151:57.
Aside from the first-years getting roughed up a bit in the second half by some underhanded tactics, Teiko Middle School cruised to an effortless victory over Kirisaki Daiichi.
And soon after
They were up for their second match in the group stage.
Their next opponent: a rising new contender on the national stage, one that Shigure hadn't faced last year.
As expected
153:45.
By the end of Day 1's group matches, Teiko had racked up two massive wins, both with nearly 100-point margins. They officially secured their place in the elimination round set for tomorrow.
Meanwhile, Kirisaki Daiichi, despite the absence of two of their star players—Hanamiya Makoto and No.11—managed to barely scrape by with a five-point win after fielding an entirely third-year lineup. No one knew exactly what happened within the team, but they pushed through, advancing as the group's second seed.
And then
The elimination round draw.
This tournament featured only 24 elite schools. With eight teams eliminated on Day 1 after two rounds of games, the remaining matches were inevitably set to be powerhouse clashes. No such thing as a "lucky bracket."
In other words
Even though Kirisaki Daiichi landed in a different bracket than Teiko, their first elimination match would be against Yōsen High—a team that also boasted one of the Five Generals.
That team's ace?
The "Thunder Beast," Hayama Kotarō.
What was shaping up to be a clash between two of the Five Generals was thrown off course, all because of one person—Shigure Akihito.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the bracket
According to Teiko's match schedule
Their first opponent was:
Ibu Middle School.
The team led by "Mighty Strength" Nebuya Eikichi.
Assuming they win against Ibu, their next opponent—played the same day—would be the winner of the match right next to theirs:
Senzan Middle vs. Shōei Middle.
"Yasha" Reo Mibuchi vs. "Iron Will" Teppei Kiyoshi.
The victor of that match would meet Teiko in the quarterfinals.
Just like that
The second day of the Nationals arrived.
For the players, nothing changed—two matches a day, back-to-back. But for the spectators, with eight teams out, there were fewer matches being played simultaneously. It made for a more focused viewing experience, allowing fans to follow key teams more closely.
So when Shigure Akihito, Fukaya Reiji, and Midorima Shintarō arrived in the stands, the audience's attention was locked on one particular game.
On the court
Senzan vs. Shōei.
Just under four minutes into the first quarter.
13:8.
"Senpai…"
"Are you sure this is okay?"
"I mean, our match with Ibu Middle is in just an hour."
Midorima voiced his concern, but his eyes never left the court. They were fixed intently on Reo Mibuchi, revealing how empty his words really were.
"It's fine," Shigure replied, unconcerned. "That guy, Nebuya Eikichi—his head's probably filled with nothing but muscles right now. Just like Murasakibara—no real technique to speak of. But when it comes to raw strength, he's definitely got something going for him."
"One's talent is forged, the other's is innate"
"A perfect matchup"
"We'll just have Atsushi test him out a bit"
Shigure turned to glance at Midorima, who sat stiff and tense. He couldn't help but chuckle.
"As for you… watch closely. You both specialize in three-pointers, but to be honest, Reo Mibuchi is still ahead of you right now."
"Pay attention to the threat posed by variation…"
"Midorima."
"You always look down on scoring methods like dunks and drives, but honestly, your straight-line, no-frills three-point shot…"
"…isn't all that different from a brute-force dunk."
At that, Midorima frowned slightly.
Variation?
In his mind, Midorima pictured Shigure's ultra-deep range threes—nearly from half court.
Height.
Accuracy.
Distance.
To him, those were the three elements of the perfect three-point shot. As long as he could master all three, he would dominate the court—just like the Twin Stars, his senpai.
If he couldn't reach that level
Then he'd never stand on equal footing with them.
And as for "variation"…
That just meant
He still wasn't shooting high enough, accurate enough, or far enough.
Nearby, Fukaya Reiji quietly observed Midorima. He could tell—Midorima's obsession with his own brand of three-pointers ran deep. It was hard to say whether that was right or wrong.
After all
He used to be just like that.
But the difference between them
Was in their raw potential.
"To hone something to perfection is fine," Reiji said, "but with your talent—even if you added variation, it wouldn't shake your direction or potential."
"Midorima."
"When it comes to three-pointers, variation is just another form of threat. And that's never a bad thing."
"Your belief in the shot you've perfected—will only become stronger."
"Don't get too stubborn."
"Getting stronger…"
"That's what matters most."
Midorima hesitated for a moment.
Then, he adjusted his glasses.
"…Understood, senpai."
Shigure blinked. "Huh?"
Then sighed with a smirk. "So in the end, Reiji's the one you listen to."
Reiji just shook his head, saying nothing.
He knew exactly why—probably because he had once challenged Shigure right before Nationals. Midorima had nothing but respect for him.
But toward Shigure…
Midorima saw him as a rival.
On the other side
Hearing Shigure's teasing, Midorima kept his silence, looking serious as ever.
No one replied.
The silence grew a little awkward.
Even though Midorima didn't glance over, Shigure could tell—he was definitely watching him from the corner of his eye.
So he raised a brow at him.
Sure enough
Midorima's frown deepened just slightly.
Heh
Tsundere.
Turning back to the court
The players of Shōei, dressed in pale blue and white uniforms, appeared to be a typical mix of second and third years.
Their offense revolved around Kiyoshi, but their overall play leaned defensive.
In terms of height—given that Teiko's point guard was Akashi Seijūrō—they might actually be taller on average.
This all stemmed from Okayama. Ever since that team, many others had started favoring big lineups.
The reason?
Teiko's Twin Star model—was impossible to replicate.
Okayama's approach, though—a monster player plus a bunch of tall, technically solid, tactically smart teammates—actually worked pretty well against Teiko.
Honestly…
It was much easier to pull off.
Although Hagioka Kasayuki…
Was in a league of his own in terms of absurdity…
From what was playing out on court, the players from Shōei were certainly tall—most over 180 cm, several above 185—but they clearly lacked the speed of Okayama or Teiko.
Of course
Except for Teppei Kiyoshi.
On Senzan's current offensive possession
The one temporarily guarding the point guard in Kiyoshi's place, No.6 of Shōei, looked visibly tense.
"Damn…"
"He's fast!"
The shooting guard muttered under his breath.
They were fully aware of the drawbacks of a tall lineup. But with someone like Teppei Kiyoshi on their side, the height advantage outweighed the risks.
So they stuck with it
And focused on minimizing the weaknesses.
Like now—defensively, they were using their most practiced and reliable formation:
Zone Defense.
Each player guarded a designated area, working in tight coordination to form an impenetrable wall.
Kiyoshi, as point guard, used his unique mix of size and agility to lock down the opposing ace one-on-one.
"Everyone! Stay sharp—keep those defensive links tight!"
On Senzan's side
Faced with the dense zone defense
Their point guard couldn't find a gap.
In the end, they defaulted to the tried-and-true:
Pass to the team's ace—Reo Mibuchi.
Whoosh
Pass complete!
Reo darted into position
Catch
Sky Shot!
"Not happening!"
Teppei Kiyoshi lunged forward to contest!
Shigure hadn't expected to catch this match-up so soon—Kiyoshi vs. Mibuchi, right from the start.
Standing close to 185 cm, Kiyoshi had the prototypical height for a middle school center. But what truly stood out wasn't just his size
It was his ridiculously long arms and massive hands.
Those hands
Were absurdly large.
This gave him the reach to effectively contest Reo's high-arcing Sky Shot—even though his vertical leap wasn't as explosive as Shigure's.
Not surprising though—at the peak of a jump, you still can't out-reach someone with freakish standing reach.
Clang!
No block, but the shot was clearly affected. The ball clipped the rim and bounced away—hard.
Almost reached the free-throw line.
Then, in the next instant
From near the three-point line
Teppei Kiyoshi made a huge pivot!
Single-handed grab!
Like palming a medicine ball
He reached above the crowd and snatched it!
Shigure: "…"
Clearly
That wasn't Vise Claw just yet.
That rebound…
Only looked like one because of the soft bounce and reduced ball speed. But in terms of visual impact
It was just as impressive.
End of chapter...
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