Chapter 144 - 145: Golden Draw

Words : 1160 Updated : Oct 7th, 2025

Ping. What had been a moment of awe just seconds ago now turned into laughter when Tendou, as a kid, casually dropped a "you little punk." 『Damn, he's so cocky—I love it!』『Classic B-King Tendou. Even as a kid, he thought he was above everyone.』『How did he even have the nerve? Six or seven years old and he's calling a ten-year-old senpai a little punk?』 Everyone cracked up. Every time they watched Tendou's backstory, it felt like they were watching a mythical creature. This time, the flashback wasn't long—just a few short minutes—but it once again reinforced that Tendou had been born with talent. He wasn't awakened by trauma or some external trigger. Even if Amanai Riko hadn't died, his Six Eyes would've awakened on their own in due time. It also explained why Shirogane Kōzō had chosen Tendou to be the basketball club captain in the first place. He'd seen Tendou's potential—believed he could lead Japan's basketball to new heights—and entrusted him with that responsibility. On the other side of the screen, Tendou himself was staring at the new addition to his character bio with a somewhat speechless expression. "Why are they making me look more and more arrogant?" Was he really that kind of guy? This was defamation! "They're slandering me!" Mizugame laughed as he gulped down some soda. "Other characters' backstories are boring. Tendou's? I never get tired of it." "Seirin's background is way too basic—just the same old 'friendship and bonds' narrative over and over again." "After a while, it loses its spark. Tendou's overpowered, twisted backstory is actually interesting." Viewers agreed—Tendou's backstory was full of variety. Whether it was pulling off insane moves or just being absurdly funny with his words, he never failed to entertain. How many little kids do you know who'd look a ten-year-old straight in the face and say, "What are you looking at, you little punk?" The story continued. With Tendou entering the zone, what had been a relatively even match suddenly tilted dramatically. Seirin's players started to lose their cool. Their frantic expressions said it all. And with Kirisaki Daiichi pulling their usual dirty tricks, Kagami finally snapped. While backpedaling on defense, he threw an elbow at Tendou. "Wait—Kagami did that?" Mizugame was genuinely surprised. Kagami was the protagonist. Wasn't that a little too much? Even viewers rooting for Seirin were left speechless. Just like Kuroko and the others, they stared in disbelief at Kagami, before Riko voiced what everyone was thinking: "Are you insane? Are you even thinking straight? Do you realize what you're doing?!" Three rapid-fire questions in a row, and Kagami had no response—just hung his head. Tendou's overwhelming power had been laid bare through Kagami's desperation. "It's not that Kagami's weak. Tendou is just way too strong." "You've seen him play against Kise and Midorima. He was never this suppressed." "He was already unsettled by Tendou's earlier taunts, and now with Kirisaki Daiichi playing dirty? Of course he snapped." "But picking a fight with Tendou? That's just asking for trouble." And sure enough, after the timeout, Tendou came back swinging—crossing up Kagami so hard he dropped to his knees a second time. "Told you. Tendou's not the type to take hits without striking back." "But seriously... this guy's totally hacked!" Mizugame shouted again. Because Tendou's Six Eyes—his ability to predict the future—was just insane. With the animation team's help, Kagami's movements looked like they were being played in advance, with Tendou reacting perfectly afterward. It seemed like a fierce struggle, but everything was actually under Tendou's control. "One... two... three... Three full seconds of buildup, just to knock him down again. Did you see that?!" Earlier, Mizugame had mocked Seirin for constantly upgrading like they were in an RPG. Now he realized—without upgrades, they wouldn't even be able to play. And even with upgrades, they still had no chance. Their opponent was simply too strong. As expected, the match outcome was never in question. Even when Kuroko delivered one of his signature "I won't give up" speeches, Tendou didn't bother engaging. He let Kuroko go right past him—only for a teammate to intercept the ball with ease. "Honestly, the gap is just too huge. They're not even in the same league." "And it makes sense, doesn't it? The new opening sequence never gave the impression Tendou would lose." "My guess? This entire arc exists just to build him up." While talking, Mizugame clicked on the latest episode. Without realizing it, he'd watched the whole arc in one sitting—an hour had flown by. The latest episode opened with Kagami and Kuroko sitting in the locker room. Kagami, looking grim, said: "I thought we could go further... but we ended up like this." "Against overwhelming strength, even perfect teamwork isn't enough... right?" Kuroko opened his mouth but said nothing in the end. Suddenly, the story jumped back to Teikō's golden era. "Welp, they've been crushed beyond recognition." "Still, Kagami's words really hit hard." "Flowers, please..." It was at this moment that new viewers finally understood how Teikō had driven opponents to quit basketball altogether. That kind of dominance wasn't just one-sided. It was soul-crushing. Tendou's brand of overwhelming power—so complete, so suffocating—made Seirin's mental collapse seem completely reasonable. Thanks to that, Tendou's popularity soared—his "attraction value" reaching new heights. ... The world of Kuroko no Basket had changed thanks to Tendou's emergence. Because this latest episode focused on Seirin's emotional adjustment after their loss. It included scenes of Riko crying to her father after the match: "Why does someone that strong even exist? Isn't that just bullying at this point?" Scenes like that. ... It had been a while since his last gacha pull. Tendou washed his face, lay down on the bed, and went on a spending spree. "Ding! Sleep recovery complete." "Congratulations, host! You've received: +1 Three-Point Attribute, +1 Post Play, +1 Strength, +1 Speed, +1 Mid-Range Shooting... Curry One-Motion Shooting Skill Pack." A skill pack?! Tendou quickly opened it—then sighed with disappointment. In the end, it was just a shooting technique pack that increased release speed and ball control. But the most valuable thing—Curry's natural shooting touch—didn't drop. "Come on, one more ten-pull!" +1 Dribbling, +1 Ball Handling, +1 Contested Layup, +1 Contested Mid-Range, +... Still no gold-tier drop, though most of his physical stats were now nearing the system cap of 99. "Keep going." Tendou didn't stop—he wanted to burn through all the popularity points he'd earned today. Because next up was the crucial match against Tōō Academy. He didn't know how many pulls he did. But finally—two golden rays burst out inside his room.

Chapter 144 - 145: Golden Draw

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