Huff… huff…
The empty basketball gym.
A high school girl, brow furrowed and expression tense, nervously bit her fingers. Beside her, two high school boys knelt on the floor, breathing heavily.
It should have been a perfectly normal scene.
But the scoreboard in the girl's hand, showing 10:0, made the situation increasingly absurd.
"So strong… this is almost unfair."
Aida Riko's nails were nearly bitten to the quick as she thought, I've never seen anyone, on first encounter, counter Kiyoshi's post-release pass…
Even with Teppei and Hyuga working together, they couldn't score a single point, and it looks like he hasn't even used his full strength yet. No wonder he's a super monster capable of defeating even the Generation of Miracles!
"Ah~~~ I can't take it anymore!"
Hyuga Junpei rolled onto his back, letting out a long sigh. "No way… mortals like us can't face monsters! Seriously, at this rate, I'm losing confidence in even showing up for the Winter Cup."
He tried to keep his tone light and cheerful, but no matter how he tried to comfort himself, his racing heartbeat wouldn't calm.
Riko stole a glance at the two, and that brief look made her pupils shrink.
What… is happening?
Before her eyes, the physical stats of Hyuga and Kiyoshi were nearly dropping to their threshold. Even though both had trained extensively before this session, they should have retained at least 30% of their energy.
Riko's eyes widened in shock. Just ten shots, and they're almost exhausted? That monster… he's putting this much pressure on Teppei and Hyuga?!
"I was planning to warm up, but these two… they're not even close!"
After leaving the gym, Akashi Asuka stretched his shoulders while muttering to himself.
This summer, Seirin didn't arrange any special training plans, but privately, they had plenty of practice sessions.
The difference between an established powerhouse and a newer team like Seirin became painfully obvious.
Even a normal victory would give Seirin's players a sense of complacency and pride.
At Seirin, even after winning the national championship, excitement lasted only a few days. Their focus immediately shifted to the Winter Cup after summer.
This was a gap in mindset and spirit, a team legacy not cultivated overnight.
Not just Seirin…
Even within Seirin, aside from senior players like Akashi and Tsutomu Iwamura, most underclassmen, including players like Tsugawa Tomoki who hadn't played in games, were still a bit carried away.
Akashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Looks like tomorrow I'll have to give these young ones a lesson in mental training first.
============
The next day.
All of Seirin's starters and many first- and second-year reserves gathered at a local sports complex near Akashi's house.
But when the time came, everyone else was present, except Akashi himself.
"Huh? Did Akashi oversleep?"
Tsugawa Tomoki asked in surprise.
He didn't really believe it; in junior high, whenever they arranged training, he was always the one late. Akashi, on the other hand, never missed a session.
"I heard Akashi has something to take care of. He'll be here later. Let's start warming up first!"
As expected, Iwamura explained, and everyone temporarily let go of their worries and began warming up.
But training had just begun, and Iwamura and Kasuga Ryuhei's brows were already furrowed like the kanji "川."
Too noisy!
Too careless!
Too unprofessional!
Seirin had always been a disciplined team. As others had described, this wasn't a team of naturally talented players, it was a team of masters.
What's a master?
Someone who has undergone rigorous training and achieved results, an expert.
To reach that level through practice alone, Seirin's players had already sacrificed a lot. In past training, most rarely spoke; practice alone drained their energy.
But today…
"Hey, did you watch the NBA game last night?"
"Of course! Kobe was like a god! He scored 81 points by himself!"
"Whoa, I watched that too!"
============
The underclassmen clustered in small groups, chatting and laughing.
The entire gym was filled with noise, nothing like Seirin's usual training atmosphere.
Kasuga's temples throbbed. These little brats think winning a championship makes them invincible? I'll teach them a lesson.
He rolled up his sleeves, preparing to hit them with his iron fist.
But before he could move, Iwamura stopped him.
Calm but displeased, he said, "Wait, Kasuga! That won't work. If you don't fix their mindset first, just pushing them in training won't help much."
"So what should we do?"
"Wait a bit. Akashi has a plan."
"Akashi?"
"Yes. I'm starting to believe in that kid's intelligence."
Iwamura explained, "Last night, he contacted me. He knew today's training wouldn't go smoothly, so early this morning he took the keys to the gym from the school club room."
"I didn't believe it at first, but now… I really don't have to worry about post-graduation stuff anymore."
Kasuga blinked. "The club room keys? What could he do with that?"
"Who knows…"
BANG!
Before Iwamura finished, a figure suddenly pushed open the gym gates and stepped inside…
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria