Chapter 59

The crowd erupted in excitement after witnessing Aomine's incredible dunk. With highlight plays happening left and right in the game, it was a spectacle for the fans to see both teams exchanging impressive shots.

Aomine's poster dunk topped off the highlights, even amazing the Shutoku players who were watching the game.

After hanging on the rim for a moment, Aomine gracefully landed and jogged back to the other side of the court. Meanwhile, Kagami, though embarrassed by being dunked on, understood that it was a normal occurrence in basketball. He didn't let it affect him too much.

However, Kagami remained fired up. While being posterized was expected, especially in his position, he still wanted to get back at Aomine. He desired revenge, but he knew he couldn't force it since his team was still trailing behind.

If the opportunity presented itself, he would take his revenge. Getting back into the game, Kagami inbounded the ball to Shun, who brought it down the court.

Shun didn't rush to call a play as his teammates were still getting into position. However, he noticed Kagami requesting the ball and didn't hesitate to pass it to him. It was the first time in the game that Kagami demanded the ball, so Shun signaled for his teammates to spread out and create space for Kagami.

Kagami caught the pass from Shun and surveyed the floor. With Mitobe on the court, Kagami was in his prime position as the power forward. This meant that his defender was now Aomine, not Wakamatsu like before.

Taking advantage of the space created by his teammates, Kagami immediately sized up Aomine. He attempted a jab step to the left to fake out Aomine, but Aomine didn't fall for it and maintained his position in front of Kagami.

Realizing his jab step didn't work, Kagami swiftly burst to the right, trying to shake off Aomine's defense. However, Aomine closely followed his movements, impeding Kagami's drive with his body.

Seeing that Aomine was still in front of him, Kagami executed a behind-the-back dribble to throw off his defender's balance. But Aomine, with his agility, remained in front of Kagami, attempting to poke the ball out of his hands.

With Aomine going for the steal, Kagami was forced to pick up the ball to evade Aomine's reach. However, this also ended his dribble penetration.

Now faced with a decision, Kagami had to choose between taking a shot or passing the ball outside to his teammates. With the shot clock winding down, he had to make a quick choice.

Realizing he couldn't force a shot, Kagami had no other option but to pass the ball outside to his teammates. However, it was challenging as Too Academy's players were guarding his passing lanes. Despite his teammates creating opportunities by moving around, he couldn't find a suitable pass.

Left with no choice, Kagami resorted to a fadeaway jump shot to avoid Aomine's defense. Although Aomine didn't block his shot, his presence disrupted Kagami's shooting form, causing his shot to fall short.

Both teams scrambled for the rebound as the ball hit the side of the rim and bounced out. Wakamatsu successfully boxed out Mitobe, taking advantage of his physical advantage. Ogiwara, who was moving around the court, anticipated that Kagami would force a shot since he couldn't find a good passing outlet.

Ogiwara evaded Susa's box out and ran towards the paint to secure the rebound. With Wakamatsu boxing out Mitobe, Ogiwara had a clear path to the ball. He grabbed the rebound without bringing it down and tapped it back to the rim. He knew that if he brought the ball down, Too Academy's players would have a chance to block his shot or force a turnover.

Opting for a safer putback layup, Ogiwara successfully made the basket, bringing the score to 52-38.

Thanks to Ogiwara's effort, Seirin High capitalized on this possession. It was crucial for them not to waste any more possessions, considering they were trailing by double digits against Too Academy. If they squandered even one more possession, Too Academy would have the opportunity to extend their lead.

Every possession in this game was vital for Seirin's chances of winning. The game continued as Imayoshi brought the ball down the court, with Aomine immediately demanding it. Imayoshi complied and passed the ball to him.

Although he didn't like the situation, Imayoshi had to accept it as his team was still in the lead. Despite being unhappy with the game's progression, he and his teammates couldn't go against it since it had proven to be effective.

As Aomine caught the pass from Imayoshi, he wasted no time in attacking Kagami's defense. This time, Kagami was more prepared and stood his ground against Aomine.

Seeing that he couldn't shake off his defender, Aomine attempted a spin move towards the baseline to create an opportunity. However, Kagami pushed himself and closely followed Aomine's movements, even forcing him into an uncomfortable position under the basket near the baseline.

Imagine Kagami's shock when Aomine jumped towards the side outside of the baseline, releasing the ball high from behind the backboard. Kagami could only watch as the ball soared through the air and smoothly went through the net.

The crowd fell into stunned silence witnessing that shot. It was the first time they had ever seen someone shoot from behind the backboard in an actual game.

After making the basket, Aomine turned towards Kagami, who was still shaken by his shot. "Give up now. It was futile for you and your team from the very beginning. You're not on our level. Try again when you reach my level," he said, not waiting for Kagami's retort before turning around.

Seeing Kagami standing still without moving, his teammates grew concerned that Aomine's words had affected him deeply. Ogiwara approached him to offer comfort and support, but he was surprised when he saw Kagami's face.

Kagami was grinning widely, his eyes filled with excitement that radiated a change in his demeanor. Seeing that Kagami was alright, Ogiwara decided not to press him further and simply reminded him to refocus and get back into the game.

In Kagami's mind, he was contemplating the challenges he had faced throughout the game. Coming to Japan from America to seek competition against his peers, he had been disappointed by the level of competition in his middle school. As a result, he chose not to join the basketball club during his last year of middle school.

Having low expectations for high school, Kagami was taken by surprise when he learned about a group of players who dominated the middle school basketball scene—the Generation of Miracles.

Initially, he didn't take it seriously, basing his impression of middle school basketball competition on what he had seen in his own team. However, he quickly realized how wrong he was after encountering one of them firsthand.

Although he was defeated by Ryota Kise in his first game against a member of the Generation of Miracles, Kagami still believed that he wasn't far from their level based on what he observed from Kise.

Instead of feeling discouraged, Kagami became even more determined after witnessing the exceptional skills of the Generation of Miracles' ace. Going up against Aomine further fueled his fire, as he now had a clear understanding of the level he needed to surpass to be recognized as the best player in the nation.

With his newfound goal and purpose, Kagami was filled with determination. The game continued as Shun brought the ball down the court. He immediately noticed Kagami's intense aura and looked towards him.

Without waiting for Kagami to demand the ball, Shun quickly passed it to him, signaling his teammates to clear out and create space for Kagami.

As Kagami caught the ball, Aomine sensed a change in his demeanor. He didn't think much of it and prepared to defend. However, he was caught off guard as Kagami burst past him.

Kagami's speed increased, leaving Aomine unable to react in time. Kagami found himself wide open and went for a powerful one-handed dunk. The crowd erupted as his dunk reverberated throughout the stadium.

Still surprised, Aomine turned around to see Kagami already hanging on the rim. He watched as Kagami landed and got back on defense.

Observing Kagami's back, Aomine couldn't help but smile widely. "So you still have something to show. Interesting. Don't disappoint me now," he murmured to himself, eagerly anticipating the challenge Kagami would bring.

The game continued as Imayoshi brought the ball to halfcourt, and it immediately ended up in Aomine's hands.

Aomine sizes up Kagami, noticing his heightened focus compared to before. He prodded Kagami's defense with a jab step, but Kagami remained in front of him, laser-focused on Aomine.

Realizing that Kagami didn't fall for his tricks, Aomine attacked by swiftly moving to the left. Kagami attempted to keep up, but Aomine's speed proved too much, leaving Kagami behind. Kagami tried to chase after Aomine, but instead, Aomine pulled up for a shot from the side.

With his momentum working against him, Kagami could only watch as the ball swished through the net. As the shot went in, Kagami could only click his tongue in frustration, realizing that his efforts were still not enough. The score now stood at 54-40, with Too Academy leading by 14 points.