Takenori Akagi looked at Coach Anzai, seated comfortably on the sidelines.
A thought surged powerfully into his mind.
He clapped his hands hard, his booming voice carrying across the court. "Gather round!"
All the players quickly gathered around him.
"Coach Anzai rarely gets to watch us practice."
Akagi swept his gaze over everyone before finally looking toward Coach Anzai, seeking his approval.
"To show him the results of our recent training, I propose a twenty-minute intrasquad scrimmage!"
"Upperclassmen against underclassmen!"
"Any objections?"
"None!"
The players answered in unison, their fighting spirit instantly ignited.
Especially in front of Coach Anzai-who wouldn't want to put on a good performance?
"Good!"
Akagi wasted no time and began naming players.
"Upperclassmen team: center, me! Small forward, Kogure! Point guard, Yasuda! Shooting guard, Shiozaki! Power forward, Kakuta!"
This was a relatively experienced core lineup built around Akagi.
"The underclassmen team..."
Akagi looked at the remaining players. Their lineup would take some discussion.
Apart from Kaede Rukawa, the widely acknowledged genius rookie, every other position looked weak.
"I'll play power forward."
A calm voice rang out.
Everyone looked over. It was Kawamoto Kazuki.
He had stepped forward on his own.
Akagi glanced at him and nodded.
Although he still had doubts about Kawamoto's abilities, there was no better choice at the moment.
"Then I'll play shooting guard!"
Hanamichi Sakuragi immediately jumped out and shouted, afraid he would be assigned the dirty, exhausting work of grabbing rebounds.
Akagi frowned, instinctively wanting to object.
A shooting guard needed reliable shooting and an understanding of tactics.
Let a complete novice like Sakuragi play that position?
But looking at Sakuragi's eager eyes, then glancing at Coach Anzai smiling on the sidelines, he stopped.
He swallowed the words on the tip of his tongue.
Forget it. It's only a scrimmage anyway. Let him do it.
"Kaede Rukawa, small forward. Ishii, point guard. Sasaoka, center." Akagi quickly finalized the lineup.
With the lineups settled, both sides began warming up.
Kawamoto Kazuki walked to the sidelines and casually loosened his wrists and ankles.
This time, however, he removed the specially made weighted arm guards and knee guards hidden beneath his sportswear.
The twenty jin of weights served to hone his abilities.
They generally worked remarkably well during dribbling, running, and conditioning drills.
But they had to be removed regularly.
This allowed his body to readjust to its normal state.
That would prevent prolonged weight training from throwing off his muscle memory.
It also ensured that when he truly needed to display his speed and explosiveness, he could hold nothing back.
He picked up a basketball and began warming up with some simple dribbling and shooting.
Yet this seemingly ordinary warm-up made the pupils of Akagi and the others nearby, who were watching him either deliberately or otherwise, suddenly contract!
This...
What was going on?!
Kawamoto's dribbling rhythm was astonishingly fluid, as though an invisible magnetic force connected the ball to his palm.
Between the legs, behind the back, crossovers-each move flowed seamlessly into the next, with an effortless composure.
His shooting form still wasn't particularly textbook, but it conveyed an indescribable sense of coordination and power.
He jumped and released in one fluid motion, the ball tracing a steady, precise arc!
Turmoil surged through Akagi's heart.
This guy...
He never came to team practice in the evenings, so why were his individual skills improving so rapidly?
He felt like a completely different person from the clumsy, sluggish player he had been during earlier training.
Even Kaede Rukawa, stretching impassively nearby, had a flash of shock pass through his narrow eyes.
This feel for the ball...
This utterly natural rhythm...
He clenched his fists, sensing a challenge unlike any he had felt before.
The warm-up ended, and the scrimmage officially began!
Jump ball!
With his height and experience, Takenori Akagi tipped the ball to his team's point guard, Yasuda, without any suspense.
Yasuda settled the pace and organized the offense.
After a series of passes, the ball reached Kiminobu Kogure, who was calling for it on the wing.
Facing Kaede Rukawa's defense, Kogure tried to use his experience to drive past him.
But Rukawa's defense was tight, leaving him no opening.
Unsure he could make a contested shot, Kogure looked inside.
He spotted power forward Kakuta open near the free-throw line!
"Kakuta!"
Kogure called out, flicked his wrist, and passed the ball!
It looked like a safe passing option.
However-
The instant the basketball left Kogure's fingers, something happened.
A ghostlike figure moved!
It was Kawamoto Kazuki!
He seemed to have already anticipated Kogure's passing lane and intention.
Like a cheetah that had long lain in wait, he turned sideways, drove off the floor, and exploded forward!
He moved so fast he left only an afterimage!
Smack!
A crisp sound rang out.
Just before the ball reached Kakuta's hands, a hand appeared out of nowhere and intercepted it with unerring precision!
"What?!"
"So fast!"
Cries of surprise rose from the sidelines!
The steal was successful!
Without the slightest pause, Kawamoto Kazuki powered through his core and shot forward like a tightly wound spring suddenly released.
"Get back on defense!"
Takenori Akagi reacted first, roaring as he drove his massive frame into an all-out pursuit!
Shiozaki and Yasuda of the upperclassmen team also sprinted back desperately, trying to cut him off.
But Kawamoto was too fast!
Like a bolt of lightning tearing through space, he went from stealing the ball to crossing half court in barely a breath or two.
Kaede Rukawa, who had already been behind him, could now only chase at full speed, yet still fell a full body length behind.
A one-man fast break!
The court ahead was wide open!
Kawamoto led the charge, driving into enemy territory like a sharp sword.
In the blink of an eye, he was inside the three-point line.
With no one guarding the basket, he could easily score a layup.
Every upperclassman's heart sank. They had given up this basket!
Just when everyone thought Kawamoto would score himself, something unexpected happened!
Charging inside the free-throw line, Kawamoto didn't slow down, instead using his momentum to leap off one foot.
His body extended lightly in midair.
But he chose not to score.
He took the ball behind his back with one hand and gave it a gentle push.
A no-look pass!
Kawamoto flicked his wrist lightly.
As though it had eyes, the ball sailed straight to a spot above and in front of Kaede Rukawa!
The timing, power, and angle were exquisite.
A flash of extreme surprise crossed Rukawa's eyes, but his body's instincts moved faster than his thoughts.
He jumped with all his strength, caught the pass comfortably in midair, and drew his body taut like a fully pulled bow, then...
Boom!!!
A thunderous two-handed slam dunk!
The rim groaned in agony!
The basket was good!
2-0!
The reserve team struck first!
The entire gym fell deathly silent, then erupted with deafening cries and cheers!
"Beautiful pass!"
"What a fast break! What teamwork!"
Even Coach Anzai's eyes flashed brilliantly behind his thick lenses, his chubby fingers unconsciously tapping his knee.
Kawamoto Kazuki had already landed after the pass and immediately turned to race back into his own half on defense.
As he passed Rukawa, who was still somewhat dazed, he merely said calmly:
"Nice play."
Rukawa landed and watched Kawamoto's retreating back. For once, he didn't immediately get back on defense.
Instead, he stood where he was and gave that tall figure a long, searching look.
His icy face betrayed no expression, but inwardly, he had been profoundly shaken.
A pass like that...
Court vision like that...
He pressed his lips together, ultimately said nothing, and merely nodded silently before hurrying back on defense.
The reserve team led 2-0!
The upperclassmen team inbounded from the baseline.
"Stay steady. Let's score this possession!"
Yasuda received the ball and slowed the pace.
He passed to shooting guard Tetsushi Shiozaki, who had run into space on the wing.
Guarding Shiozaki was none other than Hanamichi Sakuragi.
Looking at the red-haired kid before him, whose defensive stance was full of holes, Shiozaki sneered inwardly.
A complete and utter rookie.
He made a simple between-the-legs dribble, followed by a small crossover...
Sure enough.
Sakuragi was instantly thrown off balance.
Delighted, Shiozaki easily drove past him!
Too easy!
He accelerated toward the basket, preparing to pull up for a jumper.
But the instant he jumped-
"Watch out!!"
Behind him, his teammates Akagi and Kogure shouted their warnings almost simultaneously.
A fierce gust suddenly rushed up from behind him!
A large hand, carrying terrifying power and resolve, swatted viciously at the basketball that had just left his hands!
It was Hanamichi Sakuragi!
He had been beaten utterly, yet his monstrous athleticism and instinctive refusal to lose had allowed him to chase down the play and block the shot from behind!
Smack!!!
A tremendous crack, even louder than Kawamoto's earlier steal, shook the entire court!