Everyone had arrived, and the draw ceremony began immediately.
The team representatives weren't the ones performing the draw; they were only there as witnesses.
The Winter Cup knockout stage was divided into two halves. Kirisaki Daiichi and Rakuzan, as the national champion and runner-up, were automatically placed into different brackets.
On a tactical board, the nameplates of Kirisaki Daiichi and Rakuzan were already positioned at the top spots of each half.
Then, in front of all the participants, an official reached into a sealed box, fumbled around for a while, and finally pulled out a team's nameplate.
The main goal of the Winter Cup was talent selection. Results mattered, but they weren't absolutely crucial. Even if a team was eliminated in the first round, talented players still had opportunities to be scouted and nurtured, similar to the U17 camp in Prince of Tennis—anyone with talent was given a chance, and only afterward was there elimination.
Hence, aside from Kirisaki Daiichi and Rakuzan, all other teams' positions were determined purely by lottery.
Shockingly, this resulted in three teams from the same region landing in the same half of the bracket.
Under everyone's astonished gaze:
Shūtoku and Seirin were both drawn into Kirisaki Daiichi's bracket!
"This…"
Aida Riko felt numb. What kind of terrible luck was this?
They had just fought desperately to break out from the brutal Tokyo qualifiers—now, they'd face the same teams all over again?
Was this just a repeat of the regional qualifiers?!
Looking at the schedule, Riko saw that if Seirin advanced, they'd face Kirisaki Daiichi by the second round.
Since the number of teams was uneven, after the first round, there'd be 25 teams left. Thus, from that point on, some teams would automatically advance to the Round of 16 due to byes. (This arrangement followed the original manga; it wasn't her doing.)
Regardless of whether Seirin got lucky with a bye, they'd inevitably face either Kirisaki Daiichi or Shūtoku by the quarterfinals.
Why?
Because Shūtoku had drawn Kirisaki Daiichi in the first round. Their fate would be decided immediately.
Of course, this was assuming Seirin survived that far.
Before reaching the quarterfinals, even if Seirin won their first match, they'd immediately face Yōsen in the second round.
When the full bracket was revealed, the room erupted in shock.
Nobody expected the Winter Cup to start so explosively:
Kirisaki Daiichi vs. Shūtoku, and Yōsen vs. Seirin.
"It appears luck isn't on your side," Akashi shook his head slightly upon seeing the bracket.
"You should be saying that to Midorima," Tendou replied confidently as usual, unfazed by any opponent.
This year, Kirisaki Daiichi was determined to win the Winter Cup.
The ceremony quickly concluded.
Representatives from all regions left the meeting room wearing various expressions.
Aida Riko walked away heavily burdened.
This schedule was nothing short of nightmarish for Seirin.
Their half of the bracket alone contained three Generation-of-Miracles-level teams.
The only good news was that either Shūtoku or Kirisaki Daiichi would be eliminated right from the first round. Thus, if Seirin could overcome Yōsen and subsequently the winner of Kirisaki Daiichi vs. Shūtoku, they'd advance to the finals.
At this point, Riko had stopped worrying about any teams not related to the Generation of Miracles. She finally had that level of confidence.
"See you at the Winter Cup, Tendou."
Ōtsubo Taisuke had represented Shūtoku today. Seeing the bracket, he was already prepared for an all-out war.
"Yeah, see you there."
Neither side exchanged further pleasantries. Despite having trained together and being on friendly terms, they were now enemies. There was no need for false courtesy.
As Tendou was leaving with Haizaki, Akashi approached.
"I'd like to talk privately," Akashi said sincerely to Haizaki, completely free of his previous arrogance.
Haizaki stared at him. Seeing Akashi's genuine attitude, he agreed and walked off to the side with him.
Tendou didn't follow, instead going to a nearby vending machine to buy water, waiting quietly.
About ten minutes later, Haizaki returned alongside Akashi.
Haizaki wore an oddly complicated expression, unable to fully articulate his feelings.
Akashi had actually bowed his head and apologized.
What was this?
He had planned to get revenge on Akashi, yet Akashi had preemptively and sincerely apologized.
"You can accept the apology, but revenge is still revenge," Tendou noted Haizaki's hesitation, reminding him to stay true to his original feelings.
"You knew this would happen?" Haizaki asked, slightly annoyed.
"It was easy enough to guess. Let's head back."
Haizaki clicked his tongue in irritation.
Tendou was right—accepting the apology was one thing, but settling scores on the court was another.
Akashi's apology could at most erase past personal grudges, but the defeat at the Nationals was still unresolved.
Until he defeated Akashi on the court, this issue wouldn't truly be settled!
...
"What?! We're playing Yōsen in the second round, and then Kirisaki Daiichi or Shūtoku in the third?"
When Riko brought the news back to the basketball club, everyone exploded immediately.
"What kind of rotten luck is this? Three teams from Tokyo in the same bracket?" Hyūga Junpei was utterly speechless at their horrible draw.
What bothered them most was that they'd ended up in Kirisaki Daiichi's bracket.
This team had brought them too many painful memories.
Before Tendou arrived, they were repeatedly bullied by the bad-boy squad, nearly causing Seirin's basketball team to disband. After Tendou joined, the entire team had almost been destroyed.
"This isn't all bad," Kiyoshi Teppei spoke optimistically. "Kagami must be eager to challenge Tendou again, right?"
Kagami, previously anxious, suddenly felt motivated hearing this.
"You're right—this schedule couldn't be better!"
Fired up, Kagami swore he would avenge their Nationals defeat. After consecutive impressive performances against Tōō and Shūtoku, Seirin's confidence was sky-high, ready to challenge Kirisaki Daiichi once more.
"I appreciate your confidence, but don't forget: if we want to reach Kirisaki Daiichi, we first have to overcome Yōsen," Riko reminded them soberly.
She wasn't nearly as optimistic. Yōsen's strength had clearly been displayed at Nationals: the three towering big men plus Himuro Tatsuya's dangerous perimeter play. Riko was momentarily at a loss.
Hearing the name "Yōsen," Kagami instinctively recalled memories of his childhood.
He had run away once. This time, he decided to face it head-on.
Because there was someone else he wanted to defeat even more.
The towering image of Tendou appeared once again in Kagami's mind.
"This time, I won't hold back, Tendou!"
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