In the blink of an eye, it was Friday.
After the day's training ended, Coach Ichiro Kudo did not arrange any scrimmage matches. Instead, he gathered everyone early to explain the key points of tomorrow's game and the match schedule.
He also reminded the players firmly—rest well tonight, because tomorrow morning would be a hard battle.
Soon after, everyone dispersed with clap, clap, clap applause echoing through the gym.
Haizaki Shogo, unusually, did not leave with Shimizu Rena.
Shimizu had a prior appointment with Coach Miyazaki for fencing practice, while Haizaki needed to conserve his stamina in case he was needed in tomorrow's morning match.
Even though Midorima Shintaro had informed him that Murasakibara Atsushi would not play, Haizaki still did not allow himself any complacency.
He would never make a mistake due to overconfidence.
To win a championship, there was no room for luck—only one game at a time, fought with everything you had.
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Saturday. Match Day.
Haizaki Shogo sat on the bench in his tracksuit beside Shimizu Rena. Around them were Fukuda Sogo's substitutes, while the starting five were already warming up on the court. The game was about to begin.
Haizaki scanned every corner of the gymnasium.
There were no members of the Generation of Miracles in attendance.
And in the Yosen bench area… there was no sign of Murasakibara Atsushi either.
For some reason, Haizaki felt a slight disappointment.
At Murasakibara.
If he refused Akashi Seijuro's orders… the Generation of Miracles would become far more interesting. The matches would be more interesting. Even Murasakibara himself would be more interesting.
He wondered how Akashi and Murasakibara would react once they learned that Kise Ryouta had awakened the Immovable King Form.
Haizaki was genuinely curious.
And during the Winter Cup… they would face a Kise who could use both Perfect Copy and Immovable King Form simultaneously.
Just thinking about it made Haizaki feel a strange excitement.
That matchup… is going to be fun.
At that moment, the game had already begun.
Murasakibara did not appear for Yosen, which made his teammates uneasy—but when they noticed Haizaki also wasn't playing, they collectively relaxed.
The jump ball was between Fukuda Sogo's "Suzuran Karasu" and Yosen's exchange student Liu Wei.
Suzuran Karasu managed to tip the ball, but it still went to Yosen.
Point guard Fukui Kensuke brought the ball upcourt, and immediately, both teams' interior players collided in fierce battles under the basket.
Fukuda Sogo's three 190cm players—Suzuran Karasu, Okawa Sawano, and Kimura Tosho—were up against Yosen's two 200cm+ giants, Liu Wei and Okamura Kenichi.
The sight alone left the audience stunned.
"Is this really a high school match?"
"Are you kidding me? They're huge!"
"This is insane…"
"It feels like a professional game!"
The chatter from the stands did not reach the players anymore.
Inside the paint, Okamura Kenichi received the pass, backed down his defender, and casually slammed the ball into the rim.
BOOM!
Yosen scored first.
They immediately retreated on defense, already preparing for Fukuda Sogo's perimeter movement.
Fukuda Sogo's lineup consisted of Suzuran Karasu, Okawa Sawano, Kimura Tosho, Harano Shinichi, and Mochizuki Kazuhiro.
Their strategy was balanced—inside presence plus outside scoring.
Kimura's reliable spot-up three-point shooting was designated as the key weapon to break Yosen's defense.
Alongside Harano and Mochizuki's floaters and mid-range shots, they still had a chance against Yosen's interior dominance.
Fukuda Sogo responded quickly.
The ball reached Mochizuki Kazuhiro, who drove, spun, and without hesitation, floated the ball softly into the basket.
Two points.
Haizaki, watching from the bench, casually clapped.
A solid play. A stabilizing score.
At times like this, as a senior, keeping morale steady mattered more than style.
A good shot was simply a shot that went in.
After just two possessions, the difference between both teams became clear.
Yosen dominated the interior through Liu Wei and Okamura Kenichi, scoring mainly inside the paint and controlling rebounds.
Fukuda Sogo relied more on perimeter scoring and selective inside attacks.
The contrast was sharp.
However, after comparing both sides, Haizaki still felt Fukuda Sogo held a slight edge.
Their interior duo—Suzuran Karasu and Okawa Sawano—were not to be underestimated. They could heavily pressure Yosen's giants.
And on the outside, Fukuda Sogo clearly had the advantage in skill and mobility.
Right now, Yosen was not complete. Without Murasakibara Atsushi on the court, they were simply a tall but average-strong team—no better than Seiho or Kirisaki Daiichi.
Their true form would only emerge months later.
When Himuro Tatsuya joined the perimeter…
And Murasakibara anchored the paint…
Then Yosen would truly become a monster team.
But for now, without Murasakibara, they were merely a training ground.
By the time Haizaki finished thinking, the game had already reached the final minute.
Score: 20–18.
A tight battle.
The fiercest clashes were still inside the paint.
Suzuran Karasu had become Yosen's biggest obstacle, engaging in constant physical battles under the rim.
Coach Kudo had specifically trained him for this matchup—defensive techniques against giants, disrupting balance, and draining stamina.
Those preparations were clearly paying off… but so was the exhaustion.
Both teams were running low on energy.
Yosen's Coach Araki Ayako stood at the sidelines, gripping a wooden sword tightly, her expression sharp and stern.
Across from her, Fukuda Sogo's Coach Ichiro Kudo sat on the bench—his emotions far less calm.
His opponent… was Araki Ayako.
The very woman he once admired from afar.
She had been his idol in his youth.
And yet, she had never looked at him twice.
Now, because of Haizaki Shogo's rise—because of the ripple effects he created—
That long-buried restlessness in his heart had quietly awakened again.
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