"Huh? They're letting Tendou and Aomine go for the jump ball?" Takao Kazunari raised his eyebrows as he and his teammates took their seats in the stands again.
For a matchup this high-profile, no one was going to miss it.
What surprised everyone was that neither team sent their center to jump for the ball. Instead, both chose their core players to battle it out right from the beginning.
"So they're planning to settle the score from the very first second?"
"Those two are always doing crazy stuff."
Midorima, who had been teammates with both of them, understood. These two had been competing with each other since their first year at Teikō.
Three years had passed, and still, nothing had changed.
"It's like they never grew up," Momoi sighed, taking a deep breath and quietly cheering for Tendou in her heart.
This girl understood better than anyone—today's game was nothing short of chaos.
BEEP—!
The referee's whistle sounded. As both sides held their breath, the ball was tossed high into the air.
In the next instant, both players leapt almost simultaneously.
Whether it was their vertical leap or reaction speed, they were easily in a class above the rest of the court.
"Whoa…" Seto Kentarō and Wakamatsu Kōsuke both gasped.
As fellow centers, they couldn't help but compare themselves to Tendou.
If they couldn't beat him head-on, at least they could win the jump, right?
But even in that area, they were completely outclassed.
Tendou's eyes followed the ball. The moment it began to descend, he launched himself up explosively.
Aomine, with his uncanny feel for the game, also seized that exact instant.
Two blurs—one black, one white—soared through the air. Both timed their jumps perfectly, reaching for the ball with full extension.
SMACK!
The crisp sound echoed through the silent gym.
"Tendou won the tip!"
No one knew who shouted first, but as the crowd reacted, it became clear—Tendou had swatted the ball straight toward Hanamiya's side.
In the end, it was Tendou's golden-proportioned arms that gave him the edge.
"The first clash… goes to Tendou!"
"His wingspan is the most perfect I've seen in a high school player," Aida Riko analyzed. She'd long since memorized Tendou's physical stats—his athleticism and physique were elite across the board.
"Feels like their jump height is almost on par with Kagami, huh?"
The Seirin players remained silent—but they'd noticed it too.
Even their ace, known for his explosive hops, didn't have much of an edge over those two monsters.
As the ball came down, both teams immediately launched into action.
As expected from teams loaded with "superpowers" and top-tier individual skills.
Tōō, despite losing the tip, transitioned instantly into a tight defensive formation.
"A man-to-man setup. That's Tōō's usual style."
Their greatest strength was their individual stats—each of them was a nationally ranked elite.
So naturally, they had the confidence to guard one-on-one.
"They're packing the paint hard. Looks like they're betting we can't beat them with threes."
Tendou dribbled to the top of the arc, staring down the court.
Just one glance, and he could tell what Tōō was aiming for.
"As reliable as ever, Momoi."
"Hehe~!"
Momoi, as if she heard the praise, giggled softly from the bench.
And her childhood friend had already closed the distance.
"Don't look around like that. You can see the whole court with those eyes, can't you, Tendou?"
Aomine wasn't fooled by Tendou's subtle misdirection.
These days, Tendou's eyes were like open books—every fake, every flicker held meaning.
But not to Aomine. He wasn't buying any of it.
"Fair enough."
The guy in front of him was a beast through and through.
He played purely by instinct. His reactions were faster than thoughts. Trying to read him was a losing battle.
Whoosh… Swish… Thud!
Tendou began to dribble, slowly adjusting his rhythm.
The audience held their breath. The noise in the gym had long since died down.
This showdown—it was a dream match.
Tendou had risen to fame first, known as the "Demon Star" of Teikō. Even as a first-year, he had earned his way into the regular lineup with stellar performances.
Aomine's breakout came later. His second year was his true explosion.
Back then, he crushed opponents so thoroughly they quit basketball altogether.
He was so powerful, he destroyed opponents' confidence entirely.
People believed Tendou was the more well-rounded player, someone who could do everything on the court.
Aomine, by contrast, was more offensively specialized. His arsenal of attacks was so deep, no one could predict his next move.
While these thoughts filled the minds of the spectators, the two players on court stared each other down for five or six seconds—then suddenly exploded into action.
With no warning, they went from zero to top speed in an instant.
"So fast!!" Kagami's expression changed as goosebumps ran up his arms.
He could swear—these two were playing faster than they ever had against him.
"It's not just speed… their movements are way too complex!"
Were these guys even human?
Hyūga Junpei and the others were stunned.
The two clashed violently right at the top of the arc.
Crossovers, double crossovers, spin moves, behind-the-back dribbles—everything you could think of, Tendou executed one after another.
Each move was lightning-fast and brutally precise. Just watching it made the audience feel suffocated.
But Aomine didn't give up a single inch. He absorbed every attack, defended without a single slip.
Not only the crowd—even the players on the court were frozen, unable to intervene.
And yet…
"…This is just a warm-up?" someone muttered.
"The Generation of Miracles really are monsters."
Imayoshi Shōichi stood on the sidelines, watching the "duel." At this level, there was no room for him to step in.
It really was like a swordfight between two elite warriors—each attack potentially fatal.
"How long has it been since we played like this?"
"Who knows… maybe second year of middle school."
Aomine never cared about remembering useless stuff.
But that year had too many bad memories.
It was all sadness. He remembered it whether he wanted to or not.
"So that's it… I really haven't punched you in a long time."
Suddenly, Tendou exploded off his dribble, taking a powerful step as he burst past the three-point line.
"If anyone's getting punched, it's you. Don't think you can still do whatever you want like in first year."
Aomine spun around to chase—his balance so perfect that he barely paused during the turn.
The two tore into the paint, one trailing the other like a comet's tail.
Aomine had eyes only for Tendou.
Tendou, however, was watching the whole court.
Let me see it, he thought to himself.
His Six Eyes flared, rotating like constellations.
In the next moment, it was as if all nine players on the court moved in slow motion. Tendou's mind dissected every position, every path—each player's body exposed, their decisions laid bare.
1 second…
2 seconds…
3 seconds…
After three seconds, Tendou executed a Euro step to his right—charging straight at the basket where Wakamatsu was stationed.
"Get out of the way, dead weight!"
What?!
Wakamatsu turned at Aomine's shout—just in time to see him barreling straight at his own position.
Before he could even react, Aomine launched high into the air—right over him.
By the time Wakamatsu looked up again, both Tendou and Aomine were airborne above him—he was sandwiched between them, a complete obstacle.
SWISH!
Tendou, using his superior wingspan, laid the ball in cleanly off the glass.