"Oh~~ the game over there isn't finished yet?"
After discussing tactics for their next match in the locker room, Seiho's team made their way to the stands. At this moment, the Seirin vs. Tōō Academy game was still ongoing.
But even though the game wasn't officially over, the electronic scoreboard already read 110–58.
At first glance, Seiho's players were stunned.
"What?"
"110–58?! Seirin is nearly losing by double the points?!"
"I remember Aomine didn't even play in the first half! And just half a game later, they've already crushed Seirin like this? I knew from the footage that guy was scary… but seeing him live? Terrifying!"
Even during their match against Senshinkan, Seiho had noticed that Aomine hadn't appeared in the first half.
"Do we really stand a chance against that monster?"
"Who knows?"
Akashi Asuka casually leaned on the railing, speaking up.
Then he got kicked, by none other than Kasuga Ryuhei.
"Idiot! Even if you're gonna talk big, you better hold it together! Don't forget, you're our 'ace.' If you're not confident against Aomine, what are we even doing here?"
"Huh? Aren't we a team? Senpai, putting all this pressure on me, a rookie, is really okay?"
Kasuga Ryuhei: "Can't you have some pride? Look at the 'Generation of Miracles.' Every one of them believes they can win on their own. Can't you learn from that?"
…Wait, something feels wrong.
Kuroko Tetsuya spent three seasons teaching the Generation of Miracles how to play team basketball. Yet here, my teammate is telling me to do the exact opposite? Some things are only desirable when out of reach…
============
"After taking two consecutive hits, Seirin's probably about to collapse completely," Tsutomu Iwamura muttered while watching the game.
"Maybe even worse than we expected!"
Akashi continued, "When they played us, Seirin lost, but at least they resisted. Kuroko and Kagami were still effective. But against Tōō Academy… Aomine's ability completely surpasses Kagami's, and he counters Kuroko as well.
"When this match ends, the blow to Kuroko will probably exceed that of anyone else."
============
BEEP~~~
Three minutes later, the game officially ended.
120–60.
No comebacks. No reversals. Seirin suffered another crushing defeat, losing by double the points.
The blow to Seirin this time was even heavier than yesterday.
If Seiho had been a rock in the ocean, steady, unyielding, but at least allowing some resistance, Tōō Academy was a sharp, unstoppable spear.
Comparing knives and shields to long spears and small blades, the difference was painfully obvious.
"Alright, our turn."
Seeing Seirin's players leave the court, dazed and defeated, Seiho's team left the stands and headed toward the court.
Meanwhile, Tōō Academy used the twenty-minute break between games to discuss tactics for the next match.
"The next opponent is Seiho. From the footage you saw last night, there's no doubt this team is even tougher than Seirin."
"However, both Seiho and we have already secured spots in nationals, so we're not sure if they'll field their starters. If they send substitutes, we'll respond accordingly, but if they're going for the prelim championship, we'll go all out as well…"
Tōō Academy's coach, Katsunori Harasawa, addressed his players.
As Akashi Asuka predicted, Tōō Academy was actually looking forward to facing Seiho head-on in the prelims. Even if both sides revealed some strategies, with Satsuki Momoi on Tōō Academy, it wouldn't be a loss.
"One more thing, if Seiho fields their starters, there's one player we need to watch especially closely…"
BANG!
Before he could continue, the door was slammed open.
Everyone looked up to see Aomine Daiki, dressed in warm-up clothes, walking in with an excited expression.
"Aomine, just in time! Coach's explaining Seiho's intel, come listen!"
"No need!"
Aomine refused outright.
"But Seiho has a particularly dangerous player this year…"
"I know. That's exactly why I came. I haven't forgotten that middle school match, he was one of the few who could challenge me. Don't bother me in this next game; I'll take care of him myself."
Aomine's eyes gleamed with excitement. Over the years, he had searched tirelessly for a worthy opponent. Kagami had disappointed him in the last game.
All he wanted now was for Seiho to hold out a bit longer, for the match to be worth his effort…
============
Twenty minutes later, the final round of the preliminaries began.
This time, Akashi Asuka did not remain under the basket. As soon as the game started, he delivered a thunderous block on Aomine, a stark warning, showing Seiho's commitment to "full power."
Aomine, far from angry, only became more excited.
Then…
Seiho was utterly annihilated.
Final score: 108–61.
Not a double-score defeat, but Tōō Academy still won with near-crushing dominance.
Aomine Daiki even finished after only three quarters.
Watching Seiho's team leave the court in total defeat, Satsuki Momoi felt… not joy, but something off.
But reflecting on it, everything had gone according to plan. Seiho performed exactly as expected, strong, but predictable.
Akashi's skill reached "Uncrowned Five" level. The rest of Tōō Academy were nearly no match for him, but still far below Aomine.
This was normal. Even if Seiho had faced the Generation of Miracles in middle school, the gap between genius and ordinary players was natural.
And Aomine had been the ace of his team even back then.
Though only months had passed since that middle school tournament, such a gap was expected.
Akashi's growth to this level alone was remarkable.
Yet… somehow, everything was going too smoothly.
=============
108+ Advance Chapters Available on Patreon.com/Veltoria
100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
Add to Library to support