Beep~~
The long, dull electronic whistle echoed across the court, signaling the end of the first-round knockout match of the Winter Cup.
On Court A, the Seiho players were drenched in sweat, yet their spirits remained high. They stood around the court, some stretching their shoulders, some wiping sweat from their faces, their gazes calm and clear.
They didn't look like they had just finished a grueling match; they looked like they had just completed pre-game warm-ups.
In stark contrast, the Fukuda Sogo Academy players across from them seemed as if they had suffered a massive blow. Their eyes were lifeless, pupils filled with despair and helplessness.
Above both teams, the huge electronic scoreboard displayed an overwhelming difference in score, leaving even the Generation of Miracles members, Kise, Aomine, Midorima, and others, speechless.
62:22.
This was the final score.
Shogo Haizaki, standing under his own basket, had completely lost the ferocity he had shown at the start. His wide eyes now reflected only shock and disbelief.
"This… this is an absolutely unimaginable score!"
Kise Ryouta murmured under his breath, standing still.
Setting aside personality issues, Haizaki's strength had always been acknowledged by all the Generation of Miracles members.
Others might doubt him, but for Kise, even facing Haizaki personally, he couldn't be completely confident of victory.
Yet this strong player, facing Seiho today, had not only been defeated by nearly three times the score, but had done so without even participating in the offense…
"Haizaki didn't score a single point the entire game? He's still the same as ever, flawless in both skill and intelligence!"
Aomine Daiki, abandoning his usual laziness, squinted as he observed Akashi under the basket, who barely even broke a sweat.
Even he couldn't help but be stunned by Akashi's defensive ability.
·····
"This is bad…"
On the opposite side in the stands, the staff from Seirin and Alexandra felt an immense pressure after watching the Seiho–Fukuda match.
"Indeed… this isn't just a 'monster' level. Over the past few months, this guy has fully evolved into a true Demon King."
*"And the trouble I'm talking about isn't just that…"
Aida Riko looked around at the others and said solemnly: "For this Seiho vs. Fukuda match today, not just us, but almost all teams with Generation of Miracles members came to watch. Do you know why?"
Hearing this, Hyuga Junpei hesitated, then asked: "Riko, do you mean… they're here to gather intelligence?"
"Of course…"
Riko nodded. "Last semester, Seiho defeated every Generation of Miracles member except Kise from Kaijo. So for this Winter Cup, these teams are watching closely, seeking revenge."
"But even so, they wouldn't come to every single Seiho match. They know normal teams can't even test Seiho's limits."
"Yet now, everyone is watching this game. That means…"
Before she could finish, Kiyoshi Teppei interjected: "Even the Generation of Miracles members assumed Haizaki's strength would be enough to probe Seiho's tactics."
"Exactly, Riko!"
"Correct!" Riko confirmed.
"But now, the result is… Seiho has completely defeated Haizaki without Akashi even taking part in the offense."
"Not only have we failed to see Seiho's true cards, but even other Generation of Miracles teams completely underestimated Seiho's strength."
·····
After the first knockout match ended, Shutoku, Rakuzan, Yosen, Kaijo, and other schools began their own matches.
Because Rakuzan and Kaijo were scheduled after Seiho, the team had time to observe.
As expected, every team with a Generation of Miracles member easily crushed their opponents.
Even Kirisaki Daiichi, which had finished fourth in the last tournament, faced Kaijo, which had been eliminated early, and lost by nearly thirty points.
For the high school basketball world, this is a golden age of monsters.
For ordinary high school players, living in the same era as these monsters is both a blessing and a curse.
"Honestly… watching the Generation of Miracles play, no matter how many times, it's just unbearable!"
On the way home after the first day, Seirin's group couldn't help but complain.
Others silently agreed, besides their appearances, these monsters were completely inhuman, especially on the basketball court.
"Taiga, you look troubled," Kuroko asked, noticing Kagami Taiga's puzzled expression.
Kagami waved off the concern. "Not really… just curious. I remember you said Haizaki has a terrible personality, right?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"But today, even though Haizaki was completely suppressed, he didn't pull any sneaky moves like Hanamiya used to, did he?"
Kuroko lowered his head, thinking, then admitted: "Hmm… honestly, I also find that strange…"
"Two idiots… what's so strange about it?"
Hyuga, ahead of them, rolled his eyes. "When a malicious demon meets a true Demon King, all they can do is submit. There's no way he could think of rebelling."
"Even though Kuroko said Haizaki had a bad personality, didn't he have his own legendary '1 vs 5' moments on the court?"
Kuroko paused, then nodded. "Now that you mention it… yes, back at Teiko, even Haizaki never dared to challenge Murasakibara."
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria