The next day.
In the fifth round of the group stage, Seiho arrived at the arena at 9 AM for their match.
Over an hour later, they completely crushed their opponent with a massive 48-point lead.
In that instant, the entire arena began to boil with excitement.
Barring any accidents, the clash of "King vs. King" would commence tomorrow.
The King of the North, Seiho, against the King of the East, Shutoku.
As for Shutoku.
They did not disappoint the fans. In their match later that afternoon, they defeated their opponent by an even larger margin than Seiho—63 points.
At this moment.
The Tokyo district became the center of the nation.
The first clash between those six geniuses since entering high school was about to arrive.
The Tokyo Youth Sports News had published a report titled "King and King" a few days earlier.
In this report, they detailed how Seiho and Shutoku had crushed their opponents all the way to the group stage final.
They aimed to make fans realize that these were two teams with glorious histories, both strong contenders for the national championship.
The article noted that in past history, the two teams had clashed many times.
During the 80s, Yamashita Shio returned with a more "advanced" basketball philosophy.
At that time, Seiho, rooted in defense, suppressed Shutoku for years.
But after entering the 2000s, Shutoku began to turn the tide.
The junior, Masaaki Nakatani, began a counterattack with a more team-oriented, balanced style of basketball.
Shutoku frequently gained the upper hand in head-to-head matchups.
His meticulous basketball, where every player turned like a gear in a machine, seemed to prove that Yamashita Shio was outdated.
Now.
Each team had acquired one of those six geniuses, and the flames of war were destined to escalate.
Many newspapers conducted in-depth analyses of this duel.
Some believed Shutoku had a better chance of winning because they were more balanced offensively and defensively, and their structured style was more suited for high school basketball.
At the same time, they possessed Shintaro Midorima, the strongest shooter in the nation, whose strategic value was paramount.
Possessing the greatest firepower in the country, Shutoku would have the upper hand in this duel.
Others believed Seiho had a better chance.
These people generally believed that defense wins championships.
Especially in single-elimination formats, stability often leads to the end.
Moreover.
Yuuto's arrival had solved Seiho's offensive weakness.
To support this, they posted Yuuto's stats from the past five rounds.
His average of 35 points and 12.3 assists on offense was no less potent than Midorima's firepower, and Yuuto was far more dominant on the defensive end.
Both sides stuck to their arguments, neither giving an inch.
Although both were Tokyo teams, their regions were different.
Seiho was the best team in Northern Tokyo, so naturally, fans from the north favored Seiho.
Conversely, Shutoku was located in Eastern Tokyo, and fans from the east felt a stronger sense of belonging to Shutoku.
This was the heritage of kings!
...
Match day.
The arena was packed with spectators.
King vs. King.
Such a duel was always an absolute focal point, a "Derby Match" in the Tokyo district.
Tokyo's spotlight, perhaps even the nation's spotlight, was concentrated on the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
The level of anticipation was no less than the match hailed as the "Second Impact" last year between Hozumi Academy and Teiko Junior High.
Both opposing sides were now making final preparations in their locker rooms.
"Double-team him. As soon as he touches the ball, double-team him."
Masaaki Nakatani tapped the tactical board forcefully.
"Seiho has only one offensive core. As long as we handle Yuuto, we win."
His tactics were identical to those in the simulation.
Double-team Yuuto the moment he gets the ball.
He once believed Yuuto was the best young player, and Nakatani's opinion hadn't changed even now.
But after acquiring Midorima, he realized that Midorima's tactical value was higher than Yuuto's.
At least, compared to Yuuto, Midorima was more suited for Shutoku.
As long as they utilized Midorima well, Shutoku would conquer the nation.
He wouldn't say anything like making Yuuto regret his choice; he wouldn't even think it.
But Nakatani was indeed prepared to use this match to make Yuuto understand that the team always surpasses the individual.
Preparation time.
Midorima slowly unwrapped the bandages on his left hand.
His care for his shooting hand bordered on insanity.
...
Even down to the length of his fingernails, he had strict requirements. He usually protected every finger with tape to prevent any harm.
Beside him, Kazunari Takao was also preparing. Seeing the ruler placed next to Midorima, he asked knowingly, "Shin-chan, what's that?"
"Today's lucky item."
"Pfft~"
As soon as the words fell, Takao clutched his stomach and laughed.
"What's so funny!" Midorima said angrily.
He suddenly recalled Momoi's teasing: "Is it possible that the abnormal one is actually Midorima?"
Maybe.
He was indeed overly obsessive, but taking everything seriously could never be wrong.
"Sorry, I just suddenly thought it would be hilarious to picture you holding a ruler trying to chop Yuuto."
...
Crazy.
Midorima despised Takao's frivolous attitude.
However.
In this team, there was no one who didn't "do everything humanly possible." Even Takao practiced with him every day until dark.
"Anyway, it really helps that today's lucky item is so small." Taisuke Otsubo chuckled. They had once seen Midorima bring a television set to a match.
They didn't hate Midorima's habits; sometimes they even helped him collect lucky items.
Because they all wanted to win.
"Just asking, is Cancer ranked first in today's horoscope?" Kiyoshi Miyaji asked while tying his shoelaces.
"Today it's second."
"Hah? What kind of crappy result is that? If it's not first, careful or I'll smash your glasses." Miyaji glared at Midorima, then asked, "What constellation is that guy Yuuto? What's his rank today?"
"Virgo. Ranked fifth today."
"That's great news." Shinsuke Kimura stood aside with his hands on his hips.
Aside from Midorima, no one in the Shutoku locker room cared about horoscopes.
But surprisingly, they respected Midorima's hobby.
"You'd better not miss a single three-pointer today, or I'll kill you."
"My threes won't miss!"
"That's best."
Miyaji finished tying his shoes and stood next to Otsubo. several third-years stared at Midorima simultaneously.
"Let's go!"
...
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