I Died on the Court, Now I'm Back to Rule It

Match day.

You could hear the murmurs echoing throughout the gym. Everyone was buzzing about the upcoming clash—Horizon vs Tennoji High.

Over the past few days, we'd drilled non-stop on how to guard against shooters. We had Rei, our own sharpshooter, to help us simulate Tennoji's plays. But even then... nothing really prepared us for Renji Arimura.

Height: 179 cm. Release: impossibly quick. Range: limitless.

He was the centerpiece of Tennoji High's infamous shooting machine. And no matter how solid your defense was—three still beats two. Based on stats alone, a good three-pointer is worth 1.5x more than a solid layup. And this guy? He didn't just shoot. He buried teams.

As I returned from the restroom, someone called out to me.

"Yo, Dirga."

I turned—and there he was.

Masaki King.

The name alone made the air heavier. After Toyonaka High defeated Sakai Minami—one of the Four Monarchs—Masaki had been dubbed King of the Court by local media. And he lived up to it.

"Ah, Masaki. Or should I say King?" I replied with a smirk.