Chapter 58

In the blink of an eye.

The next morning.

The devil training camp continued.

Eight o'clock sharp.

Everyone officially gathered at the beach.

Originally, this was the training time stipulated by Baishuiguan, but just as the Baishuiguan queue was gathering, a group of energetic people came rushing over while shouting.

"Your movements are too slow. You're already exhausted after just two hours? If you can't take it, then get lost."

An angry roar came from afar. Everyone turned their heads subconsciously, only to see Ikuhiro Matsumoto walking over wearing beach shorts.

"Shinmatsu-senpai, good morning!" Shinmatsu Osamu is senior to him here, so the Zenbon players, out of politeness, were all greeting him.

However, after greeting him, Ikuhiro Matsumoto turned his head to look at his own team members, and suddenly changed his face again: "Hmph! A bunch of lazy bums!"

Ikuhiro Matsumoto is famous for his short temper at Zenbon, and the Zenbon people were long used to it, especially after losing a game yesterday.

Shinmatsu Osamu had a smile on his face at first, but after Ikuhiro Matsumoto left, everyone watched as the smile on Shinmatsu Osamu's face disappeared in an instant.

Immediately after, Shinmatsu Osamu's cold voice sounded: "Everyone get ready, today's training has officially begun."

Shinmatsu Osamu has changed.

From the second half of Zenbon joining the camp, Shinmatsu Osamu increased the intensity of the training. In previous training, Baishuiguan players would only be 'rewarded' with a lap run for every five mistakes.

But now, it has become one lap for every three mistakes.

After so many days of training, the Baishuiguan players who had finally adapted to the training intensity were suddenly knocked back to their original state.

But the ones who were even more miserable were the newly arrived Zenbon players. When Yukimiya Kazuma was resting halfway, he could no longer see the stupid smiles of expectation for the camp on the faces of the Zenbon players.

Ikuhiro Matsumoto has also changed.

Although Ikuhiro Matsumoto used to advocate Spartan-style training, in general, he still trained in his own way and would not be affected by other people's emotions.

But when the Baishuiguan people appeared on the beach at eight o'clock in the morning, he suddenly seemed like he had been injected with chicken blood.

He waved his hand and said heroically:

"Come on, two more laps!"

So the punishment for Zenbon's training was changed from one round to two rounds.

Then Shinmatsu Osamu changed again.

To win the game, you must win in training.

Since Zenbon can increase the intensity, they can too. So, he immediately gave the order that the 'reward' would be at least two laps each time.

Then Ikuhiro Matsumoto's face changed again.

The training intensity continued to increase.

Just like that.

The two senior and junior coaches with a significant age gap launched a battle of wits and courage. When their eyes collided, sparks flew.

On the other side, the players of the two teams were lying on the ground like dead dogs.

"Huff, huff, huff~~ What's going on? Was he like this before?" Ryuuhei Kasuga put his hands on the sand, having run three full laps, leaving him panting.

"Who knows... huff, huff, huff!"

"Isn't it just losing a practice match?"

"Isn't that nonsense? When has our Zenbon ever lost to middle schoolers!"

The third-year captain of Zenbon took a deep breath, calmed his panting, and continued: "Don't underestimate the coach's desire to win..."

At the same time.

The Baishuiguan people were also confused.

We clearly won, right?

Right?

However, when they met Shinmatsu Osamu's gaze, everyone turned their heads to avoid it and didn't reply, because they didn't even have the strength to speak.

By the afternoon.

Sure enough.

Shinmatsu Osamu and Ikuhiro Matsumoto were at odds again, leading to Baishuiguan and Zenbon starting a war as well.

Of course.

It was a practice match.

It's just that unlike the game yesterday afternoon, Yukimiya Kazuma would not play today, and the other Baishuiguan players' task on the court was to develop offensive means and their reaction ability when facing help defense during catch-and-shoot.

But...

If you lose, you have to run laps.

This news immediately made the players of both teams tremble.

The Baishuiguan people were all thinking that without Yukimiya, they would definitely lose, so they might as well wait to run laps.

On the Zenbon side, especially Ryuuhei Kasuga, he stared at Youji Kasuga with glowing eyes: Run yourself to death, you stinky little brother!

The days of the camp passed one by one.

By the time the month-long camp ended, Yukimiya Kazuma's attributes had also been updated quite a bit, with many attributes crossing the 85 mark, and a few approaching the 90 mark.

[Name: Yukimiya Kazuma]

[Team: Baishuiguan Middle School]

[Height: 186.7cm]

[Weight: 80kg]

[Wingspan: 194cm]

[Speed: 92.6]

[Strength: 87.7]

[Ball Handling: 96.2]

[Passing: 93.5]

[Jumping: 88.2]

[Layup: 84.4]

[Dunk: 85.3]

[Mid-range Shot: 85.1]

[Three-pointer: 85.0]

[Rebound: 85.9]

[Block: 86.6]

[Steal: 82.1]

[Individual Defense: 85.4]

[Help Defense: 85.3]

[Stamina: 88.6]

[Badges: Playmaking Master (Gold), Monster Immersion·Flying Bird (Gold), I Love Blocking Dunks (Purple), Jie-Hua-Fa (Purple), I Love Blocking Jump Shots (Blue), Rookie Ace's War Cry (Green Lv.2)]

After the camp ended.

The basketball team members happily went home.

Time doesn't feel fast or slow.

It felt like it was just in the blink of an eye, and time had passed.

In a flash, it was August, the day the National Middle School Basketball Tournament opened.

The members of Baishuiguan Middle School, all wearing uniform team jerseys, walked toward the school bus with great momentum.

Compared to the Tokyo regional qualifiers, this time the Baishuiguan Middle School members no longer had the novelty and excitement they had before, but had gained more stability and confidence.

Upon arriving at the location, the Baishuiguan school bus slowly parked in the parking lot outside the venue.

The basketball team members walked off the bus one by one. Their completely different mental state and steady momentum compared to before immediately attracted the attention of many people.

"Wow~~ What a terrifying momentum."

"Can you even tell momentum? Isn't it because they're tall? Both of those guys are over 190, right?"

"This team is definitely not simple."

"That's right, that's right. But come to think of it, do you know who they are?"

"You don't recognize them?"

"They are this year's No. 2 seed in the Tokyo region, Baishuiguan Middle School."

"Their ace, Yukimiya Kazuma, is considered by Pass Basketball to be the most promising candidate for the 'First Person Under the Miracles' this year."

Baishuiguan Middle School's popularity in the basketball world is obviously not comparable to Teiko, but by riding on the publicity of Teiko and Pass Basketball, they have also gained quite a bit of fame nationwide.

Not long after.

Arrived at the venue.

Today, 24 teams from all over the country gathered here.

In this gymnasium, there are faces that often appear in various basketball weeklies everywhere.

And the most conspicuous one is undoubtedly Teiko Middle School. The media swarmed in, surrounding Teiko's location, forming a beautiful landscape.

"Teiko is here..."

"Oh, oh!"

The reporter taking pictures on the side was infected by the momentum emanating from Teiko Middle School and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Really amazing...

Although they performed very well last year, they still had the immaturity of middle schoolers when facing reporters, but this year, they are already as calm as a top professional team.

They don't look like middle schoolers at all.

And in Yukimiya Kazuma's eyes, what he noticed was a different scene.

He recognized at a glance a character with little screen time but who is very important: Shigehiro Ogiwara of Meiko Middle School.

At this moment, he was excitedly heading towards Teiko to find Tetsuya Kuroko, but was deterred by the other's gloomy expression.

"Hiro? Not going to say hello? Let's go first, the game is about to start!"

"Ah..."

"Ah! It's here!"

After watching this scene, Yukimiya Kazuma turned and left.

Just at the moment of turning around.

"Ouch!"

Yukimiya Kazuma was bumped into by a reporter. The reporter looked up and sized him up, as if confirming something. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

"Baishuiguan's... Yukimiya Kazuma-kun?"

"Right?"

"Do you have time for an interview?"

"You can? That's great!"

"I heard that you are aiming for Teiko this year. Is this true?"

"Regarding the title of 'one of the candidates for the first person under the Miracles', you..."

On the side, Masaki Taketou, Youji Kasuga, and others looked with envy at Yukimiya Kazuma, who was calmly accepting the reporter's interview. Youji Kasuga even wanted to go up and get an interview, but was grabbed by the collar by Shinmatsu Osamu and dragged in front of him.

"Don't mess around. Teiko's game is the first one of the opening ceremony. We'll go over and occupy a seat to watch their game first, and then go warm up." Shinmatsu Osamu scolded him in a low voice.

Hearing the word Teiko, Youji Kasuga's spirit was suddenly lifted, and he didn't dare to mess around anymore.

After Yukimiya Kazuma finished dealing with the interview, everyone entered the spectator stand together. It wasn't until the opponents finished warming up that Teiko took the court to the cheers of the whole audience.

And then...

Witnessed by everyone from Baishuiguan and all the spectators at the scene.

In this commemorative first battle of the third-year national tournament, Teiko played an exaggerated 198:2. Everyone at the scene was dumbfounded watching the tragedy happening on the court!

Except for Yukimiya Kazuma and the Baishuiguan players.

Although this score was very shocking, because Teiko had already done similar but not so excessive tragedies during the regional qualifiers, they were not surprised.

"This Heiping Middle School..."

"Feels like there are no players who can really play."

Masaki Taketou frowned, feeling that the opponent's strength was too weak and they had given up early. The first quarter was actually declared over, but Teiko still played with full force until the end. To be honest, it was quite boring later on.

"By the way, Kazuma, I see you seem to find it quite interesting?"

Yukimiya Kazuma smiled slightly and said: "The feeling of witnessing a famous scene with my own eyes is, of course, completely different."

Masaki Taketou: "???"

"What are you talking about again?"

Baishuiguan's first battle.

The scene was far less lively than Teiko's, but they still had some popularity. At least many people pointed at Yukimiya Kazuma's white hair, Masaki Taketou's pompadour, and Youji Kasuga's bald head, and could call out their names.

As for the others, they were miserable and had no special features.

The game started.

Amidst the cheers of the audience, Masaki Taketou won the jump ball.

Yukimiya Kazuma pushed the ball forward, and Baishuiguan's positioning speed obviously accelerated.

When Yukimiya Kazuma pushed to the arc top, he played a pick-and-roll with Masaki Taketou. After breaking into the interior with a big step, Yukimiya Kazuma drew the attention of the opponent's interior.

A clever bounce pass, blessed by 'Playmaking Master', brought the ball very comfortably into Masaki Taketou's hands.

Without interior marking, Masaki Taketou wanted to show his momentum with the first ball of the game.

Boom~!

Without holding back, with the brand-new ability practiced in training, he came up with a two-handed violent dunk!

"Whoa!"

Exclamations came from the scene.

Opponent's turn.

The opponent's point guard was very confident in his breakthrough. However, Youji Kasuga, at an unknown cost, learned a semi-finished 'Nanba Step' from his older brother and tightly entangled the opponent!