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

"He made that? That had to be luck, right?"

The shooting guard from Yamanoshima Junior High stared wide-eyed at Teiko's number 7. The guy had been standing practically at midcourt when he shot it. No one in their right mind would expect someone to pull up from there, so of course he hadn't bothered to contest.

Starting defense all the way from midcourt? That's suicide over four quarters.

So that shot must've been a fluke... right?

But,

On the sidelines, Yamanoshima's coach had a far clearer view of the situation. The replay of the shot echoed vividly in his mind,

Teiko's unusually crisp ball movement.

Number 7's immediate catch-and-shoot with zero hesitation.

No matter how you looked at it, that wasn't a lucky heave, it was premeditated.

And if that wasn't just luck…

Then Teiko's number 7 was downright terrifying from deep.

Meanwhile, along the sidelines, basketball reporters from all across the regions had their eyes sparkling in shock. Combined with the rumors they'd already heard from their Tokyo counterparts, this game was quickly becoming something to watch.

At the same time,

A chorus of gasps rippled through the crowd.

To Yamanoshima's shooting guard, all those gasps sounded like mocking jeers directed squarely at him. He scowled.

"Yeah, lucky shot…"

"To think he actually hit from that far. But that's the last one, I won't give you another clean look from three!"

"Go ahead. Try shooting from midcourt again. I dare you, I want to see how many more you can actually hit!"

Hearing that, Shigure Akihito simply nodded, fully understanding the opponent's cluelessness.

After all, middle school basketball was always in flux. Once the third-years graduated, every team's structure changed drastically. Just like how Teiko didn't really know the specifics of Yamanoshima, it was the same the other way around.

As for "how many he could hit"?

Heh,

If executed correctly, Shigure could absolutely hit from near midcourt. With the unlocked double-layered talent "Divine Domain," his three-point shots from that range weren't just viable, they were elite.

[Shinzō Ichirō: Divine Domain II]

After hitting one three-pointer from within the mark, the Divine Domain evolves to Tier II. Gain an additional +10% to three-point accuracy, and +10% to uncontested three-point accuracy.

[Shinzō Ichirō: Divine Domain III]

After hitting two three-pointers from within the mark, the Divine Domain evolves to Tier III. Gain an additional +15% contest resistance and +10% to three-point accuracy.

This bonus to hit rate wasn't just for show!

,

Yamanoshima's next possession. Their point guard brought the ball up and signaled a play. His teammates moved immediately.

Before long,

Their shooting guard used a screen to break free on the right wing for an open look.

Swish!

The pass from the point guard was perfectly timed.

From the way the screen was set and the play was drawn up, it was clear this was his shot. Probably a way to answer Shigure's earlier "wild" three-pointer with a proper, structured play of their own.

Yamanoshima's shooting guard moved quickly, and his shot form was clean.

But unfortunately,

Goda Tomokazu: Full-Speed Burst!

Kiyota Nobunaga: Skywalker Block!

Shigure activated his chase-down combo: he tore through the screen with "Full-Speed Burst," and exploded upward with "Skywalker Block," smashing the shot with sheer athleticism.

He didn't care for logic.

SLAP!!

Despite the excellent screen and spacing, Shigure blasted the shot out of the air from well beyond the arc. His timing and elevation were so freakishly on-point that,

Yamanoshima's shooter ended up staring straight at Shigure's... crotch.

"...!?"

What the hell?!

How high are you jumping?!

CLANG!

The ball Shigure swatted slammed off the backboard. Ōkura Masaaki soared for the rebound and instantly passed it to Nijimura Shuzō.

Fast break!

Teiko flipped from defense to offense in an instant.

Nijimura sprinted up the court at top speed. But just as he reached the three-point line, with no glance back, no signal, he executed a between-the-legs pass.

The ball whipped backward,

Right into Shigure's hands.

Right around midcourt again!

He stopped on a dime!

His foot stepped right on the lingering Divine Domain mark from his earlier shot.

And again, he began the shooting motion!

Power-up!

At that moment, every single spectator felt a chill crawl down their spine!

Yamanoshima's shooting guard, still recovering, could only stare in disbelief.

"...!?"

You've got to be kidding.

Again?!

And this time, on a fast break with a clear lane to the rim, he still chose a three from near midcourt?

What kind of lunacy is this?!

What is with Teiko this year?!

As the thought raced through his mind,

Shigure finished his gather. He floated, elegant as ever, his shooting form picture-perfect in midair. With a subtle flick of the wrist, the ball arced out of his hands.

The release was clean and fluid, not the slightest bit forced.

Swish!

All net.

Just like a heron brushing water, graceful and unshakable.

To the crowd, briefly stunned into silence,

It landed like thunder.

Eyes widened, jaws dropped. Snacks tumbled from hands. Only after the wave of gasps erupted did the audience snap out of their trance.

Then,

The arena exploded.

"Who said he couldn't make it? That's two in a row!"

A spectator from Tokyo, who had gone quiet after Shigure missed a previous shot, suddenly came alive again.

But the crowd was still too shocked by the "Shinzō Ichirō: Long-Range Three" to even care what he was saying.

"Did I see that right? Middle school basketball is like this now?!"

"He's hit two midcourt threes in a row. It's clearly not just luck…"

"Where did Teiko find this monster?"

"I think someone said he's a first-year…"

"This is unreal."

The crowd was dumbfounded.

On the sidelines,

The moment Shigure hit his first deep three, Yamanoshima's coach gripped his clipboard tightly. When the second one fell, and in transition, no less, he exploded.

CRACK!

He slammed the clipboard to the ground, papers scattering everywhere.

On Yamanoshima's bench, the substitutes froze, stunned by the sudden outburst. They sat in terrified silence, exchanging nervous glances.

In the stands,

Reo Mibuchi, already showing signs of his trademark "feminine charm" even as a first-year, was watching alongside his upperclassmen from Senjin Junior High.

Having also cracked the starting lineup as a first-year, Reo exchanged a look with his team captain. Both had astonishment in their eyes.

"Reo…"

"Looks like your plan's already toast."

"Being the top first-year shooter in the nation? After those two threes from Teiko's number 7, I think that title's as good as gone."

Reo frowned slightly at that.

He didn't want to admit it.

It was just two shots.

But as a fellow three-point specialist, Reo knew the kind of shooter he was looking at.

"Man, I am glad I came to watch this game."

"That number 7 from Teiko…"

Hearing that, his captain suddenly clenched his fists and shivered.

"I swear, Reo, can you please just speak normally?"

"Eh?"

"I am speaking normally, senpai~"

"…Never mind."

Fine.

Whatever.

This first-year's a handful.

,

Back on the court, Yamanoshima's shooting guard stared at Teiko's bench celebrating number 7's shot like mad.

He couldn't hold back the frustration any longer.

Seriously?!

You actually took that midcourt shot?

And then hit it?!

An all-net swish, too?!

Wait… this can't be real, right? Are shots like that even possible?

Yamanoshima's offense resumed. The point guard brought the ball up. The shooting guard, lost in his inner spiral, received the ball again.

He tried a couple of head fakes, but nearly got stripped.

In the end,

He passed it back with a bitter look on his face.

Moments later,

CLANG!

A loud brick echoed off the rim.

Their power forward had tried a post-up against Teiko's number 8, spinning and fading for a jumper.

183 cm vs. 175 cm, 8 cm of height advantage.

But every part of his footwork looked awkward, his rhythm disrupted by suffocating defense.

What should have been a smooth, practiced move turned into a clunky mess.

His teammates all turned to stare at him in surprise.

"…What are you looking at?"

"Try doing it yourself if you think it's so easy!"

That number 8, Ōkura, was weirdly strong for his size. And his timing somehow always messed up the post moves!

Damn it!

Ōkura grabbed the board and launched a quick counterattack.

Egashira Masatoshi slashed into the lane, but just as he had an open path to the rim, he spotted Shigure outside the arc.

This time, he was just behind the three-point line.

Egashira copied what he'd seen earlier, he passed it back out.

Shigure activated Shinzō Ichirō: Catch-and-Shoot and launched a relatively normal three. It swished in.

A new Divine Domain mark bloomed at the spot.

So far,

Shigure Akihito: Four Three-Pointers.

Teiko vs. Yamanoshima: 12–2.

A 10-point lead in a blink.

Say what you will, but threes were definitely the best way to break open a lead.

Yamanoshima's coach felt his scalp go numb.

He had to call a timeout.

Way too early in the game, but what choice did he have?

They'd made the semifinals last year, and now, they were getting dismantled in the first group match?

If number 7 from Teiko kept this up, they wouldn't even need a full game, one guy's shooting might blow this whole match open by halftime!

Are we really going to lose our opener… after being a Final Four team last year?

,

During the timeout,

"What's going on, Ōya? You're a third-year!"

"You're getting torched by some kid we've never even seen before!"

"I thought we were aiming for the national title? One loss in groups isn't a big deal, right?"

"Great! Why don't we just forfeit and aim for second place instead?!"

The coach's tone was harsh on purpose, to light a fire under his players. But he was genuinely angry.

Because that number 7 from Teiko had completely dominated Ōya Shun, their key player on both ends.

If he couldn't perform, how could they possibly win?

"I'm sorry, Coach…"

"It's my fault."

"I underestimated him. I'll lock him down next time."

Ōya grit his teeth. He was clearly frustrated at being torched.

"Give it everything, Ōya!"

"Teiko's offense right now runs through number 7's threes. Our job is simple, don't let him get the ball. Shut down his three-point game at the source!"

"Don't gamble on whether he can shoot off the dribble!"

"Be decisive!"

"Deny him the pass entirely!"

Holding the clipboard, the coach laid out the defensive plan.

He looked up at everyone with furrowed brows, his expression grim.

"This is Nationals. Every single match matters. Especially in group stages, where it's so easy to get careless…"

"Don't think that a 'best of three' format gives us room to slip."

"One loss…"

"Could throw away an entire year's worth of effort!"

As he drilled the plan into their heads, he prayed silently that it would work.

If not,

They'd have to double number 7.

And if they did that, Teiko would play 4-on-3…

With their talent?

That would be a nightmare.

,

On the other bench,

Coach Platinum Kozo finally emerged after a quiet qualifiers run, rapidly deploying a new strategy.

The game plan from the start had been to use Shigure's shooting to pull all of Yamanoshima's attention.

And he'd delivered, just like in the prelims, with ridiculous range and accuracy, giving Teiko an early 10-point lead.

But now, after that timeout, Yamanoshima was bound to put all their pressure on Shigure.

Which meant it was time,

For Shigure to draw the defense, while Nijimura and Ōkura took over as Teiko's main scoring threats.

Why the caution?

It wasn't that Shigure couldn't keep firing.

But based on years of experience at Nationals…

Two games per day.

Six games in three days, if you reach the finals.

You had to conserve energy.

You had to play smart.

You couldn't let your star burn out too early on the grand stage.

You had to make sure they had enough left to finish the championship run, without losing to someone they were better than, simply because they ran out of gas.

At Nationals,

It wasn't just players versus players.

It was coach versus coach too.

Platinum Kozo allowed himself a small smile.

If Yamanoshima's coach could see what was about to happen, who knows how he'd react.

That was assuming his predictions were correct…

Of course,

He glanced over at Shigure Akihito.

It all hinged on Shigure's ability to utterly disorient opponents with those ridiculous threes.

,

Timeout over.

Both teams returned to the court.

The lineups remained unchanged, the starting fives were still intact.

Only a bit more than three minutes had passed, after all. No need for subs yet.

Yamanoshima had the ball.

Their point guard scanned the top of the arc for options…

But immediately noticed,

Teiko's defensive intensity had ramped up.

They weren't just denying number 7 the ball,

They were setting the tone.

In fact,

He couldn't even make a pass.

Still, he reacted quickly. With everyone else locked up, it meant Teiko's help defense would be a step slow on him.

He didn't hesitate.

Cross-step. Blow-by. Pull-up.

CLANG!

Middle school point guards weren't known for isolation scoring. And 1v1s? Even less so.

That was exactly what Platinum Kozo was banking on.

CLANG!

The shot bounced out again.

Ōkura snatched the board and tossed it to Nijimura.

Nijimura looked up the court,

"..."

Yamanoshima's coach…

Was already dancing to Teiko's tune.

What an idiot.

End of chapter...

To be continued...

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