Slam dunk, hit 100% of the three-pointers at the beginning!

Meanwhile, on the road leading to Ryonan High School, a pink electric scooter was drawing a lot of attention.

Seated on the scooter were a group of boys, utterly indifferent to the stares of passersby, steadily making their way forward.

One of them, a chubby boy squeezed awkwardly onto the scooter's footrest, raised his head with difficulty and grumbled:

"Hey, Yōhei, move back a bit! I'm getting crushed here!"

The boy holding the handlebars, a sharp-looking guy with a confident smirk, snapped back: "Yeah, like I'm not already crammed! Shut it!"

Behind him, a blond-haired boy and a scruffy guy with a little mustache exchanged amused glances.

"Ha! Take it easy, Takamiya," the scruffy one said, laughing. "You can deal with it for a while. But hey, do you think Sakuragi will actually play today?"

The mention of Sakuragi silenced the group for a moment.

Then, Takamiya rubbed his chin thoughtfully, as if he were pondering a great mystery. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he declared with conviction:

"No way. That idiot? There's no chance he's getting on the court!"

The blond-haired guy nodded in agreement at first but quickly shook his head vehemently.

"Wrong! You're underestimating Sakuragi! I bet he'll play!"

"No way."

"He's definitely playing."

The trio erupted into a heated debate, their voices clashing like basketballs hitting the backboard.

The sharp-looking guy at the front, Yōhei Mito, just smiled, letting them argue.

This lively group was none other than the "Sakuragi Army"—a bunch of first-year students at Shōhoku High School and self-proclaimed friends of Hanamichi Sakuragi. Their loyalty to their hotheaded friend had led them to Ryonan's gym, ostensibly to support him... but mostly to laugh at his antics.

Inside Ryonan's basketball gym, the scoreboard displayed a shocking score: 30-10 in favor of Shōhoku.

The atmosphere was tense, and disbelief was etched on every spectator's face.

"Shōhoku is crazy strong this year!"

"That number 10, Ryu—he's incredible!"

"He's already scored over ten points on his own, with four straight three-pointers!"

"Why isn't Sendo on the court yet?" one spectator asked anxiously.

Many others echoed the sentiment. With Shōhoku in such commanding form, the crowd was desperate to see Ryonan's ace take charge.

While Ikegami and the rest of Ryonan's players were solid, they simply couldn't stop Ryu or handle the combination of him and Rukawa.

Coach Taoka sat with a grim expression.

"When did Shōhoku become this strong? Those two first-years—Ryu and Rukawa—they're absolutely terrifying!"

He glanced toward Coach Anzai, who was seated calmly, as always.

"You've been hiding your cards well, Coach Anzai," Taoka muttered under his breath.

Meanwhile, Sendo, who had been lounging with his usual nonchalance, finally sat up straighter. His sharp gaze locked onto Ryu, and a faint smile played across his lips.

"That guy... he's something else," Sendo murmured, his competitive spirit awakening.

Next to him, Hikoichi scribbled furiously into his notebook, excitement radiating from every pore.

"This is incredible! Ryu wasn't bluffing—he's amazing!"

"Shut it, Hikoichi!" Taoka barked, his irritation with both the game and his overly enthusiastic student boiling over.

Ryonan's players were drenched in sweat, frustration etched into their faces.

They had tried everything—tight defense, aggressive plays—but Ryu's shooting was unrelenting, and Rukawa's skillset was proving equally unstoppable.

Even Uozumi, their dominant center, felt stifled. He hadn't had a single meaningful duel with Akagi all game. Instead, he was stuck watching his teammates get picked apart by Shōhoku's relentless offense.

On the Shōhoku side, morale was sky-high.

"Keep it up, Shōhoku! Don't let them breathe!" Akagi roared, his voice echoing like a battle cry.

Rukawa wiped the sweat from his brow, his expression as stoic as ever. Despite scoring 12 points himself, he showed no signs of satisfaction.

His focus was elsewhere.

'Ryu... he's showing everyone that he might be the real ace of Shōhoku. But this isn't over—Sendo hasn't even started playing yet.'

Ryu, meanwhile, maintained a steady rhythm, breathing evenly. Most of his points had come from beyond the arc, and his stamina was holding up well.

In Shōhoku's section of the stands, Ayako and the others were practically bouncing with excitement.

"Let's go, Shōhoku! Keep it up!"

However, one person was conspicuously missing—Hanamichi Sakuragi.

Just as Ryonan was about to inbound the ball, the referee's whistle pierced the air.

"Timeout! Substitution for Ryonan!"

Meanwhile, the Sakuragi Army's pink scooter skidded to a halt outside the gym.

"Finally here," Yōhei announced, hopping off and stretching.

The others scrambled to park the scooter, their argument about whether Sakuragi would play still unresolved.

"Let's get inside—we're going to miss it!" Yōhei urged.

The four of them rushed toward the gym doors, ready to witness whatever chaos their fiery red-haired friend had managed to create.

What awaited them inside was anyone's guess, but one thing was certain: the game was far from over.