Kuroko no Basket: The Supreme Genius of The Court

The whistle blew, and Takeo charged forward, his movements wild but powerful.

"Here comes the thunder!" he yelled, barreling toward Renji with a reckless abandon.

Renji sidestepped him with ease, his eyes narrowing as he whispered to himself.

"As expected. His power is immense, but his technique is chaotic. It's exactly what I would expect from someone subjected to the experiments of the Secret Organization."

Takeo skidded to a stop, turning around with a grin. "You're fast, but you can't outrun the lightning, bro!"

Renji smirked, tightening his grip on the ball.

"Lightning? Please. I defeat demons. My divine powers will consume your storm."

With that, Renji exploded into action, his speed unmatched. He zigzagged around the court, leaving Takeo stumbling in his wake.

"Too slow," Renji said, his voice cool and detached. "You might be powerful, but The God of Speed is on my side."

Takeo tried to keep up, but Renji's movements were too fluid, too precise. Every time Takeo thought he had him cornered, Renji would vanish and reappear on the other side of the court, as if he was teleporting. "What the... how are you doing that?" Takeo gasped, genuinely bewildered.

Renji chuckled darkly. "You wouldn't understand. The secrets of the alliance of exorcists are not for the uninitiated."

Takeo shook his head, laughing despite himself. "Man, you're weird, but I gotta admit, you've got some serious game."

Renji didn't reply, instead focusing on the game. He faked a drive, then pulled up for a quick jumper, the ball swishing through the net with ease.

"It's over," Renji declared, his voice low. "Your storm has been neutralized."

But Takeo wasn't done yet. He grinned, his rocker persona kicking into overdrive.

"Not so fast, Gold something Exorcist dude! I'm just getting started!" He spun around, backing Renji down into the post with a powerful move. "This is my solo, and I'm hitting all the high notes!"

Renji struggled for a moment against Takeo's sheer strength but then smirked, his eyes gleaming.

"Impressive. But did you really think I wouldn't have a counterattack?"

Takeo raised an eyebrow. "What, you got some secret move up your sleeve?"

Renji nodded solemnly. "Indeed. It's a technique I learned from the shadows... a move so deadly, it's been forbidden by the Secret Organization."

Takeo rolled his eyes, but there was a grin on his face.

"Alright, alright. Show me what you've got."

Renji moved quickly, a blur of motion as he faked another drive, only to spin away at the last second. Takeo tried to recover, but Renji was already airborne, launching a perfect mid-range shot.

"Heavenly Divine Flame Hoop!"

That name doesn't even make sense!

The ball soared through the air, swishing through the hoop with a satisfying sound.

Takeo blinked, his grin fading into genuine surprise.

"Dude... that was sick."

Renji landed softly, a faint smile on his lips. "It's over."

Takeo laughed, walking over to Renji and clapping him on the back.

"You're one weird dude, but you're alright. Let's hit the showers, Mr Gold."

Renji nodded, but his expression remained serious.

"The battle may be over, but the war against the Secret Organization continues. Stay vigilant, Takeo. They could strike at any moment."

Takeo chuckled, shaking his head as they walked off the court. "Whatever you say, man. Just don't forget to tie up those heavy whine flames or whatever before tomorrow's practice."

"Heavy whine?! It's Heavenly Divine! Heavenly Divine Flames, you damn heathen." Renji said, a little offended and embarrassed.

The final match was Akira versus Yuto, the shy newcomer. Akira raised an eyebrow as Coach Yamamoto paired them up.

Why did the coach choose Yuto for me? Didn't he want to test the main players?

Akira glanced at Yamamoto, who had a mischievous smile on his face.

Yuto took his position, looking nervous but determined. "I hope to learn a lot from you," he said softly.

As Akira got a good look at Yuto, he began to understand. Yuto was tall, with a wingspan that was longer than usual for someone his height.

Let's see what Coach wants to show me with this.

Akira initiated the match with his signature crossover, accelerating past Yuto with ease.

That wasn't difficult.

But just as Akira thought he had an easy path to the basket, he felt a sudden shiver—an instinct. He quickly took a step back, just in time to see Yuto's long arm reach out, nearly swiping the ball from behind.

Interesting... Was this what the coach wanted to show me?

He pulled up for a jump shot, but Yuto, recovering quickly, leaped with an impressive wingspan, just grazing the ball with his fingertips. The ball's trajectory shifted slightly, enough to make it miss.

"Damn," Akira muttered, ready to chase the rebound. But before he could react, Yuto had already anticipated the miss, snatching the rebound with ease.

Akira's eyes lit up, impressed.

He's good at every stage of defense, but the rebound... if he can do that consistently, he'll be a force to be reckoned with.

"Let's see what you have on offense," Akira said, smiling.

To his disappointment, Yuto's offense was far less polished. His movements were hesitant, and his dribbling was shaky, easily telegraphing his intentions. Akira easily stole the ball, driving to the basket for a quick score. He felt a little bad for the kid—his defensive skills were impressive, but his offensive game needed serious work.

"Work a little on your offense, and you'll be a very important player." Akira said after their match, giving Yuto a pat on the back.

Yuto nodded, still catching his breath. "Thank you... Akira."

Suddenly, a flash of clarity hits Akira, who looks at coach Yamamoto, who was already looking at him with a convinced look.

The coach wanted to show me two things in this match against Yuto. The first is that if Kazuya is thrown into the team early, even with unique talents, he will be burned by his major flaws, just like Yuto. And the second, and probably the one he wanted to show me the most. He also knows how to spot talent, what a braggart.

Akira nods to Yamamoto, sending a message that he understood the lesson.

The rest of the team watched the matches with keen interest, noting each player's strengths and weaknesses. Coach Yamamoto seemed pleased with what he saw, especially with the potential of the new players.

Just as Coach Yamamoto was about to dismiss them, he paused, tapping his head as if he'd forgotten something. He turned back to the team, a small smile on his face.

"We're not supposed to practice today," he said, his tone almost conspiratorial. A few players exchanged confused looks.

"I wanted so much to rub it in Akira's face that I'm the master of basketball knowledge that I ended up moving things forward a little…" Coach Yamamoto thinks to himself.

Then, with a chuckle, Coach Yamamoto added, "Alright! Tomorrow, we'll decide the initial main team for the friendly matches! So be ready!"

The players groaned, realizing they had just spent the whole day working hard for a practice that wasn't even on the schedule. Akira laughed, shaking his head.

This guy... He really knows how to keep us on our toes.

As the team began to disperse, Akira caught Kazuya's eye and gave him a thumbs-up. "Good job today. We'll work on those 1v1s later."

Kazuya grinned, nodding.

"I'll give my best."