"We build a new system."

Daichi whispered under his breath:

"…A new system?"

Takeda nodded.

"A hybrid."

Yuuto leaned forward.

"A hybrid of what?"

Takeda's smirk sharpened.

"Speed, spacing… and shot supremacy."

Marcus blinked. "Shot supremacy?"

"Meaning," Hikari answered, "we never take a low-value shot again. Every possession ends in either a high-percentage finish or a spacing-based strike."

She tapped the screen.

The diagram changed to blue — their team.

A seven-point constellation appeared:

**YUUTO

MARCUS

SHUNJIN

DAICHI

DANIEL

two rotating wings**

Yuuto's chest tightened.

He was there.

In the starting lineup.

Hikari pointed directly at him.

"Yuuto, from this chapter onward, you're our primary point guard."

Shunjin stiffened, but Takeda held up a hand before he could protest.

"This team needs a battlefield general," Takeda said. "Someone who sees the entire court. Someone who doesn't freeze."

Images from the film session flashed through Yuuto's mind:

Ryu's blue eyes tracking five defenders at once…

Ryu switching defensive angles BEFORE the pass left the opponent's fingertips…

Ryu reading the rhythm of the match like sheet music…

Takeda's voice cut through his memory.

"You are the closest thing we have to that."

Yuuto swallowed.

Hard.

He wasn't anywhere near Ryu's level.

But he could improve.

He would.

The screen switched again.

Marcus's clips appeared — his drives, his step-backs, his midranges, his bully-ball finishes.

Takeda pointed the remote at him like a weapon.

"You lead scoring."

Marcus's breath hitched.

"You will be matched with Minato Raiji," Hikari added. "He's a sniper, but defensively? You can crack him."

Marcus nodded slowly.

Takeda leaned forward.

"Weapons evolve when pressure rises, Marcus. This is your fire."

For the first time all night, Marcus grinned wide.

"Then I'll evolve."

Shunjin didn't expect to be called next.

He flinched when his name lit up on the screen.

A series of clips showed every time he changed pace — bursts, hesitations, slow builds, sudden darts.

"You," Hikari said softly, "control the rhythm."

Shunjin looked confused.

"I… thought Yuuto is point guard?"

"Youuto is the mind," Takeda corrected. "You're the metronome."

Hikari added:

"When your tempo shifts, Hakuro hesitates. And when they hesitate, a window opens."

Shunjin's throat tightened.

"That means…"

"Yes," Takeda said. "You're still a starter."

His shoulders dropped with relief — then firmed with new fire.

"I… I won't slow us down."

The screen flashed to defense.

Daniel's steals.

Daniel's footwork.

Daniel's uncanny ability to read passing lanes.

Takeda's voice dropped low.

"You will guard Hiroto Mae."

Daniel froze.

"…The steals monster?"

"Yes."

Hikari stepped closer, her tone serious.

"You're the only one who can match his instincts. If he shuts down our passes, we die."

Daniel cracked his neck.

"That's fine."

His eyes sharpened.

"I wanna see if he can out-read me."

Hikari took center stage again.

"We call it…"

She clicked the remote.

Two words appeared:

THE EVOLUTION GRID

Yuuto whispered it under his breath.

"Evolution… grid…"

Takeda began explaining, sharp and precise:

"Grid spacing for offensive flow."

"Rapid shifting for defense."

"Shot supremacy for scoring efficiency."

"And dynamic tempo control."

The diagrams shifted rapidly:

↳Yuuto at top

↳Marcus and Daichi as dual wings

↳Shunjin floating as tempo link

↳Daniel anchoring defensive triggers

Yuuto felt the strategy clicking into place in his mind.

"We use rotations that change every five seconds," Hikari said. "Hakuro won't be able to predict us."

Takeda cut in sharply:

"And if Ryu tries to read you, Yuuto—"

Yuuto clenched his fists.

"I'll read him back."

Takeda smiled dangerously.

"That's the spirit."

Everyone turned when his icon lit up.

Daichi blinked hard.

"Me? Starter?"

Hikari nodded.

"You're the stabilizer. The shooter with discipline. You provide spacing and punish hesitation."

Daichi's hands trembled.

"I… I won't let you down."

Yuuto reached over and bumped his shoulder.

"You won't."

Hikari clicked the remote.

Hakuro footage returned.

Ryu's red-eyed mode.

Shunpei Kanda's insane vertical blocks.

Minato's sniper precision.

Ren's 6'9 mobility.

The room darkened again.

Fear crept back in.

Takeda let the silence simmer for five seconds…

Then barked:

"Look at them."

Ryu rising above a defender — dunking through contact.

Kanda blocking a shot into the bleachers.

Minato hitting a three before the defender could blink.

Ren crossing two defenders at 6'9 like a guard.

Hiroto stripping three players in the same possession.

Takeda boomed:

"GOOD."

Yuuto blinked.

Good?

Takeda slammed his hand onto the whiteboard.

"GOOD. Because now you know what you're up against."

He pointed at Yuuto.

"You know what you have to surpass."

At Marcus.

"You know who you must outscore."

At Daniel.

"You know whose instincts you have to break."

The team stood straighter.

Spines stiffened.

Breathing sharpened.

Takeda's voice dropped to a near-growl.

"Stop thinking they're monsters."

He jabbed a finger at the screen.

"They bleed."

Hikari clicked to the last slide.

A full week schedule.

Yuuto's heart skipped.

Because it wasn't practice.

It was war.

Marcus muttered, "This is insane."

Takeda barked, "No. This is necessary."

Shunjin whispered, "It's… almost impossible."

Yuuto shook his head.

"No."

Everyone looked at him.

Yuuto stared at the screen showing Ryu's glowing eyes.

Blue-grid vision.

Red scoring aura.

Unbreakable stamina.

"No."

He stepped forward, fists trembling.

"It's not impossible."

He remembered Ryu towering over opponents.

He remembered that cold, analytical stare.

He remembered the humiliation of watching Hakuro dominate the court.

"No," Yuuto repeated, louder.

"Because I'm not losing to Ryu Kazen."

The room froze.

Every teammate felt it — the fire behind the words.

Takeda stepped forward until they were eye to eye.

His voice dropped to a whisper.

"Then evolve, Yuuto."

Yuuto nodded.

"I will."

The lights came on.

The projector shut off.

But the feeling did not fade.

This team…

This system…

This mission…

It wasn't just strategy anymore.

It was a promise.

Yuuto looked at his teammates.

Marcus looked ready for war.

Shunjin had found steel in his spine.

Daniel cracked his neck again.

Daichi looked scared — but determined.

Hakuro wasn't just an opponent.

Ryu Kazen wasn't just a rival.

This was destiny.

Yuuto whispered one last time, barely audible.

"…I'm going to surpass him."

Takeda turned away, hiding a smirk.

"Good," he muttered.

"Because starting tomorrow…"

He opened the gym doors wide — revealing cones, weights, barriers, sandbags, treadmills, shooting machines, and a full tactical court painted on the floor—

"…training becomes hell."

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