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

The ball Kikuda thought was secure was stolen by Ryu.

Akagi, his expression fierce, couldn't help but praise him: "Ryu, nicely done!"

"Fast break!" he roared to his team.

Kogure was thrilled, his heart racing as he thought, Ryonan's pride is taking a hit faster than I expected.

On the other side, Uozumi barked at Kikuda in frustration.

"Damn it, Kikuda! How could you be so careless?"

"Get back on defense!"

Kikuda clenched his jaw, his face darkening. He had just mocked Shōhoku moments ago, and now, his failure had come back to embarrass him. He chased after Ryu with the rest of his team, desperate to recover.

With the ball in hand, Ryu didn't pass it to Kogure but chose to push forward himself.

Crossing the half-court line, he was quickly met by Ryonan's power forward, Ikegami Ryōji.

Ikegami smirked, his tone dripping with arrogance: "Not bad for a rookie, stealing the ball like that. But don't think you can score on me."

Ryu met his gaze briefly before glancing at the roughly 1.5-meter gap between them. He said nothing, but his calm demeanor made it clear—Ikegami wasn't even worth his attention.

In front of the crowd, Ryu slowly raised the basketball above his head, his legs preparing for a jump. It was unmistakably a shooting stance.

Akagi, Kogure, and the others widened their eyes in disbelief.

Is he really going for a shot from there?

In their practice games, Ryu had pulled this move before, but it was bold—even reckless—to try it now in a real match.

Ikegami, seeing Ryu's confident stance, felt insulted.

"You little punk, don't underestimate me!" he shouted as he leaped, reaching to block the shot.

But the moment Ikegami jumped, Ryu was already airborne, his form elegant and unshaken. He launched the basketball like a missile, the ball tracing a high arc through the air.

"Rebound!" Uozumi shouted, immediately wrestling with Akagi for position under the basket.

Both teams prepared for a fierce battle for the rebound, their faces tense with concentration.

But as everyone braced for action—

"Swish!"

The ball sailed cleanly through the net.

The gym fell silent for a moment.

"What? That actually went in?" Uozumi muttered, his disbelief visible on his face.

Ikegami stood frozen, his arms still raised.

He made it? From that far out?

The crowd erupted into cheers as the realization hit.

"Nice shot, Ryu!" Akagi shouted, his voice filled with excitement.

The Shōhoku bench erupted with cheers, Ayako jumping up with her hands in the air.

On the Ryonan bench, Coach Taoka narrowed his eyes, staring at Ryu. "Impossible. That must've been a fluke."

He couldn't believe a player he had never heard of—someone without any notable record—could make such a daring and accurate shot.

"Coach Anzai, just what are you hiding?" he murmured as he glanced toward the calm and collected Coach Anzai.

Meanwhile, Sendo leaned back in his chair, his face still relaxed. "Hmm. That number 10 on Shōhoku has guts. I'll give him that."

Sendo wasn't focusing on Ryu's skills—he was admiring his courage.

Taking a shot like that at the start of the game isn't just about scoring. It's about lifting your team's morale, Sendo thought, smiling faintly.

From the stands, Hikoichi couldn't contain himself. "It's Ryu! He said he'd crush Ryonan—and even Sendo!"

His outburst drew the attention of Taoka and Sendo, who both turned to him.

Taoka smacked Hikoichi on the head. "Whose side are you on, anyway?"

Sendo, on the other hand, murmured to himself, "So your name is Ryu. Interesting."

All eyes turned to Ryu, who had just become the center of attention.

"Who is Shōhoku's number 10? Where did this guy come from?"

"A shot like that… poor Ikegami didn't stand a chance."

"This game just got a lot more interesting."

Reporters snapped photos furiously.

"Could this number 10 be even better than Rukawa? Shōhoku's true ace?"

"It's starting to look that way!"

Ryonan took possession of the ball, and Shōhoku retreated to defend.

"Ryonan, let's go!" Uozumi shouted, his booming voice energizing his team.

"Let's go, Ryonan!" the players echoed, their fighting spirit reignited.

Kikuda dribbled up the court, his eyes fixed on Ryu rather than Kogure, who was defending him.

"Come on, rookie. Try stealing it again," he muttered, his grip on the ball tightening.