Outside the court.
Aida Kagetora stood with a serious look on his face, eyes fixed on the battle playing out before him.
But the longer he watched, the stranger his expression became.
"Riko…"
"So this is what you all call the so-called 'Generation of Miracles'?"
At his words, Aida Riko finally snapped out of her shock.
"Yes…"
Her gaze lingered on Haizaki Shōgo, who was overwhelming that red-haired boy amid a storm of thunderous speed. She couldn't help but swallow hard.
"That one… he's the junior of Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo."
"And those two…"
"They're probably even stronger than this so-called Miracle, Haizaki Shōgo."
Kagetora nodded knowingly. He already had a rough idea what kind of monsters those two kids were. Even if he hadn't seen their basketball firsthand, just looking at their physical development, he could tell.
Still…
Judging from this so-called Generation of Miracles, he had clearly underestimated them.
On the court.
Smack!
Haizaki Shōgo swatted down Kagami's dunk attempt once again.
Kagami Taiga: "!?"
So fast!
Such incredible technique!
He's… copying me…
But the same moves, in his hands, feel far stronger than mine!
Since the duel began, that thought had been stuck circling in Kagami's mind.
Meanwhile, Haizaki Shōgo felt… disappointed.
Even if that monster Shigure said this guy could one day reach the level of the Miracles with proper training, as a player of the same age, the gap was just too wide.
No signs of blooming, no resistance whatsoever.
At best, just a "decent" player.
But still… far too weak.
He could never catch up to them.
Haizaki knew this better than anyone. Among the Miracles, they chased one another relentlessly, every moment precious, every step hard-earned. For someone like Kagami, with this kind of gap already in place… maybe one day he'd grow into Miracle-level, but he'd never become their rival.
Kagami read the disdain in Haizaki's eyes even without words. His brows furrowed as he stepped up on defense.
And then
How to describe it?
Kagami's defense wasn't useless, exactly. But against Haizaki's dribble drive, it was as if his presence made no difference at all. From start to finish, Haizaki only used Thunder Dribble and mimicry.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Each rapid strike of the Thunder Dribble targeted Kagami's balance with pinpoint precision—faster, sharper, deadlier!
And then
A flash!
In the instant Haizaki brushed past him, Kagami felt as if a bolt of lightning had ripped through his side!
No matter how hard he chased, he couldn't keep up with that wolf-like figure bounding ahead of him. In a blink, Haizaki stormed into the paint, hammering the ball into the rim with a brutal slam.
Bang!
Perhaps inspired by Murasakibara's slams in practice, Haizaki hung from the rim with one arm, swaying as though trying to rip it off. But clearly his strength and weight weren't quite there yet. Dropping down, he grinned with a vicious glint.
"So weak."
"With a body like yours…"
"To still be this weak—it's almost impressive."
Kagami's jaw dropped. For once, he was at a loss for words.
Clap.
"Come on~"
"One last chance. This time, I won't guard you so tightly. But you still won't score." Haizaki licked his fingertips with a mocking smile. "Because that move…"
"…is already mine."
Kagami blinked in confusion.
But Shigure Akihito outside the court nodded knowingly.
Haizaki's personality, his mimicry—of course he'd end up walking this path of plunder. He might love copying others, but his pride was overwhelming.
Anything he copied, he'd twist into his own style. Which meant, inevitably, that his power of Plunder would awaken.
On the court, Haizaki shadowed Kagami's drive.
No hands raised, just using his body to cut off Kagami's path.
Then
When Kagami pulled off a sudden stop-and-spin into a dunk, Haizaki smirked wickedly and stood still, letting him pass.
Watching with amusement as Kagami soared for a surprisingly explosive slam
Bang!
The dunk clanged off the rim.
Kagami Taiga: "!?"
No… no way!
Haizaki whistled, casting a smug glance at Nijimura.
"As I thought, stealing someone else's move completely—now that tastes the best~"
"It's over~"
"Time to go, Tetsuya~"
Kuroko Tetsuya: "..."
So fast.
Haizaki has gotten even stronger.
And…
What a shameless ability.
If one day Haizaki managed to steal his own misdirection, Kuroko wouldn't be surprised. That talent really was enviable.
He could learn anything quickly.
Sometimes, even just a glance was enough—like with Kagami's moves earlier.
Playing like that must feel incredible, right?
"…His personality's just awful."
Kuroko muttered under his breath—maybe his sly side surfacing on purpose. Haizaki noticed the glance but didn't care at all.
If anything, he looked pleased.
"Of course. Tetsuya, you didn't think I was secretly a 'good guy,' did you? This world doesn't only have good people. There are real villains, and terrifying ones too~"
"Hmph~"
"Like Nijimura the brute, for example!"
But Kuroko shook his head.
"Haizaki is a good person. That much is true."
After all, very few in Teiko had the patience to practice against his clumsy dribbling. Even his close friend Aomine would get bored and run off to play with Akashi and the others.
Haizaki raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and turned to the seniors.
"Senpai~"
"Any comments?"
At that, Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo exchanged a look.
Shigure: "Yeah, pretty solid."
Nijimura: "Still a long way to go."
END OF CHAPTER
CROWN BEFORE THE MIRACLES
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