First Battle's Victory: Phantom First Dance

The venue for the Tokyo Metropolitan Qualifiers of the National Middle School Basketball League roared like a boiling furnace. Massive waves of sound, carrying sweat, rubber, and the fervor of the crowd, battered the eardrums of everyone who stepped onto this battlefield. The spotlight beams, like solid swords of light, pierced through the hazy dust, focusing on the mirror-like wooden floor at the center. Teikō Junior High, this great ship carrying countless glories and ambitions, was about to set sail under the watchful eyes of all.

Bai Ze You stood in the shadows of the player tunnel, squinting slightly as he adjusted to the sudden, blinding light. The deafening cheers and the oppressive, synchronized war cries of their opponents, Sannō Kōgyō, filled his ears. Sweat soaked his new red-and-white Teikō uniform, clinging to his smooth, taut muscles and outlining a body coiled and ready to spring. His fingers unconsciously traced the rough surface of the basketball, the familiar texture bringing a strange calm. His amber eyes swept calmly across the stage that was about to be his, and deep within, a spark of something called "excitement" quietly burned beneath the cool ice.

"Nervous, Phantom?" a teasing voice sounded beside him. Aomine Daiki chewed his gum, his deep blue eyes burning with undisguised bloodlust, a wild grin splitting his face like a beast about to be unleashed.

You didn't look at him, just gently flexed his wrists and ankles, feeling the lingering, brand-like ache in his back muscles. It was a souvenir from the brutal clash with Aomine and Murasakibara a few days ago. Every time he exerted force, the dull pain reminded him like an alarm bell of the cruelty of this battlefield. He slowly exhaled a hot breath, his voice calm and flat: "Not bad."

"Tch." Aomine snorted, no longer looking at him, his gaze like a hawk locking onto the tall, fierce-eyed players on the Sannō side. He licked his lips. "Hope they let me play a little longer."

Nijimura Shūzō's tall figure appeared at the tunnel entrance. He turned, his gaze like a solid searchlight, sweeping over the group of exceptionally talented but wildly different youths behind him. His voice was loud and powerful, cutting through the tunnel's noise with an undeniable authority and heavy trust:

"Remember what you're wearing! Teikō!"

"This court only believes in sweat and strength!"

"Let everyone see... what Teikō's undefeated means!"

"Roooar--!" Aomine was the first to let out a low growl, his deep blue eyes blazing with fighting spirit! Murasakibara Atsushi yawned, but a hint of laziness faded from his purple pupils. Midōrima Shintarō adjusted his glasses, the gaze behind the lenses sharp as a blade. Akashi Seijūrō stood quietly to the side, his Heterochromatic Eyes calm as an unfathomable cold pool. Kuroko Tetsuya remained silent in the corner, like the most inconspicuous shadow.

You clenched your fist, the knuckles whitening from the force. At that moment, the dull pain in his back seemed suppressed by some stronger power. His amber eyes met Nijimura's gaze, filled with a calm focus and a silent promise.

"On the court!" Nijimura waved his hand!

Teikō's starting five—Nijimura Shūzō (Captain, PF), Aomine Daiki (SF), Midōrima Shintarō (SG), Akashi Seijūrō (PG), Bai Ze You (SG/SF)—stepped onto the illuminated battlefield like five unsheathed blades, amidst the deafening cheers and Sannō's hostile war cries!

The game begins! Tip-off!

Murasakibara Atsushi's massive frame exploded with astonishing speed, his giant palm like a fan easily tapping the ball toward Akashi! Akashi caught it steadily, his Heterochromatic Eyes instantly scanning the entire court, commanding the game.

Sannō's reaction was extremely fast! Their defense, like a shark pack smelling blood, instantly activated their signature "Killer Bees" full-court press! Two tall, quick players pounced on Akashi like relentless leeches, the immense pressure like a solid wall, trying to strangle Teikō's offense at its source!

Akashi calmly protected the ball, not forcing a breakthrough. His gaze, like the most precise radar, instantly captured a fleeting gap in the opponent's frantic encirclement! With a flick of his wrist! The basketball, like a scalpel, precisely threaded through the crowd, flying toward You, who had just shaken off his defender and positioned himself at the right-side fifteen-degree angle!

You caught the ball! No pause! Like a cheetah that had already stored its power, he exploded into motion! The explosive speed of his first step tore through the air! He charged straight into Sannō's paint!

"Stop him!" Sannō's coach roared from the sidelines!

The Sannō player guarding You (#5, tall with long arms, known for fierce defense) immediately closed in aggressively! At the same time, another Sannō player (#8) quickly collapsed from the wing for a double-team! Two moving walls of flesh instantly sealed off all angles for You to drive or shoot! The overwhelming pressure crashed down like a tsunami!

Gasps erupted from the stands! Teikō's bench tensed up! Aomine watched coldly from a distance, a hint of amusement in his deep blue eyes. Akashi's gaze calmly locked onto the trapped You.

Facing the two instantly converging walls of flesh, You's sprinting body suddenly took a large step forward and to the left at high speed! His entire body leaned sharply left, his eyes sharp as a blade stabbing left, and the ball in his right hand was pushed dramatically forward to the left! A huge, obvious fake move to drive left!

The #5 player's nerves instantly tightened! The angle of his shoulder drop, the focus of his eyes, the telltale signs of a step... too realistic! His center of gravity instinctively shifted half a step left, trying to block!

The moment his center of gravity moved! You's right hand controlling the ball flicked with lightning speed! The ball traced a bizarre "V" trajectory in the tiny space, impossibly passing through his own legs to his left hand! At the same time, his body, having deceived the opponent's center of gravity, used powerful core strength and explosive force, pivoting on his right foot in a lightning-fast Spin Move that left only a blur!

"Through the legs?! Behind-the-back spin move?!"

"So fast!"

Shouts exploded!

The #5 player only felt a blur, a breeze brushing past him! By the time he tried to adjust his center of gravity, You had already completely blown past him on his right side! And the #8 player, delayed by the momentary hesitation from #5's faked center of gravity, was half a beat slow in his block!

One step!

Using the gap created in that split second and his own explosive power, You squeezed through the double-team! Only the open basket lay ahead!

"Don't even think about it!" A roar erupted from under the rim! Sannō's center (#15, nearly two meters tall, like an iron tower) was already waiting, his massive frame leaping up, his giant hand blotting out the sky! Terrifying pressure descended like a solid gravity field! He vowed to slam this arrogant rookie down hard!

In mid-air, You's pupils reflected #15's ferocious face and that sky-covering palm! Time seemed to freeze! The immense inertia carried him upward, about to crash into that deathly hand! In the final tenths of a second, You's airborne body once again performed a move beyond its limits!

He didn't force a contest! His body twisted and folded impossibly to the left in the air! His powerful core strength and astonishing flexibility bought him precious hang time! At the same time, his right hand, holding the ball in a state of extreme torsion and blocked vision, relied on muscle memory from countless practices and an incredible spatial sense. His wrist flicked with extreme softness and subtlety!

The ball didn't fly toward the front of the hoop! Instead, it traced a bizarre arc with strong sidespin, as if given life, impossibly curving around the outer edge of #15's massive blocking hand! At an almost unbelievable angle, grazing the outside of the arm and brushing the edge of the backboard, it spun toward the basket!

"Shua!"

The faintest sound of the net! The ball bounced on the rim twice before finally, barely... rolling through the net!

"Woooah--!!!" The entire arena erupted in a tidal wave of awe and cheers! The first basket of the game! So stunning! So extreme! Against a double-team and absolute height disadvantage, he tore through the defense with a through-the-legs spin move, then finished with an unbelievable mid-air fold and arm-wrap floater! This wasn't just a score; it was artistic showmanship! A declaration of talent!

"Bai Ze You--!!!" Teikō's bench exploded! Players jumped up, waving towels!

"Phantom! White Phantom!" The newly born nickname began to ring from the stands!

You landed, stumbling slightly from the extreme mid-air evasion and twisting force. A sharp pain like an electric current shot through his back injury, making him grunt and his face momentarily pale. But he quickly steadied himself, didn't celebrate, just panted lightly. His amber eyes swept over the scoreboard (2:0), then coldly glanced at the stunned Sannō center under the basket. The corner of his mouth curled into a faint, yet unmistakably provocative, smirk.

On the sidelines, Aomine Daiki grinned, an even wilder, approving smile, and clapped his hands hard: "Not bad, Phantom!" This was recognition from the beast!

Akashi Seijūrō stood still, a faint ripple passing beneath the frozen surface of his Heterochromatic Eyes. He gave a slight nod, like an emperor's silent approval of a subject's excellent performance.

In the front row of the stands, Momoi Satsuki was almost jumping with excitement! Her cherry-pink ponytail swung wildly, her fair cheeks flushed red with excitement, her cherry-pink eyes shining like stars! She clutched her Shorthand Notebook tightly, waving her other hand in the air: "Did you see that?! Did you see that?! Through-the-legs spin move breaking a double-team, 100% success rate! Mid-air evasion angle, left rotation 28°! Arm-wrap floater rotation speed, S-rank! Fingertip distance estimate <1cm! Perfect data! A perfect Phantom First Dance!" She babbled incoherently at the equally excited bench players beside her, lost in the ecstasy of data and shock.

But that ecstasy was instantly replaced by heart-wrenching fear! She saw You's stumble and pale face upon landing! "Bai Ze-kun's injury..." Her heart leaped into her throat, her cherry-pink eyes filled with worry, her hands gripping the notebook until her knuckles turned white.

The game continued. Sannō was stunned by that opening blow but quickly regrouped, relying on solid inside scoring and tenacious defense to keep the score close. Teikō, under Akashi's cold command, ran their offensive machine methodically.

Aomine's Wild Roar: On a fast break, Aomine swept across the court like a black lightning bolt. Facing a double-team from Sannō, he brutally shouldered through the space, twisted in mid-air, and slammed down a powerful tomahawk dunk! The basket groaned in pain! His deep blue figure hung on the rim, letting out a deafening roar! A declaration of wild power!

Midōrima's Death Parabola: In a half-court set, Midōrima received a pass from Akashi at the right baseline. Without any adjustment, he bent his knees, lowered his hips, raised the ball, and shot! The motion was like a textbook replica! The ball traced that perfect, despair-inducing high parabola and swished through the net! Accurate as a missile! The cold sniper, never missing!

Murasakibara's Wall of Sighs: Sannō's ace center tried to power through inside, using footwork to shake Nijimura and go for a layup. A giant purple hand descended like the palm of a celestial giant, with suffocating pressure, swatting the ball and the player away! Murasakibara Atsushi landed lazily and yawned: "...So annoying." Within the paint, I alone am supreme!

And Bai Ze You roamed the battlefield like a white phantom. He no longer insisted on driving inside, instead perfectly blending his talent with the team:

Phantom Off-Ball: Using top-tier off-ball movement and realistic fakes, he tore apart Sannō's perimeter defense time and again. A backdoor cut with a fake and baseline drive, receiving Akashi's precise bounce pass for an easy layup!

Scalpel Pass: Facing Sannō's tight double-team, he used his exceptional vision and flexibility to create unique passing angles, delivering one unbelievable assist after another. One behind-the-back no-look bounce pass cut through three defenders like a scalpel, finding Nijimura cutting to the basket and setting him up for a thunderous dunk!

Sniper Three: When Sannō, wary of his drives, tightened their perimeter defense, he caught the ball at the top of the arc, didn't hesitate for a second, rose, and shot! The ball traced a beautiful arc and swished through the net! Soft touch, stable core—his three-pointer became just as lethal a weapon!

Every touch, every score or assist, was met with the crowd's growing chant of "Phantom! Phantom!" His figure darted across the court, silver-gray hair gleaming under the spotlights, lifelike fakes deceiving opponents' eyes and nerves, unbelievable flexibility and balance on display in every clash, precise passes like guided missiles! The White Phantom's dance steps, for the first time under the spotlight of an official game, bloomed with a dazzling, mesmerizing light!

The first-half whistle sounded. On the scoreboard, glaring numbers flashed: Teikō Junior High 58 : 30 Sannō Kōgyō! A massive gap, like an insurmountable chasm!

The Teikō players headed to the locker room. Nijimura Shūzō clapped Bai Ze firmly on the shoulder, his resolute face showing undisguised approval: "Well done, Bai Ze! How's your back? Holding up?"

Bai Ze nodded, fine beads of sweat covering his forehead. The pain in his back clung like a bone-gnawing worm through the fierce contest, but his amber eyes remained bright: "No problem, Captain."

Aomine Daiki walked up beside Bai Ze, his deep blue eyes giving him a once-over with a hint of awkward concern: "Hey, don't push yourself! If you drag us down in the second half, I won't let you off!" His tone was still harsh, but the earlier hostility was gone.

Akashi Seijūrō's gaze swept over Bai Ze's slightly pale face. His heterochromatic eyes showed no ripple, his voice calm but carrying undeniable authority: "Second half, reduce your ball-dominant attacks. Your drawing power and passing are more valuable." It was a tactical command from the future emperor.

Bai Ze nodded calmly: "Understood."

Just then, a crisp, urgent voice rang out: "Bai Ze-kun!"

Momoi Satsuki, clutching a medical kit, ran over breathlessly. Her cherry-pink ponytail was slightly messy, her fair cheeks covered in worried sweat. Ignoring everyone else, she rushed straight to Bai Ze, her cherry-pink eyes full of distress: "Quick! Let me see your back! That hit just now..." Without waiting for a reply, she pushed him down onto the bench, swiftly pulling out an ice pack and spray.

The cool spray and ice pack met the burning pain in his back muscles, bringing a sting followed by relief. Bai Ze inhaled slightly. Momoi's fingers trembled faintly as she carefully treated the obvious bruises on his back and ribs, her movements as gentle as a feather's touch. As she worked, she spoke rapidly in a low voice, thick with a nasal tone: "First-half stats... fake move success rate 71.3%! Drive-and-kick efficiency S-tier league-wide! Off-ball movement tearing defense index A+! But... physical load has already hit critical! Especially the impact points on your back and ribs..." Her voice was filled with professional anxiety and worry for his injury.

Bai Ze turned his head slightly, catching sight of tiny droplets on her lowered lashes—whether sweat or held-back tears. That undisguised concern flowed into his heart like a warm current, dulling the physical pain. He said quietly, "Thanks, Momoi-san. I'm fine."

The second half began. Sannō Kōgyō, like a wounded beast, launched an even crazier counterattack! Their defensive moves grew rougher, laced with gunpowder! During a rebound scramble, Sannō's center, number 15, elbowed Bai Ze hard in the back while boxing out!

"Ugh!" A searing, piercing pain exploded from Bai Ze's back! His vision went dark, his body stumbled forward uncontrollably a few steps, and he fell heavily to one knee! Beads of cold sweat instantly covered his forehead!

"You bastard!" Aomine was the first to roar, charging over and grabbing Sannō's number 15 by the collar, his deep blue eyes blazing with fury! The referee's sharp whistle sounded!

On the sidelines, Momoi Satsuki clapped her hand over her mouth, tears instantly welling in her cherry-pink eyes, her heart clenching as if in a vise! "Bai Ze-kun!" she screamed, trying desperately to rush onto the court, held back by the bench players beside her.

Akashi Seijūrō's heterochromatic eyes turned icy cold, like eternal frost! Nijimura Shūzō's face darkened as he roared furiously at the referee!

Bai Ze knelt on the ground, gasping heavily. The excruciating pain in his back made it nearly impossible to breathe. Sweat mixed with dust slid down his pale cheeks. He clenched his teeth so hard that blood seeped from his gums. His amber eyes were slightly unfocused from the agony, but deep within, a will like quenched steel burned wildly!

He refused the team doctor's immediate request to leave the court. Under Nijimura's and his teammates' worried gazes, gritting his teeth, he used trembling arms to support himself and, with extreme difficulty, stood up step by step! His back remained straight as an unyielding spear! His gaze coldly swept over the taunting Sannō number 15, then over the scoreboard (Teikō 88:50 Sannō). The corner of his mouth curled into a bloody, icy, resolute arc!

The game continued! Time ticked away. The huge deficit drove Sannō Kōgyō completely mad; their defense grew even rougher, the referee's whistle sounding frequently, the game becoming fragmented.

The final two minutes. Teikō's ball. Akashi brought it up the court. The massive lead made the outcome a foregone conclusion. Sannō's defense looked slack, their eyes filled with despair and exhaustion.

Akashi's gaze swept the court, finally landing on Bai Ze You, standing at the right side of the arc, half-left open by his defender. A faint, barely perceptible light flickered deep in his heterochromatic eyes. He flicked his wrist, and the ball, with precise calculation, flew to Bai Ze.

Bai Ze caught it. The Sannō defender in front of him raised his arms symbolically, his stance loose. The entire arena's eyes were on him. From the stands, the "Phantom" chant rose again, full of anticipation—anticipation that this dazzling debutant would cap off the blowout with a flashy individual play.

Aomine called for the ball in the low post. Midōrima was ready to catch and shoot on the other side. Everyone expected Bai Ze to use his signature fake to shake the defender, then execute a brilliant drive or shot.

Bai Ze dribbled slowly. The searing pain in his back clung like a bone-gnawing worm; every breath pulled at the dull ache in his ribs. Sweat dripped steadily from his chin. His amber eyes calmly swept over the defender in front of him, over the basket, and finally... imperceptibly, over the shadow in the left corner, nearly ignored by everyone—Kuroko Tetsuya stood there like the quietest ghost, his sky-blue eyes calmly meeting Bai Ze's.

A wordless understanding flowed between them.

He moved!

Bai Ze's upper body suddenly feinted left! The range wasn't large, but the detail was vivid! His gaze sharpened toward the left! A fake, pretending to drive or pass!

The defender's center of gravity shifted instantly! The sideline's attention was drawn too!

In that split second of weight shift! Bai Ze's right hand, controlling the ball, vanished in an incredibly swift flick! The ball didn't fly toward any attention-grabbing direction. Instead, it traced a low, rapid line, like a snake slithering along the floor, a bounce pass that impossibly threaded through the defender's instinctively closed legs! A nutmeg pass!

Target—the left corner! Kuroko Tetsuya!

As the ball passed through the gap, the Sannō defender guarding Kuroko suffered that fatal, "induced" momentary lapse in focus!

The ball reached Kuroko's hands perfectly! As if practiced a thousand times!

Kuroko caught it! No pause! A flick of his wrist!

The ball, like a precision-guided missile, instantly crossed the empty paint, tracing a perfect arc!

"Swish—!!!"

The crisp, heavenly sound of the net! A three-pointer!

"Whoa—!!!" After a brief silence, the entire arena erupted in a roar of amazement and cheers, louder than any before! Not for a display of individual heroism, but for that unbelievable nutmeg pass and that ghostly, lethal three-point connection! Phantom and Ghost, under the gaze of thousands, completed their most brilliant curtain call!

"Phantom-Ghost Connection—!!!" The announcer's voice cracked with excitement!

The scoreboard changed: Teikō Junior High 101 : 50 Sannō Kōgyō! Over a hundred!

The final whistle sounded like heavenly music!

"Teikō! Teikō! Teikō!" Waves of deafening cheers swept through the arena! Red-and-white tides surged in the stands!

Nijimura Shūzō was the first to rush onto the court, his iron-like hand slapping Bai Ze's back hard (avoiding the injury)! His resolute face beamed with excitement and relief: "Beautiful, kid! First game, victory!"

The sharp pain made Bai Ze grunt involuntarily, but a clear, bright smile—the first true one since stepping onto the court—bloomed on his face! Sweat, dust, even a trace of blood mixed on his features, but they couldn't hide the joy and relief burning in his amber eyes! He'd done it! Under pain and pressure, he'd completed the White Phantom's stunning debut dance!

Aomine Daiki laughed loudly as he charged over, messing up Bai Ze's silver-gray hair: "Nice pass, Phantom!" This time, it was genuine recognition.

Midōrima Shintarō adjusted his glasses and gave a slight nod toward Bai Ze. Murasakibara Atsushi, chewing on an Umaibo, mumbled vaguely: "...Not bad." A rare compliment.

Akashi Seijūrō walked up to Bai Ze, his heterochromatic eyes calm as he looked at him. The corner of his mouth seemed to curl into the faintest, icy but approving arc. He didn't speak, just extended his hand and shook Bai Ze's firmly. The emperor's recognition needed no words.

Kuroko Tetsuya silently came to Bai Ze's side, a barely perceptible smile in his sky-blue eyes, and nodded lightly: "Good pass, Bai Ze-kun."

Bai Ze looked at these teammates—each with their own distinct personality and extraordinary talent—feeling the thunderous cheers in the arena. The pain in his back seemed to ease. A warmth he'd never felt before, called "belonging" and "glory," surged in his chest.

Just then, a voice choked with tears yet brimming with overwhelming emotion cut through the cheers with striking clarity: "Bai Ze-kun!" Momoi Satsuki burst through the crowd like a pink whirlwind, throwing herself before Yū without a care! Her cherry blossom pink ponytail was already disheveled, tear streaks still fresh on her fair cheeks, yet her cherry blossom pink eyes overflowed with the immense joy and relief of someone who had found something precious once lost! She completely forgot the eyes around her, forgot all restraint, her hands gripping Yū's arm tightly as if afraid he might vanish the next second.

"It's wonderful! Really, truly wonderful!" Her voice was thick with a heavy nasal tone, tears streaming uncontrollably again, but this time from sheer joy, "The data... I saw all the data! Amazing! Phantom First Dance... perfect!" She babbled incoherently, clutching the shorthand notebook in her arms against her chest like the most precious trophy.

Yū looked at the face before him—tear-streaked like rain on pear blossoms yet blooming with an incomparably radiant smile—feeling the slight tremble at her fingertips and that unreserved concern and joy. Deep within his amber eyes, the flames of victory quietly settled, transforming into a deeper, warmer glimmer. He raised his uninjured left hand, hesitated for a moment, then finally, gently, with a barely perceptible tremor, placed it on Momoi's disheveled cherry blossom pink hair, rubbing it ever so softly.

"Mm." Yū's voice was low and gentle, carrying a hint of hoarseness. "Thank you, Momoi." His gaze swept over the notebook in her arms, its corner dampened with sweat, then landed on her glistening eyes. "Without your data... without everyone's trust... this victory wouldn't have been possible."

Momoi's body stiffened slightly, then she nodded even more vigorously, tears falling like pearls from a broken string, yet her face bloomed with a smile brighter and purer than the sun itself. She said nothing more, only held Yū's arm tightly, as if trying to channel her strength into him, to share the burden of his back's pain.

The spotlight, like a stage's follow spot, enveloped the group of spirited youths at the center of the court. Nijimura Shūzō's booming laughter, Aomine's wild roar, Midori's calm adjustment of his glasses, Murasakibara's lazy chewing, Akashi's composed gaze, Kuroko's quiet smile... and, amidst the glory woven from sweat, tears, and cheers, the phantom and his data manager clinging tightly together.

On the scoreboard, the vivid red 101 points blazed like burning flames, proclaiming the opening of a new chapter for the Teikō Dynasty, and declaring the name "White Phantom" for the first time, in an indisputable manner, resounding throughout the entire arena! And the phantom's dance steps had only just taken their first breathtaking note.