At those words, Riko Aida suddenly realized what Junpei Hyuga meant.
"You mean..."
Junpei Hyuga nodded with a faint smile.
"That's right. Miyamoto Tokima and [The Generation of Miracles]."
"If they join forces, they might actually be able to beat them."
His expression grew more confident.
"No, they definitely can. None of us have ever found out just how strong Miyamoto Tokima truly is."
Riko Aida breathed a small sigh of relief.
"That scared me. Dad must be thinking the same thing."
And she was right. That was exactly what Kagetora Aida had in mind.
Japan had plenty of powerful players of its own.
[The Generation of Miracles] were already formidable. With Miyamoto Tokima, whose true strength remained unknown, added to the team, Kagetora Aida could not imagine them losing.
He had once been a professional player in Japan himself. The fact that even he could not gauge Miyamoto Tokima's strength showed just how frighteningly skilled Miyamoto Tokima was.
As long as that group agreed to play, Kagetora Aida was confident they could win.
Back on the court, Nash Gold laughed when Kagetora Aida accepted the wager.
Allen looked at him with amused surprise.
"I can't believe someone's actually this eager to hand us money."
Zack burst out laughing as well.
"In that case, we accept!"
"Set a date, old man!"
Kagetora Aida thought for a moment. As far as he knew, Miyamoto Tokima was still in China and would not return for another three days.
Three days would not be enough. They still needed some time to practice together and build teamwork.
"We'll play again in one week," Kagetora Aida said.
Nash Gold lowered his head and rolled one ankle, a dismissive smile on his face.
"Fine. Then you'll be covering all our expenses for the next week, old man."
That was another of Miyamoto Tokima's rules.
Since they were arranging an additional match, the five-hundred-thousand-dollar fee still applied. The organizers would also have to cover the team's living expenses while they remained in the country.
There would be no reason for them to stay and play another match otherwise.
Kagetora Aida agreed without hesitation.
"Fine!"
The members of the Black Dragon Team laughed, then turned and began walking away.
Nash Gold waved over his shoulder, arrogance clear in his voice.
"See you in a week, old man."
Kagetora Aida watched them leave, his expression dark.
At the same time, the players from the various schools watching on television remained silent, their faces grim.
Even after the Black Dragon Team disappeared from the screen, they continued staring at the television without speaking.
Seijuro Akashi, Shintaro Midorima, Ryota Kise, Daiki Aomine, Taiga Kagami, and the others all watched in silence.
Anger began to burn inside each of them.
...
That evening, Kagetora Aida immediately called the members of [The Generation of Miracles].
He had already decided on the lineup. Miyamoto Tokima, [The Generation of Miracles], Shogo Haizaki, and Shuzo Nijimura.
He had not considered anyone else.
Then he remembered Makoto Hanamiya and his sharp tongue, so he added him to the list as well.
To his surprise, every member of [The Generation of Miracles] agreed without hesitation.
However, Atsushi Murasakibara, Miyamoto Tokima, and the others were still in China, and Kagetora Aida could not reach them. He had no choice but to ask Seijuro Akashi for help.
"Akashi, could you contact Miyamoto and the others and explain the situation to them?" Kagetora Aida asked over the phone.
"All right. I'll contact them for you," Seijuro Akashi replied.
"Thank you, Akashi."
After ending the call, Seijuro Akashi called Miyamoto Tokima.
The line was busy.
With no other choice, Seijuro Akashi called Atsushi Murasakibara instead.
Atsushi Murasakibara answered almost immediately.
"Hey, Aka-chin."
Seijuro Akashi smiled when he heard his voice, then explained the situation.
Atsushi Murasakibara paused.
"Aka-chin, what did you say that team was called?"
Seijuro Akashi was taken aback, unsure why he was asking, but repeated the name.
"The Black Dragon Team."
Atsushi Murasakibara fell silent for a moment.
The image of Jason Silver appeared in his mind, and a powerful fighting spirit immediately surged within him.
Jason Silver was someone Atsushi Murasakibara had been eager to face again.
Only against Jason Silver could he unleash all his strength without holding anything back.
"I'll play, Aka-chin."
Seijuro Akashi smiled.
"Then we'll be waiting for you. By the way, is Miyamoto with you right now?"
Atsushi Murasakibara turned and looked at Miyamoto Tokima, who was still talking on the phone.
"He's here."
"Then please tell him what happened."
"Got it."
Atsushi Murasakibara ended the call.
The person Miyamoto Tokima was speaking to was none other than Nash Gold.
Nash Gold was telling him everything that had happened that day. He also explained that Japan's organizers had supposedly used their authority to put players on the court who did not deserve to be there.
After hearing the entire story, Miyamoto Tokima froze.
Seriously? He went on one trip, and the movie's entire storyline somehow happened?
Still, Miyamoto Tokima decided to wait until he returned to Japan before explaining the misunderstanding to Nash Gold.
He also wanted to see how far the members of [The Generation of Miracles] could push themselves in this match.
Pressure would give them the motivation to improve.
Not only did Miyamoto Tokima have no intention of helping Seijuro Akashi and the others, he was going to side with the Black Dragon Team.
As their coach!
Miyamoto Tokima spoke into the phone.
"Nash, I'll be there for the match next week."
Nash Gold was stunned.
He had only called to explain what had happened and complain about the way Shuzo Nijimura and the others had been treated.
He never expected Miyamoto Tokima to come in person.
Nash Gold was immediately delighted.
Tokima-san had to be coming to stand up for Shuzo Nijimura and the others.
"All right, Tokima-san. We'll be waiting for you!"
Miyamoto Tokima ended the call.
The moment he turned around, Atsushi Murasakibara's huge face appeared directly in front of him.
Miyamoto Tokima jumped in fright.
"Holy crap!"
Once he recovered, he looked at Atsushi Murasakibara helplessly.
"Atsushi, when did you pick up that habit from Tetsuya?"
Atsushi Murasakibara scratched his head with an innocent expression.
"Did I? Whatever. Tokima, Akashi just called me..."