[You withstood the opponent's savagery and rudeness. You counterattacked. Those little brats defending you were elbowed by you until they were miserable.]
[You felt they were simply lighting a lantern in a toilet—looking for death (shit)!]
[The third quarter ended. The point difference did not widen; Homi Academy still led by 8 points. But your stats had risen to 25 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. At the same time, you also harvested 1 block and 2 steals.]
[You felt your body gradually becoming fatigued. A high-intensity game still put pressure on you, who had only recovered 70% of your condition. You couldn't swim freely in the fish pond yet.]
[The fourth quarter began. Your speed started to slow down, and your shooting percentage began to drop.]
[Fortunately, your opponent's speed was also slowing down, and their shooting percentage also began to drop.]
[The game became anxious, entering a white-hot stage.]
[The game ended. You guys had the last laugh, winning this precious victory. You were only one win away from obtaining the qualification for the National Tournament from Tochigi Prefecture.]
[You got a game-high 32 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks.]
[Your playing style was still simple, so simple that every movement seemed to return to how "it" was in the very beginning.]
[However, at this moment, no one would ignore you anymore. You put up the toughest performance in the toughest battle, leading the field in five statistical categories.]
[People praised you as freaking awesome!]
[But Momoi Satsuki noticed that your number of shot attempts had increased a lot compared to before, and your overall shooting percentage did not rise accordingly.]
"The ceiling is a 30+ triple-double."
Yuuto in the outside world fell silent again.
If it were before, he would have been satisfied with such stats.
He would definitely be called a basketball genius.
But the intensity of this world is too high.
Thinking of Murasakibara Atsushi scoring 100 points in a single game, Midorima's never-missing three-pointers, Akashi crossing people like drinking water, etc.
Yuuto's heart couldn't be satisfied.
"I still have to find a way to raise my ceiling."
He analyzed his current level; it was definitely national-level, perhaps even capable of wrestling with the Uncrowned Kings.
Because Yuuto also possesses his own specialty: extreme fundamentals.
The problem is.
The distance between the Uncrowned Kings and the Generation of Miracles, to describe it exaggeratedly, is separated by a Pacific Ocean.
He remembers clearly that when Akashi was trying to fully master the Zone, he once beat Hayama Kotarō, Mibuchi Reo, and Nebuya Eikichi all at once in a 1v3.
Simulation continues.
[Winning this key victory, you are only one step away from the main National Tournament.]
[Because the biggest competitor has already been defeated by you, your prospects for qualifying are excellent.]
[Another day passed, and the round-robin continued.]
[Homi Academy's game was scheduled for the afternoon. The first game was between the other two teams.]
[Your opponent from yesterday withstood the pressure. In a back-to-back situation, they won by a narrow margin of 5 points, keeping their hope of qualifying alive.]
[In the afternoon, you welcomed the final game. Win and you qualify directly. Lose and you tie on points with another team, entering the stage of calculating point differences to determine the qualifying team.]
[Back-to-back games are a huge challenge, but your opponent was even more miserable than you; they had two games in one day.]
[The scene of the game wasn't spectacular. The sound of "Clang Clang Clang" kept ringing in the fans' ears. Not the "Only You" song, but the "Clang Clang Clang" of hitting the iron (missing shots)!]
"Clang your head, clang. Do you think this is a comedy novel?"
Yuuto in the outside world rolled his eyes.
This system is a bit too intelligent, throwing in cold jokes from time to time as if afraid he'd be bored.
[You guys joined hands to contribute a wonderful iron-striking battle for the fans.]
[By halftime, the shooting percentage of both teams was less than 50%.]
[In such a dull game, your stability played a decisive role.]
[You became the only player on the court with a shooting percentage over 50%. You scored a high of 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in the first half.]
[Momoi Satsuki did not come to the scene today. She believed that the intelligence gathering on you was sufficient. You are undoubtedly a basketball genius, but just an ordinary genius, not enough to threaten Teiko's dominance.]
"If this were a game, with a whole team of 5 players rated 99, it would be strange if we could beat you." Yuuto took a bottle of water and took a sip.
He didn't feel discouraged because he also had cheats now.
Sooner or later, he would become a basketball maniac just like the Generation of Miracles.
Simulation continues.
[Thanks to your stable performance, Homi Academy won the game. Winning both round-robin games, you seized the Tochigi Prefecture qualification for the National Tournament.]
[You received the Prefectural Tournament Championship Trophy. You put on the gold medal. You were selected as the MVP of the Prefectural Tournament. You were selected for the Best Lineup of the Prefectural Tournament. You became the Prefectural Tournament...]
[You celebrated the victory together. The next day, the coach gave you a day off.]
[You didn't push yourself but took a day off to relieve fatigue.]
[A day later, you devoted yourself to training again. There was still half a month before the opening of the main National Tournament. You planned to get your body back to its peak condition as soon as possible before the opening ceremony.]
[Sora wanted to go out and play, she wanted you to take her out to play. You refused, and she got angry again, planning not to speak to you for a day.]
[Sora still wanted to go out and play the next day. You told her, "Right now, I only have eyes for the National Tournament."]
[Sora pouted and left your room. She hasn't spoken to you all day.]
"This willful little brat."
Yuuto rubbed his forehead.
Kasugano Sora has been frail and sickly since childhood. She gets out of breath with just a little exercise. For this reason, she frequently misses school, and over time, she became a glorious shut-in.
Her world is very small.
Before, it was her parents, Haruka, and Yuuto.
Now, it's Haruka and Yuuto.
"I'll accompany Sora to play when I have the chance." Yuuto continued staring at the text simulation in front of him.
[Half a month later, the main National Tournament opened.]
[You were aggressive and full of confidence, striving to break through Homi Academy's history.]
[Who said a music school can't play basketball?]
[However, in the Round of 64, you fought fiercely until the last second with a team from Gunma Prefecture. You barely passed by hitting a buzzer-beating mid-range bank shot to kill the opponent.]
[You were extremely excited, including yourself, roaring powerfully the moment the game ended.]
[But you rejoiced too early.]
[In the Round of 32, you encountered the team Hayama Kotarō played for. You lost, stopping at the Top 32 of the National Tournament.]
"Only Top 32?"
Yuuto frowned.
[You found it hard to accept this result. You thought that after having a Golden Finger, your only opponents would be the Generation of Miracles. You overestimated your standard.]
[Your performance remained stable, getting a team-high 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists.]
[But this quasi-triple-double data was not enough to make up for the overall gap between the two teams.]
[Hayama Kotarō found you after the game. He praised you for being strong and extended his hand to you.]
[You refused the handshake, turned around, and walked directly into the player tunnel.]
[You don't need the winner's praise. Such pity makes you sick.]
[Insufficient overall level is not an excuse for failure. You believe there is only one reason for losing.]
[That is, you are not strong enough!]
[Your National Tournament journey ended, stopping at the Top 32.]
[Returning to daily life, your training volume began to increase. You were trying hard to restore your condition to its peak.]
[You stubbornly believed that if Aomine, Akashi, or Murasakibara led Homi Academy, Homi Academy would definitely have advanced.]
[You were dissatisfied with your weakness!]
[Soon after, the basketball club held a farewell ceremony. The third-year members left the team, but they did not feel regretful because you had already created history.]
[For a music academy like Homi Academy, the National Top 32 was already their best history.]
[They left the basketball club with smiles. You felt their smiles were dazzling.]
[Sakurai Ryō, standing next to you, felt immense pressure.]