Evening.
After club training, inside Aida Kagetora's gym…
Akashi Asuka lazily floated in the pool. His membership allowed unlimited pool use for a year, and in spring, he hadn't come often. But now, with summer in full swing, he felt that skipping even a single day here would be a loss.
"Sure enough… in the match against Tōō Academy, you didn't even use your full strength," a familiar voice called out from nearby.
Akashi didn't even turn his head. "Aida-san… haven't you been coming to the gym a little too often lately?"
Though the gym belonged to Aida Riko's father, she usually only visited occasionally to help out. Before, seeing her once a week was considered lucky for Akashi. But these past few days… nearly every time he came, she was there. Even Akashi didn't believe it was a coincidence.
"Thanks to your Seiho team, none of our players have any motivation to train after the match today," Riko said, glaring fiercely at Akashi.
She was growing more and more frustrated. Partly because they lost. But also because she realized how completely she'd been manipulated by this annoying guy.
He had constantly claimed he was just a normal rookie, tricking Riko into believing that, apart from athleticism, he was a beginner in basketball. But in the match, that so-called "rookie" had crushed Seirin without mercy. Just thinking about it made her angry.
"You not training isn't my problem. Seiho didn't even beat you by double points; if there's a problem, it's with Tōō Academy!"
She couldn't argue with that, the facts spoke for themselves. Although losing to Seiho stung, it was only a disappointment, nothing more.
Even for Kuroko, the match against Seiho wasn't entirely disheartening. Despite the loss, there was a faint sense of joy. For someone like the "phantom sixth man," who is ignored nearly every day of the year, encountering a team that values him so highly was a rare experience.
But the match against Tōō Academy was entirely different. That battle showed the stark reality of skill differences, and Aomine had completely shattered Kuroko's basketball.
It was a collapse of faith, a mental blow far stronger than the pain of losing a match.
============
"By the way… you still haven't answered my question," Riko reminded, snapping Akashi back to reality.
Stretching lazily, he replied, "Question? Oh, you mean why Seiho lost to Tōō Academy? Isn't that obvious? Aomine is the ace of the 'Generation of Miracles'!"
Riko glared. "Stop lying. Don't even try to fool me this time."
Watching Akashi's body in the water, Riko's eyes traced a series of data points. From these, she could confirm: in the match against Tōō Academy, Akashi had absolutely not used his true strength.
"If you want to feign weakness, you miscalculated, Tōō Academy's manager isn't that easy to fool…"
Akashi rolled onto his back, resting his hands on the edge of the pool. "Heh. Don't overthink it. I'm not trying to fool anyone this time. I just want to see if I can win the next matches a little more easily."
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Player Profile: Akashi Asuka
Height: 205.9 cm
Weight: 111.2 kg
Finishing: Drive Layup 71, Drive Dunk 75, Under-the-Basket Finishing 83
Shooting: Close 76, Mid 70, Three-point 85
Ball Handling: Passing 82, Dribbling 80
Defense: Lateral Speed 81, Steal 65, Block 87, Rebound 85
Physique: Speed 81, Strength 88, Jumping 81, Stamina 85
Reaction: Reflexes 85, Agility 84
Innate Skills: Brutality (Materialization 99%), Clear Mind (Materialization 99%), Tai Chi Cloud Hand (27%)
Skills: Fadeaway Jumper 83, Positioning – Unmoving Mountain 86, Ultra-wide Defense 85
Grind Points: 0
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"Finally… it's about to be complete. There's still time."
With about three days remaining before the Summer Nationals, Akashi had maximized every attribute he could train. His physical improvements allowed him to defend the entire three-point range.
Most importantly, after prolonged adaptation, his Brutal and Clear Mind innate skills were almost fully materialized. At this rate, they should complete before nationals without issue.
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The next day.
All Seiho basketball club members gathered at the station, ready to depart for the beach, beginning their three-day, two-night training camp.
This camp would be their final adjustment before nationals. Unlike previous grueling training, this camp prioritized relaxing the players' minds, with physical conditioning secondary.
Training camps outside school usually start in high school. Junior high and elementary students rarely travel, so this was the first time for some freshmen. Naturally, they were excited, everyone except Akashi.
After all, in his previous world, he had attended countless training camps of this type.
However, upon arriving at the site, the freshmen's faces instantly fell.
"This is awful!!"
The building before them was a shabby old inn, clearly older than their parents. Compared to the luxurious lodgings in other areas, this one looked barely habitable.
"No way… people can really stay here?"
Omuro Yoshikasu shouted angrily, "Shut up! This inn is the dedicated training spot for the 'Tokyo Three Kings' every year. You freshmen should appreciate being here…"
Before he could finish, another shout cut through the air.
"Shut up! You guys… what the, "
"Huh?!"
"What?!"
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