Akagiri's Growth

With the Eye of Heaven, he could easily see each person's strengths and weaknesses and offer the most accurate guidance.

In just one year, the basketball team's overall strength improved dramatically.

This left Xigui Longye stunned. He felt like, as the coach, he had become nothing more than dead weight—he was actually worse than an elementary school student.

And so, over the first two years, Chi Tong led the team to win the elementary school National Tournament championship for two consecutive years.

However, Chi Tong did not become famous because of this. Though he was the captain, he often played the role of passer during matches.

Chi Tong could tell that his passing skills had yet to reach Akashi Seijuro's peak, but through the trials of every match, his passing continued to improve.

This also made Chi Tong understand that although he possessed Akashi Seijuro's talent, he still needed to train hard and improve himself.

This was his final year, as well as Chi Tong's final year in elementary school. As expected, he claimed victory and effortlessly secured a third consecutive elementary school boys' basketball league title. To him, it was as easy as breathing.

He was not particularly excited after winning. He merely revealed a faint smile.

Starting today, he would have to say goodbye to this basketball team.

Already in sixth grade, he would soon graduate. Junior high school life awaited him after advancing to the next level.

Several months later, at the Chitong family Manor, Chi Tong ran back and forth nonstop across the specially built basketball court. Sweat soaked his clothes, and beads of perspiration the size of beans slid down from his temples.

Chi Tong was now twelve years old. Counting it up, he had been in this world for twelve years as well. Over those twelve years, Chi Tong had undergone earth-shaking changes.

The most obvious change was his appearance: short crimson hair, heterochromatic eyes, a noble air, and the kingly presence he occasionally exuded.

Chi Tong was now undeniably the sort of handsome young lord everyone adored—the kind that made flowers bloom and cars get flat tires just by passing by. The moment he stepped outside, he could charm a whole crowd of lovestruck girls to death. It was not the slightest exaggeration.

Name: Chitong Lingyu. Height: 175 centimeters. Weight: 66 kilograms.

As for his abilities: precise passing, one-hundred-percent steals, Ankle Breaker, and so on.

Simply put, Shitong possessed Akashi Seijuro's talent, so he also possessed the various abilities granted by that talent.

However, due to the limitations of his body, he could only use incomplete versions of those abilities.

Judging by the time needed for his body to mature, he would likely have to wait until high school before he could fully unleash those abilities, including Zone.

As for Zone, he had no clue how to access it. Whether he could enter Zone in the future was still unknown.

Standing on the court, the different pupils in Chi Tong's eyes suddenly flashed with rings of light. The Eye of Heaven activated. What he was about to practice was Akashi Seijuro's signature technique, Ankle Breaker.

The basketball thudded against the floor again and again beneath Chi Tong's hand, while his feet began to move in a steady rhythm.

As time passed, the movements beneath his feet gradually accelerated.

It looked as though there truly was an opponent standing before Chi Tong.

No one knew how long had passed before Chi Tong finally stopped moving.

Then, with a sudden burst of speed, Chi Tong shot beneath the basket with the basketball in hand.

His gaze sharpened. He bent his legs, crouched down, then pushed off the ground. Raising the basketball high, he tried to slam it into the hoop. Yet when he brought the ball down, he realized he simply did not have enough height.

With a dull thud, the basketball struck the rim and flew from his hand.

The dunk had failed.

After landing, Chi Tong watched the basketball fly away and muttered inwardly, Failed?

It was still too forced for him to attempt dunks.

Based on that test just now, neither his height nor his jumping ability was enough to support a dunk.

He did not feel discouraged because of it. He was confident that one day, he would be able to dunk as easily as he pleased.

Chi Tong had already decided that he would continue joining the basketball club in junior high, further polish his skills, and strive to raise his strength to the level Akashi Seijuro had possessed in high school before entering high school himself.

As for which junior high school he would attend, that was not particularly important to him.

At a luxurious clubhouse somewhere in Tokyo, Japan, most of the country's prominent figures had gathered. There were nobles, businessmen, officials, and famous people from all walks of life.

This was a gathering for the true upper class. The guests toasted one another, and their laughter and conversation revolved around the future direction of matters both great and small in Japan.

In a corner of the banquet hall, Chi Tong sat quietly by himself, calmly sweeping his gaze across the various people in the hall.

He had attended occasions like this more times than he could count since childhood. He had long grown accustomed to this atmosphere.

To be honest, he did not like this kind of false social nicety.

Watching his parents be surrounded by people flattering them, he knew it was all because of Chi Tong's family's status. If the Chi Tong family had been ordinary, these people would not even spare them a glance. Though he had lived two lives, constant exposure to this atmosphere had changed him to some extent.

As the young master of the Chitong family, he possessed privileges and resources ordinary people could never imagine. That was the allure of standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid.

At that moment, a trace of coldness flashed through Chi Tong's calm eyes, but it quickly faded away.

Just then, a pleasant female voice entered Chi Tong's ears. "Hello, may I sit here?"

Chi Tong turned and saw that a girl had appeared beside him at some point.

The girl wore a custom-made red evening dress. Her long black hair draped over her shoulders, its ends slightly curled. Her eyes were a rare light brown, gleaming like amber beneath the lights.

She had a slender figure and fair skin, and appeared to be around his age. Shitong was briefly stunned by her beauty. In the twelve years since he came to this world, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.

Seeing that Chi Tong did not reply, the girl asked again in confusion, "Um, may I sit here?"

Chi Tong came back to his senses and nodded politely.

"Ah, sorry. Please, have a seat."

Hearing Chi Tong agree, the girl smiled and sat beside him.

The girl then took the initiative to speak again. "Hello, my name is Shendai Liufei."

Chi Tong replied.

"Hello, I'm Chitong Lingyu."

"Your eyes are different colors. Were you born that way?"

Shendai Liufei asked curiously.

Chi Tong did not find her abrupt and nodded.

"Yes, I was born this way."

"Wow, how cute! Judging from your hair color, is that your mother over there talking with the others?"

Shendai Liufei pointed toward a group of noblewomen chatting nearby.

Chi Tong looked in that direction and quickly spotted his mother. It could not be helped—her long crimson hair was far too eye-catching.