The Game Begins—No Rush, Sleep First

"Oh, right. Sendoh still hasn't arrived."

Taoka glanced at his watch and frowned.

Then his expression relaxed again. "But even without Sendoh, Uozumi and the others are more than enough to deal with you."

"How arrogant!"

The other players present clenched their fists.

Just then, a lazy voice abruptly rang out.

"Um... excuse me."

Everyone turned toward the voice.

Lin Bei had raised one hand while rubbing his sleepy eyes with the other.

"Excuse me, where's the visiting team's bench?"

"The lights here are too glaring. Is there somewhere... a little darker, preferably with good ventilation?"

The entire gym fell silent.

Taoka Moichi froze.

Uozumi froze.

Even Akagi felt his face heat up.

This guy...

At a moment this tense, with the air thick with gunpowder.

The only thing he cared about was where he could sleep comfortably?!

"Pfft..."

Someone on Ryonan's team couldn't hold back a laugh.

"HAHAHAHA! This is Shohoku's rookie?"

"Did he come here on vacation?"

"I'm dying here, Captain Akagi. Where did you pick up this little treasure?"

Mockery washed over them like a tide.

Taoka Moichi shook his head, the contempt in his eyes deepening.

"Looks like I overestimated you."

"Akagi, with players who have that kind of attitude, you can't win."

Akagi took a deep breath and turned to Lin Bei.

There was no reproach in his eyes—only a deeper meaning.

"Lin Bei."

"Go sit down."

"But remember what I told you yesterday."

Akagi's voice was low enough for only Lin Bei to hear. "If things go wrong, get your ass out there."

"Got it, Captain."

Lin Bei looked as if he had been granted a pardon.

Ignoring the laughter around him, he walked straight toward the bench in the corner.

He found the most comfortable position and draped a towel over his head.

But the instant the towel covered his face, a fleeting, icy glint flashed through his dead-fish eyes.

[System Notice: Detected a group taunt from enemy coach Taoka Moichi]

[Mission Issued: Time to Slap Some Faces]

[Mission Objective: Make Taoka Moichi show an "unbelievable" expression at least three times during the game]

[Mission Reward: Stamina Potion (Medium) x1, Skill Point x1]

[Failure Penalty: Forced participation in a week-long hellish conditioning program]

"Tch."

A soft sigh came from beneath the towel.

"I just wanted to quietly be a handsome man."

"But you just had to make me work overtime..."

"Why are old men these days all so asking for a beating?"

"Sendoh isn't here. Sleep first."

"Hurry, hurry! The game seems to have already started!"

A crack opened in the gym's heavy iron doors, and three panting girls squeezed inside.

Haruko Akagi ran in front, her cheeks flushed red from the hard sprint.

Fujii and Matsui, behind her, were even more out of breath, hands on their knees as they struggled to straighten up.

"Good... we made it."

Haruko patted her chest and anxiously looked toward the court.

But the next second, she froze.

At the front of the stands.

Three girls in matching uniforms waved pom-poms in perfect unison, their piercing cries drilling into everyone's ears like demonic chants.

"Kaede Rukawa! Kaede Rukawa! L-O-V-E! Kaede Rukawa!"

The Rukawa Kaede Fan Club.

Their fanatical energy stood out all the more in a gym with only a handful of scattered spectators.

"Uh..."

Haruko awkwardly shrank back and silently led her friends toward a spot in the corner.

"Um... Rukawa really is popular," Fujii muttered quietly.

On the court.

The referee blew the whistle.

"Beeep—!"

Takenori Akagi and Jun Uozumi, two towering giants, leaped at the same time.

"Hah!"

With his astonishing vertical leap, Akagi's fingertips reached the basketball first.

The ball was tipped toward Shohoku's backcourt.

"Nice one, Gorilla!"

"Knock that monkey boss flat!"

Hanamichi Sakuragi waved his fists from the sidelines, his voice loud enough to reach the second floor.

"Shut up! That's the captain!"

Ayako smacked the back of Sakuragi's head with her paper fan.

In the stands, Yohei and the other three members of Sakuragi's Gang leaned against the railing, drinks they had just bought in their mouths.

"Wow, Hanamichi's still as energetic as ever."

"But it looks like he's warming the bench again."

"He's the secret weapon, after all. Hahaha."

Yuji Ookusu laughed without a care in the world.

The situation on the court suddenly changed.

Yasuda had just received the ball Akagi tipped back and was about to dribble across half court.

A blue-and-white figure suddenly darted in from the side.

Ryonan's number 6, Tomoyuki Uekusa.

Even on a Ryonan team known for its defense, his stealing ability ranked among the best.

"Smack!"

The crisp sound of a steal rang out.

Yasuda felt his hand go empty, and the ball was already gone.

"What?!"

Before Shohoku could react.

Uekusa had already gone coast to coast, slipping into the paint for an easy layup.

2:0.

Ryonan struck first.

On the sideline, Taoka Moichi stood with his arms folded, a smug curve lifting the corner of his mouth.

"Hmph, just as expected."

"Other than Akagi, Shohoku's point guards are far too inexperienced."

"As long as we shut down Akagi and capitalize on their guards' mistakes..."

"This year, Ryonan will definitely make it to the National Championship!"

Taoka watched the flustered Yasuda on the court, secretly delighted.

Shohoku attacked.

Takenori Akagi established position in the paint, while Uozumi pressed against his back like a boulder.

"Get me the ball!"

Akagi roared.

The ball was passed to Akagi.

Posting up, he powered through Uozumi, spun around, and was about to slam it home.

"Don't underestimate me!"

Uozumi let out a furious roar. His massive body somehow rose again, and one huge hand viciously pressed down on the basketball.

"Bang!"

Player and ball were both sent flying in a brutal block!

"So strong..."

Kogure grabbed the loose ball and tried to pull up for a mid-range shot.

"Smack!"

Another huge hand! Uozumi had actually jumped for a second time and swatted Kogure's shot out of bounds.

"My god! Is that big guy a monster?"

"Two straight blocks!"

A wave of shocked cries rose from the stands.

The next few minutes became a nightmare for Shohoku.

Kaede Rukawa tried to drive, but Uozumi's help defense disrupted him and his shot missed.

Akagi attacked the basket again, but he was called for traveling under the double-team of Uozumi and forward Ikegami.

Meanwhile, Ryonan's offense flowed smoothly.

Koshino's three-pointer, Uekusa's fast break, Uozumi's overpowering play under the basket.

The numbers on the scoreboard climbed wildly.

10:0.

14:0.

Shohoku had yet to score a single point.

"Good! Keep it up!"

"Crush them in one go!"

"We're scoring 100 points!"

On Ryonan's bench, the players' morale soared, their roars shaking the gym.

On Shohoku's side, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.

"Old man! Put me in!"

Hanamichi Sakuragi could no longer sit still.

He rushed in front of Coach Anzai, his entire face nearly pressed against Anzai's glasses.

"Look at that fox, Kaede Rukawa. He's completely useless!"

"Only this genius can save the team!"

"Let me go in and smash that monkey boss out of the way!"