Black Basketball: A false start

Chapter 279 A blow to the head

"Kaneki, I am standing here today just to tell you..." Kagami Daiga stared at Kaneki Ken's back and said, "I am here to take revenge on you! I must defeat you here!"

"You don't respect me." Kaneki Ken sighed and shook his head, then turned to look at Kagami Daiga and said, "I agree with your attitude of desperately seeking revenge, and I also know what you have been through to stand in front of me... But don't you think your tone is a little too arrogant?"

"People who seek revenge are bound to be impatient. Please bear with me, Kaneki-san." Kuroko Tetsuya stood between the two of them with a serious face, staring at Kaneki Ken with burning eyes and said, "But Kagami-san has something I agree with... that is, we will definitely defeat you today! I will also prove to you that my basketball is right!"

"Your basketball?" Kaneki Ken said with a chuckle, "I never reject team basketball, but even though I can't do anything, I still cling to the team as my fig leaf... Kuroko, you are much more fragile than before!"

"Red monkey, it's too early for you to challenge Gilgamesh now!" Sakuragi Hanamichi also stood up from behind Kaneki Ken, "If you want to challenge Gilgamesh, you have to get past me first!"

For a moment, the tense atmosphere between the two sides reached its extreme, and when the four people confronted each other, there seemed to be flashes of lightning when their eyes met.

"Forget it, Sakuragi." Kaneki Ken suddenly chuckled and shook his head, turned his head and looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi and said, "Hurry up and warm up, don't waste time on these trivial matters."

"I understand, Gilgamesh." Sakuragi Hanami glared at Kagami Daiga, then turned around and went back to the Shohoku half to start shooting training.

"You guys better warm up quickly..." Kaneki Ken said as he stood in the midfield, playing with the basketball in his hand. "I never mind anyone challenging me, as long as they are prepared to die."

After saying that, Kaneki Ken raised his right hand and gently pushed the ball towards the basket of Seirin High School. With a swish, the basketball fell neatly into the net, and Kaneki Ken turned around and returned to the original shooting warm-up position to continue shooting three-pointers.

"Not even a jump..." Hinata Junpei's eyelids twitched wildly as he looked at the basketball bouncing on the ground and muttered, "It seems that defending this guy's three-pointer... is more difficult than defending Midorima..."

"It seems like the players from both teams don't like each other..." Nakamura said while looking at the field with some confusion, "Seirin and Shonan... I don't think they've ever played against each other before?"

"Although the two teams have never played against each other, the sense of fate of the confrontation is very strong..." Aida Yako played with the notebook in her hand, looked at the field and said, "According to rumors, Kuroko-san's talent was discovered by Kaneki-san. One of them has the most outstanding talent in the Generation of Miracles, and the other has the most hidden talent in the Age of Miracles... In addition, Kagami and Sakuragi-san are very similar, which leads to an unusually large number of highlights in this game. This is why this game can attract so many spectators..."

"Eh? Kuroko-san and Kaneki-san actually have such a past?" Nakamura looked at Aida Yako with surprise and said, "Then I guess the two of them must have had complicated feelings when they fought..."

"Maybe for Kuroko-san..." Aida Yako nodded noncommittally and said, "But for Kaneki-san, it definitely won't happen."

"Why?" Nakamura asked on the way with a puzzled look on his face.

"Because for Kaneki, anyone standing in front of him is his opponent... For the opponent, all he has to do is run over him... This is Kaneki's playing style." Aida Yako said with emotion.

"Buzz~"

As time passed, the warm-up time was over unknowingly. Except for the starting players of both sides, the other players also consciously returned to the bench and sat down on the sidelines.

"The Winter Cup Finals, Seirin High School vs. Shonan High School is about to begin. Now let me introduce the starting players of both teams. The one that will appear on Seirin High School's stage is:"

[“Number 4, shooting guard, Junpei Hinata.”]

"Ohhhhhhh!!! Seirin's three point shot!"

"A scorer with a dual personality!"

During the pauses in the introductions coming from above the stadium, the spectators on the sidelines held up their flags and cheered.

"Go ahead, Captain!"

"Let them see how powerful we are!"

Shinji Koganei and others on the sidelines also pumped their fists and cheered.

"Really... a bunch of troublesome guys." Hinata Junpei cursed with a smile, adjusted the frame of his glasses, and strode towards the court.

[“No. 14, small forward, Katsume Ichiro.”]

"Hey, Xiaosan, that seems to be your junior classmate~" Sakuragi Hanamichi poked Mitsui Shou's kidney and said curiously.

"Yeah..." Mitsui Shou looked at Katsumi Ichiro with a complicated expression and said, "He might be stronger than me now..."

"Every time you say there will be a shooter stronger than you, then you will explode in front of that shooter stronger than you..." Shigehiro Kabaji said sullenly, giving Mitsui Hisashi a look.

[“Number 7, center, Muji Teppei.”] The broadcast above the stadium was still introducing the players.

“Iron Heart!”, “Iron Heart!”, “Iron Heart!”

The spectators on the sidelines shouted Muji Teppei's nickname and looked at Muji Teppei with anticipation as he stepped onto the court.

"Everyone is calling you Tiexin..." Hinata Junpei looked at Kiyoshi Tiepei and said teasingly, "It seems that this nickname is really deeply rooted in people's hearts..."

"Stop teasing me, Hinata..." Muji Teppei shook his head helplessly and said, "I really don't know who gave me this nickname..."

"Old lady, did you hear that?" Muji Tieping's grandfather looked at the audience around him happily and said to his wife beside him, "Everyone calls him little Muji Tiexin... It seems that our little Muji is very famous..."

"Of course~" Muji Teppei's grandmother said proudly, "Our little Muji is the Western Conference champion!"

[“No. 11, point guard, Kuroko Tetsuya…”]

"It appears, it appears! The Phantom Sixth Person!"

"Can he really play point guard? He doesn't seem to be very good at handling the ball?"

"Then he must have a position, right? Besides, he is also good at organizing the offense..."

Listening to the discussions of the fans on the sidelines, Kuroko Tetsuya silently adjusted his bracelet, lowered his head and stepped onto the court.

"Don't worry about it, Kuroko." Hyuga Junpei keenly noticed Kuroko Tetsuya's uneasiness, stepped forward and patted Kuroko Tetsuya on the shoulder and comforted him, "In my heart, besides Ebina and Itsuki, you are the best point guard!"

"Really?" Kuroko Tetsuya looked up at Hinata Junpei with gratitude and asked.

"...Really." Hinata Junpei was silent for a moment, then smiled and nodded and replied.

"This looks like something that you're not willing to do at all!" Muji Tieping complained speechlessly.

[“Seirin High School, No. 10, Power Forward, Kagami Taiga!”]

"Vulcan!", "Vulcan!", "Vulcan!"

With the appearance of Kagami Taiga, the fans of Seirin High School stopped talking and started shouting Kagami Taiga's name in unison.

"There are unexpectedly many fans of Kagami~" Alex Garcia in the stands said while looking at the field with interest, "It's really amazing~" "After all, he is the one who fought with the Generation of Miracles to the end, it is normal for him to have such popularity." Himuro Tatsuya smiled with satisfaction and said while looking at Kagami Taiga in the field.

"These are my fans..." Kagami Daigo looked at the expectant eyes of the fans on the sidelines, and his mood was extremely calm. There was a faint flash of lightning in his eyes, and he said to himself, "If this is the case... then I must not let them down!"

[“Next, let me introduce the starting player of Shonan High School. Center, No. 15, Shigehiro Kabachi!”]

"Go ahead! The best center under miracles!"

"Blast Seirin's inside line!"

"Captain, I'm on the court." Shigehiro Kabaji seemed to be deaf to the cheers of the audience on the sidelines. He walked up to Kaneki Ken, bowed slightly, and then turned and walked towards the court.

[“Small forward, number 11, Rukawa Kaede.”]

"Rukawa Kaede, Rukawa Kaede, our idol Rukawa Kaede!"

As soon as the words fell over the court, the Rukawa fans on the sidelines started dancing in unison, waving the colorful balls in their hands and cheering for Rukawa Kaede.

"This stinky fox only knows how to show off all day long..." Sakuragi Hanamichi muttered to Rukawa Kaede with an unhappy look on his face.

[“Shooting guard, No. 14, Mitsui Hisashi.”]

"Great, Mitsui! Come on, San!" Tokuo Horita in the audience excitedly waved the flag of Engnan in his hand and shouted loudly.

"Shut up, De Nan!" Mitsui Shou's face turned red with shame, and he shouted at the audience with an unwilling look on his face.

"Hahahaha, Xiaosan~" Sakuragi Hanamichi burst into laughter when he heard Mitsui Hisashi's shameful nickname.

[“Power forward, number 10, Sakuragi Hanamichi.”]

"Sakuragi is going to play again~" Mito Yohei looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi's imposing figure with a gratified look, and said to himself, "Come on, Sakuragi."

"See? That's my son!" Father Sakuragi in the audience excitedly introduced him to his colleagues around him.

"You've raised a good son, old Sakuragi." The president of Sakuragi's father, who was invited to watch the game, exclaimed with envy, "Unlike my son, who is a stay-at-home all day long..."

[“The next player to appear is the strongest captain of the Generation of Miracles, the champion of the Golden Arch Bridge High School All-Star Game, the winner of the Golden Arch Bridge High School All-Star Game MVP, the MVP of Kanagawa Prefecture, the champion of the IH League National Tournament, the FMVP, the 206cm tall…point guard, number four, Kaneki…Ken!”]

"boom!"

As a series of names rang out above the stadium, the spectators on the sidelines suddenly burst into deafening cheers.

"What a terrible appeal on the field..." Nakamura muttered to himself as he stared at the crazy spectators on the sidelines with his mouth wide open.

"Is this a world-class high school student?" Aida Miko muttered to herself as she looked at Kaneki Ken, whose face was covered in dust. "He's just like the basketball god of childhood!"

"Beep beep~"

As the starting players of both teams entered the court, the referee blew his whistle.

"Players from both teams, line up and salute!"

"Please give me your guidance!" Kagami Daigo stared at Kaneki Ken's calm eyes and bowed slightly.

"Please give me your guidance." There was no fluctuation in Kaneki Ken's words, as if this was just an ordinary game.

As the players from both teams finished lining up to salute, the referee came to the center line holding the basketball. After making sure that the centers of both teams were ready for the jump ball, the referee threw the ball high into the sky.

"Beep beep~"

With a sharp whistle, Shigehiro Kabata and Teppei Kiyoshi jumped up at the same time, and their long arms rushed towards the basketball in the air like two dragons.

"I didn't realize it until we met face to face..." Kiyoshi Teppei couldn't help swallowing and said, "This guy's sense of oppression now... is no less than that of Murasakibara Atsushi!"

"boom!"

With the sound of a palm touching the basketball, Shigehiro Kabaji finally used his height and wingspan to push the basketball to the backcourt. Kaneki Ken rushed forward to grab the basketball and started to organize the first attack of the game.

"Hurry up and return to defense!" Kagami Taiga came to Kaneki Ken as soon as his request failed, opened his arms to block Kaneki Ken's breakthrough path, and shouted a reminder to his teammates around him.

"You seem very eager to fight..." Kaneki Ken said with a barely perceptible smile, "I hope you can hold out for a minute and a half."

"Humph! We are no longer the same as we were before!" Kagami Daigo snorted coldly as he recalled the scene of the first training match, "So, don't underestimate us! Bastard!"

"It's so noisy..." Kaneki Ken said with a hint of impatience on his face, "Let me show you... the most fundamental difference between us."

"Is it coming?" Kagami Daigo held his breath, stared at Kaneki Ken's every move, and approached him with a vigilant look.

"Whoosh!"

Just as Kagami Daiga took a step forward, the basketball turned into an orange-red stream of light that streaked across the court and flew towards the restricted area of ​​Seirin High School.

"What the hell? Pass the ball?" Kagami Daigo looked back in surprise, only to see Sakuragi Hanamichi had arrived at the free throw line of Seirin High School and jumped up.

"Do you think I'm joking?" Kaneki Ken looked at the horrified Kagami Daigo with a disdainful smile on his face and said, "I've said it before, you guys... are not good enough to stand in front of me and speak loudly!"

"Uhhhhh!!!"

As soon as Kaneki Ken finished speaking, Sakuragi Hanamichi caught the flying basketball in the air, and the whole person soared into the sky like a rocket. When he reached the highest point, he slammed the ball into the basket with force.

“Bang! Shua!”

As the sound of a basketball hitting the backboard and going into the basket was heard, the players of Seirin High School fell into an eerie silence - Alex Garcia and Himuro Tatsuya on the sidelines were equally silent.

"What Sakuragi did just now was..." Himuro Tatsuya looked at Sakuragi Hanamichi who was returning to defense in the middle of the court with an unbelievable look on his face and muttered to himself, "The God of Fire...?"

"Yes, it was Big Wo's shooting star dunk..." Alex Garcia nodded, confirming Himuro Tatsuya's thoughts, "And he jumped... even farther than Big Wo."

(End of this chapter)