Start of 4th Quarter
Midoriyama 49 – Kaizen 47
Riku looks across the bench.
Eyes on Drift.
He doesn't say a word.
He just taps his chest—once.
Drift ties his shoelaces tighter.
Stands.
> "Alright. Let's make this court mine one last time."
---
🔥 Drift's Fire Ignites
First possession.
Drift calls no plays.
Just walks it up.
Midoriyama's PG steps in—
Drift doesn't flinch.
Behind-the-back hesitation. Blow-by.
Layup. Bucket.
Crowd pops.
Next play—
Intercepts a lazy swing pass.
Fastbreak.
Eurostep around two. And-one.
He slams the ball. Screams at the sky.
> "This court REMEMBERS me now!"
---
🧱 Masa Goes Dirty
Renji cuts baseline—Masa elbows his ribs mid-spin.
Ref swallows the whistle.
Renji doesn't back down.
Next possession—he drives into Masa full force.
Bodies collide.
No call.
He finishes through it.
No celebration.
Just whispers:
> "You play like a dog.
But I bite harder."
---
🧠 Souta's Spark
Clock ticking.
Midoriyama's zone adjusts.
They try to shut down Drift's drives.
Souta grabs the rebound—calls a fake set.
Then breaks it mid-possession.
> "Forget the plan.
Follow the flame."
He whips a laser pass to Keigo.
Slam.
Next play—
He ball-fakes three defenders out of the lane.
No-look to Daiki.
And-one.
Kaizen leads: 63–61
---
🕛 Final Possession – Tie Game
Score: 67–67
10 seconds.
Kaizen ball.
Riku signals for Ember Flow: Variant 7.
The play no one's ever used.
Drift walks up to Renji.
> "If I'm leaving, I want this one to hurt."
Inbound.
Drift jogs.
Stops.
Freezes the court with a fake reset.
Renji slips behind Keigo's screen—
Catches.
Jab.
Spin.
Masa's there.
They collide midair—
but Renji adjusts in the air—
wraps the ball around—
Drift catches it mid-cut—
Floater.
Buzzer.
Splash.
---
🏆 Final Score: Kaizen 69 – Midoriyama 67
---
🧢 Post-Game
Locker room.
Silent.
Everyone breathing. No one speaking.
Drift takes off his jersey.
Looks at it for a long time.
> "I turned down the contract."
Everyone stares.
> "But not forever.
I'm not staying for Kaizen.
I'm staying for the version of me that only exists with Kaizen."
Renji nods.
> "Then stop playing like you're one foot out.
Start playing like you're the one they'll remember when we're gone."
---
📺 Final Scene – News Flash
Breaking:
> "Kaizen to face Ichibana Tech next week—
featuring former national MVP guard Shoma Renzaki,
who publicly stated: 'Kaizen is emotion. We are execution. This won't be a game. It'll be a correction.'"