The gym felt different today.

Not heavier.

Not louder.

Just… sharper.

Like the air itself knew today would decide whether they could survive Hakuro Academy—or get swallowed whole.

The lights buzzed overhead. The polished floor gleamed like a battlefield waiting for blood. Sweat from the morning's conditioning still clung faintly to the air.

Yuuto tied his shoes in silence.

He could feel it.

Everyone could.

Today… they would test the system that was supposed to keep them alive against Ryu Kazen.

Marcus walked past him, slapping his shoulder.

"You ready, point guard?"

Yuuto exhaled slowly.

"Yeah… I think so."

Shunjin cracked his knuckles.

"Think so? You better know so."

Daniel didn't say anything—just adjusted the tape on his wrists and locked in.

Daichi bounced lightly on the balls of his feet.

"Bro, I'm… kinda nervous."

"Good," Coach Takeda's voice thundered across the gym.

"Nervous means you understand the stakes."

Coach Hikari rolled in a whiteboard, marker twirling between her fingers like a blade.

"Starting unit on the left," she said.

"Second unit on the right. Today… we run the Hybrid Wall."

Marcus inhaled sharply.

Yuuto's pulse quickened.

This was it.

---

THE BREAKDOWN OF WAR

Coach Hikari drew the system on the board: triangles, circles, arrows crisscrossing like military plans.

She turned to Yuuto first.

"You are the brain," she said.

"You dictate tempo. You decide the pace. You choose when we strike."

Her eyes sharpened.

"And you do NOT let Marcus drown in double-teams."

Yuuto nodded, swallowing.

Then she pointed at Marcus.

"You're our blade.

Your job is simple:

Cut. Slice. Score."

Then Shunjin.

"You control rhythm. Slow when needed. Speed when needed. You keep us stable."

Daniel.

"You're the wall.

If Ryu Kazen sprints… you stop the sprint."

Daichi.

"You're our balance. A scorer who plugs holes."

Coach Takeda stepped forward.

"Screw this up," he said, "and Hakuro wins by 300."

A chill rippled through the team.

---

THE SCRIMMAGE BEGINS

Takeda tossed the ball upward.

"BLUE—starting unit!

WHITE—second unit!

BEGIN!!!"

The moment the ball hit the floor, chaos exploded.

Daichi caught it first—and immediately lost control.

"Daichi!" Yuuto shouted.

"I—I got it—wait—NO—"

Kento stole the ball and dashed down the court like a gremlin unleashed.

Yuuto sprinted after him.

"Kento, slow down—!"

Too late.

Kento tripped over his own foot and slid across the floor.

"Ay bro—!"

Second-unit laughter erupted.

Takeda blew the whistle so hard the gym trembled.

"DISGRACEFUL!!

RESET!!!"

Everyone scrambled back to their positions.

Yuuto's lungs burned already.

This system… was going to kill them.

---

ATTEMPT 2 — THE SYSTEM CRASHES AGAIN

This time Yuuto brought the ball up.

Marcus called for it too early.

Shunjin moved too slow.

Daichi cut too fast.

Daniel overcommitted.

It was like watching five players dance to five different songs.

Yuuto called out, "Hybrid Wall—Pattern B!"

No one reacted in time.

Shunjin jumped for a set that wasn't even coming.

Marcus yelled, "Bro, why didn't you pass?!"

Yuuto shouted back, "You weren't open!"

Daniel bodied Kento so hard even Takeda winced.

The ball bounced between all of them and rolled away like it was embarrassed to be part of this team.

Coach Takeda's face scrunched into pure disappointment.

"If Hakuro saw this," he barked,

"They'd put up 200 by halftime!"

No one argued.

No one breathed.

Yuuto felt a lump in his throat.

This wasn't working.

This wasn't even close.

---

THE HUSH OF FAILURE

Everyone stood there sweating, panting silently.

Marcus slammed his hands on his knees.

"This… isn't it."

Shunjin, frustrated, pulled his hair back.

"We can't run a rhythm if nobody's on the same one."

Daniel finally spoke, voice low and calm.

"Yuuto… your timing is off."

Yuuto's heart sank a bit.

Marcus exhaled. "No—his timing's fine. We're not syncing."

Daichi nodded rapidly.

"It feels like… like the play calls are right but we're not feeling each other."

Coach Hikari stepped in between them.

"So then fix it."

She pointed at Yuuto.

"You want to beat Ryu Kazen?"

Her voice sharpened.

"Control the pace. Force them to follow YOU."

He froze.

Control the pace…

His new skill—Pulse Dribble.

A rhythm only he had.

A rhythm only he understood.

Yuuto inhaled.

"…Okay."

He stepped forward.

"We reset.

And this time… follow my rhythm."

Marcus's eyes widened.

"Your rhythm, huh? Alright then. Show me."

Shunjin crossed his arms.

"…You better not choke."

Daniel gave a slow nod.

Daichi smiled nervously.

"I'll try to keep up!"

Coach Takeda folded his arms, watching closely.

"BEGIN AGAIN."

---

ATTEMPT 3 — THE BIRTH OF THE HYBRID WALL

Yuuto took the ball.

His hands relaxed.

His feet loosened.

He closed his eyes for half a second.

Pulse.

Pulse.

Pulse.

He dribbled once—

the sound was sharp.

Twice—

the pace slowed.

A third—

the rhythm shifted.

The gym felt it.

Marcus blinked.

"…Woah."

Shunjin felt the beat.

"…This is…"

Daichi whispered,

"It's like music…"

Daniel narrowed his eyes.

"I can read this pace."

Yuuto opened his eyes.

"NOW—MOVE!"

And they did.

Marcus cut sharply—

this time perfectly timed.

Shunjin drifted into an ideal passing lane.

Daichi slipped behind the second unit defenders.

Daniel rotated on defense like a machine.

Yuuto dribbled once—

PULSE.

Twice—

PULSE.

And the ball zipped to Marcus—

who caught it in stride and turned—

two defenders closing in—

"Take the shot!" Yuuto shouted.

Marcus rose.

Shot.

Swish.

The net snapped like a whip.

Coach Hikari's eyebrows lifted.

Coach Takeda smirked.

But the play wasn't over.

Second unit caught the inbound.

Daniel sprinted like a predator unleashed.

Kento panicked.

"BRO—STOP—WAIT—!"

Daniel stripped the ball clean.

Marcus yelled, "DAICHI—CUT!"

Daichi darted like lightning—

Yuuto read the movement—

PULSE—

Bounce pass—

Daichi caught it in mid-air—

Layup—

Perfect.

The gym went silent.

Then—

Shunjin stepped forward.

"Again."

---

ATTEMPT 4 — THE SYSTEM COMES ALIVE

This time the movement was clean.

Precise.

Dangerous.

Yuuto controlling the pace—

Marcus reading the defenders—

Shunjin adjusting tempo—

Daniel anchoring the defense—

Daichi scoring off gaps—

The Hybrid Wall flowed like a living creature.

Takeda's eyes gleamed.

Hikari's smile widened.

Yuuto's chest tightened—not from stress this time, but from pride.

This system…

This team…

They were evolving.

The scrimmage continued:

Marcus — step-back jumper: SWISH.

Daichi — backside cut: SCORE.

Daniel — clamp defense: STEAL.

Shunjin — mid-air tap pass: ASSIST.

Yuuto — pulse-control drive: LAYUP.

The gym erupted.

They were still flawed…

Still rough…

Still not ready for Hakuro…

But for the first time—

they weren't hopeless.

For the first time—

they looked like a team.

And for the first time—

they felt like they actually had a chance.

The whistle shrieked again.

Takeda didn't even let them catch their breath this time.

"RESET! BLUE BALL!" he barked. "Hybrid Formation. Yuuto, command at the top. Marcus right wing. Shunjin left. Daichi low post. Daniel anchor."

Yuuto wiped the sweat dripping into his eyes. His lungs burned. His calves twitched from fatigue. But he planted his feet again.

Pulse Dribble echoing faintly in his muscles

Shunjin breathing slow, grounding himself

Marcus rolling his shoulders, mentally sharpening

Daniel crouched low, ready to explode

Daichi flexing his fingers

The starting unit faced the second unit, who were already hungry to overwhelm them after the disastrous first attempt.

The gym felt tight. The air thick.

Takeda's eyes were cold.

Hikari's arms were folded, assessing every twitch.

Yuuto whispered under his breath:

"…Let's fix this."

He tapped the ball once. Twice. Then snapped his fingers — their new signal.

"HYBRID FORM—GO!"

The play erupted instantly.

Daichi set a hard screen on Shunjin's man, freeing the "ace-in-progress" into an inside lane.

Marcus cut in opposite direction, dragging two defenders with him — his gravity already noticeable even without the ball.

Daniel shifted like a shadow, mapping the help-defense patterns of the second unit.

Yuuto stayed at the top, dribbling slowly… then rapidly… then slowly again.

Pulse Dribble.

The second unit defenders flinched— Yuuto's rhythm was unpredictable.

"Keep your eyes on him!" their captain yelled, but it was too late.

Yuuto shifted gears like a snapping whip.

He burst left.

Defender bites.

He stops.

Defender stumbles.

Yuuto spins right — the whole gym gasps.

"SHUNJIN!" Yuuto snapped.

But Shunjin froze half a second, his old hesitation flickering.

Yuuto saw it — and corrected instantly.

He faked high—

—then fired a no-look bounce pass low to Daichi instead.

Daichi caught it with wide, surprised eyes, turned, and slammed it into the backboard for a quick layup.

SWOOSH.

Takeda didn't smile, but his chin lifted slightly. Approval.

Hikari murmured,

"Good read… he didn't force the pass to the ace. He trusted the system."

The second unit retrieved the ball.

Instant fastbreak.

But Daniel stepped up.

He slid in the defender's angle, arms wide.

"Not getting past me," he muttered.

The guard hesitated, tried to spin away—

THUMP

Daniel cut him off again.

A second fake.

A third.

Then the guard panicked and picked up his dribble.

Daniel's eyes twitched. He leaned in.

"Checkmate."

He stole the ball clean.

Yuuto sprinted up the court, calling sharply:

"SHIFT—HYBRID TWO!"

Marcus immediately curled around Shunjin, who faked a cut before slipping into the corner.

Daichi again moved into screen position.

Daniel took middle lane support.

Yuuto drove.

Defender on his hip.

Another stepping up.

Two more reading Marcus.

The last one ready to jump at Shunjin.

Yuuto saw all five.

Pulse Dribble kept the defense guessing.

He exhaled—long, steady.

This is it…

This is the beginning of a real offense…

Then suddenly—

"YUUTO! PASS!"

Marcus broke free for half a second.

Yuuto didn't think.

He trusted.

He flipped the ball with a quick, tight wrist-flick.

Marcus caught it—

Daniel sealed the help defender—

Marcus rose.

But instead of shooting immediately…

Marcus hesitated.

A flash of insecurity.

A whisper from last season.

A phantom miss.

The defender closed in.

Takeda's jaw tightened.

Marcus forced it and—

CLANK—!!

The ball bounced off the rim.

"REBOUND!" Takeda barked.

Daichi out-muscled two defenders, grabbed it, then shoved it to Yuuto.

"AGAIN!!" Yuuto roared.

And something changed.

This time Marcus's expression was different.

Determination cut through the regret.

He stomped once, fists clenched.

"I won't hesitate again."

Yuuto grinned.

"Then move!"

They reset into motion.

Shunjin darted inside, then out.

Daniel screened.

Daichi sealed defenders like a fortress.

Yuuto slowed his dribble—

—then instant burst.

He left his defender skating backward.

"Marcus—NOW!"

Marcus didn't wait.

He didn't think.

He didn't fear.

He rose for the Quick-Hop Release Three.

The defender barely reacted— the shot was too fast.

FWOOSH—

SWISH.

Shunjin pumped his fist.

Daichi yelled.

Daniel smirked.

Yuuto beamed.

Even Hikari whispered, "That's my blade."

Takeda crossed his arms.

"…Again."

They repeated the same set.

Then another.

And another.

And another.

At first, it was shaky.

Sometimes Daniel overcommitted on defense.

Sometimes Shunjin's timing fell apart.

Sometimes Daichi set screens too early.

Sometimes Yuuto misread the close-outs.

But something subtle began to shift.

Their movements tightened.

Spacing became second nature.

Marcus's gravity increased with each shot.

Shunjin's tempo blended seamlessly with Yuuto's pacing.

Daniel understood where to stand instinctively.

Daichi built a rhythm.

Then, the breakthrough happened.

Yuuto dribbled up the center.

Pulse Dribble smoother than ever.

Marcus slipped behind two defenders like a shadow.

Shunjin held his lane until the perfect millisecond.

Daichi crushed a screen that echoed.

Daniel guided the defense unknowingly into traps.

Yuuto stopped.

Froze the court.

And everyone moved exactly where they needed to be.

He didn't shout.

Didn't call a signal.

They just—

understood.

Yuuto smiled.

"…Perfect."

He whipped a pass to Shunjin.

Shunjin didn't hesitate — he cut inside, two blockers rising.

He faked a drive—

—then tapped it to Marcus as he flew behind him.

Marcus caught it mid-air—

SHHHHH—

Fadeaway.

Clean.

Casual.

Cold.

SWISH.

The gym went silent for one beat—

Then exploded.

"LET'S GO!!" Daichi roared.

Shunjin exhaled, wiping sweat from his chin.

"…Finally."

Daniel cracked a rare grin.

"Now we're talking."

Hikari smiled proudly.

Takeda uncrossed his arms.

He stepped toward them.

Each footstep echoed like a drumbeat.

When he reached the center of the court, he stared at all of them — no smile, but pride burning in his eyes.

"This," he growled, "is a system."

They straightened, sweating, trembling, but standing tall.

Takeda continued, voice cutting like steel:

"If you run this perfectly…

If you trust each other completely…

If you believe in the timing…

In the spacing…

In the rhythm…"

He paused.

"…you can challenge Hakuro."

Everyone held their breath.

Then he added, almost softly:

"And maybe… just maybe… win."

Yuuto felt his throat tighten.

Marcus clenched his fists.

Shunjin's eyes glowed.

Daniel nodded once.

Daichi nearly cried.

Takeda turned away.

"Scrimmage is over. Cool down."

But Yuuto stepped forward.

"Coach."

Takeda stopped.

Yuuto looked him straight in the eye.

"…We're going to beat them."

The gym went still.

Takeda's lips curled just slightly.

"Then tomorrow," he said, "we push twice as hard."

The team groaned.

But Yuuto grinned.

Because finally…

For the first time…

The Hybrid System was alive.

And it was beautiful.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.