The summer sun lit up all of Kanagawa. It also illuminated a quiet corner hidden in the bustle of the city.
Aoi Kunisaku's family villa stood proudly in one of the most luxurious residential districts in Kanagawa.
This neighborhood radiated prestige and wealth. It was a symbol of status and affluence, something most people could only envy from afar.
"Saku-chan, hurry up! We're gonna be late!" came a sharp voice from outside Aoi Kunisaku's bedroom door.
Inside, Aoi Kunisaku looked half-asleep. His eyelids drooped, and he wore the expression of someone who clearly hadn't woken up yet.
He fumbled around, stuffing a messy pile of shirts and pants into his backpack. Along with them, he casually tossed in a few flashy magazines—bikini covers and all—without a second thought.
Today was the day the Shohoku basketball team was heading out for the national tournament.
To make sure Aoi Kunisaku didn't oversleep, Shimizu Kanon had rushed over early in the morning.
His parents were already used to her barging in like this. The two of them had grown up together and had always interacted like this.
Aoi's parents adored Shimizu Kanon. Seeing the two kids always stuck together made them genuinely happy. Naturally, they were very supportive.
After a bit, Aoi Kunisaku came out of his room.
Shimizu Kanon spotted him immediately. She rushed over, grabbed his arm, and dragged him downstairs, mumbling as she went, "Jeez, just look at you. You're a total mess. I made you breakfast already. Go wash up, eat, and then we gotta meet up with the others."
Aoi Kunisaku scratched his head, clearly annoyed. He muttered, "Yeah yeah, I know. But why do we have to go with them? We could just go by ourselves."
"No way! That's totally antisocial," Shimizu Kanon replied firmly, not leaving any room for argument.
Meanwhile, Aoi's parents were watching from a distance, peeking from a corner with indulgent smiles like doting aunts, as if they could already see the kids' future together.
After a full meal, Aoi Kunisaku and Shimizu Kanon finally headed out.
They made their way to the bus stop and got on a bus headed toward Shohoku High School.
…
Seated on the bus, Aoi Kunisaku quietly pulled up his personal status screen.
[Name: Aoi Kunisaku]
[Age: 16]
[Height: 192 cm]
[Weight: 85 kg]
[Player Template: Aomine Daiki (100%)]
[Talent Abilities: Super High-Speed Dribble (Awakened), Formless Shot (Awakened)]
[Wild Instinct: Black Panther (Awakened)]
[Zone (Awakened)]
…
Ever since the last time, Aoi Kunisaku had been thrilled to find that the system's template fusion had reached 100%.
The long-awaited Zone state had finally fully awakened. It felt like a sleeping beast had roared back to life, unleashing unlimited power.
This sudden change swept over him like a storm, transforming him inside and out.
At first, Aoi Kunisaku had been worried. He feared that once the fusion was complete, he'd be overtaken—becoming a second Aomine Daiki and losing himself.
But now, he didn't feel any real changes.
If he had to point something out, maybe it was his attitude toward basketball—an invincible mindset.
Now, he truly understood what it meant to have unmatched strength. What it meant to be truly unbeatable.
Only now could he grasp the meaning behind Aomine Daiki's words: "The only one who can beat me is me."
That wasn't just ego. It carried the deep hope of finally meeting someone who could match him.
Looked at another way, that "me" wasn't just Aomine. It meant anyone who could also enter the Zone and had equal power.
For Aoi Kunisaku, this really was a new beginning.
"The only one who can beat me… is me." Aoi Kunisaku muttered to himself, deep in thought.
"Huh?" Shimizu Kanon, sharp-eared as ever, caught his whisper and asked curiously.
Aoi Kunisaku snapped out of it, startled. A hint of surprise crossed his face, but he quickly shook his head and brushed it off. "Nothing."
Even he didn't understand how the thought in his head had slipped out of his mouth like that.
Hmm?
Shimizu Kanon stared at him, eyes narrowing with suspicion.
She didn't say anything, but inside she was mumbling to herself, "Nope. Something's off. I swear I heard him say, 'The only one who can beat me is me.' Since when did Saku-chan get so full of himself?"
…
The bus sped along and soon arrived near Shohoku High School.
By the time the two reached the school gates, the Shohoku basketball team was already gathered there.
Seeing them arrive, Ayako gave a warm smile. She glanced at her watch and teased, "Hey! Not bad! You're actually on time this time. That deserves some praise!"
Tch...
Aoi Kunisaku curled his lip and turned his head with a dismissive snort.
Shimizu Kanon adjusted her chest, slightly puffing with pride. "Today's a big day for all of us. We're heading to the national tournament together, and I made sure to wake Saku-chan up early."
As soon as she said that, everyone's gaze immediately shot toward them.
Miyagi Ryota's eyes gleamed as he asked with a bit of suspicion, "You two aren't… living together, are you?"
He shot a sneaky glance at Ayako, silently grumbling to himself, Damn it, that lucky bastard...
Shimizu Kanon's face turned bright red. She waved her hands frantically. "No way! We don't live together! We're neighbors, that's all. I just stop by to wake him up sometimes because we live really close."
"Sometimes..." Ayako smirked, drawing out the word deliberately.
That made Shimizu Kanon's face flush even deeper. She stomped her foot, whining, "Ayako-senpai, stop it!"
"Aww, don't be shy!" Ayako chuckled, nudging her with an elbow.
As the mood grew more awkward, Kogure Kiminobu quickly stepped in to break the tension. Raising his voice, he said, "Alright, alright. We can talk more on the bus. It's about time—let's get moving."
Without wasting time, everyone boarded the bus one by one.
They had about a 2-hour bus ride to Shin-Yokohama Station for a train transfer.
From there, they'd board the train heading to the site of this year's national tournament—Hiroshima.
…
On the train.
Inside the carriage, Kogure Kiminobu suddenly turned to Akagi Takenori with a look of envy. "Akagi, I heard from Haruko that you got scouted by Shintai University. Is that true?"
The moment he said it, all eyes turned toward Akagi Takenori.
Akagi's face was calm. He gave a small nod. "It's just an invitation."
"Just an invitation?" Kogure nearly lost his balance. "That's Shintai University! The top-ranked sports university in the country. I'm so jealous."
Mitsui Hisashi gave Akagi a bitter, jealous look and muttered, "Damn it. They scouted you but not me? Why?!"
Meanwhile, Miyagi Ryota quietly glanced at Ayako nearby, feeling secretly relieved. Good thing Ayako's in the same year as me… she's not graduating yet.
Akagi cleared his throat and said seriously, "Alright, enough. That's all stuff for later. Right now, our goal is the national tournament."
As his voice trailed off, his thoughts drifted back to a week ago.
Akagi family home.
In the living room, Akagi Takenori sat on the sofa. Across from him sat two figures—one middle-aged, the other young.
The older man wore glasses, had a round face and medium build. His hair was slicked back neatly, and he wore a sharp suit. Calm and competent.
His name was Karasawa Kazuo. He was the coach of Shintai University' basketball team.
The younger man also wore glasses, but his face was softer and more refined—polished and scholarly.
His name was Sugiyama Shota, the center for Shinzawa University's basketball team.
Karasawa Kazuo said, "Akagi-kun, there were several great centers in this year's Kanagawa prelims. Takasago Kazuma from Kainan, Hanagata Toru from Shoyo, and Uozumi Jun from Ryonan. But among them… you're the one I rated the highest."
Sugiyama Shota added, "I also made it to the nationals in my third year. Same as you. Back then, we were also a one-man team. But we still made it into the top eight."
Karasawa Kazuo nodded. "So the rest of our team can accept it, I want to see you get results at nationals. We're not here to pressure you but... Akagi-kun, aim for the top 8."
…
The memory faded.
Determination flashed in Akagi Takenori's eyes.
He silently vowed that in the national tournament, he would bet everything he had.
"What the hell?!"
A sharp voice suddenly cut through the quiet train car like a stone breaking the surface of a still lake. It instantly drew everyone's attention.
All eyes turned in unison to see Kogure Kiminobu, Yasuda Yasuharu, and Shiozaki Tetsushi staring wide-eyed at a basketball magazine. Their faces were filled with shock, like they'd just seen something unbelievable.
"What is it?" Akagi Takenori furrowed his brow and asked.
Kogure didn't answer. He just silently opened the magazine and showed everyone the page.
Their eyes instinctively locked onto the open spread.
On that page was the full bracket schedule for the national tournament.
Everyone followed the line of Kogure's finger.
After a long silence…
Hissss...
All at once, they inhaled sharply.
Their expressions twisted in a mix of emotions—shock, worry, disbelief, surprise, confusion… and more…