[The Rise of Ryonan]
Ake Ryu attended Seiyo Middle School, where he joined the basketball club.
In his first year, Ake led Seiyo to victory in the National Middle School Boys' Basketball League, capturing the championship title.
After the team's former captain graduated, Ake took over as captain, and under his leadership, Seiyo Middle made a massive leap in strength. The following year, they dominated the tournament once again, claiming back-to-back national championships.
Just when everyone believed Seiyo was destined for an unprecedented three-peat, the creator of those miracles — Ake Ryu — abruptly withdrew from the basketball club.
No one knew why.
In their third year, without Ake, Seiyo failed to defend its title. During that time, Ake vanished completely from the basketball scene.
He reappeared only when he entered high school.
According to reports, Ake was invited by a former middle school teammate to join Ryonan High School, where he became part of the basketball club.
On the day he joined, Ake led a group of newcomers to defeat Ryonan's starting lineup — including Sendoh and Uozumi.
Three days later, he defeated the team's former captain, Uozumi Jun, in a one-on-one match.
From that moment, Ake Ryu became Ryonan's new captain.
Since then, Ryonan had undergone a complete transformation.
In this tournament alone, they'd crushed multiple opponents by over a hundred points — undeniable proof that Ryonan was rising.
(The rest of the report is too lengthy, so it will be omitted.)
The article read more like a chronicle of Ake's journey — from middle school prodigy to Ryonan's cornerstone.
But what stood out was how vaguely it described Ake's actual strength. It was as if the writer had deliberately avoided going into detail, guarding a secret.
Rukia: "I'm not foolish enough to reveal all of Ake-kun's abilities!"
Even so, the report spread like wildfire — a spark dropped into hot oil — igniting the entire Kanagawa high school basketball scene.
Every basketball club was left speechless.
The revelation that Ake had led his team to two consecutive national titles in middle school shocked everyone.
That was no small feat — that was a national championship.
The Memories of Seiyo Middle.
Those who followed middle school basketball suddenly remembered.
"Yeah… Seiyo Middle's two straight titles were huge news back then."
"Their offense was like a tidal wave — fluid and unstoppable."
But when the name Ake Ryu came up, most people frowned, confused.
"Ake Ryu? Doesn't ring a bell."
"Wasn't their ace that forward? He averaged twenty points a game."
"No, no — it was the point guard, the one with incredible passing."
It wasn't surprising no one remembered him.
Back then, Ake was Seiyo's invisible core — the player who wore jersey number 4 but rarely stood out.
He didn't chase the spotlight or dazzling stats. Instead, he focused on connecting plays, defending, and elevating his teammates.
Meanwhile, Sendoh — already known for his graceful, high-scoring style — often stole the headlines.
And that's when realization struck.
"Wait… wasn't Sendoh from Seiyo Middle?"
The revelation shocked Sendoh's fans even more.
Sendoh and Ake had been teammates in middle school.
Together, they had won two consecutive national championships.
"No wonder their chemistry is so good!"
"What are the odds — same team in middle school and now in high school!"
"Man, I'd pay to see footage of their old games!"
Basketball Weekly – Aida Yayoi's Discovery
When Aida Yayoi, a reporter for Basketball Weekly, first saw the article, she rubbed her eyes in disbelief.
As a devoted Sendoh fan, she knew plenty of insider information about him — or so she thought.
"Ryonan High School, Press Club – Rukia..." she murmured, staring at the byline.
Aida quickly realized it wasn't written by a professional journalist but a student reporter.
Yet the writing, though unpolished, carried a rare sense of precision and authenticity.
"This Rukia isn't ordinary," she muttered. "To know so much about Ake's past… this person definitely has inside information."
Her instincts as a reporter kicked in immediately.
'Why did Ake quit after two championships?'
'Why disappear for a whole year?'
'And how exactly did Ryonan evolve so drastically after his arrival?'
Somewhere, Rukia held the answers.
Maki Shinichi's fingers tightened around the report as he silently read the words "Seiyo Middle – Two Consecutive Championships."
No emotion crossed his face, but those who knew him could sense he was reassessing his rival.
"Two straight titles… that's incredible," said Jin Soichiro with admiration.
Achieving such a feat in a national tournament was anything but easy.
Nearby, Kiyota Nobunaga was scratching his head. "Seiyo… Seiyo…" he muttered — until something clicked.
"Ah! I remember! We played against them once!"
His expression darkened.
"They destroyed us," he admitted, grimacing. "Their teamwork was insane. The ball moved like it had eyes — we couldn't keep up."
"So you've faced Ake before?" Muto Tadashi asked, intrigued.
Kiyota frowned, searching his memory. But all he could recall was Sendoh dominating the game.
"Honestly, I can't remember Ake at all," he said sheepishly.
Maki, calm as ever, offered his analysis.
"Maybe he didn't even play. If they were that far ahead, there was no need for the core players to be on court."
That possibility made sense — and irritated Kiyota even more.
"Tch… that's even worse."
Jin chuckled lightly before his tone turned serious.
"Whether he played or not, the current Ake Ryu isn't someone we can underestimate. A player who can connect an entire team through passing — that's the hardest kind to defend."
After practice, Hanagata Toru handed the report to Fujima Kenji.
"What do you think?"
Fujima's eyes lingered on the words "Two Consecutive Championships."
"He's a troublesome opponent," Fujima said quietly.
He remembered hearing about Seiyo's legendary run back when he first entered high school. Only now did he realize the quiet red-haired boy from Ryonan was the mastermind behind it.
"To lead a team to two national titles means he's mastered both leadership and control," Fujima continued. "But what's truly frightening is his mindset — he knows when to hide his brilliance. Even as captain, he lets others shine. That's the kind of player who truly terrifies me."
Hanagata nodded.
"And with Sendoh as his old teammate, their chemistry will be seamless. Our zone defense could really struggle against that."
Fujima's calm eyes sharpened with determination.
"Still… the winner will be us — Shoyo."
In Shohoku's gym, the atmosphere was thick.
Kogure Kiminobu stared wide-eyed at the report.
"Two national titles… and he was Sendoh's teammate? That's insane."
Ayako tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"I've heard of Seiyo Middle. They were big back then."
She turned to Rukawa Kaede, who was practicing silently.
"Hey, Rukawa, ever heard of Ake Ryu?"
Rukawa shook his head. He hadn't — their schools were in different regions.
"We never even got out of our prefecture," Miyagi Ryota admitted with a shrug.
"No way we'd meet national teams."
Mitsui Hisashi frowned.
"Still, this report feels exaggerated. It makes it sound like he single-handedly won those championships."
Akagi, silent until now, didn't respond. He only remembered the practice match — Ake's eyes calm yet piercing, his passes perfectly timed, his presence unshakable.
He finally understood: the kid's past wasn't just impressive — it was extraordinary.
As the entire Kanagawa basketball world buzzed, Ake Ryu sat silently in his room, reading the report.
Sunlight reflected off his crimson hair, but his expression didn't change.
He wasn't angry about his past being revealed, nor proud of the fame it brought.
To him, those were just old memories.
His eyes fell on the author's name: Ryonan High – Press Club – Rukia.
He remembered her joking once that she'd make him famous — and now she had.
But fame had never been his goal.
He set the paper down.
Public opinion didn't matter. The only thing that mattered was the next game.
After all, Ake wasn't interested in being talked about.
He preferred to be remembered on the court.
"Hehehe... looks like we're famous now," a voice whispered inside his mind.
His pupils shrank. That familiar, haunting voice — the one he hadn't heard in so long — had returned.
"You think you can silence me? Seeing them praise you, seeing your name everywhere — don't tell me you feel nothing?"
Ake's gaze hardened.
"What I want is victory, not fame."
"But isn't victory just another form of glory?" the voice teased. "Don't lie — you crave dominance as much as I do."
"No," Ake said coldly. "You want dominance. I want to win — with them."
The voice laughed darkly.
"We could've won three straight titles if you hadn't quit. You still want them to see your real power, don't you?"
"Enough."
The clash inside him was fierce — two opposing forces fighting for control.
One calm, like a still lake.
The other sharp, like a blade of ice.
And then… silence.
When he opened his eyes, they carried both serenity and sharpness — balanced, restrained power.
He had neither suppressed nor surrendered.
He had accepted both sides.
Perhaps this — this perfect coexistence of calm and hunger — was the real Ake Ryu.