Inside Teiko's First Team gymnasium.
The sharp rhythm of the basketball bouncing echoed across the court, mixing with the piercing screech of sneakers against the polished floor. On one side of the gym, an intense scrimmage was underway.
Aomine dribbled the ball, facing Nijimura Shuzo's iron defense head-on. Without hesitation, he swung a pass straight to Midorima.
The moment the ball landed in Midorima's hands, his sharp emerald eyes were already locked on the rim. Lately, he'd been shooting with absolute certainty—every time he raised his hands, the ball would go in.
He lifted the ball.
But just then, Fukaya Reiji lunged in with explosive defense.
Though Midorima had confidence that his shot would fall, he was cautious under Fukaya-senpai's pressure. To everyone's surprise, he didn't shoot, instead snapping the ball low, threading it right between Fukaya's legs.
The target—Murasakibara.
Catching the ball in the paint, Murasakibara gave a single deceptive step. With his overwhelming frame, and with Akihito Shigure on his side, there was simply no one who could oppose him!
The rim let out a tortured cry as Murasakibara hammered down a monstrous dunk.
"…"
"Too scary…"
On the sideline, a newly promoted second-year First Team member froze at the sight. In that moment, Murasakibara seemed less like a human and more like a giant violet tyrannosaurus, its claws tearing toward him.
"Eh~ you two are surprisingly in sync."
Shigure clapped both Midorima and Murasakibara on the shoulders. Just earlier, they had been bickering, yet now their teamwork flowed as if nothing had happened.
"Che." Murasakibara puffed his cheeks and turned away, ignoring Midorima.
Pushing his glasses up, Midorima calmly replied, "It was only a calculated team play, nothing more."
Shigure arched a brow. Interesting. These two only seemed to get along when it came to basketball.
"Hm?" He squinted. "Midorima, did you… grow taller again?"
Shigure stood next to him, measuring with his hand. In just under three months, Midorima had shot up to around 187 cm, making him one of the tallest in the team—behind only Murasakibara, Kurokami, and Shigure himself. On most junior high teams, Midorima's height would make him a center. At Teiko, he was still a shooting guard.
Watching from the scorer's table, Sanada Naoto leaned toward Coach Shirogane, whispering, "I thought last year was already the strongest Teiko has ever been… but this year…"
Coach Shirogane smiled faintly, satisfied.
"Their potential is limitless. That feature in Basketball Weekly last year was right—'Generation of Miracles' is the perfect name. This is truly the strongest team in history."
"With these rare talents as starting second-years, backups like third-year Kurokami Shinji, and Fukaya Reiji—who was arguably the strongest after the Twin Stars last year—plus the addition of new prodigies, an insightful manager, and an unpredictable Sixth Man…"
"And most importantly, even sitting on the bench, we have our 'Teiko Twin Stars.'"
"It's terrifying."
"Across junior high, there are no opponents left—not even teams that could put up a fight." Coach Shirogane's eyes swept across the players. "Winning the championship is the only outcome. This is a perfect team, the likes of which has never been seen before."
…
Soon after.
The Tokyo preliminaries had arrived.
The arena's loudspeakers blared, reverberating across the gym:
"Next up, Teiko versus Hakumatsu!"
"The strongest—Teiko—has arrived!"
"Hakumatsu is considered strong in Tokyo, but… they've never even qualified for Nationals."
"Exactly. Honestly, even if Teiko underestimates them, they still couldn't lose."
The crowd erupted into murmurs, convinced Teiko's victory was inevitable.
Coach Shirogane stood at the sideline, arms folded, his voice cold and unwavering:
"I only have one thing to say. Regardless of the opponent—attack with everything you have."
"Starting five…"
"Go!"
The second-years, now official starters after the third-years ceded their positions, rose from the bench in unison, their new jersey numbers symbolizing their elevated status.
No.4 Captain, Akashi Seijūrō
No.5 Murasakibara Atsushi
No.6 Aomine Daiki
No.7 Haizaki Shōgo
No.8 Midorima Shintarō
"Let's go!"
"Yeah!"
The five answered in unison, stepping onto the court.
At center court, Murasakibara loomed over the jump circle. At 195 cm, his sheer size radiated crushing pressure, the Hakumatsu center visibly paling across from him.
"Woahhh!"
"Wait, what?!"
"The Teiko Twin Stars aren't starting?!"
"But still… look at the 'Generation of Miracles!' Their average height is insane!"
"That's Murasakibara? Unbelievable physique… a junior high player nearly two meters tall!"
"Even the shooting guard, Midorima, is huge!"
Hakumatsu's center swallowed hard. Standing at barely over 180 cm, he had to face this giant—his whole body tensed with dread. His eyes flicked to the others—Akashi, Aomine, Midorima, Haizaki. Monsters. Every one of them.
Excluding the point guard, the team's average was already above 180 cm, nearly 185. For middle school, this was absurd.
He almost envied his own point guard for not having to face one of these titans…
But the Hakumatsu point guard felt no relief. He was staring down Teiko's No.4. And everyone knew who wore that number last year—Nijimura Shuzo.
The referee's whistle shrilled. The ball soared into the air.
No surprise. When Murasakibara jumped, his towering frame left the Hakumatsu center frozen, forgetting to even leave the ground. In midair, Murasakibara even glanced at Akashi before tipping the ball cleanly to him.
Akashi caught it, his dribbling already refined to the point where his hands were a blur, ball control invisible. His head lifted, scanning the court.
Whsshh!
A lightning-fast pass snapped forward.
Haizaki blinked, stunned for a fraction of a second. Akashi's passing had leveled up again—so sharp it was beginning to eclipse even Shigure's "monster passes."
He realized Akashi had deliberately adjusted the timing, syncing perfectly with his stride. The pass landed with flawless weight, angle, and spin.
Normally, no one would notice such subtleties in the seams of the ball. But receiving Akashi's pass, Haizaki felt it vividly.
That instant, guided by Akashi's pass—he felt himself moving faster.
END OF CHAPTER
CROWN BEFORE THE MIRACLES
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