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

Takenori Akagi stood in front of the whiteboard.

He pressed his black marker heavily onto the center of the tactics board.

There was a magnet there with love and the college team logo printed on it.

"Everyone, pay close attention!"

"I know you just defeated the Mountain King and your morale is high."

"However, if anyone dares to step onto the court with a careless attitude, I'll send them packing and heading back to Kanagawa right now!"

Akagi's voice was deep and imposing.

The air in the entire private room fell silent.

Akagi's expression was solemn, and his sharp gaze swept over each of his teammates at the table.

"Aiwa Academy, a top four team in the nation last year, is hailed as the absolute champion of Aichi Prefecture."

"Besides Moroboshi Dai, whom you all know, the 'Star of Aichi'."

"This year's Love and War also includes several extremely difficult original characters."

Akagi drew several defensive lines on the tactics board with a pen.

"Pay special attention to their new starting point guard, Asuka Makoto."

"This kid is a freshman, but he's definitely an outlier who shouldn't be underestimated."

"Intelligence indicates that he is known for his extreme speed during breakthroughs and his outrageous chatter."

"In the Aichi Prefecture qualifiers, he once recorded a total of sixteen assists in a single game."

"He also used trash talk to drive three of the opponent's starting lineups to lose their temper and be sent off."

Akagi turned his head and looked directly at Miyagi Ryota, who was drinking milk.

"Miyagi, you'll be under a lot of pressure tomorrow."

"The bird is just as fast as you, and extremely cunning."

"We need to deploy a targeted defense, and the speed of inside help defense must be half a second faster!"

"cut!"

"Gorilla, aren't you being a bit too pessimistic?"

A loud, arrogant laugh suddenly erupted from the previously quiet dining table, utterly jarring.

Sakuragi Hanamichi crossed his legs without any regard for his image.

He clasped his hands behind his head, his eyes brimming with arrogance.

"What 'Star of Aichi,' what nonsense about Asuka Makoto!"

"We're the super genius army that just crushed that arrogant Sannoh Industrial!"

Sakuragi suddenly stood up.

He put one foot directly on the dining chair and made outrageous remarks.

"Even that top high school student, Sawakita, was utterly defeated by this genius!"

"What is Love and Academy anyway?"

"They're nothing but defeated wrestlers who got utterly thrashed by Meihou Industries!"

"This is definitely an advantage for us!"

"To deal with second-rate teams like this, this genius only needs to use 30% of his power to crush them all into mincemeat in the paint!"

"You big idiot."

A cold, sarcastic snort drifted from behind Sakuragi.

Rukawa Kaede sat in the chair, not even bothering to lift his eyelids.

"What did you say?!"

"You damned fox!"

Sakuragi immediately bristled and jumped off the chair.

He rushed up to Rukawa Kaede, glaring down at him angrily.

Rukawa Kaede slightly raised his eyes, his gaze as if he had seen through a mentally challenged person.

"They don't even understand the most basic logic of winning and losing. Basketball is unpredictable, and every game is independent."

"Arrogance will only make you look bad on the field."

"It seems that idiocy is truly incurable."

"Damn it, Rukawa Kaede!"

"This genius will now show you what true strength is!"

Sakuragi, feeling his sore spot had been touched, rolled up his sleeves and was about to grab Rukawa's collar.

"Hey, red-haired monkey."

Just as the two were about to stage their usual all-out brawl, a lazy yet penetrating voice interrupted them.

Lin Bei leaned back in the large leather chair in the main seat.

His long legs were crossed.

Lin Bei glanced casually at the rampaging Sakuragi.

"Master!"

"What are you trying to say now!"

Sakuragi turned his head, his face full of displeasure.

A playful smile curved Lin Beiyan's lips.

"I just find it funny."

"A guy who calls himself a 'genius' doesn't even have the courage to face a team that's one of the top four in the country."

"You're talking nonsense!"

"When have I, this genius, ever been afraid!"

Sakuragi yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Aren't you afraid?"

Lin Bei chuckled and tapped his fingertips lightly on the table.

"If you're not afraid, why do you try to mask your inner panic by belittling your opponent?"

"A truly powerful lion doesn't need to embolden itself by mocking its prey before hunting."

"I bet your so-called 'genius' title is mostly inflated, isn't it?"

"If you're really afraid of that guy named Moroboshi Dai, you can sit obediently on the bench tomorrow."

"Watch how I shoot that star down."

Provocation tactic.

Moreover, it's a top-tier provocation technique that strikes right at the soul.

Sakuragi Hanamichi paused for two seconds.

Then his facial muscles twitched violently, and he looked like he was on fire.

His fists were clenched tightly, and his chest heaved violently.

Their already high fighting spirit was further spurred on by Lin Bei's casual words.

It was as if a bucket of gasoline had been poured on it, causing it to explode with a bang.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Master, you bastard!"

"Open your eyes and see clearly, you genius!"

Sakuragi flew into a rage, slamming his fist into the air and unleashing a deafening roar.

"Tomorrow, that damned star of Aichi, I, the genius, will personally drag it down from the sky and crush it to pieces on the floor!"

"Anyone who dares to take it from me, I'll fight them!"

Looking at Sakuragi, whose fighting spirit was completely ignited, Lin Bei chuckled with satisfaction.

He picked up a cup of coffee.

Akagi secretly breathed a sigh of relief and gave Lin Bei an admiring look.

He knew Sakuragi's personality; having just defeated Sannoh, he was bound to become arrogant.

And this seemingly nonchalant Lin Bei always manages to get the team's gears completely engaged at the most crucial moments.

……

At the same time.

Inside a Holiday Inn on the other side of Hiroshima.

The curtains were drawn tightly shut.

The large suite was dimly lit, with only a huge television screen emitting a faint blue glow.

The videotape is making a faint hissing sound.

Dai Moroboshi, the absolute ace of Aiwa Academy, was sitting cross-legged on the carpet.

His hands were tightly clasped in front of his chest, and his eyes were fixed on the screen.

On the screen was the recording of the second half of yesterday's game between Shohoku and Sannoh Kogyo.

In the scene, Lin Bei moves through the half of Sannoh Industrial Park with a terrifying presence that is completely beyond the comprehension of high school students, as if no one is there.

That game-winning three-pointer that spanned 28 meters.

And Sakuragi Hanamichi's meteor dunk under the basket, defying the laws of physics, was watched repeatedly by Moroboshi Dai.

A bead of cold sweat slowly slid down Moroboshi Dai's resolute jawline.

Sweat splattered and spread across the carpet.

As the "Star of Aichi", he has experienced countless trials and tribulations.

He had also faced the monstrous strength of Morishige Hiroshi in the prefectural tournament.

But the deterrent effect of the video is no less than what he saw on site yesterday.

At that moment, he felt an unprecedented shock and vigilance.

"These two guys... are completely unreasonable."