Match day.
You could hear the murmurs echoing throughout the gym. Everyone was buzzing about the upcoming clash—Horizon vs Tennoji High.
Over the past few days, we'd drilled non-stop on how to guard against shooters. We had Rei, our own sharpshooter, to help us simulate Tennoji's plays. But even then… nothing really prepared us for Renji Arimura.
Height: 179 cm. Release: impossibly quick. Range: limitless.
He was the centerpiece of Tennoji High's infamous shooting machine. And no matter how solid your defense was—three still beats two. Based on stats alone, a good three-pointer is worth 1.5x more than a solid layup. And this guy? He didn't just shoot. He buried teams.
As I returned from the restroom, someone called out to me.
"Yo, Dirga."
I turned—and there he was.
Masaki King.
The name alone made the air heavier. After Toyonaka High defeated Sakai Minami—one of the Four Monarchs—Masaki had been dubbed King of the Court by local media. And he lived up to it.
"Ah, Masaki. Or should I say King?" I replied with a smirk.
"Don't start with that," he chuckled, "but hey… we'll see each other in the finals, right?"
His fiery gaze burned with certainty.
"Yeah. Let's meet there," I answered.
"Then win your game today."
He gave me a nod before walking off. His Japanese had improved a lot, but his presence… still heavy. Still sharp.
When I got back to the team, I mentioned I ran into Masaki.
"Oh? That guy said hi?" Rei raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah. He wished us luck." I glanced at Coach Tsugawa. "Let's not disappoint."
We were assigned to the main court today. As we stepped out of the locker room, I scanned the stands.
More Horizon fans this time. Leading the cheer?
Ayaka Minazuki.
Still beautiful as ever. I caught her mouthing "Ganbatte," and I gave a quick wave in return.
"Oohh! There's love in the air~" Taiga teased behind me.
"You'll get a nephew soon, Sayaka," Aizawa added with a sly grin.
"Nice," Rikuya muttered as he patted my shoulder, stone-faced as always.
Truthfully, Ayaka and I weren't that close—just some casual conversations and a few moments of encouragement. But maybe… after the tournament, I'd ask her out.
Time to focus.
We changed into our jerseys and gathered at the bench.
"For this game," Coach Tsugawa began, "Dirga will start. We've held you back until now—time to unleash you as our surprise weapon."
"Yes, Coach."
"Remember: don't let them find their rhythm. Force tough shots. Disrupt their flow."
"YES, COACH!"
As warm-ups began, Tennoji High showed off their specialty—long-range shooting. Not just from the arc. Their shooters were comfortable several feet beyond it. Their form, their spacing, their confidence... it was terrifying.
This wouldn't be a paint battle. It would be a war of numbers.
"Come to center court!" the referee called.
Horizon
Starting Lineup:
PG: Dirgantara renji
SG: Rei Hoshino
SF: Aizawa Haruto
PF: Taiga Okabe
C: Rikuya Asano
Tennoji High
Opponent Lineup:
PG: Renji Arimura (Captain)
Age: 17 (3rd Year)
Height: 179 cm
Weight: 67 kg
Attributes:
Inside Scoring: B
Shooting: S
Playmaking: A
Defense: B+
Physical: B
Mental: A+
SG: Akihiko Nanase
Age: 16 (2nd Year)
Height: 175 cm
Weight: 66 kg
Attributes:
Inside Scoring: C+
Shooting: A
Playmaking: B
Defense: B
Physical: B
Mental: B
SF: Kazuma Shibata
Age: 17 (3rd Year)
Height: 180 cm
Weight: 72 kg
Attributes:
Inside Scoring: B+
Shooting: A
Playmaking: B
Defense: B
Physical: B+
Mental: B+
PF: Ryohei Matsuoka
Age: 16 (2nd Year)
Height: 182 cm
Weight: 78 kg
Attributes:
Inside Scoring: B
Shooting: B +
Playmaking: C
Defense: B
Physical: A
Mental: B
C: Kenjiro Aota
Age: 17 (3rd Year)
Height: 186 cm
Weight: 85 kg
Attributes:
Inside Scoring: B
Shooting: B +
Playmaking: C
Defense: A
Physical: A
Mental: B
As I activated Inspect, I saw it clearly. Their team was built around perimeter dominance. Even their big men had shooting touch. But Renji Arimura stood above them all—his attributes were maxed where it mattered most.
S in Shooting. A+ Mental.
A true sniper.
The whistle blew.
Jump ball.
Rikuya towered over Kenjiro and won it easily, swatting the ball back to me.
Let's set the tone.
I caught it, sped past half court, and waved off the screen.
Isolation.
I dribbled through my legs twice, broke left, then executed a clean euro step to slice through their weak-side help. One smooth motion—left foot, gather, right step—
Layup.
2–0.
The first blow was ours.
From the sideline, I could hear Ayaka's faint cheer.
But Tennoji didn't flinch.
Their PG—Renji Arimura—calmly brought up the ball. He passed to the wing, then cut through two screens. We knew the play. We practiced defending it.
Didn't matter.
Renji caught the return pass, stepped into a three from the top of the arc, and launched it over Taiga's late contest.
Perfect arc. Swish.
2–3.
A statement. Direct and cold.
A statement… met with another.
Game on.