Opening Scene — Tokyo Dome Prep Arena
A massive banner hangs over the court: "Tokyo High Invitational: The Best Clash Here"
Stadium lights buzz. Scouts, journalists, and ex-pros line the front row.
Tokyo International enters the arena in matching warmups.
Maxwell walks at the front, headphones in, eyes cold. But inside?
> Narrator: "Some stages are built for greatness. Others... are built to expose the cracks."
---
Scene — Locker Room: First Look at the Brackets
Coach Rintaro tapes the tournament bracket to the whiteboard.
Coach:
> "Sixteen teams. Single elimination. Four rounds to glory."
Knight whistles.
Knight:
> "No second chances, huh?"
Maxwell nods, without smiling.
Hunter slams his fist into his palm.
Hunter:
> "Good. One road. Forward."
But as the camera pans... Maxwell stares at one team name on the opposite end: "RAIJIN ACADEMY"
The letters flash in his eyes like lightning.
> Maxwell (thinking): "It had to be them."
---
Scene — Practice Session: Late Night
The team practices hard. Hunter is laughing again. Knight is dancing mid-shot. Things feel... good.
Airi shows up, handing Knight a sports drink.
Airi:
> "You were amazing last game."
Knight nods, takes the drink, but steps away.
Knight:
> "Thanks. But I'm just focused on the next one."
Airi (disappointed):
> "You always say that."
> Narrator: "When storms come... even love steps back."
---
Scene — Flashback: Maxwell, 13 Years Old
A dirt court. Rain pouring.
Young Maxwell clutches a worn ball. In front of him stands a tall, older teen. The jersey reads: RAIJIN.
Boy (mocking):
> "You're not meant for this court, Max. You're a fill-in. A glitch."
The older boy shoves him. Maxwell falls.
> Narrator: "Not all scars bleed. Some sit in silence... until the past walks back into the gym."
---
Scene — Present Day, Tokyo Invitational Round 1 & 2 Montage
Maxwell drops 28 in Game 1, crushing Saitama West.
Knight hits a buzzer beater in Game 2.
Hunter dominates the paint with raw aggression.
Fans are starting to chant:
> "MAX! MAX! MAX!"
Journalists whisper:
> "This Tokyo International team is dangerous."
But Maxwell doesn't celebrate.
He keeps looking ahead. One team left before the final: RAIJIN.
---
Final Scene — Night Before the Semifinals
Maxwell sits on a bench outside the hotel, gripping an old photo: A blurry streetball game. In the corner of the image—the Raijin captain. The boy from his past. Renjiro Sora.
Coach Rintaro walks up.
Coach:
> "Old ghosts don't vanish. They wait."
Maxwell:
> "He humiliated me... years ago. I wasn't strong enough."
Coach:
> "So now? Are you playing to win... or playing not to lose to your past?"
Maxwell says nothing.
Camera pans up to the sky—clouds rolling in.
> Narrator: "The invitation was sent. Tomorrow, the past knocks on the door. And not all of them will survive the answer."
---
Episode 9 Ends. Next Episode: "Echoes of Raijin"