The match between Kaijō and Tsumuro East ended in a one-sided slaughter so brutal that the entire audience sat frozen in shock.
After the game.
Up in the stands, Teiko's players—all of them—fell into complete silence.
Sanada Naoto hesitated for a long moment…
Eventually, he gave up on meeting the senior members of Kaijō. Instead, he mulled over the painful truth:
Teiko's current "post-Miracle Era growing pains"… how long would this period last?
But…
There really was no helping it.
From Teiko's Twin Stars, to Kurokami, to Fukaya Reiji, and then straight into the Generation of Miracles, Teiko's roster—starters and bench alike—had been completely dominated for years by these monsters.
For those coming after them, this was inevitably bad.
But more importantly
The difference in talent was simply too large.
To be honest, even Reiji—someone whose talent was considered slightly inferior—had broken his shackles after his battle with Shigure back in junior high. His level now was no longer something today's Teiko players could reach.
Not to mention the Twin Stars, who had laid the foundation for Teiko's four consecutive championships.
Thinking of this, Sanada Naoto let out a heavy sigh.
"We're simply not strong enough… I wonder when Coach Platinum will end his medical leave and return…"
At that moment
The teammates beside him suddenly stirred in agitation.
"Eh?!"
"Wait…"
"No way!"
"Except for Aomine-senpai and Kise-senpai… ALL the other seniors are in the same bracket!?"
Their current captain had initially been excited to see which seniors' matches they would watch next. But after getting the tournament bracket from Captain Akashi and opening it
His eyes widened.
"Only Tōō is on the left…"
"On the right…"
"Rakuzan, Seirin, Yōsen… and Kaijō!"
"According to this bracket…"
"In the quarterfinals, these teams will clash. Rakuzan vs Seirin… and Kaijō vs Yōsen…"
"For the Final Four…"
"Only two of them will survive."
Aioi Keishi murmured those words under his breath.
He couldn't help imagining the possibility of some of their seniors falling in the quarterfinals—but no matter which senior it was, the image refused to form in his mind.
Especially…
Midorima-senpai.
Someone as serious, diligent, and reliable as Midorima collapsing in the top eight?
Impossible to picture.
But ironically, among the two matchups, the team with the highest probability of losing… was Yōsen.
After all…
Their opponents would be the Twin Stars.
"If that's how it plays out…"
"The finals would be Tōō vs Kaijō?"
"Aomine-senpai vs Shigure-senpai… a showdown of super aces. And then Kise-senpai vs Nijimura-senpai… Hmm. That one… seems pretty tough for Kise-senpai?"
"Hey!"
"Don't forget Captain Akashi. He might not lose either, you know?"
"Hah?"
"So you're assuming Rakuzan beats Seirin? Seirin has Haizaki-senpai and Kuroko-senpai—scoring and passing, perfectly paired, right?"
"You're assuming Kaijō beats Yōsen…"
At that moment, Teiko's players all went silent again.
Clearly, when it came to Kaijō vs Yōsen, they had already subconsciously decided the outcome.
But right then, the giant screen in the arena suddenly lit up, displaying all the results of the day.
In an instant
All the certainty they had just felt… wavered.
Kaijō.
Tōō.
Rakuzan.
Seirin.
All naturally secured crushing wins in Round One. Kaijō and Rakuzan even held their opponents to single-digit scores.
Meanwhile, Seirin and Tōō unleashed explosive offense, scoring nearly 200 points each.
But even among all these monstrous teams filled with their seniors, one team's scoreline shattered the entire scoreboard layout
That team was the one they had just assumed would lose to Kaijō:
Yōsen.
9–0.
Yes.
They rubbed their eyes.
Left, right—no matter how they checked,
There it was in bold:
Second Gymnasium – Round 1, Game 3
Yōsen vs Hinasen: Final Score 9–0
"Nine to zero… I didn't read that wrong, right?"
"No, it's nine to—"
But before Aioi Keishi could finish his sentence, he suddenly noticed Kaijō's members—those still in the gym—including Nijimura, Reiji, and Kurokami.
Their expressions were…
Oddly calm.
Not shocked.
Not impressed.
Not even tense.
In fact
Shigure-senpai even smiled.
A few days later.
Two more rounds had passed.
Yōsen Basketball Club.
After training, the players gathered in the strategy room per Coach Araki's instructions to review all three of Kaijō's matches.
From the first game—where Shigure Akihito played alone with the bench squad
To the most recent match, where Kaijō finally fielded their full starting lineup.
Every second was watched.
Not a single fast-forward allowed.
After one full viewing
The room fell eerily quiet.
Araki tapped her bamboo practice sword against the desk.
"Alright. The footage is done. Thoughts?"
Immediately
Fukui Kensuke glanced at Midorima and Murasakibara.
"…That Shigure Akihito and Nijimura Shuzo… Are they even human?"
"Endless growth…?"
"That footage was bone-chilling!"
Midorima flicked his lucky item of the day—a ping-pong ball—completely unimpressed by this vague commentary.
Meanwhile, Araki scanned the room.
Every player except Midorima and the snacking Murasakibara wore the same horrified expression.
As for Murasakibara…
Ayako simply sighed.
Asking him was pointless.
Luckily, she still had Midorima—someone reliable.
When Araki had first seen the tournament bracket, this matchup already made her anxious. But Midorima's unwavering expression gave her confidence.
Or… it had.
That confidence shattered the moment she saw the new versions of those two monsters.
Especially Shigure Akihito.
…Tch.
There were too many problems to worry about.
She didn't even know where to start.
While she struggled, a crinkling snack wrapper echoed loudly
Ayako's temple throbbed.
She pointed the bamboo sword at Murasakibara.
"Murasakibara! If you still want the snacks hidden in your locker, keep it down!"
She sighed deeply, then focused on Midorima again.
After all, once he entered high school, Midorima's tactical awareness evolved far beyond her expectations. Surely he would have constructive solutions
Quarterfinal Day.
Two matches today:
Morning – Kaijō vs Yōsen
Afternoon – Kirisaki Daiichi vs Mazumi
Kaijō and Yōsen stepped off their buses almost at the same time.
Two towering groups converged toward the arena.
Inside, the setup and even the number of spectators were on a whole different level from previous rounds—sponsor posters everywhere.
Fukaya Reiji noticed Kurokami's loose shoelaces and nudged him.
"Shinji, your laces."
"Huh?"
"Oh—right."
"These shoes are kinda old…"
"Should I buy new ones?"
"No need. You bought a ton of backups last year. You didn't grow much this year—just wear last year's."
Kurokami Shinji: "…"
Sure, he never expected to grow as insanely as others…
But after seeing this year's Murasakibara, Shinji suddenly felt depressed again.
Murasakibara…
208 cm.
How does a human grow like that?
And with proportions so absurd, he might as well be considered 213 cm in performance.
Ridiculous.
While Shinji crouched to tie his shoelaces, someone walked past them—
A figure whose presence crushed even his 202.4 cm frame.
Not just taller
but broader.
Denser.
Heavier.
"Hm? This isn't the place~? Why is this a shoe store~? I remember there was a convenience store selling yummy sticks here~?"
Even without looking, both Reiji and Shinji recognized that lazy voice.
They turned
Of course.
It was Murasakibara Atsushi, hair cut short like back in first-year junior high.
Shinji brightened, wanting to greet him—
But at the same time, Yōsen's players turned the corner.
Fukui Kensuke looked exasperated.
"Murasakibara! If you wander off again, Coach's bamboo sword won't spare you!"
Just like that
Kaijō and Yōsen met head-on in the arena lobby.
The first to react was Coach Takeuchi Genta
Only because he recognized Araki.
This former national-level player had once battled Aida Kagetora in a romantic rivalry… and lost. She later went after Takeuchi, but after her younger brothers beat him bloody for pestering her, he eventually gave up.
Even so, he still seemed nostalgic about his youth…
Unfortunately, compared to Tōō's stable, handsome Coach Harasawa, Takeuchi had—mysteriously—gained weight and lost his former charm.
Only his voice still sounded like a handsome man.
Ayako frowned coldly.
"…Long time no see, senpai."
"Yes~ Araki~ long time~"
Takeuchi scratched his cheek and tried to step closer
only to be blocked by Yōsen's two two-meter-tall "bodyguards."
Kasamatsu Yukio sized up Yōsen's lineup.
Seeing them in person… their starting lineup really was ridiculously tall.
Average height: 196.5 cm.
Three players over 200 cm.
And their foreign player, Liu Wei—203 cm—was a small forward.
This was the first time Kaijō had ever faced such overwhelming height disadvantage.
No wonder they were called the absolute defense of the tournament.
And then
Murasakibara Atsushi.
A level of absurd never before seen in high school basketball.
Ayako hesitated, then said,
"You all wait here. I need to speak to Coach Takeuchi."
Takeuchi immediately said the same to Kaijō's players.
But
Shigure Akihito, who already sensed trouble, suddenly murmured:
"Coach~"
"You're not planning to leak strategy to them… right~?"
"O-Of—"
"Of course not!!"
After the coaches left, Midorima and Murasakibara came forward to greet their seniors.
Murasakibara's snack bag drew another chuckle from Shigure.
Meanwhile, Yōsen's captain, Okamura Kenichi, felt a stab of jealousy seeing two giants like Midorima and Murasakibara behave so respectfully toward Shigure and Nijimura.
Nijimura, on the other hand, was quietly stunned seeing Murasakibara in person.
Height was one thing—but the sheer mass?
One year had turned him into a mountain.
Soon after
Midorima straightened his glasses and declared his resolve.
But before Shigure could reply, Nijimura crossed his arms… and smirked.
He flicked his gaze toward Reiji and Shinji.
"Midorima."
"You all…"
He slightly lifted one finger.
"Beat Reiji and Shinji first."
"Then come stand before us."
"And be mentally prepared"
"It won't be easy."
END OF CHAPTER
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