In Shadows
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Unbroken

Gina drummed her fingers against her leg as she and Kuroko arrived at the stadium. They'd met up with everyone else at the entrance and were 

As they walked, Gina felt her stomach twist in knots. She bit her lip. Partly it was nerves, but she could tell that it was something else as well.

Damn. When was the last time I ate? She'd only had a light lunch. She wasn't very hungry, but if she left it for much longer she knew it would only grow more uncomfortable.

"Hey, I'm going to grab myself something quickly to eat," she said. Her stomach rumbled lightly, and she clutched it with an embarrassed flush. "I'm a bit peckish."

Riko checked her watch. "Okay," she agreed. "We've only got about ten minutes until our game, so be quick about it."

"Right." Gina nodded and sped off back to the entrance, where she'd spotted a few vending machines. Ever since the Touou match, she'd started bringing money, just in case.

Upon reaching the machines, Gina paused to consider her options. She ended up buying chocolate bars - they probably wouldn't be able to keep her stomach from growling for too long, but she didn't have time to run and buy anything more substantial. She wasn't going to complain about eating chocolate, either. 

As she waited for her chocolate to fall from the vending machine, she glanced around the area around her. She was about to look back when she noticed someone familiar. Her eyes widened.

"Huh? Himuro-kun?" she called.

The raven-haired boy turned. "Ah, Gina-san," he greeted. "How are you?"

"I'm well enough," she responded brightly, grinning. "I hope you're ready to lose today."

He chuckled. "That won't happen, unfortunately."

Her food fell with a clutter, and she reached down to grab it. "Kagami's fired up about the match," she commented absently. She then froze, locking her jaw. Shoot. She'd forgotten what Kuroko had told her about their relationship. Hesitantly, she peeked over the frames of her glasses. She noticed that he wasn't wearing the ring around his neck like Kagami did.

Himuro didn't show any obvious reaction, but she did notice that his eyes hardened a little. "Is he? I'm glad."

Gina bit her lip. "Hey, Himuro-kun..."

"I'm sorry, Gina-san," he said. "My team's waiting for me."

With that, he turned abruptly and walked off, no doubt to Yosen's locker room.

Gina watched him go, her heart deflating. He really doesn't want to be brothers with Kagami anymore, does he? S

I can't focus on that now. I've got five minutes to get back to Seirin's locker room before we head out on court. 

She had told herself no more distractions as she ran back toward the locker rooms, but as she passed by the stands a familiar voice yelled out, "Gina!"

Gina froze in her tracks, her mouth falling to the ground. If there was one person she had never expected to be at any sort of sporting event... 

"Saki?" she cried. Sure enough, her brunette friend was approaching. "I thought..."

"My concert's over, and I don't need to practice so much anymore," Saki cut over, shrugging. "Now I'm free, I'm coming to cheer you all on! I can expect you'll have a great game."

Gina wanted to launch at Saki and hug her. Instead, she laughed. "What are you saying, Saki? Of course it will be! We're against one of the Generation of Miracles today..." Murasakibara, she thought, chewing the inside of her cheek. The most naturally talented of the Miracles - and by far the tallest, too. "It's guaranteed to be a hard contested game," she hummed.

Saki grinned. "I'll cheer as loud as I can. I know your team can do it, you're strong."

Gina laughed. "Thanks for your support, Saki."

"Hey, you've been supporting me all until now. It's about time I did so back."

"You're the best." Gina checked her watch and groaned. She had two minutes of Riko's allotted ten minutes left. "Okay, got to go, or I'll be late!" she cried, breaking away.

"Wish them all good luck for me!" Saki yelled after her. Gina paused to send her friend a thumbs-up before she ran to the locker room, already opening one of her chocolate bars as she ran. 

She managed to make it back to her team in time, but she couldn't have cut it any closer, with everyone leaving already. Somehow, she managed to finish all her food before they stepped out on to court. The cheers that met them were louder than any match they'd attended so far - defeating Touou and making it to the quarterfinals had certainly brought them a lot of attention.

When Yosen emerged and passed by them, Gina felt tinier than ever. If it wasn't enough that they had Murasakibara on their team, they had two other guys who were also over two metres tall. They were an intimidating team, that was for sure.

But no one else looked daunted, she thought with a smile as she took a seat, waiting for the match to begin. 

*         *          * 

Considering everything that had happened over the first two quarters, Gina thought that Seirin had made a decent start to the first half of the match.

The first quarter had been disastrous. Even though Murasakibara had been pulled up for jumper violation at the start, it had hardly been a disadvantage, with the team stopped all attempted baskets that quarter. Murasakibara's annoying long arms and legs, his sharp reflexes and speed allowed him to block all attempted shots at goal, whether they be from the outside or inside; his defensive area covering everything inside the three-point line. Not even Kuroko's cross-court pass was enough to slip past Murasakibara's defence. The purple-haired giant stayed by the sane basket for the entire duration of the quarter, which made counterattacks impossible. That and, on top of the other four on court, there was a huge amount of defensive pressure being applied.

Fortunately, thanks to Kiyoshi's use of Vice Claw - a skill he'd been developing since training camp - they were able to end the quarter 18-0 instead of 20-0. During the following break, Kuroko had asked to use his new shot, which they had dubbed the Phantom Shot, since it created the illusion of the ball disappearing.

Sure enough, Kuroko scored Seirin's first basket of the match string the opening minute of the second quarter. Even though he'd been blocked by Murasakibara, the unusual form allowed for the illusion of the ball vanishing from sight. The attacks of the second quarter focused around Kuroko, who used Vanishing Drive, his Phantom Shot and passes to create openings for their team. By the end of the first half, Seirin had caught up to a score of 29-17.

Still, Gina bit her lip as she watched Yosen. She felt uneasy, watching them, her stomach churning.

When the teams came trooping off court, Gina stood and ran to Kuroko, pulling him into s hug. She didn't care in the least that he was sweaty. She was grinning; he'd worked so hard that quarter. "Good job, Kuroko," she breathed, pecking him in the cheek. "That comeback was all thanks to you."

He smiled, returning the hug. "Thank you, Gina. But..." He glanced back at Yosen, a frown on his face.

Gina bit her lip. "You're feeling uneasy as well, huh?" If Kuroko feels it too, Yosen surely have something else up their sleeve. She swallowed, wondering just what other tricks they had up their sleeves.

"Yeah, it's eerie," Kagami muttered in agreement. "This isn't all they've got. The worst is still coming."

Oh, wonderful. As if not scoring a point in the first quarter wasn't the worst thing that could happen. Gina sighed. Games with the Generation of Miracles definitely are interesting. And if it wasn't enough for them to have Murasakibara...

"We haven't seen much of Himuro yet," she noted. She glanced across at Kagami. "He hasn't brought out his full game yet, has he?"

His eyes narrowed. "Yeah. He'll have something up his sleeve for sure."

This will definitely turn out interesting. 

Gina sighed as they followed their team back to the lockers. As soon as they shut the door behind them, Riko started dishing out instructions."

"First off," Riko looked at Kuroko. "Kuroko-kun, you're off for this quarter. Rest up and recover."

Gina bit her lip. She knew that they had to do it - if Kuroko stayed out for too long, their opponents would get used to his Misdirection, and he'd only be left with his Overflow. It was a necessary move to make, but considering how all of Seirin's plays had revolved around him that quarter, they needed to find a new way to get around Murasakibara - and to deal with Himuro, too. 

"Why are we pulling him out now?" Koganei asked. "Against a team as strong as Yosen, his Overflow -"

"We can't use Kuroko-kun's Overflow against Yosen," Riko interrupted.

"What? Why not?"

"We can't expect the same explosive effect we saw against Touou," Riko explained. "Kuroko-kun's Overflow has two effects; he increases his team's power by granting them the ability of Vanishing Drive. He also increases his team's defensive power by reducing the accuracy of his opponent's shots." Her eyes narrowed. "The problem lies in the defensive power. It's highly effective against outside shooters and slashers, but it will have hardly any effect at all against a team like Yosen that's based on inside plays. 

"We have to score against Murasakibara-kun without Kuroko-kun. In order to do that," Riko's gaze travelled over to Kiyoshi. "Teppei, your strength will become important.

"And defence. The cornerstone of Yosen's offensive will move in the second half to Number 12, Himuro-kun." So Riko knows it as well. Riko looked at Kagami. "If there's anyone who can stop him, it's Kagami-kun. In other words, in order for us to win, Kagami-kun needs to beat Himuro-kun, and Teppei needs to beat Murasakibara-kun."

Gina swallowed. That sounds like a lot. So much is riding on those two.

But she knew Kiyoshi and Kagami. They were both talented and determined, and not defeated easily. Even if Kagami was against Himuro, she knew that he'd give his best.

And it wasn't like they were alone, either. They had the rest of the team to support and help them.

Even against overwhelming odds, Gina knew that as long as they had faith and kept fighting, they were always within a chance to win.

*          *          *

From the moment the third quarter started, Gina's uneasy feeling became a reality.

Himuro had definitely been holding back in the first half. Now, he was displaying just what he could do, and it was incredible to watch. His play was smooth, elegant, flawless. He would fake, and it would look real, more so than any fake Gina had ever seen before in her life, and then change his plan of attack before Seirin could see it coming. His transitions were so smooth that it left Seirin unable to react.

And, if that wasn't enough, his shooting was causing serious headaches. His shot had rightfully been named Mirage Shot; executed so flawlessly, the defence could go to block it, but find the ball slip past their block no matter what they tried.

Kagami was doing his best, but Gina could tell his emotions were getting in the way, because he was facing against a boy he had seen as his brother. His play was confused, to the point that Riko had to pull him off court for Tsuchida to cool his head off.

When it came to defence, Murasakibara was still a problem, and everyone was relying on Kiyoshi to get the ball through. He'd taken the position of both point guard and centre, and was working overtime to guide the ball past Murasakibara's overwhelming defence. He was becoming so exhausted that, when a time-out was called, he collapsed on the bench and started gulping down water.

Gina watched him, something pulling at her heartstrings. She wanted to help him, be able to lift some of the burden he was experiencing on court, but just didn't know how. 

"Kiyoshi-senpai? Are you okay?" she asked eventually. She was hitting herself mentally - was good a manager was she? She could just stand here, handing out towels and drinks. She knew how to treat injured ankles, but her first aid knowledge didn't go much past there. She didn't have much basketball knowledge, either. She just felt helpless, knowing the most she could do was ensure that everyone was at least feeling reasonable. 

"I'm just fine, Gina," he said, smiling at her. "Don't worry about me."

But I do, she wanted to say, but held it back, knowing Kiyoshi wouldn't hear any more of it. With a sigh, she plonked herself down next to Kuroko, holding her head in her hands. 

"Kuroko, I need a favour." Gina looked up as Kagami spoke. He sounded more serious and grim than usual. "Can you throw this out?"

He opened his palm, revealing the ring he wore around the neck, the one that he shared with Himuro; something they'd bought to signify their relationship as brothers.

"Are you sure?" Kuroko asked dubiously. "I thought this was an important memento."

"It's fine," Kagami insisted. "Keeping it is making it harder to let go. Besides, between my last with Tatsuya and my future with you, it's obvious which is more important."

Kuroko frowned, but nonetheless took the ring, holding it in his palm as though unsure what to do with it.

The umpire blew his whistle, calling the end of the time out. 

"Go get him, Kagami," Gina called, sending a grin her friend's way. If all she could do for the team was offer support and encouragement, then that was what she'd do. "I know you can do it."

He smiled. "Thanks, Gina."

Then he turned, and joined the others as they rejoined the game. 

Gina sighed and looked sideways at Kuroko, who was still holding the ring in his palm. "You're not throwing it out, are you?" she asked, watching the team walk back out on to court.

"No," Kuroko responded firmly. He placed the ring in his pocket and paid attention to the game once again. "Definitely not. I know he would regret it later."

From the moment he went back on court, Kagami played like an entirely different person. He was playing with more focus than before, keeping his emotions locked away. He was able to knock the ball from Himuro's hands once, and even was able to stop the Mirage Shot - though that looked more like an accident, since he'd slipped before jumping. But from the way Kagami's eyes widened after, Gina figured that he'd discovered some secret behind the working of Himuro's shot.

Things might have been going a little better for Kagami, but for Kiyoshi things were only growing more difficult. He was being triple teamed, leaving him with little room to work, and to break past he had to work harder than ever.

Gina's stomach clenched when she watched him. His breathing was more laboured than it should be for the third quarter, and she could see the sweat on his face from where she sat. She tensed, praying that he would be okay, that he'd last the match.

But it looked that wouldn't be the case. After breaking past a triple team to pass to Izuki, Kiyoshi collapsed to the floor, falling right in front of the bench.

"Kiyoshi-senpai!" Gina screamed. She didn't stop to think that she might not be allowed on the court; Kiyoshi looked like he was about to pass out. Lurching from her seat, and catching sight of Kuroko doing the same, they ran forward and caught him before he hit the ground. 

Vaguely, Gina was aware of the umpire calling a referee's timeout, but her focus was directed at Kiyoshi.

"Sorry Kuroko, Gina," Kiyoshi said, pushing himself into a standing position, though Gina could see the effort it was taking him. "I just tripped and fell dramatically. Don't worry about me."

Riko ran over, one of her hands clutched to her chest. "Teppei, are you really -"

"I'm fine," Kiyoshi insisted. "Please, let me play. We finally rose this far." He looked around at the entire team, who had all gathered around for concern for their centre. "I don't want to interrupt this flow. I can keep playing. Let's win this together."

Reluctantly, Riko agreed to let him continue playing. But despite his reassurances, things took a dramatic turn for the worse.

Murasakibara left his position as strictly defence, after Izuki, Mitobe, Kiyoshi and Kagami worked together to score against him. Gina blanched, watching him tower above everyone else with his height and overwhelming presence on the court.

If Murasakibara was strong at defense, it had been nothing compared to his attack. His dunk - dubbed Thor's Hammer, she heard - was so strong it pushed everyone else aside. And it wasn't like by doing offence and defence that he was lessening Yosen's defence either - his speed allowed him catch up to anyone as they made their other way to the court. 

He really is a monster, Gina thought, wincing.  Her views on him only increased when he destroyed the basketball hoop when he dunked, which caused the game to be momentarily put on hold while it was fixed. Gina had watched that scene unfold with horror. He's only a first-year high school student! How does he already have that much strength in him?

And if that was bad, what was worse was the way Kiyoshi was being defeated. His plays were constantly stopped by Murasakibara, who even copied Kiyoshi's Vice Claw technique. Kiyoshi was breathing hard, looking to be already at his limit.

So when he collapsed on court and couldn't get up, Gina winced, realising she'd been expecting it to happen at any moment. 

"Kuroko-kun, you're on," Riko said, though her eyes weren't leaving Kiyoshi. Kuroko nodded and pulled off his jumper, ready to be switched on. Kiyoshi was already being assisted by his teammates to their bench. 

Before he headed out on to court, Gina reached out and grabbed Kuroko's wrist. "Beat him up, Kuroko," she whispered, her voice coming out harsh.

Kuroko nodded sharply. "I will," he said, his eyes hardening as he stepped out on to the court. 

And so he did, making an impact straight from the get-go. From his alley-oop with Kagami, to using his Vanishing Drive, stopping Murasakibara by deliberately getting him pulled by the umpire for charging, Kuroko was pulling all the stops out to bring Seirin back into the game. On top of that, they were using a new defensive formation they'd only practiced a few times, where everyone continuously changed marks, making it even easier for Kuroko to steal. Even though she didn't get to see too much - she was busy worrying about Kiyoshi - she knew he was making a big impact.

When the break rolled in, Kuroko had revived Seirin's moral. In break that followed, everyone was more determined than ever to finish the match with their victory. 

The fourth quarter started, and Seirin headed out one last time. As they walked out, Kiyoshi surprised everyone by asking Riko for a favour, something she had not been expecting him to ask.

He wanted to go back on.

"What?" Gina spluttered, completely caught off guard. "Are you serious, Kiyoshi-senpai?

He nodded. "Yeah. The last two... no, one minute is enough. I need to be able to play."

Despite admonishment and calls of concern from the other team members, Riko sighed tiredly. "Fine."

"Riko?" Gina cried. She was stunned. She thought that Riko would have put up more of an argument against Kiyoshi. "Are you certain this is the best way to go?"

Even Kiyoshi looked surprised at her ready agreement. "Are you sure, Riko?"

"What are you talking about?" the coach grumbled.  "Even if I tried to stop you, you'd force your way in. So, Tuschida-kun and Koganei-kun, it's up to you guys." She grabbed a hair tie, and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. "Give me three minutes. Lead the team while I'm gone."

With that, she took Kiyoshi away, talking about restoring his energy and relieving some of the stress to his knee. Gina watched them, worry gnawing away at her stomach for Kiyoshi.

To distract herself, she returned to the game at hand. And any worry she about Kiyoshi faded, and replaced with worry for Kagami.

He wasn't playing like he usually did. It wasn't smooth or focused, but rather... It felt jarred and forced. Yosen was able to get around him, and the offence was crumbling. Yosen was slowly gaining the upper hand. Gina grit her teeth. Come on, Kagami!

The ball was hit out of court by Murasakibara, and when Kagami went to grab it, Kise was there to hand the ball to him. Gina didn't hear what was said, but whatever it was seemed to knock some sense in Kagami, who continued to play with his previous focus.

Riko sent a message, telling Kagami to reduce his defensive zone - which he accepted. He knew he didn't have the ability to defend the same area as Murasakibara. 

When the game started again, Kagami was playing with more determination and focus than ever before. A few minutes after the timeout, Gina noticed a change in his play; he was faster than before, and was emitting a greater feeling of strength than before.

He was in the zone again. 

And, like he was in the Touou match, he was unstoppable.

When Riko came running back, Gina had wanted to ask how Kiyoshi was doing, but Riko was too caught up in watching Kagami play. She had seen him in the zone before, but it was still an amazing sight to see Kagami dominate the court; he stopped both Himuro's Mirage Shot, and blocked Murasakibara's powerful Thor's Hammer. In the end, it was Yosen that called the time out. Even though it was strategic for them, it benefited Seirin too; Gina knew how being in the zone, playing at one hundred percent of one's ability, drained a player. The break gave Kagami an opportunity to recover.

When the break was over, Kagami continued to be the focal point of the team. Things had become more difficult when Murasakibara started to switch his game up a little, but they were holding on, thanks to Kagami's strength. 

Still, Gina was all too aware of the clock ticking away. They were still just behind with minutes to go.

That edge might have come when Kiyoshi arrived. After assuring them all that he was alright, Riko called for a member change.

Gina could see the uncertainty come from the Yosen players as Kiyoshi was switched back into the game. She knew why they had doubts - Kiyoshi had previously been physically and mentally destroyed by Murasakibara. But he would see Seirin through to the end. She knew it.

Kiyoshi was the extra defence they needed to claw back those few extra goals. For attack and defence, he helped bring Seirin back. Soon, thanks to his help, they were only one goal behind with seconds left on the clock - and Kagami had the ball.

But then Murasakibara was in his way, and Gina gulped, sensing something different coming from the purple-haired giant. He felt... stronger, and more focused, than before.

Oh no. 

Murasakibara... no way. Please, he can't be in the zone too! Gina's head snapped around to see Riko and, from the horrified look on the coach's face, Gina's stomach dropped. Oh no. He is. Kagami won't be able to match him!

It was too late for Kagami to turn back down. Gina pressed her hands tightly together. Please, Kagami, make this!

Kagami jumped, as though for a lay up, but it was no form Gina had ever seen before. It was strange, but the angle he held the ball at... He was able to slam it into the basket with such force not even Murasakibara could stop it. 

Their bench erupted into cheers as Seirin entered the lead for the first time that game. Gina cheered, her heart soaring. 

I've... I've never seen that form before, she thought in a marvel. Was that the skill Alex taught him? 

For a moment, it was like Seirin's victory was sealed - Gina wanted to jump out of her chair and cheer there and then.

But then Murasakibara had the ball, and with his incredible speed, he was running back to the opposite end on the court. 

"No!" Gina's hands flew to her mouth. No one was anywhere near to stop Murasakibara now. If he scored now, it would all be over for Seirin. There was no way they'd get another goal in with seconds left on the clock.

Gina watched through her lashes, waiting for Murasakibara to deliver the final blow.

But froze, not jumping.

Can he not jump or something? Her mind flashed back to earlier in the match, where he'd been jumping against repetitive attacks all at once. Her eyes widened. She had seen something similar happen to one of her friends in netball. His knees must have given way thanks to all the burden of those earlier jumps.

But it doesn't matter that he can't score! He's still huge - he can score without jumping! Gina's breath hitched in her throat as Murasakibara went to score. 

But then he was there, as he always was when they needed him the most. Kuroko was running and, in the hesitation in Murasakibara's shot when he realised he couldn't jump, Kuroko made a jump himself and knocked the ball from the hands of the purple-haired giant. 

The last seconds passed, and the umpire blew his whistle. The game was over. Gina gasped and jumped out from her seat and punched her fist in the air. 

They were on to the semifinals.

---------------------------------------
uuuuugggghhhh this was so bad i'm sorry i suck at summarising! i wanted to include everything because of the strong focus on kiyoshi in this match... and he's one of my absolute favourite characters in the show and doesn't get near enough focus in the last two matches (in my opinion, at least)... and i also love himuro a lot... i'm weak i'm sorry! the kaijou match will definitely not be as extensively written like this one!

btw the title is supposed to reference kiyoshi, since he was originally defeated by murasakibara but came back to help seirin win the match... okay bye xD