"He actually scored a layup on me! Not bad at all. Keep it up."
Recovering from Kazuto's acrobatic score, Akagi flashed a fierce approving smile and offered words of encouragement.
Akagi's reaction surprised Kogure and the sophomores, who exchanged puzzled glances.
They had expected the strict captain to be furious at being humiliated by a rookie, but instead, he was praising him.
Sensing their confusion, Akagi's expression instantly turned stern.
"Kazuto is a member of Shohoku. The better he plays, the more he'll help us win. Why would I be angry about that?"
He then glared at Kogure and the others. "As for you lot, if you don't start focusing and playing proper defense, you'll face my wrath!"
Akagi's warning silenced the group, who instinctively straightened their postures.
After his reprimand, Akagi clapped his massive hands together.
"Practice resumes!"
Hearing this, Kazuto immediately turned and sprinted back to his team's side of the court to set up the defense.
[Ding! Random Mission Triggered: Complete 5 steals before the end of the practice match to unlock the 'V-Drag' Behind-the-Back Dribble technique.]
The System's missions are truly interconnected, Kazuto mused, a faint smile playing on his lips as anticipation surged through him.
The effectiveness of his new 'Precognition' ability was about to be tested.
"Hold this possession! Let's push hard and keep the lead against the senpais!" Kazuto rallied his teammates, his voice ringing with determination as he watched Akagi and the others bring the ball up.
Hearing Kazuto's confident words, Kuwata, Ishii, and Sasaoka responded with renewed vigor, their fighting spirit fully ignited.
Outside the court:
"I never would have guessed Kazuto had such nerve, daring to challenge the captain like that," Ayako remarked, a playful smile gracing her face as she watched the upperclassmen bring the ball up.
"I wonder how Akagi-senpai really feels hearing Kazuto rally the freshmen. He must be itching to score a point back right away."
Seeing Ayako's constant praise for Kazuto, Sakuragi grew increasingly resentful.
He cupped his hands and shouted at the court, "Kazuto, you've had your moment! Hurry up, get tired, and let me play!"
Hearing Sakuragi's outburst, Coach Anzai spoke, not taking his eyes off the game.
"Sakuragi-kun, Kazuto-kun's performance just now was remarkable in many ways. You should be studying his movements and learning from him."
He adjusted his glasses. "By the time our practice match against Ryonan arrives, Kazuto-kun's skill level may be second only to Akagi and Rukawa."
Coach Anzai's blunt assessment stunned both Ayako and Sakuragi.
They hadn't expected the coach's evaluation of the beginner to reach such heights.
Even Ayako, who had just witnessed Kazuto's incredible plays, looked incredulous.
"Coach Anzai, the practice match against Ryonan is only half a month away. Can Kazuto really reach the level of an ace in such a short time?"
"In my opinion, that time frame might even be an overestimation," Coach Anzai said softly, sparing no praise.
After a pause, he added, "In all my years coaching basketball, I have never encountered anyone with more terrifying natural talent and physical comprehension than Kazuto."
Hearing Coach Anzai's solemn words, Ayako and Sakuragi's gazes toward Kazuto shifted dramatically.
If they hadn't heard it with their own ears, they would never have believed the legendary 'White-Haired Buddha' held a total novice in such high regard!
...
On the court:
Thwack!
A crisp sound echoed across the hardwood.
Kazuto had lunged forward, his right hand darting out with pinpoint precision to cleanly swat the ball away from Kogure's dribble.
"Fast break!"
With the steal secured, Kazuto transformed into a blur, scooping up the loose ball and blowing past the half-court line in a flash.
Seeing this explosive acceleration, Ayako's eyes trembled slightly.
'So fast!'
"Get back on defense!" Akagi roared, immediately abandoning his post position and sprinting toward his own basket the moment Kogure lost the ball.
By the time Akagi reached the paint, Rukawa and Kazuto had arrived simultaneously, charging into the restricted area from opposite wings in a devastating two-on-one fast break.
Even Akagi, with his unwavering composure, couldn't help but tense up at the sight of the two super-rookies converging on the basket.
The offensive pressure was immense.
'Can I really stop them both alone?'
Kazuto dribbled hard to the basket, his eyes locked on the rim, showing absolutely no intention of slowing down.
Seeing Kazuto's aggressive drive, Akagi had to make a split-second choice.
He stepped up to contest Kazuto, momentarily abandoning Rukawa.
Kazuto might be a beginner, but he had just proven he possessed elite, acrobatic finishing ability.
If Akagi didn't step up to block the drive, they would definitely concede another point.
As for whether Kazuto would pass—Akagi just had to gamble that he could recover in time.
"Rukawa!"
Seeing Akagi commit to the block, Kazuto didn't hesitate.
Without even looking, he whipped a crisp bounce pass past Akagi's hip.
Rukawa caught the pass perfectly in stride, leaped into the air, and slammed the ball through the hoop with a vicious one-handed tomahawk.
BOOM!
A deafening roar echoed through the gym.
First-Years: 6 | Upperclassmen: 2
The spectators watched in disbelief as the makeshift first-year squad actually took a two-possession lead over the veterans.
But everyone present knew the truth: the one who had orchestrated this entire upset was none other than Kazuto, the player they had all initially written off as a weak liability.
"Rukawa-kun is incredible! Another dunk!"
"Kazuto is even more impressive! Rukawa only got that open lane because Kazuto stripped Senior Kogure clean!"
"With Kazuto leading us, we might actually win this scrimmage!"
Seeing Kazuto and Rukawa combine for another highlight-reel score, Kuwata and his two fellow benchwarmers erupted in excitement.
"Get back on defense!"
As soon as Rukawa landed, Kazuto called out a sharp reminder, immediately retreating to their own basket.
At Kazuto's command, Rukawa and the role players quickly followed, sprinting back to set up their defensive formation.
Watching their seamless transition, Kogure's face was filled with astonishment.
"The first-years, under Kazuto's leadership, are displaying such remarkable teamwork. It's truly unexpected. It seems winning this practice game won't be easy after all."
Akagi nodded grimly. "Kazuto's performance has completely exceeded my expectations. His dynamic playmaking has created perfect opportunities for Rukawa to shine."
The captain quickly gathered his upperclassmen. "From now on, I'll continue guarding Rukawa. You four focus entirely on pressuring Kazuto. Double-team him if you have to, and we'll ease up on Kuwata and the others."
Hearing Akagi's plan, Kogure's eyes lit up, immediately understanding the strategy.
Akagi's first Prefectural Tournament had been against an opponent who used this exact "box-and-one" tactic to shut down his scoring opportunities and defeat Shohoku.
By employing this method now, Akagi aimed to completely suppress Kazuto's playmaking and disrupt the freshmen's offensive flow.
"Let's move out."
With their strategy set, Akagi led his team down the court.
This time, Kogure, determined to redeem himself, brought the ball up.
Kogure was a fundamentally sound player who preferred a methodical, step-by-step approach on offense, making sure everyone was in position before initiating a play.
Under normal circumstances, this approach was perfect for a vice-captain.
But against Kazuto, who now possessed a cheat-like defensive ability, it was a fatal mistake.
Kazuto's [Precognition] buff was specifically designed to punish players who held the ball too long.
As Kogure dribbled past the half-court line and began directing traffic, he had already held the ball for over five seconds, triggering Kazuto's 80% steal success rate.
Before Akagi could even establish position in the post, Kazuto lunged.
Akagi's expression turned to alarm. "Kogure, watch out!"
Snap!
Before Akagi could finish his warning, Kazuto's hand flashed out, cleanly swiping the ball right out of Kogure's dribbling rhythm.
"Get back on defense!" Akagi yelled, his face twisting in frustration.
He immediately abandoned the offensive set and sprinted back toward their own basket.
Akagi's frustration reached its absolute peak!
It felt like a massive boulder had lodged in his chest. Their carefully planned double-team strategy had been foiled before they could even execute it.
Having learned from the previous fast breaks, Akagi and his teammates retreated with lightning speed.
By the time Kazuto crossed the half-court line, all five upperclassmen were already back in the paint, forming a solid, impenetrable defensive wall.
With the lane completely cut off, Kazuto was forced to halt his fast break.
He frowned slightly, stopping his dribble at the top of the key, pondering his next move against the set defense.
As Kazuto analyzed the court, a voice echoed in his mind.
[Ding! Random Mission Complete: 5 minutes of team practice completed. Acquired the Skill: 'Standard Jump Shot'.]
Immediately, the mechanical knowledge of a perfect shooting form downloaded into his brain.
[Standard Jump Shot (Beginner)] The first jump shot of each half is guaranteed to go in. Base Accuracy: 10% (One out of every ten subsequent shots is guaranteed to go in).
Note: Upgrading this skill will increase the overall base accuracy rate.
'The System's 'Jump Shot' attributes are completely broken,' Kazuto murmured to himself, his expression turn thoughtful.
A wave of anticipation washed over him as he eagerly wanted to test the absolute certainty of that first shot.
With that thought, Kazuto took a hard dribble backward, retreating completely beyond the three-point line.
His reasoning was simple: Since the first shot is 100% guaranteed to go in, why settle for two points when I can get three?
Positioning himself beyond the arc, he squared his shoulders, bent his knees and went smoothly into his shooting motion.
The surrounding players stared in astonishment, their faces etched with disbelief.
Was the 'beginner' really going to attempt a pull-up three-pointer?!
"He's going for a three?!" Ayako gasped, her eyes widening in alarm.
In her memory, Kazuto had only practiced basic dribbling today... he had never even attempted a layup before the scrimmage, let alone a long-range jumper.
"This is reckless," she muttered to herself, her brow furrowing with slight dissatisfaction.
"With Akagi-senpai anchoring the paint, a missed long rebound will just give the upperclassmen an easy fast break."
In stark contrast to Ayako's anxiety, Coach Anzai sat forward, his eyes wide behind his glasses.
"That beautiful shooting pocket... that perfectly balanced release... Kazuto right now reminds me so much of Mitsui back in his MVP days in middle school."
Hearing Coach Anzai mutter the name 'Mitsui,' Ayako looked bewildered, trying to recall who that was.
At that exact moment, Kazuto leaped into the air.
His form was textbook perfection, his release smooth as silk as the ball left his fingertips.
Time seemed to freeze as everyone in the gym tilted their heads, watching the orange sphere arc high through the air.
'Will it go in?'