Kuroko no Basket: Honored One

The end of an era is often marked by the beginning of a new one.

Shirogane Eiji stood silently on the sidelines, expression unchanged.

In all his years coaching Rakuzan, he had weathered countless storms.

He knew how to win—and more importantly, he knew how to lose with dignity.

But this loss… was different from any he had ever experienced.

This year's Rakuzan team was, without a doubt, the strongest in its history.

And yet they lost the finals by 20 points.

Twenty points!

He had been part of Rakuzan for nearly thirty years—ever since retiring as a player.

As the undisputed powerhouse of high school basketball, Rakuzan never lacked talent.

Their roster had always been among the best in the nation.

Even in their lowest years, they had never lost a game this decisively.

When Rakuzan did lose, it was usually due to bad luck.

But today…

"Ah…"

Shirogane let out a deep sigh.

This year, high school basketball had truly birthed a monster.

...

On the court, Kirisaki Daiichi's players were still celebrating.

"We really won, huh?"

Hara Kazuya still felt like he was dreaming.

Just a year ago, they had been a team that cared more about bullying than basketball.

Winning or losing had never mattered to them.

No one had ever imagined they'd become national champions.

And yet, here they were.

He could feel the change—in both himself and the team.

And the one responsible for that change… was the person they had once tried to reject.

Gazing at the back of that Number 14 jersey, Hara brushed aside his long bangs and smiled.

"This feeling's not bad at all."

...

In stark contrast, Rakuzan's side was quiet and heavy.

"So this is… what defeat feels like," Akashi muttered.

He was gasping for breath, motionless on the court, still unable to fully accept what had happened.

For a moment, he wanted to find a tree hollow and scream his lungs out.

His chest was filled with frustration—so much so that words couldn't describe it.

"It hurts this much… it's this unforgettable…"

He took a deep breath, trying to stabilize his emotions.

He knew he still had something to do.

As Rakuzan's captain, he had to show grace in defeat.

And as Tendou's friend, he had to congratulate him.

"You won, Tendou—no, you all won."

Even after losing by 20 points, Akashi raised his head and walked over to Tendou.

The proud nobleman did not bow it.

"Let's play again sometime."

Tendou extended his hand and grasped Akashi's.

His hair was soaked and clinging to his skin, but his eyes were still glowing.

For a second, he even resembled Gojo Satoru in one of his crazier moments.

Clap clap clap—

A thunderous applause erupted around the arena, honoring both teams for their brilliant performance.

And at that moment, golden confetti began to fall from above.

Tendou was preparing to shake Shirogane's hand, but his gaze was drawn elsewhere—

To Kise and Momoi walking toward the exit.

"Tendou, look over here!"

Momoi winked and pointed her camera straight at him.

Tendou didn't ask why they were here.

Instead, he raised a single finger to the lens.

Symbolizing both his first championship—and his undisputed status as No. 1.

...

The match was over.

Kirisaki Daiichi's players took a well-earned shower before returning to the court.

The stage had already been set up.

After the usual speeches about sportsmanship, the third, second, and finally first place teams took the stage to receive their awards.

Kirisaki Daiichi was the last to be called.

As team captain, Tendou rightfully stepped up to accept the championship trophy and lifted it high above his head.

Then, thanks to his outstanding performance, he was named Finals MVP.

He had played all 40 minutes of the game and recorded a truly legendary stat line:

64 points, 12 rebounds, 13 assists, 12 steals, 4 blocks.

Numbers never before seen in the history of the national tournament.

A 60+ point game.

A quadruple-double in the finals.

Either one of those feats would've been historic.

But Tendou achieved them both—in the same game.

At Momoi's request, he took a photo holding the championship trophy in one hand and the FMVP award in the other.

In the end, the entire Kirisaki Daiichi team took a group photo.

The national tournament concluded under a sky lit with fireworks.

Yes, Momoi managed to sneak into the shot—standing right beside Tendou, holding up two peace signs.

...

The next day, the players from Tōō saw the photo and nearly exploded with rage.

Because yesterday's games hadn't only included the finals.

There had also been the third-place match—between Tōō and Yōsen.

Neither Aomine nor Murasakibara had played.

Tōō battled for 40 grueling minutes and barely scraped out a win.

But when it came time for photos, there was no sign of Momoi.

She had run off to celebrate with Kirisaki Daiichi instead.

...

With the finals wrapped up, the second season of the anime also officially ended.

Tendou had fulfilled expectations and emerged as the national champion.

His strength had left a deep impression on viewers.

In the latest official popularity poll, Tendou soared all the way to second place, right behind a certain someone…

Still, his rise in popularity had started to slow.

Kuroko no Basket wasn't a mainstream shounen like Naruto, One Piece, or Bleach.

Its ability to break into wider audiences was limited.

Now that the main story had finished and Season 2 had concluded, the growth of his fanbase would also begin to plateau.

That said, the numbers remained stable.

As long as the anime continued airing, Tendou's popularity would keep rising—steadily, if not explosively.

...

"Let's do a draw."

Tendou triggered a long-awaited gacha draw.

Back-down +1

Mid-range shooting +1

KD 18s

Strength +1

Speed +1

Ball-handling +1

Three-point shooting +1

Contactless layup +1

Jordan-exclusive wristband

Still the same chaotic mix of items.

One notable thing—

Once a stat hit 99, it couldn't be improved further for the current body stage.

But any drawn stat points would be saved for when he advanced to the next stage.

They weren't wasted.

Tendou opened the descriptions of the two special items he'd drawn:

[KD 18s – Kevin Durant Signature Shoes]

Can freely change styles and sizes.

Effect: Slightly increases buzzer-beater accuracy.

(Note: When attempting a buzzer-beater 3-pointer, there's a higher chance of stepping on the line.)

"Damn, even the side effects are accurate."

Tendou was immediately reminded of that infamous Durant buzzer-beater.

It should've won the game…

But because his shoe barely touched the line, it was counted as a two—

And they lost in overtime to the "Toe Brother."

Next:

[Jordan Signature Wristband]

Allows switching between any models used by Jordan.

Effect: When the game enters the final seconds and the host team is trailing, there is a small chance to activate the skill The Shot.

Once activated, the next shot attempt is guaranteed to go in.

Legendary.

The Shot was one of Michael Jordan's most iconic moments, even having its own name.

In all of NBA history, only two plays had been granted that kind of recognition:

Jordan's The Shot,

And LeBron's The Block—

That historic chasedown in Game 7 of the 2016 Finals.

"But what's the activation chance?"

That was the real question.

Besides, Tendou hadn't yet played in a game that came down to a last-second shot…