The fourth quarter began.
Yuuto was subbed out to rest on the bench.
Holding a 15-point advantage, Seiho played more calmly and patiently.
The experienced King knew very well how to utilize this advantage.
And.
The Lightning Run that Tōō hadn't had time to adapt to played an important disruptive role during this time.
In the first 3 minutes of the fourth quarter, Seiho still maintained a high shooting percentage of 70%.
"To actually do it at such a time..." Kagetora Aida looked at the situation on the court and understood Nakatani's words.
"Do you understand now? Besides superhuman strength, that child is also particularly good at layout." Nakatani sighed secretly beside him.
Missing such a player might mean missing him forever.
He probably wouldn't have the chance to coach Yuuto in the future.
Yuuto's big-picture view and his, Nakatani's, tactics were a match made in heaven.
The protagonist they spoke of was sitting on the bench with a bland expression.
He didn't utilize this point in the simulation because he didn't know exactly how long it would take Tōō to adapt to the Lightning Run and what Tōō's choices would be.
But as Mr. Lu Xun (tree-person?) said, every failure is progress.
Yuuto wasn't strong at layout; he just simply knew the opponent's plan in advance and made targeted adjustments.
Beep~
In the 4th minute of the fourth quarter, Yuuto threw away the towel and was subbed back on.
Seeing this, Aomine gritted his teeth and stood up too, but Katsunori Harasawa refused.
"This is just a battle for the top seed. We still have a chance. Do you understand what I mean, Aomine?"
This time, he didn't let the player do as he pleased. A mere few minutes weren't enough for Aomine's state to recover.
It could be said that Tōō had strategically given up on winning this match.
Because there was the more important Nationals Main Tournament afterward!
First possession upon return, Yuuto sank a three-pointer, then assisted teammate Iwamura for a dunk under the basket.
Without Aomine on the court, Yuuto's presence was as dazzling as the sun.
Tōō's people simply couldn't ignore his existence.
Excessive attention made them lose focus on other Seiho players. This directly led to Seiho playing smoother and more composed.
Finally.
They cut down Tokyo's "Tyrant" with a huge lead of 26 points.
Beep~
The referee blew the whistle ending the game. The North stand instantly erupted with a massive wave of sound.
They finally crossed the hurdle of Tōō.
The King returned to the position that belonged to them.
Tokyo Number One!
"Just you wait for the Nationals."
Aomine dropped these words and walked directly into the tunnel, disappearing.
Handshake?
Handshake my ass!
He didn't have that many concerns. His personality was as willful as his playing style; Aomine just didn't want to see Yuuto's face right now.
...
A moment later.
A simple awards ceremony was held on site.
They first awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals to the top three teams, equivalent to a ticket to the Nationals.
Then.
They began selecting the Best Five (Best Lineup).
Yuuto, Aomine, and Midorima were selected without suspense.
The center position was given to Yuuto's teammate Tsutomu Iwamura.
His stats weren't particularly good; compared to Otsubo, Wakamatsu, and others, he had no overwhelming advantage, or was even worse.
But Iwamura had better results. As the captain of the No. 1 seeded team, he occupied a spot in the Best Lineup.
The Best Point Guard award went to the captain of Senshinkan.
Considered a consolation prize.
These two positions were controversial because there were no particularly obvious advantages. Fans believed players from their own teams deserved the honor more.
But Yuuto and the other two were undisputed.
From the group stage to the round-robin, Yuuto averaged 46.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 12.1 assists, 6.3 steals, and 5.3 blocks.
A large 5x5 stat line crowned him the MVP of the Tokyo district.
For Tōō and Shutoku fans, this was a cruel public execution.
These trophies of Yuuto hit them in the face.
They were like pitiful worms going fishing without helmets, getting their heads smashed by rocks confusedly, again and again.
The proud King of the East and the rising Tyrant could only be reduced to foils this year.
But Senshinkan fans were even more pessimistic.
This year they were lucky that the six geniuses fought among themselves and eliminated a spot (for Nationals/Winter Cup qualifiers?), but would they be so lucky in the Nationals?
Especially considering the Winter Cup afterward, could they get that ticket to the main tournament? What about the next two years?
In the last few minutes of the fourth quarter of Seiho vs. Tōō.
After Yuuto re-entered the court, they witnessed that terrifying dominance.
Even Tōō, taking the all-elite route, was beaten to looking for teeth on the ground, suffocated by the oppression.
Facts proved.
Without a player comparable to those six geniuses, it was impossible to defeat these teams.
...
"Yuuto proved he was the best one last year. This year he is ready to prove again that he is the strongest high school student in the country." — Tokyo Sports News.
...
"The strong remain strong. No matter when, no matter where, the important thing is never the opponent, but Yuuto himself. Just as he conquered Okushirazome in the past few years, he is currently conquering the Tokyo district, known for the fiercest competition, step by step." — Morning Okushirazome.
"If Aomine represents Miracles, and the Teiko Five are the Generation of Miracles, then what does Yuuto, who defeated them, represent? Let's count: Shutoku, Tōō... two Generation of Miracles have already lost to him. Who will be next?" — Basketball Pioneer.
These were the reports the day after the match.
Every duel between these geniuses always caused these people to write extensively.
As the winner, Yuuto received almost all the praise he could want and expect.
"What does the person who defeated miracles represent?"
"Who knows? By the way, don't you have school today?"
...
"I do. But to defeat you next time, the coach sent me here specially to collect intel."
"Then you collect intel by sunbathing with me on the rooftop instead of going to the basketball club?"
"Work-life balance."
Momoi giggled, lying side by side with Yuuto on a beach chair, wearing fashionable sunglasses.
Yuuto had no doubt that if there were a swimming pool in front of them, Momoi would have much less fabric on her body right now, fully displaying her impeccable figure.
"Tōō's opponents aren't just us. Based on past patterns, the first and second seeds likely won't be drawn into the same half-bracket." Yuuto clasped his hands behind his head.
"Mm-hm. Based on past experience, two teams from the same district indeed won't appear in the same half. To prevent early elimination of strong teams."
"The Tokyo district is the only district in the country with 3 qualifying spots. Other districts, even Kanagawa Prefecture, only have two, unless the host location adds an extra one."
"But even though Kanagawa had 3 spots last year, the first and second seeds were separated into the upper and lower brackets."
The Nationals are no longer in a group stage format but drawn into upper and lower half-brackets.
Among them, the first and second seeds normally won't be grouped together because people prefer duels between districts and don't want to see civil wars.
Unsurprisingly, Seiho and Tōō will be separated into different halves this year too. Before the finals, they won't have a chance to meet.
...
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