Chapter 100: The Reign Continues

This is a sponsored chapter, thanks to BraveHeart /// A few days later, the final match of the National Tournament began. This year's championship match could be described as the most predictable in history. Last year, Teikō had already been hailed as one of the strongest teams in the history of the national tournament. Now, a year later, they had only grown stronger—more dominant than even their former selves. As Aomine himself had said: "The only ones who can beat us now... are ourselves." Their opponent today featured no familiar faces in the lineup. This team was this year's biggest dark horse, rising up from the Osaka region all the way to the finals. If it had been a couple of years ago, people might've been excited for this kind of Cinderella story. But not this year. People had gotten used to Teikō's victories. All the ridiculous things Tendou had boasted in interviews before? They came true. In the locker room, the Teikō players, fully suited up, were waiting for their new captain to give the call. Since that day, the atmosphere in the basketball club had subtly shifted. But what had changed? No one could quite put it into words. Tendou was still the same old sharp-tongued guy. And yet, everyone felt he was somehow different. They figured it was because of Riko's passing. But this—this was who Tendou had always been. He'd just been acting like Gojou Satoru until now. The adult world didn't have room for sentimentality. "Teikō!" "Victory!" Without any extra words, Tendou bumped fists with his teammates and led the way out of the locker room. ... "TEIKŌ!" "TEIKŌ!" "TEIKŌ!" The venue was filled with cheers from fans in Teikō uniforms. Their invincible presence had attracted a massive fanbase. Just before the finals, Youth Sports Weekly published an article along with a fan poll. The result? The top players at all five positions in the nation were all from Teikō. It was insane. This had never happened in the history of the national tournament. All five best-position players—plus a bench full of elite-level substitutes. No wonder every other team trembled at the thought of facing them. Youth Sports Weekly concluded: Last year, this year, and even next year... the national tournament belonged to Teikō. This was their era. 『So that's what 'Generation of Miracles' means, huh?』 『Took you long enough. Most content creators figured it out ten episodes ago.』 Last year, Teikō was already unstoppable as freshmen. This year and next? Even more hopeless for their opponents. 『They really are the Generation of Miracles. Even if you brought Tetsuya's squad from the future, they couldn't stop them.』 The viewers joked while half-serious. Back when Haizaki first appeared, people already noticed the show wasn't going for realism. It didn't aim for Slam Dunk-style grounded storytelling. And once Aomine awakened his talent, everyone realized— Yup. This is a superpower basketball anime. The only thing it had over Prince of Tennis was that at least no one died on the court. But no one minded this exaggerated setup. After all, doing grounded basketball meant inevitably being compared to Slam Dunk. And that was an impossible bar. ... The game began. Teikō's starting five remained the same: Akashi, Midorima, Tendou, Aomine, and Murasakibara. From the very beginning, they used their overwhelming individual strength to tell this dark horse team: Your journey ends here. Tendou broke through a triple-team and assisted Murasakibara for an easy dunk. Aomine followed up with a one-man fast break, plowing through defenders like they were bowling pins. Tactics? Team plays? Positioning? Those things barely registered anymore with Teikō. Most of the time, one player was enough to solve any problem. The opposing coach was passionate and relentless, constantly trying new plays and encouraging his players to keep fighting. But no matter what he tried— Nothing could stop Teikō's onslaught. Before halftime was even over, Teikō had a 49-point lead. Meanwhile, their opponents had only managed 18 points across two quarters. "They don't even stand a chance." "Yeah. Teikō is too strong. At this rate, everyone else is just playing for second place next year." "A three-peat is really happening, huh?" The crowd buzzed with discussion. Everyone was already used to Teikō's savagery. No one was shocked by the score gap anymore. Honestly, they hadn't come today expecting a close match. They just came to watch Teikō's monsters go wild. ... In the end, Teikō defended their title, claiming their second national championship. After the game, the young men in white jerseys stood with hands on hips, staring silently at the golden rain of confetti. Too easy. Even Akashi couldn't deny it. As long as the five of them stood together— They were unbeatable. But... he didn't like this kind of post-game stillness. He missed how last year, even after just a group-stage win, they'd rush to a barbecue place and celebrate like crazy. So Akashi made a proposal: "After the ceremony, how about we go grab some food together?" He'd already scouted out a spot. Since entering their second year, he'd started looking for affordable, good-value places—no more talk of fancy Michelin-starred restaurants. He just wanted to eat well with everyone today. ... The whole team looked to Tendou. He rolled his eyes. "What're you looking at me for? Of course we're eating. This year's Coach Fujimura's treat—we're poor students, remember?" Fujimura thought to himself: I've got less savings than you, you brat—aren't you a top-tier model? Still, he agreed with a smile. With so many talented kids under his care, he'd been under pressure, unsure if he was truly qualified to coach them. This dinner would be a chance to connect and bond with them. They'd need unity more than ever for next year. The captain had spoken. Relieved, the others—especially Kise—cheered excitedly. Aomine packed his gear but stood up and shook his head. "You guys go ahead. I'm not going." "Come on, Aomine-kun. Don't be like that. Let's all go together." "Yeah, Daiki. Don't start acting all different at a time like this. We all sweated it out together!" ...Seriously, was sweating during a basketball game some kind of accomplishment? Even the real-world audience was laughing at how silly Momoi's comment was. But Aomine wasn't listening. He didn't care about appearances. Didn't care who he offended. He did whatever he wanted. In the end, Akashi still took the team out for dinner. But— He didn't see the scene he had hoped for.