"Second-year, Second Squad—Isaac Ichiro."
"First-year—Akito Shigure."
Seeing that Akito was respectful and composed, Isaac let out a subtle breath of relief. After dealing with the chaos caused by Shuzo Nichols earlier, he had braced himself for another difficult freshman.
Phew~
The backcourt player on the sidelines tossed the ball over to Akito.
Across from him, Isaac Ichiro bent his knees and settled into a defensive stance.
Toot~
The whistle blew.
Akito Shigure's 1v1 test had begun.
He opened in a classic triple-threat stance—just like Shuzo had done before. Calm, measured, and ready. He carefully observed Isaac's defensive posture, waiting for the right opportunity to respond.
When he noticed that Isaac had left about a step and a half of distance between them, Akito couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
In junior high, most players are still learning and rarely develop reliable long-range shooting—especially three-pointers. But that rule only applies to average players.
Akito Shigure, now equipped with the techniques of "Yuka Udai", was far from average.
"This kind of defense... isn't going to cut it."
Whoosh~!
He activated the "Stand Firm and Soft Three-Point" skill.
[Standing Soft Three-Pointer: Set your feet outside the arc. As soon as the ball is caught or held, release a smooth, lightning-quick shot.]
"Don't underestimate me just because I'm a freshman—senpai."
Isaac, initially focused on guarding against a drive, suddenly saw Akito pull up for a shot—and lunged forward, desperate to close the gap.
But Akito's shot—quick as a flick—was already gone. It was soft, fluid, and incredibly fast.
Despite the small window of separation, Isaac had no chance to block it in time.
Thanks to the Slam Dunk System, Akito's current player—Yuka Udai—gave him a three-point shooting attribute of 105. He didn't know exactly how the stat scaled, but compared to his measly 50 in strength, this number was clearly elite.
He was confident in his shot—and rightfully so.
Swish~!
The three-pointer went clean through the net.
Akito's pupils dilated slightly.
That shot felt incredible.
He glanced down at his hands and smiled.
"Starting over with a new build might actually be fun…"
Off-court, his friend Shinji Kurena stared wide-eyed at the shot.
As someone who had played countless pickup games with Akito, this was the first time he'd seen him shoot like that.
"When did this guy… learn a new jumper?"
"And what the hell—he's so fast… and so accurate!"
On the court, Isaac Ichiro nodded solemnly.
Eyes down, he muttered to himself:
"A quick, decisive deep three…"
"I see. Just like Shuzo Nichols earlier—these freshmen are different this year."
"I can't treat him like a typical first-year…"
He had to fight this kid like he was facing a full-fledged First Squad member.
After the shot, the players switched roles.
Now it was Isaac Ichiro on offense.
He carefully watched Akito's footwork on defense.
He began with a probing move from the triple-threat position. Surprisingly, Akito's defense seemed to show several weaknesses.
Without hesitation, Isaac dropped his hips, jabbed with his left foot, and exploded forward.
He wasn't holding anything back.
But as he got past Akito, something felt… wrong.
His hands were suddenly empty.
Eyes widening, Isaac spun around in a panic—
Sure enough—
Akito had stolen the ball.
"What?! When—when did he steal it?!"
On the sidelines, several coaches and scout assistants were watching and taking notes.
They whispered among themselves while scribbling on evaluation sheets.
"This newcomer's strong. Excellent shooting, sharp instincts—his steal timing is on point. He could become a two-way asset immediately."
"What about physical metrics?"
"He's quick…"
"But his strength and vertical are only average."
"After a few more reps, it's clear—Akito's not as polished as Shuzo Nichols… but the potential is real."
Back to offense.
Akito had no reason to hold back now.
This 1v1 was tied directly to his mission rewards—and there was no value in hiding his strengths.
Forget experimentation. Forget style points.
He wanted a clean win.
So this time, Akito didn't bother with the triple-threat stance.
Knowing Isaac was now playing tighter defense to stop his three-pointer, Akito dropped the ball low and began to dribble—immediately showing off his crisp ball-handling.
Isaac stayed close, mirroring Akito's every step and refusing to give an inch of space.
Then—
Akito attacked.
He launched into a hard drive.
Isaac reacted instantly and closed in!
But in the next moment—
Akito performed a feint using a cross step…
Then activated his next signature move—
"Mochizuki Retreat" (Watch the Moon and Retreat)
Snap~!
Snap~!
Two sharp dribbles echoed on the court.
Akito's body, which had just driven past the three-point line, suddenly snapped backward—as if pulled by an invisible string—retreating to the arc again in a fluid, gliding motion.
From Isaac's perspective—
He had just caught up to Akito's drive.
The next moment—
Akito was already far away, gliding like he was skating on ice.
The ball was already in his shooting pocket.
Swish!
Silence.
Then the satisfying snap of the ball through the net.