Shuzo Nichols's opponent was completely provoked by his arrogant, dismissive attitude. Even knowing that this newcomer was handpicked by Coach Genzo Platinum, at the end of the day—he was still just a rookie.
And he was a proud member of the Teiko Second Squad, forged through a full year of grueling training!
There's no way he was losing to some first-year brat!
"Hey, kid!"
"Forget about the First Squad or even the Second!"
"Start thinking about the Third Squad—where you'll be after this little fantasy of yours gets crushed!"
Truthfully, basketball demands a high level of natural talent—especially in the early stages. And middle school is exactly when those talent gaps become painfully obvious.
In the 1v1 tests, it was customary for the new recruits to start with the ball.
Shuzo Nichols took his stance—calmly holding the ball in a textbook triple-threat position. His arms hung naturally, ready to shoot, pass, or drive.
His Second Squad opponent stepped up to pressure him.
But Shuzo's response was immediate—fakes, jabs, and a series of rapid probing steps forced the defender back.
The timing was perfect. The execution? Shockingly advanced.
Maybe even too advanced.
Akito Shigure: "…"
So this is Shuzo Nichols's strength?
In the original manga, his skill wasn't often shown explicitly. Off-court drama and background stories usually overshadowed him, leaving most of his prowess up to secondhand descriptions:
"The top power forward in the country."
"Elite fundamentals, sharp court vision, and high-level passing."
But…
Even just from watching his triple-threat stance, Akito could already see the truth behind the reputation.
This move wasn't just "refined."
It was straight-up lethal.
Tch~!
From Akito's perspective, Shuzo suddenly made his move—exploding forward after pushing the defender back.
His first step was lightning fast. In the blink of an eye, he was at his defender's side. From Akito's angle, all he could see was the stunned face of the Second Squad player.
Still, as a member of the Second Squad, this guy wasn't some pushover. He reacted fast—pushing off with his feet and getting shoulder-to-shoulder with Shuzo to cut him off.
Then—
Thud!
Just as Akito expected another finesse move to follow, Shuzo slammed into his defender—head-on!
The Second Squad player, who was clearly more physically built, stumbled backward.
Apparently…
There was a huge power gap between the two.
Despite Shuzo's cocky behavior off the court, his playing style combined raw strength with serious skill. He was aggressive—but not reckless.
In fact, when that physicality was paired with legitimate technique, his impact on the court doubled.
Bang!
Crossover. Back pivot.
Bang!
Hip turn and drive.
Bang!
Explosive side step. Break through. Blow by.
It was wild.
Despite Shuzo showcasing polished fundamentals, every time he made contact, the Second Squad defender was the one being pushed back—again and again.
At this point…
Who cares about "technique"?
This guy was a wrecking ball.
Akito Shigure was stunned on the sidelines.
It was almost scary.
That Second Squad player wasn't weak—but he looked like a ragdoll being thrown around.
Even setting aside offense, Akito realized if he had to defend this, it'd probably end the same way. His current character—based on Tomoka Udai from the Slam Dunk Mobile Game—was great at shooting and movement, but had only 50 Strength.
Strength was his biggest weakness. His defensive edge came from an 85 Steal rating.
Until he unlocked other players to supplement his attributes, defense against someone like Shuzo Nichols would rely almost entirely on timing and anticipation.
On the court—
Shuzo, nearly the same height as Akito, reached the rim in seconds.
Whoosh!
Takeoff. Slam!
A first-year middle schooler, standing about 5'9" (175 cm), just dunked.
That's insane.
The Second Squad player, now left in the dust, could only stare wide-eyed in disbelief.
This was supposed to be a light sparring match to "educate" the newcomers—and it had turned into a total disaster.
Nothing could be more humiliating than being school'd by a rookie—in front of everyone.
Off the court, the rest of the new recruits, already nervous, grew even more anxious.
"I'm scared my friend will struggle… but I'm even more scared he'll roll in here driving a Land Rover."
That internet phrase might've summed up the mood of the entire group at that moment.
Still—
They tried to reassure each other:
"That was just a one-off."
"That guy was hand-picked by the coach."
"Anyone the coach personally brings in has to be a monster."
But just as they were calming down—
The next monster was up.
That's right.
Akito Shigure, Court 3.
[Road to Glory Mission Activated…]
In the 1v1 Teiko Entrance Test, defeat your assigned Second Squad opponent to unlock:
'Novice Bonus (2/2)'
A randomly generated Slam Dunk Mobile Player (Basic Tier)
Akito's eyes lit up. He took a deep breath.
This 1v1 match would determine whether he received his final newbie reward.
He still didn't know how difficult it was to acquire Slam Dunk players. If it was as easy as winning a 1v1 right now, then missing this chance could mean missing it forever.
To start strong, he needed to go all in.
No holding back.
He had to win—no matter what.