"Hey, Kota!"
Just as Kota stepped out of the restroom and hadn't yet made it back onto the court, he heard someone calling from afar. Turning his head, he saw Reiko and Araki sitting shoulder to shoulder in the stands.
Reiko waved at him cheerfully, while Araki just sat there, arms crossed, expression unreadable.
"Yo, Miss Reiko, Miss Masako."
Kota raised an eyebrow and greeted them casually before heading back toward the court, humming a little tune. His warm-up wasn't done yet—if he entered the game cold and lost his rhythm or, worse, got injured, he'd have no one to blame but himself.
He grabbed a stray basketball lying by the sideline and started warming up again.
"Hey, Kota! Where'd you go? Kasamatsu-senpai just got here!"
Kise came jogging back from the stands, excitement all over his face.
"Huh? Kasamatsu-senpai?"
Kota blinked and looked where Kise pointed. Sure enough, in the stands, Kasamatsu was waving at them.
"Well then, I guess that's one more reason why we can't afford to lose this match."
Kota smirked, waving back before glancing at Kise.
"Can you imagine losing with your own senpai watching? That's a new level of humiliation."
But there was more to it. If Kaijo lost to Rakuzan again, wouldn't that basically mean they needed Kasamatsu to beat them? Winning isn't scary, losing isn't the end of the world—but missing a player and still being mocked for it? That's a nightmare.
"What's wrong with you guys? You can't win without me?"
"Those words…" Kota clenched his fist. "I'd rather die than hear them!"
In that instant, he and Kise shared the same thought. The Kaijo Duo, bound by coincidence and pride, felt their desire to win ignite even stronger.
As time passed, the crowd in the arena grew denser. This year's final, dubbed the "Rakuzan–Kaijo Rematch" had attracted massive attention.
On the official ticket site, prices had soared to nearly triple the normal rate—and even then, tickets were sold out.
Thankfully, Rakuzan's "sponsor daddy" Akashi, had shared a generous number of tickets with his "Miracles" buddies, so no one in that circle had to worry about missing out.
Soon, the livestream connected to the court cameras, broadcasting the match for fans who couldn't get tickets.
"Hello everyone! Welcome back, proudly sponsored by the Akashi Conglomerate! I'm your host today, Sasa!"
"Hi everyone, I'm Nini!"
"And I'm Bobo, your play-by-play commentator! Thanks for tuning in—let's enjoy this game together!"
On-screen, Bobo, neatly dressed in a suit, glanced rapidly between his notes and the scrolling comments, feeding off the audience's reactions.
Today wasn't just any championship match—it was the second showdown between Rakuzan and Kaijo. Everyone had something at stake in this game.
Since Basketball Rendezvous began streaming live games, ratings had skyrocketed—but today, they were about to shatter records again.
The producer behind the cameras looked ecstatic, gesturing wildly for Bobo to keep the energy high.
Bobo gave a subtle nod and leaned into the mic:
"Both teams are entering the court—let's take a look at their condition today!"
The camera panned to Rakuzan's players first.
"First up, number 6—Rakuzan's sharpshooter and shooting guard, Mibuchi!"
Bobo flipped through his notes, narrating smoothly.
"This season, Mibuchi has been Rakuzan's starting shooting guard. Known for his deadly three-point shooting, he was called the number one shooter even back in middle school!"
(PS: that was before Midorima awakened, of course.)
"This year, Mibuchi's averaging over 30 points a game with no less than eight three-pointers per match. He's a terrifying perimeter threat!"
Bobo paused dramatically for the next player. Mibuchi's stats were impressive—second only to Midorima. His records were plenty, but compared to the Green-haired sniper, they seemed a little pale.
Realistically, Mibuchi's a phenomenal shooter—around 55% from three. But Midorima? One hundred percent. You just can't compete with that.
"The next player, number 7—Rakuzan's small forward, Hayama!"
"With incredible athleticism and explosiveness, Hayama embodies the true 'beast-type' small forward. His drive and instincts are pure fire!"
Bobo's tone rose with passion. Then, with a dramatic sigh:
"Unfortunately, in last year's game against Kaijo, he got crushed by his matchup… Kise."
The chat exploded instantly.
Messages like "LOL," "Poor Hayama," and "Kise is a monster!" flooded the feed.
Seeing the reaction, Bobo secretly relaxed. He'd broken his old "play nice with everyone" rule, but it was working.
This match didn't need diplomacy—it needed sparks. Fans didn't come to hear, "Both teams are great." They came for the clash.
"There's no number one in art, and no number two in strength," Bobo grinned. "Simple as that."
"The third Rakuzan player entering is number 8—their center, Nebuya!"
"In their first match-up, Nebuya dominated Kaijo's center, Kobori. Alongside Murasakibara of Yosen and Kiyoshi of Seirin, he's considered one of Japan's three great centers!"
The chat went wild again, and Bobo leaned in even more.
"Some people once argued Kaijo's Kobori deserved to be ranked among them. But, well… the internet disagreed."
By now, Bobo was on fire. His commentary had turned into full-on rivalry theater, and the fans loved it. Even Sasa and Nini sat there wide-eyed—Bobo, the man once famous for being "Mr. Neutral," was now roasting players on live air.
If this had been last season, he would've praised everyone. Today? He'd discovered the secret formula for views—chaos.
He even ended up comparing Kaijo's Coach Takeuchi and Rakuzan's Coach Shirogane… on looks. Spoiler: Takeuchi lost badly.
BEEP!
Back on the court, both teams lined up at center. None of them had any clue they were being pitted against each other in livestream comment wars.
Kaijo's Kota glanced at Akashi across from him—the same guy he'd casually chatted with in the restroom ten minutes ago—and grinned.
Akashi, of course, only stared back coldly.
"Tch… what a stuck-up brat" Kota muttered, silently vowing to teach this smug "Emperor" a lesson.
"Let's have a good game!"
Both teams bowed, and the atmosphere turned razor-sharp.
They'd faced each other before—everyone knew everyone's style inside out.
"Yo, little boy, ready to get crushed?" Nebuya taunted Hayakawa.
Centers like him didn't rely on fancy moves—it was all about raw power.
Hayakawa glared, slapping his cheeks. "You wish! I won't let you take those rebounds so easily!"
"Yeah! Well said, Takumi!"
Kise clapped loudly. As Kaijo's ace, he couldn't just stand by when his teammate was being mocked. Turning to Hayama, he smirked.
"Hey, heard that? You got the guts to say the same thing back?"
Hayama shivered slightly from Kise's sudden pressure — but a Five Generals member wasn't about to back down.
"Heh, just the way I like it. I told you—I'm dropping fifty on you today!"
A drop of sweat trickled down Hayama's face, but his resolve didn't waver.
At the backcourt, Akashi folded his arms, calm as ever.
Kota crouched low, palms on his knees, eyes fixed on the referee holding the game ball. He licked his lips, smiling.
"Bring it on, Akashi."
BEEP!
"Whoa!!"
Hayakawa roared, leaping high and somehow out-jumped Nebuya, giving Kaijo the first possession!
"Nice one, Hayakawa-senpai!"
Kota caught the ball cleanly and pushed it up the court.
Akashi slid into position, just a step beyond the three-point line, knees bent, watching intently.
"He knows my shooting range already, huh?" Kota thought with a sigh.
His "Ultra-Deep Three" ability was deadly against normal opponents — but Akashi wasn't normal. He was like a living cheat code who saw through everything.
Without his "Fourth Quarter King" state active, Kota couldn't pull up from that far out.
"Well, fine then—if you won't give me space, I'll just break through!"
The words left his mouth, and suddenly, he exploded forward. A swift crossover, then a drive to Akashi's right.
Akashi's eyes narrowed. Emperor Eye.
He anticipated the move, reaching low for a steal.
But Kota had been ready—his instincts screamed Danger!
His passive skills—Danger Sense and Big Man Bully Playbook—kicked in instantly. He spun, flung the ball ahead, slipped past Akashi, and pulled up for a smooth mid-range jumper.
Swish!
As he backpedaled, Kota smirked and made a mock throat-slitting gesture toward Akashi.
Taunting? Absolutely. But strategic too.
Even tiny boosts in momentum matter against Rakuzan.
"Kaijo scores first! Kota blows past Akashi, pulls up for a jumper—and nails it! What a start!"
In the booth, Bobo chuckled. "Kota's confidence is through the roof! Not only scores the first basket but immediately taunts Akashi! You've gotta have nerves of steel to do that!"
Sure, he was overselling it—but Kaijo fans loved it. And popularity meant views.
Moments later, Akashi answered back. Using Nebuya's screen, he orchestrated a perfect play, slicing through Kaijo's defense for two points.
"Basketball's supposed to be a tall man's sport, right?" Bobo grinned. "Well, Akashi just slapped that stereotype straight in the face!"
"Standing under 170 cm and still this dominant… his presence alone can crush an entire team's rhythm! Truly—the Strongest 170 on Earth!"
The chat went wild.
As the game heated up, so did the arena and the livestream numbers.
Meanwhile, far away at the Japan Basketball Association—
"Chairman, I've sent you the full list of promising point guards, all marked and ranked."
"I see. Leave it there."
After hanging up, the Chairman adjusted his glasses and skimmed through the files. Every top-performing point guard of the last few years was listed—including the rising star, Igarashi of Too Academy.
He frowned. "Hmm… still… none of them compare to Akashi."
He sighed, leaning back in his chair with a creak—when suddenly, a thought struck him.
"Wait… isn't today Rakuzan's final? Against Kaijo… That Kaijo point guard… what was his name again? Kota?"
He chuckled softly. "Well, guess I'll kill some time and watch the game."