The Night Before the National Tournament: Teikō's Resolve

The cold wind of the Nagano mountains, carrying fine ice pellets, whipped against the windows of the speeding bus, making crackling sounds. Inside the bus, a deathly silence hung, heavy as lead. Gone was the relaxed atmosphere after the training camp, gone was the usual boisterousness of the journey home. Only oppressive quiet and the monotonous drone of tires on snow remained. Everyone's gaze, some openly, some covertly, drifted towards the empty seat at the front of the bus—the seat of Captain Nijimura Shūzō.

The white lights of the Nagano Prefectural General Hospital cast a chilling shadow over everyone's hearts. The doctor's diagnosis fell like a heavy hammer: "Extreme fatigue has exacerbated an old injury, resulting in fractured ribs, accompanied by severe internal bleeding and lung infection. Surgery is required immediately, followed by at least three months of rest. In the short term, strenuous exercise is strictly forbidden."

Three months… This meant Nijimura Shūzō, the captain and spiritual pillar of Teikō Junior High's basketball team, would completely miss his high school career's final National Tournament—and the final battle for the throne was tomorrow.

The sterile smell of disinfectant from the hospital was sharp. Bai Ze You stood at the doorway of the hospital room, looking through the glass window. Nijimura Shūzō lay in the hospital bed, his face as pale as paper, his lips cracked, and various tubes connected to cold instruments. His eyes were closed, his chest rising and falling slightly, his breathing weak and labored. The figure who had stood like an iron tower, roaring and leading them forward, now appeared so fragile.

Bai Ze You's heart clenched painfully. The image of the captain pushing himself to direct training and encourage his teammates on the last day of the camp, superimposed with his current weak state in the hospital bed. That jarring patch of blood, the captain's hand pressed against his ribs, and the silent pressure of him shouldering his family's burdens alone… everything now had an answer. Guilt, heartache, and a strong sense of responsibility surged through him like a tide.

The hospital room door was gently pushed open, and Akashi Seijūrō walked out. His expression remained calm, his crimson eyes like a bottomless, cold pool, revealing not the slightest ripple. He swept his gaze over the team members gathered in the hallway—Aomine pacing restlessly, Midōrima silently adjusting his glasses, Murasaki-bara dozing against the wall (a rare moment of quiet), Kise's eyes slightly red, Kuroko standing quietly in the corner, and Momoi Satsuki clutching her clipboard, her face pale.

"The captain's condition has stabilized," Akashi's voice was calm and unwavering, breaking the silence of the hallway. "Surgery is scheduled for one hour from now. Everyone, return to the hotel."

His words carried an irrefutable tone of command, devoid of any comfort or sentimentality. It was as if Nijimura's collapse was merely an event to be dealt with, rather than an emotional storm.

"But Akashi..." Aomine couldn't help but speak.

"No buts," Akashi interrupted him, his crimson eyes sweeping over everyone, sharp as knives. "Captain Nijimura's responsibility ends here. From this moment on, I, Akashi Seijūrō, will assume the position of captain of the Teikō basketball team."

The cold declaration was like another bucket of ice water poured over their hearts. The transfer of power was completed under such cruel and sudden circumstances.

"Tomorrow, the National Tournament finals," Akashi's voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears, carrying a chilling power that made hearts race. "Our opponent is the king of Hokkaido, Kitano Academy. They are strong, possessing top-tier teamwork and tenacious willpower in the nation. But—"

Akashi's tone suddenly rose, his crimson eyes burning with a near-ruthless flame:

"Teikō's goal has never changed—Absolute Victory! Three consecutive championships! Let the trophy of victory be etched with Teikō's name!"

"Captain Nijimura has fallen, but his will shall be inherited by us! His regrets will be personally mended by us!"

"Tomorrow's game, there is no retreat! No excuses! What I want to see is every single one of you pouring all your talent, all your strength, all your willpower onto the court without reservation!"

"In the most ruthless, most precise, and most unquestionable manner, crush the opponent! Destroy all their hopes! Bring victory back to Teikō in an absolute fashion! Bring it back… for our captain!"

"Absolute Victory!" Akashi's voice echoed like clashing steel in the cold hospital hallway. "This is Teikō! This is our sole and absolute resolve right now! Do you understand?!"

Silence.

A deathly silence.

Aomine Daiki clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, a wilder fire burning in his eyes—the fury of transforming grief into strength!

Midōrima Shintarō pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses cold and resolute, all calculations pointing to the sole destination—victory!

Murasaki-bara Atsushi opened his eyes, his usually lazy gaze revealing a clear sharpness for the first time, as if some bottom line had been crossed.

Kise Ryōta wiped away the tears from his eyes and straightened his back, the imitator's eyes now burning with his own flame.

Kuroko Tetsuya nodded calmly, blending into the new orders like a shadow.

Momoi Satsuki bit her lower lip hard, her fingers clutching the clipboard turning white from the pressure.

Bai Ze You stood closest to the hospital room door, Akashi's words washing over him like an icy torrent. Absolute victory… the cold throne… the captain's trust… He looked at the frail figure inside the room, then at Akashi's emotionless crimson eyes. Two completely different forces clashed fiercely within him.

Just then, Nijimura Shūzō's weak but clear voice came from the room: "...You... come in..."

Bai Ze You's body trembled. He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The hospital room was dimly lit. Nijimura Shūzō forced his eyes open, and seeing Bai Ze You, he managed a weak but effortful smile. His voice was so hoarse it was barely audible:

"Brat... don't... wear a long face... I'm not dead yet..."

Bai Ze You's nose stung, and he held back his tears, walking to the bedside. "Captain..."

Nijimura laboriously raised the hand not connected to a tube and patted Bai Ze You's arm, forcefully yet incredibly weakly:

"Listen... to Akashi... He... can lead you to win... His way... is the right way..." Each word seemed to drain his strength, accompanied by violent coughing.

Bai Ze You's heart sank. The captain also acknowledged Akashi's "absolute"?

However, Nijimura's next words stunned Bai Ze You:

"But... You... don't... lose yourself..."

"Your 'Phantom'... is beautiful... and powerful... In critical moments... it can save lives..."

"Trust... your teammates... just like... I trust you..."

Nijimura's gaze was cloudy, yet held a warmth and expectation that seemed to see through everything:

"Win... in your own way... Take Teikō... together... to the summit..."

"This... is what I... want to see... Teikō..."

Another violent coughing fit seized him, and Nijimura curled up in pain. A nurse quickly entered, signaling Bai Ze You to leave.

Bai Ze You took a deep look at the captain on the bed, who, despite his pain, was still trying to convey his beliefs. He nodded firmly and turned, walking out of the room. The door closed softly behind him, shutting out the frail yet mountain-like figure.

Back at the hotel, it was late into the night. The neon lights of Tokyo blurred into indistinct patches of light on the windows through the rain. The pressure of the finals, mixed with the shadow of the captain's collapse, weighed heavily on everyone's hearts.

Akashi Seijūrō was in the hotel suite's living room, meticulously going over the tactical board. His voice was calm and precise as he analyzed every tactical detail of Kitano Academy, devising a tight defense and a deadly offensive strategy. Every instruction pointed towards the core of "Absolute Victory": efficiency, precision, and ruthlessly destroying the opponent's will to resist. Aomine, Midōrima, Murasaki-bara, and the others gathered around, their expressions focused, their eyes filled only with cold fighting spirit. Kise struggled to understand the complex offensive plays. Kuroko blended into the strategy like a shadow.

Bai Ze You sat on a sofa in the corner, unconsciously fiddling with a basketball. Akashi's cold, efficient tactical commands and Captain Nijimura's weak yet warm words from the hospital bed clashed fiercely in his mind.

Absolute Destruction? Or Trust and Creation?

A Cold Throne? Or a Summit with Warmth?

Akashi's "absolute" was a straight, efficient, yet cold path to the heavens. Nijimura's expectation, on the other hand, was a climbing path full of variables, requiring trust and cooperation, yet imbued with human warmth.

His gaze swept over his teammates in the living room, all focused on tactics. Aomine's burning wildness needed guidance; Midorima's precision needed space; Murasakibara's strength needed trust; Kise's imitation needed direction; Kuroko's passes needed a target; even Akashi's control needed someone to execute and create miracles beyond the tactics... Teikō was never a one-man team, not even the "Generation of Miracles."

Bai Ze You gripped the basketball in his hands, the cold leather grounding him. He closed his eyes, and flashes from the final moments of training camp filled his mind: completing an unbelievable finish with flexibility and balance under the desperate conditions of exhausted stamina and a body out of control; the excited eyes of his teammates after he broke through the "Triple Chain"; Kuroko's calm "Nice pass" after a brilliant assist; and even Captain Nijimura's words from his hospital bed, "Win your own way"...

A single thought, like lightning piercing the rainy night, became clear in his heart:

Akashi's "Absolute Victory" is the goal, the throne Teikō must ascend!

But the path to the throne is not paved with coldness and destruction!

His "Phantom," his flexibility, his balance, his deception, his creativity, his trust in his teammates... all of this is also an indispensable force for Teikō! The key to tearing through iron walls and creating miracles!

He doesn't need to become an Emperor like Akashi, nor does he need to abandon his own traits to conform to absolute coldness! He just needs to... become the strongest Bai Ze You! Using his unique "Phantom," within the cold framework Akashi sets, he will carve out his own path towards "Absolute Victory"!

Teikō's resolve is victory!

And his, Bai Ze You's, resolve is to protect his own basketball within this inevitable victory, to protect that light of trust and creation, and in his own way, to inlay the Teikō crown with a brilliant gem called "Phantom"!

He suddenly stood up, picked up the basketball, and walked out of the suite without a word, under the slightly surprised gazes of everyone present.

The hotel's underground training facility was brightly lit. Bai Ze You stood alone in the center of the empty court. Rain hammered against the high windows, making a fine pattering sound.

He began to practice.

There was no intense confrontation, no complex tactical movements.

Only the most basic dribbling. The basketball in his hands seemed alive, leaping fluidly between his fingertips, palms, and the floor. Every change of direction, every crossover, every behind-the-back dribble carried a new rhythm and deception.

He practiced his footwork. Sliding steps, cross-overs, spins, Eurosteps... his movements were light and swift, his center of gravity teetering on the edge of balance, dancing on a knife's edge.

He practiced feints. The coordination of his gaze, shoulders, feet, and center of gravity was like the most skilled magic, blurring the lines between reality and illusion, ever-changing, weaving invisible traps in the air.

He practiced finishing. Layups, floaters, and pull-up shots from all sorts of off-balance positions... his movements were filled with supple beauty and absolute control over his body.

Sweat soon soaked through his training uniform. But his eyes were brighter and more determined than ever! All his confusion, struggles, and pressure had transformed into the purest motivation! He wanted to become stronger! Stronger! Strong enough to support Teikō's victory, and strong enough to protect his own basketball!

Momoi Satsuki quietly pushed open the training room door. She didn't make a sound, just stood silently in the shadows, holding her clipboard. She watched the white figure on the court, watched his every fluid and deceptive movement, watched the settled light of resolve in his eyes, as brilliant as a cold star.

Her heart was filled with an indescribable emotion. Worry still lingered, but more than that, there was pride, deep emotion, and a near-devout trust. She flipped open her clipboard and, on a new page, drew a white gear, still shining with lively agility, next to the cold throne. In the center of the gear, she solemnly wrote:

"Observation Subject: Bai Ze You"

"Status: Resolve Complete"

"Core Beliefs:"

> "With the guise of a Phantom, walk the path of an Emperor!"

> "Under the iron law of Absolute Victory, protect the fire of creation!"

> "This body, these skills, are Teikō's spear, and the proof of my way!"

"National Tournament Finals - The Time the Phantom Ascends the Steps!"

Outside, the rain intensified. The neon lights of Tokyo blurred into a halo in the downpour. The final stage of the National Tournament awaited Teikō Junior High, and that white phantom, whose resolve was now complete, to write their own unshakeable legend!