Opening Scene — Friday Morning: City Streets
Camera follows the team bus cutting through the Tokyo city morning. Blurred neon signs fade into clean school walls as the scenery changes. Inside the bus, quiet tension brews.
Knight (leaning forward):
"Kyosho High… ranked fourth nationally. They're physical. They're ruthless."
Hunter (stretching in his seat):
"Good. I didn't skip leg day to play soft teams."
Maxwell (quietly staring out the window):
"…Watch their feet. They don't dribble just to move. They dribble to trap."
Knight tilts his head.
Knight:
"How do you know that?"
Maxwell (smirks faintly):
"Because that's how I'd break you."
Hunter chuckles from behind.
---
Kyosho High — Dome-Like Gym
They arrive. The building towers, coated in concrete and steel — an arena of intimidation. A huge red-and-black banner reads:
> KYOSHO BLOODSPORT.
The moment they step inside, the energy shifts.
Crowd already chanting. Loud. Unfriendly. A figure waits near the entrance, arms crossed — tall, lean, with a grin that doesn't reach his eyes.
???:
"You must be the team from Tokyo."
Coach Rintaro (suspicious):
"And you are?"
???:
"Riku Takahashi. Shooting guard, Kyosho High. Remember the name — you'll be seeing it a lot."
He flicks a towel onto his shoulder, gaze piercing through the team before walking off.
Knight (gritting teeth):
"Who does he think he is?"
Maxwell (watching carefully):
"…He's not just talk. Look at the way he walks. He already knows the floor."
---
Pre-Game Locker Room
The locker room is dimly lit. The team stretches, gears up. Silence.
Then, suddenly—
Coach Rintaro:
"Hunter. Remember what I told you?"
Hunter (nods):
"Win the rebound. Own the pain."
Coach:
"Knight?"
Knight:
"Pressure is my fuel."
He turns to Maxwell last.
Coach:
"And you?"
Maxwell adjusts his wristband, face unreadable.
Maxwell:
"…Just watch."
The team bursts into light as they step into the court.
---
First Quarter — 12:00 Tipoff
Tipoff won by Kyosho. The crowd roars.
The game is brutal from the start.
Riku Takahashi opens with a step-back 3.
Hunter responds with a putback slam that shakes the rim.
Knight's speed breaks past defenders, but a Kyosho big man decks him on a drive.
Ref doesn't call it. The tone is set.
Maxwell (on court, breathing slow):
"…So this is how they play."
---
Mid 2nd Quarter
Maxwell eyes a full-court press. A glimmer flickers in his eyes — the camera slightly distorts.
Knight's voice echoes (off-screen):
"Max… we're boxed!"
The ball comes to Maxwell. For a split second, the court layout flashes like a map in his mind — positions, openings, weaknesses.
Maxwell (internal monologue):
"Don't force it. Find the seam."
He fakes left. Breaks right. No-look pass to Knight for a clean layup.
Hunter (grinning):
"Ohh, he's cooking now."
The team starts catching rhythm. The crowd gets quieter.
---
Halftime — Locker Room
Sweat, heavy breathing.
Coach Rintaro:
"They're not breaking you. You're bending them."
Maxwell (leaning forward):
"Riku hasn't shown his real hand yet."
Knight (wiping face):
"What, you think he's sandbagging?"
Maxwell:
"No. He's measuring me."
Silence.
Hunter (smiles):
"Let him measure. I'll break his ruler."
They all laugh for the first time.
---
Third Quarter — Momentum Shift
Kyosho returns with full intensity. Riku starts isolating Maxwell.
He talks while dribbling:
Riku:
"You've got eyes. But do you have teeth?"
He crosses hard — fadeaway jumper. Net.
Maxwell (stoic):
"Keep talking. It makes your rhythm obvious."
The pace heats up. Maxwell scores a crafty layup, but Riku answers with another three. It's a duel now.
---
Late Fourth — 2:17 Left, Score 69–69
The arena's in chaos.
Kyosho traps. The crowd is screaming.
Knight calls a timeout.
Timeout Huddle:
Coach:
"This is your moment. Each one of you."
Hunter (pounding fist):
"I'm breaking their center's nose if he sets another illegal screen."
Knight:
"I want the ball. Give me the rock. Let me drive."
Maxwell (calmly):
"No… I've got this one."
They break huddle.
---
Final Play — 6 Seconds Left
Maxwell brings the ball up.
Crowd chanting RIKU.
Riku locks eyes with him.
Riku:
"This is where you flinch."
Maxwell smiles slightly.
Maxwell (calm):
"You blinked already."
He crosses hard. Spins. The air slows — a slight glow around his eyes, faint lines trace the court in his vision.
He drives, kicks to Knight on the left corner.
Knight (screams):
"Bang!"
Three.
Buzzer.
---
Final Score: 72–69. Tokyo High wins.
Crowd stunned.
Coach (quietly):
"…One down."
Riku walks past Maxwell, smirking.
Riku:
"You're better than I thought. But don't forget… I play for keeps next time."
Maxwell simply nods.
---
Ending Line (Dialogue, not narration):
Knight (walking off):
"We just made noise."
Maxwell:
"Not noise… warning shots."
---
Episode 3 Ends.
Next Episode: "The Fire Within Knight"