A simple phrase—"I'm the strongest!"—instantly triggered an explosive wave of bullet comments.
『Damn, this guy's arrogance level is insane!』
『As expected, anyone named Tendou must be a natural-born trash-talker!』
『I admit, this guy's got style. You've earned my respect!』
『…』
Tendou Kageyoshi's bold claim left all his teammates—including Kuroko—momentarily stunned.
Looking at the other simultaneous games, nearly all the freshmen were being thoroughly demolished by the second-string upperclassmen.
Except on one court—the one where Murasakibara Atsushi played.
The gigantic purple-haired boy single-handedly dominated the paint, preventing the experienced second-stringers from reaching double digits in 10 minutes.
Thanks to Murasakibara's presence, his team even shockingly took the lead.
But Murasakibara's talent was visibly obvious.
What about Tendou?
Aside from his devastatingly good looks, he didn't seem to have anything special.
"Tendou-kun!" Kuroko called out quietly.
"Stop looking like it's the end of the world. It's our turn," Tendou casually stretched his limbs, straightening himself as he prepared to enter the court.
Suddenly—
"Hey, freshman!"
"Captain, are you talking to me?"
"Who else?" Nijimura Shuuzo walked over impatiently, pointing at Tendou's sunglasses. "You're seriously planning to play basketball with those shades on?"
"Oh, I forgot," Tendou scratched his head. He'd been so absorbed in acting cool he'd forgotten about the shades.
He swiftly removed them.
Instantly, another barrage of comments erupted:
『Whoa, this guy's ridiculously handsome!』
『White hair and blue eyes—I'm drooling already!』
『Keep your drool off my husband; that's rude!』
『Girl above, wake up! It's daylight—at least save those dreams for nighttime!』
It wasn't just the online audience—even the students present were visibly startled.
With sunglasses on, Tendou had looked like a mischievous, rebellious bad boy.
Yet, the moment he took them off, his entire aura dramatically transformed.
The reaction was reminiscent of when Gojo Satoru first revealed his eyes, leaving everyone utterly captivated by his noble charm.
It was hard to imagine this elegant young man as the same carefree troublemaker who could casually snack on sweets while his student battled the King of Curses.
Nearby, even Momoi Satsuki couldn't resist stealing a few extra glances at him.
"No sunglasses during club activities from now on," Nijimura finally managed after a pause.
"Roger that. Let's go, Kuroko!" Tendou called out cheerfully as he stepped onto the court.
The current score stood at 26-12; their pitiful teammates had barely managed 12 points in ten minutes.
And even those 12 points had come entirely from mid-range jumpers and long-distance shots. Points from under the basket: zero.
On the other hand, the second-string team had consistently targeted the freshmen's weak interior defense, scoring a reliable 26 points.
While the freshmen rotated all five players, the second-string lineup remained unchanged. They barely saw this low-level scrimmage as requiring rest.
Their leading scorer was Yuta Yamanaka, a second-year player who joined Teiko at the same time as Nijimura Shuuzo.
Yamanaka had scored 12 of the team's 26 points and was expected to become a key rotation player on the first-string squad this year.
"You sure like acting strange. Let me make this clear, freshman—I won't hold back," Yamanaka stated coldly.
He was a disciplined player who naturally disliked flashy, unserious characters like Tendou.
Besides, every second-string player understood what the coach intended by setting up this scrimmage: humiliate the freshmen thoroughly, ensuring they'd remain humble.
What if they failed?
Even if they failed, Shirogane would handle the aftermath!
Any freshman team capable of challenging or defeating the second-string would have to possess extraordinary talent.
Shirogane had his methods of dealing with such prodigies—much like he'd done with Nijimura, directly promoting them to the first-string for grooming.
Even if they couldn't immediately become effective starters, experiencing the national competition would accelerate their growth, enabling them to replace outgoing starters the following year.
This was precisely why consecutive championships were so difficult.
Middle school basketball lasted just three years. Even geniuses were usable by coaches for only that limited time.
Moreover, most basketball prodigies needed time to mature before becoming competitive. Fast ones might develop within a year, while slower ones might require all three years.
Fortunately, Teiko had Nijimura—a genuine prodigy who had become a starter from his first year.
Now, in his second year, Nijimura had evolved further. Shirogane believed there wasn't a single power forward in middle school basketball who could compare to him.
Combined with a monstrously gifted player like Murasakibara Atsushi, Shirogane felt optimistic about Teiko's chances of reclaiming the national championship.
As Shirogane contemplated future strategies, sudden exclamations erupted from one of the courts:
"Another steal! Amazing!"
"Seriously?! That's Yamanaka-senpai, a key first-string reserve!"
"A fast-break opportunity—great long pass, easy bucket!"
"Wow, that's four consecutive points! He's incredible!"
Curiosity piqued, Shirogane quickly approached the commotion.
He saw Yamanaka Yuta staring wide-eyed in shock, completely focused on Tendou Kageyoshi.
Unfazed, Tendou casually spread his hands with a princely air.
"What happened?" Shirogane asked his assistant coach, who looked equally shocked.
"Yamanaka's drive was stopped—twice—by that freshman," the assistant coach explained incredulously.
Stopped twice?
Even Shirogane felt surprised.
Yamanaka was Teiko's textbook bench scorer. His skills weren't lacking in the slightest; he wasn't a starter only because Nijimura occupied his position.
Yamanaka specialized in explosive drives to the basket, frequently slicing through defenses in a single, swift motion like a sharp knife.
His only flaw was his poor court vision; once committed, he often missed opportunities to pass to teammates.
"Was it a double-team?" Shirogane asked.
"No—it was pure one-on-one defense!"
One-on-one?
That changed things considerably.
Shirogane's expression grew serious as he began closely observing Tendou Kageyoshi's every move.