"Ahhh~~ I'm so tired!"
Half of his body submerged in the warm pool, Akashi Asuka stretched lazily, letting out a satisfied groan.
"What's wrong? You look completely drained today. Was the training that tough?" Aida Riko, who was swimming in the same pool, looked up from her tablet, glancing over Asuka's body data in surprise.
"Pretty much! We ran into a seriously troublesome opponent today. The seniors had a rough time out there."
Although Seiho had ultimately triumphed over Shutoku, the victory hadn't come easily.
At least for Akashi Asuka, the toll on his stamina had been severe, despite his best efforts to minimize unnecessary movement on offense.
============
Host: Akashi Asuka
Height: 205.3 cm
Weight: 110.7 kg
[Finishing]: Drive Layup – 70, Drive Dunk – 74, Inside Scoring – 81
[Shooting]: Close Shot – 75, Mid-range – 70, Three-pointer – 84
[Playmaking]: Passing – 81, Dribbling – 80
[Defense]: Lateral Quickness – 78, Steal – 61, Block – 86, Rebound – 84
[Physical]: Speed – 79, Strength – 87, Jump – 80, Stamina – 83
[Reflex]: Reflexes – 84, Agility – 83
[Innate Talents]: Brutality (Materializing…), Clear Mind (Materializing…), Taichi Cloud Hand (25%)
[Skills]: Fadeaway Jumper – 83, Box Out: Immovable Mountain – 85
[Grind Points]: 0
===========
According to his latest stats, Asuka's stamina had already reached an exceptional level.
However, the stat ceiling in this world was higher than in the previous one.
A score between 75–80 still represented the level of an ordinary high school athlete.
80–85 was where national-level core players operated, those from powerhouse schools like Seiho or Shutoku typically had at least one or two main stats within that range.
That level of overall balance was impossible in the previous world.
Anything above 85, though, belonged exclusively to the realm of the Generation of Miracles.
For example, Midorima Shintaro's Three-point, Aomine Daiki's Speed and Agility, Kagami Taiga's Vertical Jump, all sat comfortably above 85.
To even compete with the Generation of Miracles, having at least one core stat above 85 was the bare minimum requirement.
Of course, that referred to core stats.
Even for the Miracles themselves, pushing all attributes above 85 during high school was utterly impossible.
Aside from their inborn talent, even their specialties typically hovered around 80–85.
Take Stamina, for instance,
Every single member of the Miracles had stamina roughly on par with Asuka.
Some might even have less.
Yet, in actual matches aside from Murasakibara Atsushi, most of them could still last longer than Asuka.
Why?
The reason was simple: both Asuka and Murasakibara possessed massive builds.
That sheer size inevitably meant higher energy consumption.
Stats weren't everything, they didn't directly translate into performance.
Real matches depended on how well a player used their attributes.
For instance, Asuka's Close Shot rating was only 75, yet his real-game shooting percentage near the rim was far higher because his towering height and reach made up for whatever technique he lacked.
"Still… I've got to keep boosting my stamina."
Although improving Stamina now required two points of Grind Points per upgrade, it was the one attribute Asuka refused to compromise on.
No one understood the importance of endurance better than he did.
Other weaknesses could be covered with skills, tactics, or experience but once stamina ran out, even stepping on the court became impossible.
And without being on the court… how could there be any "hope"?
After all, Akashi Asuka wasn't someone like Kagami Taiga.
He couldn't just burn through his energy and then shout,
"For the sake of my teammates, I'll push past my limits!" only to magically recover full power in the final quarter.
Asuka preferred to decide the outcome before the game even began and not rely on miracles.
============
"Wait, isn't Seiho one of the Three Kings of Tokyo? You're telling me you had a tough match today? Don't tell me your opponent was another King?" Riko's eyes gleamed with curiosity.
"Hah, good guess. Our practice match today was against Shutoku."
"No way! Seriously!?" Riko's jaw dropped, she had only been joking when she said that.
"So did you guys win or lose?"
"We lost. Horribly!"
Asuka replied without hesitation, "Ahh~ how should I put it? The Generation of Miracles truly lives up to its name! Our seniors didn't even have a chance to fight back against that monster!"
"Yeah~~ I get it," Riko nodded knowingly. "We barely managed to win our match too!"
"What? You guys faced Shutoku too?"
"Nope, not them. We went up against another Miracle, Kise Ryouta. Kirisaki Daichi nearly lost that one!"
Though her words carried a hint of complaint, Riko's face waqs practically glowing with pride.
And rightfully so after all, their fledgling Seirin High had managed to defeat an opponent that even a powerhouse like Seiho couldn't topple.
That was definitely something to brag about.
"Is that so? Then you guys are really amazing! Looks like I underestimated Seirin High!"
"Hehe~ so? I invited you to join our team before, remember? Bet you regret saying no now!"
Buoyed by Asuka's flattery, Riko's nose practically tilted skyward in smug satisfaction.
A few seconds later, something clicked in her mind. "Wait a second, Akashi-kun, you played in that practice match too, didn't you?"
"Yeah," Asuka nodded. "But honestly, I didn't do much. Against someone like Midorima, normal defense is completely useless."
He sighed dramatically, his gaze distant, a deep, mysterious air clouding his expression.
That look immediately got under Riko's skin, she felt like a cat pawing at a closed box.
Her curiosity spiked; she stared at him eagerly, hoping he'd spill some details.
But right then, Asuka suddenly shut his mouth tight.
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