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Tokyo.
The National Stadium of Japan.
This is one of the largest sports stadiums in Japan. All the junior high school teams from across the country gather here.
Rows of brightly colored teams create a beautiful sight.
After about half an hour of forced hypnosis (the opening ceremony), Ryu and the others finally woke up from their drowsy state.
"It's finally over; I almost fell asleep." Kise looked completely drained. Kuroko slumped against Kise's back.
"Kuroko..." Kise exclaimed.
Ryu's eyelids twitched at this sight.He suspected Kuroko was doing it on purpose.
Even with a weak constitution, he shouldn't faint after standing for only half an hour!
Kuroko is really cunning.
Ryu, carrying Karupin, followed the others to the restroom. They had only gone halfway when they were surrounded by a swarm of reporters.
Countless cameras and microphones were indiscriminately aimed at the Teiko group.
Kise was completely dumbfounded. Strangely, Kuroko stood on the periphery of the reporters, staring blankly at the scene.
"That guy, Tetsuya..." Aomine looked speechlessly at Kuroko, who was being ignored by the reporters.
Ryu's lips twitched. "Sometimes I'm actually a little envious of him."
"Akashi-kun, we heard you've become the captain of the Teiko basketball team, replacing Nijimura Shuzo. Is that true?"
"Ryu-kun, what are your thoughts on Akashi becoming the captain of the basketball team?"
"Aomine-kun, we heard you scored over 50 points in a practice match. What do you have to say about that?"
"Midorima-kun, some people say you're the No. 1 three-point shooter in all junior high schools. Are you satisfied with that assessment?"
"Kise-kun, I heard you've only been playing basketball for a little over two months, and you've already become a member of the Teiko first team. Can I assume that without your third-year teammates, Teiko's strength is not what it used to be?"
"Murasakibara-kun, you're now the No. 1 center in all junior high schools. What do you want to say to your teammates?"
A barrage of sharp questions rained down on the Teiko players. Listen to this—is this even human language? It is full of traps.
A poor answer would inevitably lead to a barrage of criticism.
However, the assistant coach had already given them instructions: if you really didn't know how to answer a question, the best approach was to remain silent.
So, with the exception of a few individuals, most of the team kept quiet.
Twenty minutes later, Ryu and the others finally escaped the reporters' entanglement.
Phew…
"Akashi and Ryu are really amazing. They were able to answer so fluently even under such questioning." Aomine was full of admiration for the two.
Kise agreed. "That's right, I've never faced so many reporters before! The questions they asked me almost drove me crazy; thankfully Ryu came to my rescue."
Ryu said with a slight smile, "I only gained experience last year. Akashi was the one who was really impressive; he remained calm and collected from beginning to end."
Kise nodded in agreement. "Yeah, Akashi is really amazing. No wonder he's from a prestigious family."
Akashi just smiled slightly and said nothing.
Teiko's Locker Room.
The Teiko team was preparing for their match.
Just then, the assistant coach walked in and said, "Now, I'll announce the starting lineup for this match."
Hearing this, everyone perked up their ears. The assistant coach, with a serious expression, began calling out names.
"Akashi, Midorima, Murasakibara, Aomine, and Ryu."
"Ah... why isn't it me?" Kise Ryota said dejectedly.
Kuroko comforted him. "Kise, you're the newest. Of course, you have to play with spirit when you get in!"
The assistant coach then looked at Kuroko and Kise. "Kuroko, Kise, you two also need to be ready to go on the court at any time."
"Yes!" they replied in unison.
Hearing the assistant coach's words, Kuroko and Kise became excited.
This was the National Tournament! Who wouldn't want to show off on the court? It is every basketball player's dream.
Soon, it was time for both teams to take the court. The moment the players emerged from the tunnel, a deafening roar of cheers erupted from the stands.
"Teiko is out!"
"They're last year's champions!"
"I came here just to see them!"
Time ticked by. After a while, at the referee's whistle, both teams stepped onto the court. The teams lined up, and the game was about to officially begin.
Meanwhile, a flash of blue light appeared in Ryu's eyes, and a message appeared in his field of vision:
[Energy absorption in progress, estimated time: 1 hour]
Upon seeing this message, Ryu was stunned. What's going on? What about the mission?
"Karupin, what's going on?" Ryu asked Karupin telepathically. He quickly received an answer.
"I just discovered that I seem to be able to absorb energy from you and then convert it into [cat food]."
Ryu frowned in surprise. "Absorb energy from me? What do you mean?"
Karupin thought for a moment, then said, "It's too complicated to explain, just see for yourself!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Karupin's sapphire-like vertical pupils began to emit a dazzling light.
At the same time, Ryu's eyes also gradually brightened.
The scene in Ryu's eyes suddenly changed.
He saw a lot of golden energy on the field, filling the entire arena.
There was a continuous stream of golden energy overflowing from all the players around him, like countless small waterfalls, and this golden energy was gradually entering his body.
Only Ryu and Karupin could see this.
Ryu was completely stunned.
"I don't know why either," Karupin explained, "but I guess it's because I absorbed the colorful light orbs. Now I can absorb this energy through you, converting it into [cat food]."
Ryu couldn't help but feel overjoyed.
This way, he wouldn't have to rush around doing missions anymore. "From now on, just taking Karupin for a spin around the court will make getting [cat food] a breeze!"
Whistle!
Just as he was thinking this, the referee blew the whistle to start the game.
The referee tossed the basketball into the air.
At that moment, the powerful aura of Ryu and the others emanated from them.
After a year of rigorous training, their presence was even stronger than last year.
The members of the opposing team, Kakugan, felt the aura emanating from Teiko, and their bodies trembled involuntarily.
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