After finishing his fiery speech, Coach Taoka Moichi began announcing Ryonan's starting lineup:
"Center: Yuzumi.""Power Forward: Ikegami.""Small Forward: Kenichi Uesugi.""Shooting Guard: Sendoh.""Point Guard: Uekusa."
This was Ryonan's strongest starting lineup yet, and for some, their first official start under Taoka's leadership.
All eyes were now on Kenichi Uesugi.The question was—how well would he sync with the team?
Moments later, Coach Taoka led his players onto the court.
Aside from Luoan's team and a few staff members, the gym was nearly empty—no spectators, no reporters. A silent arena.
The Luoan players, clustered off to the side, were relaxed and chatting.They showed no sign of nervousness, nor did they treat the match seriously.
When they saw Ryonan walk in, they gave a few indifferent glances and quickly turned away, as if saying,
"Why should we care about these nobodies?"
To them, having a no-name team like Ryonan step onto their court was a favor, not a challenge.
As the reigning kings of Kyoto, Luoan saw themselves the same way Kainan ruled Kanagawa.Even though Kyoto only had one slot in the national tournament each year, Luoan had dominated it for years—never letting another school come close.
Naturally, a team like Ryonan, who had never qualified, didn't even register on their radar.
If not for Coach Kasahara's relationship with Taoka, they probably wouldn't have agreed to the match at all.
Coach Kasahara stood silently on the sidelines, watching his players act dismissively.He shook his head with a sigh.
Sure, he didn't think Ryonan was much of a threat either—but this behavior, in front of his respected senior, was embarrassing.
Still, he could only do so much.His team had always been arrogant, and even now, despite his warnings, their egos were showing.
Thankfully, he hadn't invited any outsiders to watch the game.
At least if Ryonan loses, it won't humiliate Coach Taoka in public...
After a brief handshake between Taoka and Kasahara, the practice match officially began.
Ryonan took the court with the same starting five announced in the locker room.
In a gesture of respect, Kasahara also fielded Luoan's main lineup:
Center: Shiramizu RinPower Forward: Takahashi SusumuSmall Forward: FukaoharaShooting Guard: Captain Takai AkihiroPoint Guard: Aida Hidesuke
As both sides lined up, Luoan's players suddenly noticed something.
"Whoa, that center's huge!""He's gotta be at least 200cm!""So what? I'll dunk on him later."
That last comment came from Shiramizu Rin, Luoan's center.His tone was cocky, but his eyes betrayed him—he was clearly uneasy.
Even in national tournaments, he'd rarely seen a player as tall—or as intimidating—as Yuzumi.
And what Rin didn't know... was that Yuzumi had heard him.
"You think you can dunk on me?" Yuzumi said flatly."You'll have to prove you've got the skills."
Soon, players from both teams took their positions on the court.
Kenichi Uesugi's matchup?None other than Fukaohara—the flat-headed loudmouth who had sneered at Ryonan when they first arrived.
Perfect, Kenichi thought. Looks like I've got someone to shut up today.
He glanced over his shoulder and caught a glimpse of Coach Taoka, eyes locked on Fukaohara.
The look on Taoka's face was downright terrifying.
Yeah… I better not mess this up.
"Beep!"The referee's whistle echoed through the gym. The game had begun.
Luoan's center, Shiramizu Rin, leapt for the opening tip—but was immediately overshadowed by the towering presence of Yuzumi, who soared above him like a skyscraper.
With one clean tap, Yuzumi slapped the ball toward Uekusa.
Shiramizu could only gape at Yuzumi's enormous hand.
Man… I wonder what it'd feel like to get slapped with a hand that size...
Meanwhile, Uekusa caught the ball cleanly and didn't hesitate. He instantly passed it forward, already knowing what was coming—he'd seen Kenichi sprint ahead the moment the ball was tipped.
He's counting on Yuzumi's win, Uekusa realized. Smart.
As Kenichi reached the three-point line, the pass hit him in perfect stride.
Without missing a beat, he caught the ball, jumped, and fired a shot—all in one seamless motion.
It was Sakurai Ryo's quick shot technique—lightning-fast and near impossible to block.
Fukaohara, who was guarding him, opened his mouth to talk trash—But before he could say a word, Kenichi had already released the ball.
Panicked, Fukaohara tried to react, but he was too late.He didn't even get his hands up.
"What kind of rushed shot is that? That'll never—"
"Swish!"
The crisp sound of the net echoed through the gym.The shot had gone in—perfectly clean.
Fukaohara stood there, stunned.
What… just happened?
It had taken barely one second for Kenichi to receive the ball and score.
I didn't even get to move...
But it wasn't just Fukaohara—the entire Luoan team was caught off guard.
From Yuzumi's tip to Uekusa's pass to Kenichi's shot—it had all taken three seconds total.
Even Shiramizu Rin was still standing in the center circle, blinking in confusion.
Wait... the ball already went in?
Only the scoreboard confirmed what had happened:
19:57 remaining.
3 seconds... 3 points...
If they keep this up, that's 60 points in a minute!
A chill ran through the gym.
Ryonan had just sent a message—they were not here to play around.