Saturday. The first day of the national tournament preliminaries.
On the school bus, the whole team's faces were lit with excitement, anticipation, and eagerness.
Fukuda Sogo's first opponent was Senshinkan High. They were strong, but Fukuda was stronger now, for they had Haizaki Shogo—on par with the legendary Generation of Miracles.
The team couldn't help stealing glances at the man napping against the beautiful team manager's shoulder, as if he were their anchor, their calm in the storm.
At the gymnasium, it was already packed with spectators from all the schools.
The massive venue housed three full-sized basketball courts, allowing six teams to play simultaneously—proof of its size and importance.
In the locker room, Coach Ichiro Kudo began his commanding pep talk.
"Give me all the points you've got! Attack with everything! Senshinkan, is just a name now. No five-time champions, no Generation of Miracles, no rising stars—crush them!"
"Crush them!" "Crush them!" "Crush them!"
Feeling the team's morale surge, Kudo let out a loud shout:
"Go!"
Rarely seen with such confidence, the coach strode out with a swagger, bald head gleaming, exuding an unstoppable presence as he led the team onto the court.
Fukuda's red uniforms appeared on the court. Across from them, Senshinkan High glimmered in the lights.
Both teams began their warm-ups seriously. Shogo was no exception—this was his high school national league debut. He had already prepared his showmanship, his face-slapping moves, and his playing dumb to outsmart tactics.
In the rest area, Coach Kudo's eyes were serious as he called out the starting lineup.
"Starters: Small Forward Haizaki Shogo, Center Suzuran Karasu, Power Forward Kimura Tosho, Point Guard Harano Shinichi, Shooting Guard Mochizuki Kazuhiro. My only requirement: score. Smash them!"
"Yes!"
BOOM!
The whistle blew. Suzuran Karasu jumped high and passed the ball into Shogo's hands.
Without thinking, Shogo launched a long pass—it looked like a shot, yet also like a pass. A figure streaked forward: Kimura Tosho, Fukuda's master of cutting through defenses.
CLANG!
Kimura's perfect individual play netted his first high school points, landing smoothly before racing back on defense.
He had been slightly hesitant about fast breaks after being blocked by Aomine Daiki before, but he quickly returned to help defend.
That first basket was both a salute and a slap in the face to Senshinkan High—a provocation and a clear signal.
Shogo scanned the starting lineup of Senshinkan. Their physiques were solid, three likely seniors, mature-looking, strong.
No wonder they were called the King of the West. In an era without Generation of Miracles talent, they were indeed a formidable team.
But now, in Tokyo's jungle of talent, this school was merely history—a weed waiting to be cut down.
Senshinkan's player dribbled steadily past half-court. Entering the paint, the ball was unexpectedly stolen. Harano Shinichi dashed, carrying the ball at unbelievable speed.
Two figures raced toward Senshinkan's half: Shogo and Harano. The ball flew in midair, and Shogo and Harano executed a perfect alley-oop dunk, scoring Fukuda's second basket. The crowd's attention zeroed in.
Starting with two dunks—this was high-level, thrilling basketball, the kind rarely even seen on live TV.
Landing gracefully, Shogo's heart burned with excitement. This is the national tournament… the atmosphere is insane!
As he sprinted back on defense, he met Kimura Tosho returning. Kimura shot him a sheepish, almost pleading glance. Shogo shrugged.
"Your turn next!"
"Got it, thanks, captain!"
Even such playful words worked instantly on the court, boosting morale.
Fukuda Sogo had taken the initiative, their overwhelming aura intimidating Senshinkan's players.
However, Senshinkan were no pushovers. They steadily clawed back two points with disciplined plays.
Shogo narrowed his eyes. This team wasn't flashy, but they had solid fundamentals, strong mentality, and excellent willpower—a perfect sharpening stone for Fukuda's players.
The pace of the game shifted. When Fukuda had the ball, it was fast, aggressive, and high-scoring. When Senshinkan had it, the tempo slowed, moving step by step, with minimal mistakes—barely enough to keep up with Fukuda's points.
Before long, the first quarter ended: 28–22, Fukuda Sogo in the lead.
In the rest area, Shogo received instructions from Coach Kudo.
"Shogo-kun, this team is perfect for giving our players match experience. You rest for now. If things go south, you jump back in."
Shogo understood Kudo's intentions. His moment in the spotlight had come; now it was time to give others a chance to grow.
"Understood," he said calmly.
Yes… without strong, experienced, resilient teammates, it's impossible to reach the top or win the championship.
Taking a sip of water from Shimizu Rena, he sat beside her, acting as a professional record-keeper for the team.
Coach Kudo's voice cut through the air.
"Okawa, Ishida, Sasaki—keep warming up. Okawa, you'll go in to suppress their scoring. Crush them!"
"Yes!"
The three named players warmed up eagerly, full of spirit and energy.
As the match neared, Shogo, as captain, had to motivate his teammates.
"Don't embarrass me—smash them!"
"Yes, captain! I'll crush them for you!"
"Captain, I'll crush them for you too!"
Feeling the surge of energy and passion from his team, Shogo almost wanted to jump up and hug them all.
Suppressing his excitement, he turned to Shimizu.
"How's it looking?"
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