Location: Tokyo Sports Park.
When the Oki Junior High bus pulled up in front of the sports complex, Ueno and his few remaining teammates were struck by the sheer scale of the place. The stadium, usually reserved for the national finals, had been opened for this preliminary round only. The reason was obvious: all of Japan wanted to see the invincible Teikō Junior High.
A sea of people surrounded the arena. It wasn't just a crowd of fans, but a gathering of recruiters from elite high schools and curious onlookers who had come to witness the twilight of the Teikō era before its members entered high school.
Suddenly, three luxury buses pulled up. The roar that erupted was deafening. "It's them! The Generation of Miracles!" "Ryōta Kise! He's even more handsome in person!" "
While his teammates paled before the overwhelming aura emanating from the opposing team's bus, Ueno remained motionless. He immediately spotted Tetsuya Kuroko, whose sky-blue hair seemed almost to blend into the background. For some unknown reason, their eyes met for a fraction of a second, and Ueno perceived a flicker of doubt in the eyes of the Shadow of Teikō.
Oki Junior High Locker Room.
Ueno put on his black jersey, sitting silently in a corner. Unlike the other members of his team, who seemed to have already accepted defeat, he possessed the composure of a seasoned adult. The Coach watching him from the doorway, felt a surge of pride: Juri Ueno was his most dedicated student.
"Please come onto the court for warm-ups!" announced the the referee.
Ueno took a deep breath. This was it. As he crossed the tunnel, a visual notification suddenly appeared before his eyes, accompanied by a synthetic voice.
A system? Ueno thought, his heart skipping a beat. So this is my trump card.
"Connection," he replied mentally.
[Ability: Increases physical potential by 120% for 1 minute.]
He was stunned by the power of this announcement. The Zone, this state of absolute concentration reserved for the elite, was now accessible to him, and with a 20% power boost compared to the standard version.
He knew the physiological burden would be immense. At his middle school level, maintaining this state for more than sixty seconds would be tantamount to physical suicide. But it was enough. Fortunately, the original Juri Ueno was a workaholic with a solid foundation and the system only had to light the fuse.
Ueno stepped onto the court, his dark eyes fixed on the giants of Teikō. With his 120% potential, he was no longer a mere victim. He had become the first predator capable of competing with the Miracles on their own turf.