At the same time, outside the gymnasium, beside a vending machine—
Compared to the noise inside, it was so quiet here that only the chirping of cicadas could be heard.
Sendoh Akira slipped a coin into the machine and watched as a can of lemon tea rolled down.
"Whew… it's way too noisy in there."
He bent down, picked up the drink, and popped it open with a click.
Tilting his head back, he took a long gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing.
The cool liquid slid down his throat, washing away a trace of heat.
"Looks like you're taking it easy, Sendoh."
A deep, steady voice suddenly sounded behind him.
Sendoh's fingers paused slightly.
That voice…
He turned around. The gentle smile he always wore froze for a split second—then shifted into surprise.
Standing not far away was a man in a purple tracksuit, his dark skin and overwhelming presence giving off the aura of a king.
The ace of Kainan University Affiliated High School—the king of Kanagawa—
Maki Shinichi.
"Maki?"
Sendoh looked a little surprised. "Didn't expect you to come watch a first-round game like this."
Maki kept his hands in his pockets, his gaze deep and unreadable.
"I was just passing by," he said calmly.
Then his tone shifted, his eyes sharpening.
"But since I ran into you… there's something I'd like to ask."
He stepped forward slightly. The pressure in the air intensified.
"This year's Shohoku…"
"How exactly did they beat your Ryonan?"
Sendoh was momentarily stunned, then let out a wry smile.
In his mind, an image surfaced—
That guy who was always trying to slack off on the court… yet absurdly strong.
"How did they win, huh…"
Sendoh lightly shook the lemon tea in his hand.
His gaze drifted toward the gym entrance, as if seeing through the walls to what was happening inside.
"Probably because…"
"They've got someone even lazier than me—"
"But strong enough to be called a monster."
Maki raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Stronger than you?"
Sendoh smiled—mysterious, unreadable.
"Who knows."
"But Maki… this year's Kanagawa…"
"Is probably going to be a lot more lively than you think."
"Swish!"
The basketball traced a stiff but perfectly straight arc and dropped cleanly through the net.
Akagi Takenori stood at the free-throw line, his chest heaving.
He wiped the sweat dripping into his eyes, his gaze sharp as a blade as it swept across Miuradai's half.
Second free throw.
Akagi took a deep breath, steadied himself—and released.
"Swish!"
Another clean shot.
Two for two.
"Heh, looks like his free throws got better."
"They used to be stiff as a rock."
On the stands, Mitsui Hisashi raised an eyebrow, the bandage at the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
"Defense!!"
Akagi roared as he landed, his voice rumbling through the court.
But Miuradai's counterattack came fast.
They didn't panic because of Akagi's points.
Instead, they exploited the gap in Shohoku's slow defensive transition and launched a quick fast break.
Murasame Kengo charged in like a heavy tank, shoving aside the weaker Kakuta and finishing with a reverse layup.
The score gap remained in double digits.
The atmosphere on the sidelines grew heavy.
Anzai Mitsuyoshi adjusted his reflective glasses. Behind that ever-smiling face, a sharp glint flickered in his eyes.
He slowly turned to look at the row of players slumped all over the bench—the "bench delinquents."
"Hehehe…"
Anzai let out his signature chuckle.
"Well then… have you all reflected on your mistakes?"
That one sentence felt like it broke some kind of seal.
"Old man!!"
Sakuragi Hanamichi shot up from the floor like a spring, face flushed red, as excited as a monkey spotting bananas.
"I've already reflected!"
"I deeply understand my mistake!"
"That is—keeping a genius like me off the court is a loss to all of humanity!"
"Put me in!"
"I'm gonna beat the crap out of that mohawk bastard!!"
Miyagi Ryota stood up as well, his expression serious.
"Coach Anzai, I've reflected too."
"Fighting is wrong—especially on the court."
"But I promise, if you let me play, I'll shut them up with basketball."
Rukawa Kaede silently pulled the towel off his head, revealing a pair of cold, piercing eyes.
"Won't be a problem."
Few words—but the fighting spirit in his gaze was overflowing.
"Won't happen again."
"A team that relies on dirty tricks… just pisses me off."
"Coach, let me go teach them what real basketball is," Mitsui said, rolling his wrist, his eyes sharp.
Four people.
Four completely different auras—
Yet at this moment, they merged into a single, suffocating pressure.
Anzai nodded in satisfaction, then shifted his gaze to the far corner.
"Makino Juro?"
"I've been ready for a while."
"As for fighting… well, no promises," Juro said with a crooked grin.
"Hehehe, Juro, you do have a sense of humor."
Anzai waved his hand decisively.
"Alright then—substitution."
"Akagi, you and the others take a rest."
"Sakuragi, you'll take Akagi's position—center."
"The rest of you—on the court."
FWEET!
"Shohoku requests a substitution!"
With the referee's whistle, the atmosphere in the Fujisawa Gymnasium seemed to freeze for a moment.
Akagi and the exhausted substitutes walked off the court.
Behind them—
Five figures slowly stepped forward toward center court.
At that moment, the previously noisy arena fell strangely quiet.
The vibe of these five was completely different from the disciplined Shohoku team just moments ago.
At the front, Sakuragi Hanamichi—his bright red hair blazing under the lights, a ferocious grin on his face like he was ready to kill.
Beside him, Miyagi Ryota—his earring glinting coldly, walking with swagger, full of defiance.
Mitsui Hisashi—short-haired now, but the delinquent aura still lingered, his gaze dark and dangerous.
Rukawa Kaede—expressionless, radiating an icy "keep away" presence.
And at the very back—
Makino Juro, still yawning.
But in those half-lidded, dead-fish eyes…
Lurked a depth no one could see through.
"S-Shohoku…"
"Did they just release a prison yard or something?"
In the stands, a spectator gulped.
"They're here! The ultimate problem child lineup!"
"That lineup—that terrifying lineup—is finally here!"
Aida Hikoichi was so excited he nearly crushed the railing.
"Hmph… finally letting the beasts out of the cage, huh."
Uozumi Jun crossed his arms, his expression grave.
Sendoh set down his lemon tea, leaning forward slightly.
A faint smile curved at the corner of his lips.
"Oh?"
"The problem children… all deployed, huh."
"This is about to get interesting."
END OF CHAPTER
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