FanGeGe's livestream.
Akashi's debut had truly taken him by surprise.
The animation studio really had him hidden away—throughout his three years of middle school, Akashi's skills were barely shown.
All we'd heard came from side characters like Shirogane Kōzō, who mentioned his sharp passing and exceptional court vision.
But seeing him in action today—it felt like meeting a completely new person.
Viewers marveled at Akashi's dominance and sheer strength, while also feeling a twinge of sympathy for Haizaki.
From the way things unfolded, it wasn't like Haizaki never had a shot at redemption.
After getting pounded by Tendou, he'd briefly come close to a change of heart—until Akashi crushed that possibility, labeling him a threat to the team and kicking him out.
Now that Haizaki had returned, only to get obliterated by Akashi all over again… it was kind of tragic.
But just as viewers started to feel sorry for him—Haizaki went and bought a baseball bat.
Forget beating him in basketball—he was ready to beat the guy to death.
FanGeGe and his viewers grew worried for Akashi.
That small frame of his… could it really take more than one or two hits?
And then—Tendou appeared.
After some "shared hardship" bonding and a nostalgic trip down memory lane, Tendou did something no one expected:
He recruited Haizaki.
"Tendou actually brought Haizaki under his wing?"
Neither FanGeGe nor the audience saw that coming.
But thinking back, FanGeGe realized the foreshadowing had always been there.
"It's been a while, I almost forgot," he said.
"Remember that scene where Haizaki reflects on who he actually respects in Teikō? He feared only Nijimura Shūzō and Tendou."
"After Tendou beat the crap out of him, Haizaki didn't really hate him. Deep down, he felt that Nijimura and Tendou were the only ones who treated him like a real teammate."
"So it makes sense. Tendou's the only one who can keep Haizaki in check."
The more FanGeGe analyzed it, the more it all lined up.
And the viewers, upon thinking it over, had to agree.
Haizaki always acted like he was better than everyone—but looking at his actions, he clearly respected Tendou and Nijimura deep down.
After all, he'd once said outright that handing the team to Tendou would've been a hundred times better than giving it to Akashi.
And remember: after Tendou beat him up, he never even considered revenge.
But after Akashi beat him up?
He went straight to the store for a bat and set up an ambush.
That's a big difference.
"But wait—if Haizaki joins Kirisaki Daiichi, wouldn't their lineup be way too strong?"
Someone finally pointed out the real kicker.
FanGeGe chuckled.
"Of course. With Haizaki on board, Kirisaki Daiichi would absolutely become a national-level powerhouse."
"But keep in mind—Haizaki won't be eligible to play in the national tournament. The story mentions the Winter Cup multiple times. The climax will take place there."
"By now, it should be clear. Haizaki's recruitment is all for Seirin's sake!"
"Wait, Kirisaki Daiichi's already stacked, and they're still adding to it?"
"Obviously. Seirin's going to be getting major power-ups too. Haven't you noticed? Even Kagami's mentor showed up!"
"I mean, I'm fine with upgrades—but this much? Isn't that just cheating?"
Kirisaki Daiichi's roster was already nuts.
Now they were getting stronger?
What kind of monster team would Seirin need to be to compete with them?
Let's break it down.
In the national tournament, Kirisaki Daiichi nearly beat Seirin to a pulp.
So any buffs to Seirin would have to start with Kagami Taiga.
The anime hinted early on that he had Generation of Miracles-level potential, so unlocking the Zone for him seemed natural.
Next up: Kuroko.
He hadn't evolved at all since middle school—it was time for a power-up.
Then there was Kiyoshi Teppei, an Uncrowned King, returning to the lineup.
Other players like Izuki Shun and Hyūga Junpei were also comparable to guys like Kasamatsu Yukio—just below the elite level.
Put it all together, and Seirin wasn't any weaker than Rakuzan.
They might even be stronger.
So Tendou recruiting Haizaki?
That was just evening the playing field.
The truth was—
Seirin's script was divine-level writing.
Their team in the national tournament and their team in the Winter Cup were practically two different squads.
...
The next day.
It was time for the bottom-half bracket to kick off.
After Akashi's spectacular debut, another titan stepped onto the court: Murasakibara Atsushi.
Unlike Akashi, who lured you in before striking, Murasakibara showed his terrifying physical gifts right from the start.
208 centimeters tall.
99 kilograms.
And yet he had guard-level athleticism and reflexes despite being just a second-year.
Even with his rough technique, he was by far the most dominant center in the country.
Visually, Yōsen left an even stronger impression than Rakuzan.
After "going straight," Araki Masako gave up her role as underworld queen and pursued a career as a professional women's basketball player.
Once she retired, she returned to her hometown in Akita Prefecture and became Yōsen's head coach.
Over the years, she had completely infused Yōsen with the mantra:
"Defense wins championships."
During regional qualifiers, not a single team managed to score more than 2 points in their own gym.
They were the most infamous defensive wall in the entire country.
"Rumor has it Kaijō's head coach, Takeuchi Genta, was one of her suitors."
"But apparently his constant pestering pissed off one of Coach Araki's underlings, and he got beat up so badly he had to give up."
And meanwhile, Momoi was once again doing what she did best—being a spy.
She slipped away from Tōō's side and showed up at Kirisaki Daiichi's match to watch.
Hara Kazuya and the others had to admire her connections—
Somehow, she always managed to dig up these little bits of gossip and team drama.
...
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