The New Starting Point Guard Is Me!

Dead silence.

The entire gymnasium fell into a deathly hush.

Everyone craned their necks, staring dumbfounded at the figure hanging one-handed from the rim, his body still swaying slightly.

Sweat dripped from the tips of his hair.

His chest rose and fell from the intense exertion.

Yet his face bore a smile that seemed to look down upon the world.

"Boom!"

The thunderous clang of the rim still echoed in everyone's ears.

Takenori Akagi stood beneath the basket, closest to the action. He could clearly feel just how terrifying the impact of that dunk had been.

He even felt as if the entire hoop had trembled in that instant.

He looked up at the figure who had jumped higher than him and attacked with even greater ferocity, his eyes filled with complicated emotions.

Shock, frustration, and a trace of... fear he was unwilling to admit even to himself.

Shohoku's iron wall?

Before that play, the defense he had taken such pride in had been like paper, torn apart with ease.

On the other side, Kaede Rukawa and Ryota Miyagi had gone completely rigid as well.

The double-team defense they had been so proud of had been broken through as though they were being toyed with.

And that earthshaking self-alley-oop dunk had shattered the last scraps of pride in their hearts.

"Monster... This guy... he's nothing but a monster..." Ryota Miyagi muttered dazedly.

Kaede Rukawa clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug into his flesh, yet he felt no pain at all.

There was only one thought in his mind.

I... actually got left behind by him...

As a genius, he had never felt so clearly before just how unreachable the gap was between himself and someone his own age.

"Hey... Hey... That just now... was a dunk, right?"

Hanamichi Sakuragi's voice trembled slightly. As the self-proclaimed "King Under the Basket," he had never completed a dunk in an official setting.

Yet Shirakawa, who was even a few inches shorter than him, had thrown down such an explosive dunk right in front of Shohoku's three main starters!

The impact it had on him was beyond compare.

Gulp.

Kiminobu Kogure swallowed with difficulty, feeling as though his throat was dry enough to smoke.

"When did Shohoku... get a... god like this?"

"Wah—!"

After that brief, dead silence, the players on the bench finally erupted into thunderous cries and discussion!

"He's too strong! This isn't even high school level!"

"One against three! He dunked and scored against Captain Akagi, Rukawa, and senior Miyagi!"

"Am I watching an NBA game?!"

"Shirakawa... who the hell is he?!"

At that moment, no one dared to look at Shirakawa with contempt again.

In their eyes, Shirakawa's figure had become incomparably towering, carrying even more pressure than Takenori Akagi, who stood like a mountain on the court!

Shirakawa released the rim and landed lightly on the floor.

He did not look back at the three figures frozen behind him. Instead, he walked straight to the sideline, stopping in front of Coach Anzai.

Everyone's eyes followed him.

They were all waiting for Coach Anzai's final judgment.

What would become of this monster who had appeared out of nowhere?

Would he remain with the team, or...

Shirakawa stood before Coach Anzai, breathing lightly, but his eyes shone with a frightening brightness.

He said nothing, simply gazing quietly at the White-Haired Buddha.

Coach Anzai looked back at him. The smile on his face had vanished, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness and focus.

The two stared at each other for more than ten seconds.

The entire gym was quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

Finally, Coach Anzai spoke slowly. His voice was not loud, but it exploded in everyone's heart like a thunderclap.

"Shirakawa."

"Yeah." Shirakawa answered.

"Starting today..." Coach Anzai paused, sweeping his gaze across the court before it finally settled on Ryota Miyagi. Only then did he slowly say:

"You are the Shohoku Basketball Team's... starting point guard."

Boom!

One stone stirred a thousand waves!

Starting point guard!

Those words shocked everyone even more than that monstrous dunk had!

Ryota Miyagi, one of Kanagawa's top point guards, had just... been replaced by a first-year newcomer who had joined the team less than two months ago?

Ryota Miyagi's body jolted. He raised his head and stared at Coach Anzai in disbelief.

His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.

He had lost.

He had lost completely, leaving him with nothing to say.

The strength Shirakawa had displayed had utterly surpassed his understanding. Even Ryota himself had no confidence that he deserved the starting spot over him.

Akagi and Kaede Rukawa fell silent as well.

They were proud, but they were not people who could not accept defeat.

Shirakawa had earned their respect—and that position—with absolute strength.

The moment Coach Anzai's words fell, that cold mechanical voice sounded in Shirakawa's mind once again.

[Ding! Main quest: "Establish a Foothold at Shohoku" completed!]

[Quest Rating: S (Perfect)]

[Quest Reward: Miracle Points x300!]

[Beginner Gift Pack hidden quest: "Astonish Everyone" completed!]

[Quest Rating: S (Perfect)]

[Quest Reward: Miracle Points x200!]

[Current Miracle Points: 500!]

[Congratulations, Host! The [Lottery] section has been unlocked! Would you like to draw immediately?]

It was here!

Shirakawa's heart leaped with joy.

This was what he had been looking forward to most!

Five hundred points... who knew what good stuff he could draw!

He suppressed the urge to draw immediately and kept his expression calm.

He turned around and looked at his teammates behind him, all wearing different expressions.

He walked up to the despondent Ryota Miyagi and extended his hand.

"Senior, please take care of me from now on."

His tone was sincere, devoid of the arrogance and provocation from before.

Give someone a slap, then hand them a sweet date. That had been his survival rule in the workplace in his previous life.

Now that he had proven himself with his strength, there was no need to keep pressing them. Uniting his teammates was the first step toward dominating the nation.

Ryota stared at Shirakawa's outstretched hand for a long while. In the end, he gritted his teeth and took it.

"I... I won't admit defeat! I'll definitely take back the starting spot!"

His words were still stubborn, but the hostility in his eyes had disappeared. What remained was unwillingness and a target to chase.

Shirakawa smiled and released his hand.

At that moment, a cold figure stepped in front of him.

It was Kaede Rukawa.

Kaede Rukawa stared at him intently, unprecedented flames burning in those narrow eyes.

The air around them seemed to turn scorching hot from his fighting spirit.

"Hey."

Kaede Rukawa's voice was as concise and cold as ever.

"One-on-one."

He pointed toward the center of the court.

"Now."