Bang!
The gym door suddenly swung open.
Every head turned toward the sound — and in an instant, silence fell.
The chatter died, replaced by a heavy stillness that spread across the gym like a fog.
All eyes locked onto the figure standing in the doorway — a face they all knew too well.
It was none other than Captain Uozumi, the very person they had just been whispering about.
Uozumi's sharp gaze swept across the team, cold and unreadable. Without a word, he stepped inside, his heavy footsteps echoing through the quiet gym.
The first-year students instantly lowered their heads, afraid to meet his eyes — afraid of what they might see there.
Even the upperclassmen exchanged uneasy glances, wanting to say something but hesitating, as if their throats had closed up.
Finally, Koshino Hiroaki gathered his courage and spoke hesitantly.
"Uh… Captain Uozumi, about the captaincy…"
His voice trailed off halfway, the rest swallowed by nerves.
Uozumi stopped and glanced at him sideways, his voice calm but firm.
"Focus on training. Don't waste your time on useless rumors."
"But…" Ikegami Ryoji couldn't help blurting out, "Is it true, though? That the team's changing captains?"
The moment the words left his mouth, he regretted them — guilt flashing across his face.
Uozumi turned his gaze on him, silent and expressionless.
For a few seconds, the air itself seemed to freeze.
No one moved. No one dared breathe.
The freshmen trembled slightly, sensing the tension in the air — afraid that the next few seconds might erupt into something irreversible.
Then suddenly—
"As long as the team wins," Uozumi said coolly, "what does it matter who the captain is?"
His eyes softened slightly as he looked away, but deep within them flickered a trace of unwillingness — and something like nostalgia.
Everyone stared in disbelief.
'Captain Uozumi… was this calm?'
Anyone else in his position would've snapped, defended their pride, maybe even caused a scene.
But he didn't.
It was as if he had already accepted it — perhaps even expected it.
A strange thought began to take root in everyone's minds.
'Could it be true? Is the captain really changing?'
The older players exchanged complex looks.
They weren't exactly sad — Uozumi himself didn't seem bitter.
But they couldn't say they were fine either.
A captain change was no small matter. It wasn't easy to accept.
Even if someone new took the role, could they truly command everyone's respect?
Sensing their hesitation, Uozumi spoke again, his tone steady.
"You don't need to overthink it. Coach Taoka will make the final decision."
With that, he turned away and went back to training, leaving no room for discussion.
Seeing his attitude, the others could only follow suit — heads lowered, silently resuming practice.
Bang!
The gym door opened again.
This time, it was Ake Ryu who walked in.
Instantly, the low hum of voices died down once more.
Every gaze — freshmen and seniors alike — turned toward the young man stepping calmly inside.
The memory of his performance yesterday was still vivid in their minds.
He hadn't just played well — he had dominated.
Even the proud upperclassmen, though they'd never admit it aloud, couldn't deny it.
He was the only player so far who had forced Sendoh to go all out.
They had no choice but to acknowledge his strength.
Those who didn't know him could only watch in awe and curiosity.
Sendoh, however, greeted him with his usual easy smile.
"You're here."
Ake nodded slightly.
"Yeah. First day of class. Got held up a bit."
"It's fine," Sendoh waved it off casually. "We only got here a little while ago too."
Typical Sendoh — laid-back as ever.
Ake knew him too well. Back in middle school, Sendoh had made a habit of showing up late — or sometimes, not at all — until responsibility finally caught up to him when he became captain.
Ake simply nodded at the others before moving to the side and starting his own warm-up drills.
Meanwhile, Uozumi's eyes drifted toward him.
As he trained, yesterday's conversation with Coach Taoka Moichi replayed in his mind.
Coach Taoka: "Uozumi, what do you think of this year's freshmen?"
Uozumi: "Aside from Ake Ryu, they're nothing special."
Coach Taoka: "And Ake himself?"
Uozumi: "He's strong. From today's scrimmage, I'd say he's on par with Sendoh… maybe even stronger."
Coach Taoka: "Nothing else?"
Uozumi: "His skills are top-tier — technique, court vision, offense, defense. He's balanced in every area."
Coach Taoka: "You're forgetting one thing."
Uozumi: "..."
Coach Taoka: "His ability to organize and lead."
Uozumi: "…"
Coach Taoka: "You didn't lose today because of his individual strength. You lost because of his leadership — his control over the team."
Uozumi: "…"
Coach Taoka: "That's why I wanted to ask your opinion. What do you think about Ake becoming the next captain of Ryonan High?"
The coach's words echoed in his mind.
Before that match, he would have refused outright.
But now — after witnessing Ake's performance firsthand — he couldn't bring himself to argue.
There was no resentment in him.
To Uozumi, being captain had never been about honor. It was a burden — one he carried because no one else could.
But now, there was someone more capable. Someone better suited.
He actually felt… relieved.
Still—
He stopped training and slowly walked toward Ake.
Ake sensed someone approaching but didn't turn around.
He simply took his shot.
Swish.
The ball cut cleanly through the air and dropped through the net.
Then he turned, meeting Uozumi's gaze head-on.
Their eyes locked. Neither spoke.
The entire gym seemed to hold its breath.
Even the faint sound of the basketball bouncing elsewhere had stopped.
Koshino frowned. "What's Captain Uozumi doing?"
Ikegami rubbed his chin. "Not sure… but the air feels tense."
Uekusa glanced nervously between the two. "They're not… gonna fight, are they?"
"Oh man…" Aida Hikoichi whispered, eyes wide with a mix of excitement and dread. "Something's about to go down…"
Only Sendoh seemed to have an idea.
Watching the two, he smirked slightly.
'Looks like the captain issue's about to be settled.'
Then—
Uozumi spoke.
A wave of pressure rolled off him, heavy and commanding like a mountain.
He fixed his eyes on Ake and said in a deep, thunderous voice,
"Let's play a 1v1 match."
Ake didn't flinch.
He stood there, calm and unshaken, as if the weight pressing on him didn't exist.
He met Uozumi's gaze and said quietly,
Are you sure about that?"
The unspoken meaning hung in the air — In front of everyone? If you lose, can you still hold your head high?
Uozumi either didn't catch it or didn't care. He snorted coldly.
"What, are you scared?"
"…In that case," Ake said softly, closing his eyes.
A second later, they snapped open.
"As you wish."
His heterochromatic eyes gleamed — twin rings of crimson and gold flickering like awakened divine fire.
And then—
A crushing aura exploded from him, flooding the court like a storm.
The air trembled.
Uozumi's presence, powerful as it was, was instantly overwhelmed and shattered — erased beneath the overwhelming dominance of the one now standing before him.
It was as if an emperor had descended.