Tokyo Second Gymnasium.
Teiko vs. Hiraishi.
As the first quarter neared its end, the scoreboard read:
39–0.
The ball zipped across the perimeter of Teiko's offense, cutting the air with sharp passes. The sound of sneakers skidding on the hardwood mingled with the pass trails, creating a kind of harmonious rhythm.
Suddenly...
Under Hiraishi's defensive pressure, Shuzo Nijimura broke through with ease, once again drawing a double-team.
During a wide crossover,
In the moment when he hung the ball mid-air...
Slap!
Just like Shigure Akihito's earlier move, Nijimura's hand shifted from control to delivery in one smooth motion. Using the back of his hand, he turned what looked like a dribble into a seamless pass right out of the crossover!
Stunning. Flawless.
The ball landed in the hands of Reiji Fukaya, who raised both arms to shoot.
The defender panicked and lunged!
Slap!
A fake!
The ball dropped.
Behind-the-back crossover!
An explosive step followed, chaining the motion into a single fluid attack!
Fukaya had enough space for a wide-open three, but he didn't shoot. Thanks to Nijimura and Akihito's constant draw on defenders, the paint was completely torn apart, like a sieve.
Whoosh!
A pass zipped in!
Shinji Kurokami, wide open under the rim!
He caught it and rose for a dunk. Standing at 192 cm, Kurokami's dunk had the flair of Shigure Akihito but lacked the jaw-dropping elevation, his power came purely from size.
A tomahawk slam!
Clang!
The rim groaned under his weight, a shrill protest!
"…"
"Holy crap…"
From the stands, a player from another school let out an awestruck gasp. But his amazement wasn't for Kurokami's dunk. What left him shaken was Teiko's terrifying defense, and their overwhelming, almost surgical offense.
The fear came from Shigure Akihito's "ultra-wide coverage" on defense. Though Nijimura's steals were impressive...
The crowd's eyes flicked to the scoreboard, now 41–0.
As expected,
It was still Akihito, the player whose blocks blanketed the entire area inside the arc, who inspired real dread.
He swatted everything. Centered around the free-throw line, his coverage completely sealed the flight path of the ball.
Everyone watched as Hiraishi tried, passing to shift the defense, switching between inside and outside attacks, screens, fakes. But no matter the tactic...
In the end, Akihito always closed in.
Using inexplicable speed and bounce, he would leap, and block!
At some point, every player watching saw something glowing faintly, like green fire, around the back of the boy wearing jersey number 5.
And on offense,
They were…
Utterly unstoppable.
Anyone could see it: Teiko's Twin Stars had gone all out. Either one could tear Hiraishi Middle apart on their own.
But the worst part was,
These monsters played like a perfect team.
Akihito wielded a full arsenal, from half-court to the paint, he had no dead zones. But oddly enough, he loved passing, creating assists with rhythm and intention. Every few possessions, he'd drop a dime out of nowhere.
Meanwhile, Nijimura bloomed everywhere on the court. Wherever he went, the defense followed.
Take your eyes off him?
Good luck. The ball would vanish, and suddenly Teiko would be scoring again. Their structured offense, every pattern and pivot, was orchestrated by Shuzo Nijimura.
On the sideline.
Watching Akihito and Nijimura dominate, Naoto Sanada held a notebook full of stats and turned to Coach Kōzō Shirogane with barely restrained excitement.
"The team's chemistry is perfect. This might be the strongest, most complete Teiko squad in history!"
Coach Shirogane stood with arms folded, smiling faintly.
"Mm…"
"They're like a miracle team. Watching them, it feels like all we have to do is stand back and let them take care of everything."
Our Teiko's…
Mind and heart.
Sanada blinked at that. Ever the serious type, he replied earnestly,
"A coach still needs to sit courtside."
Shirogane: "…"
"Heh, I was just being sentimental. Sanada, you've really never learned to joke, huh?"
"...Apologies."
But thinking it through, Sanada understood exactly what Shirogane meant.
"You're right. Even though Nijimura and Akihito are only second-years, they've clearly outgrown middle school. Their skill is already on par with, if not above, most high schoolers."
"Fukaya and Kurokami, though not as gifted, play perfectly in sync with them. After last year's Ten School Tournament, the four of them developed first-class chemistry."
"Even first-year Akashi has blended in smoothly."
"Especially since Nijimura controls the rhythm. Their synergy on the court actually looks even stronger."
"And with Akihito…"
"Defense."
"Offense."
"So complete he's earned the nickname 'Technician.' Whenever the ball is in his hands, you feel safe. No doubt, "
"This is Teiko's strongest team, maybe even the greatest in all of middle school basketball."
Upon hearing that...
"The strongest…?"
Shirogane was quiet for a moment, then suddenly shook his head.
Sanada looked puzzled, but what the coach said next left him stunned.
"Not necessarily."
"These two are still growing. There's a lot more to draw out."
"Especially Akihito…"
"In a critical way, Fukaya has actually surpassed him."
Sanada: "!?"
"What…?"
His gaze returned to the court, where Akihito, grinning wildly, executed another block that covered the entire lane from the free-throw line.
Watching his expression, Shirogane couldn't help but smile too.
"Akihito is enjoying the game, reveling in domination. Fukaya's all-out pursuit gave him a rare thrill, reminiscent of last year's match against Kasaiki from Hagioka."
"But…"
"He still hasn't…"
"Fallen in love with basketball the way Fukaya has."
Shirogane glanced toward the bench, at Murasakibara, Midorima, and Haizaki.
"Loving the game matters. No matter how fast Akihito grows, how strong he gets…"
"It's not until that moment…"
"That his true potential will finally blossom."
Murasakibara: Why's the scary old man looking at me?
Haizaki: "Blossom"? The hell's he talking about? Look at the scoreboard. That freak's already way too strong!
Midorima: Love... basketball?
Aomine: Why am I being left out of this again?
Shirogane turned back to the court, watching again, but now with a quiet, satisfied gleam in his eye.
Even though Nijimura and Akihito had grown beyond all expectations, so much that their rivalry seemed to water itself, they weren't the only promising ones.
These new kids…
They had boundless futures too.
Maybe, just maybe, that hollow feeling of regret…
Could be filled again through them.
Hah…
When did I start thinking like this?
Still...
These new ones are a handful. Not as smooth as Nijimura and Akihito.
One step at a time.
If I can grow this batch of first-years...
And see Akihito and Nijimura fully bloom before they graduate, then maybe I won't have failed as a coach.
So much work after Nationals...
But before that...
"I don't know where the nickname started, but 'Teiko's Twin Stars' fits them perfectly."
Shirogane's eyes followed Nijimura, who had just initiated another offensive surge, then shifted to Akihito, who pulled up suddenly near midcourt. In the very next second, the ball left Nijimura's hands, without hesitation.
Akihito caught it in stride, launching a shot in one fluid motion. Though one had driven in deep, and the other had stopped near midcourt, their playstyle aligned perfectly.
The coordination was surreal.
Nijimura passed without a hint of doubt.
Akihito, as if he knew the ball would come, caught and shot with terrifying ease.
Whoosh, !
Following that absurd half-court three…
Shirogane whispered:
"As long as Nijimura and Akihito are on the court, there's no outcome other than a championship."
"This isn't confidence."
"It's certainty."
Swish!
The buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the first quarter.
And the score froze at a jaw-dropping,
44–0.
End of chapter...
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