"Move it! You'll regret it if you're late!"
"No kidding."
"Let's go, let's go!"
To Aomine Daiki's surprise, the upperclassmen of the First String were unusually brisk and serious today. They left the locker room with a speed that far surpassed how they usually moved during practice.
Like a gust of wind, whoosh! In the blink of an eye, the senior players who had just been looking at them with playful smirks had already vanished from the locker room.
Meanwhile, Akashi and Midorima had also finished getting ready and stood up, only slightly behind.
Aomine, Haizaki, and Murasakibara stared at each other in confusion.
"You guys…?"
When did they change?!
Akashi turned back with a calm, gentle smile. "Hurry up and follow. Judging by the seniors' behavior today, I doubt this practice will be easy."
Clack
The locker room door closed behind them.
Only the three first-years remained inside.
"Tch."
"Trouble."
"Aww, it really is troublesome, Haizaki"
"Damn it…"
"I can't believe I'm behind… But at least Haizaki's dead last!"
"!?"
"You dark-skinned bastard, who the hell are you calling last?!"
"Someone with gray hair who got carried away yesterday and ended up getting schooled by Captain Nijimura."
"True, true Aomine-kun's not wrong"
"… Damn it!"
"Wait for me!"
There was only one month left until the Tokyo Regional Qualifiers for the July Nationals. Though Teikō had been reigning champions for years, they followed a strict creed, "Victory is everything." Even as defending champions, there was zero tolerance for complacency.
And this time of year marked the return of one man to take the reins of training: Kōzō Shirogane, the coach even the First String feared.
Not long after,
All members of the First String assembled at the gym.
"Line up!"
At the sharp command of Sanada Naoto, the room fell into focused silence, and the team quickly formed ranks. For the first-year newcomers, it was the first time meeting the legendary Coach Shirogane, two months after joining the team.
At a glance, the man standing quietly before them was an elderly gentleman in a perfectly pressed dark suit, his white hair neatly combed.
He looked... rather kind and benevolent.
Sanada adjusted his glasses. "As you all know, there's only a month left before the Regional Qualifiers. From today onward, training will be much more intense. Prepare yourselves mentally."
His gaze swept across the entire team, especially the first-years, before his tone grew even more stern.
"Per tradition, Coach Shirogane will personally lead your training."
The players visibly flinched. The name Kōzō Shirogane still carried terrifying weight.
Seeing this reaction,
Despite all the warnings about Shirogane's notorious methods, Aomine still couldn't help but mutter, as he watched the smiling elder:
"He doesn't look… that bad?"
"Kind of gentle, even?"
The First String seniors all turned to him with a unified expression that said: You poor fool…
Clap.
From behind, Shigure Akihito walked up with Nijimura, having just finished prepping the training equipment. He placed a hand on Aomine's shoulder.
"I hope you can still walk out of this gym upright today… under that devil's training."
Aomine Daiki: "…"
"Shigure-senpai, don't scare the rookies now" said Shigure playfully, raising a brow.
He and Nijimura stepped forward and flanked Coach Shirogane on either side. The old man turned to Aomine with a smile.
"You must be Aomine Daiki, right?"
"I'm Kōzō Shirogane, the team's head coach."
"These coming weeks…"
"Will be tough on you all."
"Now then, Aomine, who was the third-last to enter the gym today; Murasakibara, the second-last; and… Haizaki, who was dead last…"
The three froze.
Before they could say anything, the rest of the team snapped into formation and, voices solemn, shouted in unison:
"Coach Shirogane! Good morning, sir!"
Shirogane stepped forward with a wave of his hand, smiling as he spoke gently:
"Ah, haven't I told you already? No need to be so formal. After all…"
"I won't be treating you formally either"
"But…"
"While you've all had it easy lately, training is going to ramp up, significantly. No need to be too afraid, though."
With that ever-gentle smile on his face, Shirogane looked like any harmless elder. Anyone unaware of his reputation might be completely fooled, just like Aomine.
"Because at this stage," Shirogane continued, still smiling, "no matter how hard I push you…"
"You probably won't die."
Aomine Daiki: "?!"
As training commenced,
Aomine learned firsthand why the man was nicknamed the White-Haired Devil. And the phrase "third-last to enter the gym" suddenly became horrifyingly clear.
Compared to Sanada's usual training?
Sanada's drills were child's play.
There was no such thing as a "warm-up." From the start, 50 rounds of full-speed sprints!
And those who fell behind? Extra laps.
The bottom three who arrived late today? Even more laps.
To their great misfortune,
Despite their top-tier basketball skills, they were still first-years. In terms of physical endurance, they couldn't match the older players.
Even Aomine couldn't escape the extra laps.
And the unluckiest of the unlucky was Haizaki Shōgo, who not only arrived last, but was also last in sprinting due to his still-recovering stamina, earning himself the dreaded "double penalty."
By the end of the "warm-up," Haizaki's legs were trembling.
Nearby,
Aomine gasped between breaths.
"Devil…"
"Demon…"
Even Midorima, who had sprinted alongside him, nodded solemnly. "For once, Aomine, I agree with you."
As for Haizaki…
He was too tired to even speak.
Just then, Coach Shirogane appeared next to him, voice low and emotionless.
"Haizaki…"
"Tired already?"
"Because this… is just the beginning."
Somehow, Haizaki felt the same energy radiating from Shirogane as from Nijimura, calm on the outside, utterly brutal on the inside.
He looked up at the white-haired man, eyes narrowed, posture straight, and a terrifying calm in his expression.
From that terrifying calm, Haizaki sensed a clear, dangerous message.
And for once, instead of lashing out, he merely snorted coldly, refusing to back down.
Even though he hadn't been fully involved with the team recently due to health issues, Shirogane had been secretly observing, including Nijimura's brutal "special training" with Haizaki the night before.
So, he knew Haizaki's temperament well.
Nijimura's trials were one part of the equation.
The other…
"You've got spirit, Haizaki. Good."
"Since you were the last to arrive…"
"I've prepared a special training session, just for you."
He pointed across the gym,
There, in the other half of the court…
A lion.
An elephant.
Two monsters stood side by side, Nijimura Shūzō and Shigure Akihito, their gazes locked onto Haizaki.
Haizaki: "?!"
What kind of sick joke is this?!
Still unsure what kind of "training" awaited him, Haizaki panicked. His tough-guy act crumbled, and he flopped to the ground with a groan.
He gave up.
Who cares anymore.
Unfortunately, moments later,
Thud, drag…
Haizaki Shōgo was being dragged across the gym by one leg, courtesy of Nijimura Shūzō.
Not far away, Aomine gulped and counted his blessings.
Thank god he moved a bit faster in the locker room.
As much as he wanted a solo match with Shigure, that tag-team scene with Nijimura and Shigure?
Definitely not the kind of 1v1 he imagined.
Sure enough,
Half an hour passed.
Everyone, from the new recruits to the First String veterans, were suffering under Shirogane's devilish drills.
Yet amidst the torture, all eyes couldn't help but sneak glances toward Haizaki.
Haizaki Shōgo…
1v2.
Being brutally tag-teamed by the Captain and Vice-Captain in a no-holds-barred beatdown.
At that moment,
Shirogane's voice echoed again, laced with demonic cheer:
[This isn't Haizaki's punishment alone.]
[This will be the new routine.]
[The bottom three performers in each session…]
[Will go experience 15 minutes with those two monsters.]
[Of course…]
[If you're confident enough to score even once against Nijimura and Shigure working together…]
[You can slack off for the rest of the session]
Everyone, remembering the earlier scene,
Steals.
Blocks.
Brutal contact.
Poster dunks.
Everyone: "?!"
Stop joking, you devil!!
End of chapter...
🚨 Bonus Chapter Just Dropped on Patreon! 🚨
Yup, it's live! A fresh bonus chapter is waiting for you right now. 👀🔥
So what are you waiting for?
Unlock it early, dive deeper into the story, and stay ahead of the game!
🔥 Rookie Recruit – Read 15 chapters ahead
🔥 Starting Five – Jump 35 chapters ahead
👉 patreon.com/MrBehringer
The saga is far from its final chapter. There's still time to become part of the team, it's never too late to stand with us. Let's keep the hype rolling, see you on the other side! 🏀💥