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

Outside the Locker Room

As Ryu and the rest of the Shōhoku team walked out, they noticed the gym had filled with people.

Besides Ryonan High's students, reporters from across Kanagawa had also arrived.

"This is just a practice match, yet it feels so big. I'm starting to get nervous," one first-year muttered.

"Same here. I wasn't expecting this many people," another replied.

"But look at Ryu and Rukawa. They don't look nervous at all. Their confidence is insane," Kuwata whispered as the first-years trailed behind the team, visibly tense.

Though they had played in Shōhoku's gym before, the crowd had never been this large, and playing at Ryonan made it even more intimidating. Compared to Ryu's calm demeanor, they felt like clueless rookies.

Ryu glanced around, his expression calm and unbothered.

"It looks like there'll be plenty of witnesses when Shōhoku wins today," he thought.

He had been waiting for a chance to face one of Kanagawa's top four teams and prove himself.

Spotting Hikoichi in the crowd, Ryu gave him a slight nod.

Hikoichi's excitement was palpable. After meeting Ryu at Shōhoku, he had been looking forward to seeing him challenge Ryonan, especially their ace, Sendo Akira.

"Ryu-san, I didn't get to see your skills last time. Let's see what you've got today," Hikoichi muttered to himself, his eyes sparkling with anticipation.

He scanned the Ryonan team for Sendo but frowned when he couldn't find him.

"Where's Sendo-senpai?" Hikoichi wondered.

Coach Taoka's face lit up when he saw Coach Anzai leading the Shōhoku team onto the court.

His thoughts were laced with both anticipation and bitterness.

"Coach Anzai, let's see how strong Shōhoku is now that you have Rukawa Kaede," he thought, clenching his fists.

"Rukawa… you'll regret not joining Ryonan High."

Memories of Rukawa rejecting his offer to join Ryonan surfaced in his mind, making him grit his teeth in frustration.

As the match was about to begin, Ryonan's captain, Uozumi Jun, grew increasingly anxious.

"Sendo! Sendo!" he called out, scanning the crowd for any sign of their star player.

Coach Taoka sighed, shaking his head.

"That lazy guy… but we don't even need Sendo to deal with Shōhoku," he said confidently.

He turned to Uozumi and the rest of the starting lineup.

"Get ready, everyone. This match is ours. Let's score 100 points against Shōhoku!"

"Did you hear that? Coach Taoka said they're going to score 100 points against Shōhoku!"

"That's not crazy at all. Ryonan's one of the top four teams in Kanagawa, and Shōhoku? They're nothing but a weak team."

"Still, with the addition of Rukawa, Shōhoku's strength might have gone up a notch. This could get interesting."

The crowd buzzed with excitement, and the gym's atmosphere became electric.

Reporters snapped photos frantically.

Click! Click!

If Shōhoku pulled off a win, it would be a sensational story, and none of the journalists wanted to miss it.

"Let's go out there and hit 100 points!" Uozumi roared, leading Ryonan's starting players onto the court.

"100 points!"

His teammates—Kikuda Tomoyuki, Yoshinori Hiroaki, Ikegami Ryōji, and Sugihara—echoed his shout with equal enthusiasm.

Hearing Taoka and Uozumi's bold claim, the Shōhoku players grew visibly angry.

"100 points? What a joke," Akagi muttered, his fists clenching tightly.

"This is pure disrespect. We'll show them what we're made of," Kogure said, uncharacteristically riled up.

Even the usually quiet first-years were fuming.

"They think they're so great just because they're a top-four team," Kuwata grumbled.

As for Sakuragi, his temper flared immediately.

"You old geezer and that monkey captain! This genius will make you eat your words!" he shouted, pointing at Taoka and Uozumi.

Taoka glanced at Sakuragi with disdain.

"That red-haired kid is a player? What a joke. He'll regret running his mouth soon enough," he thought smugly.

Uozumi barely spared Sakuragi a glance, his focus locked on Akagi.

Only Akagi mattered to him. Only Akagi could stoke his competitive spirit.

Suddenly, a tall figure with spiky hair strolled into the gym, moving with a lazy yet confident gait.

The moment he appeared, the gym erupted into a frenzy.

"Look! It's Sendo! Sendo is here! He's so handsome!"

"Sendo! Sendo!"

The girls in the crowd screamed his name, their excitement reaching a fever pitch.