Unknowingly, perhaps influenced by the overwhelming aura of Aomine and Haizaki, Shigure Akihito—who at first only intended to "spar" and polish his skills—was now truly serious.
Because of that, after Haizaki was forced off the court, the lone Aomine suffered even more. Yet, unlike Haizaki Shōgo, who was like a ravenous wolf, Aomine's exhausted expression showed something else: he was actually enjoying it.
And so, just as agreed, Shigure Akihito played on until Aomine could no longer continue.
Standing before him, Aomine Daiki's legs were trembling, his first-year stamina completely drained. Shigure chuckled, "That ended a little sooner than I expected."
"The match is decided."
"Aomine."
Aomine blinked in surprise.
"Eh?"
"One more play, senpai!"
His words made coach Shirogane raise his eyebrows in the stands. Though it felt entirely different, the scene immediately brought back another unforgettable memory—of Nijimura before he joined Teiko officially.
Back then, even after losing again and again to older high school players on the outdoor courts, Nijimura would always return at the same time each night.
"One more play!"
"One more play!"
"One more play!"
No matter how many times he was beaten down, until he achieved victory he never wavered, never gave up. Combined with his talent and tenacity, he inevitably won.
It was that relentless drive that once convinced Shirogane that Nijimura would become Teiko's brain—the one who would orchestrate the team like blood and oxygen flowing through a body.
But when Shigure joined, defeating Nijimura even at the entrance trials, everything changed from what Shirogane had imagined.
The outcome, however, was without doubt even better.
Rain.
Rainbow.
One person.
And another person.
When the two met, something miraculous happened. What Shirogane once believed to be Teiko's lifeblood had now been split into two, and that meeting was enough to change everything.
And now
That blood and oxygen of Teiko was unknowingly being passed to the next generation.
On court, Aomine's counterattacks, weakened by exhaustion, no longer satisfied Shigure. Yet seeing the excitement still blazing in Aomine's eyes, Shigure responded with everything he had.
"Your strength isn't enough to be called a 'Miracle' yet," Shigure said, ball in hand, breaking past Aomine's weakened defense with just an ordinary drive, his figure flashing by Aomine's side.
"But I can recognize one thing—you're someone who thrives under pressure, and that kind of personality finds the true joy of basketball."
…
Until the very end, neither Haizaki, who left due to injury, nor Aomine, who had collapsed from exhaustion, wavered in their resolve.
"Thank you for your guidance, senpai."
Aomine bent over, gasping heavily for breath. Only now, after the rush of adrenaline had faded, did he realize his throat had gone completely hoarse.
Next time… next time, I'll be even stronger!
"Go on, Haizaki. Thank our senpai."
Nijimura patted Haizaki's back.
Haizaki grumbled in frustration, "I know, stop nagging…"
But still, he walked onto the court.
It felt just like that time on Tenkyō's street courts, when he had crossed paths with the violent Nijimura and the monstrous Shigure. History was repeating itself.
When he finally stood before Shigure, Haizaki averted his eyes stubbornly and muttered, "Thank you for your guidance, senpai."
…
Half a month later.
For Kuroko Tetsuya, today was an important day.
He stood before the First Gymnasium for the first time.
"Eh?!"
"Wah!"
"Damn it, you scared me! When did you even show up? Wait—who are you looking for?"
"Nijimura-captain?"
"Captain, someone's here to see you!"
One of the first-string players clutched his chest after being startled.
Turning at the call, Nijimura Shuzo immediately spotted the boy with pale blue hair. Compared to the first time he met him, Kuroko's eyes now carried unmistakable determination.
"Kuroko Tetsuya, are you ready?"
Kuroko nodded firmly.
"Good. Then let's see it for ourselves."
At the side, Kurokami Shinji nudged his teammate Fukaya Reiji.
"So that's him? The so-called Third-String 'Ghost'?"
"Yeah. Though I heard he's in Second-String now."
"…He looks so frail. You sure about this?"
Shinji clearly didn't sense the aura of a strong player in Kuroko at all.
"Well, whatever. Since both Shigure and Nijimura are recommending him so strongly, there shouldn't be a problem. I'll just sit back and watch."
Soon after, another batch of second-string players arrived at the First Gym. They quickly noticed the unusual atmosphere.
"Hey… Coach Sanada of First-String, Captain Nijimura, Vice-Captain Shigure, and almost all the regular starters are here."
"What's going on today?"
"Wasn't this just supposed to be the elimination match between Second-String's top players and First-String's reserves?"
Meanwhile, Nijimura was explaining the rules to Kuroko.
"Just as I told you back at the Third Gym—the test today is First-String's elimination match. It's a showdown between their reserve players and your Second-String group.
You'll prove yourself here. First, you must win. Second, you must display skills that the coach, I, Shigure, and the regulars all acknowledge. That's your ticket into First-String.
But know this—you're the exception among exceptions. You only get one chance. Fail here, and there won't be another."
"I understand," Kuroko said calmly.
"Good. Then I look forward to your performance."
Taking a deep breath, Kuroko's mind replayed the faces of those around him—Captain Nijimura, Vice-Captain Shigure, his best friend Ogiwara Shigehiro, and even the difficult Haizaki Shōgo.
Finally, he had made it this far.
END OF CHAPTER
🔥 Rookie Recruit – Read 15 chapters ahead
🔥 Starting Five – Jump 35 chapters ahead + 6 bonus chapters!
Huge thanks to everyone already on Patreon—you're the real MVPs! 🙌Bonus chapters, early access, and all the good stuff are live. 👀✨
And for the rest—it's not too late to be part of the team. 🚀
👉 patreon.com/MrBehringer