After filling out their application forms,
the three of them quickly made their way to the Kaijō basketball team's gym.
Inside, the place was already crowded.
But the atmosphere felt… off.
Every gaze in the room was fixed on Nijimura Shuzo, standing right beside Coach Takeuchi Genta.
That in itself wasn't surprising. What unsettled the Kaijō players was this: on the other side of the coach stood Captain Tomokawa Masaei.
To many of them, the sight was hard to accept.
Even though they knew that Nijimura had once been the captain of Teiko—the school of monsters, the team of a three-year national dynasty.
Even though they knew his reputation.
Even though some had even faced him back in middle school.
It was still difficult to swallow.
Especially the second-years, led by Kasamatsu Yukio, whose faces were unusually grim.
Meanwhile, a few of the Kaijō third-years who had once followed Coach Takeuchi on a special trip to recruit Nijimura and Shigure back in their second year of middle school were whispering quietly among themselves. Their expressions carried both resignation and faint amusement.
But for Shigure Akihito, who had just stepped into the gym, the sight was stranger still.
"…As expected of you, Nijimura. Back at it again already?" he muttered under his breath.
Beside him, Kurokami Shinji caught the comment and almost laughed.
He wanted to say the same thing.
Nijimura, a captain again—just like that. Thinking of Nijimura's strict leadership style, Kurokami already felt a headache coming on.
On the other side, Fukasaya Reiji observed in silence. He remembered when Kaijō had first come recruiting. Coach Takeuchi had left quite an impression on him back then—warm, approachable, completely different from the stern figure standing before them now.
But then again…
Any coach would've been all smiles when it came to recruiting Shigure Akihito. Even Rakuzan—already with Hagioka Kasayuki—had made the attempt, circling back even after being turned away once.
Shigure's gaze drifted past Takeuchi to Tomokawa Masaei. He was the same captain who had accompanied Takeuchi on his trip to Teiko. Tomokawa stood tall and steady, exuding a proper captain's presence. But to veterans like Reiji and Shinji, his leadership lacked that almost terrifying aura Nijimura carried naturally—the kind of aura that demanded obedience.
Meanwhile, Takeuchi and Tomokawa had already noticed the new arrivals—their priority recruits.
Kurokami Shinji, Fukasaya Reiji, and above all, Shigure Akihito.
Not long after, all the freshmen who wanted to join Kaijō basketball gathered in the gym.
Most of them were tense. Kaijō wasn't just another Kanagawa school—it was the Kanagawa powerhouse, one of the "Blue Kings." Even if this was just an entrance test, the fact that Kaijō consistently made the Interhigh made the outcome uncertain for many hopefuls.
Shigure swept a glance across the crowd. Only two stood out in his memory—Hayakawa Mitsuhiro, a hot-blooded competitor, and Nakamura Shinya, the "translator" often tasked with decoding Hayakawa's incomprehensible rambling.
Among the flock of nervous first-years, Hayakawa was the most conspicuous, loudly encouraging everyone around him.
Back in middle school, he'd been the ace of a local powerhouse. Nerves simply weren't in his nature.
The real victim was Nakamura, stuck translating every single over-the-top line Hayakawa barked.
"That really is Shigure Akihito, huh…"
"Yeah."
"He's even taller than when he was in his third year of middle school."
"Unbelievable."
"Terrifying. And it's not just Shigure—the Twin Stars of Teiko are both here. But… why's Nijimura standing next to the coach? He looks like the captain already…"
"No idea…"
"Take a closer look—put Nijimura alongside those other three, and you basically get Teiko's championship starting lineup from their second year. All that's missing is Akashi at point guard."
As the freshmen's whispers shifted from nerves about the trial to shock at the appearance of a "Teiko 2.0," Kaijō's captain, Tomokawa, finally stepped forward.
"Now then. Freshmen, form your own teams. You'll play a five-on-five training match against Kaijō's starting squad."
The gym erupted.
"What?!"
"Straight against the starters?"
"Relax. They just want to gauge our skill. We don't have to win. No way first-years can beat Kaijō's starters anyway…"
But the boy trailing off froze mid-sentence—his eyes drifting toward Shigure's group.
They all knew. Anyone who had witnessed the Twin Stars of Teiko knew. That level of dominance didn't vanish overnight.
Not even high school Kaijō could stop it.
Sure enough, Kurokami clapped his hands and grinned. "Same as Teiko. Not a 1v1, but close enough. From here on out, I'm gunning for a starting spot."
On the other side, Hayakawa puffed up his chest.
"Me too—gotta be starter!"
Nakamura sighed and translated. "He says… he wants to be a starter too."
Kurokami gave him a weird look, but at 202 cm, even a glance was intimidating. Most freshmen flinched. Only Hayakawa stood unfazed, still blurting nonsense.
"You so high!"
"…He means 'you're tall.'"
Kaijō had prepared for the arrival of Shigure and the others, but before Tomokawa could even respond, Shigure himself stepped forward. His words, bold and direct, sent shockwaves through the gym.
"Would the starting lineup please form a team and play us?"
"Please take care of us."
The gym went dead silent.
Not just the freshmen—even the second- and third-years stirred uneasily. A brand-new recruit, challenging the entire starting five on his first day—there was no mistaking the meaning.
Substitutes glanced at Coach Takeuchi and Tomokawa, but the starters themselves simply stood and walked out, no hesitation.
After all, most of them remembered that special recruitment two years ago.
And with Hagioka Kasayuki dominating high school basketball ever since, every team had been forced to scramble for talent. Rakuzan had Hagioka, so naturally, Teiko's champions—Shigure Akihito, Nijimura Shuzo—were the hottest targets this year. Their teammates, Reiji and Kurokami, were coveted too.
Surrendering starting positions to them? Practically inevitable.
Even so, Kaijō's starters squared their shoulders, facing Teiko's alumni.
"Come on, brats!"
"We'll show you the difference between middle school and high school!"
The warm-ups ended quickly.
Unlike the timid freshmen, Shigure's group strode onto the court without hesitation.
Shigure himself walked straight to the center circle.
Kaijō's center, Kashigawa Tatsuo, stood across from him. At 190 cm, built like a power lifter, he specialized in brute force. He looked up slightly, meeting Shigure's eyes.
Back in middle school, he hadn't even been worthy to face Shigure. He had only watched from the stands.
And at that time—Shigure had only been 175 cm.
Now? Standing across from him was a towering figure well over 195 cm.
Could someone still have the same skills after growing so tall?
Tatsuo knew all too well: the taller you grew, the more agility you lost. That was why he himself had reshaped into a pure power center.
"…Never thought it'd be you for the jump ball, not Kurokami."
"Yeah. Honestly, everyone else just looks shorter now. Feels weird."
"But…" Shigure smirked. "I'm pretty good at jump balls."
Even without unleashing his "wild instinct," the aura rolling off him was suffocating—a beast breaking free from its cage.
Tatsuo's body tensed, sweat dampening his palms.
Then the ball was tossed.
The instant it left Coach Takeuchi's hand, Shigure exploded upward—pure combustion, all power.
He rose past the ball before it even reached its peak, and waited there, suspended, until gravity finally brought it down.
In his eyes, he traced the ball's falling arc. By the time Tatsuo's hand reached his elbow, the ball was already slapping against Shigure's palm.
Smack!
With ease, he tapped it to a teammate.
Hayakawa, catching the ball, froze in place. Being chosen to fill the missing slot beside the "Teiko Four" had filled him with excitement, but that excitement was instantly crushed by what he had just witnessed.
Could someone explain to him—since when could high schoolers jump that high?
Stealing the ball mid-air, waiting for it to come down… wasn't that on another level entirely?
"—So tall!"
"That's… that's Shigure Akihito?!"
"What a monster!"
Even Tatsuo's eyes bulged as he landed. "Too much… that's ridiculous!"
What "technician"? With that kind of body, who needs skill?!
When Hayakawa finally recovered and passed the ball to Nijimura, Kaijō immediately pressed full-court. But Nijimura slipped through with a simple drive, handing the ball to Fukasaya Reiji at the top of the arc.
And standing opposite him—Kaijō's captain, Tomokawa.
Tomokawa gave him no opening, watching closely. At 185 cm, Reiji was quick, but Tomokawa matched him step for step.
Blocked.
"…Not bad." Reiji's eyes glinted behind his bangs. As expected of Kaijō's captain. Strong.
But then—
A single between-the-legs dribble. Nothing fancy. And yet—he was past him.
"What—?!" Tomokawa staggered.
"…Good grief." Shigure thought to himself. Reiji's Ultimate Shadow was sharper than ever.
In that instant, the phantom of a fake appeared, catching Tomokawa completely off guard.
The freshmen watching gasped.
"Wait—he just… broke past the captain?!"
"That's Fukasaya Reiji—he beat Mibuchi Reo back in Teiko's second title."
"His fake was so clean, I swear I saw two of him!"
"Unreal…"
Even with Kaijō's defense scrambling to recover, Reiji's eyes narrowed.
Reaction speed is good. But…
He slammed the brakes, stopped short—then lobbed the ball up.
Alley-oop.
As he had envisioned.
A shadow soared, igniting like a rocket. One arm stretched above the rim, catching the bullet pass.
In midair, Shigure met Tatsuo's brute-force body. His right arm arched back, his knees bent, like a bow drawn to full tension.
In that frozen moment, his silhouette seemed to carve a crescent moon against the sky.
BOOM!
The slam reverberated through the gym, shaking it to its core.
No fancy tricks. No delicate skills.
Pure, raw body.
END OF CHAPTER
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