"Shigure's move is... too strong?!"
"The Second Team senior couldn't defend at all."
"He actually fell down..."
Courtside.
The waiting rookies buzzed with nervous chatter.
On the court.
Ichiro Jensen, still on the ground after being knocked down by Akito Shigure, looked dazed and disoriented.
Meanwhile...
Hugh Morrison's usual impatience faded from his face as he watched Akito make a smooth shooting motion and land another three-pointer. A hint of seriousness appeared in Hugh's eyes.
Whoosh~!
The clean arc of Akito's high-speed shot crossed half court.
Every Second Team member stared at the ball in mid-air, silently praying that it wouldn't go in.
Unfortunately...
Swish! It dropped through the net—again.
Ray Fuller, standing among the rookies, had already predicted the shot would go in just from the arc. Before it even landed, he muttered, "Another one... What a beautiful release."
Shane Kureno, standing nearby, glanced over at Ray when the shot fell exactly as predicted. Ray quietly turned his head away, avoiding the look.
Shane Kureno: "..."
This guy... If you've got the skill, at least act confident.
Thud.
Back on Court 3, after Akito's offensive round ended, everyone turned their eyes to Court 1.
At that moment—
Hugh Morrison's opponent wore the same dumbfounded expression that Ichiro had earlier.
Maybe worse.
While Ichiro had been caught off guard...
This guy looked like his soul had left his body.
Why...?
Why can I get past his defense... but every time, I still get blocked in a flash?!
How can his speed and reactions be that fast?!
Wait—
Was he baiting me into the paint on purpose—just to swat me?!
My footwork didn't slow him down at all?!
This guy... Is he even human?!
The Second Team player spiraled into deep self-doubt. His eyes were visibly shaken.
Watching this—
Hugh Morrison sneered.
"Tch... Seriously?"
"You idiot."
The gap in skill under the basket was obvious from the very first possession. The trap was clear. And yet this guy still charged right into it…
Seniority? Pride?
Trash.
As Hugh Morrison continued to score, the match on Court 1 devolved quickly. His opponent's confidence collapsed completely.
And when Hugh slammed in another dunk...
The first defeated member of the Second Team was revealed.
1v1, 21-point match.
The final score: 22–0.
Hugh let the rim go as the ball bounced off the ground. He casually flicked it out of bounds with the back of his hand and turned to Coach Kozo Platinum.
"Boring..."
"Is that enough?"
"As promised, I'll join your basketball club."
Off the court, everyone stared at Hugh Morrison's retreating figure. His explosive offense and defense were still etched in their minds.
The rest of the Second Team, having just watched their teammate get demolished, had... complicated feelings.
"Man..."
"There wasn't even a fight..."
"This guy's just different," someone whispered. "I heard from the upperclassmen that over the summer, Coach Platinum didn't even show up to training camp. He spent the whole time trying to recruit Hugh Morrison to Teikō."
"With that kind of strength... makes sense."
"We really need to bring our A-game. Otherwise, if you lose to a rookie and get demoted to Third Team, it'll be humiliating."
"That... can't happen, right? Hugh's just... special."
That last speaker trailed off as his eyes drifted over to Court 3—where Akito Shigure was standing.
Right...
This is just the first round.
And already, two monsters—Hugh Morrison and Akito Shigure—have appeared.
Who knows how many more rookies are like this? We'd better stay alert...
Back on Court 3.
The Second Team player was speechless.
The score: 21–0.
Ichiro Jensen, completely crushed in both mind and spirit, had offered no real challenge to Akito Shigure in the latter stages.
Defensively, Akito wasn't on Hugh Morrison's level. But with an 85 Steal and 80 Interference, it was more than enough to shut down a Second Team-level opponent without needing a single block.
While not as flashy as Hugh's rejections...
Offensively—
Akito's firepower was on another level: Seven three-pointers.
Combined with his control skills that could stun or knock down defenders...
He was every bit as terrifying.
Just like that...
Following Court 1...
The second defeated Second Team member was revealed.
And in the final play—Akito once again used his fully charged Freeze Moment, knocking his opponent flat.
[Road to Glory: Current mission complete...]
In Teikō's 1v1 club admission test, defeat a Second Team player to receive the second part of the "Newbie Benefits (2/2)" and a random normal-tier player from the Slam Dunk mobile game.
[Loading Newbie Benefits (2/2)...]
[Obtained Normal Data Player: Nobunaga Kiyota]
[Player attributes updated...]