"Second-year, Second Squad, Ichiji Hiro."
"First-year, Shigure Akihito."
Ichiji Hiro let out a small breath of relief. At least this kid seemed polite. What he dreaded most was getting stuck with another difficult brat like Nijimura Shuzo had just now.
Fwoop
From the sidelines, a member of the support crew tossed the ball to Shigure.
Across from him, Ichiji bent his knees slightly, settling into a defensive stance.
Tweet!
With the sound of the whistle, Shigure Akihito's 1v1 test began.
Just like Nijimura, Shigure opened with a triple-threat stance, carefully watching his opponent's defensive spacing to decide his next move.
Once he noticed that Ichiji was standing about a step and a half away, Shigure raised an eyebrow.
Under normal circumstances, a first-year middle schooler wouldn't be expected to shoot from long range. Players at this stage were still learning fundamentals, and the three-point shot wasn't usually a focus.
But that assumption only applied to regular players.
Shigure, infused with the skills of Tomokazu Godyo from Slam Dunk Mobile, was anything but average.
"This kind of defense just won't cut it~"
Whoosh!
From the legacy of Tomokazu Godyo, a signature move:
Smooth-Release Three!
Smooth-Release Three: While standing behind the arc, either upon receiving or holding the ball, launch a quick, fluid three-point shot with exceptional softness and speed.
"Don't underestimate me just because I'm a rookie, Second Squad…"
"Senpai!"
Ichiji, focused entirely on guarding against a potential drive, hadn't even processed Shigure's words. But when he saw the sudden rise of the shooting motion, he jolted in shock, and lunged forward to contest!
Too late.
Shigure's "Smooth-Release Three" was practically a flick. The motion was lightning-fast, yet unnervingly soft.
That step-and-a-half gap gave Ichiji no time. Even though he pushed off with everything he had, the ball was already in the air.
As a player whose strengths lay in shooting, Shigure's three-point stat was a whopping 105, though he had no idea how that translated to in-universe rankings.
Still, compared to his pitiful strength stat of 50, that 105 had to be elite.
Which meant—
In a clean shooting window like this, the odds of sinking it were practically guaranteed.
And as expected…
Swish!
Nothing but net!
Shigure's pupils shrank slightly.
The release had felt too good.
He instinctively glanced down at his own hands, then couldn't help smiling.
Restarting this life?
Might actually be a blast.
Down on the sidelines
Shigure's close friend, Kurokame Shinji, stared wide-eyed. As someone who'd played alongside Shigure for years, this was the first time he'd seen him shoot like that.
"Shigure, that bastard…"
"When did he secretly learn a shot like that?"
"And not just fast, but dead-on!"
Back on the court
Ichiji Hiro exhaled with a heavy look on his face, lowering his gaze.
"That was a clean, decisive three-pointer…"
"I see now. Just like Nijimura earlier… these rookies this year are no joke."
"In that case…"
"I can't treat him like a typical first-year anymore."
No. He had to treat Shigure as a First Squad-caliber opponent.
With that, the two switched roles. Shigure now defended, while Ichiji took possession of the ball.
He began by testing the defense with a step from a triple-threat stance.
And to his surprise, Shigure's defense looked… full of holes.
Without hesitating
Ichiji sank his hips, stepped forward with his left foot, and drove in!
This time, he wasn't holding back—he was going all in!
But just as he passed Shigure's side, right as the ball hit the floor, something suddenly felt wrong.
His hands… were empty.
He spun around in shock.
And there was Shigure, somehow already holding the ball.
What the hell?!
When!?
When did he steal the ball?!
Over on the sidelines, several coaches and upperclassmen were taking notes with scorecards in hand. As they watched, they murmured in low voices:
"That rookie's impressive. Strong in both shooting and stealing. Offense and defense, he could be a real asset."
"What do his physical test results say?"
"Fast reflexes…"
"But average strength and vertical."
"Let's watch a few more possessions. His skills are solid, though not quite as dominant as Nijimura's just yet."
Shigure's turn to attack again.
This time, he didn't bother with a triple-threat stance.
Knowing that Ichiji would now hug his shooting range tightly, he dribbled straight into action, showing off sharp ball-handling.
Ichiji, well aware of the threat, pressed in even closer than before. Even as Shigure gave up the triple-threat to dribble outside the arc, Ichiji didn't give him a single inch.
Then it happened
Shigure suddenly accelerated! Burst into a drive!
Ichiji reacted fast, closing the gap instantly.
But the next moment
Shigure faked with a crossover, then
Boom!
Boom!
Two quick, sharp dribbles echoed through the gym.
Then, like a spring compressed and suddenly released, Shigure snapped backward with incredible speed!
Just a moment ago, he had driven inside the arc.
But in the blink of an eye, he was back behind the three-point line!
To Ichiji, it was unreal.
One second, he'd matched Shigure's attack stride-for-stride.
The next, Shigure's body launched away, almost like skating across ice!
And now?
He was already in shooting form.
Ball in hand.
Rising to release.
The gym fell silent.
No sound remained
Except for the crisp swish of the net as the ball dropped cleanly through.