Chapter 6 : Talent

After listening to my denial, Kise didn't get upset, but faked being hurt by my words under the incredulous eyes of the Seirin team.

"That's mean Kurokochii! I remember that I was your best friend–"

"We were just camarade at best." I tried to correct, but Kise wasn't listening.

"...But now that you've found a new team, you just threw me away like dirty socks."

"If only I could really do that..." I hoped seriously. Which send a critical hit to Kise.

"You're too cruel Kurokochii. It almost made me want to go home."

"Then you should do it."

"I don't want too!"

While both of us were 'quarreling', the others stared dumbfounded at the scene at play.

"Is that really Kise Ryota? The one who started basketball in his 2nd year and immediately became a one of Teiko starters after that? Why... Can't I believe that?" Said Hyûga very skeptical after seeing the childish behavior of the 'genius' in front of him.

"Well to be honest, even though I'm happy to counted as one of the Generation of Miracles, but compare to the others I'm probably the weakest due to my inexperience." Even though Kise said that, but after hearing his modesty, from the face they were making I could guess that the Seirin team thought otherwise.

"By the way Kurokochii, when did you awaken the {Emperor Eye}?" Asked Kise, this time a bit more seriously.

Because he was too far at that time and surrounded by the female students before, he couldn't hear me when I explained about my eyes.

"Sorry, but you are wrong. Those aren't the {Emperor Eye} but the {Asmodeus Eye}. Moreover I always had them, but they were previously less powerful than right which why you never notice. Even though others knew about to a certain extent." I explained while covertly mocking Kise for his lack of attention on his teammates.

"Eeeehh??? Really?!" This time Kise was genuinely surprised by the news.

"Of course, otherwise why do think my {Misdirection} work so well? This skill is not magical and in theory everyone can learn it. The reason why my {Misdirection} look so magical is because of my eyes. With them I can take the misdirection to a new level." I explained with a poker face, but I'm sure Kise could felt my contempt through my expressionless face.

"I– I see...!" Kise didn't have the time to look for a excuse that a basketball was thrown to his head with a powerful force.

BAM

Fortunately, Kise developed good reflexes after all his sparring with Aomine. With that, he was able to catch the ball when it was only 10 centimeters away from his face.

Recovering from the unexpected attack, Kise and the other looked at the perpetrator Kagami in confusion.

"Kagami? Why did you do that?" Exclaimed Riko, angry to the behavior of her player and junior.

But contrary to the usual, Kagami didn't answer and even ignored her presence. Because at this moment, all his mind was focused on the one who made me stop our duel.

"Kise Ryota, right? I don't care if you're here to spy on us or not. But you see, your arrival still bother me. Because if it wasn't for you, Kuroko wouldn't have stopped like that." Started angrily, but with a provoking smile on his face.

His intentions of confronting Kise was obvious to all, but the later just looked at him dismissively.

"So? You can just do it next time, no?" State Kise in an uncaring tone.

But that attitude just infuriated Kagami more than anything else.

"So, while we may do it next time, but I want my game now. And Kuroko doesn't seem interest in dueling with you watching. So, as an apology for interrupting you're gonna play in his place." Explained Kagami with great momentum.

And as saw from Kise's face that he was going to refuse, he immediately added.

"I've heard that the GM were all genius or something. And from your look, I can see that you don't feel like I'm at your level. But if you refuse my challenge now, all I will think is that you're just a coward with a big mouth." Capturing the shift in demeanor of Kise made Kagami grin because he new that the blind took the bait.

"Heh, I don't have for hobby to reply to a boy challenge on my skills I prefer to prove it to a girl. However, even though I don't feel like I can pretend to be at the same height as the others right now as one of the GM, but I still can't let it pass. Kagami, right? I accepted your challenge." Reply Kise with more momentum than his challenger once he stopped smiling.

On the contrary, seeing his his opponent accepting the duel, made Kagami very happy. And without anymore words, he wait for Kise on the same spot Kuroko waited earlier. Sensing Kagami eagerness, Kise didn't delay and immediately went to the top of the circle like Kagami previously.

I on the other hand went to join his team on the side to look at this duel.

'If I remember correctly, at this point in time, Kagami couldn't win against Kise in 1v1, because his talent only start to bloom during the last minutes in our game against Kaijo. But with me here, it may take much longer because he wouldn't have as much pressure as before.' I thought quietly while thinking of way solve the problem.

Because the old Kuroko find it insulting to not give his all in a game, I decided to respect that somehow. Even if I didn't give 100%, because that would be impossible and not fun for my teammates because even with my ultimate pass skill they won't have a sense of participation, I would at least play at 70% to 80% in every game.

But all of this wasn't too urgent, so after making a mental note to think about it later, I concentrate on the duel that had already started.

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(1st pov)

Kise who was going to start suddenly looked at Kagami with a smirk and said.

"You know, your fake was pretty good. Too bad you couldn't do it correctly. But don't worry, I'll show you how it's done." He said mysteriously.

"Hah? What are you talk–" Kagami couldn't finish his sentence, as Kise suddenly start to force an entry to his right, which force him to respond in panick due to the sudden action. But fortunately, Kagami had an excellent physic so he was able to barley keep up with Kise's surprise attack.

But then under his surprise eyes, Kise suddenly withdrew the ball while doing a cross over and breakthrough Kagami's left side, leaving the latter frozen in place. Kise, not caring for his opponent shock, directly went to dunk on the basket.

"That's the same move Kagami previously did!" Exclaimed Koganei shocked.

"That guy is amazing. If it was me, I wouldn't have dare to use the opponent move like that. Isn't he afraid of being counter because of his low proficiency?" Asked Hyûga impressed by Kise bold move.

Because while in his opinion being able to reproduce someone else move after just one look was a proof of Kise genius, but in fact as long as that move wasn't something crazy like Kuroko's weird passes everyone who got the basic done could do that. Then like Hyûga said it would then depend on the proficiency. This is why he didn't notice the special feature of Kise copying skill immediately. But her coach did.

"Something is wrong. Kise's move was...weird. It's not like he just copied Kagami move, but more like the moment he did that fake it was Kagami who did it." Reveal Riko suspicious before looking at Kuroko to have an answer to her speculation.

"You're right. Kise-kun copy isn't as simple as just copying casually his opponent move. Normally when someone copy someone else, it would be impossible to recreate to the perfection what the other side did. Because of things like height, weight, physics balance rhythm and other things prevent someone from copying perfectly others.

But, Kise-kun doesn't have that problem. When copying someone, his body will automatically adjust itself to bring the exact rhythm, power and speed of his copying target to a terrifying precision. This will give us the illusion that he became the person he wanted to copy.

And except for the Generation of Miracles, Kise-kun can basically copy everyone to perfection with his visual comprehension skill. This is Kise-kun own {Copy} skill."

Most of the Seirin members weren't idiots, so after Kuroko revealed Kise skill, they quickly understood something as they looked at the court where Kagami, who somehow got the ball tried a change of pace to get rid of Kise. Only to get countered by Kise who then used the same change of pace to successfully lost Kagami and enter another point.

"This is kinda bad, right? Kise purposingly lost the ball so he could copy Kagami. And because he's reaction are faster than Kagami, he's not afraid of Kagami accidentally scoring. And as the game continues Kise get more and more of Kagami techniques which will make him impossible to win in the long run... Should we stop this duel?" Asked Hyûga to himself after analyzing the play currently on going.

Having come to the same conclusion as Hyûga, Riko was also hesitating in stopping the duel. But before she could talk, Kuroko did it.

"Sorry, but I think we shouldn't stop this duel. Because this may be a chance for Kagami-kun ."

But his intervention surprised more than one.

"Haah? What are you saying Kuroko?" Said Tsuchida, voicing the confuse mind of all of them.

"Shouldn't it be more logical to stop their duel? Because if it's continue, Kagami will lost all his moves. And if it happen, what will we do when will go against Kaijo in two days?" Asked Riko a bit angry of Kuroko confusing operation. But out of trust of Kuroko, she still wait for him to explain himself.

"Do you know why Kise-kun can't copy the GM right now? It's because of three factors. The first one being that his body isn't strong enough right now to be able to copy them. Because except for me, everyone else has a stronger body than Kise. So Kise-kun right now can't get to the same speed or force of the other GM which make it impossible for him to copy them. The second factor is that their talent are all at the same level which make it impossible to really imitate us.

For example, my talent is my low presence. If in a game I can blend through the background easily, no matter the situation, Kise-kun, even after copying me can't do the same. He could copy my movements on situations similar to when I used them, but because he doesn't have my talent, he can't adapt to sudden situation by copying my movements. Let's say that through the game, the opponent team can finally see me. Even though it is the case, with my talent, I could still regain my 'invisibility' after some times and tricks, but Kise-kun wouldn't be able to do it because that's not his talent.

So in conclusion, Kise can imitate our talent in certain scenarios, but he can't copy us perfectly because he doesn't have our talent.

As for the third factor, to make it simple it's because currently our skills are at the same 'rank' as his {Copy} skill."

After hearing that, Riko at first was a bit puzzled on why Kuroko explained Kise inability to copy his peers, until she looked at Kagami and suddenly realize something.

"Kuroko...are you saying that Kagami talent is also at the same level as you and Kise?" Exclaimed Riko with a smile full of expectations.

"That's right. Kagami does have that talent. But whether or not he can make something out of it depend solely on himself." Replied Kuroko seriously as he watch Kagami lost yet another point from his own fadeaway performed by Kise.