Kuroya Ren sat in the back of the orphanage, his back against a crumbling wall, staring blankly at the overcast sky. The place smelled of cigarettes and spilled beer, and the owner—a slurring old man—was passed out in the corner.
Ren had nothing. No future. No motivation.
At least, that's what he thought.
Until Enzo Takashiro showed up.
Enzo was different from every coach Ren had ever met. He didn't wear a clean, pressed suit like Akabane. He didn't have the cold, calculating aura of a champion. Instead, he looked tired. His dark gray hair was unkempt, and his black coat looked like it had seen better days.
"Hmph. So you're Kuroya Ren," Enzo muttered, lighting a cigarette and squatting next to him. His golden eyes studied Ren like a puzzle.
Ren didn't answer.
"I've heard the stories. The wasted talent. The prodigy who never tried." Enzo exhaled, shaking his head. "Pathetic."
Ren let out a dry laugh. "Then why are you here?"
"I'm the coach of Hades, the worst team in the Basketball Academy," Enzo said flatly. "No one respects us. No one thinks we have a chance."
Ren turned away, uninterested.
"And that's why you're perfect for us."
That caught his attention.
"I don't play anymore," Ren muttered.
"I know," Enzo said, standing up. "And that's why you're stuck in this dump."
Ren clenched his fists.
"Basketball's the only thing you were ever good at, right? You can rot away in this place, or you can get up and do something about it."
Enzo tossed a crumpled paper at Ren's feet.
A Hades jersey.
Ren stared at it for a long moment.
Then, for the first time in years, he stood up.
The Worst Team in the Academy
Hades' gym looked more like an abandoned warehouse than a training facility. The lights flickered, and the air smelled like sweat and rusted metal.
Ren met his new teammates, and they didn't look happy to see him.
The Hades Team (Positions & Abilities): Hibiki Raizen (Captain & Center) – A towering 6'6" defender with Abyss Grip, a power that allows him to block almost any shot by creating a gravitational pull in his hands. Juro Kenzaki (Shooting Guard) – A sniper who can use Phantom Arc, an ability that makes his shots curve unpredictably. Souta "Sly" Hoshigane (Point Guard) – A fast-talking trickster with Illusion Step, making his movements hard to predict. Daigo Oomura (Power Forward) – A bulky bruiser with Titan Body, increasing his endurance and strength. Ren Kuroya (Small Forward & Substitute) – …Seemingly talentless.
"Coach, we don't need some washed-up reject," Hibiki scoffed. "We've already lost twice. If we lose one more game, we're out of the Academy."
"That's why I'm putting him on the bench," Enzo replied. "He's got nothing to prove—yet."
Ren remained silent, hands in his pockets.
Then came the game against Valkyrie.
Valkyrie was a powerhouse team, known for their speed and aggressive playstyle. Their captain, Reiji Kazama, had the ability Storm Blitz, allowing him to move at speeds normal players couldn't react to.
The Valkyrie Team (Positions & Abilities): Reiji Kazama (Captain & Point Guard) – Storm Blitz, superhuman speed that leaves afterimages. Kaito Hayashi (Shooting Guard) – Skyfall Shot, an ability that allows him to make impossible high-arc shots. Toru Mizushima (Small Forward) – Phantom Step, an ability that lets him shift positions instantly. Riku Sazanami (Power Forward) – Impact Zone, which strengthens his dunks to shatter defenses. Seiji Arata (Center) – Steel Fortress, a defense ability that makes him almost immovable.
As expected, Hades got destroyed.
By the end of the first half, the score was 12-0.
Enzo smirked. "Alright. Time to send in the trump card."
The team turned to him in shock.
"You're subbing him in?" Juro scoffed. "He hasn't done anything all game."
Enzo ignored them and called Ren over.
"Get in there."
Ren sighed and walked onto the court, his hands still in his pockets.
The moment he stepped in, he felt something off.
His body felt heavy.
A strange, burning pain coiled around his chest.
That's when he realized it—Akabane had done more than just feed him lies.
Akabane had placed a limiter on him. Some kind of device buried inside his muscles, blocking his abilities.
And now that he was finally moving again, it was trying to hold him back.
Pain shot through his body like electricity, his vision blurring. His breath became ragged.
He fell to one knee.
"What's wrong, newbie?" Reiji laughed. "Already quitting?"
Something inside Ren snapped.
With sheer willpower, he forced his body to move.
The limiter cracked.
Then—
BOOM.
A wave of pressure exploded off of Ren's body. The air around him distorted, and for the first time in years, he felt something awaken inside him.
Ren's greatest strength was an ability he never truly understood—Sniper.
It was instinctual, subconscious.
When he moved, defenders felt like ghosts, their hands swiping at nothing but air.
When he shot, even from half-court, the ball curved impossibly, slipping past even the best defenders.
He was unstoppable.
And he didn't even realize it.
Ren moved instantly, vanishing from his position and reappearing at the basket before anyone could react. His presence alone sent a shock through the stadium.
When Valkyrie tried to stop him, it was pointless.
The first shot he took? From beyond the three-point line.
It shouldn't have gone in. It should have missed.
But the ball curved mid-air, dodging an incoming hand and swishing into the net.
The scoreboard changed. 12-3.
Valkyrie froze.
Another steal. Another shot—half-court this time.
12-6.
Ren wasn't even thinking. His body moved on its own. Every step, every flick of his wrist—perfect.
12-8.
The crowd was speechless.
A final dunk shattered the backboard.
The final score—
20-12.
Hades had won.
The stadium was silent.
Ren exhaled, walking off the court as if nothing had happened.
Enzo smirked.
"Looks like you're finally awake lazy genius."
Ren stopped, flexing his fingers. He could still feel the remnants of the limiter, but it didn't matter.
Something inside him had snapped.
And for the first time in years—
He wanted to play.