Evening.
Yuuto, as promised, asked Momoi out alone.
This date lasted from 8 PM to 11 PM.
No one knew what happened during the process.
Tōō's people only knew that Momoi immediately locked herself in her room after returning to the hotel, and soon after, the sound of water came from the room.
"Didn't she just shower before going out?" Aomine found her inexplicable. Did that guy Yuuto take Satsuki to roll in the grass or something?
On the other side, Yuuto.
Returning to the hotel refreshed, he talked with Sora on the phone and soon entered dreamland.
He wasn't a scumbag!
Just his love was fragmented!
Just like the pervert T-Bag in Prison Break, his pants had two pockets turned inside out!
The next day.
All Seiho members were ready and headed to the venue.
Kyoto Prefectural Gymnasium.
This large comprehensive gymnasium would host all matches of this year's Nationals.
The interior could accommodate more than 20,000 fans to watch the games.
Not that it couldn't hold more.
This gym hosted concerts and exhibitions besides basketball games.
It was just that the area of the basketball court was limited, unable to create 50,000, 60,000, or even 100,000 spectator seats like soccer.
More than 20,000 fans was about the limit; if increased to 30,000, fans at the top wouldn't see the game clearly.
When arriving at the scene, outside the gym was already a sea of people.
Besides fans from various places, there were reporters and staff carrying cameras filming and conducting street interviews.
"So lively."
"This is all thanks to Yuuto, and the Generation of Miracles. The basketball atmosphere in the country has become much more intense in the past two years."
A smile appeared on Iwamura's rigid face.
In the past two years, the media had been vigorously promoting how earth-shattering the duel between the Generation of Miracles and the Lion of Okushirazome was.
This vigorous promotion successfully attracted many fans' attention.
Then fans looked—those few geniuses were indeed beastly talented—and were involuntarily attracted.
And as these few geniuses advanced to high school, fan attention also entered high school with them.
According to statistics, the ratings of the Nationals in various places this year, especially in the Tokyo district, increased by 50% compared to last year.
This was a quite astonishing figure.
The TV station executives were grinning from ear to ear.
...
After getting off the bus, Seiho enjoyed star-like treatment.
As they walked off the bus, shutter sounds fell like raindrops. Tsugawa Tomoki, the buzz-cut guy, was almost blinded by flashes; how could he still smile?
"Hello Yuuto, look over here!"
"Can you look here, Yuuto-kun!"
"Coach Yamashita, may I ask what Seiho's goal is this year?"
"After defeating Midorima and Aomine, what is your next goal? Are you confident facing Kaijo and Kise Ryota?"
Yamashita Shio led the players into the gym lobby amidst heavy flashes.
They registered the team very familiarly, then followed the staff to a lounge to wait for the opening ceremony to begin.
Still the same mode as last year; the opening ceremony hadn't changed at all compared to junior high.
As the top seed of the Tokyo district, Seiho was scheduled to enter second to last.
Responsible for the finale was naturally the Emperor Rakuzan.
Both teams were No. 1 seeds, promoted by the media as the biggest favorites for the championship.
The organizers also arranged the two teams in the front center of all teams, ensuring the national audience could see clearly.
"Long time no see, Yuuto."
"Ah, long time no see, Akashi."
Without that tit-for-tat tension, the two communicated amicably.
"Your match with Aomine was wonderful; I benefited a lot."
"Doesn't sound like good news."
"For Rakuzan, this is good news."
"Then I wish you good luck."
"You too. Kise is very talented; he might be the most talented one among us."
"Having higher talent than you guys doesn't seem like a big deal."
The two were harmonious on the surface, but the teammates beside them felt swords and knives hidden in their smiles.
They sounded like reminders to each other.
But to others' ears, it sounded more like cursing the opponent to fail.
Especially Yuuto's last sentence; it was almost outputting right in the face.
"Someone with an aura as strong as Sei-chan... first time seeing one." Mibuchi Reo peeked at Yuuto secretly.
Akashi was the player with the strongest aura he had ever seen.
He still remembered meeting Akashi for the first time; the moment he entered the door, he attracted the attention of the entire basketball club.
Elegant behavior, composed posture, yet domineering; Mibuchi Reo was fascinated by Akashi instantly.
Then.
Akashi easily controlled Rakuzan. He defeated everyone, using strength and wisdom to become the captain of the Emperor Rakuzan's basketball club as a first-year.
And Yuuto?
Also a first-year, also controlling King Seiho, hailed as the King.
That pressure emanating invisibly made people feel immense pressure.
That dominance was much more intuitive than Akashi's.
"He will be stronger when fighting." Hayama Kotaro was the only one of the three who had faced Yuuto.
Recalling the duel between the two back then.
Yuuto's brutal Wildness seemed like it wanted to swallow him alive.
"His muscle lines are distinct; looks like a player who exercises often." Nebuya Eikichi's attention was unique.
He observed Yuuto's muscle lines.
Believing that Japanese people playing technique because of weak bodies was putting the cart before the horse.
Muscle content not enough?
Should exercise more!
But anyway, Yuuto's first impression on them was profound.
It was a visible, palpable strength!
Then.
The organizers started speaking, first thanking the sponsors, then promoting the sports spirit.
A bunch of miscellaneous things were said, and unknowingly nearly an hour passed.
Large events like the Nationals all have sponsors.
Sponsors are different every year, and brands may change because they have to go through bidding.
Besides that, there are some broadcasting revenues, etc.
Finally ending the opening ceremony, next was the opening match.
Host Rakuzan opened the curtain of the Nationals.
The opponent wasn't weak.
Reaching this stage of the Nationals, there were no weak teams; every participating team was elite from various regions.
If taking NCAA as an example, the current Nationals is like March Madness of the NCAA National Championship.
The number of participating teams is around 60, all elite teams emerging from various regions/small leagues.
But the result of this match was unexpectedly one-sided.
From the first second of the opening, Rakuzan firmly controlled the situation on the court.
Under Akashi's organization, Rakuzan achieved multi-point blossoming, even ball distribution, balanced stamina consumption for players, being in the most perfect rhythm.
They established a huge 23-point lead in a single quarter.
Yuuto also noticed.
Mayuzumi Chihiro wasn't on Rakuzan's bench.
He was hidden by Akashi.
Akashi was very good at chess; in junior high, he often played Go/Shogi with Midorima and almost never lost.
Just like that sentence in the original work when Rakuzan faced Shutoku: "The real layout starts before the game begins."
"In this regard, both personalities of Akashi are no different."
Yuuto laughed.
For no other reason than Akashi not knowing that his carefully prepared secret weapon had already been seen through by Yuuto in advance.
...
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