Chapter 3

Seiji Akabane clenched his fists as he watched the footage of Hades' impossible victory against Valkyrie. His eyes narrowed as Ren Kuroya walked off the court, unfazed, as if the match had been nothing but a warm-up.

"This wasn't supposed to happen," Akabane muttered, his voice shaking with suppressed rage. "That kid was finished. He was nothing."

Yet, here he was—stronger than ever.

Akabane turned to his phone and dialed a number.

"Coach Ryo," he said, his tone calm but filled with menace. "I hear Ares is facing Hades next. I have an offer for you."

A deep chuckle came from the other side. "Oh? I'm listening."

Akabane leaned back in his chair. "I'm willing to sponsor Ares with a little... enhancement."

There was a brief silence before Ryo spoke again, his voice low. "Are you serious?"

"Very," Akabane replied. "I want Hades crushed. I want Ren broken. And I want Enzo Takashiro to understand that he should never have defied me."

He slid a black case across his desk. Inside were vials filled with a strange, glowing serum.

"The newest in athletic augmentation. Temporary, but potent. Your players will be faster, stronger, and more durable than ever. But the real prize?" Akabane smirked. "Their minds will become sharper. Every strategy, every opening—they'll see it before it happens. It'll be like playing against gods."

Coach Ryo hesitated for only a second before laughing. "Well then… looks like Hades is about to meet their end."

Meanwhile, at the abandoned warehouse that served as Hades' training ground, the atmosphere was different.

The once-disheartened team now had fire in their eyes. Hibiki, Juro, Sly, and Daigo had all seen what Ren could do, and it made them hungry.

They didn't just want to win.

They wanted to reach Ren's level.

"Alright, listen up!" Enzo barked, standing in front of the team. His golden eyes gleamed with excitement. "We got lucky against Valkyrie. Ren awakened, but that won't be enough against Ares."

"Wait." Hibiki frowned. "You're saying even with Ren, we're not strong enough?"

Enzo smirked. "Not even close. Ares is on another level. They're one of the top 3 teams in the entire Basketball Academy. If we go in thinking we can pull another miracle—" He flicked his cigarette away. "—we'll get destroyed."

Juro crossed his arms. "So what's the plan?"

"Simple," Enzo said. "We train like hell."

And so, Hades pushed themselves to their absolute limits.

Hibiki reinforced his Abyss Grip, training to extend its gravitational pull.

Juro practiced long-range shots under extreme conditions to sharpen his Phantom Arc.

Sly refined his Illusion Step to become even more unpredictable.

Daigo strengthened his Titan Body, pushing his endurance to terrifying levels.

As for Ren?

He wasn't training like them.

Instead, he stood alone at the far end of the court, staring at the hoop. His fingers twitched.

Something inside him was growing.

Something far beyond Sniper.

And soon… the world would see it.

The night before the match, Akabane sat in his private lounge, sipping wine as he watched the news.

"The rising underdog team, Hades, is set to face Ares, one of the strongest teams in the Academy. Experts say Hades' victory against Valkyrie was a fluke, and against Ares, they won't stand a chance."

Akabane smiled.

"Enjoy your last game, Ren Kuroya."

Because tomorrow…

Would be his downfall.