When it came to Aomine, everyone was still a bit curious why he was behaving so well today—joining up with the team early in the morning, without being late.
"It must be because of that Tendou guy, right? This dude's like a completely different person compared to before." Wakamatsu Kōsuke also noticed something off about Aomine today.
His presence was even sharper than usual—like a fierce beast, coiled and ready to strike at any moment.
"From another angle, that's actually more dangerous," Imayoshi Shōichi muttered, half-squinting.
The more serious Aomine was, the tougher the opponent was bound to be today.
"There's no room to relax."
Besides Tendou, there was also someone else on Kirisaki Daiichi that gave him a serious headache—Hanamiya Makoto.
Imayoshi wasn't confident he could handle that brat cleanly.
Their team's playstyle had probably already been completely dissected by Hanamiya by now.
At the gym.
The Tōō team got off the bus and went to sign in.
When they reached the locker room to get ready, they realized Aomine was missing again.
"Hey! Where the hell is Aomine?" Wakamatsu asked angrily, turning to the mushroom-headed Sakurai Ryō.
Sakurai flinched, clearly spooked, and waved his hands nervously to say he had no idea.
"That bastard," Wakamatsu growled. "Can't even praise him once without him messing up again."
"No need to worry," Momoi said, calming everyone down. "He'll be back before the game starts."
The truth was, her childhood friend had already resumed light training two days ago.
And now, who knew where that guy had snuck off to for warm-ups?
At the thought, she suddenly giggled, "Guess he really needs Little Ten."
But… can they really win?
It had only been a few months since they last saw each other, yet those two boys had become both familiar and foreign.
Kirisaki Daiichi's locker room.
Tendou didn't say much beyond telling everyone to get ready. The tactical prep had all been covered the day before—no need to repeat anything.
Once their shoes were on and wristbands fastened, Tendou opened the locker room door right on time.
"It's time. Let's go."
The bad boys of Kirisaki Daiichi filed out in silence, following behind him.
Soon after, the gym erupted in thunderous cheers and shouts.
An odd feeling rose in the hearts of the bad boys.
This was something they had never experienced last year.
Now, when fans thought of Kirisaki Daiichi, they thought of "iron-blooded" defense—not just a team of butchers.
And that shift in perception was entirely thanks to Tendou.
They had discovered the joy of winning.
"Getting a national championship doesn't sound half bad."
"Then you better go get it first."
Kirisaki Daiichi's basketball team was somewhat well-known nationwide, but when it came to championships, they didn't have a single one.
After all, they were a bunch of rich kids. Expecting them to go up against national powerhouses and win? That was asking a lot.
Lately, Seto Kentarō had been feeling it too.
People at school used to treat them like delinquents and avoided them like the plague. Now? They were hailed as school heroes.
The shift in status had caught even him off guard.
But really, it was simple—if you win, you're iron-blooded, you're tough.
If you lose, you're just lowlife trash dragging the school down.
Fans were brutally honest.
"Tch. You idiots are just enjoying the glow of someone else's light," Hanamiya Makoto saw through it all.
Even though Kirisaki Daiichi was beloved by the whole school now, the only one truly respected was Tendou.
The rest of them? Just helpers.
It was like any team with a dozen or thirty guys—only one true leader.
Fans only loved the star player. As for the others? If they were useful, they'd get some praise when the team won.
But if they weren't useful and dragged Tendou down, the fans would want them gone, fast.
"Stop whining. If you want something, go earn it yourself."
"Don't complain like some bitter housewife about how life's unfair."
That much was true.
Hanamiya might be an asshole, but he was sharp.
Even some of the team members secretly agreed with him.
Warm-up phase.
Both teams were holding back a bit. No one was doing anything flashy like Kagami with his pre-game dunks.
Meanwhile, the Tōō team kept glancing toward the player entrance.
Even though Momoi told them Aomine would be back on time, not seeing him all day had them on edge.
Fortunately, just before the referees walked in, Aomine finally showed up—sweating from his solo warm-up.
He'd gone ahead and prepped on his own!
"Yo, Tendou."
There was something different in the air—an unusual pressure.
The Kirisaki players had seen Aomine before, but this? This was new.
His eyes gleamed with a crimson edge, radiating murderous intent. His aura was overwhelming.
This—this was the ace of the Generation of Miracles, Aomine Daiki.
Referees entered. The players from both sides approached the center circle.
From across the midcourt line, Tendou and Aomine locked eyes.
Tendou spoke first. "Compared to that dumbass version of you from before, you look much more fitting now."
What was Aomine like before?
He had eyes only for basketball—pure, like a clear river.
Now? He had become a true beast.
"Why keep talking about the past? People who obsess over it stay stuck like Tetsuya."
"Oh? So you're saying you've grown?"
"At the very least, things like before… won't happen again."
Aomine's gaze was sharp like a blade, cutting deep.
He wasn't going to lose to anyone ever again.
The players standing nearby were drenched in cold sweat.
These two had such overpowering auras, it was hard to breathe!
"The only one who can beat me… is me."
"Guess you really are getting old. Even you've learned how to talk crap," Tendou replied calmly, with a dry "looking forward to it."
The next second, the game was about to begin.
"It's finally starting!"
"Kirisaki Daiichi vs. Tōō Academy!"
"Tendou Kageyoshi vs. Aomine Daiki!"
Basketball fans across the nation were tuning into this showdown.
Many believed this game could determine the future national champions.
On one side stood the leader of the Generation of Miracles. On the other, Teikō's former ace.
Kirisaki Daiichi starters: Hanamiya Makoto, Yamazaki Hiroshi, Tendou Kageyoshi, Hara Kazuya, Seto Kentarō.
Tōō Academy starters: Imayoshi Shōichi, Sakurai Ryō, Susa Yoshinori, Aomine Daiki, Wakamatsu Kōsuke.
To everyone's surprise, the tip-off contenders weren't Seto Kentarō and Wakamatsu Kōsuke—but Tendou and Aomine.
"Starting off against each other already?"
People were thrilled—the stark contrast between the black-and-white uniforms was striking.
The battle between Kirisaki and Tōō—was about to explode.