Coach Riki Takato slumped in his chair, speechless. He had known this day would come, but he hadn't expected it to arrive so suddenly and so abruptly.
In his last season with the Maki the Emperor, he couldn't hold on.
Is it his fault? It doesn't seem so. If we have to blame someone, perhaps it's because the title of "King" is too heavy.
But on the field, the Kainan players hadn't given up.
Shinichi Maki still clung to Shirasawa, determined to stand guard until the very end, even as the building crumbled.
Nobunaga Kiyota's face was full of dissatisfaction.
He was still running desperately, as if trying to catch up with the passing time.
This is Kainan's last minute as the champion in Kanagawa.
Even if they eventually squeeze into the top two based on points, they will no longer be the absolute rulers they once were.
The person who started all of this is now being called out by the entire audience.
" Fujima, Kainan really lost. To be honest, I'm still a little dazed."
Hanagata gazed at the arena, unable to suppress a sigh.
To lose just one game in sixteen years, and then suddenly collapse like a house of cards—it all seems a bit unreal.
Especially for those of them who witnessed it firsthand.
Just last year, Kainan was so arrogant, completely dominating Shoyo and making it all the way into the national top four.
Before long, the throne was handed over in Kanagawa.
Fujima chimed in, "In my opinion, Kainan's decline was only a matter of one or two years, but I didn't expect it to come so quickly."
His thoughts coincided with those of Coach Riki Takato.
The root of the problem lies in the crown they wear and their Emperor — Shinichi Maki.
Kainan ruled Kanagawa for sixteen years, but times were changing rapidly.
Every era has its own group of players.
The players of ten years ago are very different from those of today, both in terms of temperament and aspirations.
In earlier years, all the capable people flocked to Kainan, hoping to establish a dynasty and continue their glory.
But as time went on, "overthrowing the dynasty" became a new idea for many powerful figures.
Establishing a dynasty and overthrowing a dynasty are both remarkable achievements.
Therefore, many truly talented newcomers are starting to avoid Kainan.
Those who ultimately join Kainan are often those whose talents are not so outstanding.
This problem actually started a few years ago, but Shinichi Maki's appearance completely overshadowed it.
Shinichi Maki, through his exceptional personal leadership, managed to extend the life of the Kainan Dynasty by two more years.
However, the problem of recruiting new people has remained unresolved for the past two years.
Kainan can only rely on its strong system and team culture to cultivate new talent on its own.
Jin is a typical example; he is a top shooter who grew up relying on the Kainan system.
However, such success stories are few and far between; other players are at best considered pillars of the team.
It's all thanks to Shinichi Maki and the team's system that they're shining.
Once Shinichi Maki was pinned down, the others gradually revealed their secrets.
Last year at the national tournament, Sannoh Industrial High School's Kazunari Fukatsu used an impenetrable defense to completely dominate Shinichi Maki.
With Shinichi Maki under control, Kainan gradually collapsed.
The same goes for Shirasawa today.
He completely defeated Shinichi Maki using a "king against king" tactic, and Kainan's army naturally collapsed like a house of cards.
Therefore, Kainan's decline was destined long ago. Even if they survive this year, they will still fall when Shinichi Maki graduates and leaves next year.
but,
Their dynasty lasted long enough that everyone who participated should be remembered in the history of Kanagawa.
Sometimes, ending at the right time is perhaps the best beginning.
They fought a few more rounds.
The score became 101 to 79.
Only 8 seconds remain.
Shohoku has possession of the ball for the final possession.
It doesn't really matter whether this ball goes in or not.
Sakuragi passed the ball to Shirasawa from the backcourt.
The moment the ball was released, all the fans stood up, waving their arms and shouting wildly.
The second venue was mostly filled with Shohoku supporters.
Their shouts almost burst through the roof, merging with the cheers of the home crowd.
Let us celebrate together that upcoming historic moment.
Reporters in the media section were engrossed in writing, and headlines they had never dared to imagine were becoming reality.
Miuradai's captain Kengo Murasame, told his teammates, "I'm leaving next year, so you'll have to change your goal too. It'll become... defeating Shohoku."
Tsukubu's captain Tomokazu Godai, smiled, saying that his old teammates would continue to pursue the dream he couldn't realize.
Hanamichi Sakuragi and the others stopped running towards the front of the court and stood quietly in place, watching the timer tick.
The Kainan team members stood there too, but their mindset was completely different.
Only Shinichi Maki,
He's still on defense!
From the moment Shirasawa received the ball, he once again stood in Shirasawa's way.
His gaze was like a nail, his mind free of distractions, as if all noise had been shut out.
As the supporters in Kainan watched Shinichi Maki's figure, their eyes welled up with tears.
However, they all knew in their hearts that their captain was not blinded by defeat, nor was he being unreasonable.
He was simply using this method to preserve the last bit of pride in Kainan.
Even if you're going to fall, you have to fall standing up!
Shirasawa understood his meaning, so he didn't avoid this duel that was no longer about winning or losing.
Consider this a proper farewell gift to this old rival.
All eyes were naturally on the two of them.
Shirasawa dribbled the ball twice with his body low, then suddenly made a double crossover and broke through!
He forced his way through midfield despite Shinichi Maki's tight defense, then suddenly stopped and pulled back, changing his rhythm. He dribbled behind his back to create half a step of space and then easily brushed past Shinichi Maki.
Shinichi Maki gritted his teeth and turned to chase, but just as he reached the three-point line, Shirasawa dribbled behind his back and suddenly stopped.
Shinichi Maki's center of gravity suddenly sank, and he barely managed to stop by supporting himself with one hand on the ground.
However, Shirasawa's actions were not over yet. As soon as Shinichi Maki stopped, his shoulder slumped, and he made a move to rush in again.
Shinichi Maki quickly adjusted his center of gravity and retreated, but after those two or three steps of back and forth, he was already starting to stumble...
But Shirasawa didn't actually break through; he just quickly did a crossover dribble in place.
The result couldn't be more obvious.
Shinichi Maki has been completely shaken off.
At this point, all Shirasawa needs to do is raise his hand and throw the ball out to end this attack.
But he didn't.
It's unnecessary.
He used this last chance to get rid of Shinichi Maki purely through skill, which was a way to end their whole brawl.
Shinichi Maki shook his head, and then actually smiled.
"You win."
He had barely finished speaking when the final whistle blew throughout the stadium.
Shinichi Maki reached out and shook hands with Shirasawa, then pulled hard, and the two bumped shoulders solidly.
"That was a great fight, I have no regrets. Shirasawa, the winner takes all, congratulations."
After saying that, he turned and left, leaving the entire court to Shohoku.
Takenori Akagi hadn't forgotten his promise; the moment the whistle blew, he was the first to step onto the field!
He was still afraid to put weight on his ankle, so he walked quite slowly, even with a slight limp.
But this did not affect his imposing manner at all; he held his head high, chest out, his face full of confidence.
His teammates really did it! They beat Kainan and brought him to this moment he had always dreamed of!
Akagi walked onto the court, ripped off his training jacket, revealing the Shohoku No. 4 jersey underneath, and roared angrily.
" Shohoku!!!"
The roars echoed throughout the stadium.
Shirasawa opened his arms wide, welcoming the deafening cheers from the crowd.
Without a doubt, in everyone's eyes, he is the new king of Kanagawa!
Shirasawa's stats were explosive in this match.
He played a full 40 minutes, scoring 59 points, along with 14 assists, 5 rebounds, 5 steals, and 4 blocks.
Incidentally, he also made 3 mistakes...
And 2 fouls...
The technical statistics column was completely filled.
As for Shinichi Maki, he also played the entire game, scoring 34 points, 10 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals, and 1 block.
Actually, this performance was already quite impressive, it's just a pity that he was facing an even more outrageous Shirasawa.
Shinichi Maki led his teammates back to the bench.
The others weren't as calm as he was.
Nobunaga Kiyota, in particular, couldn't help but wipe away his tears.
He only played his second official match after arriving in Kainan, and his dynasty collapsed...
How could Kiyota possibly accept this...?
Shinichi Maki reached out and pressed his hand on his head.
Tears only make people weak.
His voice wasn't loud, but it was deep.
True strength lies in solving problems.
This is the lesson Shinichi Maki is going to teach Kiyota.
As a pillar of Kainan's future, Kiyota must understand this principle.
"Alright, we lost. What team can win all the time? We've done our part for Kainan's glory."
"If you really want revenge, go back and train hard. There are still two tough battles ahead, and the national tournament is still open. Win the games you should win, and then settle the score with Shohoku in the national tournament!"
Coach Takato smiled to himself.
An ending is often a new beginning. Since you've tried your best and still can't achieve it, just look forward.
Moreover, shedding the burden of being "always victorious" might actually be a good thing for these guys.
" Maki is right. But don't get too excited yet. Go back and double your training! We have to win the next two games!"
"Yes!!"
Kainan still has opportunities.
The four teams will play a round-robin tournament, and they will next play Takezato and Ryonan.
If they win all their matches, Kainan will accumulate 2 points.
Since Shohoku had beaten them, in their minds, it was a sure thing that Shohoku would win all three games and take 3 points.
Based on this calculation, Kainan can still qualify for the national competition as the runner-up.
There's a good chance, but this isn't the situation Moichi Taoka wanted to see.
In the stands, the entire Ryonan team stood up in unison.
The battle that Shohoku defeated the dynasty ignited the fire in their hearts.
Even though Sendoh has always admired Shirasawa, and even though Kaede Rukawa and Shirasawa belong to the same management team.
Neither of them wanted Shirasawa to step over their heads.
The Twin Stars of Ryonan are determined to stop Shirasawa!
"It's our turn to play. Everyone, cheer up! Shohoku's victory only plunges Kanagawa back into chaos. The final championship will definitely be ours!"