The next day.
Inside the Miyamoto Family Basketball Gym.
"Rainbow Team?!!!"
Nash Gold, Jason Silver, and the others stared in disbelief, convinced they had misheard.
They had been expecting Miyamoto Tokima to come up with something imposing and domineering. Instead, this was the name he gave them?
Off to the side, Satsuki Momoi struggled to suppress her laughter. Her gaze swept over everyone's hair colors, and the more she looked, the more she felt the name "Rainbow Team" actually fit a little too well.
Miyamoto Tokima burst out laughing.
"Relax, relax. I'm joking."
Only then did Nash Gold and the others finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"In that case, Tokima-san," Nash Gold asked, "what's our team name really going to be?"
Miyamoto Tokima fell silent for a moment, then spoke slowly, deliberately.
"Black Emperor Dragon Team."
The gym fell quiet.
Compared to "Rainbow Team," this name was undeniably more domineering. Even so, Nash Gold and the others felt an odd sense of dissonance, as if the name didn't quite belong to them yet.
Still, no one voiced an objection. After all, Miyamoto Tokima was the owner of the team.
Once the matter was settled, Miyamoto Tokima informed them of the upcoming schedule.
"In six days, we'll be playing our first official match. I don't want any of you holding the team back. Understood?"
"Yes!"
Nash Gold and the others nodded vigorously.
Satisfied, Miyamoto Tokima watched their training for a short while before leaving the gym.
Satsuki Momoi stayed behind. Under the protection of the Miyamoto family's security, she carefully recorded everyone's physical data.
The more she wrote, the more shocked she became.
'This is terrifying… every single one of them far surpasses Kuroko-kun's group.'
She stared at the data in her hands in disbelief. Any one of these numbers alone exceeded those of Teikō's players.
Age played a part, sure—but the gap was still absurdly large. Jason Silver in particular stood out. His data simply didn't look human.
And yet, what shocked Satsuki Momoi the most was Miyamoto Tokima himself.
'Tokima can suppress people like this with ease… just how strong is he, really?'
On the court, Jason Silver continued training with the coach, his eyes fixed firmly on Nash Gold.
Nash Gold seemed to sense it and turned his head, their gazes colliding.
Jason Silver clicked his tongue and turned away, refusing to keep looking.
Because yesterday, in that one-on-one…
He had lost.
It was as if every move he made had been completely seen through. Even the few baskets he forced in with brute strength had been painfully difficult.
Nash Gold gave him an extremely unsettling feeling—like no matter what he did, Nash Gold already knew his next move.
That feeling irritated Jason Silver to no end.
Still, after losing to Nash Gold, Jason Silver's attitude toward him had noticeably improved. That was exactly the result Nash Gold wanted.
He wanted to be the strongest person beneath Miyamoto Tokima. Being suppressed by Miyamoto Tokima himself was fine—but he absolutely would not allow anyone else to stand above him.
...
At the Miyamoto Family Hospital.
Knock, knock, knock!
Miyamoto Tokima knocked on the door of a private ward, a fruit basket in his hand.
Click.
The door opened, revealing Shuzo Nijimura.
"Tokima?"
Surprise and joy flashed across Shuzo Nijimura's face.
Miyamoto Tokima walked inside and set the fruit basket down.
"How is it, Nijimura-senpai?"
Shuzo Nijimura glanced at his father, who was still unconscious on the bed, then smiled faintly.
"Much better. The doctor says that as long as he continues treatment, he should recover soon."
Suddenly, Shuzo Nijimura turned around and dropped to his knees.
Miyamoto Tokima immediately tried to stop him, but it was already too late.
With tears streaming down his face, Shuzo Nijimura spoke in a trembling voice.
"Thank you, Tokima. If it weren't for your help, my father might have…"
Miyamoto Tokima quickly helped him up.
"It's fine, Nijimura-senpai. If you're in trouble, of course I'll help."
Shuzo Nijimura wiped his tears, choking back his emotions.
"I still have to thank you. I don't have anything I can repay you with right now, but if you need me, I'm willing to follow you forever—even if you tell me to die!"
Miyamoto Tokima chuckled lightly.
"What are you saying, Nijimura-senpai? Would I ever tell you to die?"
Hearing that, a genuine smile finally appeared on Shuzo Nijimura's tear-stained face.
"Thank you, Tokima."
Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly spoke up urgently.
"Tokima, about joining your team—I'm in!
Before, my father's condition hadn't stabilized, so I couldn't leave his side. But now that he's stable, I finally can. I'm willing to join your team and give it everything I've got."
Miyamoto Tokima looked at him, saw the sincerity in his eyes, and smiled. He extended his right hand.
"Welcome, Nijimura-senpai."
Shuzo Nijimura wiped his eyes, smiled back, and firmly shook his hand.
Miyamoto Tokima suddenly let out a strange laugh.
"Just so you know, Nijimura-senpai, my team is really strong. If you can't beat my players, you'll only be a substitute."
Shuzo Nijimura rubbed his nose and lifted his chin confidently.
"Don't worry, Tokima. Don't you know my strength? I'll definitely—"
...
"I'm going to get completely crushed…"
Shuzo Nijimura stared at the players racing across the court, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.
Just feeling the pressure radiating from them was enough to make his scalp tingle.
'Are all of Tokima's players monsters like this?!'
Satsuki Momoi handed him the data sheets.
The moment Shuzo Nijimura looked down, his pupils shrank.
"Th-this is impossible… what kind of data is this?!"
The report in his hands felt utterly absurd. Any single stat listed surpassed his own.
He had thought his juniors were already abnormal, but these numbers shattered his worldview all over again.
Even the relatively average data of three players completely overwhelmed him—and even surpassed Teikō's players in the same positions.
And that wasn't even mentioning Jason Silver and Nash Gold. Their numbers were so outrageous that Shuzo Nijimura didn't even dare to imagine reaching them.
Miyamoto Tokima looked at the stunned Shuzo Nijimura and smiled faintly.
"So, Nijimura-senpai… what do you think of my players?"