Kanagawa Gymnasium.
Shohoku vs. Kainan—today's match court.
Right now, the stands were packed to the brim. Heads filled every row, the scene was bustling and grand.
Players from basketball clubs across various schools, along with journalists from every major sports outlet, were already seated, eagerly awaiting the match between these two teams.
It was hard to believe this was only a prefectural qualifier, not even the nationals, and yet it had drawn such a massive crowd.
Teams who had already been eliminated also made their way here.
They all wanted to witness whether Shohoku could pull off a miracle and drag Kainan off their throne—or if Kainan would continue their undefeated legend.
In Kainan's locker room.
The atmosphere was tense—silent, like the dead stillness before a storm.
Maki Shinichi sat calmly on the bench, shirtless, his defined muscles glistening under the light with a fine sheen of sweat, as if he'd just emerged from water.
A white towel rested loosely over his head, but it couldn't hide the visible steam rising off him—like it came not from his body, but from deep within his soul.
He sat there in silence, yet a terrifying aura surrounded him. Like a beast crouched in the shadows, ready to pounce. Just the pressure he gave off made others shiver.
The rest of Kainan's team kept glancing in his direction.
Each glance made them gulp, their throats dry.
They knew what this meant. Their captain had gone all-in on this match. The intensity coming from him was too overwhelming, too crushing.
"I've never seen Maki-san like this… it's scary," Kiyota Nobunaga muttered. His eyes were wide with shock as he stared at Maki, his voice trembling.
Jin Soichiro stood nearby, his expression grim. "Maki never underestimates any opponent. Especially not Shohoku today. I bet their number 9 gave Maki a lot to think about."
At those words, Kiyota straightened the headband on his forehead with a firm tug, trying to psych himself up. His eyes turned sharp like a hawk as he shouted, "I'll take Shohoku down! The strongest rookie in Kanagawa is me, Kiyota Nobunaga!"
Coach Takato Riki stood off to the side, watching his players with a satisfied look. He nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "Good. Shohoku making it this far was unexpected for most. But don't forget—we are still the kings of Kanagawa."
"Ohhh!" Kainan's players responded in unison. Their voices thundered, echoing through the narrow locker room like a battering ram.
…
Shohoku locker room.
Akagi Takenori stood tall in front of everyone. His expression was more serious than ever, but his voice was calm. "Do you think Kainan is untouchable? Do you think their strength is far beyond ours?"
He paused. His eyes swept across every player's face. Then he continued, "If we go by past results, then yes. The gap between us and Kainan has been like heaven and earth. But the Shohoku now isn't the Shohoku of the past. We've earned the right to stand before them. Every day I've dreamed of this—challenging the kings of Kanagawa for a spot in the national tournament."
As his words ended, Akagi roared, "Beat Kainan! We must win!"
"Ohhh!" The Shohoku team shouted in unison, their blood boiling. The cry nearly shook the locker room ceiling.
Hohohoho…
Coach Anzai Mitsuyoshi looked at his fired-up team with pride. He nodded, full of satisfaction.
Ayako glanced at her watch, her expression slightly anxious and helpless. She whispered, "Thirteen minutes till the match starts… I wonder if Kanon and the others will make it in time."
…
Back at the court, the crowd was starting to stir.
Every well-known school and team in Kanagawa had gathered one by one.
Miuradai, Tsukubu, Shoyo, Takezono, Ryonan, Takezato… nearly every basketball club from the region was present.
It was like a school-wide festival had come together.
All eyes were locked on center court. Everyone strained their necks, full of anticipation.
Time ticked by slowly. Every passing second felt like it was crawling across their hearts.
Soon, the final 10-minute countdown began.
Bang…
Bang…
The sound of two iron doors swinging open echoed across the arena.
Everyone's gaze, like pulled by an invisible hand, turned toward the two player tunnel entrances.
In the blink of an eye, players from both Shohoku and Kainan stepped onto the court one after the other.
Boom...
In that instant, the atmosphere in the gymnasium exploded—like cold water thrown into boiling oil. It erupted.
The crowd's roaring cheers and shouting blended into waves of sound, crashing endlessly toward the players from both teams.
As the Shohoku and Kainan players exited the tunnel, they were instantly engulfed by a wave of heat. The fans' enthusiasm was overwhelming—enough to drown them.
Both teams strode confidently to center court. They stood across from each other, eyes locked.
The air was thick with tension. Sparks could ignite at any second.
Kiyota Nobunaga lit up the moment he saw the Shohoku squad. Like someone injected with pure adrenaline, he stepped forward a few paces and stood before them.
With a smug grin, he pointed at the Shohoku team and burst out laughing. "Hahaha! This year's Kainan is the strongest! Do you know why?"
The Shohoku players all rolled their eyes. They stared back at him coldly like he was some annoying fly. No one responded.
Kiyota, unfazed, just got more hyped.
He puffed out his chest, hands on hips, posing like some invincible hero. "It's because this year, Kainan has me! Kiyota Nobunaga—the super rookie! Hahaha!"
The Shohoku team now all had black lines on their faces, looking at Kiyota like he was a complete idiot.
Akagi Takenori: "Kiyota Nobunaga… what a smug name."
Mitsui Hisashi: "How is there someone this shameless?"
Miyagi Ryota: "Just like the scouting report said—arrogant little punk."
Sakuragi Hanamichi: "Why does this guy act like a wild monkey? Jumping around like that—so annoying!"
Rukawa Kaede: "Big idiot."
...
Hm?
Suddenly, Kiyota seemed to notice something. He scanned the Shohoku players, then asked in confusion, "Huh? Where's your number 9? I don't see him."
Kogure Kiminobu adjusted his glasses and calmly replied, "Aoi is running late. He should be arriving soon."
Late?
Kiyota was stunned, then looked a little offended. "That guy dares show up late against us? He really doesn't take us seriously, huh?"
The rest of the Kainan players had heard Kogure too.
Their reactions varied. Some thought Aoi Kunisaku being late was a stroke of luck. Some saw it as a golden opportunity. Others took it as blatant disrespect.
Meanwhile, on the street in front of the gymnasium plaza…
A car sped down the road and came to a hard stop by the sidewalk.
The door swung open, and Shimizu Kanon quickly pulled Aoi Kunisaku out.
She immediately turned to the car and bowed deeply. "Thank you for the ride. The game's about to start, so I'll take Aoi and head in now."
From inside the car, Aida Yayoi called out to stop her. "Wait a second—this isn't the Shohoku vs. Kainan gym."
Just about to dash off dragging Aoi, Shimizu froze like someone cast a spell on her. She turned back, puzzled. "What?"
Aida Yayoi gave an apologetic smile and explained, "This is the gym for the Ryonan vs. Takezato match."
"What?! How can that be?" Shimizu's face went blank. Her mind froze. She had no idea what to do.
Aida Yayoi got out of the car, still smiling brightly, and suggested, "Well, since you're already late, you probably can't get subbed in right away anyway. We're passing through here, so how about watching Ryonan vs. Takezato for now?"
"Ah? But…" Shimizu's mind was a mess. She didn't know how to respond.
She was starting to seriously suspect this big-sister-looking lady might be trying to kidnap her and Aoi.
Aoi, on the other hand, looked totally chill. He shrugged. "Well, we're already here. Might as well check it out."
"But…" Shimizu wanted to argue.
Aoi cut her off. "There's no other way right now, right?"
Hearing that, Shimizu could only sigh in resignation. "Fine…"
Still, she quickly sent a message to Ayako explaining the situation.