Apart from the two U20 coaches, another man—thirty-four years old, long retired from the professional stage and now serving within the Sakura National Basketball League—was also seated among the crowd.
That man was Tachibana Nijirō.
Beside him sat his wife, Aida Yayoi, the same reporter he had chased and won over back in his high school days. The two were now long since an old, comfortable couple.
"Pretty incredible, huh? These kids nowadays…"
"Getting more outrageous by the year."
Aida watched the court where Shigure Akihito and Hagioka Kasayuki were clashing, and couldn't help but compare them to the Tachibana Nijirō she once knew back in high school. The difference was obvious—this generation had evolved far beyond theirs.
Nijirō shrugged lightly.
"Well~, time moves on, doesn't it~? The era keeps advancing."
"So many raw gems with real talent—it's a good thing to see."
He paused for a moment, a faint sigh escaping his lips.
"Though, it's a bit of a shame…"
"Next year, Hagioka Kasayuki will already be over eighteen. He won't be eligible to enter that program from the start."
Aida nodded; she knew exactly which "program" her husband meant.
"But Shigure Akihito should have no problem getting in, right?"
At that, Nijirō shook his head.
"With his level of skill, of course there's no issue. But whether his name ends up on our National Basketball League's roster, or on Summer nation's list—that's another matter entirely."
He smiled faintly.
"Not that it matters much. As the director of Blue Prison, there's only one goal anyway—to create the strongest basketball player in the world. As for who that ends up being…"
"What nationality they are…"
"Doesn't matter at all."
Swish
Swish
As he spoke, the papers in Nijirō's hands rustled faintly, unfolding in front of Aida's curious gaze.
At the center of those documents lay an architectural rendering—a massive facility shaped like a pentagon, gleaming under the printed light.
Aida gasped softly.
"That's… incredible."
"Only Summer nation would have the kind of audacity to invest that level of money into a project this ambitious—building a complex just for one speculative program."
Nijirō smiled faintly, though she noticed the pride in her tone.
"My Nijirō is pretty amazing too, getting invited to serve as the director for such a plan."
That comment earned her a sharp look.
"Tch~ don't start."
"It's just because I'm retired and have too much free time. Those monsters from Summer nation? They're all still active players."
"Tachibana, I'll leave it to you."
"Huh?"
"We've got the new season coming up—too busy here~ You're Asian, right? It's fine, you'll handle it."
Remembering that conversation, Nijirō rubbed his temple in irritation.
Aida laughed and patted his shoulder comfortingly.
"Still, this batch of U18 players really is exceptional. Nijimura Shuzo, the Five Generals, and the incoming 'Generation of Miracles'—next year, when they enter high school, they'll shake the entire scene."
"And even below them, there's another solid wave coming up."
"Hagioka Kasayuki may not be able to join right away, but he can still enter Blue Prison's later stages through the U20 phase."
"When the Blue Prison Project officially begins next year, the entire world will be watching."
Nijirō gave a small, knowing smile.
"The world's a big place."
"The Five Generals…"
"The Generation of Miracles?"
"Heh—'Generation of Miracles', huh~"
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.
"Yayoi, you've been out of journalism too long. Maybe you've forgotten—basketball outside Japan has been evolving too."
"Forget the U.S.—even Summer nation…"
"…has its own Generation of Miracles."
Clap!
Clap!
Clap!
On the phone's screen, a video played:
A figure in a red jersey sprinted down the court at terrifying speed—each stride blurring into the next—before leaping from just inside the free-throw line for a soaring dunk!
Under the rim stood another player—equally young, but impossibly tall, over 220 centimeters—wearing an inky-black uniform.
"%!"
"%…%%!"
They shouted something in Summer nation dialect that Aida couldn't understand.
The next instant, her eyes widened
that massive defender moved with unreal agility, almost like teleportation, flashing from beneath the basket to the free-throw line in a blink, reaching out for the ball!
Aida froze.
He's not blocking…?
She had expected someone of that height to simply use reach and timing for an easy block. But instead
What came next left her speechless.
The red-jersey player, in midair, reacted instantly. His body twisted, turning the free-throw-line dunk into a free-throw-line 360° spin dunk!
Both of them moved at such absurd speed that her brain could barely process it.
Then
BANG!!
Right-hand slam!
Grip release!
Spin through the air—landing with a dramatic flourish, a fist swing and a roundhouse kick in one motion.
And then
The dunker turned his head toward the towering defender, sneered, and
Raised his middle finger toward the stands.
The crowd erupted into a wave of furious roars.
But the red-jerseyed player only grew more exhilarated, his grin turning wild.
"%...!!!"
"Hah!!"
Across from him, the giant's expression hardened—his gaze sharp as blades, overflowing with killing intent.
And then
The video ended.
Aida swallowed hard.
"These two… they're the ones you meant by Summer nation's 'Generation of Miracles,' right?"
Nijirō nodded.
"Unlike Japan, Summer nation's 'Miracle Generation' actually spans two consecutive years. Each of them grew up as rivals, training separately from middle school, all monstrously strong."
"Technically, this clip was just the opening play of their match last year—call it the 'warm-up phase,' if you will."
"And yet…"
"From the final results, those two only ranked third and fourth among their generation."
"Neither even made it to the finals this year."
Aida blinked in disbelief.
"You're kidding… With strength like that? They didn't even reach the finals?"
"Also…" she added hesitantly, "What exactly were they yelling earlier? Sounded… intense."
Nijirō hesitated.
"Well… besides the curses, one of them—the kid in red—shouted something like a move name or a personal catchphrase."
He smiled wryly.
"While going for that dunk, he yelled—"
"My right fist opens the heavens…"
"Becoming the dragon."
END OF CHAPTER
CROWN BEFORE THE MIRACLES
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