I Am Shohoku's Ace!

When Shirakawa walked off the court, he was met by the gazes of all his teammates, filled with awe, admiration, and a trace of fear.

No one dared treat him as an ordinary first-year substitute anymore.

In their eyes, this white-haired boy had already become an unfathomable monster.

Ryota Miyagi looked at him with mixed feelings. He had originally thought that he and Kaede Rukawa would be Shohoku's twin stars of the future, but now, an even more dazzling supernova had appeared out of nowhere, eclipsing everyone else's brilliance.

Takenori Akagi looked at him, his heart full of complicated emotions. He was excited that Shohoku had gained such a powerful asset, but Shirakawa's arrogant and unruly personality also worried him a little.

Hanamichi Sakuragi glared at him with an annoyed look, muttering, "That damn white-haired fox loves showing off even more than that stupid fox! This genius's position is in danger!"

Shirakawa ignored everyone's gazes and walked straight up to Coach Anzai.

"Coach, the tryouts... should be over, right?"

Coach Anzai looked at him with a warm smile and nodded. "Ho ho ho, they're over. Shirakawa, congratulations. From today onward, you are an indispensable member of Shohoku."

"No."

Shirakawa shook his head and corrected him.

His gaze swept across the court, over every teammate's face, before finally landing on Kaede Rukawa, who was still standing on the court, unwilling to accept defeat.

Then, in a clear and unquestionable tone, he announced to everyone:

"From today onward, I am Shohoku's ace!"

Boom!

Those words exploded in everyone's hearts like thunder crashing down from the heavens!

Ace!

He had actually proclaimed himself Shohoku's ace in front of everyone!

After Kaede Rukawa arrived, Shohoku's battle for the ace position had always been a silent rivalry between him and Captain Akagi.

But now, Shirakawa had declared his status in the most direct and domineering way possible!

Kaede Rukawa's body jolted. He raised his head, his flame-filled eyes locked fiercely onto Shirakawa.

Takenori Akagi's brows furrowed tightly as well.

"Too arrogant," Ryota Miyagi couldn't help muttering.

Yet this time, no one agreed with him.

Because Shirakawa had proven through his strength that he was qualified to say those words.

He had crushed Miyagi, broken through the siege of the three main players, and utterly defeated the super rookie Kaede Rukawa in a one-on-one match.

That string of performances was enough to make him the unquestioned core of any team!

Coach Anzai looked at the sharp-edged young man before him. Not only was he not angry, but the smile on his face became even brighter.

"Ho ho ho... Confidence is a good thing."

He neither confirmed nor denied it.

Because he knew that a true ace was not declared, but... fought for!

Just then, the system notification sounded in Shirakawa's mind again.

[Ding! The host has completed the hidden achievement: 'Ace Declaration'!]

[Achievement reward: Miracle Points x200!]

[Current Miracle Points: 700!]

[Ding! The host has defeated the key character 'Kaede Rukawa' in a one-on-one match. New items have been unlocked in the system store!]

[Open the system interface?]

"Open!" Shirakawa silently said in his mind.

A pale blue virtual screen, visible only to him, appeared before his eyes.

Three simple sections were displayed on the screen: [Missions], [Draw], [Fusion].

He opened the [Draw] section.

A massive roulette wheel appeared before him. It was divided into countless slots, each flickering with a different glow.

[Standard Draw (costs 100 Miracle Points): Chance to obtain C- to A-rank player skills or talent fragments.]

[Advanced Draw (costs 500 Miracle Points): Chance to obtain S-rank player skills or talent fragments, with a small chance of obtaining a complete player template (5% fusion rate).]

Shirakawa looked at the "Advanced Draw" option and selected it without hesitation.

He had 700 points now, enough for one advanced draw!

Ordinary skills could no longer satisfy him. If he was going to play, he would play big!

"System, conduct one advanced draw!"

[ Ding! 500 Miracle Points consumed. Advanced draw begins!]

The massive roulette wheel before him began spinning at high speed. Countless lights intertwined, dazzling the eye.

Shirakawa's heart rose with it.

Give me something good! Shintaro Midorima's Full Court 3-Point Shot would be best, or Murasakibara's Destructive Hammer!

He prayed frantically in his heart.

At last, the roulette wheel gradually began to slow.

The pointer swept across one S-rank skill slot after another, each gleaming with golden light.

[Emperor Eye]... It passed by.

[Full-Court Shooting]... It passed by again.

[Perfect Copy]... It passed by too.

Shirakawa's heart was practically leaping out of his throat.

In the end, the pointer slowly stopped on a slot radiating green light.

[Ding! Congratulations, host! You have drawn the exclusive skill of S-rank player Shintaro Midorima:]

[Full Court 3-Point Shot (Full Court 3-Point Shot)!]

[Skill description: As long as the shooting form is not disrupted, an ultra-high-arcing three-point shot can hit the basket with 100% accuracy from any corner of the basketball court!]

[Fuse this skill immediately?]

Holy shit!

It was here!

It had really come!

A wild gleam of delight burst from Shirakawa's eyes!

Shintaro Midorima's Full Court 3-Point Shot!

This was one of the most broken scoring skills in the world of Kuroko's Basketball!

With Aomine's speed and driving ability, combined with Midorima's absurdly unstoppable, guaranteed three-pointer!

What did that mean?

It meant that from now on, there would be no dead zone for him anywhere on the entire basketball court!

He could blow past opponents and finish with a Formless Shot.

Or, the moment he crossed half court—or even from his own backcourt—he could shoot directly and use an ultra-long three-pointer to shatter his opponent's mental defenses!

"Fuse it! Fuse it right now!"

Shirakawa screamed wildly in his mind.

[Ding! Skill fusion in progress... Fusion successful!]

A completely new sensation poured into his body.

His sense of distance and the basket became clearer than ever before.

It was as if an invisible line stretched from his fingertips all the way to the center of the hoop.

As long as he wanted it, he could make the basketball fly precisely along that line and into the basket!

Shirakawa slowly raised his head, his gaze passing over the crowd toward the basket at the other end of the court.

In his eyes, that distant hoop seemed within arm's reach.

An unnoticed, mischievous smile curled across his lips.

"Everyone in Kanagawa..."

"Are you ready to welcome a rain of threes?"

He turned around and looked at his teammates, who were preparing to leave, before suddenly speaking.

"Wait."

Everyone looked at him in confusion.

Shirakawa picked up a basketball and walked outside the baseline on his side of the court.

He was a full twenty-eight meters from the basket at the other end.

Under everyone's baffled gazes, he slowly raised the basketball and assumed a standard shooting stance.

"Coach, everyone."

Shirakawa's voice echoed through the empty gymnasium.

"Next, I'll show you something interesting."