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

He stared at the blinding searchlights overhead, his chest heaving violently.

The near-desperate struggle of the second half flashed through my mind.

No matter how much he overexerted his body, no matter how much he pushed the imperial engine to its limit.

That guy on the other side, number 16, shrouded in dark gold light, is an utterly unreasonable monster.

It cruelly crushed all of Hainan's hopes.

Are you unwilling to accept this?

of course.

But surprisingly, despite this extreme resentment...

Amu's tense shoulders slowly relaxed.

He closed his eyes and exhaled a long breath of foul air, tinged with the smell of blood.

An unprecedented sense of relief spread throughout my body.

He did his best, and Hainan did its best.

To lose to such a group of monsters, to that tyrant who controls everything.

There's nothing shameful about it.

"Kiyota, wipe away your tears."

Amu stood up straight.

His voice was hoarse, yet it still exuded an undeniable imperial majesty.

Kiyota Nobunaga, who was standing beside him, was already in tears.

She covered her face tightly with her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Senior Mu... I'm sorry... I couldn't stop him..."

With red eyes, Jin Soichiro silently walked to Kiyota's side and patted him on the shoulder.

With his right foot heavy, Amu walked step by step to the front of the entire Hainan team.

"Lift your head up!"

Amu's voice suddenly rose in pitch.

"We are from Hainan!"

"It's okay to lose, but you must never leave the field with your head down!"

The generals from Hainan trembled, gritted their teeth, wiped away their tears, and straightened their backs.

"Line up and pay tribute to Shohoku."

Amu turned around, limping, but walking with unwavering determination.

In the center of the field.

Lin Bei stood in the center circle; the light from the Heavenly Emperor's Eye had already faded.

He reverted to his lazy, carefree, and irresponsible old man demeanor.

As he watched Maki Shinichi walk towards him, a playful smile appeared on his lips.

Their eyes met in the air.

The aura of kings clashed silently once again.

Even with an injured leg, even after a crushing defeat.

Amu's eyes remained as deep and steady as an abyss.

"Lin Bei".

Amu was the first to extend his large, calloused hand, his voice deep and powerful.

"Shohoku is very strong, you won."

Lin Bei put his hands in his pockets, not in a hurry to reach out.

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over Amu's right ankle, which was wrapped in thick bandages.

"Middle-aged man, your physical condition is indeed quite good."

Lin Bei finally reached out and shook hands firmly with A Mu.

The moment their hands met, Lin Bei took half a step closer.

He casually uttered a sentence in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

"However, don't forget to bring a thermos and brew some goji berries next year."

Amu's pupils contracted slightly, and he rolled his eyes.

It quickly turned into a low, muffled groan.

"Arrogant brat."

Amu gripped Lin Bei's hand tightly, the veins on the back of his hand bulging.

"Don't think that winning once means you can sit on the throne."

"Next year, I will personally bring you down."

Lin Bei withdrew his hand and shrugged indifferently.

"I'm available anytime."

……

High up in the stands, in the Ryonan High School area.

The atmosphere was so oppressive it felt like it could drip water.

Fukuda Kichijou lowered his head and bit his lip hard.

Fujima and Hanagata were both deathly pale and remained silent.

Hainan's crushing defeat served as a mirror, reflecting the humiliation of Ryonan and Shohoku when they were eliminated.

Looking at Lin Bei, who seemed like a god on the field.

A deep sense of powerlessness spread through their hearts.

"well--"

A long, languid sigh broke the silence.

Sendoh Akira rested his chin on one hand and casually ruffled his hair that was sticking up.

He looked at the audience, a nonchalant yet incredibly sharp smile playing on his lips.

"Hey you guys, stop looking so dejected, okay?"

Sendoh stood up and stretched.

His gaze swept over the group.

"Hainan lost, but that doesn't mean we have to lose the courage to take on challenges."

"But it's the way of the immortals..." Uozumi's voice trembled.

"That Lin Bei..."

"He's way above what a high school student should be at; he's a total cheater!"

Immortal's eyes sharpened, and his languid demeanor vanished completely.

"So what if you're a cheater?"

The sound wasn't loud, but it was like a sharp knife precisely piercing everyone's heart.

"The monster won't wait for us to cry."

Instead of wallowing in self-pity, you should think about this carefully.

"How do we pull that arrogant guy down from his pedestal?"

Sendoh pointed at Maki on the field.

"Look at Maki Shinichi, even with his ankle almost broken, he didn't bow his head."

Jun Uozumi's massive body shuddered suddenly.

The captain of Ryonan crossed his arms and nodded in deep agreement.

"Sendoh is right!"

Uozumi's rough voice boomed from the stands.

"What kind of man gives up after just one loss!"

"Go back and give me extra training!"

"Our revenge is coming soon!"

A flame gradually reignited in their eyes.

Right now, in the center of the field.

Amu, who had just finished lining up, was about to turn around and walk towards the players' tunnel.

Suddenly, he stopped.

A sharp, piercing pain, like a thorn in his back, made him suddenly look up.

High up in the audience seating area.

Countless gazes were looking down at him.

There was sympathy from Shohoku fans and regret from neutral viewers.

But even sharper were the tangible gazes of the top players in the surrounding stands.

The king has fallen, and wolves surround him.

This is a psychological challenge that is more terrifying than physical pain.

Amu's heart suddenly clenched.

He could feel that everyone was watching him.

We'll see how Kanagawa's former hegemon will exit the stage.

If you lower your head at this moment.

The banner of Hainan's ever-victorious spirit has truly fallen.

"Are you kidding me...?"

Amu gritted his teeth, a strong, metallic taste of blood rising in his mouth.

Those days and nights of toiling away, sweating profusely, flashed wildly through my mind.

He glanced at the team flag that his predecessors from Hainan had handed to him.

Never bow down!

Amu took a deep breath and suddenly straightened his chest.

Despite the excruciating pain in his ankle, he held his head high!

In those bloodshot eyes.

Their indomitable fighting spirit erupted once again like a volcano.

He met all the gazes from the stands with unwavering resolve.

The climax of their gazes meeting arrived with a thunderous roar.

Akira Sendoh and Kenji Fujima, high up in the stands.

The two looked down at the man below, who stood proudly, like a wounded lion.

There was not a trace of mockery in his eyes.

Almost at the same time.

Sendoh and Fujima suppressed all their expressions.

They looked at Amu, mouthing the words very slowly and solemnly.

He uttered a sentence to the emperor below.

"Let's fight again next year, Maki."

Even though he couldn't hear the sound, Amu clearly understood the lip movements.

His powerful body trembled uncontrollably.

A surge of scalding warmth dispelled the gloom of defeat.

Amu's eyes were slightly moist, but he didn't let the tears fall.

He looked at Sendoh, and then at Fujima.

In the end, he just nodded vigorously.

This silent exchange seemed to possess a strange, magical power.

It directly infected the entire stadium.

The noise gradually subsided.

Countless viewers were moved by the sight of top players showing mutual respect for each other.

Thunderous applause erupted spontaneously.

However, amidst this surge of emotion and passion...

Nobody noticed.

In the shadows higher up in the stadium.

A massive, towering figure was lounging lazily against the back of a chair.

His eyes were indifferent.