The sun set, the moon rose. The moon fell, the sun rose again.
Time slipped away quietly, carried by the endless turn of day and night.
Training days passed just like that, flowing through their fingers unnoticed.
That morning, at dawn—
As usual, golden light from the rising sun spilled across the basketball court.
Inside the same court, Aoi Kunisaku and the team once again gathered, standing neatly in a row.
But if one looked closely, it was clear that three new faces had joined the group since they first arrived.
During the training camp, after careful discussion, the tournament officials decided to adjust the registration rules. To better handle issues like player injuries and other special circumstances, they expanded the number of registered players for each region from 12 to 15.
However, the rules also clearly stated that only 12 players could actually play in each game.
This meant 3 players would sit out every match.
For Taoka Moichi and Takato Riki, this rule change was a blessing—just what they needed.
They were already satisfied with the strength the current roster had shown.
But in their sharp, professional eyes, the team still had a few gaps—small areas where things could improve.
Now that registration had expanded to 15, those extra 3 slots gave them flexibility. They could now fill those gaps with the right players and make the team more complete and powerful.
After multiple rounds of discussion and weighing each player's traits against the team's needs, they finally settled on the last 3 players.
Kainan's Kiyota Nobunaga, Shohoku's Miyagi Ryota, and Shoyo's Hasegawa Kazushi.
With that, every position now had exactly 3 players.
With the roster set, it was time to talk about changes to the coaching staff.
Originally, only 2 coaches from the Kanagawa region were going to be sent: Taoka Moichi and Takato Riki.
But with the format revised, each region could now have 3 coaches:
1 head coach, and 2 assistant coaches.
This immediately gave Taoka and Takato new ideas. Without even needing to talk it out much, both quickly agreed: they would try to rope in Anzai Mitsuyoshi.
At first, Anzai Mitsuyoshi hesitated. But under their relentless persuasion, he eventually agreed.
However, since Anzai was already elderly, he didn't want to overexert himself. So he offered to give up the head coach position.
This was exactly what Taoka and Takato had hoped for.
With Anzai Mitsuyoshi stepping back, the two started fighting over who'd be the head coach.
On one side stood the "iron-blooded coach" of Ryonan, and on the other, the "tactical master" of Kainan. They already clashed often in local league play. Now, over the title of head coach, they were at each other's throats.
Out in the open and behind the scenes, they compared tactics, seniority, and past records—neither one willing to back down.
In the end, the national tournament results settled the fight.
Takato Riki had led Kainan to second place nationally. Taoka Moichi's Ryonan didn't even qualify.
That single fact tipped the scales.
Taoka couldn't win. He had no choice but to watch as his longtime rival claimed the title of "head coach."
Though clearly frustrated, Taoka had to swallow the loss. He'd just have to wait for another chance to turn things around.
Kanagawa's top officials, weighing everything, also settled on Takato Riki as the official head coach.
Taoka Moichi and Anzai Mitsuyoshi would serve as assistant coaches. Together, they formed the coaching staff for the team.
Takato stood at the front of the team. His gaze swept sharply across every player's face. Then, in a loud voice, he declared, "Everyone's here, right? If there's nothing else, let's head out."
"Yes!" everyone answered in unison.
The Autumn National Athletic Meet was set to take place at Tokyo Gymnasium.
Tokyo wasn't far from Kanagawa. Aoi Kunisaku and the others took a bus. Compared to the bullet train, the route they took would reach Tokyo in about 40 minutes—almost twice as fast.
Everyone kept quiet on the ride.
Aoi Kunisaku was his usual self. As soon as he got on the bus, he closed his eyes and began dozing, letting the vehicle's gentle vibrations lull him into a calm rhythm.
Nobody knew how much time passed before Shimizu Kanon gently shook him awake.
Her voice carried a hint of helplessness as she lightly scolded him. "Saku-chan… seriously, can't you fix that lazy sleep habit of yours?"
"Ahahahaha…"
Aoi Kunisaku yawned lazily. His eyes weren't even fully open when he mumbled casually, "It doesn't make any difference anyway, why change it?"
Shimizu Kanon puffed up her cheeks at the sight, her nose scrunching slightly as she said, "How can it not make a difference? We've already arrived. Everyone else has gotten off the bus, and you're still in here snoring."
After hearing that, Aoi Kunisaku finally blinked and glanced around the bus.
Sure enough, the bus that was packed full earlier was now left with just him and Shimizu Kanon.
He grabbed his backpack and followed her off the bus.
Several buses with nearly identical designs were lined up in order.
The signs hanging on the sides clearly displayed the names of each region. It wasn't hard to guess they belonged to the other representative teams.
Takato Riki stood at the head of the team. Seeing that everyone had arrived, he raised his voice and said, "Alright, we'll attend the opening ceremony first. We'll head back to the hotel after that."
With that, everyone moved together toward the gymnasium.
Tokyo Gymnasium.
Dry, yellow leaves fluttered down onto the plaza in front of the venue. This place was about to witness another major event in the world of high school basketball—Autumn National Athletic Meet.
Unlike the summer's national tournament, this one was a battle between top-tier elite players representing their prefectures.
Each team was carefully formed by selecting the best players from various schools across the region. The result was a collection of elite athletes, making it a true showdown of the nation's finest.
Although there were no matches scheduled for the day of the opening ceremony, the level of attention the event drew was just as intense as the summer tournament.
Compared to the hustle and bustle of the summer league, this reformed Autumn National Athletic Meet—with its new rules—had captured the interest of basketball fans across the country.
The venue was packed to the brim.
The crowd's excitement burned like wildfire, turning the entire stadium into a furnace of noise and energy.
Due to the era, there were no large electronic screens. Instead, teams were introduced via public broadcast announcements.
Even so, when the triumphant march music blared and the teams began marching in one by one, the stands exploded in deafening cheers that nearly lifted the stadium roof.
The announcer introduced team after team, and soon, it was time for Kanagawa.
"Last to enter the venue… Kanagawa Representative Team…"
Boom—
In that instant, it was as if the entire stadium froze. Only the sound of breathing remained, echoing in the strange silence.
But that eerie calm was only the calm before the storm.
The very next second, the stands erupted into earth-shaking screams and cheers. Waves of sound crashed against the dome ceiling like a tsunami.
At the same time, the players from the other teams all turned to stare at the members of the Kanagawa team, their eyes full of complicated emotion.
Of course they understood what "Kanagawa" meant now.
Both the champion and runner-up of this summer's national tournament had come from Kanagawa.
Even more importantly—Kanagawa had given birth to a freakishly powerful player.
As soon as Aoi Kunisaku stepped into the gym with the team, countless eyes zeroed in on him like searchlights.
Those gazes were full of caution, pressure, dread, even fear… and fighting spirit.
With Aoi Kunisaku present, Kanagawa was clearly the biggest threat to every other team. No question.
Just him alone was enough to put every opposing team on high alert.
And yet, under the weight of thousands of eyes, Aoi Kunisaku kept his usual lazy posture. His head slightly lowered, steps casual, as if he were strolling through a park.
The burning and icy stares that landed on his shoulders bounced off like raindrops on glass. Not a single ripple stirred.
Every now and then, he glanced at the stands. A glint of indifference passed through his eyes, and the corners of his lips curved faintly.
Meanwhile…
Akita Representative Team.
If the Shohoku players were here to see them, they'd probably be stunned on the spot.
The faces on that team were all too familiar.
In fact, to every player from every team, the Akita squad looked incredibly familiar.
If they weren't wearing Akita uniforms, anyone would have thought—isn't this just Sannoh Kogyo heading to war again?
That's right. The entire Akita team was composed solely of players from Sannoh Kogyo High School.
After all, in Akita, Sannoh Kogyo had long reigned as the absolute dominant force. It was no surprise the Autumn National Athletic Meet roster ended up entirely in their hands.
At that moment, every member of the team that had been crushed by Aoi Kunisaku during the national tournament locked their eyes on him.
That boy—the one who made them taste bitter defeat.
Sawakita Eiji's gaze burned like twin flames, fixed on Aoi Kunisaku as he said, his voice laced with barely contained fighting spirit, "I knew you'd be here."
Fukatsu Kazunari's eyes were deep and still like a dark lake. He spoke with quiet seriousness, "We're not in the same group. If we want to face them, it'll have to be in the knockout round."
Sawakita Eiji slowly pulled his eyes away, took a deep breath, and nodded. "I know."
...
Just then, the tournament representative walked onto the stage.
He wore a neatly pressed dark suit, a shining tournament pin on his chest. Under the spotlight, he looked solemn and dignified.
But the moment he started speaking, every team member in the venue felt like their heads were spinning.
"Honored guests, dear coaches, players, and passionate fans..." His voice rang through the sound system like a great bell, echoing across the entire gym. The tone carried the warmth and pride of a gracious host. "Welcome to Tokyo Gymnasium, where we gather to witness the grand opening of this year's Autumn National Athletic Meet for high school basketball."
Smiling, the rep raised his hand, letting his eyes sweep across the flags of the gathered teams. He continued, "This is a celebration of youth and passion, a stage where the elite players of each prefecture will etch glory in sweat. Here, we'll witness teamwork ignite the court, and the indomitable spirit of sport shine bright..."
...
What followed was a long, boring speech full of empty words.
To Aoi Kunisaku, it was nothing but pointless nonsense.
All that talk about "sportsmanship," "future pillars of society," and so on circled endlessly like a broken loop—more sleep-inducing than a math class full of formulas.
No one knew how long the dull monologue lasted. Aoi Kunisaku was already nodding off.
"...And now, I declare… this year's Autumn National Athletic Meet for high school basketball—officially open!"
Finally, the host's voice reached its conclusion.
Huff...
For a brief moment, the stadium fell silent. Then came a collective exhale, as if everyone had been holding their breath for too long.
With the boom of ceremonial cannons, the opening ceremony finally drew to a close.
Aoi Kunisaku and the others were just about to leave for the hotel to rest when a crisp voice called out from behind.
"Hey! You guys!"
The Kanagawa players turned around.
The Akita team was striding toward them, with Sawakita Eiji at the front. His sharp eyes cut through the crowd, locking straight onto Aoi Kunisaku.
With a sharp smirk, he said, "Aoi Kunisaku... I'll get revenge for summer. Just make sure you guys don't lose before then."
Heh...
Aoi Kunisaku chuckled lowly.
Still carrying that lazy posture, his eyes lazily scanned over the Akita team. His voice was laced with laid-back disdain, a hint of mockery, and pure arrogance. "Lose a game? What kind of nonsense is that? The only one who can beat me... is me."
That line dropped like a stone into still water.
Everyone froze for a moment—then their faces shifted into unreadable expressions.
Cocky.
Arrogant.
Insanely arrogant.
Sawakita Eiji's pupils narrowed, but the smirk on his lips grew wider, eyes full of fire.
The rest of the Akita team all stared daggers at Aoi Kunisaku. None of them had ever met someone so full of himself.
Shimizu Kanon raised a hand to her reddening cheeks, quietly mumbling to herself, "Saku-chan... honestly."
Kogure Kiminobu's eyes widened. His throat bobbed awkwardly as he muttered, 'Only I can beat me'? What kind of line is that? That's way too over-the-top!"
Akagi Takenori: "This guy..."
Sakuragi Hanamichi: "What a damn show-off."
Sendoh Akira: "So this is another side of him, huh?"
Maki Shinichi: "What an arrogant kid."
Rukawa Kaede: "..."
...
Even the Akita players were stunned speechless by Aoi Kunisaku's bold claim. The air grew heavy with tension.
Sawakita Eiji had originally planned to throw in a few more taunts, but now he didn't know what to say.
"You've got some nerve, huh... whatever. I'll see you on the court." With that, he turned and walked off with his team.