The moment the news came out, all of Japan's top basketball schools were left dumbfounded.
Seriously?
In previous years, they could at least fight for a spot in the National Tournament.
Now they couldn't even compete for one?!
Kirisaki Daiichi had already emerged as a dark horse, sweeping through the major high schools and winning both the Summer Cup and Winter Cup back-to-back, becoming a powerhouse that every other school feared.
Originally, after some people learned through inside information that only two schools would qualify, they planned to go all-in and fight for the one remaining spot.
But now?
Fight for a spot?
What the hell was there left to fight for?!
Kirisaki Daiichi was already enough of a headache.
And now Teikō High School had appeared too!
They had even gathered four members of [The Generation of Miracles]!
How the hell were they supposed to compete with that?!
Forget going all-in. Even if they threw everything and everyone they had at them, they still wouldn't stand a chance!
And it wasn't just the school officials who were getting headaches.
The players were suffering too!
In previous years, they at least had a chance to play in the National Tournament.
Now they couldn't even make it there!
With no other choice, they had to find another path.
And that path was joining Kirisaki Daiichi or Teikō High School!
...
At an outdoor basketball court, three people were playing while talking.
"Kotaro." Reo Mibuchi dribbled the ball, then shot it. "Are you really not coming with us to Kirisaki Daiichi?"
"Yeah, Kotaro." Eikichi Nebuya retrieved the ball after it swished through the net. "If you came with us, our master would definitely agree too."
That's right.
Reo Mibuchi and Eikichi Nebuya had already decided to go to Kirisaki Daiichi and find Miyamoto Tokima.
With Chihiro Mayuzumi graduating and Seijuro Akashi leaving, only the three of them remained from Rakuzan High School's starting lineup.
In the past, those three alone might have been enough.
But things were different now.
Only two teams could qualify.
Back when Seijuro Akashi was still with them, they might have been able to fight for a spot.
But now Seijuro Akashi had left, and worse, he had gone to Teikō High School to reunite with three other members of [The Generation of Miracles].
How were they supposed to compete with that?
With no other choice, they had decided to leave.
"No, Nebuya, Reo-nee." Kotaro Hayama flashed his sharp canine teeth and smiled. "I'm still planning to go to Teikō and join Akashi."
It was obvious that Kotaro Hayama felt a stronger attachment to Seijuro Akashi.
Seeing that, Eikichi Nebuya and Reo Mibuchi stopped trying to persuade him and headed off together toward Kirisaki Daiichi.
Kotaro Hayama turned around as well, heading in the opposite direction toward Teikō.
Meanwhile, something similar was happening at Seirin High School.
Teppei Kiyoshi had returned that day.
And the moment he came back, the rest of Seirin went to find him.
"Teppei." Junpei Hyuga looked somewhat dejected. "Go to Teikō."
"What are you talking about, Hyuga?" Teppei Kiyoshi replied. "Even with things the way they are now, there's no way I could just leave..."
"Teppei!" Junpei Hyuga cut him off. "Stop lying to yourself. Deep down, you want to keep improving more than anyone, don't you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have come back the moment your injury healed."
"But..." Teppei Kiyoshi tried to speak, only for Junpei Hyuga to interrupt him again.
"Teppei!" Junpei Hyuga shouted. "No more 'buts.' Go to Teikō with our hopes and our support."
"Yeah, Kiyoshi," Shinji Koganei added. "Go to Teikō with our hopes and our support!"
Teppei Kiyoshi turned toward Riko Aida, as though wanting to know what she thought.
Riko Aida bit her lip before finally speaking.
"Teppei, go chase your dream."
Teppei Kiyoshi fell silent.
After a while, he asked hoarsely,
"But if I leave... what about all of you?"
"Teppei," Junpei Hyuga said, "you're different from us. We know exactly how strong we are."
At that, Junpei Hyuga gave a bitter smile and placed a hand over his chest.
"We're not that strong. Even if we transferred to Teikō or Kirisaki Daiichi, we probably wouldn't get many chances to play."
"But you're different."
"Teppei, your talent and ability are far beyond ours. And right now, Teikō High School is missing a center."
"If you go there, you'll definitely become a starter."
"So take your dream with you, and ours too."
"Go."
Everyone from Seirin shouted together,
"Take our dreams with you!"
Teppei Kiyoshi was visibly moved.
A smile slowly appeared on his face.
"I understand... everyone..."
...
A few days later, the rosters for Kirisaki Daiichi and Teikō High School were officially finalized.
Teikō High School roster:
Teppei Kiyoshi, Daiki Aomine, Ryota Kise, Shintaro Midorima, Seijuro Akashi, Taiga Kagami, Tetsuya Kuroko, Kotaro Hayama, Kazunari Takao, Kosuke Wakamatsu, Ryo Sakurai.
Kirisaki Daiichi's roster was finalized as well:
Atsushi Murasakibara, Shuzo Nijimura, Shogo Haizaki, Miyamoto Tokima, Makoto Hanamiya, Reo Mibuchi, Eikichi Nebuya, Tatsuya Himuro, Kojiro Furuhashi, Kazuya Hara, Hiroshi Yamazaki.
Once the rosters of both schools were announced, every other high school fell silent.
Those lineups...
How the hell were they supposed to compete with that?!
And sure enough, the results were exactly what everyone expected.
Kirisaki Daiichi and Teikō High School swept through their respective halves of the bracket and secured the two qualifying spots.
(PS: Teikō High School and Kirisaki Daiichi are placed in separate halves of the bracket. The winner of each half qualifies directly, so the two schools don't have to play each other.)
After securing qualification, both teams boarded a flight to China to prepare for the National Tournament.
...
"I have to admit, this stuff is seriously good!" Shogo Haizaki said happily, holding a grilled sausage in one hand.
"Yeah, I like it too," Tatsuya Himuro replied with a gentle smile.
"So..." Reo Mibuchi said while eating a grilled sausage of his own. "What are we having later?"
"A huge meal! Let's have a huge meal!" Atsushi Murasakibara exclaimed excitedly from beside them.
The four of them were out sightseeing and wandering around, simply taking some time to relax.
As they walked, they suddenly noticed a large crowd gathered ahead.
"Hm?" Atsushi Murasakibara looked over curiously. "Is there something good to eat over there? Why are so many people gathered around?"
The others followed his gaze.
Their curiosity was immediately piqued.
"Come on." Shogo Haizaki grinned. "Let's go see what's happening!"
Reo Mibuchi and Tatsuya Himuro exchanged a glance before agreeing.
They wanted to see what all the commotion was about too...
The group slowly approached the crowd.
Then they heard an extremely familiar sound.
Thump, thump, thump...
...
...
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