Time flew by.
The day of the finals finally arrived.
Seiyo Middle School's opponent was Meizawa Middle School.
The moment both teams stepped onto the court, a thunderous roar erupted from the stands.
Ake's eyes immediately locked onto one player from Meizawa — a young man standing in the front row.
He didn't recognize the boy's face, but the aura of strength radiating from him made Ake's eyes narrow.
"That must be Sawakita Eiji," Ake thought to himself.
The Sawakita Eiji before him looked different from the one in his memories.
He had short, smooth black hair, sharp features, and a confident smile that seemed glued to his face.
But beneath that smile, Ake could clearly see it — the arrogance of someone who looked down on everyone around him.
Ake frowned slightly. 'Was this really the same Sawakita Eiji from the original story?'
He didn't remember him looking like this…
Just then, Sendoh walked toward the Meizawa players, his eyes locked onto Sawakita Eiji.
"Yo! We meet again!" Sendoh called out with a grin.
Sawakita Eiji's lips curved up the moment he saw him. The memory of their match last year flashed through his mind.
"So it's you," he said casually. "You actually made it to the finals. Not bad."
Sendoh's grin turned into one full of fighting spirit. "I thought we'd meet earlier, but this is fine too. Last year, I lost to you — this time, it won't be so easy for you to beat us."
Sawakita Eiji raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. "Oh? I heard your team has a strong point guard now. Don't tell me you actually think having one more good player means you can beat us."
"To be honest," Sendoh replied with a straight face, "yeah — that's exactly what I think."
Sawakita chuckled lightly. "Heh… then show me what you've got."
His confidence was absolute. No matter who stood before him, he never doubted his own strength — that was the kind of pride Sawakita Eiji carried.
After the brief exchange, Sendoh returned to Ake's side.
"That's the guy I told you about — the one who beat me before," he said quietly. "He's strong. Keep your eyes on him."
Ake nodded calmly. "Don't worry. Once I see an opening, I'll get the ball to you."
On Seiyo's bench, Coach Nakamura looked composed on the surface, but inside, he was burning with excitement.
It took everything he had not to let a grin slip across his face.
Leading Seiyo to the finals — it was something he wouldn't even have dared to dream about in the past.
This was an achievement that would go down in the school's history.
And the rewards from an elite academy like Seiyo?
'Let's just say… they were far better than what ordinary schools offered.'
'A small villa maybe,' he thought to himself, barely suppressing a chuckle.
Beep!
The referee's whistle echoed across the court — the final match had officially begun.
Since the quarterfinals, Ake had already replaced Ito Hiroki as a starter.
The difference in their abilities was simply too great.
And after his breakout performance, there was no reason to hold him back anymore.
Ito had no complaints.
He knew better than anyone — Ake was the better choice.
And with him on the court, their chances of winning the championship were far higher.
As the game began, Ake took a quick look at Meizawa's lineup.
Aside from Sawakita Eiji, the physical condition and build of their other players were clearly superior to Seiyo's.
The opening tip-off went to Meizawa's center.
After a few swift passes, the ball ended up in Sawakita's hands.
Sendoh immediately moved in to guard him.
He expected a moment of back-and-forth…
But the next second, Sawakita burst forward in a blur.
'So fast!' Ake's eyes widened slightly.
Still, he wasn't surprised.
'So it's true — he really is stronger than Sendoh. But not by much.'
Sendoh, who had been caught off guard, quickly spun around and chased after him.
He stayed close, refusing to give him space as they both dashed into Seiyo's paint.
Then, right as Sendoh prepared to block, Sawakita suddenly stopped, spun behind him, and jumped for a shot.
'Too late to stop me' The ball had already left Sawakita Eiji's hands.
Swish!
The ball sliced through the air and cleanly dropped through the net.
Seiyo 0 – 2 Meizawa.
Sendoh exhaled deeply, his expression fierce. 'He's still as strong as ever!'
The court shifted — Seiyo's turn on offense.
Ake brought the ball forward at a steady pace, his face calm and composed, completely unfazed by the previous play.
Meizawa's point guard stepped up to block him, but Ake's dribbling was smooth — effortless — and his rhythm unshakable.
Thump, thump, thump…
The sound of the ball echoed through the gym.
The Meizawa guard frowned, realizing this "unknown" point guard had serious skill.
He tried to find a chance to steal the ball — but no matter how he watched Ake's movements, he couldn't find an opening.
Fine. If he couldn't steal, he'd at least block the path forward.
Then — suddenly —
Thump!
A bounce echoed from the opposite side of the court.
The Meizawa guard froze. 'What?!'
He turned just in time to see Sendoh already dribbling toward the basket at full speed.
Somehow, the ball had already left Ake's hands.
'When did he pass it?!' He hadn't seen it at all!
And neither had the others — even Sawakita Eiji was momentarily stunned.
By the time he realized what had happened, Sendoh was already airborne.
Swish!
Seiyo 2 – 2 Meizawa.
The crowd erupted.
Everything had happened so fast — less than a minute into the match, both sides had already scored once.
Sawakita Eiji's gaze shifted toward Ake.
"It looks like you really did find yourself a decent point guard."
Sendoh smirked.
"Decent? You'll see soon enough. He's a monster."
"Oh?" Sawakita Eiji's smile deepened.
For the first time, genuine curiosity flickered in his eyes.
If Sendoh was calling someone else a monster…
Then this game was about to get very interesting.