The rhythmic sound of basketballs bouncing against the polished wooden floor echoed through the Teikou gym. The scent of sweat and determination filled the air as players weaved through their drills, each one aiming to be better than the day before.
But for Souta Fujimura, today's practice wasn't just about improvement—it was about survival.
A New Challenge
"Alright, gather up!" Coach Shirogane's voice carried through the gym, immediately drawing everyone's attention.
The Generation of Miracles and the rest of the first-string players moved toward the center of the court, standing in a semi-circle around their coach.
"We're implementing a new training regiment today," Coach continued. "From now on, all first-string players will engage in daily one-on-one challenges to improve individual weaknesses."
A murmur rippled through the team, but the Generation of Miracles remained unfazed.
Coach turned to them. "Each of you will be assigned an opponent every week. The goal is simple: exploit their weaknesses, and force them to overcome it."
Souta's heartbeat quickened. This… could be perfect for me.
Then, Coach began announcing the matchups.
"Kise, you'll go against Midorima."
"Eh?! But Shintarō-cchi only shoots threes!" Kise whined, only for Midorima to adjust his glasses and reply, "And you can't stop them, can you?"
Kise grumbled.
"Aomine, you'll be with Murasakibara."
Aomine scoffed. "Tch. Gotta deal with the big guy, huh?"
Murasakibara merely stretched. "So annoying~."
Coach then looked toward Souta. "And Fujimura—"
Souta swallowed. Who would he be facing?
"—You're with Akashi."
Silence.
Souta felt his stomach drop.
Of all people…
He was paired with Seijūrō Akashi—the one person he had the least understanding of.
Facing the Emperor
Later that afternoon, the first-string players remained in the gym for their one-on-one matchups.
Souta stood on one end of the court, gripping the ball tightly as Akashi stared at him, his heterochromatic eyes piercing through his soul.
"You look nervous, Fujimura," Akashi commented, his tone calm, controlled.
Souta exhaled. "More like cautious. You're the one guy I don't know much about."
Akashi smirked slightly. "Then this will be educational for you."
The match began.
Souta exploded forward, using Phantom Step to momentarily disappear from Akashi's vision.
But—
Akashi didn't flinch.
Instead, he calmly stepped in the exact direction Souta reappeared, cutting him off effortlessly.
What the hell?
Souta hesitated for just a fraction of a second—
And that was all Akashi needed.
With a smooth movement, Akashi stole the ball and dribbled toward the basket, executing a perfect fadeaway shot.
The ball swished through the net.
"1-0," Akashi stated plainly.
Souta gritted his teeth. How did he predict where I'd move?
Cracking the Code
The game continued.
Souta tried everything—speed bursts, fakeouts, even his Phantom Drift technique—but nothing worked.
Akashi always knew exactly where he would be.
"You're playing instinctively," Akashi noted after scoring his fourth basket in a row. "But instincts alone won't work against me."
Souta exhaled sharply. "Then what does?"
Akashi smiled. "Control. Absolute control over the court, over your opponent… and over your own mind."
Souta clenched his fists. Control…?
He didn't have time to dwell on it. The match continued, and every attempt he made to attack ended in failure.
Before he knew it—
"10-0. Match over."
Souta let out a slow breath, his hands on his knees as exhaustion crept in.
He lost. Badly.
Akashi watched him, his expression unreadable. "You're talented, Fujimura. But you're not playing as yourself. You're still trying to be someone else."
Souta looked up, confused. "What do you mean?"
Akashi turned away. "Figure it out."
With that, he walked off the court, leaving Souta alone with his thoughts.
A Moment of Reflection
Souta sat on the bench, replaying the match in his head.
Akashi's words lingered.
"You're not playing as yourself."
What did that mean?
He had been focusing so much on adapting—on matching Aomine's speed, learning from Kuroko's misdirection, trying to analyze like Midorima—
But…
None of those styles were his.
He was imitating, not playing his game.
That realization hit hard.
But now that he understood it, he had one goal:
To discover his own unique style of play.
The Road to Discovery
Souta didn't go home after practice.
Instead, he stayed behind in the gym, grabbing a ball and dribbling alone.
One thought repeated in his mind:
"Who am I on the court?"
He took a shot—swish.
Dribbled again—his footwork was quick, but predictable.
What was his strength?
He had Phantom Step, a misdirection technique.
He had speed, but not at Aomine's level.
He had good instincts, but lacked Akashi's absolute control.
So what could he do that no one else could?
A Breakthrough
Hours passed, and sweat dripped from his chin.
His body was exhausted, but his mind was clear.
Then—
An idea struck him.
What if… he combined Phantom Step with his natural court awareness?
Not just disappearing from vision, but manipulating space to control where his opponents moved?
Excited, he ran through a test.
He dribbled toward an imaginary defender, then shifted his presence with Phantom Step—
Instead of simply vanishing, he used his opponent's reaction to guide where they would shift their balance.
Then, before they could recover—he accelerated in the opposite direction.
It worked.
He didn't just disappear—he manipulated movement.
Souta grinned. This… this could be my style.
A New Challenge Awaits
The next morning, Souta walked into the gym with a new fire in his eyes.
The Generation of Miracles immediately noticed.
"Someone looks confident," Kise remarked.
Souta smirked. "Yeah. Because I finally found what I was missing."
Akashi watched him for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"Good," he said. "Then let's see it in action."
Souta turned to the court, gripping the ball.
He was ready.
Ready to redefine his game.
And he would prove to the Generation of Miracles that he belonged among them.