The basketball dropped cleanly through the hoop.
From the moment it was grabbed out of the air to the moment it fell into the basket, the entire sequence took just one second.
Inoue didn't even see how the shot was released.
He stared blankly at the scoreboard, which now showed three points for Teikō Middle School.
"What just happened?"
He wasn't the only one. Everyone else on the court stood frozen as well—no one had seen how the ball went in.
A ball that was clearly headed out of bounds had somehow turned into a basket.
Only Uesaki's small forward knew exactly what had happened.
And because he knew, he was even more shocked.
Just moments ago, he had seen Miyamoto Tokima leap up right in front of him, yank the ball back from the verge of going out, and before he could even react, Tokima had already jumped again and released the shot.
The release was unbelievably fast, pinning him in place without any chance to respond.
"What just happened? How did Teikō get three points?"
"I don't know either. I just bent down to pick up a pen, and suddenly Teikō had three."
"I saw it. Teikō's number seven grabbed the ball midair and flicked it in with one motion."
"I saw it too. It had to be luck, right? He didn't even have a shooting motion—just threw it."
"Yeah. No normal person can shoot that fast."
On the court.
When Inoue realized that the shot had been made by Teikō's number seven, his expression grew serious, a sense of danger creeping into his chest.
It must have been luck.
That release speed was impossible to defend.
Inoue could only reassure himself that Miyamoto Tokima had gotten lucky. If that shot wasn't a fluke, then this game was already over for them.
"Tokima, that was insane."
"My pass was pretty good too, right?"
Daiki Aomine grinned as he jogged up beside Miyamoto Tokima.
Miyamoto Tokima nodded wordlessly.
Hey, your pass went straight into the sky…
Satisfied with the response, Aomine jogged back on defense with a happy look on his face.
On Uesaki's side, Inoue no longer brought the ball up. Instead, their point guard took over.
The point guard advanced slowly into the frontcourt, scanning the floor.
The small forward was not an option.
Even if Miyamoto Tokima's last shot had been luck, that vertical leap was very real. Their small forward was a catch-and-shoot type, not someone who could create off the dribble.
He was completely shut down by Miyamoto Tokima.
Inside, Miyamoto Tokima and Shintaro Midorima were ready to help. Any pass there would be met with immediate rotation.
The shooting guard kept running, but no matter what he did, he couldn't shake Shintaro Midorima.
With no good looks available, the point guard glanced at Inoue.
Seeing that Inoue wasn't close to the paint, the point guard decided to attack himself.
He looked at Seijuro Akashi in front of him—shorter by a full head—and felt no sense of pressure at all.
Just a first-year, he thought mockingly. He can't be that strong.
Once I get past this redhead, I'll draw the purple-haired guy to help, then dish it to our center to finish.
With the plan set, he acted immediately.
The point guard dribbled between his legs repeatedly, trying to shift Akashi's defensive balance.
Seijuro Akashi watched quietly, his stance steady, not giving up an inch.
Not moving? Is it because he can't defend?
Seeing no reaction at all, the point guard's gaze sharpened as he drove hard to the right.
Akashi still didn't move.
Just as I thought. First-years don't know how to defend.
After blowing past Akashi, the point guard chose to pull up for a jumper. The pressure from Atsushi Murasakibara in the paint was simply too much.
This one's mine.
Just as he was congratulating himself—
Bang!
Who—who fired a shot?!
The point guard stared in disbelief at Miyamoto Tokima flying through the air.
The ball he had just released was swatted away violently, sent straight toward his own team's side.
A realization struck him, and he whipped his head around.
By the time he turned back, Seijuro Akashi had already finished a three-step layup, gently placing the ball into the hoop.
So… they let me through on purpose.
Now he understood everything.
They had deliberately allowed him to break past Akashi, trusting Miyamoto Tokima to block him from behind.
But what kind of confidence—and what level of strength—did it take to believe Miyamoto Tokima could block him one hundred percent of the time?
Inoue patted the point guard on the shoulder, his expression grave.
"That number seven is dangerous. Avoid him if you can. Next possession, give the ball to me."
Hearing the team's ace speak, the point guard let out a breath, steadied himself, and prepared for the next play.
"Nice work, Tokima."
Seijuro Akashi said with a faint smile.
In truth, Uesaki's point guard hadn't been able to break through Akashi at all—but he had caught the subtle look Miyamoto Tokima gave him.
Almost instinctively, he understood and eased off his defense.
He couldn't explain why, only that it felt like their thoughts had briefly aligned.
Uesaki's point guard brought the ball across half-court and handed it to Inoue.
Inoue held the ball at the arc and assumed a triple threat stance against Daiki Aomine.
Aomine guarded him carefully.
Inoue made another large crossover, trying the same move again.
Aomine stayed alert, keeping up with his footwork and reaching in to steal.
Sensing it, Inoue gathered the ball and spun away, avoiding the steal entirely.
After the spin, he jumped and released the shot.
Swish.
The ball slid cleanly through the net.
"Uesaki's Inoue really is strong."
"Yeah. Not on Nijimura's level, but still one of the best power forwards around."
"That first-year just can't stop him."
It was Teikō Middle School's ball.
Daiki Aomine eagerly reached toward the ball in Seijuro Akashi's hands.
"Second ball."
Akashi didn't refuse and passed it to him.
Daiki Aomine caught it and, without any extra motion, exploded forward.
What? He drove before even fully securing the ball?
The sudden burst caught Inoue off guard.
Realizing he had been beaten, Inoue hurried after him, trying to recover and contest.
Uesaki's center moved to help—but Miyamoto Tokima stepped in and blocked his path.
A screen.
"Hey, hey, just stay right here."
Miyamoto Tokima said calmly, a faint smile on his face.
The center tried to push past him, only to realize he couldn't overpower Tokima at all.
What kind of monster is he?! How can a first-year have this much strength?!
With no one left in front of him, Daiki Aomine leaped into the air, exhilarated.
Bang!!!