"Among the five starters of Rakuzan, three are part of the Uncrowned Kings... and one is a member of the Generation of Miracles."
In Kaijo's basketball gym, Takeuchi was giving his team their final pep talk with a serious expression.
"First, their shooting guard, Reo Mibuchi. One of the Uncrowned Kings, nicknamed the Yasha. Excellent at three-pointers, and back in middle school, he was considered to have the most textbook-perfect shooting form."
Kasamatsu frowned slightly. The shooting guard... that meant it was his matchup.
"Then there's Kotaro Hayama, their small forward. Another Uncrowned King, nicknamed The Thunder Beast. His speed when driving is ridiculous. Kise, you're good with that, right?"
Kise confidently gave a thumbs-up.
"Of course! I'll take him down quickly and step up to lead the team!"
He couldn't help grinning to himself. Finally, not stuck guarding the strongest guy for once!
"Their center is Eikichi Nebuya, the third of the Uncrowned Kings, known as the Herculean Strength. His physical strength is crazy. Back in middle school, he was considered the second-best center after Murasakibara"
Kobori flared his nostrils, pounding his chest like a gorilla. Ever since dominating Yosen in the last game, his confidence had skyrocketed. He was practically drooling at the thought of going toe-to-toe with one of the Uncrowned Kings.
"Then there's Chihiro Mayuzumi... Honestly, there's not much info on this guy. But if he's starting for Rakuzan, he's definitely not someone to underestimate. Keep an eye on him during the game. He plays power forward."
Coach Takeuchi tapped his tactics board. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't dig up any proper info on Mayuzumi.
Kota scratched his nose and said lazily,
"That guy's basically a budget version of Kuroko. Same deal—plays like a ghost with zero presence."
Everyone blinked in confusion. Kise couldn't help asking,
"Huh? What do you mean, Kota? You're telling me there's another guy out there who plays like Kuroko?"
Kota gave him a sidelong glance and explained,
"Not naturally. Akashi probably scouted him for that. Anyway, just treat him like you would Kuroko and you'll be fine."
It was definitely the kind of heads-up you'd regret not getting before the game.
Takeuchi nodded, not even bothering to ask how Kota knew that. Then he continued, his tone heavy.
"Finally... Rakuzan's captain, point guard, and the captain of the Generation of Miracles... Akashi Seijuro."
As he said this, Takeuchi looked directly at Kota, his expression tense.
"...You sure about this? Guarding that guy?"
Could you even blame him for being worried? The Generation of Miracles were terrifying enough, and this was their captain. Asking Kota to guard him felt like lighting a candle... in a toilet. Completely pointless and kinda gross.
After all these games together, everyone knew Kota's defense inside and out. Other than his freaky defensive pressure — aka his signature pull-up-your-pants-and-play-serious defense — his only real trick was gambling for steals.
Kise wrestled with himself for a moment before sighing.
"...Should I take Akashi instead? I mean, as fun as it'd be to watch Kota crash and burn... winning's more important."
But Kota shook his head. He was well aware of his own limits. None of the Rakuzan starters were exactly easy marks.
Hayama and Mibuchi? Not the kind of guys to get scared by someone yanking their shorts up in defense.
Nebuya? Please. A 6'3 guard trying to body a guy built like a refrigerator? Get real. The only one who seemed like a soft target was Mayuzumi, but as a power forward, even a soft one would still be way out of Kota's weight class. Power forwards don't exactly come in "skinny twig" or "pocket-sized."
If Kota couldn't guard anyone effectively, swapping him to guard Hayama while Kise took Akashi would just leave both of them getting cooked.
But Kota had one ace up his sleeve...
——
It happened yesterday, right after Kaijo beat Yosen.
[Congratulations, Host, on defeating an opponent at the 'Generation of Miracles' level. You've unlocked a new talent...]
"Huh? Wait, even with Murasakibara not playing, I still get a reward? Sweet!"
Fresh out of the bathroom, Kota was still wiping his hands when the system chimed in. He'd been worried there'd be no reward since Murasakibara was benched. Turns out... free loot!
"Check new talent"
[New Talent: Big Man Bully Playbook]
When facing an opponent shorter than you, all abilities increase by 10%.
When facing an opponent lighter than you, all abilities increase by 10%.
(Stacks.)
Are you ready? Time to back 'em down, baby
New Talent: Double Point Guard Fast Break
Activates when your backcourt has two point guards. Increases understanding and execution of double-PG fast-break strategies.
Stop letting the big guys have all the fun. Guards are the real MVPs.
...
"...Well, damn."
Kota's expression was... something else. That first talent was practically labeled Anti-Akashi Nuke.
See, Kota was 5'11 and weighed 140 lbs. Decent for a regular person, but in a national tournament, he was basically a hobbit. Finding a starting point guard shorter and lighter than him was nearly impossible... but guess who fit the bill perfectly?
Yep. Akashi.
Armed with that 20% buff against Akashi, Kota figured even if he couldn't completely shut him down, he could at least avoid getting turned into basketball roadkill.
——
"Kasamatsu-senpai, I need to talk to you" Kota called out after practice.
"Huh? You've got a new tactic again? Why not say it earlier? Why tell me in secret?"
Kasamatsu looked puzzled. If Coach knew Kota had cooked up another play, he'd be thrilled.
"Nah, Coach already knows. It's a simple play. Just you and me running it; the rest just need to spread the floor. No point confusing everyone with a last-minute tactic the day before the game."
The core idea was simple: a double point guard setup. It worked because Kasamatsu, originally a point guard, had the speed and vision to play shooting guard in this formation.
Kasamatsu nodded in understanding, then stood with arms crossed, listening closely as Kota laid out the plan.
——
Late that night...Kise lay in bed, hands behind his head, mumbling to himself.
"Man... can't believe we've made it this far. Took down Too... crushed Yosen... and now we're facing Akashi tomorrow..."
Just thinking about Akashi's monstrous strength gave him chills. Back in middle school, Akashi could completely dominate the other Miracles.
"...Wonder who's stronger? Him or Aomine?"
Kise shivered a bit at the thought. Then he grinned, letting himself relax.
"Ah, screw it. As long as we follow Kota's plan... we've got this."
——
Meanwhile, Kota was still sitting at his desk, scribbling furiously in his notebook, trying to figure out a way to beat Rakuzan. Every player's strengths and weaknesses were drawn out in messy diagrams.
Aside from Kise... every matchup was terrible.
That night, Kaijo's twin stars lived two completely different lives—one sleeping peacefully, the other racking his brain till dawn.
——
Over at Rakuzan, Akashi sat at the piano, playing a hauntingly beautiful arrangement of Canon in D.
The notes floated through the night air, slipping out the window and into the world beyond.
The moon tonight... was exceptionally round.