Bang… bang… bang… the basketball hit the gym floor repeatedly.
Akashi's body radiated instinctive precision.
He moved like a seasoned player, and the tall boy opposite him felt an unfamiliar unease.
Akashi touched the ball. The dribble felt natural, fluid—like breathing, like swimming through water.
The basketball was no longer an object in his hands. It was an extension of his body.
Outsiders could only watch, seeing him dribble again and again without making a move.
"Scared?" the tall boy mocked, noticing Akashi had yet to attack.
Before he could finish, a gust of wind brushed past him.
Bang.
The basketball swished through the net.
Akashi had already moved under the basket, effortlessly shooting.
The tall boy turned in disbelief. How had Akashi bypassed him so easily?
The other club members gasped.
"That… he broke through Kino?"
"What speed! Who is this red-haired kid?"
"No way… that guy's not simple at all."
Akashi tossed the ball back. "Your turn."
The tall boy froze for a moment, then squared his stance.
"I was careless before. Don't get cocky."
He dribbled, charging forward, determined to crush Akashi with his strongest move.
Slap.
The ball vanished from his hands.
Akashi held it calmly, tilting his head, his heterochromatic eyes fixed on him.
The tall boy shivered.
He had been stolen.
In the following rounds, it only got worse.
On offense, Akashi's breakthroughs were lightning-fast. The tall boy could not stop him.
On defense, Akashi moved like a shadow, predicting every dribble, every pass.
By the final round, Akashi had scored a perfect five to zero.
The tall boy, defeated, could no longer contain his tears.
Akashi said nothing. He picked up his bag and walked toward the bench.
A voice called out.
"Hello, student."
Akashi looked up. A man in his twenties approached, introducing himself.
"I am Tatsuya Nishiwa, coach of the Basketball Club. I didn't expect our school to have a student like you. Would you like to join the team?"
Akashi paused. "I… haven't decided yet."
Coach Nishiwa's eyes shone with urgency.
"Join us. I guarantee you'll be a regular player from day one. Your talent is extraordinary—it would be a waste not to play."
Akashi hesitated.
He had come only to settle the bullies, not to join the team. Yet… that strange, exhilarating feeling when he held the basketball lingered in his mind.
Finally, he nodded.
The coach's face lit up. Around them, the other club members gawked in disbelief.
"Regular player… immediately?"
Even those who had passed rigorous assessments were stunned.
Akashi, however, did not care.
"I'll report to the club tomorrow," he said, walking out of the gym.
Now that he had chosen basketball, he would master it.
He would become Seijuro Akashi incarnate in this world.
And he would let everyone witness what true dominance looked like.