Chapter 134 – The Leader of the Generation of Miracles
"What?!"
Kagami Taiga's pupils trembled in shock.
What had he even done?
Nothing—he had just taken a single step.
And Tendou's hand had pierced through like a blade.
Whoosh! In an instant, the ball changed possession.
So strong!
Saying he was weaker than Kise or Midorima?
That was a complete joke.
"How can this be?!" Aida Riko was stunned.
Even if Kagami had been outmatched by Kise and Midorima before, the gap hadn't been that wide.
With Kuroko by his side, things had always felt even.
But in front of Tendou, Kagami had been instantly crushed.
"This is… the leader of the Generation of Miracles?!"
Koganei Shinji's lips were trembling. He could barely speak.
On the court, Tendou was already taking off down the other end.
Suddenly, a flash of blue flew in from the side, reaching out with a hand to intercept the ball.
Smack—
Tendou made a simple feint and dodged Kuroko's steal attempt.
"Come to think of it, this might be our first true face-off on the court, huh?"
"Right. Even during Teikō's scrimmages, we were usually on the same team," Kuroko replied calmly.
"No wonder I don't have any memories of going up against you."
Tendou looked at his old teammate—serious as ever—and smiled.
That one smile melted the hearts of countless female viewers across the nation.
"You said you were going to prove something to me, didn't you?"
"Victory isn't everything in basketball!" Kuroko answered firmly, his voice soft but full of resolve.
"Then try and beat me, Kuroko."
Snap!
With that, Tendou burst into action.
From zero to a hundred—like he didn't need any acceleration time at all.
He took just one step, and with terrifying explosive power, broke past Kuroko in a single crossover.
The sheer speed left Kuroko spinning, his eyes still catching the sweat droplets Tendou had left hanging in the air.
"Fall back!"
Izuki Shun and Hyūga Junpei jumped in again to defend.
Without any other Kirisaki players nearby, there was no need to worry about Tendou passing.
This was a perfect chance to stop him.
Izuki scanned the court with razor focus—
Only Tendou was pushing the fast break.
But then, Izuki noticed something strange: Tendou's pupils… were flickering.
Strictly speaking, they weren't moving. It was more like a light was flashing in his eyes.
"What now?!"
He didn't dare let his guard down and pressed forward.
Hyūga joined him in perfect sync.
Together they formed a two-man wall, boxing Tendou in on all sides.
Smack!
Tendou dribbled once with force, and moved with the ball, slipping past Izuki's attempted block.
Then, just as Hyūga stepped up to cover—
Tendou struck again.
"The Cut."
In the real world, the screen went black for a second.
Then came a flash of light—like a sword slash.
Veteran viewers immediately flooded the comments with:
『Cut.』
『Cut.』
『Cutcutcutcut!!!』
The explosion of spam stunned new viewers who had no idea what was happening.
When the screen returned to color, only Tendou and Hyūga remained.
"Where's the ball?"
That was the question on everyone's lips—including Hyūga's.
Tap—
The sound of the ball bouncing came from behind him.
Hyūga's eyes widened behind his glasses.
Tendou had spun around him in the blink of an eye.
"I just got nutmegged?!"
He realized what had happened—
Tendou had slipped the ball through his legs and pivoted around him.
To emphasize how fast the move was, the animation showed Hyūga frozen in place while Tendou moved.
By the time it was done, both Hyūga and Izuki were behind him.
In front of Tendou, there was only one thing left: the basket.
Thump.
He regained control of the ball and leapt from around the free-throw line.
"Not yet!!"
"Kagami?!"
Just as everyone thought it was over, Kagami burst back into the play.
He jumped from behind Tendou at full force, attempting to swat the ball away in mid-air.
"Kagami-kun, stop!!"
Kuroko's voice rang out urgently.
What?
Kagami didn't understand—he wanted to hold back, but it was too late.
"Kuroko's misdirection usually lasts about twenty minutes.
But if he has a strong enough light, the illusion can last even longer."
"Unfortunately, Kagami Taiga… Your light is just too dim."
WHAM—
Their bodies collided midair.
Tendou was knocked off balance but managed to quickly recover and, with one hand, tipped the ball into the basket.
Swish!
Tweet—!
The whistle came right after the basket.
"Seirin #10, defensive foul. Basket counts. One free throw!"
"Wait, I didn't—"
Kagami tried to argue, but the words died in his throat.
Aomine had said something similar to him once.
Now, he understood:
The stronger the light, the longer Kuroko could stay on the court.
But if he wasn't strong enough, Kuroko wouldn't last.
Still, he had never doubted Kuroko—not even for a second.
Because it was Kuroko who had personally told him—
Tendou created him.
Back in the real world?
The live chat was going absolutely wild.
『HOLY— HOLY— HOLYYYYY—』
『TOO COOL!!!』
『HE'S TOO HOT— I'M IN LOVE.』
『I'm switching sides. Someone tell Kuroko we're not friends—I don't want Tendou to misunderstand!』
『You absolute KING.』
『THE EYES! WHAT'S WITH THOSE EYES?! I CAN'T EVEN HANDLE THIS.』
『Go watch the prequel if you don't know about the Eyes of the Heavens. We legends are too busy spoiling rich ladies.』
+1 Popularity!
+1 Popularity!
+1 Popularity!
After so long, Tendou's popularity score was finally surging again.
He'd been waiting for this moment ever since entering high school.
It was time to let the world experience the beauty of raw numbers.
On the sideline, Aida Riko stared wide-eyed, mouth agape, utterly speechless.
How was he this strong?
How could he be this strong?
This level was completely off the charts.
This wasn't the Generation of Miracles she knew.
Compared to Kise or Midorima—
Tendou was on a whole other level.
"This is the leader of the Generation of Miracles—Tendou Kageyoshi!"
"Just like I remembered… still terrifying."
Imayoshi Shōichi forced a stiff smile as cold sweat dripped down his forehead.
He had expected it.
Aomine had evolved beyond recognition—
There was no way Teikō's original ace had stayed the same.
Still...
"He's too strong.
A complete, total monster."