A figure slowly walked toward the court, looking over at the game in progress.
On the court, Shuzo Nijimura held the ball, staring at Dicky Anthony with sharp focus, his body already set in an attacking stance.
"Hm? Nijimura?"
Ryota Kise's eyes widened when he recognized the familiar figure.
That's right—it was Ryota Kise.
He had just finished a modeling photoshoot when he noticed a crowd gathering nearby and wandered over to see what was happening.
He hadn't expected to run into someone he knew.
Kise's expression gradually turned serious as he watched the court—more precisely, as he watched Dicky Anthony.
"So tall… He's even taller than Murasakibara-cchi."
Kise was genuinely shocked. Dicky Anthony was simply enormous.
A height of 2.14 meters had an overwhelming impact.
On the court, Shuzo Nijimura looked extremely serious.
Kise knew—if Nijimura was wearing that expression, it meant his opponent was strong.
Meanwhile, Miyamoto Tokima and Satsuki Momoi stood off to the side, acting as referees.
Kise found himself drawn in as well, deciding to stay and watch the one-on-one before leaving.
On the court.
Nijimura gathered the ball in both hands and instantly lifted it into a shooting motion.
Dicky Anthony reacted by raising his right arm high, preventing Nijimura from pulling up suddenly.
Kise's eyes widened.
Dicky Anthony hadn't even shifted his center of gravity, yet that single raised arm was already enough to interfere with the shot.
"What kind of wingspan is that…? What kind of physical talent…? What kind of monster is he?"
Kise had thought Atsushi Murasakibara was already a monster. He hadn't expected to see someone whose physical attributes seemed even more outrageous.
In reality, though, it wasn't that simple.
Murasakibara's body was still developing, while Dicky Anthony was nearly fully grown.
Comparing them now wasn't entirely fair.
Given Murasakibara's talent, his future physical ceiling would almost certainly surpass Dicky Anthony's.
As for shooting ability… that was another matter entirely…
On the court.
Seeing that Dicky Anthony could almost contest him just by extending one arm, Nijimura clicked his tongue.
"You're seriously ridiculous. Your body's still developing?"
Dicky Anthony grinned.
"What, I'm not allowed to grow? And let me tell you—it's not just my body that's developing."
Nijimura's face darkened.
"You're not making some dirty joke, are you?"
Dicky Anthony blinked.
"What?"
At that moment, Nijimura suddenly smiled—and vanished from in front of him.
Realizing he'd been faked out, Dicky Anthony immediately chased after him, shouting:
"Nijimura! That's not fair!"
Nijimura sprinted toward the basket, laughing.
"Don't lose focus during a game!"
He exploded upward, preparing for a dunk.
Thud thud thud!!!
Rapid footsteps thundered behind him.
Thud!!!
A heavy stomp followed.
Dicky Anthony launched himself from behind, extending his arm—and actually cut off Nijimura's dunking path.
If Nijimura had forced it, the dunk would have been blocked for sure.
Off the court, Kise was already staring in disbelief.
"What… what kind of speed is that? He covered that distance in an instant!"
On the court.
Sensing Dicky Anthony closing in, Nijimura adjusted midair, pulling the ball back.
He twisted his body and avoided the block, finishing the play cleanly.
Swish.
1–0.
After landing, Nijimura let out a long breath.
"That was close. If I'd reacted a second slower, that would've been a block."
Dicky Anthony's face darkened.
"Damn it. You played me."
Nijimura grinned.
"All's fair in basketball."
Dicky Anthony waved him off and picked up the ball to begin his possession.
After a simple check, he started his attack.
Off the court, Kise immediately began analyzing.
"He's taller than Murasakibara-cchi. Probably plays center."
"If I'm right, he shouldn't have much range. Most likely he uses his body to score inside."
But before Kise could finish his deduction—
Dicky Anthony moved.
No fancy footwork. No setup.
He simply rose up from where he stood and pulled up.
Kise froze.
"A… three-pointer? Isn't he a center?!"
On the court.
The moment Dicky Anthony jumped, Nijimura's heart skipped.
"Damn it!"
He leaped up to contest—but his hand didn't even come close to blocking the shooting lane.
Dicky Anthony's height and wingspan were overwhelming.
He shot right over Nijimura.
The ball traced a perfect arc and dropped cleanly through the net.
After the make, Dicky Anthony grinned.
"So, Nijimura—did my Viper Wrap give you trouble?"
Nijimura slapped his forehead in frustration.
"Yeah. It's a pain. Let's go again."
...
"Game over. Final score: 5–4. Nijimura wins."
Nijimura let out a breath of relief, then smirked.
"So, Anthony—I won."
Dicky Anthony looked annoyed.
"I got careless. Shouldn't have given you the first possession. That put me on the back foot."
Nijimura chuckled, rising on his toes to barely hook an arm around Dicky Anthony's shoulder.
"It's fine. Losing to me isn't embarrassing."
Dicky Anthony shoved him off.
"Get off. You're covered in sweat."
Miyamoto Tokima smiled.
"Let's go. Back to school."
Dicky Anthony nodded.
The group followed Miyamoto Tokima off the court.
Kise remained standing there in silence.
That game had been absurd.
He couldn't beat either of them.
Nijimura's offense was razor-sharp. Compared to before, his arsenal had clearly expanded.
As for Dicky Anthony—he was outrageous.
His defensive coverage was massive, and his offense was simple yet brutally efficient.
That jump shot alone was nearly impossible to contest.
With that height and wingspan—how were you supposed to defend it?
Nijimura couldn't fully stop Dicky Anthony.
And Dicky Anthony couldn't fully stop Nijimura.
In a one-on-one, they were evenly matched.
Neither could completely suppress the other.
But in a five-on-five game—if both were the ace of their respective teams—
Dicky Anthony would likely have the edge.
His style was built for endurance.
Over time, that advantage would show.