Kazuto's addition finalized the first-year team roster: Kazuto, Rukawa, Ishii, Sasaoka, and Kuwata.
The senior team consisted of Akagi, Kogure, Yasuda, Kakuta, and Shiozaki.
Without Sakuragi's height and rebounding presence, the first-year team was clearly at a physical disadvantage.
"Even though they're just first-years, we can't underestimate them. Let's assign defensive matchups now," Akagi said, glancing at Kazuto and the others.
"I'll guard Rukawa, Kogure will cover Kazuto, Kakuta will defend Sasaoka, Shiozaki will mark Ishii, and Yasuda will guard Kuwata."
Hearing Akagi's assignments, Kakuta, Shiozaki, and Yasuda exchanged surprised glances, clearly puzzled by the captain's serious tone.
"Is it really necessary to be this serious against just first-years?" Yasuda whispered.
"Aren't we going a bit overboard?" Kakuta added.
"Don't underestimate them," Akagi warned sternly. "That Rukawa is incredibly skilled."
Hearing their conversation, Kogure smiled gently and intervened.
"We don't have enough upperclassmen to form a full competitive roster. In future matches, we'll definitely need to field some freshmen. Playing a serious game against them now will help us understand their strengths and weaknesses, allowing us to tailor our training accordingly."
After Kogure's explanation, the three sophomores nodded in understanding.
"Game start!"
Seeing both teams take the court, Ayako announced the start of the match.
As her voice echoed through the gym, Yamada Tadashi, a second-year player acting as referee, tossed the ball high into the air.
Seeing the ball soar, Rukawa Kaede and Akagi leaped almost simultaneously, vying for control of the opening possession.
The sight of the highly-touted rookie and the veteran captain facing off sent a wave of tension through the crowd, all eyes fixed intently on the apex of the jump.
To everyone's surprise, despite Akagi's massive height and reach advantage, he jumped slightly lower than the explosive rookie.
Smack!
Rukawa touched the ball first, tipping it backward toward Kazuto.
Seeing the ball hurtling his way, Kazuto instinctively stepped forward and caught it cleanly.
The moment Kazuto secured the ball, Kogure stepped right in front of him, spreading his arms wide to block his path and prevent a fast break.
"Kouhai, watch out!" Kogure called out, blocking Kazuto's path with a friendly but firm reminder.
As Kogure spoke, a notification chimed in Kazuto's mind.
[Ding! Random Mission Triggered: During the team practice match, successfully dribble past Kogure once to acquire the 'C-Turn' dribbling technique.]
Hearing the notification, Kazuto's expression turned serious.
The 'C-Turn' crossover, though a fundamental move, required extensive practice and body control for beginners to master.
Acquiring it directly through the system would save him considerable time.
More importantly, Kazuto sensed that the System's rewards were enhanced versions of ordinary techniques.
"Senpai, I'm coming!"
As Kazuto spoke, a peculiar glint flashed in his eyes.
His limited stamina meant he couldn't play the entire practice match, even with it halved.
He had to cherish every second.
Without hesitation, he activated his new buff: [Eye of Deception].
Meeting Kazuto's gaze, Kogure momentarily lost focus.
His mind went blank for a fraction of a second, completely unable to read Kazuto's intent. Guessing blindly, Kogure shifted his weight to the left.
The instant Kogure moved, Kazuto's body blurred.
Dropping his shoulder, he darted past Kogure on the right with textbook-perfect posture.
"So fast!"
Kogure's expression turned to shock as he watched Kazuto blow past him. He immediately turned to give chase.
However, with the [Practice Makes Perfect] buff boosting his speed by 20%, Kazuto's agility now rivaled even Rukawa's.
It was impossible for the physically average Kogure to keep up.
Kogure was quickly left in the dust, the gap between them widening rapidly.
The immediate breakdown of Kogure's defense caught the attention of the others, sending a wave of shock through the upperclassmen.
"Kogure got beaten off the dribble?!"
Akagi's face registered genuine surprise.
'His speed is incredible,' he exclaimed inwardly.
"He's almost as fast as Rukawa! His physique is similar to Kogure's when he was a freshman, yet he has such explosive power. It's unbelievable! This kid was hiding his true speed."
Kazuto's performance had genuinely stunned the captain.
Akagi wasn't the only one impressed.
Even the stoic Rukawa showed a flicker of surprise as he watched Kazuto's drive.
'Interesting,' he muttered to himself. 'He's much better than that loudmouth.'
As Rukawa thought this, he glanced disdainfully at Sakuragi on the sidelines, his eyes brimming with quiet contempt.
Turning his attention back to the game, Rukawa cut toward the basket, positioning himself to receive a pass.
Off the court, Coach Anzai witnessed Kazuto's performance and unconsciously sat forward, adjusting his glasses.
"Such perfect form... such explosive first-step power. He moves with incredible efficiency." A satisfied smile spread across his plump face as he settled back into his chair.
"Ho ho ho..."
Hearing Coach Anzai's murmurs, Ayako's eyes fluttered, a soft glow appearing in them.
"His dribbling posture is so graceful," she whispered to herself. "Even putting aside his actual skills, Kazuto's presence on the court is captivating. To achieve this much fluidity in just a few days... if he had started playing basketball in middle school like Rukawa, his current brilliance would be more blinding."
Realizing she was staring a bit too intently, Ayako took a deep breath, fanning her slightly flushed face.
Watching Kazuto's performance from the sidelines, Sakuragi felt a massive surge of envy.
He shouted impatiently, "Four-Eyes! What's going on?! How did you let the exchange student break through so easily? Are you going easy on him?!"
Sakuragi's loud outburst snapped Ayako out of her thoughts.
Annoyed, she grabbed her paper fan and smacked him over the head.
"Focus on your own training! Don't get distracted!"
Sakuragi rubbed his head, wearing a look of utter frustration and resentment.
'Damnit! We both just started playing basketball today, so why is the difference in our treatment so vast?!'
...
Just as Kazuto broke past Kogure, the System's notification chimed.
[Ding! Mission Complete. Acquired the 'C-Turn' dribbling technique. Commencing integration.]
In that instant, the 'C-Turn' became muscle memory.
The sensation was surreal, defying description, yet Kazuto instantly knew how to execute it perfectly.
[C-Turn Dribbling Technique: During a crossover turn, your ball control enters a state of extreme cohesion, rendering it absolutely impossible for opponents to steal or intercept the ball during the transition.]
'Just as I suspected, this is no ordinary turn,' Kazuto mused.
'If it were merely a standard fundamental move, it wouldn't have been a System reward.'
The absolute ball security during the spin was a massive advantage.
"Yasuda, stop him!" Akagi barked, seeing Kogure trailing behind.
He immediately ordered the point guard to step up and block Kazuto's drive into the paint.
Hearing the captain's command, Yasuda sprinted toward Kazuto, determined to cut off his driving lane.
Kazuto didn't slow down in the slightest despite Yasuda stepping into his path.
Kazuto's relentless charge infuriated Yasuda, who felt he was being underestimated.
"Don't look down on me!" Yasuda grunted, lowering his hips and locking his gaze onto Kazuto.
But the moment he met Kazuto's eyes, his mind swam.
[Eye of Deception] took hold.
Doubt crept into Yasuda's mind: 'Is he going left or right?!' Kazuto's gaze was utterly unreadable.
Now Yasuda finally understood why Kogure had frozen up.
'Right!' Yasuda decided, taking a hard step to his right to block the lane.
The moment Yasuda committed, Kazuto darted past him on the left, slicing cleanly through the defense and penetrating the restricted area.
"Damn it!" Alarmed by Kazuto's blow-by, Yasuda frantically turned to chase after him.
Just then, Kogure, who had finally caught up, stepped into the paint to block Kazuto's path, trapping him.
"Kazuto, pass the ball!" Kuwata called out from the wing, gesturing urgently as he saw Kazuto sandwiched between Kogure in front and Yasuda behind.
With Yasuda leaving his man to help Kogure, Kuwata was now completely wide open.
Kuwata's shout drew the attention of the upperclassmen, who instinctively glanced toward the open shooter.
While their focus wavered for a split second, Kazuto swiftly planted his foot and cut hard to Kogure's left.
Seeing Kazuto attempt to force his way through the double team, Kogure smirked confidently.
"Kouhai, you won't break through me this time—"
Before Kogure could finish his sentence, Kazuto executed a flawless, blindingly fast 'C-Turn'.
He pivoted smoothly on his heel, shielding the ball with his body, and spun entirely around Kogure's right side, blowing past him once again.
"That... that was a turnaround crossover!"
Staring at Kazuto's back, Kogure froze in place, utterly bewildered.
He never imagined a total beginner had mastered such a complex, high-speed technique.
Kazuto's dazzling display startled Akagi, who was anchoring the defense under the basket.
The captain's expression turned ferocious.
"Bring it on! Let's see what other tricks you've learned!" Akagi roared.
He stepped up, raising his massive arms, adopting a suffocating defensive stance to personally guard Kazuto at the rim.
"This Kouhai is truly remarkable," Ayako murmured from the sidelines, her eyes wide as she watched him breeze past two upperclassmen and force the captain to step up.
Hearing her praise, Sakuragi bristled with indignation.
"What's up with Four-Eyes and Yasu?! Why are they letting Kazuto through so easily? They're definitely going easy on him, and that's not fair!"
Ayako's displeasure flared. "They aren't going easy on him! Kazuto's dribbling skills are just incredibly solid! As a fellow beginner, you should be taking notes!"
"But Ayako, Kazuto's a beginner too!" Sakuragi retorted, thoroughly exasperated.
Only when Sakuragi pointed this out did Ayako fully process the absurdity of the situation.
Her irritation with the redhead deepened.
"Then you especially need to learn from him! Got it, Sakuragi Hanamichi?!" She raised her paper fan threateningly.
Sakuragi wore a thoroughly dejected expression.
'We're both beginners... why am I the only one getting yelled at?'
On the court, Kazuto faced Akagi's towering defense. He showed no intention of backing down, charging straight toward the basket.
Seeing Kazuto's fearless stance, Akagi's expression darkened.
"Freshman," he barked, "don't underestimate me! You're a hundred years too early to score on me!"
As Akagi roared, he leaped into the air, raising his right hand like a flyswatter to viciously block the incoming layup.
"Senpai... you fell for it."
Seeing Akagi commit to the block, Kazuto flashed a brilliant smile.
Instead of going up for the shot, Kazuto's arm whipped behind his back.
Without even looking, he whipped a crisp behind-the-back pass directly to his left.
Snap!
The ball landed perfectly in the waiting hands of Rukawa Kaede, who had cut baseline while Akagi was distracted.
"Nice pass."
Rukawa caught the ball in stride, leaped toward the newly unguarded basket, and slammed the ball through the hoop with a thunderous two-handed dunk.
First-Years: 2 | Upperclassmen: 0
"Rukawa-kun is amazing!" Kuwata cheered.
"Kazuto-kun is even more impressive! He broke down the entire defense by himself!" Ishii yelled.
"Exactly! He drew three defenders! Without Kazuto's distraction, Rukawa would have had a much harder time scoring against the captain."
"That behind-the-back pass was incredible! Are we sure Kazuto is really a beginner?!"
Seeing their team score first against the veterans, the first-year players were ecstatic.
As soon as Rukawa landed from the dunk, Kazuto immediately turned and sprinted back down the court.
"Don't celebrate yet! Get back on defense!" he shouted.
Heeding Kazuto's command, Kuwata, Ishii, and Sasaoka quickly snapped to attention and sprinted back to their side of the court.
In that moment, Kazuto naturally exuded the aura of a seasoned player.
Watching Kazuto seamlessly orchestrate the offense and command the defense, the surrounding upperclassmen and spectators were left completely speechless.