"Uh~~ what's wrong with you two?"
The next morning, when Kiyoshi Teppei and Hyuga Junpei appeared on the court with bright red handprints across their faces, the Rakuzan players were utterly dumbfounded.
The Seirin players, however, seemed calm. One casually said, "Nothing much, just a bit of… loving guidance."
Mibuchi Reo's mouth twitched. "Wow, Seirin's 'love' is pretty heavy-handed!"
·····
"That side seems pretty lively!"
Kise Ryouta glanced toward the direction of Seirin and Rakuzan from Court C, separate from Court A, and spoke up.
"Well~ anyone seeing those two would find it hard not to notice!"
Akashi Asuka's eyelid twitched as he replied.
Before this morning's match, Seiho and Seirin had already crossed paths once. Honestly, it was the first time Akashi was grateful he hadn't joined the main protagonist group.
After all, dealing with such a fiery female coach? He wasn't cut out for it.
"Whatever. I'm a little curious what happened over there, but obviously, it's not my business now."
Kise scratched his head, then looked at Akashi. "By the way, though we've met off the court many times before, this is the first time we've met during a match."
Akashi nodded. "Indeed. I've been looking forward to this match as well."
While Seiho and Kaijo's star players chatted, the captains of both teams at the back were observing each other closely.
"No wonder they're the champions, but even in terms of presence, they surpass the previous Ryo team."
Yukio Kasamatsu stood in the center of his team, scrutinizing Seiho's players. The more he looked, the graver his expression became.
Though Kaijo had reviewed countless recordings of Seiho's matches before the game, assessing their skill level repeatedly, seeing them live made them realize they had underestimated Seiho.
Even before the game started, Seiho's mere presence on the court exuded an almost suffocating, flawless aura.
It felt as if they weren't facing a team, but a massive, fully welded iron wall.
"Is this what being the nation's best looks like?"
Kaijo's players felt their already heightened alertness climb even further.
BEEP~~~
"Players, take your positions!"
The referee's whistle sounded. Akashi Asuka and Kaijo's center, Kobori Koji, moved to the jump ball area.
Kobori, standing at 192 cm, wasn't particularly famous nationwide, and his playstyle seemed simple. On the surface, he looked like an ordinary player.
In reality, his basketball fundamentals were rock-solid, and his interior defense ranked among the nation's best.
Even during the Interhigh, facing Ryo's top-tier offense, he had repeatedly blocked their attacks, a quiet, nameless hero holding Kaijo's defense together.
Yet, standing opposite Akashi now, even a top-class center like Kobori felt his body tremble uncontrollably.
"Uwaa~~ is this guy really a high schooler? His aura is terrifying… I just want to run away…"
BEEP!
The referee's whistle sounded. The ball soared into the air, signaling the official start of the match.
"Ahhhhh~~!"
Kobori shouted, trying to psych himself up for the jump ball.
But it was useless. Both leapt simultaneously, and before Kobori could react, a shadow flashed. A massive hand stretched high above him, three to four dozen centimeters above his reach, snatching the opening jump ball with ease.
Kobori's eyes went wide with despair. This is hopeless…!
·····
"Ooooh~~~"
"And here we go, the match between Seiho and Kaijo has begun."
"Seiho wins the tip-off… well, not surprising. At this point, probably only Murasakibara could contest against their guy for height!"
"I hope Kaijo can hold on longer today! Don't end up like Shutoku yesterday, crushed by Seiho in the third quarter."
"Hey, hey~~ don't underestimate them! They're still the 'Generation of Miracles.'"
"Tch, 'Generation of Miracles' or not, they still get beaten to pieces. Don't forget, not only Seiho, even Seirin's has already defeated several 'Generation of Miracles.'"
Such chatter filled the stands. Though the "Generation of Miracles" had a big reputation in junior high basketball, half of it wasn't necessarily positive.
Some were due to Shogo Haizaki causing trouble in junior high, and some due to their overwhelming arrogance and unstable mindset as they developed.
The Shutoku and Yosen fans present heard it but paid little mind.
After all, as losers, they had no right to argue, and, in truth, what was being said wasn't entirely wrong.
Meanwhile, Seiho had already scored the first point of the match.
After securing the tip-off, Seiho launched a fast break, ending with a three-pointer from Akashi Asuka.
3:0
After the attack, Seiho turned to defend.
Yukio Kasamatsu rested his hands on his hips, watching Akashi's retreating figure. He sighed. "Impossible to defend. His three-point accuracy may be slightly lower than Midorima, but his offense might be even more unguardable."
Kise Ryouta nodded. "Ah~~ but we're no pushovers either. Let's show them our strength! Senpai!"
Kasamatsu said, "Exactly. Champion or Demon King, defeating us won't be easy."
With that, Kaijo immediately launched a counterattack.
Kasamatsu dribbled past midcourt, but Haruhi Ryuhei blocked him at the three-point line.
"Yo~~ long time no see, Kasamatsu!"
"Yeah! Long time no see, Haruhi! This might be our last encounter!"
"That's right, and this time, I won't lose."
"No, that line should be mine to say!"