Opening

"Although it's a hassle, it's better not to make Ken-chan angry. You won't score in this game." Atsushi Murasakibara lowered his eyes and looked down at Daisuke Narumi.

"Huh? Don't think you're amazing just because you're tall, you big dummy." Daisuke Narumi looked at Atsushi Murasakibara unconcernedly. "I'm gonna crush you in this game!"

"Don't talk nonsense." Atsushi Murasakibara tossed out the words disdainfully.

"Enough talking." The referee walked between them with the ball, stopping their exchange.

"Tweet!" A crisp whistle rang out, and the referee tossed the basketball high into the air.

"This ball is mine!" Daisuke Narumi leaped excitedly for the tip-off, trying to win possession for Shibuya First Junior High.

"What are you talking about? This game's already over for you." Atsushi Murasakibara's lazy voice sounded beside Daisuke Narumi's ear. The moment Atsushi Murasakibara jumped, Daisuke Narumi felt as if he were watching a dragon burst through the sea. In a daze, he thought he saw fierce dragon horns emerge above Atsushi Murasakibara's head.

"Nice one, Murasakibara." Ken Kaneki caught the ball cleanly and passed it to Shuzo Nijimura to organize their first offense.

"Hey, Shuzo, isn't it a foul for someone built like you to play point guard?" Kazuhiko Yamanaka watched Shuzo Nijimura slowly approach him, his voice trembling slightly. "And your rookie's a real piece of work, using underhanded tricks to run me around in circles. How do you think I should settle that score?"

"Settle it? You can chalk it up to bad luck." Shuzo Nijimura dribbled and adjusted his stance. "Besides, what Kaneki did wasn't some underhanded trick..." As he spoke, Shuzo Nijimura sent a bounce pass to Ken Kaneki. "He just wanted to know his opponent as well as himself. Though I don't think it was necessary."

As if to prove Shuzo Nijimura's point, the moment Ken Kaneki caught the ball, he found Kotaro Hayama.

"You're Shibuya First Junior High's Ace, right? How are you feeling today?" Ken Kaneki asked Kotaro Hayama coldly.

"What do you mean, how am I feeling? We're playing basketball!" Kotaro Hayama stared intently at Ken Kaneki, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly.

"I asked you a question, and you didn't answer. You're terribly rude." There was no hint of anger or amusement in Ken Kaneki's voice. "I never thought I'd have to teach a senior court etiquette. Watch closely, senpai. Here's my greeting."

"A greeting?" Kotaro Hayama didn't quite understand, but instinctively sensed something ominous.

"Thump, thump! Thump, thump! Thump, thump!" The basketball seemed to turn into a bolt of lightning, striking the floor again and again with a thunderous roar. Its rhythm grew faster and faster.

"That's Hayama's..." Keisuke Kobayashi gaped in shock. He'd thought Kotaro Hayama's signature move was nearly impossible to learn, but Ken Kaneki's existence had turned his whole worldview upside down.

"That's my... Thunder Dribble?" Kotaro Hayama's pupils contracted as turmoil churned inside him. The ball's impacts grew denser, pounding at his heart like the rhythm of an attacking drum.

"Look familiar? Good." In a flash, Ken Kaneki seemed to become an intangible shadow, slipping right past Kotaro Hayama's defense. "But, senpai, I've got five fingers."

"Damn! This guy's on a completely different level from me!" Kotaro Hayama was known for his outstanding reflexes, but now his eyes could barely keep up with Ken Kaneki.

"Daisuke! Help on defense!" Seeing what was happening, Keisuke Kobayashi called loudly for his teammate in the paint to cover, trying to stop the shot.

"What's the point of coming over when all you do is get in my way?" A sharp glint flashed in Ken Kaneki's eyes. He gathered the ball along the left edge of the key and exploded upward, driving toward the basket against Daisuke Narumi's help defense.

With a dull thud, Daisuke Narumi was knocked out of bounds by Ken Kaneki, who slammed the ball into the hoop.

"Awesome!"

"Another opening dunk!"

"Just what you'd expect from Teiko's lion!"

That adrenaline-pumping dunk sent the spectators into a frenzy, and gasps of amazement rang out throughout the arena.

"Hey, senpai." Ken Kaneki ignored Daisuke Narumi on the floor and turned to Kotaro Hayama. "How are you feeling today?"

"Ah, I'm feeling great today." Kotaro Hayama seemed to catch the challenge in Ken Kaneki's words. He didn't back down at all, staring brightly at Ken Kaneki as he replied.

"Hmm? Not bad." Seeing Kotaro Hayama's determined expression, Ken Kaneki shook his head, gave a mocking laugh, and turned to get back on defense.

"Hey, Dad, last time you said you were coming to watch the game, but you left early. Now you've dragged me along to watch Teiko's game, even though Junpei's game just started." Reiko Aida complained to her father beside her.

"What's there to see in that four-eyed guy's game? It's just a bunch of weaklings fighting each other." Kagetora Aida took off his sunglasses and focused on the court. "Seihō Junior High was an incredibly strong defensive team. Shibuya First Junior High, on the other hand, is an incredibly strong offensive team with plenty of firepower. If Teiko can dominate against two top-four teams in the Prefectural Tournament with completely different styles, I think they could make a breakthrough at this year's nationals."

"But Junpei's good too! He's the team's starting shooting guard now! In the last game, he made five out of eight three-point shots and scored twenty points!" Reiko Aida protested. "I think they'll definitely make the top four in the Prefectural Tournament this year."

"Ah, Reiko." Kagetora Aida sighed and patted Reiko Aida's head. "Even if your four-eyed friend's team finishes second in the Prefectural Tournament, that just means they've reached their ceiling... But Teiko's winning the Prefectural Tournament because the qualifying rounds are only held within the prefecture."

"Hey, Dad, if Junpei's team really makes it to the Prefectural Tournament finals, do you think they could beat Teiko?" Reiko Aida asked curiously.

"Seriously, how could a question like that come from my daughter?" Kagetora Aida rubbed his forehead helplessly. "Let's put it this way: if the four-eyed guy's team loses by less than fifty points, then Teiko must be having an off day. It's good to have dreams, but you can't keep fantasizing."

"Oh..." After hearing Kagetora Aida's analysis, Reiko Aida lost some of her enthusiasm and gazed blankly at the court.

"All right, don't dwell on it. Let's see how Teiko handles this attack." Kagetora Aida interrupted Reiko Aida's thoughts, his eyes fixed on the Teiko players on the court.

"Daisuke!" Seeing that he couldn't get past Shuzo Nijimura's defense, and that the others on the perimeter were all tightly guarded, Kazuhiko Tanaka finally chose to pass the ball to Daisuke Narumi, who didn't seem to be under quite as much pressure.

"You're giving me this much space. Do you think I can't shoot?" Seeing Atsushi Murasakibara standing a step away, Daisuke Narumi felt insulted. "Fine, I'll shoot it myself!"

"Ken-chan and Momoi were right after all." The instant the ball left Daisuke Narumi's hands, Atsushi Murasakibara plucked it out of the air with one large hand. His lazy voice stood in stark contrast to his nimble movements. "He really is a simple-minded guy."

"This guy!" Daisuke Narumi looked at Atsushi Murasakibara, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his forehead.

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