Kuroko's Basketball template: the king of slacking off, Shohoku's strongest sixth man.

"What do you mean, you stinky fox?!"

"Want to fight?"

"This genius will show you right now what it means to be far behind!"

Seeing that the two were about to have another full-blown fight, Takenori Akagi could no longer tolerate it.

He used both hands to clamp down on their necks like iron clamps, forcefully pressing them back into their seats.

"All of you better behave yourselves!" Akagi roared, his chest heaving violently.

Coach Anzai's smile vanished, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness.

Don't oversimplify this matter.

The coach's voice carried an unquestionable authority, and the room instantly cooled down.

"They have an absolute ace who surpasses college level, an all-around center who dominates the paint, and a ruthless playmaker."

"But these are not the most terrifying things."

Coach Anzai's gaze swept over each player:

"Most importantly, these three people have full experience from winning the IH tournament last year."

"They have honed an indestructible mental fortitude through countless life-or-death battles."

He paused, his tone stern:

"We can't afford any slip-ups in tomorrow's match."

"In other words... we must never take chances and not expect the other party to lose their composure under pressure."

"To win, we must crush them head-on!"

Facing a dominant and infallible team, the sense of pressure is suffocating.

"Feed... Dad."

"Don't you believe in our strength?"

"We're the team that took down Hainan and Toyotama!"

Sakuragi Hanamichi abandoned his usual carefree attitude, his brows furrowed, revealing a rare serious expression.

"I haven't finished speaking, Sakuragi-kun."

Coach Anzai adjusted his slipped glasses and took a deep breath:

"You not only face the opponents on the field, but also the pressure from off the field."

"Anyone who plays basketball knows the famous name 'Sannoh Industrial'."

"They are invincible generals, unshakeable legends, and national idols!"

"I guarantee the stands will be packed tomorrow."

"And all those people came to watch Sannoh win."

The cruel reality was laid bare.

Playing away from home.

Amid boos from over ten thousand people in the audience, they challenged an invincible team.

This feeling of isolation, like standing on the edge of a cliff and being at odds with the whole world, is enough to destroy any team's mental defenses before the start of the game.

Akagi and Miyagi looked grave.

Just then.

Sakuragi Hanamichi suddenly straightened his back and patted his chest hard, making a "thump thump" sound.

"What's wrong with that!"

Sakuragi's lips curled into an extremely arrogant smile, his eyes gleaming with fanaticism:

"This genius is the type who gets more excited the more people are around, and the more his abilities exceed his usual limits!"

"The large audience is just right!"

He stroked his chin, conjuring up a scene in his mind, his eyes growing brighter and brighter:

"If we beat that East African ape and the ace to a pulp tomorrow... the audience will definitely applaud us!"

Sakuragi got more and more excited, and even started waving at the air:

"Maybe... our Shohoku team will gloriously defeat Sannoh right in front of these Sannoh fans!"

"At that time, all the cheers in the stadium will belong to this genius!"

Watching Sakuragi, who was completely absorbed in his fantasy, Mitsui Hisashi sighed and sighed, "How does this guy's brain work...?"

However, Sakuragi's smile suddenly froze.

His expression turned strange, as if he had thought of something terrifying.

"etc……"

Sakuragi swallowed hard, turned to look at Kogure, and his eyes showed a rare hint of worry.

"If that happens...we've shattered the myth, won't the Sannoh fans block the gate?"

"Like putting a sack over our heads and beating us up?"

"..." The entire audience was speechless with emotion.

Kogure Kiminobu was both amused and exasperated: "Sakuragi, don't talk nonsense."

"The spectators at the IH tournament are all knowledgeable about football."

"If you perform well, you will definitely earn respect."

"Sannoh fans aren't that tasteless."

After listening, Sakuragi nodded thoughtfully, then resumed his smug expression:

"Hmph, consider them lucky!"

"Otherwise, this genius's iron fist won't have eyes!"

"Beep—"

Just then, Lin Bei pressed the fast forward button.

The images flashed wildly like a carousel, finally freezing on the moment the final whistle blew.

The scoreboard in the center of the screen relentlessly magnified that glaring number.

Hainan University Affiliated 83: 113 Shanwang Industrial.

A perfect score of 30.

This gap was widened even when Maki Shinichi gave it his all and the entire Hainan team made virtually no mistakes.

The room fell into a deathly silence once again.

All that remained was the monotonous hum of the air conditioner compressor.

The night outside the window was deep in Hiroshima, and the neon lights reflected on the glass, but they couldn't illuminate the oppressive atmosphere inside.

Takenori Akagi stared intently at the score, his throat feeling like it was stuffed with sand.

Rukawa Kaede's hands, hanging at his sides, were clenched tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms.

Ryota Miyagi lowered his head, his lips slightly bleeding from being bitten.

This is the pinnacle of the nation.

This is the monster we'll face tomorrow.

Looking at the silent generals, Coach Anzai slowly stood up.

He straightened his back, and his originally kind face now exuded a murderous aura, like a general facing battle.

"If you want to achieve your dream of dominating the whole country."

Coach Anzai's voice was powerful and resonant, each word striking deep into everyone's soul like a nail.

"So, no matter what happens tomorrow, even if the whole stadium boos you, even if the score falls behind, even if you feel like you can't breathe..."

His gaze swept over Akagi, Mitsui, Miyagi, and Rukawa.

Finally, the focus shifted to Lin Bei and Sakuragi.

"Absolutely, absolutely do not waver in your resolve."

"This is a war with no turning back. To win against Sannoh Industrial..."

"You must have the determination of a warrior cutting off his own arm!"

……

In the lobby of the Hiroshima Hotel.

The early summer night breeze, carrying a hint of heat, blew in.

After the pre-match mobilization meeting ended, the oppressive feeling brought by the Sannoh videotape weighed on the heads of the Shohoku team like a mountain.

"Ring ring—"

The phone at the front desk had barely rang once when a red-haired afterimage flashed into view.

"Hey! This is Shohoku's secret weapon, the genius basketball player Sakuragi Hanamichi!"

Sakuragi grabbed the microphone and shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice so loud it could shatter the lobby windows, his grin stretching almost to the back of his head.

"Ah... Sakuragi-kun, good evening."

Haruko Akagi's gentle voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Were you already waiting by the phone?"

Upon hearing that unforgettable voice, Sakuragi was completely "elated".

All those mountain kings and sea kings were wiped out with a single click.

"Hahaha! Haruko!"

"I just happened to be passing by! It's perfect timing!" Sakuragi scratched the back of his head, his signature lisp automatically coming into play.

"Congratulations on your victory today, Sakuragi!"

Haruko said excitedly, "We're staying at our relatives' house in Fujii."

"Oh... Fujii, please give my regards."

Sakuragi didn't care at all; his focus was entirely on Haruko.

"You were absolutely amazing today!"

"My brother said that if you improve just a little more, Shohoku will be able to dominate the whole country."

"That mid-range jumper of yours was absolutely awesome!"

When his crush praised him, Sakuragi felt like he had ascended to heaven, surrounded by Cupids playing the harp.

His face flushed red, and he said awkwardly:

"Hehe, with the buff of love, this genius's potential is as vast as the stars..."