Rain hammered the academy roofs that night.
The storm outside felt wrong—too rhythmic, almost like a heartbeat echoing across the sky.
Riku sat in the locker room, half-dressed in his black-and-gray street gear.
No uniform tonight. The badge on his wrist pulsed faintly, leading him somewhere deep beneath the academy.
Kaori noticed his silence. "You're skipping team night again?"
"Just some… business," he said.
She frowned. "You've been weird since yesterday. Don't tell me you got recruited by another sponsor already."
Riku stood, forcing a grin. "Something like that."
As soon as she left, Lira materialized beside him. "You're walking into their trap."
"Yeah," he said, tying his shoes tighter. "I just want to see what kind of monster's waiting this time."
---
Two hours later.
Court 0 — the lowest chamber of the Shadow League.
It wasn't a normal court. The floor was made of glass and black smoke. Above, spectral chains swung from nothing, and the hoops floated in midair, burning red.
A huge crowd of shadowy figures surrounded the court, whispering like wind.
Riku's badge glowed brighter, pulling him to the center.
Then she appeared.
A girl walked out from the opposite tunnel—barefoot, silver eyes glowing faintly. Her long dark hair floated behind her like ink in water. She wore a sleeveless jacket of tattered black, and around her hands swirled chaotic energy that distorted the air.
"Riku Vane," she said, her voice both calm and eerie. "You broke one of our courts last night."
"You should thank me. It was falling apart."
Her lips curved slightly. "I am Vexa, Spirit of Chaos. You've been summoned for judgment."
The crowd howled her name like thunder. Vexa! Vexa! Vexa!
Riku smirked. "Cool title. You play, or just talk?"
She raised her hand; a dark sphere appeared above it—then split into two basketballs glowing red.
"I destroy," she said softly.
The ref's shadow rose from the floor. "Begin."
---
The instant the whistle blew, the court shattered—literally.
Pieces of glass floated upward, spinning like shards of frozen time. Riku blinked. Gravity twisted; Lira screamed in his mind, This isn't normal physics!
Vexa launched herself forward, gliding through the air as if the court were liquid. Her spirit, a massive serpentine phantom made of glitching energy, slithered beside her.
She hurled the ball through a floating hoop—perfect shot.
Point 1 — Vexa.
The audience roared.
Riku floated midair, jaw tightening. "Alright… no warm-up then."
He kicked off a glass shard, shadows flaring beneath his feet. The ball respawned in his hands, black flames surrounding it.
"Lira, sync."
Already ahead of you.
Their auras merged. Phantom trails extended from Riku's arms as he dashed forward, bouncing from shard to shard, each one cracking under his impact.
He dodged a blast of chaos energy, spun midair, and threw a cross-pass off a floating shard—ricochet, bounce, slam—straight through the hoop.
Point 1 — Phantom.
The crowd hissed.
Vexa tilted her head, intrigued. "You shouldn't have matched me that quickly. Interesting."
Riku grinned. "I learn fast."
"Then learn to survive this."
---
The next few minutes were pure insanity.
Vexa twisted the court again—the glass turned to liquid shadow, sucking at Riku's feet. Chains dropped from above, swinging unpredictably.
Every bounce echoed like thunder.
Riku couldn't rely on normal moves; the physics kept changing.
He tried a crossover—his shadow lagged half a second behind, then attacked him, mimicking his movements with reversed timing.
"Lira, what the hell is this?!"
"Chaos resonance. She's reflecting your own energy back at you."
"Great. So I'm fighting myself and her?"
"Pretty much."
Vexa blurred past him, energy tearing the air. She shot again—curve shot, impossible angle—Point 2, Vexa.
The stands exploded in cheers.
Riku floated backward, panting slightly. "Alright. Two can play dirty."
He pressed a hand to the court.
"Phantom Zone — Level Two."
The lights dimmed. The entire arena plunged into grayscale except for him and Vexa.
Everything slowed—every chain, every ripple of shadow.
Riku darted forward, leaving five afterimages, each one real for a split second.
He passed through the chaos field, each echo copying his dribble pattern.
The fifth image threw the ball upward—Riku caught it midair and hammered it through the hoop.
Point 2 — Phantom.
The crowd screamed again, split between joy and fury.
Vexa smiled wider now, eyes glowing red. "You're worth breaking the rules for."
"Lady, you've already broken reality."
She raised a hand. The serpentine spirit coiled around her. "Then let's break souls next."
The entire court trembled—chains snapped loose, the ground twisted, and darkness surged upward like a wave.
Lira whispered, Riku… she's activating Forbidden Mode.
Riku smirked. "Good. I was getting bored."
---
The referee's shadow glitched, struggling to speak. "End… of Round One. Score tied. Prepare… for Second Resonance."
The shadows in the crowd howled in approval, chanting Vexa's name again, louder, until the glass ceiling cracked above.
Riku glanced up, sweat sliding down his face. "Round one tied, huh?"
Lira's voice trembled slightly—not from fear, but anticipation.
"This isn't a game anymore."
He grinned. "Then it's about to get fun."
Vexa floated backward, eyes blazing with chaotic light. "Next round, Phantom Boy… I'll erase your spirit."
"Try it," Riku said, spinning the ball on one finger. "You'll just make me famous."