Kuroko no Basket: Honored One

The final match of the semifinals had concluded.

In the end, it was Kirisaki Daiichi who had the last laugh, defeating Yōsen High to advance to the championship final against Rakuzan.

Looking back at Kirisaki Daiichi's history, this was by far their most dazzling achievement.

In any other year, they would have been seen as the classic underdog.

But now, no one dared to call them that.

Because they had Tendou Kageyoshi—the strongest high school player in the country.

At the end of the match, Tendou had played for 30 minutes in total, completing the first, third, and fourth quarters.

He scored a game-high 64 points and added 13 steals.

His rebounds weren't high—because as long as that purple-haired giant was on the court, grabbing boards was never easy.

"You're not going to comfort your old teammate? He looks really upset under that towel."

Some of the Kirisaki Daiichi players noticed Murasakibara's state—hunched over on the bench, a towel covering his head.

"Don't be ridiculous. Teikō never had fragile guys like that."

Tendou slung his bag over his shoulder and swept a glance toward Rakuzan's area—completely empty by now.

Just one game left.

"Let's go. The final battle is up next."

Tendou led the way into the tunnel, and the rest of the team followed close behind.

Compared to the first time they met, these once-rowdy kids had grown tremendously.

Confidence now radiated from them—confidence forged through victories.

They were ready to challenge the reigning kings, Rakuzan.

This Kirisaki Daiichi was now a battle-hardened army.

"Let's head out too."

Seirin's players left along with the dispersing crowd.

The more they watched the Generation of Miracles play, the more aware they became of their own shortcomings.

If they wanted to make a mark in the Winter Cup, they would have to become significantly stronger.

Only then could they earn a shot at revenge against Kirisaki Daiichi.

But that would be no easy feat.

They all thought of one name—Tendou.

Like a towering mountain, his presence weighed heavily on their minds.

The final match was scheduled for one week later, giving both teams time to rest and recover.

That night, Tendou returned home and had just set down his things when—

Ding-dong.

"…Who could it be this late?"

He opened the door—and a blur of pink shot straight into his arms.

"Ta-da! I'm here, Little Ten~!"

Damn it. Every time they met she body-checked him. She was definitely going to get ejected one day.

Tendou stumbled back but reflexively caught her. Without thinking, he hoisted her up with ease.

"It's late. Why'd you come?"

"To deliver intel, of course!"

Momoi reluctantly climbed down from his arms.

She had to—Tendou's unspeakable something had already poked against her.

She felt both secretly pleased and a little embarrassed.

Quickly changing the subject, she handed over a massive folder containing every piece of Rakuzan scouting data.

Tendou took it and tossed it aside without looking.

His understanding of Rakuzan wasn't less than Momoi's.

From the beginning, he knew Rakuzan was Kirisaki Daiichi's biggest obstacle to winning the championship.

"You live alone in a place this big?" Momoi asked, already used to Tendou's indifferent attitude toward her "intel."

What others saw as invaluable, Tendou treated as trivial.

She looked around the house—stylish, spacious, and almost surreal for a high school student.

Despite Japan being known as a first-world nation, its land area was only 378,000 square kilometers.

Land was precious—especially in Tokyo, where every square meter came at a premium.

If you've ever stayed in a Tokyo hotel, you'd know how cramped it can get.

But Tendou?

This place was at least 200 square meters. A literal luxury residence.

"It's not rented," Tendou said casually. "I bought it."

"…You bought it?"

Momoi was stunned.

Is being a model really that profitable?

She recalled bumping into a scouting agent once—maybe she should consider it too?

"Of course not. Modeling barely makes enough for a decent bathroom. I make money other ways."

Gambling.

Tendou had arrived in this world in 2009. It had already been over three years.

Every year, he'd go all in on at least one major sports bet—and over time, he had become a multimillionaire, at least by Japanese yen standards.

And this year? World Cup year.

He vividly remembered the champion: Spain.

He planned to go big this time, aiming to become a billionaire.

He couldn't recall the exact scores, but surely he could bet on the final result?

And in two years—2016, the year of Leicester City's miracle Premier League title.

If he remembered right, the odds back then were 1:5000.

The most unbelievable upset in football history.

That kind of payout could make a man filthy rich.

Momoi, however, looked worried.

She stood in front of him, hands on hips, leaning in until her face nearly touched his.

"You cannot gamble!"

How could it be called gambling if he was guaranteed to win?

But seeing her serious expression, Tendou gave a half-hearted nod.

Only then did Momoi smile again.

Her life experience wasn't vast, but even she had seen plenty of news stories about families ruined by gambling.

No gambler ever had a happy ending.

Relieved, Momoi found a spot to sit and naturally brought the topic back to the upcoming final.

"You have to win the championship, okay?"

She'd seen Murasakibara's growth firsthand. It made her happy and proud.

Little Ten really had a kind of magic—after playing against him, people changed.

Akashi, Kise, Murasakibara… all of them.

So she hoped he'd be the one to reunite the broken pieces of the Generation of Miracles.

"You worry too much."

"Only because you guys are all hopeless!"

Teikō used to be so fun.

But then it all crumbled.

Momoi had been devastated—watching the boys around her become strangers, one by one.

Talking about Teikō opened the floodgates.

She recalled many things, sometimes smiling, sometimes grimacing.

At that moment, she finally looked her age—a teenage girl of fifteen—not the calculating mastermind she often pretended to be.

They chatted for over an hour before Tendou said, "It's late. I'll walk you home."

"Mm."

Momoi didn't argue. She stepped outside, hopped on his back, and wrapped her arms around him tightly.

Feeling the warmth on his back, Tendou shook his head.

"No funny business. You're still under probation."

Momoi didn't know what was going on in his perverted little mind.

When she got home, she showered and went straight to sleep.

That night, she had a beautiful dream—of the Generation of Miracles playing together again.

And she smiled in her sleep.

Tendou didn't sleep.

Back at home, the moment he sat down, a long-awaited system notification finally appeared:

"Phase Five Ability Unlocked: Domain – Unlimited Void!"

"…Huh?"

Tendou stared at the name, question marks filling his head.

The system finally gave him a skill that matched his outrageously handsome face.

The problem was…

Where was Limitless? Where was Cursed Energy? Where was Sukuna?

Had a dog eaten them?

System: …

The cat-shaped system avatar gave him a side-eye.

It definitely felt offended…

But unfortunately for it, there was no evidence.

...

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