Soon after, Akito Shigure and Hugh Morrison stepped onto the court.
From Akito's perspective, when Hugh looked at him, he didn't seem excited or thrilled—just calm and confident, like a seasoned predator used to winning.
"Morrison," Hugh introduced himself coolly.
Akito was briefly stunned before realizing this was a formal self-introduction. He responded instinctively.
"Akito Shigure."
Off the court, a smile tugged at the corner of Coach Genzo Platinum's mouth.
He clearly remembered—Hugh hadn't bothered to introduce himself so formally when facing the Second Team earlier. But now, something had changed.
Nearby, new recruits and Second Team members started gathering quietly around the court where the two prodigies were about to face off. A hushed buzz rippled through the crowd.
"It's really happening... the showdown between these two monster rookies."
"Doesn't matter where they came from... this is intense."
"Weird... I'm getting nervous just watching."
"Right? Even though we're not playing, just seeing what kind of freakish strength they've shown so far..."
To avoid interfering with other ongoing entrance evaluations, this match was shortened from 21 points to 11.
But don't underestimate the impact these two had. Just look around—players, coaches, even the assistant staff had all turned their attention to the court.
On the sideline, Coach Naoto Sanada handed the ball to Akito Shigure, then personally blew the whistle to start the game.
On the court—
Hugh Morrison looked at Akito with sharp, cold eyes.
"I hope you put up more of a fight than that last weakling did."
Akito blinked.
"…Wow."
This guy…
This wasn't the future "Captain Morrison" he knew.
He was rougher than Haizaki Shogo—less overtly dirty, maybe—but far more aggressive. No wonder that in the future, the Teikō player Hugh watched most closely was Haizaki.
He probably saw his younger self in him.
Akito gripped the ball in both hands. With his newly upgraded attributes, it felt like he had entered a new world. His entire body pulsed with a kind of spring-loaded energy.
He looked toward the basket.
With a flick of his fingers, the basketball spun smoothly across his palm.
"Same here. I'm looking forward to this. Just don't let your defense be as flimsy as the Second Team's. They were paper…"
For a split second, Hugh's stern expression cracked—and the first smile of the day broke through his icy exterior.
"Paper," huh?
Fair description.
This guy…
Akito took his stance in a classic triple threat position.
From watching Hugh Morrison's earlier games, Akito knew his defense was exceptional. He'd expected as much.
But with the combination of his two recent attribute upgrades and skill sets, Akito still felt confident.
The system hadn't issued a new mission prompt like last time, but that was probably because all the "newbie bonuses" had been claimed.
Even so, he had a strong hunch—
Beating a major plot character like Hugh Morrison had to be worth some in-game rewards.
And beyond that...
There was a rush, a thrill—a kind of euphoria.
For the first time since gaining his new abilities, Akito was fully immersed in the game.
This wasn't just practice.
This was a showdown.
Akito Shigure, head-to-head against future "Captain Rainbow," Hugh Morrison.
Bang...!
Bang...!
Bang...!
Even the thump of the basketball against the court echoed like a war drum. Akito could hear his own heart pounding in rhythm.
Morrison's defense mirrored what Akito had seen against the Second Team—positioned a step or so away, baiting a move. Against someone like Ichihiro, Akito would've punished that with a clean jumper, no hesitation.
But Hugh Morrison wasn't Ichihiro.
Even at this distance, the defensive pressure was at an entirely different level.
Because Morrison's reaction time was absurd.
He could bait opponents into the paint—then recover with enough speed and vertical to swat the shot anyway.
That meant, even from this gap, Morrison could still cover both the shot and the drive.
That, more than anything, told Akito that Hugh was taking this match seriously.
So Akito made a decision.
Forget the "Standing Soft Three-pointer."
Forget the "Mochizuki Retreat" into that shot.
With Hugh's athleticism and wingspan, those familiar setups would be too predictable. Even if he didn't block it, he'd disrupt the rhythm enough to throw off the shot.
So—
Pa… Pa… Pa…
With a probing step from the triple threat position, Akito suddenly launched forward!
His first move in the game?
A disguised Mochizuki Retreat—a setup feint that masked a surprise attack.
[Kazuo Yu — Mochizuki Retreat:]
Fake a drive forward, then step back suddenly with a cross-step motion to create shooting space.
[Nobunaga Kiyota — Retreat Burst:]
Use a backward step to build momentum, then explode forward again with incredible speed to blow past the defender.
And in this moment, Akito fused the two.
A fake retreat. A coiled spring.
Then—boom.
A sudden, explosive attack—
Not a retreat. A launch.
A breakthrough.