Souta wiped the sweat off his forehead as he stood at the baseline of the Teikou gym. His heart pounded in his chest, both from exhaustion and excitement. The Phantom Step skill he had unlocked the previous day intrigued him, but he hadn't had a chance to test it in a real game yet.
Today was different. Today was the first official practice match for the second-string players, and Souta was finally about to see where he stood.
As he looked around the gym, he noticed the intense atmosphere. The first-string players, including the Generation of Miracles, were standing near the sidelines, casually watching. Even though they weren't participating, just their presence was enough to make some of the second-string players nervous.
Coach Sanada, Teikou's assistant coach, clapped his hands to get everyone's attention.
"Alright, listen up! Today's practice match is between the second-string players. Show me what you've got."
The teams were quickly divided, and Souta found himself on the blue team alongside Kuroko. His opponents included players like Hoshino, a decent point guard, and a few others who were trying to climb the ranks.
As Souta took his position, he heard Momoi Satsuki's voice from the sidelines.
"Souta's overall skill is good, but let's see how he performs under pressure," she murmured to herself while taking notes.
The whistle blew, and the game began.
Testing His Limits
The first few minutes were rough. Souta quickly realized that while his body was athletic, he was still a step below the elite players of Teikou.
His opponent, Hoshino, dribbled fast, cutting past one defender before stopping to take a mid-range shot. The ball swished into the net, earning the red team their first points.
Damn, they're good.
But Souta wasn't about to back down. As his teammate inbounded the ball, he sprinted forward, focusing on the System interface in his mind.
[Skill Activated: Phantom Step]
For a brief moment, Souta felt his body shift unnaturally. He took a step forward, and just as Hoshino moved to guard him, he suddenly reappeared behind him, completely out of sight.
"W-What?!" Hoshino blurted out, turning his head to see Souta wide open.
Taking advantage of the moment, Souta caught the ball and drove toward the hoop. A defender rushed toward him, but he executed a clean crossover, leaving him in the dust. Without hesitation, he jumped and released a soft floater—
Swish!
The ball fell through the net.
The gym fell silent for a moment before whispers broke out among the first-string players.
"Did he just disappear for a second?" Aomine muttered, his sharp eyes narrowing.
"Interesting," Akashi noted, watching Souta's movements closely. "That wasn't misdirection like Kuroko's... it was something different."
Adapting to the Game
Souta continued testing his abilities throughout the game. The Phantom Step wasn't perfect—he could only use it sparingly before his stamina drained. However, it was enough to create small advantages.
Each time he activated it, his defender would momentarily lose track of him, giving him a step ahead in offense.
But his opponents quickly adapted.
By the second quarter, Hoshino and the others started watching his footwork instead of his upper body. It became harder to trick them.
They're learning fast... I can't rely on Phantom Step alone.
Realizing this, Souta switched strategies. Instead of using Phantom Step for every play, he focused on his fundamental basketball skills—quick passes, smart movement, and solid defense.
Kuroko, who had been mostly silent, started assisting him.
At one point, Kuroko executed a Misdirection Pass, throwing the ball seemingly in the wrong direction—only for it to land perfectly in Souta's hands.
Souta grinned. He's incredible.
He caught the ball, hesitated for a split second to freeze his defender, then drove in for a quick layup.
The score was getting close.
The Final Play
With only 30 seconds left on the clock, the blue team was down by one point. It was their final possession.
Coach Sanada called out, "Last play! Make it count!"
The tension was thick. Hoshino and his team were locked in on defense. Souta felt his heart pound as he caught the ball at the top of the key.
I need to score... but I can't do it alone.
His eyes flickered to Kuroko, who was standing at the three-point line, seemingly unguarded.
Souta smirked.
He dribbled toward the right, forcing his defender to follow. At the last moment, just as the second defender stepped up to block him, he activated Phantom Step, vanishing from sight for a split second.
Instead of driving, he executed a quick behind-the-back pass to Kuroko.
Kuroko didn't hesitate.
Without any wasted motion, he passed the ball to their center, who was wide open under the hoop.
Dunk!
The buzzer rang. The blue team won by one point.
Souta exhaled, feeling the sweat drip down his face.
That was intense.
Recognition from the Generation of Miracles
As the teams lined up to shake hands, Souta noticed a few of the first-string players eyeing him with interest.
Aomine smirked. "Not bad. You might actually be fun to play against someday."
Midorima adjusted his glasses. "You relied too much on that strange footwork trick at first, but your fundamentals are decent."
Akashi, however, simply stared at Souta with unreadable eyes before walking away.
Momoi jogged over with a curious look. "Souta, that move you used… how does it work?"
Souta scratched the back of his head. "Just something I've been practicing."
Momoi pouted. "You're hiding something!"
Souta just laughed.
But deep inside, he knew the truth—this was only the beginning.
If he wanted to compete with the Generation of Miracles, he had to grow stronger.
And he would.
No matter what it took.