The basketball court fell into sudden silence.
After hearing Akashi Asuka's plan, even the corners of Kasuga Ryuhei and Tsutomu Iwamura's eyes twitched involuntarily.
"This training plan… it's vicious!"
This was no longer about simply motivating players. It was like holding a whip, no, more like a gun, pointed at everyone's back, forcing them to crawl forward…
On the surface, the plan had no binding rules.
But in reality, for Seiho's players, especially the starters, there was no way they could finish the summer without leaving a single lead block in the trophy.
Omuro Yoshikasu's eyes glazed over as he muttered, "Looks like my last summer of high school is ruined!"
"Does anyone have any questions?" Akashi asked kindly.
"Well… I still have one doubt," Sakamoto Kenjiro raised his hand timidly.
"Akashi-kun, isn't your calculation a little off? I mean, if we calculate training time, the other teams' schedules should overlap, not stack…"
"I know!"
Before Sakamoto could finish, Akashi interrupted with a gentle smile.
"But we're champions, aren't we? Champions have to be a little different from everyone else, right? Don't you think so, senpai?"
The word champion immediately made Sakamoto and the other members swallow their words.
It was the first time they truly felt the weight of that title.
There was no escaping it.
Once that crown was placed on your head, there was no room for explanation.
Thus began Seiho's players' "fully packed" summer.
===========
Two months later.
Seiho High School's basketball gym.
An intense match was underway…
On one side, of course, was Seiho.
On the other hand, one of Tokyo's three kings, Senshinkan High .
The fourth quarter was in progress, with the score at 76–55.
"Damn it! What happened to these guys? They're completely different from last semester!"
Senshinkan's point guard crossed midcourt with the ball.
But before he reached the three-point line, Kasuga Ryuhei blocked him.
The point guard tried to break free, but no matter what he did, he couldn't shake off Kasuga's defense.
His face darkened.
As one of Tokyo's three kings, Senshinkan's point guard was an old rival of Kasuga.
The two teams knew each other's abilities well. Senshinkan's footwork, developed through traditional martial arts training, had always been difficult to handle, and Seiho knew that.
But no one expected Seiho's "Phantom step" to evolve to this degree.
"Unprecedented!"
On the sidelines, Seiho's coach watched Seiho's players and couldn't help but sigh.
As Senshinkan's coach, he knew Seiho even better than their players. High school students only faced Seiho for at most three years, but he had faced Matsumoto Yukinori for over a decade.
Even so, he had never seen a Seiho player develop the "Phantom step" to this level.
Originally, this footwork made movements smoother and simpler, but through summer training, these players had improved even further.
Not just footwork, every motion, coordination, and even their basic physical abilities had risen multiple tiers compared to last semester.
These Seiho kids… they paid a huge price this summer!
As a veteran coach, he knew how much time, energy, and sweat was needed to achieve such results.
The most basic moves are often the easiest to practice, yet the hardest to truly master.
Anyone can train to a certain level, but even among elite teams, very few players achieve such stability and precision in movement.
And now, every Seiho player has reached that level. It was clear that during summer, these high schoolers probably didn't take a single day off.
Moreover, basic skills were just the surface.
What truly terrified Seiho's opponents was their aura, completely different from last semester.
Momentum and presence might seem intangible.
Yet on the court, they often affect the game even more than skill alone.
Compared to the gap in player abilities, the difference in spirit and aura was the real reason for the current dominance.
"Turning the pressure of being champions into strength? Impressive, Matsumoto!"
He gave a meaningful glance toward Matsumoto Yukinori, assuming Seiho's transformation was entirely due to him.
But in reality, Matsumoto himself was baffled.
Though he had occasionally guided Seiho's summer training at Akashi and Iwamura's invitation, he never expected such a transformation by the start of school.
For most high schoolers, basketball was just a club activity.
Private summer training at Seiho wasn't surprising, the players were disciplined.
It had happened before.
But even when players practiced during breaks in the past, it was usually for fun.
Such exercises maintained skill but rarely improved it significantly.
Don't underestimate that.
Maintaining skill over the summer is already a blessing for most club coaches.
Just like Seiho now, they could hold practice games immediately at the start of school because their skills hadn't declined.
Most ordinary teams? A summer break alone would cost their main players' abilities, some might even struggle to hold a basketball.
Recovering their level would take at least two weeks.
As for this Seiho team…
After one summer, their skills not only didn't drop, they soared.
Even in the club's history, nothing like this had ever happened…
=============
Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria