Teiko Middle School, Gym No. 1 – Center Court
That thunderous dunk, seemingly ready to tear the rim apart, struck everyone's chest like a hammer of pure force.
The backboard shuddered violently, letting out a grating creak. The basketball slammed to the floor, bounced, and rolled to the bewildered referee.
Score: 1–0
"Is… that freshman really that strong?"
Nijimura Shuzo's pupils constricted. He had seen countless prodigies—but nothing like this: instantaneous burst speed, no run-up, no preparation, ripping through Aomine Daiki's defense.
"This isn't basketball," Nijimura thought. "It's a dimensional strike with pure physicality."
Satoru Gojo released the rim, landing lightly. He looked at Aomine, still frozen near the three-point line, and curled a mocking smile.
"Your reaction… too slow.""When I started moving, your center of gravity hadn't even dropped."
He tapped his temple through his sunglasses.
"To defend me, beast-like intuition isn't enough. You need… an eye that can see the future."
Aomine snapped back, sweat breaking out on his forehead. Just now, he hadn't seen anything—Gojo had vanished like a pale blue lightning bolt.
But a ferocious fighting spirit erupted.
"Shut up!"
A grin spread across his face. "I got careless. Didn't expect you to be this fast… Interesting. Very interesting!"
Second possession.
Aomine attacked with everything he had: lowered center of gravity, panther-like movement, dribbling at maximum frequency.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A shoulder fake tried to shift Gojo's center of gravity.
Left? Right?
Midorima Shintaro whispered: "Right. His preferred drive side."
But Gojo? Hands in pockets, standing still, calm behind pale blue eyes.
The Six Eyes analyzed: micro-shifts in balance, ankle force, flickers in his eyes.
"Too obvious," he yawned.
As Aomine accelerated, believing he had faked Gojo out, Gojo stretched out a hand—not to chase, but to intercept the exact path of the dribble.
Snap!
The basketball collided with his hand, instantly stolen.
"What?!" Aomine stumbled several meters, barely stopping. The ball spun on Gojo's fingertip.
"How is that possible…?"
Gojo tucked the ball under his arm, adjusting sunglasses.
"Before your brain issued the command to 'drive,' your muscles already betrayed you. Every frame said: 'I am going right.'"
Akashi Seijuro murmured on the sideline:"Prediction… no. That's Omniscience. He can see all intentions."
Score: 2–0
Third possession.
"Since you like speed so much, let me show you real speed."
Gojo stood outside the three-point line. Aomine shed arrogance, spreading his arms, eyes locked on Gojo.
"It's useless," Gojo said softly.
Cursed Energy surged. Lapse: Blue—Absolute Attraction.
Though he couldn't pull a person physically, the force applied to the basketball distorted perception.
Gojo stepped forward. In Aomine's eyes, he seemed to appear everywhere and nowhere at once.
Swish!
A gust of wind brushed Aomine's cheek. By the time he tried to block, Gojo had already reached the free-throw line, jumped, and flicked the ball.
Swish!
Score: 3–0
Aomine pounded the floor in frustration. Helpless. Powerless. A puppet in Gojo's hands.
"Getting impatient already?" Gojo asked, shrugging. "Only three possessions. Where's your wildness? Your Formless Style? Bring it out."
Fourth possession.
This time, Aomine Daiki completely exploded.
A cornered beast is the most terrifying. Lightning flashed in Aomine's eyes. The moment he received the ball, he abandoned conventional dribbling entirely.
The Formless Shot!
He leaped from outside the three-point line, arching his body back until nearly parallel to the ground, releasing the ball in an awkward, unblockable posture.
"Go in!" Aomine roared.
The shot defied physics itself.
"Impossible to defend now!" Kise Ryota, standing on the sidelines, gasped. "That posture… completely unpredictable!"
However.
A white figure appeared like a phantom along the ball's trajectory.
Satoru Gojo hadn't removed his sunglasses, but under the absolute vision of the Six Eyes, he already knew this shot would come.
"If you think you can score randomly…"
Gojo leaped. His palm radiated the invisible membrane of repulsive force—the Limitless.
"That's far too naive."
BANG!
The ball was not merely blocked—it was slammed back at twice its initial speed. It cannoned off the floor behind Aomine, bounced, and flew directly into the second-floor stands.
Volleyball block.
Silence.
Aomine landed, hands empty, staring at the basketball in the stands. For the first time, despair touched the future Ace.
Nijimura Shuzo felt his throat dry. That psychological damage… outweighed ten points scored.
Fifth possession.
Satoru Gojo caught the ball at center court. He didn't step forward.
"Let's end this boring game."
He raised the ball with one hand.
"Wait… mid-court?!" Midorima Shintaro's eyes widened. "He's actually going to shoot from there?!"
Aomine, still guarding inside the three-point line, felt his pupils shake.
"Shoot?"
Gojo shook his head, a curve of arrogance hooking his lips.
"This is called… execution."
The flick of his wrist wasn't a standard shot—it was casual, almost careless. But Cursed Technique Reversal: Red activated, sending the basketball with terrifying velocity and perfectly stable rotation.
The ball became an orange meteor, streaking across half the court.
Time slowed.
Swish!
The gymnasium echoed in stunned silence.
Logo shot. Super long-distance. Swish through the net.
Score: 5–0.
Shutout. Complete victory.
Gojo lowered the ball into his pocket, never glancing at the basket or the slumped Aomine. Instead, he looked at Nijimura Shuzo, frozen on the sideline.
"I told you… it was a waste of time," he said flatly.
The hundreds of club members watching the white-haired figure changed expressions.
No longer mockery. No longer doubt.
Fear. Reverence for an incomprehensible deity.
Aomine sat on the floor, gasping. Anger, resentment, humiliation… but mostly shock beyond anything he had ever known.
"We're not even… on the same dimension," he muttered.
Applause broke out.
Akashi Seijuro stood, walking toward Gojo with measured, elegant steps. His aura radiated excitement and composure, as if he had discovered a priceless treasure.
"Splendid."
Akashi reached Gojo, tilting his head up to meet the sunglasses. His heterochromatic eyes (both red now, yet already different) scanned him.
"Record-breaking physical abilities, shutting out Aomine Daiki, super long-distance three-pointer…"
He extended a hand, confident and certain.
"Satoru Gojo-kun, welcome to the Teiko First String. I am Akashi Seijuro."
Gojo looked at the future captain of the Generation of Miracles.
He didn't immediately shake his hand. Instead, through the sunglasses, he measured the dormant monster within Akashi.
A small smirk formed. He touched Akashi's fingers perfunctorily.
"Akashi, huh… I know you."
Leaning close, he whispered:
"There's a monster hidden in your eyes too."
Before Akashi could react, Gojo straightened, yawned, and walked toward the locker room.
"Today's workout target: met. I'm going to sleep. As for the rest of the entry procedures… the pink-haired manager will handle that, right?"
He pointed at Momoi Satsuki, blushing violently, then waved.
"See you tomorrow, everyone… you weaklings."
The Teiko Basketball Club remained silent.
One truth was undeniable:
Starting today, the sky over Teiko Middle School had changed.A tyrant named Satoru Gojo had arrived.