Imayoshi Shoichi dribbled to midcourt, guarded by Kimura Tosho, and passed the ball to Sakurai Ryo, who was being defended by Fukuda Sogo's Mochizuki Kazuhiro.
Sakurai caught the ball and, without a second thought, launched a three-pointer.
"SWISH!"
The ball sailed through the net with a silky swish, enchanting everyone—especially his Kirisaki teammates.
Fukuda Sogo, hearing that crisp swish, was momentarily shocked—but quickly relaxed. After all, the shooter was one of the Rising Stars.
In the stands, the ever-talkative Takao Kazunari continued:
"This is really interesting. These two teams I've never seen before… and suddenly, three Rising Stars appear. Fascinating."
"Three Rising Stars?"
"Yeah, Komasa."
Takao pointed at the players on the court, explaining them to Midorima Shintaro and Kise Ryouta in detail:
"The Kirisaki #9 who just hit that three-pointer, Sakurai Ryo, is one of the Rising Stars—great at quick shots and long-range shooting. Then there's the tip-off player, Suzuran Karasu #7 from Fukuda Sogo. Fukuda Sogo is interesting… they look really strong."
"Indeed, their raw physical strength shows they're not just average."
"Yeah… this is going to be a problem. Another national-level powerhouse team."
Kise said nothing, his full attention locked on the two figures on the court.
Haizaki Shogo received the pass brought up to half-court by Mochizuki, right as Kirisaki's ace, Aomine Daiki, arrived.
Haizaki lowered his center of gravity slightly, breathing deep and long, eyes sparkling with excitement as he stared at Aomine.
The terrifying acceleration began. Both figures pressed tightly against each other, no yielding, pushing and colliding with unstoppable force.
Accelerate. Turn. Step. Side jump. Release.
"SWISH!"
The ball sank into the net. Haizaki immediately sprinted back to his half-court. If he didn't, no one on the team could stop Aomine Daiki.
"WHOOSH!"
Fukuda Sogo's four returning teammates saw a flash—someone had already surpassed them.
Haizaki positioned himself perfectly in front of Aomine, determined to block him.
Eyes widening, Aomine ignored Haizaki, leapt high, and flung the ball over Haizaki's head, cutting through the air with a fierce gust.
"BOOM!"
The ball slammed into the metal rim, rebounded, and sank into the net.
Two points had been scored in the blink of an eye—so fast it was almost unbelievable.
The entire gym fell silent. Only a few in the stands could follow the pace of the two players on the court.
"This… they've improved again!"
"Yes! One lives up to Teiko's ace, the other lives up to being Teiko's former small forward."
Next to them, Takao's eyes were wide, frozen in disbelief, as if he'd just witnessed something terrifying.
The shock wasn't limited to the spectators. On the court, all other players—aside from Haizaki and Aomine—were left trembling inside.
"My god! What kind of monsters are these two? That gray-haired Haizaki can actually keep up with Aomine!"
"This… how… is this even possible?"
"So strong!!"
"Generation of Miracles?"
These four shocked voices belonged to Kirisaki players, experiencing Haizaki's frightening speed for the first time.
Fukuda Sogo's teammates were even worse off. Every one of them stared at Haizaki, slowly returning to his half-court, like a beast had just passed among them.
That lightning-fast movement… that fleeting figure… left them completely overwhelmed.
"Mo…monster…"
"Un…believable… is that even human speed?"
"How… can someone… be this strong?"
"My god… is this the terror of the Generation of Miracles?"
Seeing their stunned faces, Haizaki didn't immediately interrupt their awe. After all, the point of a practice match was exactly this—to make them fully aware of their place, to realize they weren't as extraordinary as they thought.
In some eyes, they were weak, grass-like, objects to be harvested.
Once he felt enough time had passed, Haizaki picked up the ball and dribbled it against the floor, one bounce after another.
"Hey… are you going to stand there daydreaming until the game's over?"
"Ah…"
"Sorry… Captain."
"Huff…"
"Really… strong…"
Seeing his teammates recover, Haizaki passed the ball, beginning Fukuda Sogo's organized offense.
He brought the ball to half-court. Concerned about Aomine's terrifying speed, the ball quickly returned to Haizaki's hands.
He gripped it, sensing the Kirisaki players' momentum returning. Shocked as they were, their fighting spirit was still alive.
Alright… now it's my turn.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
After a series of ultra-fast dribbles, Haizaki leapt high, towering over Wakamatsu Kousuke and Aomine's outstretched hands, and slammed the ball into the hoop.
Landing steadily, he quickly returned to defense amidst his teammates' cheers.
In the stands, Midorima and Kise inhaled sharply, having witnessed Haizaki's slam: speed, power, skill, and positioning—all executed to perfection. They finally understood Haizaki's true strength.
"As expected… compared to these two monsters, I'm still too far behind!"
"…True enough…"
Kise sighed, Midorima agreed. Though it wasn't clear whether Midorima meant Kise was far behind, or that he himself was far behind.
Haizaki's dominance again shook Kirisaki's players. Driving through Wakamatsu and Aomine with that forceful slam, how much strength would one need to pull that off?
No words needed. Kirisaki brought the ball into Fukuda Sogo's half, naturally passing it to Aomine Daiki.
"This is more like it! Stop hiding and underestimate me!"
"Underestimate you? What a joke, Aomine."
"I'm coming!"
The ball seemed to perform magic in Aomine's hands as he maneuvered past Haizaki, driving to the paint. Leaping high, he soared over Suzuran Karasu and the stretching Haizaki.
"BOOM!"
The ball sank, the collision of raw skill—each dunk, each block—shaking every player's heart. The battle was one of equals: no submission, no surrender.
Fortunately, the players accustomed to such pressure quickly regained composure, adapting to the high-speed offense-defense. The next round began almost immediately.