Chapter 118 - 119: The Kind of ‘Hit’ That Means Punching

"So? You came all the way here today just to collect intel on us?" "Of course not! I was just worried about you, that's all. Why'd you come to a dangerous place like this?" Kirisaki Daiichi had a nasty reputation in Tokyo these past few years. Any team that faced them could expect at least one core player injured by the end of the match. Hence their nickname: The Ace Killers. "A tiger walking into a pack of dogs... it's never the tiger who needs worrying." "Looks like that's true." In truth, seeing Tendou calmly eating hotpot in the basketball clubroom reassured Momoi a lot. "This is for you." She handed him a file folder. "What's this?" "Intel on Tōō. We're on the same side now, remember? We're teaming up to beat Aomine and the others into the ground!" As she spoke, she even threw a few jabs at the air like a boxer. She didn't act the least bit guilty about being a traitor. In fact, she seemed kind of proud—completely self-assured. "You have to read it carefully, okay?" "Got it." Tendou nodded as he tossed the file aside, earning a deadpan stare from Momoi. But she had expected as much. Her intel was meaningless against the Generation of Miracles. Even she couldn't predict their behavior accurately. Aomine relied purely on instinct, playing however he felt. Tendou, on the other hand, would adapt in real time—reading the court, analyzing patterns, and striking at the opponent's weakest point. There was no static "strategy" to counter him. So the data wasn't meant for Tendou. It was for the rest of Kirisaki Daiichi. The fact that Tendou didn't toss it in the trash meant he'd probably share it with his teammates. "Oh right, Little Ten, Kaijō's playing a practice match against Seirin this weekend. Want to come watch?" "Nope." "Come on~ They're your future opponents. Better to scout them early." "Well, I've got you for that, don't I? You go." Tendou plugged in the hotpot and started boiling water. "Besides, I'm the strongest." There it is again! That same line! That's exactly what worries me about all of you! Momoi sighed silently. They were all too confident—confident to the point of arrogance. Back in the day, they were so close. So happy together. As she was lost in thought, the door to the clubroom opened again. This time it was Seto, Hara, Furuhashi, Matsumoto, and Yamazaki entering with food in hand. "Hey, we're back, Tendou! Seriously, you're way too picky. Just for lunch and you're giving us a full shopping list?" "Right? You even made us sneak out to the supermarket. What if we'd been caught..." "Eh? Who's this ridiculously cute girl? Your girlfriend?" They were still complaining as they walked in, but once they spotted the adorable girl sitting next to Tendou, they froze. No way. "She's someone from my Teikō days... well, I guess you could say she's a comrade-in-arms." Comrade? A girl and a guy calling each other "comrades?" More like friends-with-benefits! Just say girlfriend! What's the problem? After deciding Momoi must be Tendou's girlfriend, they all got way more polite. Momoi, meanwhile, was baffled. How the hell did he pull this off?! He'd been at Kirisaki Daiichi for less than a week, and he already had the whole squad eating out of his hand? Seto, Hara, Furuhashi, Matsumoto, Yamazaki, even that bastard Hanamiya Makoto—one of the Uncrowned Kings—were running errands for Tendou? Buying groceries just because he wanted hotpot? Completely dumbfounded, Momoi leaned in and whispered, "Little Ten... what did you do to them?" "Beat them up." "You mean... in basketball?" "Nope. I mean the kind of hit that hurts." At that, Momoi instantly felt a pang of guilt. It was like she'd failed to raise her unruly child properly. She had come to Kirisaki Daiichi worried about Tendou's safety... But now she was more concerned about whether the others would survive. After all, this was the genius who could go toe-to-toe with the Sword Saint at age eleven! ... Thanks to Tendou, the atmosphere was surprisingly warm. Not long after, the aroma of hotpot broth filled the clubroom. "Oh right—guys, print out a few copies of this. Everyone should memorize it." "Print what?" Yamazaki took the file and flipped it open—only to find detailed intel on Tōō's starting lineup. It listed their habits, dominant hands, shooting hot zones, even their hobbies. Everything. "This is so detailed... You gathered all this, Momoi?" "Don't underestimate her—she's Teikō's top intelligence officer. I've never seen her get anything wrong." "Heh. So this is the famous Teikō spy I've heard about. Didn't expect her to be a girl." Hanamiya chuckled, though it wasn't quite as smug as usual. After all, getting elbowed into oblivion every day doesn't exactly leave room for laughter. "Hehe~" Momoi scratched her head sheepishly. But even that goofy smile had the boys sweating. How could someone so cute be so terrifying behind the scenes? Everyone from Teikō... are they all monsters?! Tendou—ridiculously strong and casually stylish. Momoi—adorable and terrifyingly effective. What about the others? That same question was being asked by someone else—Kagami Taiga, over at Seirin. Ever since learning about the Generation of Miracles from Kuroko, he'd been unable to sleep. He couldn't wait to face them. And thanks to Kise Ryōta, he was about to get his chance. Just like the original story, Kise arrived at Seirin and invited Kuroko to join his team. ... "The Kise Ryōta of the Generation of Miracles?!" Everyone in Seirin froze as the radiant blond heartthrob walked into their gym. "What's he doing here?!" "Of course, it's because of the practice match. The moment I heard Kurokocchi was at Seirin, I had to come!" Hands in pockets, Kise emerged from a swarm of fangirls. His attitude was so relaxed, it felt like he was looking down on them. But no one dared object. That "Generation of Miracles" title weighed too heavily. Someone even flipped open a magazine and read aloud: "Kise Ryōta. Only started basketball in his second year of middle school. Thanks to his physical gifts and natural instincts, quickly became a Teikō starter. Though he lacks experience compared to the others, he's a fast-growing, all-around player." Second year of middle school?! You've gotta be kidding! If Kuroko was already that strong... What kind of monsters were the actual starters? "And that's a bit of an exaggeration," Kise added with a smile. "I'm flattered to be called a Miracle, but honestly, Kurokocchi and I were probably the weakest." Weakest? There was no way. That overwhelming presence... it wasn't something you built up after just a few wins. He'd been watching their practice session earlier—and hadn't reacted to anything. That meant he didn't see any of them as a threat. Kagami, watching from the back, could feel the guy's pressure from their very first glance. And this guy claimed to be the weakest? Fine then. Let's see just how "weak" a Generation of Miracles player really is! Swish— Before anyone else could speak, Kagami fired the ball at him. Challenge issued.