"Araaa?" Momoi said out loud as she looked at Kise. "Someone's desperate," she added.

"Huh?" Alex noticed Momoi spacing out.

"Kise is in the zone right now. I've never seen him like this before. I wonder..."

"Care to tell me this zone you speak of?"

"Well, it gives the user immense focus and some kind of physical buff to some extent. It wouldn't work for people who have low physical stats and low mental fortitude," Momoi explained.

Alex smirked and doesn't seem shocked in the least. She was pleased to know that her apprentices finally get some challenge. They were playing at a fairly low level right now, and at the rate they were going, Kuroko and Kagami will totally devastate their opponents. Not saying that Kise was weak, no, rather Kuroko and Kagami was that strong. Those who know him were fascinated by the fact that Kuroko improved like this by just a short duration of time. Hell, only God knows what he can do if that training was prolonged. They all watched Kuroko and Kise stare each other down on the left sideline.

Back at the court, Kuroko noticed this change occurring in Kise. He giddily thought he can use that now, his special move, which everyone excluding Kagami and Alex has not seen yet. He adjusted his hold on the ball, dribbling it faster causing it to bounce with more pressure. He slowed it down exponentially, and let dribbled it faster again, he continued the charade but Kise is not showing any kinds of movements. Kuroko smirked as he is 100% sure that Kise is in the zone. Normally, when he showed his unorthodox dribbling to other people, they would tense up and try to predict his next move. Kuroko drove to the right, stopped midway, pulled back and drove again, Kise seemed to be following Kuroko's rapid movements. With the ball on his right hand, Kuroko crossed to the left and passed Kise. Just as he jumped to dunk the ball, Kise hopped behind him and reached for the ball, only to be denied when Kuroko changed his hands' direction. He crouched mid-air and pumped it with two hands, then one-handedly made a baseline slam stance. Kise redirected and went down where the ball is currently at. Then of all things, Kuroko threw the ball down rather forcefully while in mid-air. It bounced high up in the air and Kagami grabbed it in the air, and went for a nasty cockback dunk.

Kuroko called this skill, "Aerial Superiority", where he is always in control while in mid-air. He always knew what to do high up. That is one of his specialties just below his passing and handling skills. Kise was once again devastated, he focused even more. Before he was even 100%, but now it was as if his focus upped by another 10%. Kuroko continued to slaughter the paint with their aerial battles, passing or scoring whatever the situation imposes. Kise was becoming more dismayed. He can't believe he was getting overpowered even when he is the one in the zone. He put more focus and risked his body more.

"He must really want to get me on his team," Kuroko thought. He was guarding him and keeping up with his fast pace until he made a mistake. He stepped left and Kise went right. He finally got the chance he was looking for, he sprinted to the basket lightning fast. Teppei jumped to contest him in the low post. Without a doubt, Kise overpowered him and tried to dunk the ball, only to be met with a screaming Kagami sticking out his hand, as if to block him. Kise gritted his teeth and put more force and strength to the ball. They were both roaring, contesting each other's strength. Soon, the victor will be decided. Kuroko did not dare to interrupt the two's battle. He knew that if he tried to stop them midway, neither of them will grow. Though he would bet that Kise will no doubt be the winner, due to his present condition. Although Kagami will overpower him without him in the zone.

Kise threw the ball down with too much force. He touched the ground with his fists clenched and his his mouth agape, as if he were to shout at the moment. No sound came out of his mouth as he suddenly collapsed right there and then. Although he was conscious, his body betrayed him as he tried to stand up. The buzzer went off with a score of a devastating 126-110 in favor of Seirin High as Kise was taken in a stretcher with visible tears streaking down his cheeks. He had a fair share of tears dropped with his losses.

He wiped it with his hand and stayed put in the makeshift bed.

They didn't even notice the time when they were all engaged in a fierce battle with Kaijo struggling to get out of Seirin's grasp.

Kuroko finished with 53 points, 15 assists, 11 steals, and 4 rebounds, almost half of Seirin's points were on him. Kagami finished with 46 points (with 36 points coming from the paint), 4 assists, 1 steal, 9 blocks, and 11 rebounds. Kise has a career high of 49 points. With 7 assists, 8 steals, 7 blocks, and 9 rebounds. No one could blame him as he was the team player most of the time. He managed drag his team through and through. He congratulated Seirin as soon as he's able to move around. He complained, all the time saying his body is numb and every movement is hurting him.

He walked to Kuroko who is currently pestered by his sister and Momoi's attempted kisses. He waved his hand as he walked slowly. Kuroko smiled slightly and helped Kise to sit at one of the gym's benches.

"You know Kurokocchi? I still haven't got over with the new you," Kise said leaning on the wall.

"Better get used to it, me and my team will storm you all," Kuroko said with burning determination plastered in his face.

"Hah, better get our asses get flat with the new training our captain and coach will implement us. What, with the beating you gave us. Your team even managed fighting us without you and that ingrown ogre," Kise said with increased volume on that last part, which got loud swearing from our resident redhead.

They were interrupted when Kuroko noticed a certain green-haired guy with glasses just beside by one of the many doors of the gym. He called him out, he complied. Kise was grinning and greeted the newcomer (which is all we know by now is Midorima).

"Yo Midormacchi," Kise greeted the green-haired, good luck items obsessed shooter.

"Kise, Kuroko," Midorima greeted back and nodded. Midorima continued, "I watched the game at the fourth quarter."

"You watched me got beaten up by this not so small now guy huh?" Kise replied with a small hint of sadness mixed in his voice.

"Yes, at first I thought he isn't him. It contradicted his playstyle verily. Though I commend on what you've done," Midorima said with slight admiration in his eyes.

"Yes, I changed in the past few years," was the small reply of Kuroko.

Kagami looked over at Kuroko and saw him occupied at the moment talking to Kise and another guy with green hair. From Kuroko's stories, this one is the renowned shooter, Shintaro Midorima. He tried to go to them when Alex suddenly grasped his shoulder.

"No, leave them be. Now's not the time," Alex said. Kagami understood and just nodded his head.

Back to the three former teammates.

"I will go to the inter-high and defeat all that stands in my way, including you Kuroko," Midorima said looking at Kuroko.

Kuroko just stared at him and nodded, as if to accept the challenge. He will make it to the top and make everyone see basketball in a whole new light.

Kise crossed his arms and smirked, he held out his fists in the middle of them and urged everyone to do the same. Kuroko just turned his back on him and pretended that he doesn't know him, while Midorima looked as if saying, 'What? Are you that dumb?'

Kise pouted with tears in his eyes. He ran back to his captain who is resting on the bench. He jumped and stretched his hands out, as if he hadn't collapse earlier in the match. The captain was met with a flying and crying Kise. He slapped his head with a newspaper again.

"Don't come at me or I will hit you!" he shouted.

"Eeeeh? But senpai, you already hit me!" Kise said while comforting his head.

"Seriously, is this guy a monster or something? He almost fainted earlier!" one of Kaijo's teammates remarked.

The whole court erupted in laughter as Kise is running from a growling Kasamatsu. Kagami laughed a little too loud that annoyed Riko. She grabbed her own newspaper and smacked Kagami in the head. Kagami tried to run but Riko just wrestled him to the ground, locking his head. Kagami suffocated and his soul seem to be going out his mouth. The whole court erupted again in laughter, Kise ran to them and gave Kagami a remark.

"I'll get you next time Kagamicchi, I'll be more serious next time," Kise said. The stop he made was enough to make Kasamatsu catch up to him. He locked him with his own fashion until Kise passed out. The two teams can't stop laughing and was now on the ground clutching their stomachs.

Midorima was getting irritated and turned back to exit. Just then, his teammate Takao Kazurani arrived with his pedicab. He was gasping for air desperately as he glared daggers at Midorima.

"Come on! Can you not leave be there?" he asked with ticks in his forehead.

Midorima was unfazed and simply said, "Let's just go home."

He sat back in his usual seat at the back and read his book. Takao sighed and just pedaled away.

They will be in good terms now, but when they got back to the court facing each other, it will be a damn whole nother story.

"Finally! We're home!" Kagami shouted shamelessly, causing their neighbors to turn on the lights and yell at them.

Kuroko karate chopped him in the head and said something about respect for their neighbors. Alex just laughed it all off and Shiori just went to her room to change.

Kuroko went straight to the kitchen and wore an apron. He prepared the ingredients and started cooking. Seriously those two can't even boil water! Only him and his sister knew any household chores.

Shiori came back with her home clothes. She walked to her elder brother and said, "I'll cook this time nii."

"Nope, I will cook today for you. You didn't eat much in the steakhouse. Besides, I want you to rest from those thugs earlier," Kuroko replied patting her head. Shiori was quite pleased with it and enjoyed it longer. She nodded and sat on the couch and played videogames. Kagami and Alex were upstairs inside their respective rooms. Kuroko poured the last ingredients in the pot and left it to cook itself in medium heat. He sat down next to his sister, who leaned her head on his chest and continued to play her game.

Kuroko reminisced the day's events. Firstly, that Kaijo coach, what was his name? Gento? Genji? Gecko? No matter, he humiliated them by using just the halfcourt for the practice match, saying that there was not much for them to see. But Kagami broke their hoop along with the board. Kuroko smirked as he thought about that. Then Kise copied him and slammed the ball much harder. It was powerful enough to break the backboard, causing the need for another board. He showed off a little bit there. He was happy that he doesn't have to use the zone right there. Kise sure got one heck of a punch whenever he is in the zone. He kept stepping up his game when he's like that. After that, he collapsed due to mental and physical exhaustion. He was surprised he came to life suddenly after that. Then came one Midorima Shintaro who watched the whole 4th quarter with his usual bandages that enveloped his hand. Honestly, he is a little bit worried about their future match. He hasn't tested him out yet, he didn't know how the shooter improved the past year and a half.

After the game, Kuroko, Kagami and Kise decided to have a match of street ball. They were greeted by another group of delinquents picking on some other street ballers. Kuroko intervenes and challenged them all. He frowned as he remembered this.

Flashback

Kuroko, Kagami, Kise, Shiori, and Alex just finished their dinner at the steakhouse. They are walking through the path that leads to the station, Kise just tagged along after conversing with Kuroko. Kagami decided to play a bit of street basketball to kill some time as it was still early and they don't have anything to do. They said split up with their teammates and said their goodbyes.

"Oi, there's a park there Kuroko! Let's have a match," Kagami said.

Kuroko just nodded. They got there and put down their bags. They looked over some big guys at another court beside the one they are in.

"Hmm. It looks like some losers are out here," a guy with headbands said to a group of three high school students playing basketball. They looked like they were in the same high school he and Kagami attends to.

"Come on you've had enough!" one of the thugs added.

"We just got here, wait your turn!" the student said.

"Now now, how about we settle this with some basketball?" a delinquent with brown hair and crescent eyes offered.

"So it's three on five then?" another one said

"Hey that's no fair!" a high schooler said incredulously.

"Heh, deal with it fuckers," the headband guy said, "or… do you want another way of dealing with this?" he cracked his knuckles in a very intimidating way.

The high school students gulped and just accepted the harsh reality. They decided they won't give up, even the game is not in their favor. Kuroko smiled when he heard the highschoolers accepted the match.

The match started as 3 on 5. The students got ahold of the ball, they passed to each other to have a proper spacing. One student spun around the guy with headbands and went for the basket, he lay it up and scored.

It's the delinquents turn to attack. They passed to each other until one of the passes got stolen by one of the high schoolers. Seriously, it is three on five and they let the ball get stolen? Pff, newbs.

The student went coast to coast and went for a layup, only to be blocked by a delinquent who is not clearly in the game! Wow, what a man bitch. He was sent down to the ground by the force.

"Hey! What was that?!" he shouted. "You're not in the game!"

"Whaaat? You lookin for a fight ya loser?" one of the delinquents with short, black hair with a slang said. He then kicked the student in the gut and chuckled cockily.

Kuroko and co. shook their heads and frowned. They decided to end this little façade now. Kuroko turned on his "invisible mode" and got in front of the one who kicked the high schooler. They all had saucers for eyes when a tall man suddenly appeared before them without them knowing. Kuroko spun the ball with his index finger.

"Stop it this instant you big lumps," Kuroko said with his predatory eyes on. "I cannot let my schoolmates get treated like that. There is nothing fair about this."

The six delinquents gulped at what they saw. Scary Kuroko really works at everyone, he thought. Kise and Kagami walked up to his side and stared them down just as scary as Kuroko. Kuroko was just faking it, he was trying to not cause a ruckus and just drive away the scums of the earth. The delinquents staggered back in shock mixed with fear.

"Who the hell are you guys?!" The brown haired punk cried out. He pointed his finger at Kuroko and asked, "Where'd you come from?"

"Say, if you so want to play unfairly, how about I take on the six of you with just the three of us? This is not basketball, besides violence is unforgivable," Kuroko blankly said, completely disregarding the question.

The ruffians, clearly unknowledgeable of the three's capabilities, agreed with a slight doubt painted in their faces.

One brave (or idiot) hoodlum strolled over to Shiori and grabbed her wrists and said, "Hey you look good, care to come with us after we beat this guys' asses?"

Shiori struggled to get away from the man. Alex shook her head and grabbed the man's collar and forcefully threw him to the ground. Her eyes showing pure malice and disgust. Kuroko saw all this and got the same expression as Alex, only a hundred times more sinister. He turned to Kagami and Kise and said, "I'll take this guys by myself, playtime's over."

Kagami just gulped with his body trembling with fear. Not for himself, but for those thugs, especially the one that tries to hit on her sister. He was just thankful that Kuroko's eyes are not directed at him. Kise also show the same expression. He prayed the best for them, even if they are scums who needed some beating.

"Are you disagreeing?" he asked with a hint of murder in his eyes.

Kagami and Kise stiffed. The two just shook their head furiously while also shaking their body in fear. All with a blue color in their faces.

"Good," Kuroko turned to the thugs with his hair covering his eyes. Hell would be loose now.

"On the second thought, I'll take you all on by myself."

"HAH? You jokin kid?" the one with slang asked.

Shiori has eyes of admiration for his brother facing her offenders alone. She shrieked joyfully inwardly, her admiration and respect for her brother only grew.

Kise and Kagami got out of the way. Kuroko eyed the thugs and said, "Here's the thing. If you got one shot from me or I failed one shot in 5 minutes, it's your win."

The group just laughed at the incredulous statement. The student just opened their eyes at the realization. The 6 footer is the so called Blue Haired Prince of Basketball the whole school was talking about. They also watched the practice match the day before. The three of them watched the whole senior team get demolished by him. If he's here, then there's that red-haired monster of a guy?

'Oh shit,' they all thought. The so-called Red Haired Dragon is here! He looks just as intimidating as before. And who is that blonde beside him? If their guess is right, then he is the Kise Ryota, one of the Generation of Miracles. Holy shit! They were up for some big names in high school basketball!

"Get ready," Kuroko simply said. He has developed this overwhelming pressure that can devastate one's morale easily. He grabbed the ball and surveyed the defense of the other team. He sighed, he saw so many flaws and holes he can penetrate into ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°).

He quickly turned on his magic trick. The lowlifes quickly panicked, they looked for him everywhere hysterically. One found him in the sidelines, another found him in the baseline. They moved and moved until their positions were scrambled to one side. They saw the wide open paint and with mouths agape, they saw Kuroko jump and spun in the air. He threw the ball so hard that it creaks as he left there. Kuroko was standing there with eyes as cunning as a panther.

'If he is so good at offense, then he is weak on defense. You can't have it all right?' they thought. Oh how they were wrong. A crowd quickly formed in just the first play. Soon, a multitude of people surrounded the court. Girls were shouting words of encouragement to Kuroko obviously. He looked at them and wondered what the heck is that about. Then again, he got this from his school way back in the States. He only knew Momoi showing affections for him.

The next five minutes are a pathetic show of overpowering and devastation made personally by Kuroko. The thugs were completely humiliated, they were panicking all over that they bump into each other. They never got a shot right, hell they can't even see their one enemy. They only had two simple jobs! Defend and score a point! How can they be so weak? Those five minutes lasted like a day for them. It was not quick and forgiving, it was long and punishing. The watchers in the sides cringed as one thug would bump his head into another or one would fall from their worthless footwork. Kuroko was faking here and there, making everyone put on their tippy toes.

"Looks like nobody is going to play today. Scram!" an infuriated Kagami yelled at them.

The thugs left as quick as possible, they stumbled and gtfo of there.

On the sidelines, Shiori has sparkles on her eyes. She was very thankful that she got a very cool and protective brother. Alex is guffawing, nothing can stop her from laughing loudly. Her tears were barely keeping themselves contained. Kise was shining in amazement, sure those guys were weak, but handling all six of them? Not even he can last 5 minutes, he can be a terrible defender at times. The three highschoolers were awed by his skills. They just sat there in the bench wondering how can one be so strong at a young age.

Kuroko walked back and put his varsity jacked back on. He didn't make any remark to any of them except his sister.

"Are you all right?" he asked, full of concern.

"Hai onii!" his sister beamed and hugged her brother. Kuroko just smiled and hugged her back. He patted her head comfortably and stayed close to her until they get home.

"This sure is one long day," Kagami remarked. He never got his chance to play a match against him. He decided to just get back home clearly indisposed.

And with that, the crew went home clearly satisfied. They all walked peacefully until Kagami's stomach growled.

"Uhh… I guess I'm still hungry?"

The rest of them looked at him disbelievingly. They witnessed he ate 5 large steaks! Then, Alex's stomach followed next.

"Yeah… me too," she said.

"Monsters," Kuroko muttered. Unfortunately, Kagami and Alex heard him.

"Hey, you can't criticize an American's appetite!" they shouted in perfect sync.

Flashback end

"Hey nii…" Shiori waved her hands in her brother's face. Kuroko still didn't notice her.

"NII!" she yelled at him softly.

Kuroko was back to his senses. He asked what's happening.

"Something is burning," Shiori replied coolly.

Kuroko sniffed the air and noticed his curry turning black. The burnt smell was blanketing the whole house. Soon after, the rooms of Kagami and Alex burst open. They looked over at Kuroko.

"Oops, seems like no dinner for you tonight. Or would you rather eat the burnt curry?" he said with a deadpan face in a deadpan manner.

The two of them just groaned and collapsed on the floor. Shiori just sweat dropped at their antics. While Kuroko just put the food in the trash as the food was clearly giving cancerous vibes with all that charred meat.

The house soon bursted with indistinct yells and animal sounds. Alex and Kagami looked at Kuroko with canines for teeth. Kuroko turned on his invisibility to hide from the rampaging gorillas. The people living in houses next door are yelling at them telling them to shut up, while Alex and Kagami just shouted back and yelling insults at one another.

Indeed, it was one normal night for the rowdy household where Kuroko stays.