"Isn't this guy a point guard?" Sendoh muttered under his breath.
"Can he really shoot threes too?"
That last shot hadn't actually been that hard to contest.
It was just that Akashi had been playing as a pure point guard from the start. Subconsciously, Sendoh had relaxed his perimeter defense.
He hadn't expected Akashi to pull up so decisively from beyond the arc.
That confident?
It wasn't only Sendoh who felt this way.
The other regulars exchanged glances as well, their expressions subtly changing.
Akashi merely curved his lips slightly before turning back on defense, saying nothing.
Although his strongest weapon wasn't the three-pointer, making one—when he chose to—was never a problem.
The practice match continued.
From that point on, the game entered a deadlock.
The White Team and the Red Team traded offense and defense relentlessly, neither side giving an inch. The tempo rose sharply, the atmosphere growing intense.
Led by Sendoh, the White Team continued to tear through the Red Team's defense with fluid coordination, repeatedly converting difficult shots.
Meanwhile, the Red Team revolved entirely around Akashi.
His passes came from impossible angles, arriving at moments no one expected. Each one forced the White Team to scramble, barely keeping up.
Under his command, the substitutes bloomed completely.
They played with confidence.
They played with purpose.
And most importantly—they played like a team.
This left the White Team under tremendous pressure.
On the sidelines, Coach Nakamura stared at the court in disbelief.
Before the match began, he had only intended to test Akashi's individual strength. He had never expected the substitutes to push the regulars this far.
Yet now—
Looking at the scoreboard, the outcome was still uncertain.
At the same time, everyone in the Basketball Club—except Akashi himself—was stunned.
Especially the regulars.
They knew better than anyone how wide the gap between them and the substitutes usually was.
Yet now, just by adding a single player…
Everything had changed.
Bang!
The basketball bounced sharply off the floor and landed squarely in the hands of the substitute power forward.
Another exquisite pass from Akashi.
Kirihara Hayato's expression shifted.
Not good!
He rushed to close the distance, but he was already a step too late.
The substitute power forward raised the ball and released.
Swish.
Ito Hiroki clenched his teeth.
No matter how tightly he defended, he simply couldn't cut off Akashi's passing lanes.
Red Team offense again.
Without anyone noticing, Akashi had begun subtly directing his teammates' movements—where to cut, when to slow down, how to reposition.
By now, he had naturally become the Red Team's spiritual pillar.
Coach Nakamura noticed this detail immediately.
His eyes flickered.
Organizational ability…
Not just vision.
Not just technique.
But true command of the court.
With such a high basketball IQ combined with elite passing—
This isn't just a substitute-level talent.
His thoughts drifted to a future lineup.
Akashi and Sendoh.
The idea alone sent a surge of excitement through his chest.
On the court.
Akashi dribbled the ball to the White Team's three-point line.
Once again, Sendoh stepped up to defend him.
Sendoh's eyes were sharp, brimming with anticipation.
In contrast, Akashi's expression remained perfectly calm.
The two faced each other, offense and defense locked in a silent standoff.
Then—
Akashi moved.
He dribbled to the right.
Sendoh tracked the ball closely.
A pass? A feint?
His muscles tensed, ready to react instantly.
Suddenly, Akashi's hand guiding the ball right snapped left.
Sendoh caught it immediately and adjusted.
But at that exact moment—
Akashi stopped.
Just as Sendoh expected another change of direction, Akashi took a sudden step back, creating space.
At the same time, his wrist flicked.
Whoosh—
The basketball slipped cleanly between Sendoh and Kobayashi Koichi, struck the floor once, and shot straight into the restricted area.
Both Sendoh and Kobayashi felt their hearts lurch.
The angle was brutal.
The timing was merciless.
Despite perfect focus, Akashi had still found a seam.
The substitute center caught the ball and went straight up.
Bang—swish.
The basket counted.
Gasps echoed through the gym.
Time ticked away.
Akashi's passes came one after another, each more precise than the last, leaving everyone watching wide-eyed.
Soon, the game reached its final moments.
38–38.
Tie score.
White Team ball.
Kirihara Hayato didn't hesitate, immediately passing to Sendoh.
As Sendoh crossed half-court, a figure stepped into his path.
Akashi Seijuro.
This possession would decide everything.
Sendoh didn't rush.
He dribbled steadily, scanning the court.
If he wanted, he was confident he could break through Akashi directly.
But—
Slap!
A crisp sound rang out.
Sendoh froze.
To everyone watching, Akashi's hand had cleanly poked the ball free.
The gym fell silent.
Sendoh… was stolen from?
Shock spread across the court.
Akashi didn't pause for even a second. He accelerated, dribbling toward the White Team's basket.
All game, he had been the orchestrator.
This was the first time he personally took over.
Sendoh snapped back to his senses and chased hard.
Red and white streaked across the court.
Akashi reached the restricted area and leapt for a layup—
Then suddenly altered the motion.
Clang!
The ball smashed off the backboard and rebounded diagonally.
Sendoh's eyes widened.
Then he understood.
The ball dropped straight into the hands of the substitute small forward rushing in from behind.
The White Team cursed inwardly.
They never expected a pass like that.
Panicking, Kirihara Hayato rushed forward.
The substitute small forward, caught off guard by the sudden responsibility, jumped and shot immediately.
Perhaps too excited—
The ball struck the backboard and bounced out.
Beep—!
The final whistle sounded.
White Team 38 — Red Team 38
A draw.
The substitutes erupted in cheers.
The regulars stood frozen.
They—the regulars—had tied with the substitutes.
Something that would have been unthinkable before.
Sendoh walked up to Akashi and extended his hand.
"That was a great game," he said with a grin.
"We should play again."
Akashi shook his hand calmly.
"I'll be counting on your guidance."
Kirihara Hayato stepped forward as well.
"I didn't expect you to be this strong," he admitted.
"With you, we can go even further."
Praise followed one after another.
Only Ito Hiroki remained silent.
His gaze was complicated.
He knew now—the gap between him and Akashi wasn't small.
It was overwhelming.
In the basketball club, strength spoke louder than anything.
And when someone stronger appeared—
Positions changed.
Sure enough, the next day, Coach Nakamura made his announcement.
Akashi Seijuro was promoted to the main selection.
He would take over as the team's point guard.
Ito Hiroki's seat… was no longer secure.