Nebuya Eikichi vs. Murasakibara Atsushi.
In this pure contest of brute strength, the winner—unsurprisingly to everyone except Akashi Seijūrō—was Murasakibara.
But right now, nobody really cared who won.
As Nebuya was slammed to the floor with a single push, the Rakuzan players—including Hayama Kotarō and Reo Mibuchi—rubbed their eyes, completely dumbfounded.
What the…
That Murasakibara
He's tall, sure, but with that kind of muscle mass… how could his strength be that overwhelming?
Could it be… a difference in muscle quality?
Mibuchi glanced at Nebuya and couldn't help but think
No way… he's not just some dead-lift gym freak, right?
On the court, Kiyoshi Teppei stood frozen in confusion. The Seirin players still hadn't recovered from the arm-wrestling carnage that had just unfolded, their eyes darting back and forth between Nebuya and Murasakibara.
For Seirin…
Teppei didn't stand a chance against either of them.
And then
Predictably, Kiyoshi Teppei, sturdy though he was, was swiftly defeated in the power test. His strength was solid, but his base was built for balance, not raw force.
Cough.
"Teiko wins."
"They earn… Shigure Akihito."
"Next up…"
"The prize… is Nijimura Shuzo."
Clatter, clatter!
Aida Riko shook the lottery box anxiously, praying in her heart:
Please, please—just one of those two sticks! Come on!
Whoosh
Plop
The stick flew out and hit the floor.
Riko instantly leaned over to look.
Got it!
Passing contest!
On Teiko's side, Midorima Shintarō glanced toward Rakuzan's Akashi Seijūrō, then over at Seirin's Kuroko Tetsuya… and finally at his own teammates:
Murasakibara.
Aomine.
Kise.
And himself.
Midorima: "…"
Forget it.
This was going to be like Kiyoshi just now—they didn't stand a chance, especially with Akashi on one side and Kuroko on the other.
Meanwhile, on Seirin's side, Haizaki Shōgo's expression darkened as he saw Riko looking so confident and happy.
"I thought she had some kind of plan… so this was it?"
He sighed. "Dumb coach."
"Still a guaranteed loss."
The rest of Seirin froze, shocked out of their brief excitement.
"Eh—Haizaki, what are you saying? Kuroko's passing is the best, right?"
"Yeah! He's the invisible sixth man who trains only to pass!"
Haizaki: "…"
"You'll see."
After entering high school, most players naturally stopped following middle school basketball—and with Seirin having a few newcomers to the sport, almost none of them knew what the Generation of Miracles was truly capable of.
Even in the original timeline, most high school teams didn't even recognize their faces—let alone their abilities.
Meanwhile
Rakuzan.
"Everyone,"
"Pardon me,"
"But may I take this round?"
Mibuchi: "…"
Hayama: "!?"
'Pardon me'? 'May I?'
They were stunned.
Back in middle school, their contact with Teiko was brief, and their impression of that team had always revolved around Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo.
So Teiko… actually had such a polite member?
And this guy—wasn't he the one who led the Teiko basketball club after Nijimura retired?
A point guard, too.
As the senior and acting leader of Rakuzan's third years, Reo Mibuchi nodded with composed authority.
"Hmm, that's right—you're also a point guard, aren't you? All right, it's yours."
Soon after
The three teams sent their representatives to the court.
For the "passing test," Aida Riko explained confidently:
Each passer would throw to a member of another team, while the third team defended. The pass quality, timing, and synergy would determine the winner.
So—Akashi would pass to a Seirin player, with Rakuzan defending.
Kuroko would pass to a Rakuzan player, with Seirin defending.
And Teiko… basically gave up and sent out Kise Ryōta.
Once they took their positions
Akashi went first, passing to Seirin while Rakuzan defended.
Then
The instant Hayama Kotarō, the fastest player on Rakuzan, faced Akashi head-on
Hayama froze. "...?"
What
This chill…!?
It wasn't just an aura—he felt danger, physically.
He's insane!
Here it comes!
Snap! Snap!
Akashi crossed over twice in a flash—but strangely, the movements didn't seem that threatening at first. Fast, yes—but not enough to break through Hayama's defense…
Then suddenly
The ball was gone.
Akashi's pass sliced through the air, perfectly angled, lightning-fast, and utterly unpredictable.
By the time Hayama and Mibuchi realized it, the ball had already left his hands!
Hyūga Junpei: "...!"
As the ball hit his palms, Hyūga blinked for a second, stunned by the perfect rhythm and feel—then instinctively rose and released the shot!
Akashi's pass had delayed the defense by just a heartbeat
A three-pointer!
Swish!
Straight through!
After scoring, Hyūga turned back in astonishment, eyes locked on Akashi Seijūrō.
The red-haired captain smiled gently.
"Beautiful shot. Well done."
Hyūga: "…"
That…
That was an incredible pass.
It wasn't just the timing—the way Akashi paused, matching his step, adjusting to Hyūga's rhythm—it all felt so natural, so perfectly in sync.
Even the slight friction of the ball's seams matched his hand's release angle perfectly.
For the first time in his basketball life—he'd shot something that effortless, that right.
It felt like a dream.
And this Generation of Miracles captain… he'd make the perfect teammate.
The way he looked back, smiled, and praised him—it hit Hyūga right in the heart.
Hyūga Junpei: "…"
That pass… that composure… that presence…
Damn.
Compared to the grumpy Haizaki or the ever-creepy, quiet Kuroko—this guy just radiated class.
With that single pass, Hyūga's eyes began to burn as he stared at Akashi Seijūrō, unable to hide it
His gaze said it all.
Hyūga Junpei: "I want him."
END OF CHAPTER
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