For Teikō's opponent today, this game was nothing short of a nightmare.
Nine minutes into the first quarter, the score had already reached 33:6!
While they relentlessly attacked and racked up a staggering 33 points, they also managed to keep their opponents' score in the single digits.
Their so-called "toughness" was laughable in the face of overwhelming strength.
Unwilling to fall behind, Aomine instinctively read the opponent's pass and lunged to intercept it.
But the very next second—
Whoosh! A flash of light streaked by. Aomine only saw a blur before him, then could only stare at Tendou's back as he sprinted away after stealing the ball.
It happened in an instant. Just like when Aomine first entered the Zone, Tendou had taken the ball meant for a teammate.
"Yare yare!"
Aomine grinned, stomping hard on the floor and chasing after him—not to assist in a 2+1 play, but simply because he felt fired up.
He set his sights squarely on Tendou.
"Ah-Da!"
"Aomine!"
Momoi Satsuki and the others were stunned.
How did a proper match suddenly turn into infighting?
The sigh of relief she had just breathed was now stuck in her throat again.
She knew Aomine's personality too well—this had to be aimed at Tendou!
"What're you all looking at me for? This guy started it!" Aomine barked, ignoring his teammates' strange looks.
It had been so, so long since he felt the urge to go all out like this.
Tendou didn't need to look back or use his Six Eyes to sense it—he already knew who was charging up behind him.
He wasn't going to give an inch. Once he reached the three-point line, he suddenly stopped.
The terrifying balance and coordination of his body allowed him to stop on a dime from full speed.
Anyone else would've been sent flying by such a sudden halt—but not Aomine.
His coordination was top-tier. After all, in the future, he'd be able to shoot from all kinds of positions.
"Bring it on, Tendou!" Aomine spread his arms wide.
A normal match had somehow turned into a one-on-one duel.
Even the opposing team was stunned—and then, furious.
Those two clearly weren't taking them seriously!
The spectators sat slack-jawed, unsure of what to say.
Viewers in the real world had goosebumps all over.
Since the second year began, the story had gone full throttle—like it was speeding down a highway.
No doubt about it now: Kuroko's future opponents were going to be these monsters.
Fight Tendou? Kuroko? How's he even supposed to do that?
This is ridiculous. They're just in a whole other league.
Sigh… Riko's death clearly hit Tendou hard. He'd never have done this before—snatching the ball from a teammate?
Or… was it just a coincidence?
Then they got slapped in the face.
Tendou showed no signs of backing down. His gem-like eyes gleamed with radiant light.
Thump!
The ball dropped like a meteor, smacking against the floor.
Tendou's body moved with the ball, slipping to the left.
Faster!
Aomine was certain—this was the fastest he had ever seen Tendou dribble or change direction.
There were no flashy moves—just clean, deadly precision. It was so efficient, it almost looked elegant.
But—
"You're not getting past me, Tendou!"
Aomine slid to block. Tendou changed direction again, lightning-fast.
Still, Aomine wasn't a normal player—he was one of the strongest scorers among the Generation of Miracles.
At their level, a split-second delay could be enough to decide the outcome.
Just as no one expected it, Aomine had already turned.
His sense for the game was top-class. He predicted the move correctly—
But—
"Huh?"
Aomine froze. The ball was gone.
When had Tendou let it go?
"It's those eyes…"
Instinct told him: it had to do with those glowing eyes of Tendou's.
The ball slammed against the backboard and rebounded. Tendou leapt past Aomine, caught it one-handed, and finished with an alley-oop.
On the sidelines, Kuroko was silent.
He remembered Aomine's recent words.
Now… even Aomine and Tendou no longer needed a passer.
Viewers were speechless. Even their furious opponents felt their rage cool.
Because after Tendou scored, Aomine—the "monster" of Teikō—seemed to become even more dangerous, like a beast on the hunt.
And beside him, a shadowy black creature rose from Tendou's feet, matching Aomine's aggressive aura step for step.
"No way. He's still getting stronger?"
Monsters!
That was all they could think. Who could stay angry after facing something like that?
Aomine was now completely fired up—every cell in his body screamed for a showdown with Tendou.
But before they could really go at it, Coach Shirogane Kōzō called a timeout, had the assistant coach sub them both out on the spot.
...
On the bench
The moment Aomine sat down, before he could even speak, his childhood friend Momoi was already on the attack.
"Ah-Da! Do you even realize what you're doing? We're teammates! Can you stop being so selfish?"
"You're impossible!"
"Don't mistake your opponent, Aomine!"
"You're too reckless, Aomine!"
His teammates all laid into him.
As for Tendou?
Well, his steal was kind of explainable—they just went for the same play, and he happened to be faster.
Coach Shirogane didn't see it that way.
While Aomine dealt with his teammates, Shirogane quietly approached Tendou.
Tendou had no intention of apologizing. Didn't they see how fast his popularity points were rising?
"No matter what happens, don't forget your responsibilities, Tendou."
"I haven't forgotten. But when someone challenges me, not fighting back just isn't my style, old man."
Besides, the drama made for great ratings.
And really, he didn't expect Aomine to go full psycho mid-game and start attacking him.
So he simply fought back.