"Let's face each other at Inter-High."

She left off one last sentence before leaving with tears brimming in her eyes.

***

"Who is she?" Kagami Taiga asked with a bright red face from anger towards Mizushima's bad attitude. 

"Mizushicchi, why... why did she change...?" The blonde copy-cat Kise Ryota wiped his eyes furiously. He was hurt just as much as Kuroko and Aomine, she was someone he used to adore , seeing her in such a hurtful state nearly shattered him but...

if it only nearly shattered Kise, it shattered the two blue-heads. Aomine, who wasn't even aware of how much he cared for her and Kuroko, who always thought of her as his bestest friend.

"Seems like a formidable opponent has returned." Akashi Seijuro who had stayed silent the entire time spoke, not answering to anyone's question in particular.

"Nanodayo." A green head followed, but he didn't push up his glasses this time, he just let it slide further down his nose.

Kuroko realizing something, rummaged through his bag and pulled out a necklace, the one Mizushima had given her before she left for America. The one with the basketball locket edged with tiny delicate black gems and the photo of the 8 of them, Kiseki no Sedai along with him, Momoi Satsuki, their pink head manager and her... 

"Hope..." He muttered, too quiet for anyone to hear.

"There's still hope left."

And he added louder, "We're going to bring her back, Mizushima-san." 

Everyone turned towards him, their eyes widening at his sudden declaration. "Just like how you guys were brought back." Aomine who looked completely dead a second ago was woken up by the igniting hope. "Yes." He was the first to agree.

"Yes s-su!" Kise Ryota broke away from his daze and cracked a cheerful grin. Kagami Taiga glanced at his shadow peculiarly with his split eyebrows raised but agreed nonetheless,
"Whatever you say Kuroko."

"Bring Mizu-chin back? Isn't she already back here in Japan?" The childish purple titan who has trouble doing anything other than playing basketball asked cluelessly. The reason he never spoke once when first encountering Mizushima was because he was terrified of her so he didn't dare to speak up just like a middle schooler facing a high schooler. 

"Bring her old self back." Kuroko added patiently. "Ohhhhh~" Murasakibara Atsushi replied after a second of deep thought.

"I still don't get it." He gave up finally, returning to the simple task of chewing on maiubos. 

Akashi ignored Murasakibara completely and nodded at Kuroko, accepting his proposal. Midorima did the same.

"Neee~ Aka-chin, so mean..." The purple head looked down towards the midget emperor and Akashi just glared back, seeing he already reverted back to his old self. "Kawaiii~" Murasakibara placed his hand on his head and ruffled his silky red hair, causing Akashi to twitch uncomfortably as his glares worsened. Murasakibara froze and stopped in fear.

"I look forward to playing Mizu in Inter-High." The basketball junkie Aomine cried out. 

"Wait, which school is she going to?" Kagami asked.

"Somewhere in Tokyo nanodayo." 

"Kirisaki Daichi High." Akashi said.

"KIRISAKI?!" Kagami exclaimed. "Wait, how can she even play, she's a girl!" 

"Bakagami, can't you see her hoodie?" Aomine remarked.

"Mizushima-san played in Teiko matches, but why Kirisaki Daichi?" Kuroko asked Akashi.

"With one of the uncrowned kings Hanamiya Makoto, they're already plenty strong but if Ai joins, they will become incredibly strong I must add for with an unofficial coach, Mizushima's talent is not only restricted to her ball handling skills."

"Also, their team only consisted of second years last year so the starting members are all those we already know of, quite formidable indeed. I wonder if she would abandon team play or take on the role of captain herself? " Midorima added. 

***

Seirin High

"The preliminary match-ups are out." Riko Aida told the second and third years (yes they are in their second year and third year now) and at that moment, Kuroko and Kagami bursted through the door. 

"How was he? The person you sensed, Kagami-kun." Riko asked, indicating at the person he sensed at the door to the world of prodigies. 

"It's not a he, it's a she." Kuroko replied for him. "Our old teammate at Teiko."

All players' eyes widened in disbelief. Before Hyuga Junpei could ask how a girl can play in Inter-High, Kuroko cut him off, "She IS going to play in Inter-High. Akashi-kun says she would be at Kirisaki Daichi."

"She wears a hoodie in matches, I don't know how she plays but we'll see. And she has such a strong presence!" Kagami exclaimed, pausing before adding "desu."

"Why why, thank you." A figure stood at the doorway, resting against the frame. Her hoodie drooped over her eyes. The players tensed up at her deadly aura. Kiyoshi Teppei gasped. 

"Ahhh... Teiko... a girl... You're Mizushima Ai aren't you?" He laughed afterwards, proudly as if he just made a grand discovery. 

"Soudesu." She smirked, pushing herself off the door frame and in a blink of an eye, she disappeared, leaving behind a shadow and then she reappeared next to a basketball, picking it up and spinning it on her finger. 

The hood dropped off her head, she had intended to do that, revealing a pair of blood red orbs. The males in the room were immediately entranced by the beauty, porcelain almost translucent skin, silky black hair swaying by her sides with a straight bang and those beautiful fascinating eyes of hers. Red, seductive yet dangerous and distant, cold yet majestic like a queen's. 

"Are you Akashi-kun's sibling?" Furihata asked.

A soft smile, causing his heart to speed up. "No, but we do have a lot in common." She looked to the side, showing the perfect curve of the side view of her face. 

Riko Aida's eyes narrowed, trying to read this seemingly perfect girl in front of her. She had been envious of Momoi at the scene of the pinkette's sudden appearance but in truth, Riko was just having a friendly girl's friendship with her. Mizushima was another case, she was too devilry for anyone to possibly come near. Seirin's coach's eyes widened a split second later, this player's numbers were unexpectedly high, evenly matched up with Kagami's, no maybe even higher.

"Riko, what's wrong." Kiyoshi asked.

"She's strong, her numbers..." Her voice faltered as she met Mizushima's eyes and the latter tilted her head and smiled. All members of Seirin basketball club heard their coach and unconvinced,

"I challenge you to a 1 on 1." 

Kagami blurted, fires dancing in his equally terrifying orbs, just that his was heated and hers was cold as ice.