In the center of the court, Uozumi and Hanagata Toru floated in mid-air.
Uozumi stretched out his arm, and with his height advantage, he was the first to make contact with the basketball, gripping it firmly with his fingertips, as if about to pull it into his chest.
Hanagata, slightly slower, relied on the explosive power honed from years of training, hooking his own fingertips onto the opposite side of the ball.
The two forces collided with a roar in mid-air.
The basketball froze in place, motionless, as if suspended in time. The air itself seemed to solidify.
"Ah…" A low growl escaped Uozumi's throat. Veins bulged on his arm, and his knuckles turned pale under the strain.
Hanagata felt the overwhelming force transmitted through the ball. His wrist went numb, and his body tilted backward uncontrollably.
Then, Uozumi's palm surged with even more power.
"Clack…"
The ball finally slipped from Hanagata's grip, hooked securely by Uozumi, and sent flying toward Ryonan's half-court.
"Tch…" Hanagata muttered, staggering back two steps before barely regaining balance.
He had expected Uozumi to be strong, but the sheer force exceeded even his calculations.
The basketball arced in the air, landing neatly in Akashi's hands.
Ryonan had possession first.
"Thump… thump… thump…" The ball bounced rhythmically in Akashi's palm, neither rushed nor hesitant.
He dribbled into Shohoku's half-court, with the rest of Ryonan pressing forward.
From the diagonal front, a green figure suddenly cut in. Fujima Kenji.
He didn't rush to steal the ball. Instead, he stood sideways, hands slightly open, maintaining a half-step distance. Close enough to block, far enough to avoid overcommitment—the perfect single-player defensive stance.
The spectators held their breath. Even Coach Taoka Moichi leaned forward. Everyone expected a showdown between the old and new point guards.
But Akashi denied them.
Just before Fujima could fully close in, Akashi flipped his wrist, bouncing the basketball to the right along the ground at an angle that perfectly bypassed Fujima's defense. The ball's bounce, precisely at knee height, made stealing nearly impossible.
It landed in Koshino Hiroaki's hands. He had already positioned himself at the three-point line, left hand ready to catch. The pass was fast, precise, and almost invisible.
Before Fujima could react, Koshino raised the ball, elbow bent, calculating the arc for the first three-pointer of the game.
Then, a flash of green appeared—Kazushi Hasegawa.
He charged forward like an arrow, stretching out his arm. His palm almost touched the ball, obscuring Koshino's vision entirely.
Koshino's heart skipped. He paused mid-shot, then reacted calmly. The ball bounced off the floor, redirected along the sideline.
It grazed Hasegawa's ankle and landed perfectly with Fukuda Kiccho, cutting in from the baseline.
Kiccho immediately scanned the court. Takano Shoichi, much larger, closed in, arms spread wide to block his route.
Kiccho didn't falter. He pivoted on his left toe, faked left, and then exploded right toward open space. Takano adjusted, but Kiccho reached the restricted area first.
With no time to think, he leapt, ball raised high, wrist bent inward, and swung.
"Swish…"
The ball traced a crooked arc and hit the rim.
"Clang…"
It bounced off heavily. Kiccho's brows furrowed in frustration.
But before he could recover, a white figure was already moving. Mitsuru Nagano snatched the rebound mid-bounce and flipped it toward Fujima Kenji.
Offense switched. Shoyo now had the ball.
Fujima accelerated immediately, dribbling with a style distinct from Akashi—fluid, relentless, like wind cutting through the court.
Akashi reacted instantly, blocking his path. Fujima shifted the ball to his left hand, attempting a feint.
But Akashi was beyond ordinary defense. He anticipated the change, hands following the ball's trajectory, forcing Fujima to abruptly halt, barely maintaining control.
Fujima scanned quickly, passed in an arc toward the restricted area. Hanagata rushed in—but before he could touch it, a white figure surged from behind: Sendo.
Sendo leapt, intercepting the pass mid-air.
"Clap…"
Both Fujima and Hanagata froze, eyes wide. The seemingly foolproof pass had been snatched.
Sendo immediately flipped the ball toward Akashi. Possession returned to Ryonan.
For the next ninety seconds, the game became a relentless back-and-forth.
Ryonan relied on Akashi's precision, while Shoyo's height dominated the boards. Every fast break was countered. Every interior push met a wall of defense. Both sides tested each other's limits.
Two minutes passed. The scoreboard remained 0–0.
The crowd couldn't believe it. An incredible opening, a battle of sheer skill and strategy.
Just when everyone thought this stalemate would continue… a change occurred.