Souta Fujimura stood in front of the first-string locker room, his fingers gripping the door handle. His heart pounded in his chest.
"This is it."
After everything—his reincarnation, his awakening to the Basketball System, and his hard-fought battle against Teikou's first string—he had finally made it.
But getting here was just the first step.
He took a deep breath and pushed the door open.
Inside, the monsters were already there.
A Different Atmosphere
The first-string locker room was completely different from the second string's. It was larger, cleaner, and had an air of prestige. The aura of the players inside was different, too.
Souta immediately felt the weight of their presence.
Sitting on the bench with a bag of snacks was Atsushi Murasakibara, lazily munching on chips.
On another side, Ryouta Kise was fixing his jersey, checking his reflection in a mirror.
Shintarou Midorima sat calmly, adjusting his glasses while wrapping his fingers in preparation for practice.
And leaning against the lockers, arms crossed, was Daiki Aomine—his golden eyes gleaming with amusement as they locked onto Souta.
The only one missing was Seijuurou Akashi, the captain.
"So this is what it feels like to be among them."
Souta took a deep breath and stepped inside.
Initiation Begins
"Oi, Fujimura," Aomine called out lazily. "You really made it in, huh?"
Kise grinned, throwing an arm over Souta's shoulder. "He did! Man, this is great~! But hey, you better keep up, Fujimura-kun. First-string practice is a different beast!"
Midorima scoffed. "Hmph. Don't expect any special treatment. You are here because the coach sees potential, nothing more."
Murasakibara yawned. "I don't really care as long as you don't slow us down…"
Souta expected this—they weren't going to roll out a red carpet for him. He had earned his spot, but respect had to be proven.
"Yeah," Souta said with a confident smirk. "I wouldn't want it any other way."
Aomine chuckled. "Heh. I like that attitude. Let's see if you can back it up."
The door swung open, and everyone turned.
The captain had arrived.
The Emperor Arrives
Seijuurou Akashi stepped inside, his crimson eyes immediately scanning the room. His presence alone made the air feel heavier.
"Ah, I see our new member has arrived," he said, his voice calm but undeniably commanding.
Souta straightened. "Yes, sir."
Akashi's gaze was sharp. "I watched your performance in the scrimmage. Your ability to adapt is impressive. However, being here does not mean you are our equal yet."
Souta nodded. "I understand."
Akashi gave a small nod. "Good. Then let's begin practice."
And just like that, the real challenge started.
First-String Training: Welcome to Hell
Souta had expected it to be tough.
He hadn't expected it to be this tough.
The warm-ups alone were brutal—sprints, agility drills, endurance training—each one designed to push the body to its limits.
Then came drills with the Generation of Miracles.
Defending against Aomine? Impossible. His speed and unpredictability were overwhelming. Guarding Midorima's three-point shots? Hopeless. His range and accuracy were beyond human. Rebounding against Murasakibara? A nightmare. The guy was a walking skyscraper. Kise? He copied Souta's Phantom Step after seeing it once, making him even harder to deal with.
Souta was getting crushed.
But he refused to stop.
This is where I need to be. If I can't survive this, I don't deserve to be here.
Breaking Through the Wall
Hours passed. The gym was filled with the sound of sneakers squeaking, balls bouncing, and the occasional swish of perfect shots.
Souta was drenched in sweat, his muscles screaming in protest.
"I can't keep up…!"
But then, something changed.
During a defensive drill, Aomine drove past Souta—again. But this time, instead of chasing his body, Souta focused on his shadow.
Aomine's movements were too fast to react to normally—but his shadow always lagged slightly behind his real position.
"Wait… is this the key?"
Aomine planted his foot to change direction, and Souta anticipated it perfectly.
He cut off his path.
Aomine stopped for a fraction of a second, surprised.
It wasn't much, but—
"I finally read him!"
Akashi, who had been silently observing, narrowed his eyes.
"Interesting…"
Aomine's Approval
The drill ended, and Aomine walked up to Souta, an amused grin on his face.
"You actually stopped me for a second there," he said. "That's a first."
Souta panted, hands on his knees. "Took me long enough."
Aomine chuckled. "You learn fast. Maybe you won't be boring after all."
Midorima adjusted his glasses. "Hmph. Even a broken clock is right twice a day."
Kise laughed. "Nah, that was actually impressive!"
Souta finally felt it—he wasn't just a new recruit anymore.
He was being acknowledged.
Coach's Final Words
As practice wrapped up, Coach Sanada gathered the team.
"Good work today," he said. His eyes landed on Souta. "Fujimura, you survived your first practice. That's more than most can say."
Souta nodded, still catching his breath.
"Your biggest strength is your adaptability," Coach continued. "Use that. Keep learning, keep pushing your limits. If you stagnate, you'll be left behind."
Souta clenched his fists. "I understand, sir."
"Good. Dismissed."
The Road Ahead
As they changed in the locker room, Kise slung an arm around Souta's shoulder again.
"Hey, Fujimura-kun, let's grab food after this!"
Murasakibara perked up. "If there's snacks, I'm in."
Midorima sighed. "Eating properly is important for recovery. I suppose I'll join."
Aomine stretched. "Yeah, I could go for some food."
Souta smiled.
He had come into this as an outsider.
But now, he was one of them.
There was still a long road ahead—tougher training, stronger opponents, and the shadow of the future Generation of Miracles.
But Souta knew one thing.
He belonged here.
And he was ready for whatever came next.