Kuroko no Basket: Honored One

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What options were left?

Only the door before him.

When Aomine reached 100% of his potential, his mind sank into the depths—into the bottom of the lake.

There, in front of him, appeared a door similar to the one that led into the Zone… yet also unmistakably different.

It was the second layer of the Zone.

But unlike the first, he couldn't just walk through this one.

He was rejected.

Blocking his path… was a shadowy figure in black, standing directly in front of the door.

"Who are you?"

The question hung on the tip of his tongue, but he resisted it. He couldn't afford distraction.

That was another weakness of the Zone:

Anyone who entered couldn't let their mind wander.

Too many stray thoughts—and the Zone would cast you out.

"Looks like you've started thinking about the wrong things too."

"You know what that means, don't you? It's over, Aomine."

Aomine did understand.

The moment those thoughts crossed his mind, it meant he'd reached his limit.

But he'd never show weakness—especially not in front of Tendou.

Never.

"If you really want to know what's beyond the second door,"

"I can tell you."

What?

Aomine blinked in shock, his pupils constricting as they locked onto Tendou.

But he caught himself immediately, forcing those stray thoughts out of his head.

"Don't try to trick me into losing focus. I'm not falling for it."

He didn't believe Tendou had any real insight into that second door.

They were both stuck on the outside—weren't they?

But the truth was: Tendou did know.

He knew exactly what was behind that second door.

Because he, too, stood at the bottom of the lake, before that very door.

Only… he wasn't facing one figure—but six.

Tendou recognized them immediately. Tall and short, lean and broad—each one unmistakable.

They were the Generation of Miracles.

The production team animated this mysterious scene exactly as it was described.

"What is this?"

"Are those figures… the Generation of Miracles?"

Mizuhashi stared at the silhouettes. Their proportions, their posture—it had to be them.

Even Kuroko's outline was recognizable.

"But why are they stopping Tendou?" Mizuhashi muttered, clutching his head.

Then, using his vast experience watching anime, he came to a conclusion:

"This episode must be about bonds and friendship.

They're blocking Tendou because he hasn't truly embraced teamwork."

And… he was right.

Tendou's response was the polar opposite of Aomine's—and it stunned everyone watching.

"Don't even think about it."

"I'm the strongest."

With a glance at his "old teammates" standing before the door, Tendou turned around and walked away.

"Holy sh—!"

Mizuhashi gripped his head in disbelief, elbows on the desk, face practically glued to the screen.

Was it cool?

Incredibly. But for fans who actually liked Tendou, the scene cut deep.

"This reminds me of that prequel episode where Tendou awakened his powers."

"The titles this production team comes up with are cursed! He abandoned all his old teammates!"

The anime then cut to a flashback.

Back in middle school, when Riko Amanai was still around, she and Tendou had stopped at a fortune teller's stall by the road.

Riko had dragged him over, despite his reluctance. The fortune teller gave him a reading—and a grim prediction:

"Absolute strength… brings absolute loneliness."

Thankfully, Tendou wasn't watching the anime himself. Otherwise, he'd probably be ranting.

"Isn't this supposed to be Sukuna's tagline?! I look like Gojō, not some cursed king!"

Clearly, something had gone wrong here.

But the audience?

They thought it was perfect.

That one line completely summed up Tendou's character.

『This fortune teller is legit.』

『Legit, my ass! This dude's just copying my cat!』

『Ugh… hug me…』

『It's just how Tendou is. He's always been that arrogant, egotistical type.』

『Didn't he isolate his classmates even as a kid?』

『That's not the same thing!』

『How's it not?!』

『The Generation of Miracles were actual friends…』

In short: the audience loved the Generation of Miracles as a group of passionate, troubled prodigies.

All they wanted was for them to be okay.

『Used to think Aomine or Akashi were the most isolated.』

『But now… it's definitely Tendou.』

『Akashi craved friendship. Aomine craved rivals. Both of them changed because they lost something.』

『But Tendou? He's truly the most alone. At least Akashi and Aomine wanted something. Tendou pushes everything away—even the things right in front of him.』

With takes this sharp, why aren't you reviewing movies for a living?

Mizuhashi was already emotional when he saw that comment and just slumped lower in his chair.

That one flashback, that one line—it made Tendou feel more real than ever.

From the moment he appeared as "the strongest," that idea had been drilled into the audience's minds.

But now, they saw why he was the strongest.

After the episode aired, fans updated the power rankings online:

Tendou was unanimously voted #1.

And yet… he was no longer seen as just a cocky powerhouse.

He had become flesh and blood—a character with pain, past, and purpose.

The audience had witnessed every step of his journey.

...

Meanwhile, back on the court…

Tendou had no idea the production team had added even more lore to his story.

If he found out, he might actually be pleased.

It meant he really had become the fan-favorite—the writers were building entire arcs around him.

...

On the court.

Aomine was still charging forward—still challenging Tendou, over and over again.

Just like back in Teikō…

Fall. Rise. Repeat.

Relentless.

"My throat's dry… my head's burning… my legs feel like they're giving out…"

Aomine was nearing collapse.

Years without serious training had taken their toll. His stamina recovery was terrible.

From the beginning, Tendou had been observing with Six Eyes, running calculations in real time.

If his own stamina cap was 39,399—then Aomine was down to just 90.

Not a small number—still above 90% of high school players nationwide.

His talent was unreal. His genetics, absurd. No amount of slacking could fully erase it.

But he was still a long way from Tendou.

Even so, Aomine had no plans to stop.

He'd forgotten the time, forgotten the crowd—his world had shrunk to Tendou alone.

There was no bitterness about losing.

Only regret… that he couldn't keep playing.

If he'd known Tendou would be this strong—he never would've wasted so much time.

He drove hard into the paint, leaping high to contest the shot.

But Tendou was already surging with bright blue electricity—it flickered with intensity, yet was on the brink of burning out.

This final spark—it was Aomine's purest fighting spirit, wrung out from the last of his strength.

But Tendou didn't hesitate.

He slammed the ball through the hoop with overwhelming force.

The sound echoed as the ball bounced out beyond the baseline.

"Go train some more, Aomine."

"Though, no matter what you do—you still won't beat me."

Tendou stood tall, looking down at him from above.

Aomine's lightning—flickering blue—had nearly faded.

But the sparks dancing at the corners of Tendou's eyes were still white-hot.

"YOOOO!!"

The crowd erupted once again.