In the blink of an eye, the highly anticipated Kanagawa Prefectural Tournament finally began.
Every team had tuned themselves to peak condition—well, perhaps with the exception of Takezono.
First-years burned with excitement, eager to prove themselves.
Second-years rolled up their sleeves, determined to leave their mark.
Third-years brimmed with confidence, vowing to dominate the nation.
Shohoku's draw remained unchanged. Their opening match was against Miuradai—an ambitious team hungry for redemption.
After their crushing defeat at the hands of Hainan last year, Miuradai had spent an entire year training hard and even recruited Naito, a powerhouse from the rugby club, to bolster their strength. This year, they swore, would be different.
But rumors had spread—Shohoku had racked up two consecutive practice game victories, one of them against Ryonan. Even so, Miuradai's captain Murasame scoffed.
"We are the team that will defeat Hainan. What are mere Ryonan and Shohoku worth?"
If he dismissed Ryonan, then Shohoku, in his eyes, wasn't even worth considering.
Before tip-off, Murasame rallied his squad:
"Don't waste time here. Take down Shohoku in one shot, then move on to Hainan! Let's go!"
"Miuradai! Forward!" his teammates roared.
Meanwhile, the Shohoku bench was quieter—perhaps calmer, or perhaps more nervous.
Kogure couldn't stop recalling the past two years' failures. His heart clenched as he glanced at Akagi, warming up with grim determination. If we lose again today, it's over. We'll have to abandon basketball and focus on university entrance exams…
It wasn't just Kogure. Aside from the starting five and Miyagi, the rest of Shohoku's players were clearly on edge. Experience in big games was still a luxury this team lacked.
Sensing his senior's nerves, Nango squeezed Kogure's shoulder with a grin.
"Relax, senpai. We won't lose this game. I'm here."
Kogure felt a weight lift from his chest. "Yeah. You're right. We won't lose!"
Though the stands weren't packed, plenty of spectators had shown up.
Front row, Kumaji Shōtoku flailed his arms wildly:
"Nango! We're here for you! You got this!"
Beside him, classmates waved enthusiastically.
Nango beamed, raising a hand in return. The cheers of friends—it really was a wonderful feeling.
Aside from Rukawa's rabid fan club, Nango's classmates formed Shohoku's biggest cheering section.
The whistle blew.
Akagi leapt first for Shohoku, swatting the tip-off toward Nango, who secured the ball and immediately pushed the advance.
"In terms of height, besides Uozumi, no one in Kanagawa can out-jump Akagi," Sendo observed calmly from the stands. His Ryonan teammates nodded.
Ryonan had come to watch as a full squad. Having already faced Shohoku once, they knew the Red Devils weren't to be underestimated. This was a chance to study them before the upcoming round-robin.
"Eh? Look at Shohoku's number 13! He's bringing the ball up?!"
"No way! With that build, shouldn't he be in the paint?"
The crowd buzzed, eyes glued to Nango's unusual position.
Across from him, Miuradai's point guard Araki Kazuo blinked in disbelief. At 187 centimeters, he was already a rarity at his position. But Nango towered over him, broader and stronger by a mile. Standing side by side, the size difference was ridiculous.
Sizing him up, Nango smirked. So Miuradai brought in Araki to deal with Hainan's? Ambitious. But thinking Araki can stop him? That's just wishful thinking.
Without another thought, Nango shifted gears, slipped past Araki in a flash, and drove toward the basket.
"Here it comes!" Sakuragi's eyes gleamed. This is my moment! Genius Sakuragi Hanamichi is about to steal the spotlight!
Nango read his excitement and grinned inwardly. Alright then, Sakuragi—show them.
He cut toward Sakuragi's side, drawing Miyamoto Kazunari, Miuradai's number 6, off his man. The instant Miyamoto lunged at him, Nango lobbed the ball high.
Sakuragi leapt, catching it mid-air—an Alley-oop finish!
The crowd exploded.
"What?! Sakuragi pulled that off?!"
Even Ryonan's players were stunned.
Uozumi's jaw dropped. "That idiot can do an Alley-oop?!"
Ikegami shook his head. "I didn't think he had it in him."
Sendo leaned on his hand, smiling faintly. "Heh. He's grown a lot."
Hikoichi nearly fell over cheering. "Sakuragi! Amazing! Keep it up!"
Spectators roared:
"The first basket's an Alley-oop?!"
"What a way to open the game!"
"This tournament's gonna be insane!"
Kumaji nearly choked. "Our team… is this strong?!"
His classmates joined in: "Nango's speed is unreal!"
On the bench, Murasame was livid.
"Araki! What the hell was that? Stay sharp! Don't let him through again!"
Araki could only grit his teeth. "Yes, sir…"
Shohoku's bench, meanwhile, wasn't exactly celebrating.
Oh no. I've seen this movie before…
Takezono all over again—the same setup, the same dominance. If Miuradai folded this quickly, it'd be another one-sided slaughter. Where was the competition?
Miuradai finally pushed back, giving the ball to their ace.
Murasame, captain and star forward, was known for his explosive power. He lowered his shoulder and drove straight at Mitsui.
Mitsui braced, but Murasame's sheer force plowed him into the paint. Rising up, Murasame fired over him—only for Akagi to crash in, looming with his towering frame.
The shot wavered, bounced off the rim.
"Rebound!" Murasame shouted.
"It's mine!" Sakuragi bellowed. Riding his earlier momentum, he snatched the board cleanly and whipped the ball out to Nango.
Without hesitation, Nango fired a bullet pass downcourt.
Rukawa, already streaking ahead, caught it in stride and finished with a smooth layup.
Shohoku had turned defense into offense in less than ten seconds.
In the stands, Ryonan shifted uncomfortably.
"They've improved so much," Uozumi muttered, sweat on his brow.
"Before, it was just raw talent and individual plays," Echizen added. "But now… they're disciplined. They're a team."
Hikoichi scribbled furiously in his notebook. "Every detail, I need every detail!"
Even Sendo straightened, his usual smile fading. "Those three… they're becoming terrifying."
The audience sat stunned, jaws hanging open.
"So fast!"
"Shohoku's unstoppable!"
"Miuradai was last year's top eight, and they can't keep up at all!"
"Didn't Ryonan—last year's top four—lose to Shohoku too? Then Miuradai doesn't stand a chance."
"Shohoku's the biggest dark horse of the year!"
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