Author's note: Disclaimer necessary here. I don't play basketball. Christ, I don't even know how the scoring system works. I can understand why fic writers would choose not to write basketball matches in detail because it's quite difficult if you don't know the game very well. Also, I'm not a manga reader, just a follower of the anime. So yeah I probably screwed this one up. Different is not always better!
That being said, I do think it would be nice to see more fanfic writers try to write about different things, even if it's not a topic or genre they're not comfortable with. I used to be in the Prince of Tennis fandom, where stories were about everything but tennis. I don't want to see Kuroko no Basuke go in the same direction. Not to be a hater of that shonen ai stuff, I decided to slap some of that in this chapter too, so enjoy! (Non-fans: Don't worry, it's just plain ol' bromance.)
In other news, sorry for the relatively late update… was too busy playing eroge…
In light of that disturbing revelation:
Kuroko and the Vampire of Shinjuku
Chapter Four: Shadow versus Shadow
They went to find the nearest street basketball court. Conveniently enough, so as not to break the flow of this story, they found one with little effort. Stepping onto the court, Kagami started dribbling the ball enthusiastically. "Come at me, bro!" he taunted Kid.
So Kid did what he was told.
He came towards Kagami and spread his hands out in a flailing gesture, trying to reach for the ball. Deftly, Kagami span around him and dribbled the ball right past him. Kuroko propped himself down on the concrete and watched Kagami shoot successfully, yawning a little bit as he did so.
"That was intended," said Kid.
"Sure it was," Kagami replied, rolling his eyes.
"No, really, it was," Kid protested. "Please trust me on this."
He bent his knees.
"I will now show you a power beyond the Generation of Miracles," he claimed.
(Please don't question how a Vampire Slayer would know anything about a bunch of Japanese boys who happen to be above average at high school basketball.)
In any case, Kagami snorted in disbelief and started to dribble the ball past Kid once again. Kid shoved one hand into his pocket, the other into the air – and started to chant something in Latin.
"What?" Kagami's eyes widened. That was about all he could do because he was frozen in his tracks.
He looked down at the ball in his hand. He had just started to bounce it and as he watched it fell down towards the ground. Yet the speed that it fell was excruciatingly slow; it probably moved a whole inch in two seconds. He tried to move his hand after it, but his hand also moved in slow motion, never even catching up with the ball. Everything was so far behind his reaction time he was bewildered by it. It was almost like his body was frozen into place.
At a leisurely pace, Kid walked over to him and took the ball from him. It was clear that he was the only one who was not affected by the slowing down of time.
Kagami could only watch as Kid made his way over to the ring and tossed the ball underhanded. Miraculously, it went into the basket. Only then did Kagami regain proper control of his limbs.
Up until then he had been trying everything to push against the constraints against his body. Anything to speed himself up. As soon as time regained its normal pace, Kagami rammed against air, lost his balance and fell to the ground. He cursed loudly. Kid was standing over him.
"You annoying little Kid!" Kagami scowled. "What was that all about?"
"A simple slowing spell," Kid responded with a polite smile.
"What the-!" For a moment, Kagami couldn't even reply. He was seeing white. "That's not fair!" he cried. "That's against the rules, right?" He swung to face Kuroko for support. "Right?"
"Well, actually," Kuroko began, "there's not really any-"
"Shut up, you," said Kagami.
"If my spells displease you that much, I can do without them," Kid said helpfully.
Kagami's mutinous grumblings made it very clear what his opinion was on the whole matter.
"Very well then." Kid started dribbling the ball. "Shall we resume?"
He started making his way across the court, bouncing the ball. Kagami ran after him, trying to look for an opportunity to steal the ball. And then-
Kid vanished.
"I said no spells!" Kagami roared.
At this point, Kuroko stood up, his eyes wide in genuine shock.
"It's not a spell, Kagami-kun, it's misdirection!"
"What?"
As Kagami swung around in surprise, the sound of the ball rustling through the basket greeted his ears. Kid was standing directly under the hoop, his arms stretched out from the follow-through of another underhanded throw.
"How did you-?" Kagami gasped. "I thought only Kuroko-"
"It's my specialty," Kid broke in. "As one who has dedicated his life to darkness that is only natural. I see you have an ability similar to mine, hmm?"
It was obvious to both Kagami and Kuroko that Kid's skill at misdirection had in fact been outright superior to Kuroko's. Kagami had, after all, been watching Kid intently and still the Vampire Slayer had managed to direct his attention away from him somehow. He had blended into the shadows, had seemingly vanished. That was not something Kuroko could do while being watched.
Kagami and Kuroko were silent for a moment, and then Kuroko said calmly, "I'd like you to step aside, Kagami-kun."
Kagami nodded, implicitly understanding. Kuroko may never have had any rivals because of his supporting play, but then, he had never come across anyone who could match him at what he did. And behind Kuroko's seeming apathy lay a very real pride in his team and a desire to play with all of his strength. This playoff was something he could do against no other person. It was time for shadow versus shadow.
Kuroko and Kid faced each other, both their expressions stony and yet serene. The noise in the background seemed to fade away, except for the sound of the basketball dribbling.
Kagami knew it was not a match of technical skill. Neither Kuroko nor Kid was good at basketball in that sense. Kid made his way forward, dribbling the ball, trying to steer around Kuroko, whose knees were bent and whose arms were outstretched. Imperceptibly, Kid's eyebrows creased and his body crouched forward as if to spring himself forward.
Then the misdirection started. Kid's outline seemed to blur. Kuroko squinted, but for a moment, it seemed that he was actually gone.
Kuroko grit his teeth.
Think. What would you do in his position? Where would you go?
Kuroko knew.
He turned around, ran a few paces away from the ring and stretched out his arms in a defensive manoeuvre. Where he stopped, Kid was bouncing the ball. Kid jumped back in alarm, trying to stop himself from bumping into Kuroko.
In that split second, his grip on the ball loosened. Kuroko spotted his chance.
Leaning forward, he whipped his hand towards the ball. His fingers brushed against the coarse and rubbery texture of the ball before Kid quickly ducked his head and dribbled the ball away.
"Damn it!" Kagami yelled. "Get that Kid, Kuroko!"
It went on like that for a while. Every time Kid used his misdirection, Kuroko was able to cut him off. Neither of them could get near the baskets.
"You're very good at this," Kid remarked pleasantly. "Better than I expected."
Kuroko frowned. He wasn't about to admit it, but his stamina was already starting to run out. He wasn't used to being the one to actively chase the ball, so it was more draining than the usual basketball match for him. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep this up. His forehead was starting to bead up with sweat but he did not dare divert his attention from Kid for the moment that it would take to wipe himself.
"It's a pity, you know," Kid went on. "I don't know why a child like you is playing basketball. You're squandering your talents."
"What do you mean?" Kuroko asked blankly.
"You are the shadow," Kid declared. "Your shadow brings out the light of your team mates, but the opposite is true too. Their light brings out your shadow. But even so, basketball is a game for insects who are attracted towards the glow of light. Kuroko-kun, with training you could very well be a great Vampire Slayer."
"Hn," was all Kuroko said.
"I can see why the vampires were so fixated with you. Yes, I will tell you where the Den of Vampires is," Kid said, smiling. "Quit basketball and become my successor!"
Kuroko came closer towards him.
"Yes, that's right, Kuroko-kun, you will have the power to rescue your friend…!"
Bending down low, Kuroko tapped the basketball as Kid dribbled it and snatched it away from his grasp. Then, spinning his body around deftly on a ninety degree angle, he passed the ball to Kagami from behind, without even looking at him.
This all happened within the span of two seconds.
"Be quiet, please," said Kuroko.
He said this with a calm, emotionless face, but if one looked closely, one could see his eyebrows were scrunched together slightly. His voice carried his conviction and he looked straight at Kid, his gaze unwavering.
"I see," said Kid sadly.
Kagami came up behind Kuroko, grinning. "Looks like we won the challenge. You are gonna tell us where the coach is now, right?"
"Yes, a promise is a promise," Kid said firmly. He straightened himself up and put his hands behind his back. "I got ahead of myself for a moment. Yes… I was remembering the zeal I had for slaying all those years ago…
"Listen, you boys. When I was young, I sought revenge against vampires as my life's following. Now that they have kidnapped a young girl, I have reason to despise them once again. So I will help you by giving you the weapons that can fight the vampires. I will teach you how to fight. But tell me, once this is over, will you just turn your back on vampires? Forget that they exist? The vampires will never stop haunting your lives. You should become Slayers, you must…
"But I will do no more to convince you since I cannot persuade you otherwise. Meet me by the river tonight. We will begin training then."
They came when it was dusk and they sat down together by the riverbank, watching the stillness of the water's surface.
"That slayer Kid sure is kinda creepy," Kagami remarked. He peered at Kuroko, who was lying stretched out on the grass beside him, resting his head on his arms. "Hey, Kuroko…"
"Yeah?" said Kuroko quietly.
"I just thought… it's even harder to see you in the dark."
Kuroko blinked once. "I see," he said at length.
They fell into a comfortable silence.
Kagami knew that what Kid had said to Kuroko must have rung true to the blue-haired boy on some level. Because when Kagami thought about it, Kuroko was sacrificing something to be his shadow. Kuroko would never be acknowledged widely for his good play in the same way that Kagami and the rest of Seirin would. It was not Kuroko scoring the goals. It was not Kuroko reaching towards the light.
While Kagami had never always been good at basketball, he had always been suited to it. But Kuroko was fundamentally different from him, in ways Kagami had never deeply considered.
"When I started playing basketball, I really liked it," Kuroko told him. "I practised hard even though I never got good at it."
"So why'd you keep at it?" Kagami asked him. "Even though you didn't think it didn't suited you?"
Kuroko looked at him seriously.
"Because it's fun," he said.
Kagami smiled. Then he grinned, and then he laughed. He hooked his arm around Kuroko's head affectionately.
"Obviously," he said in answer, because he could think of nothing truer than what Kuroko had said. "And anyway, I think basketball does suit you."
They would become Vampire Slayers because they wanted Aida back. Without her, Seirin would be depleted. Without her, basketball would be less fun.
That was their only reason.
Kagami stood up and waved. "Oi, look, Kuroko, there's Kid!"
Kuroko shrugged away from Kagami's grasp and squinted in the distance, in the direction of the bridge. Sure enough, Kagami was right: the slight figure of Kid was walking towards them. When Kagami waved, Kid raised his hand in response.
BANG.
Kuroko's eyes opened wide in alarm. A bullet grazed his cheek. Sitting up straight, he could see Kid blowing the tip of what he was holding in his hand: a pale, silver gun.
"What the crap?" Kagami demanded.
"Stay sharp, boys," said Kid nonchalantly.
Kagami was in full rage mode. "You almost killed us, you freak!"
Kid proceeded to never address this point at all. He passed the gun to Kuroko. "This is yours. I think this suits your style."
Then he started to rummage his bag.
"I'm scared you have grenades in there or something," Kagami said suspiciously.
"No, just a giant sword," said Kid. "Here you go."
Kagami made indiscernible rage noises. Then he said, "Hey, this sword's pretty cool!"
Its blade glowed faintly amber in the dark, luminescent like a firefly. It was a Western-style broadsword, the sort to be grasped in two hands. The edges of it looked sharp enough to cleave off metal and it was almost half as long as Kagami's whole body.
(Please don't question how Kid could have fit this in his bag.)
"It's called Hotaru," Kid explained. "The blade is charged with solar energy, so it will cut through the darkness." Then he turned to Kuroko. "The gun is called Kiku-ichimonji. A single bullet through the heart will kill most vampires."
Kuroko put his hand over Kiku-ichimonji. The metal was so smooth to touch, it was almost like silk. It seemed almost a shame to pick up the gun and use it.
"Well, I think you're ready now, you whippersnappers," said Kid proudly.
"Did you just call us whippersnappers?" Kagami asked.
Kid chuckled and ignored him. "It's time," he announced, "for the Training Arc of Hell!"
Next chapter: Well, that was a long detour. I totally forgot there was a plot. I think it had something to do with vampires but I'm not too sure… Next chapter: The Training Arc of Hell! Also, what exactly happened to Aida after she was kidnapped?
