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

The date was May 19th. The long-awaited Kanagawa Prefectural Tournament had finally begun.

Ryu stood at the entrance of the gym, taking a deep breath.

For the past few weeks, his training had been intense, with weighted exercises every two to three days. He pushed himself to the limit daily, collapsing from exhaustion before resting.

During this time, Ryu received a new challenge:

Defeat Mitsui Hisashi in a one-on-one post-up game to unlock the "Fadeaway Jumper" skill.

The skill promised an incredibly high success rate (90%) and a low chance of being blocked.

From then on, Ryu added post-up moves to his arsenal. He often challenged Mitsui to one-on-one games, relentless as ever.

At first, Ryu was outmatched. Mitsui easily read his awkward fadeaways. But as Ryu kept practicing, his shots became sharper and harder to contest. Over time, the dynamic shifted, and eventually, Ryu was winning consistently.

Frustrated yet impressed, Mitsui could only curse inwardly. "What a monster. This guy really is a super rookie. How does he improve so fast?"

Sitting in a corner of the gym, Ryu checked his stats with satisfaction.

[Host: Ryu]

Height: 182 cmWeight: 79 kgStamina: B-Speed: B+Strength: BJumping Ability: B+Skills Mastered: Advanced Ball Handling, Full-Court Shooting, Super First Step, Quick Recovery, Phantom Steal, Precise Passing, "C" Dribble Drive, Mid-Air Switch Dunk, Perfect Shooting Form, Eagle Eye, Fadeaway Jumper.

"Hard work really does pay off," Ryu thought with a smile. "Even my height went up by 2 cm. Not bad at all."

He leaned back in his seat on the school bus, closing his eyes and resting as he awaited the start of the game.

Ryu was startled awake by Akagi's booming voice.

"Get off the bus!"

The team filed out, following Coach Anzai as they made their way to the tournament venue.

The stands were packed even before the game started. Among the spectators was the entire Ryonan team, led by Uozumi, Sendoh, Koshino, and Ikegami, who drew immediate attention.

"Wow, it's Ryonan's Sendoh! He's so handsome!"

"But Uozumi looks so intimidating. Definitely one of Kanagawa's Big Four centers!"

"They came to watch Shohoku's game? Did you hear? Shohoku beat Ryonan by eight points in a practice match!"

Koshino, feeling ignored, sighed internally. "Why does no one talk about me?"

Sendoh, ever cheerful, smiled at his teammates. "Let's find some seats and watch the game."

Koshino glanced at Miuradai's team on the court and sighed again.

"Poor Miuradai. Facing Shohoku in the first round? A couple of years ago, Shohoku wouldn't have stood a chance. But now? It's a whole different story."

Sendoh nodded in agreement. "Miuradai's strong, but beating this year's Shohoku will be tough."

The Game Begins!

Shohoku's starting lineup consisted of Yasuda, Kogure, Shiozaki, Kakuta, and Akagi.

Ryu and the others were benched as punishment for their earlier involvement in a fight.

Koshino raised an eyebrow. "They're starting with all their substitutes? And leaving Ryu on the bench?"

"Maybe they don't want to reveal their full strength," offered Hikoichi, though he sounded disappointed. "Guess we won't get to see Ryu in action today."

Uozumi frowned. "What's Anzai-sensei planning?"

Sendoh said nothing, his focus on the court.

In the stands, the spectators buzzed with confusion.

"Why is Shohoku only fielding Akagi? Are they underestimating Miuradai?"

"Where's Ryu? And Rukawa? Aren't they playing?"

On the court, Miuradai's players smirked as they sized up Shohoku's lineup.

"This is the team that beat Ryonan? Hah, Ryonan's just a second-rate team anyway."

"Yeah! Let's crush them. Shohoku's going down in the first round!"

"We're gonna lead by 100 points at halftime!"

Hearing Miuradai's trash talk, both Shohoku and Ryonan players bristled.

Akagi's expression darkened. "They're underestimating us."

In the stands, Uozumi glared at Miuradai's players.

"Stop spouting nonsense!" he roared. "Miuradai, you're in no position to insult Ryonan!"

He turned his attention to Akagi on the court, shouting, "Akagi! Show them what Shohoku can do!"

Koshino tugged at Uozumi's arm, embarrassed by the attention he was drawing. "Uozumi-senpai, calm down. Let's just watch Shohoku."

Sendoh, as composed as ever, simply smiled. He already knew Miuradai wasn't a match for Shohoku.

"Players, take your positions!"

The referee blew the whistle, and the game officially began.

Shohoku's substitutes were on the court, and their starters watched from the bench. Despite the unusual lineup, the energy in the gym was electric. The battle for national glory had begun.