Slam Dunk:Starting with perfect copy

The game continued, but the energy of the Shohoku team had visibly dimmed. Their earlier zeal, driven by the pursuit of points, was replaced by frustration and uncertainty.

Yasuda advanced the ball into the front court. He glanced at Rukawa, who was signaling for a pass, but hesitated. Rukawa's defender was none other than Kenichi Uesugi, whose impact on the game had been nothing short of extraordinary.

"Can Rukawa really break through him?" Yasuda wondered.

Playing it safe, Yasuda opted to pass to Akagi in the post.

The decision seemed logical, but it lit a fire under Yuzumi.

As Ryonan's captain, Yuzumi had endured a string of humiliating moments against Akagi. Seeing Yasuda's hesitation and reliance on Akagi only deepened his frustration. Yuzumi clenched his fists, silently vowing to stop Akagi at all costs.

Akagi caught the pass and immediately began backing down Yuzumi, but something felt different. Yuzumi's stance was unyielding, and his defense was far more aggressive than before. Akagi pushed harder, but Yuzumi didn't budge.

Realizing he couldn't overpower Yuzumi this time, Akagi pivoted to the left and went for a layup with his right hand.

"This should do it," Akagi thought.

But Yuzumi reacted instantly. Rising to his full height, he extended his right arm and swatted Akagi's shot with authority.

"Blocked!"

The crowd erupted in cheers, with Ryonan's fans leading the roar.

"Yuzumi's block is incredible!"

Even the Shohoku bench was stunned into silence.

Ryonan wasted no time transitioning to offense. Uekusa grabbed the ball and sprinted up the court, naturally passing to Kenichi Uesugi.

At this point, there was no question about who Ryonan's go-to player was. Even if Sendoh were on the court, Uesugi's brilliance demanded the ball.

Kenichi Uesugi caught the ball, and the atmosphere in the gymnasium changed instantly. Shohoku's players tensed up, their eyes locked on Uesugi.

Rukawa Kaede, standing directly in front of him, braced himself. "I won't let him score again," he vowed.

Uesugi, unfazed, took a step back, positioning himself just outside the three-point line. Without hesitation, he rose for a shot.

"A three-pointer?!"

The Shohoku bench erupted in panic.

Rukawa reacted immediately, leaping forward to contest the shot.

But mid-air, he noticed something unusual. Uesugi's body wasn't stationary—it was drifting backward.

"A fadeaway?!"

Rukawa's heart sank. A fadeaway three-pointer required immense skill and precision, far beyond what most high school players could manage. Even Rukawa himself rarely attempted such shots due to their difficulty.

The ball left Uesugi's fingertips in a perfect arc.

"Swish!"

The net barely moved as the ball sailed through.

"19–10!"

The gym fell into stunned silence, broken only by the cheers of Ryonan's fans.

On Shohoku's bench, Ayako buried her face in her hands. "How do we stop him?!"

Coach Anzai remained calm, though his eyes narrowed behind his glasses.

On the court, Yasuda passed the ball to Rukawa, who demanded it with growing impatience. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake Uesugi's defense. Each attempt to attack was met with a perfect counter. Frustrated, Rukawa reluctantly passed to Kakuta, who took a rushed shot under pressure.

The ball clanged off the rim, and Yuzumi snagged the rebound, overpowering Akagi.

Ryonan transitioned quickly. Uekusa brought the ball forward and handed it to Uesugi.

This time, Uesugi didn't hesitate. He squared up for another three-pointer, his movements so fluid that Shohoku's bench shouted in unison:

"Stop him, Rukawa!"

Rukawa launched himself toward Uesugi, determined to block the shot. But just as he reached him, Uesugi pulled the ball down and paused

"A fake?!"

Rukawa hung helplessly in the air as Uesugi crouched slightly, then rose again for the real shot.

But as Uesugi jumped, Rukawa's arm collided with his. The whistle blew immediately.

"Foul!"

Uesugi's shot arced beautifully through the air and dropped into the basket.

"And one!"

Uesugi landed gracefully, a small, knowing smile on his face.

Rukawa clenched his fists. "He baited me!"

Uesugi's mastery of deception was on full display, blending techniques inspired by Rei Miru of the Uncrowned Kings:

"Heaven": the fadeaway three-pointer, executed flawlessly."Earth": the pump fake that drew the foul.And yet, Uesugi hadn't revealed his most potent weapon—the "Void" shot.

As Uesugi stepped to the free-throw line, Shohoku's players couldn't shake the feeling that they were facing something beyond their grasp.

"Who is this guy?" Rukawa wondered, sweat dripping from his brow.

As Uesugi sank the free throw, extending Ryonan's lead to 22–10, the Shohoku bench grew increasingly silent.

Coach Anzai folded his hands, deep in thought. "This isn't just talent," he mused. "This is something special. If we don't find an answer soon, this game might slip away completely."