Two hours passed.

The steam from the post-game showers had faded, replaced by the cold air of reality settling over the locker room. The scent of soap, sweat, and the metallic tang of Gatorade bottles lingered in the air. Damp towels lay piled in corners, the echo of earlier laughter slowly dissolving into quiet exhaustion.

Marcus slid on his hoodie, rolling his shoulders as if trying to release the last traces of tension. Yuuto tightened the straps of his bag, hair still wet, droplets clinging to his forehead like tiny crystals. The other boys moved sluggishly, worn out but still high off the adrenaline of their win.

The room was dim now the overhead light humming, flickering slightly.

Then Marcus's phone buzzed.

Arisa: "Bus outside. Coach waiting. Hurry."

He exhaled and shoved the phone into his pocket.

"Let's go," he said, pushing open the locker room door.

The team filed out Daichi rubbing his neck, Shunjin humming the rhythm of his own game-winner, Riku and Kento arguing about a defensive rotation, Daniel silent and stern as always.

The hallway was cool, almost chilly against their damp skin. The stadium, once roaring, now felt hollow echoes of cheers replaced by the distant thump… thump… thump of basketballs from other courts still playing. The faint smell of popcorn and spilled soda lingered in the air.

"Crazy how empty it gets after a game," Shunjin said, stretching his arms behind his head as they walked.

"Mm," Daichi replied. "Quiet is weird. Makes me feel like something's about to happen."

Marcus chuckled. "Relax. We already had today's surprise."

Yuuto's eyes darkened. "Yeah… Kanzaki."

Dominance…

The word still cut through him like a blade.

They reached the stairwell leading to the upstairs bar area an elevated floor where spectators could watch games through glass windows. The lights from the monitors reflected off the glass walls, creating shimmering patterns on the floor. A few janitors pushed brooms across the walkway.

"Man, I'm starving," Shunjin groaned. "Think the coach will let us stop for food?"

"No," Marcus and Daniel said in perfect sync.

The boys laughed then everything stopped.

A sudden roar shook the stadium.

Not the scattered cheers of earlier games.

Not the chatter of a small crowd.

A sharp, concentrated roar like someone had just witnessed something unbelievable.

The boys froze.

Marcus turned.

Yuuto felt his heartbeat jump.

They walked to the railing overlooking one of the main courts.

A single spotlight carved a circle into the hardwood floor, like a blade of silver light slicing through the arena's darkness.

The scoreboard glowed bright, merciless:

HAKURO ACADEMY- 200 - RAIJIN HIGH- 0

"…What?" Riku whispered, voice almost cracking.

Shunjin leaned forward, jaw unhinged. "Two… hundred?"

Yuuto's breath hitched. "To zero…?"

Marcus swallowed hard. "…No way."

Below, the court was nearly silent.

The crowd what little remained stood frozen, their earlier reactions drained into disbelief. Even the Raijin High players looked broken, their shoulders slumped, jerseys sticking to their bodies.

But at center court

stage illuminated, alone, unmoved

stood Ryu Kazen.

Tall. Calm. Unshaken.

Eyes lowered, ball tucked under an arm with a casualness that felt disrespectful in itself.

One of the Kings of the Court.

Every step he took radiated authority controlled, elegant, terrifying.

Yuuto whispered, "He… he scored everything? All 200?"

Before Marcus could respond, the arena speakers crackled alive.

Commentator (breathless, stunned):

"And… there it is, folks! Another perfect game by Hakuro Academy's very own Ryu Kazen! Two hundred points yes, you heard that right two hundred points, in a single day! Four matches played, and not a single point conceded. Absolutely unprecedented!"

Marcus's fingers curled around the railing until his knuckles whitened.

"Every play, every shot executed with surgical precision…

one man dominating the court in a way we have never seen before!"

Yuuto's voice was barely audible.

"…This is insane…"

Daniel exhaled sharply. "He's not human."

"No," Marcus whispered. "He's… elite."

Ryu moved.

Slowly. Deliberately.

He lifted his head eyes glowing a surreal blue, thin grid-like patterns dancing beneath the iris as if they were scanning the entire court.

Shunjin shuddered. "What… are those eyes…?"

Ryu closed them.

Just for a moment.

A calm wind seemed to breeze through the arena, though no air moved.

And when he opened them again

The blue was gone.

Replaced by a soft, natural red, but the shift made something inside Marcus tighten.

Presence.

Control.

Dominance.

Ryu finally spoke.

His voice carried across the court, quiet but somehow reaching every corner every person every soul watching him.

"This is all you are.This is all you can offer. You are not good enough. You do not deserve to play in this tournament. You…

are pathetic." {Ryu Kazen☆King of the Court}

Silence.

The words fell heavy.

Sharp.

Unforgiving.

Even from the upper floor, Marcus felt his chest tighten. Yuuto felt something similar but instead of fear, it was fuel. Rage. Ambition. Desire.

"That's what dominance sounds like," Marcus muttered.

Yuuto clenched his fists. "Then I'll surpass it."

The commentator spoke again, voice trembling with excitement:

"Ladies and gentlemen… Ryu Kazen has officially scored all 200 points today. Every shot. Every layup. Every three. Every dunk. Hakuro Academy didn't just play they redefined the game. And Kazen… he's not just a player. He's a phenomenon."

Daichi whispered, "We're… supposed to compete with that?"

Shunjin shook his head. "We're not supposed to. We're going to."

Marcus looked at the court one last time.

Then his phone vibrated again.

Arisa: "Come on… the bus is waiting. What are you guys doing? Hurry!"

He exhaled. "Let's go."

They descended the opposite staircase. Each step echoed like a countdown. The bus waited outside lights on, engine rumbling softly. The night air was cold against their faces.

Yet even as they walked away, none of them could shake the image:

Ryu Kazen under the spotlight.

Eyes red.

Presence overwhelming.

Back straight.

Ball in hand.

Dominance personified.

TODAY'S MATCH RESULTS

MATCH 1 Easton Technical High vs Seiryō High

FINAL SCORE: Easton 109 – Seiryō 110

MVP: Itsuki Sera (Played multiple positions perfectly)

MATCH 2 Hakuro Academy vs Raijin High

FINAL SCORE: Hakuro 200 – Raijin 0

MVP: Ryu Kazen (Scored ALL 200 points)

MATCH 3 Kurogane Tech vs Westpoint Academy

FINAL SCORE: Kurogane 88 – Westpoint 73

MVP: Yoru Takamine (48 points, 12 steals)

MATCH 4 Kingsborough Academy vs Otani Elite

FINAL SCORE: Kingsborough 129 – Otani 118

MVP: Atsuya Rin (52 points, 11 threes)

The boys climbed onto the bus slow, quiet, thoughtful.

Arisa sat in the front seat and twisted around. "You boys okay?"

Marcus laughed softly. "Yeah. Just… processing."

Yuuto stared through the window at the fading stadium lights.

At the faint silhouette still visible on the court.

"I'm not scared," he said quietly.

"I'm inspired."

The bus pulled away, carrying them into the night.

But the echo of Ryu Kazen's dominance

his voice, his aura, his presence

followed them like a shadow.

Because today, the tournament showed them the mountain they had to climb.

And tomorrow,

they would start climbing.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.