CHAPTER 46: MOUNTAIN TRIAL : GAME

The team gathered around Dirga like baby chicks around a mother hen—except instead of food, they were starving for intel. And Dirga, calm but intense, was ready to feed them.

"Alright. Here’s what I’ve got," he began, voice sharp and clear. "Let’s start with the obvious—Buzz."

All eyes zeroed in.

"He’s flashy, sure, but he’s got a scoring cap. One game it was six points, the next it was eight. That tells me one of two things—either his scoring cap rotates, or it’s randomized every match. Could be 6, 8, 10. We can’t predict it, but we know it’s there."

Kaito folded his arms. "So we can’t just let him run free, but over-committing might backfire. If he starts dishing passes..."

"It’s worse," Dirga nodded. "He’s dangerous either way."

He moved to the next.

"Masaru—their center. Big guy. He can only jump three times on defense. Once that’s done? He’s basically a statue. Attack him in the paint."

Rikuya gave a silent nod, arms crossed, eyes calm as still water.

"Renjiro. Their sniper. He only shoots threes. No drives, no cuts, nothing else. But if you give him an inch, you’re giving him a bucket."

Rei muttered, "So just camp him on the perimeter. Don’t get baited."

"Yu—the PF," Dirga continued. "Looks normal, plays normal... but there’s a catch. He can’t make physical contact. Doesn’t set screens. Avoids boxing out. He’s a ghost on defense."

Taiga cracked a grin. "Oh, we’re feasting on him."

"And the last one," Dirga’s voice dropped lower, serious. "Sota. The glasses guy."

The team fell silent.

"What’s his deal?" Aizawa asked.

"I haven’t figured it out yet," Dirga admitted. "But it’s something about rhythm. The way he moves, the way he passes. It’s too perfect. He plays like he’s on a beat. We desync that, and we expose him."

Kaito stepped forward. "Even if we don’t get him now, we’ve already cracked four. Let’s take them down."

"For food. For pride," Dirga said.

"For FOOD!" Aizawa and Taiga yelled.

Horizon clapped hands and broke the huddle. Determined. Calculated. Hungry.

The team clapped hands, spirits fired up. They had their plan. Now, they just needed to execute it.

On the sidelines, Toyonaka’s players sipped from their water bottles, watching with sharp eyes.

"Think they figured it out?" Yuto asked.

"They’ve got the puzzle pieces," Masaki answered.

Haruto crossed his arms. "Let’s see if they can put it together."

...

Game 1 – Horizon vs. Kurama Team

Kaito led the opening play. Calm. Precise.

From the start, Horizon hammered the paint.

Rikuya, their silent titan, backed down Masaru. One spin. One pump fake. A soft hook off the glass.

Masaru couldn’t jump.

He’d already used his third leap.

Horizon kept feeding the paint. Rikuya versus Masaru. Taiga versus Yu. They used every mismatch to optimize their winning.

Buzz tried to respond, but once his scoring cap hit its unknown ceiling, he stopped attacking.

Kurama’s offense stumbled. Horizon pressed hard. And with Renjiro stuck behind the arc and no reliable post defender, the lead snowballed.

Final score: Horizon 1 – Kurama 0

As they walked back to the bench, Dirga opened the system.

"Echo. Scan them right now."

The screen blinked.

[Scan: Incomplete]

Name: Shingo "Buzz" Kawada (PG)

Age: 22

Height: 188 cm

Weight: 78 kg

Attributes:

Inside Scoring: ???

Shooting: ???

Playmaking: ???

Defense: SS+

Physical: ???

Mentality: ???

Note: High school-level system unable to access full college attributes. Please upgrade system.

Upgrade Requirements:

Win National TournamentReach SSS+ in three base attributesEnroll in a recognized college program

[Scanning other players...]

Dirga frowned. "So this is the wall, huh?"

College-level data was locked. They were beyond the current system.

[echo just give me the attriute you can scan]

Sota Enami (SG)

Age : 22

Height : 181 cm

Weigh : 75 KG

Attributes :

Physical : SS+

Renjiro Nakano (SF)

Age : 22

Height : 186 cm

Weigh : 72 KG

Attributes :

Playmaking : A+ Defense : A+

Yu Tamura (PF)

Age : 22

Height : 190 cm

Weigh : 83 KG

Attributes :

-

Masaru Hibiki (C)

Age : 23

Height : 196 cm

Weigh : 108 KG

Attributes :

Playmaking : A

Dirga sat at the bench, towel around his neck, chest rising and falling like a drumbeat. Echo’s scan data kept floating in his mind. The few stats he could see, combined with what he’d observed on the court

And then there was Yu Tamura.

Dirga narrowed his eyes.

"Echo, why don’t I see any attributes for Yu?" he whispered.

[Yu Tamura: All stats fall within college baseline average. No exceptional specialties detected. Jack-of-all-trades type.]

...

Game 2

This time, Kurama changed their rhythm.

Sota brought the ball up instead of Buzz. The tempo shifted.

Like a conductor orchestrating a symphony, Sota directed the court like he was composing music. Passes landed in perfect rhythm. Screens timed like beats.

Buzz didn’t score immediately—he held back.

It confused Horizon.

And then, the shift.

Buzz cut.

Sota passed.

Boom—layup.

Then fade.

Then dish to Renjiro—splash.

The Kurama team had adapted. They’d masked their flaws behind perfect execution. Horizon couldn’t attack the gaps—they were already gone.

Horizon lost the second game.

Horizon 1 – Kurama 1

Dirga stared at Sota. He could feel it.

That rhythm.

Too perfect. Too mechanical.

"He’s hiding something," Dirga muttered. "He’s hiding it well..."

In the sideline there is Toyonaka gathering and watch

"He’s sharp," Masaki said, referring to Sota.

"That’s a pro-level floor general," Haruto added.

"You notice it too?" Yuto asked. "It’s like... he’s syncing the whole team like a metronome."

Masaki nodded. "If Dirga wants to win, he’s gotta break that rhythm."

...

Dirga gathered Horizon’s players once more.

"Change of plan," he said. "Buzz isn’t the threat anymore—Sota is."

"We pressure him?" Kaito asked.

"No," Dirga shook his head. "We desync him."

"Meaning?" Rei tilted his head.

"We break the rhythm," Dirga said. "Delay our cuts. Stagger our passes. Don’t let him read our tempo. Play messy. Like jazz."

"Like... chaos?" Taiga grinned.

Dirga smirked. "Exactly."

Kaito cracked his knuckles. "Then let’s play jazz."

They had to keep pushing.

No mistakes.

No mercy.

And most importantly—no grey food for dinner.