Kuroko’s Basketball: Before Generation Miracles, I Already Crowned

To be honest…

Shigure Akihito was starting to get a little bored.

For one, the opponents… weren't exactly putting up much of a fight.

And on top of that, during the break just now, the more he thought about it, the more something felt off. Sure, the game had been flowing smoothly, but looking back on his performance, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was just a blade being wielded by Nijimura.

It was like everything he did on the court… was operating under someone else's shadow.

So, when they returned from the timeout

Shigure decided to throw honor out the window and go full throttle.

Right away,

He activated Ultimate Move: Freeze Frame!

The poor soul Chogaku had just subbed in was immediately shaken to the core, not knowing which way was up, stumbling backward and landing flat on his butt like a well-behaved puppy.

Shigure hadn't bothered to carefully judge the distance during that move. His retreat carried him just short of the three-point line, but he didn't care about those little details right now. All he wanted… was to take command of the game.

Swish~!

A long-range two-pointer. Clean.

"Huh?"

On the sideline, Coach Ino's eyes lit up as he watched the scene unfold.

Shigure Akihito's sudden offensive burst, in truth, didn't really change the result of the match much. After all, even before the timeout, it was obvious Chogaku couldn't keep up with him and Nijimura.

But for Chogaku…

What came next was pure suffering.

On the court,

Following Shigure's all-out assault, #13, who had previously been playing a fairly rational, composed game, suddenly went into overdrive as well.

Now, whichever of the two had the ball, the defense was essentially doomed. It was like they were taking turns one-upping each other in scoring.

What made it even scarier…

Was how the two never fought over ball control, they had an unspoken understanding.

If one wanted the ball, he would go earn it on defense.

With steals…

With blocks…

And then it was coast-to-coast all the way!

By the time the third quarter still hadn't even ended, the match was already functionally over.

From the second half of the second quarter through the entirety of the third, Teiko Middle had exploded to a 30-point lead, all thanks to Shigure and Nijimura's rampage.

And by the fourth quarter, the two were subbed out together.

By the time the final buzzer rang,

Teiko had comfortably secured victory over Chogaku in the scrimmage.

Of course…

The "comfortable" part only applied to the minutes when Shigure and Nijimura were on the floor.

The rest of the time, Teiko's second string was still at a clear disadvantage.

After the game,

They bid farewell to the utterly disoriented Chogaku team, who left Teiko's gym dazed and existentially shaken.

Then, true to Teiko's infamous coaching style that spanned from first string to third,

Coach Ino let out what could only be described as the chant of a devil:

"Alright. You're all heading straight to the third-string gym to finish the remaining physical training. Then we'll consider today's practice complete."

"…And be sure to match the timing with the third string's own end-of-day schedule," he added casually.

Everyone who had played in the scrimmage, including Shigure, fell silent for a moment.

Shigure Akihito: "..."

Seriously…?

Did that sound like something a human would say?

What did he mean by 'then' it's over?

For normal people, even someone like Tetsuya Kuroko would be puking from this much training. Shigure and Nijimura had been going at it nonstop since morning, and then this match in the afternoon?

Sure, they only played about a quarter and a half, but for a first-year middle schooler, wasn't this training volume a bit too demonic?

Of course, there was another reason Shigure was thinking like this.

Even if he trained like hell,

It still couldn't compare to how much his system could boost his strength.

You tell him, how's he supposed to feel motivated to grind endlessly, when leveling up through the system was way more efficient?

If anything, he'd rather head back to the first string and hunt down those upperclassmen he hadn't had a chance to challenge yet. Might as well sweep through the whole list.

While he was entertaining that idea,

Suddenly, bam! Responsibility dropped from the sky.

"Nijimura, and…"

"Shigure."

"You two will train and serve as record keepers. Just follow the first-string's training routine."

Coach Ino delivered his verdict, and sure enough, the two monstrous rookies didn't take it well. One had a clear "I want to run" expression, and the other, cold as ice, shot a visibly annoyed glance at the second-string players behind him.

Coach Ino: "..."

These two…

Were going to be a handful.

Looking toward Shigure, the coach, experienced as he was, could tell at a glance that this kid was mentally drafting excuses to weasel out of responsibility.

But between him and the aloof, prickly Nijimura Shuzo…

Coach Ino decided to go with the lesser evil.

"I'm leaving it to you, Shigure. The third-string coach won't interfere too much, but he will be around."

Receiving that very not-subtle-at-all "don't slack off" warning, Shigure gave a helpless nod, then exhaled a tired, "Got it…"

Seriously…

Since when did winning a match mean more training?

Was this a reward or a punishment?

But then,

A thought suddenly popped into Shigure's head. He turned to the group of second-string players behind him and gave them a mischievous wink.

"Alright, everyone. Let's begin. First up, laps."

"And don't forget…"

"First-string rules: last place gets extra conditioning~"

Whoosh~

Shigure didn't even wait, he took off at full speed!

Everyone else: "?!"

What no one expected, though…

Was that Nijimura Shuzo, that thick-browed, supposedly serious guy, joined him!?

And Shigure definitely saw it,

While Nijimura was muttering "idiot" under his breath, his lips twitched, barely holding back a smirk.

The mask is off!

You traitor!!