Crack… Rumble…
In the pitch-black night, the wind howled, thunder rolled, and lightning flashed across the sky — as if nature itself was trying to drown out every sound in existence.
Yet, strangely, not a single drop of rain fell.
Somewhere in that oppressive darkness, a baby's cry echoed — sharp, piercing through the raging wind and roaring thunder like a spell breaking the night.
But this cry wasn't ordinary. It wasn't the helpless wail of a newborn. It sounded almost defiant — a protest, a roar of unwillingness toward the heavens.
Reo's head felt unbearably heavy, as if he had been asleep for an eternity.
Deep within his mind, long-forgotten memories began to stir, slowly flooding back until they filled his consciousness.
'What's wrong with me?'
The confusion that followed his awakening jolted him out of his daze. He struggled to open his eyes.
Or rather… he finally regained his sight from the endless darkness.
It was as though he hadn't seen light in a very long time.
A blinding white glow filled his vision. But soon, the light receded, and shapes began to take form before his eyes.
People.
He was surrounded by people — strangers he didn't recognize.
Some wore white coats, their professional demeanor immediately noticeable.
'Doctors?'
'Nurses?'
'Am I… in a hospital?'
Fragments of memory flashed before him. He remembered walking along the road when suddenly, the ground gave way beneath his feet. A brief moment of weightlessness, then darkness — and a sharp, unbearable pain before everything faded away.
"Wow! He's adorable!"
"He opened his eyes already? That's so rare!"
"Look at his eyes, everyone! They're different colors!"
"Whoa…! I've never seen a baby like that before!"
The voices around him buzzed with excitement.
'What are they saying?' Reo couldn't understand a word.
Judging from their uniforms, he was indeed in a hospital.
'I must have been rescued… Wait.'
'That language—it's Japanese!'
'What's going on here?!'
Before he could think further, he suddenly felt his body being lifted.
'Huh?'
His surroundings swayed as a nurse cradled him in her arms.
'Wait.'
'Why was a nurse holding him like a baby?'
Then it hit him.
He wasn't just being held — he was a baby.
A beautiful woman soon appeared before his eyes, her face breathtakingly elegant — like a celestial being descended from the heavens.
"Is this my child?" she asked softly, gazing down at him with loving eyes.
Reo stared at her, completely stunned.
She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Crimson hair cascaded over her shoulders like silk, and her scarlet eyes glimmered with warmth and tenderness. Her very presence radiated charm — the kind of beauty one could never forget after a single glance.
Just then, a faint light appeared within Reo's mind — a shimmering halo, transparent like glass, with its circular edges faintly glowing while the center remained empty.
'What's that?'
Tiny motes of light — like dust particles — drifted toward the center of the halo.
'What the hell is going on…?'
Reo tried to calm himself, but confusion overwhelmed him.
'Could it be…?'
His thoughts froze.
He remembered being effortlessly lifted by the nurse. The unfamiliar language. The stunning woman before him.
His heart started pounding.
He shakily raised his hands, and what he saw made his breath catch.
Small, delicate, baby-sized hands.
'No way…'
'Had he… reincarnated?'
'Or had he somehow transmigrated into another world?'
'And the woman in front of him — was she… his new mother?'
Before he could think further, a deep male voice entered the room.
"Is this our child?"
Reo turned toward the voice.
A tall, handsome man with a noble aura stood nearby. Though his features were stern, his expression was now soft with joy.
"This child truly resembles you," the man said with pride. "Even his hair color is the same."
The woman smiled warmly and replied, "Then let's give our child a name."
The man nodded thoughtfully. "Let's call him… Ake Ryu."
"Ake Ryu…" The woman repeated the name lovingly, smiling down at him. "That's a wonderful name."
She leaned closer and whispered tenderly, "My child, did you hear that? From today on, your name is Ake Ryu."
Three Years Later
Reo — no, Ake Ryu — sat quietly on a grassy field, staring up at the clear blue sky.
The gentle breeze brushed against his face as white clouds drifted lazily above. His thoughts wandered far.
Three years had passed since his rebirth, and he had gradually come to terms with his reality — he had indeed transmigrated.
He confirmed it the day he saw his reflection in a mirror: crimson hair and mismatched eyes — one golden-red, the other deep crimson.
It was impossible for someone with such features to exist in his old world.
And his mother's matching crimson hair only made it clearer.
Though he didn't know exactly what kind of world he'd been reborn into, he knew one thing for sure — he was born into a family of immense wealth.
The estate he lived in was enormous — the kind of mansion only the richest families could possibly own.
And then there was the halo.
The mysterious circle that had appeared in his mind the day he was born.
After years of studying it, Ake still didn't understand its true nature. All he knew was that the once-empty circle was slowly filling with light — like a phone battery icon charging over time.
Even now, faint particles of light continued to flow into it, never stopping.
By his calculations, it was about 30% full. At the current rate, it would take roughly eight more years to complete.
He had tried everything to accelerate the process, but nothing worked. All he could do was wait.
He suspected that this mysterious halo might be his golden finger — a special gift or power from another world.
And perhaps because of it, his learning speed and memory were extraordinary.
In just three years, he had mastered basic Japanese and could hold simple conversations. His family praised him as a genius.
Even more astonishingly, he possessed a perfect memory — everything he saw was etched into his mind forever.
That ability hadn't existed in his previous life.
Whether it was a blessing or a curse, Ake didn't know. But one thing was certain — his old world was gone. This world was now his home.
Time flowed like a quiet river.
Eight years passed in the blink of an eye.
Now eight years old, Ake Ryu had completely grown into the Ake Family's prodigy — a calm, mature child far beyond his years.
His intelligence and composure earned him constant praise and admiration.
But what preoccupied him most was the halo.
After eight years, the once-transparent circle was now almost completely filled with light — a radiant orb glowing within his mind.
Just one or two months remained before it reached completion.
Each day felt longer than the last, his impatience building to the point of madness.
Still, this wasn't his only discovery over the years.
A year ago, he had finally learned what world he was in.
The world of "Slam Dunk."
He had stumbled upon a news report mentioning a familiar name — Mitsuyoshi Anzai.
The chubby, gentle coach from Slam Dunk.
The report detailed his resignation from a university coaching job.
The moment Ake saw it, his heart froze.
He was living in that world.
The Slam Dunk world.
And from that day on, his destiny began to change.