The morning sky above Spirit Academy blazed with violet clouds — the mark of Resonance Week.
Every student in the arena was buzzing.
Today wasn't a normal day.
Today, the Soul Rankings were announced — the system that decided who was just a player… and who ruled the court.
Riku stood near the center stands, hands in his pockets, Lira floating lazily at his side.
"So this is Ranking Day?" he asked, watching thousands of students gathering around the glowing central board.
Lira nodded. "The academy updates the board every semester. It determines who qualifies for the Soul League."
"League?"
"Think of it as heaven with sneakers. You don't exist in the basketball world unless your name glows on that wall."
Riku grinned. "Then I guess we'll need a spotlight."
At the far end, Dean Valen — a tall man in a long white coat — stepped onto the podium. His spirit, a golden eagle with eyes like molten light, hovered behind him.
"Students!" Valen's voice boomed. "Welcome to Resonance Week — the dawn of your real battles!"
The crowd roared.
He raised a hand, and the enormous holographic board flickered to life. Names began scrolling across it — hundreds at a time.
---
Spirit Academy Ranking System:
Soul Tier F → SSS
Base measurement of your Resonance potential.
Division Class:
Bronze (Rookies)
Silver (Intermediate)
Gold (Elite)
Platinum (National)
Diamond (World)
Mythic (God-Tier)
Team Rating:
Measured by collective spirit energy, synergy, and wins in official matches.
---
As the list settled, murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Students pointed, cursed, or cheered as their names flashed across the ranks.
"Yo, look! Ren Vail — Rank 19, Diamond Division!"
"Kaori Blaze — Rank 24!"
"Serene Vale — Rank 40, Platinum!"
Then someone squinted. "Wait… who the hell is Riku Vane?"
Silence followed.
On the massive board, in glowing violet letters, it read:
> Riku Vane — Rank ??? — Unclassified Soul
The "???" shimmered with static.
"What does that even mean?" a student muttered.
Valen adjusted his glasses, clearly intrigued. "An unclassified soul… interesting. That's rare. It means the system can't analyze his spirit fully."
Lira smirked. "Of course it can't. I'm not exactly system-friendly."
Riku chuckled. "So we're off the charts?"
"More like illegal," she whispered.
---
The calm didn't last.
A group of upperclassmen pushed through the crowd — tall, muscular, wearing crimson jackets marked with Gold Division badges. Their leader had short white hair and a scar under his eye.
He stopped right in front of Riku. "So you're the 'phantom dribbler' everyone's talking about?"
Riku blinked. "Depends. Are you a fan or an obstacle?"
The guy smirked. "Obstacle. Name's Dray Korr, captain of Solar Division. Rank 12."
He tossed a ball at Riku's chest — hard enough to make a thunk. "If you're really unclassified, you're fair game. The rule's simple — anyone without rank can be challenged."
The crowd started chanting, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Lira sighed. "You attract trouble like gravity."
Riku smiled. "Then let's make it worth their time."
Valen's voice echoed again: "Unofficial Soul Match — Dray Korr versus Riku Vane!"
The arena floor shifted, forming a new glowing court. Runes lit up beneath their feet.
---
MATCH START
Dray's spirit appeared first — a solar lion, mane blazing like a miniature sun. The air around him distorted from heat.
Lira materialized beside Riku, her shadow aura spreading across the floor.
Riku cracked his neck. "Same rules?"
"Three shots. But try not to break the roof this time," Lira said dryly.
Dray lunged forward before Riku even finished blinking. His lion roared, sending a shockwave that cracked the tiles. The ball glowed white-hot as he dashed past, faster than any human should move.
Riku barely reacted — he spun, shadows trailing his shoes, intercepting midcourt. Sparks flew when their energies clashed.
"Not bad," Dray said. "But you can't stop Solar Burst!"
He slammed his foot down. The court erupted in golden flames.
The explosion blinded half the spectators.
When the smoke cleared — Riku was gone.
"What—?"
A voice echoed behind him. "Nice light show."
Dray turned just in time to see Riku appear out of the shadow of his own spirit. He was already mid-spin, the ball glowing purple.
BANG!
It shot through the hoop before Dray even turned fully.
"Point one — Phantom."
The crowd screamed.
Dray snarled. "Cheap trick."
Riku shrugged. "Smart play."
Lira's voice purred in his mind. Let's show him the rhythm of the streets.
"Already on it."
Dray attacked again, faster, flames trailing behind him. His lion's claws struck at Riku — but each time they did, Riku's shadow bent, dodging at impossible angles.
It wasn't teleportation. It was instinct.
Pure streetball rhythm — unpredictable, chaotic, alive.
He slid past Dray, spun low, and fired another shot.
SWOOSH!
"Point two — Phantom."
The crowd lost it. Even Valen was leaning forward now.
Dray growled, aura flaring brighter. His lion spirit roared, merging into him — his form now half-human, half-flame.
"Overdrive Mode: Solar Apex!"
The court itself began to melt.
Lira hissed, "He's overclocking his bond. That'll burn his soul if it lasts too long."
Riku smiled faintly. "Then I'll just end it before that."
He sprinted — and the court seemed to bend under his feet. Shadows stretched, twisting around the heat like living smoke. His body blurred into afterimages.
Dray roared and lunged. Their auras collided midair, flame and shadow fusing in a storm of light.
The explosion shook the arena.
When the glare faded, the scoreboard flashed:
> Phantom 3 | Solar 0
Dray was kneeling, his spirit dispersing in a wave of heat.
The crowd went silent — then erupted.
"Unclassified… just crushed a Gold Division!"
"Who IS this guy?!"
Valen's voice came again, calm but sharp:
> "Announcement: Riku Vane, provisionally placed in Diamond Division — Rank 10."
Gasps filled the arena.
Riku blinked. "Rank ten already?"
Lira smiled faintly. "You earned it."
Dray looked up at him, expression half-defeat, half-awe. "You're not normal, man."
Riku helped him up. "Neither is the game anymore."
Above them, the ranking board flickered once more — static rippling across Riku's name.
> Warning: Phantom Resonance Detected.
Valen frowned. "Interesting… that power shouldn't exist anymore."
Lira's eyes narrowed. "They noticed."
Riku tilted his head. "Who's 'they'?"
She looked up — to the glowing sky, where faint celestial symbols shimmered like watching eyes.
"The gods of the court," she whispered. "And they just found us."
To be continued...