One day wasn't enough time to make any real progress.
So Shirogane Kōzō didn't schedule intense training—instead, they spent half the day in the strategy room.
Only after confirming that every player had memorized the scouting intel brought back by Momoi, did he let the team practice their next-day tactics.
On offense, there was no need to change a thing.
This Teikō roster had more scoring options than stars in the sky—even Shirogane himself didn't know how many combinations were possible with these kids.
Rather than have them follow rigid sets, it was better to let them unleash their potential.
So the prep focused entirely on countering the opponent's defense.
The results were immediate.
In the next day's match, thanks to superior scouting intel and already being a cut above, Teikō held their opponents under 70 points.
Which wasn't enough to beat Teikō—not by a long shot.
After all, Teikō was known for their explosive firepower, averaging 110.3 points per game this year.
Unsurprisingly, Teikō won the Round of 32 and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen.
...
As the team ace, Tendou Kageyoshi delivered yet another jaw-dropping performance:
38 points, 3 assists, 8 steals, and 2 rebounds.
At this point, aside from scoring and steals, Tendou could hardly pad his other stats.
There were too many stat-hogs on the team.
Most of the time, he was paired with Murasakibara, and unless the purple-haired manchild acted up and benched himself, Tendou had zero shot at getting rebounds.
And with Kuroko now feeding assists, even those were hard to come by.
He'd been reduced to a cold-blooded attack-and-defense machine.
"This is such a waste of my talent…"
Tendou began missing the feeling of having the ball in his hands.
Sure, triangle offense was great and all—but he just didn't feel right not touching the ball as much.
Classic symptom of a young, undisciplined player.
Even MJ and Kobe took years to mature. In their youth, they were unapologetic ball hogs, obsessed with stats, scoring titles, and MVPs.
Only after winning those awards did they start to crave championships, and learn to put teamplay above self.
Shirogane Kōzō could clearly see that Tendou still had a "scorer's heart" that itched for the ball.
He didn't expect Tendou to understand the importance of teamwork right away. But…
Every king needs at least one loyal general to fight at his side.
A kingdom built alone, dies alone.
Tendou was still young. There was time to teach him how to become a true king.
...
Then came the Round of 16.
Their opponent: a team from Gunma Prefecture.
And it just so happened—this was a rematch.
The two teams had faced off in last year's Nationals, pushing the game all the way to overtime.
Coincidentally, that had also been during the Sweet 16.
A year later, they met again at the same stage. Many fans could already feel the tension in the air.
Still, most believed Teikō would prevail once more and eliminate Gunma's dark horses for the second year in a row.
...
Tendou's performance today was phenomenal.
The media dubbed him the "Teikō Demon Star."
Whenever a demon star rises, chaos is sure to follow.
And Tendou was wreaking chaos on the national stage.
...
The venue was already boiling with noise.
Teikō fans and rival supporters had drawn their lines like Chu and Han, hurling chants back and forth.
As Tendou took the court, he spotted the blazing eyes of Gunma's bench players.
They were clearly out for revenge.
But Tendou didn't care—he didn't mind playing firefighter.
If they brought fire—
He'd put it out.
After warm-ups, Shirogane gathered everyone for a final huddle.
"Listen up, I've already mentioned this before, but I'll say it again…"
"Be careful of Hayama Kotarō. He has exceptional athleticism and a fierce competitive spirit."
"His dribbling is absolutely elite—definitely national level—and he's a persistent, aggressive attacker."
"His one-on-one ability is top-tier. He loves to drive and can break down a defense singlehandedly."
"And for his height, his rebounding instincts are insanely sharp."
This opponent… might be Tendou's toughest challenge yet.
Shirogane didn't tell him that Hayama possessed "Wild Instinct," a once-in-a-generation talent.
He didn't even mention what Wild Instinct was.
He wanted Tendou to feel it himself—to understand that no matter how strong he was, there were still stronger enemies out there.
And more importantly, he wanted Tendou to realize that basketball wasn't just about ball dominance—it was about fitting into the team.
After all, once Nijimura Shūzō graduated, how could he entrust the team to someone who couldn't lead?
...
Of course, Tendou was already very familiar with Hayama Kotarō.
As one of Rakuzan's Three Kings, he'd studied him thoroughly in the original story.
"Tendou, he's your mark for today. Watch his drives. You can give him space to shoot—it won't kill us. Got it?"
If Tendou could shut down this Thunder Beast, the game would get much easier.
"I'll take care of him, coach." Tendou flashed an "OK" sign.
After all—
He also wanted to know just how far his "Cleave" could take him.
...
Elsewhere…
Kagetora Aida, after finishing his day's work, was dragged to the arena by his daughter.
Despite only being in his early forties, he'd already lived through the tragedy of a wife who ran off.
Fortunately, he was a devoted girl-dad and didn't give a damn about the runaway wife—as long as his daughter was happy.
So when his beloved daughter said she wanted to watch basketball, he came running despite his exhaustion.
That daughter, of course, was Riko Aida.
Growing up with a former national player as a dad, and seeing his work up close, Riko had developed a strong love for basketball.
Unlike those airheaded girls who only liked Tendou for his looks, Riko actually knew her stuff.
She even dreamed of becoming a coach someday.
And eventually, she did—leading a barely-three-year-old team to win the Winter Cup.
But that's not the point.
Today, she came just to watch Teikō.
As a Tokyo local, she'd heard nothing but praise for Teikō lately.
Especially Tendou Kageyoshi—who had become the talk of the town during Nationals.
Even in her class, plenty of students were fans of his.
Her deskmate and close friend was actually in the stands right now, waving a "Team Tendou" flag like a full-on fangirl.