Dirga’s jaw tightened.
So that’s the power of a maximum playmaking attribute.
It wasn’t just the numbers.
It was the illusion of options.
Every movement baited defenders into the wrong choice.
Every step... rewrote the script.
A sharp whistle pierced the air.
Coach Tsugawa signaled.
Fresh legs. Fresh eyes.
Dirga moved fast, pulling Taiga aside before the inbound.
Voice low. Focus razor-sharp.
"I’ve got a plan for the Shepherd."
Taiga raised an eyebrow.
"We’re going to burn him out."
Dirga’s Plan: Exhaust the Playmaker.
Gaito’s skill set was maxed into one area—Playmaking.
But that came at a cost.
His stamina. His defense. His physicals. All average.
So they’d turn the tempo into a storm.
They’d force him to run, chase, defend—everything he wasn’t built for.
And then watch him crack.
Inbound: Horizon ball.
Dirga caught it—and sprinted immediately.
The crowd surged as he blitzed the court like a shot from a cannon.
Haru trailed, struggling to keep up.
At the arc, Taiga came for the screen—but Dirga faked using it.
Kaito. Wing. Isolated.
It was a mismatch in every direction.
Kaito—disciplined, fluid, surgical with his dribble.
Gaito—crafty on offense, but barely C-tier in on-ball defense.
Dirga’s thought flashed like lightning:
This isn’t Rei. You’re dancing now, Gaito.
Shoulders twitching. Hips feinting.
Kaito didn’t attack—he tortured.
And when the Shepherd gasped for air—Kaito struck.
A single crossover burned him.
But Kaito slipped a bounce pass to Rikuya.
Weight. Muscle. Power.
A sumo bout in sneakers.
Rikuya backed in, turned, and faded—
Ball hit the back iron—bounced high.
Minato and Aizawa—up in the air!
Two shadows colliding above the rim.
Minato touched it first.
But couldn’t control.
Aizawa swiped—tipped it—
Minato landed with better position.
The Shepherd galloped like a wild wolf, hair trailing, breath burning.
Dirga ran too—shoulder to shoulder.
Gaito gathered—pump-faked the layup.
Fingers grazed the ball—
Gaito landed and bent forward, hands on knees, chest heaving.
That shake in his breathing.
That wobble in his step.
You’re getting tired.
Inbound—North Wolves.
The Shepherd took it slower this time.
Dirga pressed instantly.
Chest to chest. Breath to breath.
No breaks. No space. No rest.
Gaito tried to walk it up, but Dirga stuck to him like static.
Dirga evaded—but Taiga rotated perfectly, continuing the pressure.
Gaito gritted his teeth.
Still—he couldn’t escape.
But even under fire—he lifted the ball high—
Wait... that pass...?!
The ball flew like a guided missile.
The Wolves’ center, Riku, was already mid-leap.
Dirga stumbled back in shock.
What the hell? Did he... predict that? Or just—feel it?
That pass wasn’t random.
It was instinct. Precision. Madness.
A shepherd’s command without a word—no look, no signal, no doubt.
But still, as Gaito landed, Dirga narrowed his eyes.
The tremble in Gaito’s stance.
The way his hands rested on his knees.
His breath, dragging heavier than before.
Even as the Wolves closed the gap—
The cracks had started showing.
From the bench, Kaito caught Dirga’s eye.
The reply came instantly—
Kaito hurled it straight to Dirga.
Dirga caught it in stride.
Chaos unfolded as he blasted down the court like a bullet.
The Wolves scrambled to recover.
Gaito tried to chase—
But his steps were heavy.
Riku and Minato were already collapsing into the paint like a wall.
But Dirga never stopped.
And when Riku planted himself at the rim...
Behind-the-back pass.
A no-look whip, smooth as silk.
Rikuya caught it in full stride—
Dirga wasn’t just matching Gaito anymore.
He was mirroring him.
Matching fire with fire.
They rushed the next inbound to Gaito.
And they didn’t see it—
Their Shepherd was breaking down.
Gaito caught the ball mid-stumble, unsure.
A second later—Aizawa was there too.
A lightning-quick one-two with Aizawa.
Timeout—Sapporo North Wolves.
The Wolves’ bench scrambled.
Coach didn’t hesitate.
Bent over. Chest heaving.
A new player stepped in.
Age: 15Height: 180 cmWeight: 75 kgAttributes:Inside Scoring: CShooting: APlaymaking: ADefense: CPhysical: AMentality: B
A first-year...? At Nationals?
Dirga’s eyes sharpened.
Solid, but raw. Let’s end this quarter loud.
[Maestro’s Pulse: Maestro State]
(Duration: 60 seconds)
The court shimmered around him.
Like every movement clicked into a perfect rhythm.
The rookie tried to bring it up.
[Black Mirage: Counterveil] – Activated
Dirga vanished from his front.
Stole the ball in a blink.
Ren froze—confused, off-balance.
Dirga didn’t hesitate.
Counterveil Stock Depleted (0/1)
Steal once more to restore 1 stock.
The quarter spiraled.
The Wolves tried to slow the pace—but Horizon?
Dirga found Kaito for a catch-and-shoot three.
Minato answered with a drive of his own.
Taiga answered back with a two-foot eurostep off a bounce pass.
Post-up. Turn. Score.
The Wolves didn’t fold.
But they were reacting now.
Because Horizon wasn’t running plays—
They were running a symphony.
And when the horn blew to end the second quarter—
Score: Toyonaka Horizon High 28 – Sapporo North Wolves 22.
A storm still brewing.
Belonged to Toyonaka Horizon.