Santiago offered Ari a hand. Ari took it with two of his own. He felt his entire body was lifted. Santiago raised him up with one hand. For Ari it was like being pulled up by a crane. The movement caused the dull pain in his lower back to throb. "Ughh..." He stretched out the stiff back. "I messed up."
Santiago smiled gently. "No, no, no. We are still in the game. We just need to stop them from scoring." It was sincere encouragement. Usually in middle school whenever Ari messed up or made a mistake, he was insulted by everyone. It became a regular occurrence. Those horrible kids would hunt him down and look to show off at his expense....attacking the weak tall link and look cool doing it.
Team 8 needed only (10) more points to win. Team 7 needed (13). *Yes Santiago we only need to stop them from scoring* The deficit felt insurmountable to Ari at that point. Now every make mattered dearly... And every miss mattered even more. But still, it looked like they were going to lose.
Ari looked away and noticed his teammate was tired already. Haruto was clearly fighting for breath, his posture seemed saggy and bending. He was walking slowly and his eyes didn't even look active. It was bad for them because Haruto was the only one among Team 7 who could change the score with his scoring. *3 is always better than 2*
*Only if you can make more 2s faster than anyone can make more 3s*
"Ughh", a deeply annoyed groan from AriToru. He lifted his hands up to swipe the sweat from his forehead. He looked up and the overhead lights were white and unforgiving filled his vision. So bright he could see the moisture that laid on his heavy hair. It blurred his vision so he rubbed his eyes angrily.
Were they really going to lose to the heroes? Really?
Ari looked at Shota. He appeared suddenly to have turned super Saiyan. Maybe he awakened his powers after that dunk. *It was a cool dunk though*
[IQ72]-----REALIZATION
---------------REALIZE! FOR YOU HAVE SEEN THE PATH
---------------THE ROAD TO VICTORY HAS REVEALED ITSELF. ---------------BUT IS IT AN IDEA THAT SHALL BE YOUR PERIL. ---------------TO HAVE COME TO YOU IN THE GUISE OF PROMISE.
The void eyes changed to a near white to the Ashen Smog. No one saw this... But the pupil of AriToru expanded in great ripple. An evil smile stretches wide across with an open teeth.
"Haruto." He had already began to put it in motion. He was physically pushing the shorter boy toward Shota. "Let's switch."
"B-but—"
"Don't worry about it. Guard him with everything you've got." It was certainty that overrode objection.
Haruto had no choice than to comply. Ethan watched this defensive switch with confusion. It then morphed inside him to annoyed disgust. He sighed in dramatic contempt. And then he said, "Switching vermin for vermin won't change the outcome. You losers aren't winning this game no matter what you try."
AriToru raised an eyebrow to this and he did not respond verbally. He had a full three inches over the American point guard. 6'6" versus 6'3", but height became largely irrelevant when the skill gap was this pronounced. Because by all means Ethan Carter was an extremely talented player. You could just tell from how well he handled the basketball. A true BALLER in every sense.
*God I love competition*
Shota finally looked calmer. No not calmer. He looked more comfortable. And comfortable for him meant he was in his wildest element. The One-Handed Dunk on the stupid vermin had restored the mental equilibrium. But that peace was challenged when he saw this.....this blonde boy guarding him. This Stiff bum who was already so tired he could not stand properly
The referee checked Shota in. A pass shota received with one hand without looking.
"What the hell is this?!" He began bouncing. POW POW POW. He was moving laterally, his calves and shins displayed such visible springiness. Haruto swallowed hard. He could see the explosive potential coiled in those muscles. Shota could detonate past him any second.
But he didn't give up. *Just wait for an opportunity.*
"You're out of your depth, fatty." Shota's voice was more insulted personally at this afront than it was meant to condescend his marker. The size matchup was 6'6" versus 6'1". The athletic disparity, the strength difference. It all favored him overwhelmingly. You wouldn't blame Shota for feeling the switch was insulting. And truly absurd. A mismatch in conceivable sense.
A FAST cross over.....Shotas hands threw the ball back to his right, He'd embarrass them for underestimating him. For thinking this fat nobody could—
"THERE!"
Haruto's hand came from underneath and tapped the ball clean off Shota's palm.
The entire crowd didn't understand what they'd witnessed.
The steal was much too deliberate for Shota to compensate with his quick reaction. So now the ball was in the hands of the Golden BullEye.
Thus Haruto clutched it like treasure and he protected the basketball from Shota's immediate assault. "Nnngh—" It was a lot of effort. Shota was exponentially stronger than Ethan. His physicality was suffocating and he didn't let Haruto an Iota of space.
Yet Shota couldn't regain the ball either. Haruto's handle was superior to Ari's, it was more stable, more secure and more refined.
Haruto twisted and attempted to back Shota down. The strength difference negated the tactic. Shota simply pushed back and sent Haruto retreating.
But that created exactly the space Haruto needed.
Without balance, without set feet, he turned and raised the ball and—//SNAP—released.
"What the—so quick—" The shot was already gone before Shota's comprehension caught up.
The dangerous release sailed in its fast and high. GASPS came in unison. Shingo and Santiago's eyes tracked the ball's trajectory with crystal focus. The basketball began it's descent and approached the rim—
CLANG.
Missed!
It hit the side iron in a harsh sound and bounced back up in the air, ready to be rebounded by the most worthy foe. For a fraction of a second, Shingo had a chance to retrieve it. His fingers were jus_
/REBOUNDED.
Santiago outjumped him. Large dragon claws secured the ball with authority.
"Shit, shit—" Ethan cursed when he spun to locate Haruto.
Gone. Disappeared.
Like the chubby boy had activated invisibility. Such a low court presence made him so forgettable.
It was the power and curse of having minimal basketball Aura. Shota, who'd been guarding him seconds ago, turned in panic to find that horrible sight: the blonde boy had vanished, only to reappear wide open beyond the three-point line.
Santiago threw the outlet pass with two-hands. Haruto caught it. Angled as always with a zoned focus on the rim. He leaped forward and his hands pushed the ball towards the rim before SNAP....
It was released in an aggressive roll and sailed long before going through the rim and shaking the net.
BASKET.
(Team 8) 10 - 10 (Team 7)
"Nice!" Santiago's face split with genuine admiration, his smile was enormous. Haruto returned it with equal pride.
The crowd went nearly silent. Mournful. They were supposed to be frauds. Supposed to be frauds. Supposed to be thrown away. Yet here they were, having leveled the game, and turned the supposed massacre into a thrilling competition between the two teams.
Ethan was thoroughly annoyed now, his composure was beginning to drift away like their hopes of an easy victory. He understood now the purpose of the defensive switch between AriToru and Haruto. They bet that Shota, guarded by a low-presence, smaller, slower player like Haruto would inevitably drop focus.
But that wasn't the only reason for the defensive change.
Ari was checked in by the referee. As usual, he retreated backward toward the right sideline, near where Kaneko Imai sat with her friends.
She chuckled internally. And her chest shook in her effort to not stay what she wanted to say. But, she couldn't resist. "Take the ball from him, Ethan! You can do it!"
Ethan smirked immediately but his eyes never left the ball. That was exactly what he planned to do.
A vein popped visibly in Ari's temple. "Ethan.... She's supporting Ethan! Fine. Watch as I kill your hero Imai.*
He executed a slow double between-the-legs dribble, buying time, organizing thoughts.
"FUUUUCK", Kaneko groaned dramatically swinging her head back in boredom "GET ON WITH IT ALREADY!" Her high pitched voice would have made it even more annoying.
But
Ari ignored her completely, his entire focus to just him and Ethan. This was why he'd switched positions with Haruto.
Ari had finally gotten close enough to Tomomi for her to see him clearly.
She made him out through the lenses of her circular glasses.
He looked wicked. A person who abandoned conventional morality.
Thus truly, AriToru was operating under different rules. He accepted villainy and found it was quite the liberating drug.
Even Imai felt the cold energy that radiated from him. Visceral. Visceral malice wrapped in the skin of sportly competition. Yet somehow she could still make fun of him. Maybe she was just too much of a troll.
~ISOLATION.
~Toru Ari versus Ethan Carter.
Ari bounced the ball forward. And Ethan mirrored perfectly, his defensive stance was from the best of textbooks. He began applying pressure the moment Ari moved forward.
Ari was among the least skilled players on the court. His skill stat was [28]. Far less skilled than Ethan.
Yet Ari was simply bigger. Three inches of height, longer arms, superior reach. It would be difficult even if Ethan was stronger and faster.
The PRESSURE of Ethan's defense intensified exponentially. His hands SWIPED at the ball. His finger tips grazed the surface before Ari had pulled it back just in time. Regardless the steal attempt forced Ari to give whatever space he'd manage to squeeze in his last dribbles.
AriToru it seemed, had no idea what to do.
"You've got nothing." Ethan's voice was cold as ice. "You're slow. You're weak. Give me the ball—"
Ari used both hands and slowly pulled the ball to his right side. To the right side of his hips.
/TRIPLE THREAT.
Ethan recoiled because shocked by the stance. It looked so fucking unbalanced
[18:21]
[17:23]
[16:12]
Ari had such little time to get his shot off. To do something meaningful with the ball.
Ari moved laterally and kept the ball at his side. Dribbling carefully: POW POW POW. He attempted to get around Ethan using his outside arm to protect the ball from those quick hands.
Ethan followed him step for step with superior agility. Yet he didn't find a chance to steal cleanly. His hands could not reach past without committing a foul. Their positions would not allow_
/STOP.
Ari had halted completely. Such a sudden abeyance made Ethan move from his own momentum. That same stopping leg became the launching pad and it STRUCK the GROUND in a BOOM. The force shot Ari upwards.
//HEAVENLY SHOT
His body rose like a missile and the force transferred like a ripple Going up to the arms and they flicked like they meant real harm.The ball sailed up in its departure before it descended, promising rapture.
BASKET.
(Team 8) 10 - 12 (Team 7)
Ethan Carter stood frozen. In his core he felt a painful sinking feel that timed itself with the SWISH of the ball inside the rim.
Ari landed back on earth from his heavenly ascent. To earthly satisfaction. His full lips curved to a smile that showed no teeth. He stared down the angry American, not saying a word. He just walked past him to get the ball again. To finish this match.
They were no longer unified in hatred. They fractured between the constant booing and the dawning intimidation. An epiphany about the The Pale One
"HOW IS HE DOING THIS?!"
"WHY CAN'T THEY BLOCK THAT?"
Things of the sort. They were simply too naive to not know. You cannot block a shot being released from heaven if you yourself still stand on the earth
Imai's enormous eyes wore a bewildered expression like she'd witnessed a ghost manifest in broad daylight. The look was so perfect and beautiful Ari would have taken a picture if he had a camera. He was going to imprint that same expression on everyone's faces. The Heroes were dead
Thus it was: This was the second reason for the defensive switch.
Ethan Carter could not stop Toru Ari one on one.