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

As soon as the shot left his hand, time seemed to freeze.

Except for the players from Shohoku, everyone else in the gymnasium wore expressions of disbelief.

All eyes remained fixed on the basketball, its arc slicing gracefully through the air.

"Did that just happen?"

"That has to be a fluke, right? It must be."

"A half-court three-pointer? How is that even possible?"

"And the height on that shot—nothing but net. It's not like any ordinary shot!"

Over on the Ryonan bench, even Coach Taoka, a seasoned basketball strategist, looked pale with shock.

"No way! Absolutely impossible!"

In all his years as a basketball coach, he had never seen a shot like that. The trajectory, the sheer distance—it was inconceivable that a first-year high school player could pull it off.

Yasuda clasped his hands over his mouth, his voice trembling with amazement.

"Coach... did he really just sink that from so far away? A first-year shooting that high and that far? That's insane!"

Sendoh's pupils narrowed as he watched Ryu already back in position on defense.

It went in?

If it was just luck, that would be one thing. But if that shot reflected Ryu's true ability, then… it was terrifying.

Meanwhile, the Shohoku players were far less surprised than the Ryonan crowd.

After all, guys like Kuwata had already seen Ryu's insane long-range three-pointers during their practice games.

Still, witnessing it again during an actual match left them in awe.

If Ryu's ultra-long three-pointer was a consistent weapon, it meant he had virtually no weaknesses.

The game continued.

Ryonan inbounded the ball.

Sendoh, sharp-eyed and determined, signaled for the ball as Uekusa dribbled it across half-court.

This was Ryonan's go-to strategy: when the team struggled offensively, Sendoh would take matters into his own hands.

This was peak Sendoh—the most dangerous version of him.

With the ball in his hands, standing face-to-face with Ryu, Sendoh began his attack. His body moved in rhythm with the bouncing ball, a subtle dance of deception.

To most, his movements seemed simple, but to Ryu, every part of Sendoh's body screamed "fake."

Sendoh had mastered the art of blending fakes seamlessly into his dribble drives.

"Is he going for a drive? Or a pull-up jumper?"

Ryu locked onto Sendoh's eyes, his focus razor-sharp. While his defense wasn't bad, it couldn't quite match the ferocity of his offense.

Suddenly, Sendoh leaned in with his left shoulder.

"A drive to the left?"

Ryu instinctively shifted to block that angle.

But in the blink of an eye, Sendoh performed a quick crossover, using his left shoulder as a decoy to blow past Ryu on the right.

Ryu's reaction was immediate. He turned to chase down Sendoh, but he was already a step too late.

Sendoh exploited that slight opening, cutting into the paint with ease.

Two strides were all he needed to reach the basket.

"Don't think you'll score that easily!"

Under the hoop, Akagi abandoned his battle with Uozumi to contest Sendoh's drive.

But Sendoh, unfazed by Akagi's imposing presence, leapt fearlessly, meeting Akagi head-on in mid-air.

The thunderous dunk echoed throughout the gym.

Sendoh had just posterized Akagi!

Before the Ryonan fans could erupt in celebration, Shohoku struck back.

Kakuta launched a pinpoint full-court pass to Ryu, who was already stationed a meter behind the three-point line.

Sendoh, now back on defense, immediately closed in.

"This time, there's no way you're getting a clean shot!"

"Defending him from that far out? Looks like Ryu's shot really rattled Sendoh," Ayako murmured, concerned as she watched Ryu with the ball.

Sendoh's defense was formidable, capable of shutting down even Shohoku's ace, Rukawa.

Yet Ryu remained unfazed. His eyes burned with determination as he locked onto Sendoh.

"Super Start!"

With a burst of speed, Ryu activated his signature move.

To Sendoh, it was as if Ryu had vanished, a gust of wind sweeping past him.

In an instant, Ryu was behind Sendoh.

Stopping just outside the three-point arc, Ryu rose for another shot.

The ball traced a perfect arc through the air—a miniature version of his earlier half-court bomb.

Swish!

Nothing but net.

The score shifted to 52–62.

Shohoku was now only ten points behind.

Ryonan's cheering section fell silent, their earlier confidence replaced with unease as they watched Ryu's back.

"Can a first-year really be this good?"

In just two minutes on the court, Ryu had scored ten points, including two outrageous three-pointers.

On Shohoku's bench, the first-years erupted with excitement.

"Awesome, Ryu!"

"Let's keep this up and close the gap!"

"Show Ryonan what Shohoku's made of!"

Coach Taoka sat frozen on the Ryonan bench, his eyes fixed on Ryu.

If their lead shrank to single digits, Ryonan would be in serious trouble.

Shohoku's morale was soaring, and if their momentum wasn't stopped soon, it was only a matter of time before they tied the game.

"We can't wait any longer," Taoka muttered.

He signaled for a timeout.

The referee blew his whistle.

"Ryonan calls for a timeout!"