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

This time, Araki Kazuo played much more cautiously. Slowly dribbling past half-court, he positioned himself at the top of the arc.

Miyagi pressed him closely, limiting his movement and shrinking his offensive space.

Frustrated by Miyagi's relentless defense, Araki could only move side to side, searching for an opening. Despite being shorter, Miyagi's quick hands and sharp instincts made every possession risky for Araki.

"What a troublesome guy," Araki muttered under his breath.

With the clock ticking down, Araki had no choice but to pass. Spotting his teammate Murasa Kengo at the three-point line, he powered the ball toward him with his right hand.

But before the ball could reach its target—

"Damn it!" Araki cursed as Ryu appeared out of nowhere, intercepting the pass with perfect timing.

"Fast break!" Ryu shouted.

Without stopping, Ryu raced down the court like lightning, calling out to Rukawa to follow.

"Damn that guy! Where did he even come from?" Murasa growled, quickly sprinting back on defense. But no matter how hard he pushed himself, the gap between him and Ryu only widened.

"Why is he so fast?! I can't keep up!"

The other Miuradai players also scrambled back, but it was futile. Ryu was unstoppable.

Near Shohoku's bench, Kogure and the others jumped to their feet, cheering.

"Great steal! Go for the fast break!"

As Ryu reached the basket, he didn't finish the play himself. Instead, he tossed the ball high into the air.

Rukawa soared effortlessly, grabbing the ball mid-air and slamming it down with a thunderous tomahawk dunk.

"Beautiful play!" Kogure shouted.

Miyagi and Mitsui high-fived Ryu as they celebrated the play.

Ryu glanced at Murasa, who had finally caught up, his expression smug and teasing. Murasa's face turned beet red with anger and humiliation.

In the stands, the crowd erupted in awe.

"Their coordination is incredible!"

"Shohoku's No. 10 isn't just a scorer—he's a playmaker too. His court vision is impressive!"

"Have you noticed the score? They've already cut the lead by 8 points in just a few minutes!"

Ayako and the other bench players cheered loudly.

"Great play! Keep the pressure on!" Ayako shouted.

Sakuragi, however, was less enthusiastic.

"Ryu, save some chances for me! You're stealing all the spotlight!" he grumbled.

Leaning against the railing, Amaki watched Ryu's performance intently. Even he couldn't help but nod in approval.

"The timing on that steal, the awareness for the alley-oop pass, and the sheer speed on the break… This rookie is no joke," Amaki murmured.

Originally there to observe Miuradai's strategies, Amaki found himself unexpectedly intrigued by Shohoku.

At Ryonan's bench, Uozumi was quietly thrilled by Miuradai's struggles.

"That's it, Shohoku! Show them what you're made of!" he muttered under his breath.

Miuradai regained possession, with Araki cautiously bringing the ball up again. His earlier confidence had taken a hit.

He passed to their center, Kawasaki Akio, who immediately went to work in the post against Akagi.

"You think we'll let you catch up so easily? Akio, show them what we've got!" Araki shouted.

Kawasaki turned and backed into Akagi, looking for a chance to shoot. When he found an opening, he went for the layup, yelling as he released the ball.

"Don't underestimate Miuradai, Akagi!"

But Akagi wasn't about to let that happen.

"Not a chance!" he roared, swatting the ball away with a powerful block.

Ayako cheered from the sidelines.

"There it is! Akagi-senpai's signature block!"

Miyagi grabbed the loose ball and sped down the court for another fast break. His movements were a blur, and within seconds, he was at the basket. With a smooth finger roll, he scored, then glanced at Ayako with a confident grin.

The look seemed to say, Did you see how cool I was?

Ayako gave a polite nod before turning her focus back to Ryu, much to Miyagi's dismay.

Araki's frustration grew as Miyagi scored yet another basket.

"What a pesky guy," Araki grumbled as he jogged back on defense.

In the stands, the crowd was abuzz.

"Shohoku's defense and offense are top-tier!"

"They've already cut the lead by 10 points! Miuradai hasn't even scored!"

"They're completely overwhelmed. The momentum is all Shohoku's now!"

Five Minutes Later

Ryu, breaking through Miuradai's defense, dished a perfect pass to Mitsui.

Mitsui caught the ball despite tight defense from Takatsu Hiroshi. With a swift fadeaway jumper, Mitsui released the ball, sending it in a graceful arc before it swished cleanly through the net.

With Shohoku's relentless offensive assault, the game was now tied.

In just five minutes, Shohoku had gone on a 30–4 scoring run, turning the tide completely.

The spectators stared at Shohoku's players in disbelief.

"They've tied it already? Shohoku is no joke this year!"

"That three-point shooter—his form is perfect. It's like watching art!"

"And No. 10, even when he's not scoring himself, he's setting up his teammates beautifully. He's the glue holding everything together."

Uozumi's gaze settled on Mitsui, who had just made the fadeaway.

"Why does that guy look so familiar?" Uozumi muttered, tapping his head as he thought. Then it hit him.

"Mitsui… That's Mitsui Hisashi! He's back!"

Ryonan's bench froze.

"Miyagi and Mitsui are playing now? We lost by 10 when they weren't even on the court!"

"And Ryu's improved so much since that practice match. He's running the offense like a pro."

Realizing the uphill battle Miuradai faced, Ryonan's players couldn't help but pity them.

Their coach called a timeout, his face grim as he gestured to the referee.

"Beep!"

The referee signaled the pause.

In the stands, Amaki recalled Mitsui from his middle school days.

"Mitsui, the star from junior high… I didn't expect him to return to basketball. Shohoku's completely transformed."

Amaki's calm expression shifted slightly, his aura radiating authority.

"Still, even with their improvements, Kainan's reign won't be threatened. But two sharpshooters like Ryu and Mitsui… This could be fun."

Taking out his phone, he made a quick call.

"Shin, are you here yet?"