In the Ten Schools Tournament, Teiko wasn't just here to play—they had a mission.
Not only did they need to test whether Kuroko's abilities could truly impact an official match, but they also had to push the first-years to gain experience under the strain of extreme physical exhaustion.
That was why, this time, Shigure Akihito deliberately reined in his overwhelming presence, stepping back into a supporting role so the spotlight could fall on the first-years.
Having grown up immersed in modern basketball, Akihito had never been the kind of player to hoard the ball. Especially under the influence of Shuzo Nijimura, he learned to enjoy not only scoring, but also the beauty of a perfectly timed pass. Delivering assists gave him a different kind of thrill—an almost godlike sense of intellectual dominance on the court.
On the floor, Akihito smoothly dodged an attempted steal, then, as the defense collapsed on him, he instantly fired a pass.
The ball cut across the court like a lightning bolt. In the blink of an eye, it landed in Midorima's hands, who raised his arm in a single elegant motion and launched a high-arching three.
From Akihito to Shintarō Midorima, the connection was instant.
Three points.
"Beautiful."
"Your range is getting farther and farther, Shintarō."
Akihito's eyes lingered on Midorima, gauging the distance from his feet to the arc. It was obvious—not just Haizaki or Aomine, even Midorima was already starting to evolve ahead of schedule.
And Murasakibara…
That guy was beginning to learn technique.
As for Akashi…
Lately, Akihito couldn't help but notice Akashi's colder, more detached side surfacing more often.
Born from the trauma of losing his mother early, crushed by his father's strict expectations, Akashi's childhood pressure had been immense. Out of that crucible was born his second self—the one obsessed with absolute victory. And now, with his teammates steadily growing stronger, it seemed that "other Akashi" was straining at the seams, ready to burst through the mental locks.
But perhaps, this time, things would play out differently.
Why wait until the Generation of Miracles crushed him to awaken, like in the original story? Wouldn't it be more interesting to confront it earlier—before things spiraled out of control?
After all…
Rakuzan's Akashi only ended up with regret in the end.
Defeat himself? If it were Akashi…
For the boy who clung to basketball as his only escape during a merciless childhood, the urge to play, the hunger to win, could never truly be suppressed. Not when basketball was both the freedom his late mother had wrested from his father, and the pride of Teiko's "absolute victory."
Since that was the case, Akihito thought, then let me be the one to deal with it.
And if he could help Akashi fuse both selves early? Even better—what a fascinating outcome that would be.
Of course, for now, there was only this: playing freely with his teammates, savoring the joy of the game. That was the Akashi who belonged to Teiko, and that was the one standing on the court right now.
"?"
Midorima frowned slightly. Even though Akihito had just complimented him, his senpai's gaze was fixed on Akashi the whole time. A displeased huff escaped him. Akihito caught himself, arched an eyebrow, and corrected with a grin:
"Not bad at all. But you've still got a long way to go—it's not even half-court yet. Try shooting from the full length of the court. If you can pull that off before I graduate, then I'll acknowledge you as middle school's strongest… hmm… shooter."
"Good luck. If it's you, Midorima, I know you can do it."
Midorima adjusted his glasses, his face tilting ever so slightly upward. A subtle smile betrayed his pride, and though he tried to hide it, the corner of his mouth refused to stay flat.
"Senpai… don't underestimate me. You know who I am."
"I'm not just a shooter. I'll prove it—just like Fukuya-senpai did!"
Akihito: "…"
As expected. The one Midorima respected most would always be Fukuya.
This guy…
…
The match surged forward.
Aomine's wild, streetball-inspired lightning drives and Murasakibara's newly polished footwork lit up the game. One after another, their dazzling displays drew gasps of awe from the crowd.
And then
When Aomine and Murasakibara pulled off an alley-oop together, the atmosphere exploded into its climax.
"What the?!"
"That center is unbelievable!"
"Not surprising. He's the one who won a national championship as a first-year."
"Teiko… every one of them is flawless! They're just first-years?!"
"No wonder they're champions—even their 'bench players' are this strong!"
As the whispers rippled through the stands, the scoreboard told the story: Teiko vs. Ryuzaki, a 20-point lead.
Truthfully, their advantage should have been much greater. But with only their starting lineup available, compared to their opponent's deep ten-man rotation, Teiko's stamina was inevitably at a disadvantage.
By the second half, the first-years were dripping with sweat, their heavy breathing betraying their exhaustion. Shuzo Nijimura frowned.
They were still only first-years. Talented, yes, but their bodies weren't yet built for the relentless demands of a full game—let alone with another round to play later in the afternoon.
He turned his eyes to Kuroko Tetsuya on the bench.
"Are you ready?" Nijimura asked quietly.
"Yes," Kuroko answered, his gaze burning with determination.
"Then it's time. Get in there."
Bzzzt!
The whistle blew.
Teiko substitution.
The one coming off—Shigure Akihito.
Akihito blinked in surprise, then spotted Kuroko rising from the bench. Understanding dawned instantly, and he gave a knowing nod. The next phase of the Ten Schools Tournament was about to begin.
As he stepped off, Nijimura crossed his arms, muttering under his breath, "You were having so much fun you forgot about Kuroko, didn't you?"
Akihito could only laugh sheepishly. He patted Kuroko's shoulder on the way past.
"Good luck out there."
"Yes, senpai."
…
From the bench, Akihito watched intently.
On the court, Teiko's ball movement flowed. Akashi sent a pass toward Midorima, only for it to suddenly bend at a sharp angle, veering into the paint toward Murasakibara.
It was Kuroko's misdirection—masking his presence, then redirecting the ball with an invisible touch.
But to Akihito's and Nijimura's surprise, the pass went astray. Instead of hitting its mark, the ball sailed out of bounds.
"Out of bounds!"
"Ryuzaki possession!"
"Eh? What just happened?"
"Why did the ball curve like that?"
And then
Already annoyed with Kuroko, Murasakibara stomped over with a dark scowl.
"Heyyy~! What was that? Don't mess around, or I'll crush you like a bug, okay?"
Kuroko blinked, confused, but then replied in complete seriousness:
"I wasn't joking. And besides… people can't be crushed until they explode."
…
END OF CHAPTER
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