The Shinwa High gym buzzed with pre-game energy, the morning sun streaming through high windows and glinting off the polished court. Kenji Tachibana tightened his shoelaces, his bandaged finger throbbing as he gripped a basketball, the weight of yesterday's discoveries—the '98 tape proving Saito's integrity, Ami's USB with damning emails, and the chilling video of Hoshino executing "Phantom Shift"—fueling his focus. The friendly match against Seiko High was meant to test their new play, but Ryusei High's espionage, led by Kaito Kurogane and their spy Ryunosuke, turned it into a minefield. The latest zine threat—"Ryusei sees all"—sat heavy in Kenji's bag, a reminder that Kurogane was watching.
Hana stood at the sidelines, her notebook open, coordinating with Coach Morita, who'd returned from his mysterious "contact" meeting looking grimmer than usual. "Seiko's chaotic, but we've got this," she called, her voice steady despite the circled photo from the zine haunting her. "Stick to Phantom Shift, bait Ryunosuke with the fake Blitz."
Kenji nodded, catching her eye. Their ramen plans from last night had turned into a late strategy session, her hand brushing his as they pored over Ami's USB. The emails confirmed Kaito's father ordered Saito's hit, but a new name surfaced: Tatami, Saito's presumed-dead colleague, listed as a "consultant." Kenji's gut twisted—another ghost from '98.
Akira Sano rallied the team—Kenji, Jiro, Rin, Tatsuya, Riku, Kaito Hattori, and Daichi—in the locker room. "Seiko's fast-break's like Ryusei lite," he said, sketching plays on a whiteboard. "We run Phantom Shift, keep 'em guessing. Ryunosuke's here—feed him the Blitz." His voice was steel, but his fingers grazed the singed team photo in his pocket, Hoshino's betrayal a fresh wound after the video.
Jiro, tossing a candy wrapper, smirked. "Let's make that spy sweat. I'll 'accidentally' trip him." Rin, adjusting his knee brace, muttered, "Play. Win. Expose." Tatsuya taunted Riku, "Don't choke on snacks, speedster," but Riku's grin was fierce, ready to outrun Seiko's chaos.
As Seiko High arrived—lanky players in mismatched jerseys, led by their cocky point guard, Yuto—Kenji spotted Ryunosuke near the scorer's table, clipboard in hand, eyes darting. Hana whispered, "He's texting someone. Probably Kaito." She'd slipped Daichi a fake playbook—Phantom Blitz, a decoy with obvious flaws—hoping Ryunosuke would leak it.
The whistle blew, and the game exploded. Kenji drove with the phantom dribble, weaving past Yuto's sloppy defense. Rin's screen opened a lane, and Jiro's cut drew a foul, his grin wide as he winked at Ryunosuke. "Phantom Shift's clicking—75% completion!" Haru shouted from the bleachers, laptop open, tracking stats. But Kenji noticed Seiko's plays shifting mid-quarter, mirroring the fake Blitz, as if coached by Ryusei's precision.
At halftime, Shinwa led 42-38, but Akira's face was grim. "They're running our decoy," he said in the huddle. "Ryunosuke's feeding Seiko real-time. Kaito's here." He nodded toward the stands, where a figure in white gloves—Kaito Kurogane—watched, Hoshino beside him, winking at Akira.
Kenji's blood boiled. "They stole Phantom Shift. How?"
Hana flipped her notebook. "Ryunosuke's been filming drills. Check his clipboard." She signaled Daichi, who "clumsily" bumped Ryunosuke, knocking the clipboard loose. A tiny camera rolled out, blinking red. Haru lunged, grabbing it. "Gotcha, spy."
Morita, unaware of the tape but sensing trouble, barked, "Focus! Second half, switch to Shift variation three—unscripted cuts. Bury 'em."
The second half was chaos. Kenji drove, dodging Yuto's wild flail, and lobbed to Rin, who sank a jumper despite his knee's creak. Jiro's lockpick instincts kicked in—he stole a pass, grinning at Ryunosuke's panicked face. Tatsuya faked a three, pulling Seiko's defense, and Riku zipped for a layup. Kaito Hattori blocked a shot, stammering, "Sorry, got it!" as the crowd roared.
But Kaito Kurogane's presence shifted the vibe. Seiko's plays grew sharper, Hoshino's stolen Phantom Shift evident in their spacing. Kenji caught Hoshino whispering to Yuto during a timeout, With seconds left, Kenji drove, faking the Blitz to bait Seiko, then passed to Akira, who sank a game-winning three. Final: Shinwa 78, Seiko 74.
As the teams shook hands, Kenji confronted Ryunosuke. "Tell Kaito we're coming for him." Ryunosuke smirked, but his eyes flicked to Kaito, who vanished with Hoshino. Hana pocketed the camera, whispering, "We've got proof now."
Post-game, Haru hacked the camera's feed, revealing footage of Shinwa's drills sent to Kaito's phone. But a new file popped up—a voice memo from Tatami, alive: "Saito's tape is step one. Find my network. Kurogane's bigger than you know."
Kenji's heart raced. Tatami was out there, and the USB's emails tied him to a resistance. As the team celebrated, Hana grabbed Kenji's arm. "Ramen's still on, right? After we decode that memo." Her smile was fierce, their fingers intertwining.
But as they left the gym, a shadow lingered by the exit—a black-capped figure, watching. Kenji's phone buzzed: "Nice win. Tape's next. – T." Tatami, or a trap? The friendly was won, but the real game was just beginning.