People were confused. The wealthy Yoshimura students knew not how to express themselves. They were supposed to jeer their enemies to oblivion. But now they couldn't. Some decided to try, a lesser number than before. It was confusing. They certainly could not dismiss the villians abilities. Now they were all just divided.
Some would jeer and shout, they doubled down as if their volume could change the reality before them. Others kept silent far too entertained, or maybe just not loyal enough to their heroes. Regardless, everyone was enjoying their show. It was electric. Each second here was well spent time.
But AriToru was entirely purpose bound, his consciousness was narrowed to a rapturous singularity. This was the stage. This was the chance they had to end this match once and for all. This was the chance for victory.
The referee approached and he had the ball in his hands and he walked slowly. There was a sort of wave in the aie. He could feel it on his skin, slowly sinking inside and reaching his lungs and it made breathing difficult. Around him all players breathed in haggered bursts. Saging postures but no less determined. In fact the light in their eyes gleamed now like a yellow candle lighting up a room at night.
And at the center of the referee's vision stood a tall, slender, pale boy. A boy who looked more from a lost world than from earth, at least at that moment. It's eyes were black and it's hair was black and its skin was alabaster and the skin under each eye was gray, open red lips with a gap in the two front teeth. The boy was tired, and he was serene. Most of all he came across dreaming of malicious intentions.
The referee felt nothing but hostile unease radiating from AriToru's presence. It made him want to drop the ball so quickly and retreat from sharing space with this creature who wore the skin of a boy.
So he passed immediately, He practically stoned Ari with the ball.
Ari caught it still. Easily. And even the force of it made the other players look at the referee. Whose fists squeezed the fabric on his waist. But the players ignored him.
And Ari made nothing of the rough pass. Because in front of him stood the first of heroes.
Watanabe Shota—the same lockdown defender who'd tormented him all game. Of course Ethan had switched back; he'd been forced to acknowledge the humiliating truth: in one-on-one isolation, he could not stop Toru Ari.
But one person could. Watanabe Shota.
Ari dribbled backward as always. It's not like it was a conscious decision. The oppression of the Lock Down defense forced him.
However, Shota did not blindly follow this time. He'd learned and adapted. Toru Ari was dangerous at mid-range—they'd witnessed this repeatedly. But his overall range wasn't extensive. From deep, he posed no legitimate threat.
So Shota gave Ari five feet worth of separation. He dared Ari to shoot from a distance he couldn't make.
However, the air of dread still permeated the watching students. They'd seen Ari orchestrate impossibilities, had watched him manufacture an advantage from nothing. They didn't know what he would do next. An unpredictable enemy he was.
And after seeing the space granted, Ari would accept the challenge. Ari smiled. His dribble became slower,
POW......POW.....POW.....POW
It was deliberate as it was leisurely, communicating that he would take his time. And Ari would savour this possession.
So he said with his raspy voice, "It's me and you again."
Then he paused and said with a sweet tone, "I bet Haruto was too much for you."
Shota's reaction was visceral. You could see it, his squelched to an annoyed expression. His hands formed fists at his sides before remembering they needed to stay ready for defense.
"He's rage-baiting him," Kaneko Imai murmured under breath. She bent her head to suck eagerly at her straw. Maybe now it was just a means for her not to join the cheering and jeering people around her. Her eyes were faced forward, large and hazel. "He's fucking rage-baiting him."
To everyone's shock, Ari's knees bent suddenly. His body crouched with the ball held in both hands. It was the universal preparation for a shot attempt.
*Please hit the board* Ari thought desperately.
Shota was completely bewildered. They were far beyond Ari's effective range, this shot made no tactical sense. But competitive instinct overrode logic. BOOM—Shota exploded forward and leaped, his hand raised in a contest. But the distance he gave Ari was much too large to actually disrupt anything.
Why was he raising his hand?
Did he genuinely believe in the danger that Ari would score?
//HEAVENLY SHOT
Ari flew up like a bird and he flicked the ball. It shot up and went towards the rim.
DOOM.
The basketball bounced off the right side of the backboard, nowhere close to the rim.
But Ari hadn't expected it to go in. He'd only needed it on target. It was exactly what Haruto had anticipated too.
*Fuck. Fuck!* For just two seconds...two seconds, Ethan had lost focus on Haruto, and now the chubby blonde boy was running along the three-point arc, meters away, completely open.
RIPPLE. TIGHT.
Santiago backed down Shingo, who cursed with spiritual vehemence. He was enraged beyond coherent thought. The hot anger made him feel like physically striking the Dominican giant. It was an overwhelming competitive frustration..to witness someone this much stronger. This much more dominant in your primary role.
REBOUND.
Santiago leaped with authority and caught the ball before it even descended a foot under the rim. His enormous hands had secured it with finality.
He landed with a shockwave IMPACT, his 7'2" frame generating force that rattled the backboard. When the Giant searched, he saw blonde hair. Blonde hair running. Always running. Always slow. Always free.
Santiago threw the same double handed pass.
Haruto caught it behind the three point line. He was exhausted. So he took a breath.
*Breathe. I have all the time... all the time I need.* Not true, he didn't have time. Ethan was seconds away from him.
*I can't let him shoot. I can't let him shoot. I can't let him shoot.* aggressive panic. He'd REACHED Haruto with terrifying speed he was that fast, that athletic.
*I won't be defeated by scum!*
But Haruto's face had gone completely cold. He breathed with every part of his body. Haruto was a living organ. His right hand released the ball momentarily. Ethan read this motion, he was about to step back...even more?
Haruto's legs opened wider. The ball descended in its dribble arc, and in the space before it bounced back to his hand, Haruto BODIED Ethan and sent him backward.
"Gahh!" Ethan stumbled just a few centimetres back, his powerful legs managed to absorb the contact. *This asshole... he planned—
Haruto's legs opened further, establishing base. The ball returned to his left hand. STEP BACK. Haruto caught himself on two back feet and rai_
"LIKE HELL I'LL LET YOU SCORE!" Ethan lunged intensely a contesting hand at that last seconds—
SNAP.
Ethan's hands crashed against Haruto's palm, shoving him backward with violent force—
But the ball had already been released. It was flying towards the rim, it looked so on target.
In that frozen moment, Ethan, Shota, and Shingo all stared at the ball with collective dread, watching it approach the rim and then enter the cylinder—
BASKET.
(Team 8) 10 - 15 (Team 7)
Haruto landed hard on the floor, his body absorbed the contact poorly.
"TWEEEEEE!"
The referee's whistle pierced the chaos. He moved quickly to the court. He made a motion to tap his wrist and then he pointed at Ethan Carter.
Shooting foul. Free throw awarded. "AND 1!"
"Fuck," Ethan said in English with raw annoyance. He looked like he wanted to murder the referee. The second year referee quickly scurried away from proximity with the american. Ethan's face was a thin veil of self control.
He brushed aside his brown hair and looked up at the rim. The stupid blondie made a far range three pointer even with Ethan fouling him. *How the fuck did he even make that shot!!*
It would be a free throw—one point. If Haruto made it, it would push their lead to a six points difference.
Ari stared at Haruto like Haruto was salvation incarnate. How did he even make that shot? The difficulty: step-back far ranged three-pointer while being fouled, while exhausted. That's a shot you barely ever see in person.
Ari rushed over and delivered a hard high-five, then grabbed Haruto's shoulders and shook them in clear disbelief. "Haruto... you're a total genius!"
Haruto's hazy green eyes beames happily before they turned embarrassed: "I'm no genius ...okay maybe I am."
They walked toward the free-throw line. Once again, live rebounds for every free throw. Shingo charged himself up. He would be damned if he let that overgrown giant take yet another rebound from him. He'd roughen Santiago up if necessary.
During this standoff, Ari's eyes crossed with Shota's. And in Shota's gaze, Ari glimpsed something new: a glint that looked suspiciously like defeat. Or maybe the dawn of it, the first recognition that this game might be lost to the heroes.
Ari smiled to himself. That look. Ahhh, that look. He'd extract that hopeless expression from every other enemy. He'd get drunk on it.
The referee held the ball with shaking hands, both of them trembled visibly. Haruto who was the boy who'd just shot that crazy three. He tired. Would he make this free throw and establish a six-point cushion?
The referee's shaky hands passed the ball. Haruto barely caught it, the ball nearly slipped off his sweaty fingers.
He was tired and his focus was already begining to wane. But the match demanded he scored. He wasn't that tired that he'd miss a simple free throw now was he?
Haruto raised the ball up carefully. His knees shot up and his hands FLICKED the ball. It flew up and inside.
BASKET.
(Team 8) 10 - 16 (Team 7)
Hope was being strangled away.
Some still booed. It was more performative than anything else.
But one who did NOT share this despondency was Tomomi. She was elated. Though she hid her joy. Her hands were pressed against each other. The long large sweater only revealed the tips of her finges. *They're winning. Because of Haruto-kun, Toru Ari, and Santiago.*
She smiled brightly. *They're defeating the heroes.*
Ari was ready for the next possession. He would bring no mercy, He would press the advantage, He would crush any hope of a comeback. Haruto managed to jump and high-five Santiago, who wore an enormous smile that transformed his intimidating face into something almost childlike with joy. After all, Haruto didn't miss his free throw.
The ball came again, checked in by the referee.
Ari saw Shota before him. Not once had he successfully dribbled past Shota's lockdown defense. It was simply something he could not achieve through skill or speed. His athletic limitations made it impossible.
The intensity was palpable, electric. After all, Ari's last successful three-point attempt had been an expected miss. He shot so Santiago would rebound and pass to Haruto, who would actually convert the three-pointer.
"Pass if you're a wimp."
The words shocked Ari. They came from Shota, the fire in his brown eyes. There was no mistaking anything, this was personal now.
Ari smiled with amusement. "Still think you can win huh, hero?"
He dribbled inside and turned his back to Shota. My god, he wouldn't budge. Shota's defensive pressure was an immovable object. Ari dribbled left—POW... POW... POW. Searching for openings that didn't exist.
There were absolutely no gaps, nothing to work with. Ari's movement only cornered him further. It isolated him with no way to pass.
But Ari knew this, they respected his Heavenly Shot had learned to fear it. So a pump fake might create opportunity—
Ari suddenly turned and raised the ball up prepa_ PUMP FAKE.
Shota jumped at it. Betrayed by better instincts.
Ari side-stepped with a bounce—POW—the rim was beautiful, visible, bright and beckoning. He was approximately eighteen feet from the basket, within his effective range but at the outer edge.
He raised the ball and leaped.
//HEAVENLY SHO—
HAND.
Ari saw a hand disappear right in front of him, suddenly everything went dark. Even while suspended, while rising, while completely airborne
//LOCKDOWN
Shota had used his entire body, every ounce of his core and back muscles to still deny Ari whilst still on air.
LAND.
Both players returned to earth. "Aaargh!" Pure frustration came from Ari, frustration at being denied. He was so so close. So so close.
Ari turned and posted Shota up again, his back was against the defender.
But Shota was having none of it. He used raw strength to push Ari far away. "Rarr... nn!"
The force was overwhelming. AriTorus post-up attempt was destroyed, the contact sent him stumbling several feet away.
His eyes became beastial white-gray. And from the push he went to shoot.
//HEAVENLY FADEAWAY
Beautiful. It was no strange shot.... It was truly a beautiful.
*What... no, no, no—*
All Ari saw was the rim. The white eyes of the pale one saw only the net. The ball was released at 11'4". His arms pushed the ball and he faded away. Truly did he fade away.
BASKET.
(Team 8) 10 - 18 (Team 7)
For the first time some people cheered. For they'd witnessed such a beautiful sight.
*This is what it means... this is what basketball means.*
Imai found that her breath was stolen away watching her former classmate, well...new classmate. If he was in 1-C. The straw rested on her lower lip and she was totally fascinated..., Though the boys around her seemed more interested in oogling her than in watching the match. It was a match they already felt was decided.
Shota knew not what to say. His mouth opened slightly, closed, opened again. No words emerged.
Neither did Shingo speak. Nor Ethan Carter. The frauds were no frauds—but they were still scum. Scum that would defeat them?
All three members of Team 8 reached an identical conclusion simultaneously: they'd die if it meant stopping this final basket from Team Seven.
Ari was checked in again. He took a deep breath again. Like before he wo_
/STEAL.
There was no time to react. It was like time skipped. One moment the ball was in Ari's pale hands, the next it was gone, snatched by Watanabe Shota.
Shota rushed toward the rim immediately in Devastating speed. Ari made sure to cut off the right side where Ethan was positioned. Now Ethan was practically double-teamed, his scoring threat neutralized.
Didn't matter.
Shota maintained his charge. Shingo created space to the side, a false opening that Santiago followed.
Shota PASSED to Shingo. The ball traveled cleanly. Shingo caught it, faced Santiago one-on-one. Santiago Cruz was isolated, alone.
Shingo passed back to Shota immediately.
*The same trick.*
A quick pass-and-cut designed to confuse Santiago the rim protector.
Shota //BOOM JUMPED. It shook the grounds so hard the rim itself rattled.... 51 inches. He broke his bodily limits all for this play. His hands COCKED back the ball. And Twitch_
It came down like a meteor. Right into the rim for th_
BLOCKED.
*WON'T WORK TWICE!*
Santiago's hands slapped the ball away. It flew with sudden velocity. It was a TOTAL DENIAL. Santiago's rim positioning was superb. He gave enough of his standing position to coax them into thinking they were safe... But they weren't. They weren't safe from the hands of the Caribbean Titan.
The blocked ball flew through air.
To him. To AriToru.
Ari's large hands caught it with one palm, his fingers wrapped around it securely.
At that moment, Ethan thought with crystalline clarity. Everything just kept passing by his vision...and he couldn't stop it. He couldn't keep up: *Am... I... going... to lose? To them?*
He leaped toward Ari desperately, but even this ....was beyond Ethan Carter.
For Ari's black eyes showed no feeling. His hands threw the ball quickly. He PASSED to Haruto.
CAUGHT
Haruto hands knew what to do.
He raised the ball and leaped forward.
SNAP.
The ball flew fast up in the air...before it descended and CLANG.
It hit the edge of the rim ricocheting up to HIT the backboard and falling inside the net
BASKET.
...
...
...
"TWEEEEEEEEEEET!"
(Team 8) 10 - 20 (Team 7)
WINNERS: TEAM 7