Step back. Stop. Pull.
Smooth. Silent. Swish.
"DIRGA! TIES IT UP WITH AN EXPLOSIVE MOVE!"
Coach Reina’s face changed.
Calm turned sharp. Her arms folded tighter.
"So... that kid is back. Let’s hope Yuto and Masaki can answer."
Masaki watched Dirga across the court.
His eyes locked on the Maestro like it was destiny.
"Yeah... you came back.
My rival—let’s fight."
Yuto gritted his teeth.
Watching Dirga move like that — calm, surgical, in total control — sparked something inside him.
"Damn... but there won’t be a second time."
Masaki caught the ball.
He brought it up with quiet fire in his steps.
Taiga met him. Fresh legs. Tight stance. Focused.
Masaki didn’t flinch.
He stopped at the three-point line.
The crowd held its breath.
Dirga saw it from across the court.
He edged in — ready for help defense.
Not overcommitting, but reading every twitch.
Masaki jabbed left. Sharp. Clean.
But Masaki didn’t need him to.
He rose. Smooth. Fast. Cold.
High arc. Pure motion.
"MASAKI ANSWERS RIGHT BACK!! FROM DEEP RANGE!"
"You want a rivalry? You’ve got one.
Dirga ties it — Masaki buries the response!"
Masaki stepped back, calm as ice.
No celebration. Just eye contact.
"Then don’t blink. Because I won’t."
Dirga took the ball again.
His heart steady. His vision sharp.
He scanned the court, calculating—reading the threads of movement before they formed.
A fast screen from Taiga.
Then another from Aizawa.
Dirga took the first screen tight—
but just as he shifted toward Aizawa’s angle—
A sudden bounce pass.
Rikuya caught it in stride—
but Haruto was already there.
The ball shot into the air—flying across the court—
Toward the opposite wing.
Masaki and Kaito were both there.
Masaki reached first.
But Kaito was trailing—hard.
Masaki sprinted toward the Horizon rim—
And just before Masaki jumped—
Kaito poked the ball loose!
It rolled toward the sideline.
Kaito dove. Full body. Sacrifice.
He flicked it back inbounds before crashing into the floor.
The ball flew loose again—center court.
All of them launched.
They crashed into each other midair—
Yuto got a finger on it.
Taiga tipped it upward.
Bodies hit the floor.
"DIRGA!! WHAT A SEQUENCE! HORIZON STILL BREATHING!"
"That possession had everything — effort, blocks, dives, madness—
and in the end, the Maestro finishes it himself!"
On the bench, Coach Reina didn’t blink.
Masaki cracked his neck.
Kaito wiped sweat from his chin—still on one knee.
Dirga stood, chest rising, staring at the scoreboard.
1 point. 1 life. 1 game.
But instead of pushing, he passed.
Yuto dribbled calmly.
Swung it to Daichi on the wing.
Daichi drove hard—then kicked it back—
Shunpei caught it—faked the shot—drew defenders.
That’s what he wanted all along.
And a scattered defense.
Drive. Slash. Intent.
But Dirga was already there.
Saw the sequence before it unfolded.
Cut him off at the elbow.
Masaki didn’t hesitate—
He stopped, spun, and rose.
Dirga jumped with him—
Fingers outstretched.
He felt it — the ball grazed his fingertips.
"MASAKI!! HE GOT IT TO FALL!!"
"EVEN CONTESTED, EVEN READ — HE STILL SCORES!"
Masaki landed. Calm. Silent.
[ Echo: Host — 1 minute remaining. Activating Maestro State. ]
[ Boosts applied: Passing Precision, Decision-Making Speed, Flow Efficiency +20%. ]
A soft glow in Dirga’s mind.
His thoughts sharpened. His awareness widened.
The rhythm of the game now pulsed in his hands.
He motioned for a spread formation.
He dribbled with patience, baiting Yuto toward the wing.
But this was a setup.
Kaito circled behind him — took the handoff.
Dirga cut without the ball.
Screen from Taiga — clean and solid.
Dirga broke free — open space at the wing.
Masaki rotated quickly — but Dirga was one step ahead.
To Aizawa — cutting hard from the top.
Aizawa caught it in stride.
But Daichi slid over.
The ball rolled off the rim.
"Foul called! That was a beautiful find by Dirga — and Aizawa nearly made it count!"
Aizawa stepped to the line.
The crowd roared. Hands waving. Pressure rising.
"OHH—missed the first!"
Dirga clenched his fists.
Kaito nodded silently behind him.
Aizawa exhaled. Bounced the ball. Focused.
"Makes the second. Horizon now down just two."
"Less than a minute remaining. Every possession now... is legacy."
[ Echo: Host — 45 seconds remaining. Activating Tempo Sight – GodFrame. ]
Dirga’s vision shifted.
Lines. Paths. Intentions. Rhythm.
Every player was a piece on a board he could see two moves ahead.
Toyonaka’s possession.
Masaki caught the ball and sprinted into Horizon’s half.
Taiga met him. Full speed. Full contact.
It got physical. Fast.
Masaki tried to throw his shoulder into him—
But Taiga didn’t back down.
There was a height difference. A weight gap.
But Taiga’s body said one thing:
Yuto came in for the handoff.
But Aizawa jumped the lane!
Masaki and Taiga chased it.
He slid on the hardwood, arms around it—but Masaki was right there.
But Kaito was faster.
Taiga flicked the pass. Kaito grabbed it.
Kaito sprinted down the court — open floor.
Everyone else was trailing behind.