Kuroko: Mahoraga - Chapter 52: Setting Out. Teiko! (Patreon)

While everyone waited for the National Tournament to begin, the school semester came to an end and a long break started.

For the Basketball Club, however, vacation did not mean practice stopped.

Every member still had to report to the team each day.

Of course, the training load was kept fairly light.

Nobody wanted to get hurt right before the Nationals. They only needed to stay in game shape.

There was one exception.

With [Steel Bones] supporting him, Masato kept training at full intensity anyway.

And he genuinely enjoyed it.

Not only did his daily sessions grow longer, but with fewer students around campus, he also had to deal with far fewer unnecessary conversations and interruptions.

The peace and quiet was rare.

For the rest of the team, the training camp felt different in another way.

That difference came from Masato.

Ever since he became captain, the image everyone had of him had grown steadier and more composed by the day.

That did not make him feel distant.

If anything, the team trusted him even more.

Masato had only taken over a few routine team matters since becoming captain.

Even so, his presence had become a positive influence on everyone around him.

The players trained more seriously because of it.

Quite a few even tried to match Masato's workload.

They hoped to use the training camp to improve as much as possible.

In the end, none of them could keep up.

They were forced to admit something.

Sometimes, even the ability to work hard was a kind of talent.

...

Day after day passed in training.

Before they knew it, half a month was gone.

On the day before the opening ceremony and draw, every member of the Basketball Club gathered early.

There was no practice today. Their half-month training camp had already ended two days earlier.

Masato organized the group, and everyone assembled quickly.

Coach Nakamura stood in front of the team.

“I'm sure none of you can wait much longer.”

His expression remained calm, but anticipation could still be heard in his voice.

“Tomorrow is the opening ceremony and draw.”

“...”

Facing the expectant players, Masaki Nakamura went over a few final reminders.

Then he smiled.

“Masa, do you want to say anything?”

Coach Nakamura looked at him with obvious expectation.

“After all, compared to me, everyone seems to trust their captain more.”

“Masa, give the team a little boost.”

Masato had no reason to refuse.

Leading the team was part of being captain.

Since he had accepted the position, he intended to do the job properly, both on and off the court.

That was simply how Masato approached things.

He walked calmly to the front of the group.

Despite the major tournament looming ahead, there was no heavy seriousness in his expression.

Instead, he looked completely relaxed as he smiled at everyone.

“There's not much to say, is there? We've already come this far and improved this much. Surely nobody here is actually going to get stage fright.”

Masato joked as his eyes moved toward Ishida, Kenji, and the other starters.

“Hey, Ishida. Stick close to everyone tomorrow. Don't get lost and embarrass us.”

Whatever tension had still been hanging over the team vanished immediately.

Everyone burst out laughing.

Ishida did not look embarrassed in the slightest. Instead, he laughed loudly and pointed at Kenji beside him.

“You should all keep an eye on Kenji. He's the real danger here!”

Masato shook his head.

Honestly, he really did worry about these guys sometimes.

That was exactly why he had gone out of his way to tease them.

Once the atmosphere had loosened up, Masato became a little more serious.

“Tomorrow, we're heading to the opening draw. You'll get to see the thirty-two strongest teams in the country.”

“I know this is everyone's first time. It's mine too. But don't get intimidated. Kawari fought its way into the Nationals one game at a time.”

“...”

After a few more words of encouragement, the entire team was fired up.

Coach Nakamura looked deeply satisfied.

That was exactly what Kawari's pillar should look like.

“Nine tomorrow morning. Be at the gym on time. All right, you're dismissed.”

Masaki Nakamura gave one final reminder and ended the meeting.

Masato did not plan to stay for extra practice today either.

He would head home early and rest.

For him, it counted as a rare early departure.

...

The next morning, everyone met in front of the basketball gym at the agreed time.

They were all wearing brand-new green-and-white team uniforms.

Standing together, the group radiated youthful energy.

“All right. Let's go!”

After roll call, Masato waved a hand and the team boarded together.

The opening ceremony was being held in Tokyo.

This time, they would not take a bus all the way there.

Instead, they rode to Yokohama Station and transferred to a JR train.

The sea of green uniforms drew plenty of attention from passersby.

Everyone talked and laughed on the way, so the trip passed quickly.

The only disappointment was that they did not run into any of the other Kanagawa teams that had qualified.

...

The draw ceremony was being held in the annex of the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.

When Kawari arrived, the players were stunned by the venue.

After all, the building was one of Tokyo's landmarks.

Compared with the arenas used during the qualifiers, it was on an entirely different level.

Today they were only heading into the annex for the opening ceremony and draw.

Even so, they could not stop themselves from imagining what it would feel like to play in the main arena once the tournament actually began.

Just imagining tens of thousands of spectators packed into the stands was enough to get their blood pumping.

...

Masato led the team along the marked route.

When they pushed open the doors to the annex, they were greeted by a hall that could seat nearly a thousand people.

At the center stood a stage more than two hundred square meters in size.

The equipment for the draw had already been set up, along with the logos of all thirty-two teams.

Rows of seats rose around the stage from low to high.

The layout was straightforward and perfectly suited for the day's ceremony.

It reminded Masato of the League of Legends tournament draws he had watched in his previous life.

He led Kawari farther inside.

They had not arrived particularly early. More than ten teams were already there.

Every team wore its own uniforms and occupied a designated section.

The moment Masato entered, heads began turning toward him.

Once people recognized who had arrived, the scattered noise throughout the hall gradually quieted.

Kawari's recent run had already caused a stir across the country.

Even teams from outside Kanagawa immediately grew more serious.

After a moment, quiet discussion broke out all around them.

“That's Kawari, right?”

“Yeah. The guy in front is Masato Kumoi.”

“It's obvious. He gives off a completely different vibe from the rest of them.”

“Are they really as strong as the reports say?”

“Or is Kanagawa just weak this year, making them look better than they really are?”

“...”

Kawari's players could hear the whispers, of course.

Masato did not care in the slightest.

He remained as composed as ever, almost as though he were walking into his own gym.

There was no trace of discomfort from entering an unfamiliar environment.

He led the team to the seats assigned by the organizers.

For the rest of Kawari, this was their first experience on a stage like this.

Being watched by some of the best junior-high players in the country naturally made them a little nervous.

At the same time, they were curious.

Ishida and Kenji were the clearest examples. The moment they sat down, the two started looking everywhere.

“So these are the strongest teams in the country? It really does feel different.” Kenji sounded impressed.

Ishida nodded and lowered his voice. “Yeah. This really is the national level.”

For a moment, the pair looked like two kids sneaking peeks at something they were not supposed to see, and Masato covered his forehead with one hand.

He was just about to tease them when the doors to the hall opened again.

A wave of noise erupted around the venue.

It was even louder than when Kawari had entered.

“Look, look!”

“They're here. It's Teiko!”

“Huh? Did the Generation of Miracles come?”

“Are you blind? Isn't that their captain right there?”

“...”