Rumble!
The stadium crowd erupted into a frenzy, while outside the arena, thunder roared and rain poured down.
As if even the heavens were stunned by this upset.
After the match, Midorima left the team and silently stood in the rain alone.
The first defeat of his life came like this—so sudden, so final.
He had failed to make the buzzer-beater, intercepted by none other than his former teammate, Kuroko.
"I believe in Kagami-kun. He'll definitely be able to jump again…"
That decisive steal—Kuroko's words still echoed in his mind.
"Believe… huh?"
Midorima was a stubborn player. When he lost, he would always look for where he went wrong.
He would never blame bad luck.
Just like how he firmly believed Kagami would pull off that monstrous second jump, Kuroko also believed in his teammate—and that belief was what carried him to victory in the end.
"You're gonna catch a cold, standing there all soaked after the match."
A sudden voice made Midorima open his eyes. Turning around, he saw his former teammate.
"Tendou… huh."
He knew that voice all too well.
"Here."
Tendou tossed him an umbrella.
"Your first loss? You look kinda miserable. Don't tell me you came out here to hide your tears in the rain?"
"You're the one crying!"
Midorima gritted his teeth and snapped open the umbrella, as if to prove he wasn't crying.
Then he paused—he realized Tendou had baited him into accepting the umbrella, a small gesture of comfort disguised as teasing.
"You're still the same pain-in-the-neck jerk…"
『So warm… I love him!』
『Who's this guy? He wasn't in the original series, right?』
『You don't know Tendou? He's from the prequel. Catch up already—he's the OG boss of the show!』
『God, I wish he was my boyfriend.』
『Girl, wake up. He's cursed! His girlfriends all ditched him and married rich guys!』
『Bro… stay strong.』
『Damn, that's savage. Don't say he's cursed!』
Tendou sighed. These dumb viewers were savage.
Sure, it was technically true—Riko did die for him—but did they really have to say it out loud?
He'd only shown up here to grab a little screen time since a bunch of new viewers were starting the series.
Now he was regretting it—these trolls nearly made him leap out of the screen to hit them with a "Cleave".
"Tendou, better be careful in the finals. Seirin's looking sharp."
"Oh? I thought it was you who was weak. Turns out Seirin is that strong, huh?"
Midorima clenched his fists. This guy's mouth really pissed him off.
"Haha, just kidding."
Tendou waved dismissively, then added, "Go take a hot shower. Don't act like you've never lost before."
"Have you ever lost?"
Too many times to count.
Tendou thought back to his elementary school days—how the principal, a diehard basketball fan, would shoot hoops after work.
He'd challenged him in shooting contests and lost countless times.
Of course, he couldn't say that out loud.
"I lost years ago… to a swordmaster. Took a slash right to the gut. Hurt like hell."
"That's not even the same thing!"
Midorima rolled his eyes. Why did he ever think they were alike?
"Anyway, don't let your guard down."
"Got it. Now go get dry—you'll catch a cold."
Tendou didn't stay long. He returned to his team and boarded the team bus.
Fifth Day of the Tournament
Today marked the final day of the group stage. The last spot in the round-robin would be decided.
So far, three group winners were already determined:
Group B: Tōō Academy
Group C: Seirin
Group D: Senshinkan
Only Group A was left undecided.
Most fans believed the final slot would naturally go to Kirisaki Daiichi.
Everyone showed up today mainly to see whether Tendou would play.
The answer: No.
Kirisaki Daiichi defeated their opponent 98–73 with their signature brutal defense.
Their opponents barely scored at all.
And with that, the four teams entering the round-robin were finalized:
Kirisaki Daiichi
Tōō Academy
Seirin
Senshinkan
It was clear the organizers had put a lot of thought into the grouping.
If Seirin hadn't upset Shūtoku, the final four would've been:
Kirisaki Daiichi
Tōō
Shūtoku
Senshinkan
A perfect balance of new rising teams and old powerhouses—great for hype.
But Seirin crashed the party as the dark horse, and the fans were loving it.
And to their delight, the very first round-robin match?
Seirin vs. Kirisaki Daiichi!
"Didn't think we'd run into them first,"
At Seirin's practice, Riko and the team were going over strategy.
They were now just one win away from advancing.
Because the national tournament was being hosted in Tokyo this year, an extra team from the region would qualify.
If Seirin could beat Senshinkan, who was already 0-2, they'd be guaranteed a spot—assuming Tōō and Kirisaki both beat them too.
But first…
"There's nothing to be afraid of! Kaijō? Shūtoku? We beat them both!"
"That's right! What's our goal? To win it all!"
"Kirisaki Daiichi may be strong, but we're not weak either!"
Riko slammed the table and looked around, full of conviction.
The Generation of Miracles?
Not invincible.
They had already beaten two of them.
This year…
might just be their best chance yet.