Midorima vs. Shiro

"I'll guard him!" Shiro called out to Moyun behind him. The showdown between him and Midorima was about to begin.

Moyun nodded, fully aware of how powerless he was against Midorima's shooting. Only Shiro had a chance of stopping those nearly unstoppable shots. He stepped aside, leaving the stage entirely to Shiro.

Shūtoku had possession. Takao quickly secured the ball, scanning the court before locking eyes with Midorima. Without hesitation, he launched the ball like a shooting star across the court, landing it perfectly in Midorima's hands.

The moment Midorima caught the ball, the atmosphere in the arena froze. This time, he wasn't facing Moyun—he was up against Shiro.

Midorima's heartbeat quickened, but his expression remained composed.

"It's finally happening—this is the clash of the two aces!" Someone in the crowd whispered, their voice barely containing their excitement.

"I wonder who will come out on top?" another person murmured, eyes glued to the duel unfolding before them.

Taking a deep breath, Midorima adjusted his stance. Every move from this point on could decide the course of the game. But just as he was about to take action, Shiro's hand appeared like a phantom, swiping at the ball in a lightning-fast steal attempt.

Midorima's pupils shrank — he hadn't expected such an aggressive move so soon. But his reaction speed was equally elite. With a quick retreat dribble, he narrowly avoided Shiro's reach.

"That was close... If I had hesitated for even a moment, he would've stolen it." Midorima exhaled slightly, realizing Shiro's defensive presence was unlike anything he had faced before.

Bai Ze shook his head, silently acknowledging that he had been a fraction too slow. He knew Midorima's skills well—this wasn't going to be an easy battle.

Midorima wasted no time. He made a sharp crossover, then a hesitation dribble, keeping his next move unpredictable.

Shiro took a small step back, maintaining enough pressure to challenge Midorima while keeping a cushion to react if he decided to drive. His eyes stayed locked on Midorima, searching for any weakness.

Seeing Shiro's defensive stance, Midorima went for the most direct option—a pull-up jumper.

His motion was smooth and precise. The moment Shiro stepped back, Midorima seized the opportunity and launched his shot.

But Shiro didn't panic. He had the height and wingspan to contest any shot. In an instant, he exploded off the ground, closing the distance in midair.

Midorima's eyes widened. He hadn't anticipated Shiro's vertical leap to be this insane. He considered adjusting to a fadeaway, but there was no time. Shiro's outstretched hand was already there.

Smack!

The ball was sent flying as Shiro swatted Midorima's jumper into the air.

The arena fell silent. Everyone was in shock at the sheer dominance of Shiro's defense.

"Damn it!" Midorima cursed internally, an ominous feeling creeping into his mind. He knew that if Shiro got control of the ball, it would trigger one of his deadly fast breaks.

He had no time to hesitate — he immediately turned and sprinted back on defense.

Just as expected, Shiro landed gracefully, twisting in midair to snatch the ball out of the air. The moment his feet touched the ground, he took off toward Shūtoku's basket like a predator on the hunt.

Midorima chased after him with all his might. His speed was impressive, but he was shocked to find that he was actually gaining on Shiro.

"Wait… how am I catching up?" Midorima wondered. Shiro was supposed to be faster than him. But he pushed those thoughts aside and sprinted even harder, determined to cut him off.

Shiro glanced sideways and saw Midorima closing in. A faint smile appeared on his lips.

He had no intention of forcing a drive past Midorima.

Instead, he came to an abrupt stop, stepping back sharply. His body leaned back as he launched into a perfectly executed step-back three.

His movements were flawless, as if ingrained into his very instincts.

Midorima's mind screamed "Not good!" He tried to stop himself and contest the shot, but he had already been moving at full speed. Before he could react, the ball was already in the air, cutting through space in a perfect arc.

Swish!

The net barely moved as the shot found its mark.

Midorima stood frozen, watching the ball go in, his emotions a mix of frustration and awe.

The scoreboard updated: 38-29. Fukui extended their lead back to nine points.

"Holy crap! He blocked Midorima, then hit a three right after!" a student in the stands gasped.

"Shiro definitely won that exchange" a middle-aged man nearby remarked, shaking his head in admiration.

Off to the side, Kagami silently observed, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"To stop so suddenly after sprinting at that speed and hit a clean step-back three? That's insane body control… I don't think I can pull that off."

Standing next to him, Kiyoshi let out a low chuckle.

"Yeah… The Generation of Miracles' ace is something else. And that was probably just a glimpse of his true abilities."

Kiyoshi remembered their middle school days. When they faced Teikō, they hadn't even gone all out… and yet, they were completely overwhelming. The only team that could even compete with them back then had been Rokko.

Elsewhere, Kise turned to Aomine with a curious expression.

"Can you pull that move off, Aominecchi?"

Aomine rolled his eyes, his tone filled with his usual arrogance.

"Are you kidding? That's nothing special for me."

But deep down, Aomine knew it wasn't that simple. He could replicate the move if he in the animal instinct, but under normal circumstances, that level of balance and coordination was ridiculous.

Kise sighed and muttered to himself, "Man… Aomine and Shiro are already on another level…" He clenched his fists, determined to keep improving.

On the court, Shiro flashed Midorima a grin.

"You'll need to step it up, Midorima."

Midorima ignored the taunt. His mind was still replaying the last play. Shiro wasn't going to be easy to beat.

Takao dribbled past half-court, his gaze scanning the court before landing back on Midorima.

He didn't hesitate.

Midorima was their key player, their ace.

Without a second thought, he passed the ball straight into Midorima's hands.

Now, how would Midorima respond?