of his hair.
"A twenty point difference…," Riko whispered.
"Is this truly the strength of Rakuzan and Akashi?" Hyuga questioned, feeling a bit uneasy as he watched them play.
Silence rung on the court as only the audience added noise to their discomfort. The miko's eyebrows scrunched as she continued to watch the green haired male sitting on the court with heavy breathing. It pained her to see someone so defeated when they were giving their all; Midorima was putting trust into his teammates and Akashi was stepping down on them. Curling her fingers into her palm, she watched as Takao made small steps behind his teammate before offering his hand.
"Come on, Shin-chan," he whispered; defeat painted across his features.
In a blink of an eye, both Midorima and Takao stared at Miyaji the moment he came by and slapped the back of Midorima's head. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at his first-years over his shoulder: "how long are you going to keep sitting there? I'll break your glasses!"
"Oi!" Kimura shouted, catching their attention before tilting his head for them to see their school cheering for them with the huge orange sign for support. "Can't you see those characters? Pull yourself together!"
"Go get them, Midorima!"
"Go, Takao!"
"Midorima, Takao. We still have time," Otsubo spoke as he passed the ball into Takao's hands. "Don't give up before the game is over. Let's get a basket! Let's win."
Watching their seniors run to their offense position, Midorima and Takao were left staring at their backs. Both were taken back by their team members' determination. Takao chuckled under his breath as he stared at the orange ball between his hands: "Oi, Shin-chan. Miyaji-san was really scary during practice, wasn't he?"
"Yeah."
"Otsubo-san was serious and strict, too. Practice was hard enough already, but they never let anyone relax. I thought I would die during our training camp. I puked a bunch of times. But the watermelon Kimura-san brought us was really good."
"Yeah."
Gripping the ball between his hands, Takao clenched his teeth at the memories he had made over the year with his seniors. "The more I think about it," he sighed, "the more I wish we could keep playing basketball with them."
Silent for a few seconds, Midorima gave him a nod in reply: "let's go, Takao."
The miko blinked as she watched the green haired male come back on his feet as every Rakuzan member turned to see determination having washed away the look of defeat he had. A small smile formed on her lips while reading both Midorima's and Takao's aura rising in strength.
"The game isn't over yet," Kuroko spoke, catching both hers and Kagami's attention, "Midorima-kun and his team haven't given up."
"They haven't given up?" questioned Tsuchida, having caught all of Seirin's attention with his statement.
"Hai," the phantom player nodded, seeing the tight concentration Midorima held, "he is trying to do something."
Crossing her arms, Kagome raised a brow as she noticed the Rakuzan members watching Midorima closely like predators. No doubt they knew themselves something was up. "If Shutoku is trying to close the gap now, they will need Midorima-kun's threes, but as long as Akashi-kun is on him, it is impossible."
Seirin watched as Takao continued to bounce the ball in place as Mibuchi defended against him. The timer on the violation warning soon went off, giving Takao ten seconds before the referee called it out. "They only have ten seconds left," Koganei spoke, "do they not know how to attack?"
"I am sure that is partly true, but what they are about to attempt is probably pretty risky," Kiyoshi sighed, keeping a close eye on Midorima's focus.
Shun raised a brow as he turned to face the brunette beside him: "what do you mean?"
"Considering the remaining time and point gap, a single mistake could be fatal. Hesitation and uncertainty lead to mistakes. In other words, they will make their move when they are ready."
Grounding his feet into the court, Midorima's eyes narrowed as he prepared for his move. His mind was in turmoil, but he had to trust his team for it; it would only work that way. 'This is a gamble. I must trust my teammates more than I trust myself. It is not enough for me to do everything I possibly can. But I am certain there is not a man on this team who has not done everything humanly possible!'
Eyes widened as they watched Midorima get into his three pointer shot pose as no ball was seen in his hands. Bending his knees slowly, Akashi watched from his spot as Midorima's eyes remained focus on the hoop.
"He is entering his shooting motion…without the ball?" the miko questioned, raising a brow at the sudden move. What was Midorima thinking? It was exactly the position he always took when he shot his long arcs.
Koga smirked with crossed arms as he noticed both Kimura and Otsubo turning around to push both Nebuya and Hayama away from the hoop. "I see…," he chuckled, already knowing what the plan was.
'What is he doing?' Akashi questioned inside his head, eyes widening slightly at the pose his former teammate took. 'Could it be?'
Seeing Midorima take his vertical leap, Takao quickly sent the ball to his right as it landed precisely into the hands of his shooting guard. Mouths gaped open as Midorima showed no hesitation in the release of the ball before gravity took it down into the net.
"He caught the ball mid-air and shot a three-pointer!?" exclaimed Moriyama. "Is that even possible?"
Hyuga's pupils shook as he was still in shock from the move. He had never seen such precision and trust for a two person three-point shot in his life! "From that height, even if Akashi could see the future, he couldn't intercept the shot, but that was more than just difficult!"
"Midorima is amazing for making the shot, but that is not all," Shun added in, "passing the ball right into Midorima's hands takes unbelievable accuracy."
Releasing a chuckle under his breath, Kise shook his head as his eyes remained on the green haired male. He could not believe what he had just seen and he was sure Akashi was just as surprised as they were. "I can't imagine the old Midorimacchi doing anything like this. Midorimacchi only takes shots he is absolutely confident in," narrowing his eyes, his lips curved into a grin, "but no matter how accurate the pass was, what he just did was less accurate than a standard shot. He may be trying to beat Akashicchi, but he would never take a shot that might miss unless he really trusted his teammates."
One after another Midorima's and Takao's partnered shots come into play as the gap on their score slowly came close. She was surprised by how well Midorima was doing as he depended on Takao's precision. Noticing the shock on the Uncrowned Kings, she knew Shutoku was giving them a hard time. Seeing them walk beside each other, she blinked as a certain red head and phantom player came into mind in their silhouettes. Kagome released a low chuckle: "their style is different, but those two are like you, Kagami-kun. Kuroko-kun." Feeling their eyes on her, she continued to observe the smile Takao placed on his features as he gave a small fist bump with the tsundere. "They are like the light and shadow of Shutoku."
Kuroko blinked as he saw the warm smile on the miko's lips. He could tell she was slowly warming up to the Generation of Miracles she had come to get close to and understand; the ones he had come to love for them. "You are right," he nodded with a smile of his own.
"But catching a pass mid-air and making a three…that is an incredible move," Kiyoshi spoke, still taken back by how well Takao's and Midorima's coordination worked.
Shun scratched the back of his head as he wondered something that plagued his mind every time he saw the Generation of Miracles play, "but why are they holding back?"
"I think everything may be going according to Midorima-kun's plan," Kuroko replied, narrowing his eyes on his former teammates on the court. "On Teiko, the Generation of Miracles were forbidden from exercising their full strength. It was because their bodies had not caught up to the magnitude of their strength. Though they all knew what they were capable of, no one has ever fought at full strength."
"In other words," Koga sighed, "this is Midorima's first time experiencing the Emperor Eye. He knew he could not win without gambling."
"Hai. Though the move is powerful and effective against Akashi-kun, it is likely very risky, as well."
"But the rick was worth it," Kagami smirked. "Look," he tilted his head ahead, making his team members turn to see the corner of Akashi's lips lift, "Akashi's unconcerned expression has changed."
'I don't think that is a good thing, Kagami-kun,' the miko sighed, watching as Akashi began to dribble the ball forward until Midorima came in front with arms spread to the side. Scrunching her eyes at the two, she began to feel Akashi's aura rise slightly with amusement.
Midorima's eyebrow dropped as he kept his guard up against his former captain: "Shutoku is not dead yet. The game is just getting started!"
"This is more than I expected, Shintaro," Akashi chuckled under his breath. He could not help but let his lips mold into a smile as he saw the determination flood in the shooting guard's eyes. "I couldn't ask for more. This is pointless. Move!" Moving the ball to the back of his waist, his eyes narrowed as Midorima reacted to the movement and tripped back on his feet. Akashi continued his way forward as he resumed his path towards the hoop, "my orders are absolute."
Midorima's teeth clenched as the sounds of his school's cheering pushed him to stand up on his feet. His eyes watched the emperor aim for a lane-up, making him curse under his breath. 'Don't give up! There is no shame in falling down! The only shame is not getting back up!'
"Akashi!" the emperor's eyes widened as he saw Midorima's person beside him with his arm extended upwards. When did he get there? He was sure he had no time to get back up!
"Impossible!" Hayama exclaimed. "How did he get there from the ground?!"
Unfazed by his presence, Akashi's eyes dived to the side as he changed the course of his plan and passed the ball under Midorima's arm. Midorima cursed once more the moment Nebuya caught the ball into his hands and jumped up for a dunk.
"He changed plans in a second!?" Shun exclaimed. "His judgment is terrifyingly fast!"
Otsubo quickly slapped the ball away from Nebuya's hand, grunting as he gave it all his strength in the jump to catch up. Takao chuckled under his breath as the ball came to his spot, "Otsubo-san, you're the best!" Giving a smirk to his opponents, Takao quickly looked over his shoulder before he headed towards their own hoop.
"You're not going anywhere!" Mibuchi shouted, coming in front of stop Takao's intended path. His eyes widened as the ball's movement was passed to Takao's right before landing into Midorima's hands. 'N-No!' The ball was released, setting it high in the air before it dropped back down into the net. 'Y-You're kidding, right? He could have shot a normal three just now. Both are too confident at this point!'
"They are catching up," Shippo whispered under his breath, seeing that was the fourth shot Midorima had made in a row. If it continued on, he was sure Shutoku would catch up back into a tie like before.
Focusing in on Akashi's aura, the miko remained silent as she felt something uncomfortable in the atmosphere. The spark that had risen within his aura was slowly coming down and she had no answer as to why. Watching as Shutoku and Rakuzan went to a full-court press with the Rakuzan members becoming worried over Shutoku's comeback. She became uneasy as Akashi bounced the ball in place while Midorima and Takao defended against him. Her eyes immediately widened as she saw Akashi sigh under his breath before taking a step back. Akashi held the ball between his hands as he took aim at the opposite basket of his team's. Kagome's pupils shook as she saw his intentions: 'w-what is he doing? That is Shutoku's basket!'
Silence waved over the stadium as the sound of the counted points and the bouncing ball were heard. No one moved a muscle nor spoke as eyes remained on the orange ball losing its bounce.
"W-What did he…?" Shun whispered, unsure what to say for he was not even sure what he saw. "He was aiming for that."
"An own goal?" Hyuga blinked. "What is he thinking?"
"Akashicchi…," Kise's eyes widened, seeing no live reaction from the Shutoku or Rakuzan members.
Sesshomaru released a low chuckle under his breath as he saw the glow in Akashi's eyes. Humans still irritated him from time to time, but he was always amazed when he came across those with natural talent to lead. "Just like a commander or leader slaying his own people to put his followers back on a mental state," he whispered under his breath.
The miko slowly turned her head over her shoulder as she overheard the inu's words. Akashi sacrificed two points to set his team back on track? How did that even make sense?
"Akashi…," Nebuya whispered, seeing their captain staring at them as their heads hung down in shame. They knew what was coming and it was unavoidable now.
"When did I say you could let your guard down? The game isn't over yet," he spoke, letting his eyes harden in anger as his teammates avoided any type of eye contact. "Did you relax after we established a large lead? I can tell because you were reeling after they scored just a few baskets in a row. If the game were closer, you would not have disgraced yourselves in this way. In that case, we should lose the gap." Tightening the glare in his eyes, he ignored the look of mild-fear in his teammates' eyes: "cool your heads. But if we lose, you can blame me all you want. We will have lost because of that shot I took. I will accept full responsibility and quit the team."
"Quit the team?" Kagami's eyes widened. "Is he serious?"
Akashi chuckled under his breath as he extended his arm out and unfolded his fingers to show the inside of his palm. "To pay for my crime, I will gouge out my eyes and give them to you."
All pupils widened at the statement as they saw the confidence in Akashi's expression. He was not faking his words and the tone he had used had them shake in fear. The miko shook her head slowly as she saw Rakuzan having the same shock as themselves. 'C-Chotto…what is Akashi-kun talking about?!'
"What are you talking about, Akashi?" Hayama explained, taking a step towards his red headed captain. "You don't need to do that!"
"It is only if we lose. If we win, there is no problem," a confident smirk appeared on his lips, "I am not worried because I am certain." The look in his eyes softened, giving everyone a different outlook on the emperor. "We cannot lose with you on the team."
'Oi, oi! This is a high school sport! There is no way he would really gouge his eyes out!' Takao shook his head, still taken back by Akashi's words. Someone like this was the captain of Rakuzan? 'But why did the other guys react like that?'
Kagami clenched his teeth as a drop of sweat trailed down the side of his cheek. Akashi had inflicted fear not only within his team, but within everyone else around. "It is hard to believe," he whispered, "but Akashi might really do it." His mind took him back to Akashi's intent to stab him with the scissors at the opening of the Winter Cup. "He is dangerous enough."
"Either way," Sesshomaru sighed, catching the attention of the Seirin members and the youkai, "it was an effective way to inspire the team. The expressions of the Rakuzan players changed."
The game resumed with Akashi passing the ball towards Mibuchi before Takao came forward to stop his advances. With a graceful smile pulling on his lips, Mibuchi quickly bounced the ball in a pass towards Hayama before it was made into the basket.
"Yes!" Hayama shouted, giving Mibuchi a high-five.
"Damn it," Takao cursed under his breath. Akashi's words had pulled them out of the deep hole they were in.
Hyuga sighed, crossing his arms as he watched Rakuzan score once again: "even though the gap has closed, they are strong enough to hold them back. Rakuzan's attacks are relentless."
"Sesshomaru was right about Akashi. Akashi's speech got the back on their feet," Koga shook his head with a smirk. Having gone through wars himself, he knew the speech was the perfect way for a general to get his men back on their feet.
"But Shutoku still has a chance," Hyuga continued, "he may be able to predict the future, but he still can't stop Midorima's shots."
Seeing Midorima marking him, Akashi exhaled softly under his breath: "unfortunately, this game is already over. I have something to tell you. You will not even be able to touch the ball again."
"What?" Midorima's eyes widened. Never touch the ball? That was absurd! "That is impossible, Akashi. Not even your Emperor Eye can stop our shots."
"Height is certainly an important factor in basketball," Akashi nodded, never letting go of the amusement he held from seeing Midorima's determination. "At first glance, it seems as though I cannot stop you. But let me tell you something. I am absolute. I see everything that will happen," his eyes widened with sureness, "changing it is easy."
Scoffing under his breath, Takao began to bounce the ball up and down under his palm as he heard a wave of silence taking over the court. The echoing of the ball entering everyone's ears as even cheers toned down. Taking a glance to his right, he noticed Midorima's eyes on his person as a signal. Takao prepared his step forward until his eyes became wide at the sight of two people marking him.
"They are double-teaming Takao this time?!" exclaimed Hyuga.
"Takao-kun…," Kagome whispered under her breath, watching as the Hawk Eye user struggled to find a path to move through.
Scoffing under his breath with an accompanied smile, Takao took a step back as he continued to bounce the ball under his hand. "We knew you would do this. You think I would be Shin-chan's partner if I lost my cool over this? Don't underestimate me!" Dribbling the ball back and forth, Takao quickly pivoted around Mibuchi's defense as he charged forward.
"He got past them!" Kagami exclaimed, shocked to see Midorima already in his position for the three-point turn, "and Midorima is entering the motions! He started moving just before Takao did! He believed Takao would make it past them!"
Kagome's eyes widened as she saw Takao passing the ball towards Midorima's hands only for Akashi to intercept and catch the ball from his standing position with one hand over his head. "I-Impossible!" she was left breathless at Akashi's interception, seeing Shutoku in pure shock at Akashi's sudden appearance.
"I told you," Akashi spoke, "I am absolute."
In a blink of an eye, everyone around watched as Akashi wasted no time in dribbling the ball towards his own hoop before making the shot with any problems. Straightening his back, Akashi slowly turned to the wide eyes Shutoku duo: "you shot has a weakness. Because you are left-handed, he has to pass from your left side. And your shooting motion is the same every time. In other words, I can easily predict the timing and path of the pass even without my Emperor Eye. I used my eyes for only a moment so I could get a head start on him at the moment of no return. I intentionally let him slip past the double-team on this side, too, to close the distance between us."
'What did he say?' the miko eyes widened slowly. She was sure Takao could have confirmed Akashi's position with his Hawk Eye ability, but Akashi had proved that was a useless move. Akashi's movements in the first half replayed in her mind as she remembered his normal plays. 'Chotto…did he intentionally slow himself down during the first half?'
"He had made his opening move without anyone realizing," Koga sighed under his breath.
Akashi released a chuckle as his eyes remained on the shocked Midorima across from him, "you exceeded my expectations, but now how I had imagined. Shogi and basketball are the same. Did I not always tell you? An opening move only works when you plan ahead without your opponent's knowledge."
"He does not just rely on his physical or mental capabilities," the inu youkai whispered, "he also has frighteningly well-design strategies. So this is the captain of the Generation of Miracles, Akashi Seijuro." Crossing his arms across his chest, he could not help but applaud the human for his leadership skills; something not all humans could do like second nature. "Akashi Seijuro was in control of everything that happened since the game started."
Watching Mibuchi catch the ball into his hands, Kagome blinked as she saw the gentle smile forming over his lips. It was not until Takao came forth that she noticed the smirk overwriting the innocent smile.
"Not yet!" Takao shouted. "It's not over yet!" Seeing Mibuchi bend his knees for a vertical jump, he quickly took off in the same direction as his arm extended upwards. "You are not taking that shot!"
"Wait, Takao!" Miyaji's eyes shook as he noticed the fake position Mibuchi had taken as his feet never left the ground. Mibuchi quickly jumped up as his chest collided with Takao's, earning the Hawk Eye user a foul by the referee.
Takao's eyes slowly widened as he watched the ball over his shoulder turn in the air before it was made into the basket. 'He made a three while drawing a foul…could it be? You're kidding, right?!'
"I am actually greedier than I look," Mibuchi spoke, furrowing his eyebrows with a softened expression.
"A three-pointer and the basket counts," Koganei whispered, surprised Mibuchi had made the foul on purpose to get an extra point. "Seriously? That is a four point play."
"All right!" Nebuya's hand aimed for a slap behind Mibuchi's back, only to blink at the dodge from his teammate. "Huh?"
"No way," the shooting guard spoke, "your always hurt."
Hayama sighed, shaking his head as he turned to face the other two Uncrowned Kings: "you should have started with that, Reo-nee."
"I told you, I can't do it anytime," he spoke, walking over to get the ball from the referee as he prepared his free throw. Releasing the ball from his grip, Shutoku's eyes narrowed with anger as the gap continued to get wider.
Wincing at the sight of the shots Rakuzan made one after another, the miko was afraid to even take one glance at the scoreboard. The three Uncrowned Kings had no stop their fuel of scoring and it was evident to her and the rest of the audience that Shutoku was slowly becoming defeated.
"It's over, Shintaro," Akashi whispered, taking a step back the moment the green haired shooting guard came to block his path. Moving the ball to the left, his expression remained the same as Midorima's reflex made him fall to the ground.
Midorima clenched his teeth tightly as he watched the emperor prepare his shot right in front of him, "Akashi!"
"I must express my respect for all of you, Shintaro and Shutoku High. Not a single one of you lost the will to fight until the end, but," Akashi's eyes narrowed, "you fell short." Releasing the ball into the air, everyone around stood frozen as the ball swooshed into the net before the buzzer ended the entire game. "Sleep now, veteran kings."
Fingers curled deeply into the miko's palm as she watched the distraught look on Shutoku's faces. As the two teams met at the center of the court and gave their bows, she could not help but feel her heart completely freeze at the end results. She had heard Akashi was a player to fear, but a part of her thought Shutoku would win. With the audience clapping at Rakuzan's win, she blinked at the sight of Rakuzan's calm faces. No smiles; no cheers.
"Rakuzan is kind of quiet," Kobori spoke, seeing the Uncrowned Kings and the emperor making their way over to their bench. "More than happy, they seem relieved this critical game is over."
"Of course," Kasamatsu replied, crossing his arms as he observed the expressions of the undefeated team, "they expect to win. Anything but victory is failure. The pressure of being the best exceeds imagination. They must not lose. That is the fate of an emperor."
Watching the green haired male walking over to the emperor, both Kaijo and Seirin fell silent as they saw the pride Midorima held even with his defeat. Akashi blinked as he heard the light foot steps behind him, making him turn around to face his former teammate, "Shintaro…"
Closing his eyes at the feel of his pride stopping him from what he wanted to do, Midorima swallowed it up before slowly extending his right arm out for a handshake. "We lost," he whispered, "but next time we will win."
"I should thank you, Shintaro," Akashi replied, taking a glance at the offering hand. "It's been a while since I last played such a thrilling game. But unfortunately, I can't shake your hand. If you desire victory, you must become cold-hearted. Victory is everything. I wish to be your enemy."
"I see…you haven't changed since then, Akashi," Midorima dropped his arm back to his side, narrowing his eyes at the emperor before him, "even so, we will win next time." Turning around to walk back to his team, his head snapped up from his shame of loss the moment his own captain's voice brought their attention to him.
"Hold your heads high!" Otsubo shouted. "Look sharp until we leave! We are not the only ones who fought! Line up in front of the stands!"
As Shutoku ran to the front of their cheer team, they all took their bows as the shouted their gratitude in unison, "thank you for all of your support!"
Kagome's eyes softened, hearing the claps of not only Shutoku's cheer team, but the rest of the audience as Shutoku slowly straightened up from their bow. Their auras quivered in anger and disappointment, but the façade they held is what pained her the most. Seeing the orange uniformed team walk towards them as they headed to the exit, Kagome blinked as she saw Takao coming in front of her.
"Why the sad look, Kagome-chan? That frown really doesn't suit you, right, Shin-chan?" Takao chuckled, placing his hand over the miko's shoulder. He blinked, noticing no reaction from his shooting guard as he came closer to the two.
Her eyes blinked against as she saw the threatening tears clinging at the corners of Takao's eyes. "Takao-kun…," she whispered, knowing the pain they must have been holding back.
"Shin-chan needs consoling, Kagome-chan," he smiled, "you think you can help him?"
Hearing no reply from the green haired male, Kagome followed his movements before she turned to face him and the rest of his team. She took a slow, ninety degree bow, making both Seirin and Shutoku blink in confusion on the sudden respect. "You all did great," she smile, coming up from her bow, "you really did."
Taking a glance at the miko from the corner of his eyes, Midorima returned in his path as he followed his team down towards the hall. What was this ache in his chest? What was this feeling wanting to drip out of his body?
"Well, Kagome-chan definitely knows how to make someone smile even we know we don't deserve it," Takao sighed, raising his arms to rest them behind his head, "we are the top four, huh? It's about what I expected. We did pretty well against Rakuzan. Huh?" Takao blinked, looking over his shoulder as he saw Midorima's eyes fixed ahead in the dark hall, "Shin-chan, are you heartbroken? But…wari," his voice cracked, slowly lowering his arms back to his side as he felt his body tremble with each words that passed between his lips, "I can't…console you right now."
"I know," Midorima whispered, seeing the tears stream down Takao's cheeks as his teammate's eyes closed tightly as to stop the flow of his frustration. "Me, too. Losing is frustrating." He would let one tear run down; he would let his emotions take over his expression as he felt judgment between his teammates no longer existed at that time.
"A sixteen point difference. I guess that sounds about right," Shippo whispered, seeing the scoreboard one last time before it was reset for the upcoming game. "I thought the game would actually be a little closer." He was surprised by how well Shutoku stood against Rakuzan, but in the end, he was not surprised by the outcome."
Koga exhaled, watching as both Kaijo and Seirin prepared for their games as each member warmed up on the court. "It is true that Shutoku was strong, but an emperor is even stronger. There is no doubt Akashi is a player to fear on this tournament. Whoever wins this game will be going against him. But something doesn't tell right."
"Huh?" the kitsune blinked.
"Was that truly Rakuzan's strength?" Turning to face the silent inu, he chuckled under his breath: "so? Who do you think will win, Sesshomaru?"
Hearing the delivered question, Sesshomaru kept his golden eyes on the court, watching as each player took turns to shoot the ball into the basket. He would not admit it out loud, but he was definitely interested in Seirin's outcome after coming so far.
Seeing both teams warm up on the court, Himuro could not help but feel his eyes narrow at the sudden silence that fell upon the audience. No cheering; no talks. Scratching his chin, he watched as Kaijo and Seirin continued their cycle of shooting the balls as time got closer to the official match.
"I see," he spoke in a whisper, "this is an old rivalry." His ears would continue to hear the whispers of some of the people in front of them as they spoke of the practice game Kaijo and Seirin had before the Inter-High.
"Yeah, but…," Murasakibara trailed off, chewing on the chips inside his mouth. His eyes landed on the Seirin duo, watching their silent game play as Kise made his own shots, "…it's pretty quiet for that. Even Gome-chin is quiet," he pointed out, seeing the miko hold a clipboard to her chest as she watched Seirin's movements and Kaijo's.
"Last one!" Kasamatu shouted, pulling his teammates attention onto him. "Oi, Kise," he narrowed his eyes, passing the ball to the blonde as he felt the urge to give Seirin a greeting, "go say hello to them."
Kise blinked as he saw Kasamatsu tilting his head towards the hoop before a smirk appeared on his lips. Nodding to his captain's orders, he bounced the ball twice before shouting to Seirin: "Hey!" he called out, stopping their opponents' movements as they turned to Kaijo's space.
The miko blinked along with Riko as they all watched Kise run towards the hoop before taking off from the ground and dunking the ball with one hand with full force.
"Is that…a lane up!?" exclaimed Koganei.
The Kaijo captain shook his head as a smirk lifted his lips after seeing his ace's move: "I didn't tell you to go that hard," he whispered under his breath. Although Kise had a tendency to show off, he was glad the message was given to Seirin.
"That is what you call a declaration of war," Kise chuckled under his breath, pointing his finger at the miko and the team.
Kagami and Kuroko narrowed their eyes as they saw Kise straightening up. Riko shook her head as she saw her team freeze at the sight of Kise's move; intimidation was key in a game.
"A declaration of war, huh?" Kagome whispered, lowering the clipboard to her side. Basketball was becoming more like a war than an actual sport. But after seeing Kise's jump, she could not help but feel uneasy for him and Seirin. 'He jumped about as high as Kagami-kun.'
"Don't just stand there, aho!" Hyuga shouted with a tick pulsing over his forehead. Forming an annoyed smile over his features, he passed the ball over to the tiger, "return the favor. Show them the original." If one thing he hated was for his teammates to stay quiet when it was obvious the other team was trying to frighten them.
Catching the ball in his hand, Kagami nodded with a smirk before quickly passing the ball over to his shadow as he ran towards the hoop. Kuroko pushed the ball upwards into the air as Kagami took his leap and made the dunk with the same force Kise had given himself.
"He got them back! A lane up alley-oop!" a reported shouted as he held his camera behind the hoop stand. "Are those guys really high school students?"
"I ask that myself every time," the miko sighed under her breath, seeing the smiles form on Seirin.
"Anyone can do that," Murasakibara pouted with a frown. Irritation swelled within him as he felt his eyebrows furrow at the sight of both Kagami and Kise making the dunk.
Himuro chuckled under his breath as he witnessed Murasakibara's childish behavior before a sweat drop appeared on his head, "you really hate to lose, don't you?"
"Alright," Riko sighed, gathering her team in a circle inside the court. Seeing time was limited for their talk about the plan, she needed to be quick in giving them the upcoming plan they should take against Kaijo. "Today's game will be nothing like the others," she whispered, hoping Kaijo would not over hear their conversation, "in short, we will have to establish and hold a lead. It is what we have to do to win." Her eyes narrowed as she caught a glance of the blonde player on the other side of the court, "Kagome-chan and I have agreed that Kise-kun's Perfect Copy is too strong."
"To be honest," Kagome spoke, "it is practically impossible for us to stop it right now, but there is a time limit to his ability."
"He will probably use it in the final stages of the game," the female coach spoke, placing her fingers under her chin. "The only problem is how long that time limit is. That is why we have to create an insurmountable lead by then. In other words, we will strike first."
"It can't last throughout the whole game, right?" questioned Furihata, wording the worry out loud for everyone. If Kise truly had a long time limit, it would become a problem for the whole team.
Taking a glance over her shoulder, the miko watched as Shippo and Koga spoke with the inu (Sesshomaru ignoring the talk), before taking in a deep breath. She knew it was a risk, but if she wanted to tell Seirin any time soon about herself, she would have to reveal her abilities. Kagome turned to face the team before sending them a smile, "leave Kise-kun to me."
"Huh?" Seirin blinked together.
"I will know when Kise-kun is about to use his Perfect Copy."
"H-How would you know that, Kagome-chan?" questioned Hyuga, raising a brow in curiosity. Their manager knew?
Hearing the meaning behind her words, Kiyoshi chuckled under his breath, catching the attention of the rest of the team, "well, let's leave that to Kagome-chan, shall we?"
Wanting to question the two, Kuroko saw the team wanting to do it themselves. He took a glance over at the miko, seeing her smile returning after witnessing Akashi's frightening abilities. His blue eyes lowered to his palm, seeing the slight shaking as he felt his heart thump against his chest. He could feel the need of change in the subject and curled his fingers into his palm as he raised his head to look at his team, "captain," he spoke softly, "I have been trying to contain myself, but I can't anymore. I am so excited, I can't wait for the game to start."
"Aho," Hyuga smirked as the rest of the team sent Kuroko a smirk of their own, "so are we."
Feeling the warmth over the team's excitement, Kagome's shoulders relaxed as she heard the rest of the team tease Kuroko for finally showing a bit of emotion. It was times like these that truly made her smile, but she knew it was too soon to feel that as the worst was yet to come.
"Higurashi-san."
Blinking at the sound of her name, the miko turned around only to meet with the Kaijo captain. Her eyes immediately landed on the familiar keychain with the pink sphere at the end in his hand. 'Ah…that's right,' her memories returned her back to when she had heard Kasamatsu's own frustration when they had lost against Too. "Kasamatsu-senpai," she whispered, her voice having stopped Seirin's conversation.
Holding back the fear of talking to the girl, Kasamatsu took a deep breath before giving the miko a nod. "I hope you haven't forgotten the promise."
Kaijo and Seirin stood still as they over heard the rare conversation between the manager and captain. Their eyes landed on the keychain he held out in front of the miko before wondering what it was exactly.
"Of course not," she replied with a smile gracing her lips. She had given that keychain for his faith to continue on with his team and the promise had entailed that whoever won this match would get to keep it. "As much as I wish for you, Kasamatsu-senpai, to keep that keychain, I am afraid Seirin can't lose here."
Kasamatsu could not help but smirk as he heard the words from the manager. The first time he had seen her with Seirin, she and the rest of the team were still rookies to everything else. There was no confidence in the girl and even she had admitted to her lack of knowledge of the sport. 'She has learned a lot,' he chuckled under his breath.
"Eh?! A keychain!?" Kise exclaimed, appearing in between the two as his eyes were glued on the object resting on his captain's palm.
"What is this about a keychain?" Kagami spoke, raising a brow. Kagome had given a gift to someone? Why was this unheard of?
Feeling the stares behind her back, Kagome slowly turned her head over her shoulder as she gave them a nervous laugh: "uh, well, after the Inter-High match, Kaijo versus Too, I had given Kasamatsu-senpai my keychain that our shrine has. It is an old myth about the jewel granting your wish, but I gave it to Kasamatsu-senpai and we both agreed that once we meet on the same court, the winner gets to keep it."
"That is unfair!" the Kaijo ace whined, seeing the pink jewel attached to the keychain. "Why do you get one, captain!? I want one too!" Turning to face the miko, he grabbed her by the shoulders and brought her close, "Nee, Kagomecchi~ give me one~"
"Hai, hai," she sighed, "you can buy one at the shrine."
"I will buy them all!"
"Is no one going to comment the fact Kagome-chan rejected the idea of giving him a gift?" Koganei whispered to his teammates.
Crossing his arms, Hyuga took a step forward as the rest of the team looked at the miko. "So how come we haven't received one?" he questioned with a raised brow. Sure it was just a keychain, but any gift from a girl is what they wanted!
Kagome chuckled nervously as a sweat dropped appeared over her head. Guess her grandfather was going to get ecstatic about the keychains being used.
"The Shikon no Tama? That surely brings back memories," Koga raised a brow, seeing the small pink jewel dangle below the gold keychain with the engraved name.
Letting the corner of his lips lift into a smirk, Sesshomaru was a bit surprised the miko still held the past dear to her. After the hell that jewel had put them all through, it was shocking to see the importance it held to the miko.
"Ah!" Shippo exclaimed, "Sesshomaru smiled!"
Sending him a glare with eyebrows tightening at the middle, Sesshomaru gave him a low growl.
The referee's whistle was heard, letting people know to get into their places for the start of the game. Standing at the middle of the court, Kasamatsu watched as Hyuga came forth and shook his head – firmly, much to his surprise.
"Let's have a good game," Hyuga spoke, giving the Kaijo captain a nod.
"Good game," Kasamatsu replied, his eyes coming back down to their hands, 'eh~ last time he seemed like an inexperienced captain. You can tell how hard he has fought to get here. It seems Higurashi-san is not the only one who has evolved.' The corner of his lips stretched into a smirk, excited to see Seirin's play after a long wait of finally going against them. "Good," he spoke, "I couldn't ask for more. Now we don't have to show any restraint when we get our revenge."
Hearing nothing coming from the pun master, Kiyoshi blinked as he looked to his side: "what's wrong, Izuki?" he questioned, wondering over his silence. "Your expression is a little stiff."
"Eh?" he blinked. "Ah, I'm fine," he smiled to reassure the tall brunette. "If it is, it is just because I am little nervous. Like Kuroko said, I am excited. Though I have considered our opponents the enemy in previous games, what I feel now is a pure, unadulterated competitive drive. I wonder what drives me to it."
Letting a low chuckle escape under his breath, Kiyoshi smiled at the Eagle Eye user, "Izuki…you could have skipped the last part."
"Oi, Coach! Kagome-chan! We are changing our starting lineup!" Hyuga exclaimed, seeing Izuki's sensitive side coming out.
"Eh!?" Shun exclaimed.
"But I know what you are trying to say," the Seirin center nodded, placing his hands over his hips, "let's have some fun."
'Kiyoshi Teppei…,' Kobori's eyes remained on the brunette, seeing his smile having no concerns, 'he is the greatest difference between the old and new Seirin. I better psych myself up.' Hearing the light footsteps behind him, his eyebrow twitched as he saw Moriyama observing the audience, "so…," he turned around, "could you stop looking around for your type of girls, Moriyama?"
"Eh?" he blinked.
"Please, Moriyama-san!" Hayakawa shouted. "Do you even want to win?!"
Moriyama sighed as his head dropped from his search, "want to win? Don't be stupid. Do you know how long I have waited for this day? I am so focused on this game, I haven't noticed any girls…because the one girl that has caught my attention is on the other side of court!" he shouted, receiving a sweat drop from both Kobori and Hayakawa as their eyes glided over to the miko talking to the tiger and phantom player.
Feeling a shiver run up and down her spine, the miko shook her head as she tried to ignore the feeling. "Are you okay, Kagome-chan?" questioned Kuroko as he took the wrist band from the miko's hand before adjusting them.
"Uh, h-hai," she chuckled, "just got a chill out of nowhere."
"Kagomecchi. Kagamicchi. Kurokocchi."
With the familiar nicknames being heard, the three turned around as they saw Kise holding a smile of his own. "Kise-kun," Kagome whispered, blinking as she saw his eyes drop down to hide underneath his bangs.
"That day," he spoke, "I experienced the frustration of defeat for the first time. I haven't forgotten it for a single day. But thanks to you three, I realized something. I love basketball," Kise chuckled under his breath. "So much that I can devote my entire self to it. That is why," lifting his eyes full of confidence, he sent them a smirk, "I won't lose anymore!"
"Kise-kun," the miko blinked again, "shouldn't you have noticed sooner?"
"Eh!?"
Kagami sighed as he scratched the back of his head, wanting to laugh at the miko's blunt comment. "Anyways," he closed his eyes, "you have gone kind of soft. Don't worry about the small stuff. We are raring to go, too. Let's get this started already."
Seeing Kagami was more than ready to go, Kise turned his head towards the phantom player, "Kurokocchi, do you feel the same way?"
"Hai," he nodded. "I am also thinking about how much…I disliked you."
The three blinked, taken back by Kuroko's comment. And here they thought Kagome was the blunt one. "Eh?" Kise tilted his head to the side. "Eh!?"
"Seriously?" Kagome spoke, turning to face the phantom player, "I thought the same thing when I met him."
"Kagomecchi! You too!?"
Kuroko sent the miko a smile before turning to face the crying blonde in front of him. "But I mean it in a good way. Once you joined the basketball team, I was assigned to train you. Because of it, I thought of you in a special way. But you surpassed me in the blink of an eye. I knew out abilities were different. But I was frustrated and didn't want to lose. In other words, though it was one-sided, I have always considered you," his smile widened slightly, "my rival."
Kise's eyes widened as he heard the words being said by the last person who could have thought of him as a rival. Chuckling under his breath, Kise ran his fingers through his hair, "I don't know what to say. You meant it in a good way? I couldn't be more fired up!"
The miko nodded to herself as she felt their auras slowly rise. Moving away, she patted both Kuroko's and Kagami's shoulders before making her way over to the bench as the referee's whistle was heard once again for the bow.
"The game between Kaijo High and Seirin High will now begin! Bow!"
"Let's have a good game!" they greeted in unison.
Sitting beside the coach, Kagome watched as the ball was released upwards as both Kobori and Kiyoshi jumped. The ball was quickly tipped by Kiyoshi's hand and caught by Shun before they made their charge towards their hoop as planned.
Passing the ball to the phantom player, Kuroko made his first move in using the Vanishing Drive as he passed by Hayakawa's defense.
"The Vanishing Drive!?" Kasamatsu exclaimed.
"All right, Kuroko!" Koganei cheered.
Moriyama stepped in front of him only for his eyes to widen at the sight of Kuroko's stance: 'he is already breaking out two of his special moves?! The Phantom Shot!' Reaching for the ball, he cursed under his breath the moment it disappeared and it dropped into the net.
"Yosh!" Hyuga nodded, signaling his team members to head for the defense position.
The miko's eyes widened as she felt the rise of someone's aura inside the court. Abruptly leaning forward, Kagome shook her head at seeing Seirin's mistake: "Miina!"
In a blink of an eye, the ball was quickly shot into the air and made into Kaijo's basket, stopping all movements. Everyone froze in their place as heads slowly turned to see none other than Kise having made the shot.
"I-Impossible…," Riko whispered under her breath. "Kagome-chan?"
"Hai…," she nodded, feeling her shoulders return to heaviness, "Kise-kun is breaking into it already."
Kise's eyes narrowed as he saw the shock in Seirin's expression, "one of the things Kagamicchi said before the match rubbed me the wrong way. Who has gone soft?"
Catching the ball into his hands, Hyuga aimed for the hoop once again, only for Kise's block to come forth and push the ball out of its course. 'I can feel it when I play against him. That was Muraskibara's block!'
With Kasamatsu passing the ball to him, Kise prepared his three-pointer shot as Kiyoshi jumped in front of him, "no, you don't!" Kiyoshi's eyes widened as he saw the blonde duck down and dribble around him before running forward. "A fake!?" he cursed under his breath, 'that was Aomine's change of pace!'
'Midorima-kun's shooting ability and Aomine-kun's agility,' the miko clenched her teeth. 'They are strong enough on their own!' She was not expecting for Kise to break into his Perfect Copy so soon! Seeing Kagami come forth and stop Kise's advances, her eyes widened the moment Kise dribbled the ball back and forth before bringing it between his legs. 'That move-!'
Kagami cursed under his breath as he fell back on the ground, watching as Kise made the shot in front of him with ease. The miko's eyes shook in disbelief after seeing the move being executed. 'That was…Akashi-kun's Ankle Breaker? But how?' Feeling Kise's aura continue to rise, she felt her body break into a cold sweat. 'How are we supposed to deal with all of the Generation of Miracles at once!?'
MizukixTsukiyomi's Notes: And that ends this chapter! Next chapter will hold Kaijo versus Seirin and...surprises! I do hope you all enjoyed!
P.S.: For those who do not know, on Tumblr, every Friday on my blog, I write Kagome scenarios. If you are curious, go check it out because I will be having a giveaway soon!
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Ja~ne!
