7:02 a.m. – Kaizen High Gym
The lights flickered on, one by one.Dust floated in the air like ghosts waking up after years of silence.
Six people stood on the court, unsure whether this was a team tryout or a bad prank.
Riku Aoyama stood at center court, arms crossed, silent.Beside him, Keigo towered like a wall.Then there was:
Souta Kondo – A glasses-wearing stats nerd who played like a coach.
Renji Arakawa – The flashy streetballer with handles and a cocky grin.
Daiki Yamada – A quiet first-year with bandages on both knees.
Hiro Kinoshita – A benchwarmer reject from a top-tier school.
They didn't look like a team.They looked like a mistake.
"Alright," Riku finally said. "You're here for a reason. Let's find out what that is."
🏃♂️ The Drills Begin
First—suicides.Then—defensive slides.Then—layups off full-court sprints.
No water. No breaks.
"This isn't a club," Riku said."This is war. You want in, you grind for it."
Renji groaned.
"What is this? Bootcamp?"
Riku didn't answer. He just kept blowing the whistle.
Daiki fell during a sprint—both knees slamming into the hardwood.The others slowed down, but not Riku.
"Get up," he said."The court doesn't wait."
Daiki gritted his teeth. Got up. Kept running.
Keigo, watching from the sideline, muttered to himself:
"He's not building a team. He's building survivors."
🧠 The First Scrimmage
"You five," Riku said. "Play against me and Keigo. First to 11."
Renji blinked.
"Five-on-two? Should be easy."
It wasn't.
Riku moved like water.Controlled the pace like a maestro with a baton.
His passes weren't flashy.They were surgical.
Every dribble, every step, was like a chess move made three turns in advance.
He used a move no one had seen before—
The Zero Step.
He stood still…Then exploded forward, blowing past two defenders before they could even blink.
Layup.2–0.
Hiro stood frozen.
"What… was that?"
Keigo laughed.
"That's Riku."
🧱 The Breakdown
By 11–4, it was over.
Riku pulled the team together.
"You're not strong. You're not fast. You're not skilled.""But you're here. That means something.""From now on, we build. One brick at a time."
He tossed a crumpled Kaizen jersey at Renji.
"Congrats. You made the ghost team."
Renji caught it.Grinned.
"Let's make these ghosts haunt the league."
👤 In the Shadows...
Elsewhere – Black Fang Academy
Jin Kisaragi sat in a private gym, watching footage on a tablet.
Riku's Zero Step.
He paused the frame. Zoomed in.
"He's back."
Jin smirked.Eyes cold.
"Good. I was getting bored."