CHAPTER 59: HORIZON VS HYŌGO IRON GIANTS : THE FIRST STRIKE

The ball is ours.

I bring it up the court.

Hands steady.

Heartbeat anything but.

Same court. Same paint. Same three-point line. Same glossy hardwood that reflects the overhead lights like glass—but somehow, it all feels different. Like the floor might crack under the weight of what’s coming.

Like gravity’s been dialed up just for us.

The air is thick. Not hot, not cold—dense. It clings to your skin. Presses against your chest like an invisible hand. The kind of air that makes you sweat before you’ve even started moving.

The crowd isn’t just watching.

They’re leaning in.

They’re expecting.

They’re waiting—not for a play.

For a statement.

The ball bounces under my palm with a rhythm that should calm me. It doesn’t. Every bounce echoes like a war drum. I hear it, feel it in my teeth. My sneakers squeak as I shift left, test my defender, eyes flicking across the floor.

Everyone’s in motion.

But it’s not chaos.

It’s choreography.

And somewhere in this mess of movement, I feel it.

The gap.

The rhythm.

The invisible thread.

Like a conductor feeling the first stirrings of a symphony.

This isn’t just basketball anymore.

It’s war.

The Iron Giants are already set.

No surprises.

Low hips. Wide stance. Arms stretched like steel beams across a gate we’re not supposed to enter.

Takeru Ishigami is front and center. Their point guard. Their general. Not flashy. Not animated. Just calm, cold, focused—his presence is like still water before a storm. He shadows my movements so cleanly, so effortlessly, it’s like he’s reading my thoughts a step ahead.

No full-court pressure.

They’re waiting.

Reading.

Hunting.

A trap that doesn’t need to chase you—it just needs you to walk straight in.

I glance toward the paint. Rikuya’s already engaged with Kenta Takasugi. A mountain disguised as a teenager. Massive. Stable. Every push from Rikuya meets a wall of muscle and leverage. He doesn’t move—you just survive long enough to escape him.

We could test the inside early.

Set a tone.

Send a message: we’re not afraid of the paint.

But that’s their tempo. Their game.

And if we can’t land that punch clean, it’ll cost us more than just two points.

I shift gears.

Outside first.

Our pace. Our shot.

I flick a glance at Rei. He sees it, gives a slight nod, then steps up.

Screen—tight and sharp. Textbook execution.

I rub Takeru off the pick and push hard around the angle.

A breath of separation—barely enough.

I rise, thinking pull-up midrange—

But he’s there.

Renji Takasugi.

Kenta’s brother.

Same size. Same strength. Same blood.

He’s already rotated up. Blocking off airspace like a vault door.

I can’t shoot. Not clean.

So I hang—just a sliver longer in the air.

Then whip it back—mid-air, slingback pass.

Off-balance. Ugly. But Rei’s ready.

Catches.

Sets.

Shoots.

The ball spins. Tight. Perfect form.

Clank!

Back rim.

Missed.

The gym doesn’t even flinch.

Because under the basket—it’s chaos.

With Takeru up top, it’s one-on-one in the trenches: Rikuya vs. Kenta.

They clash like tectonic plates.

Rikuya fights for space, battles for balance—but Kenta’s strength is overwhelming.

He rips the rebound down with both hands, like uprooting a tree from the earth.

A thunderous growl escapes his chest.

Then—boom.

Outlet pass.

Renji’s already streaking.

Transition.

Taiga’s the only one back. He plants. Gets wide. Arms out.

But Renji doesn’t hesitate.

Two steps.

Power gather.

He takes flight.

Taiga contests—he’s brave, but he’s too late.

BOOM.

Dunk.

The rim snaps.

Backboard quivers.

Gym explodes.

0 – 2.

Not the statement we wanted.

I take the inbound. Hands hot. Pulse climbing.

"It’s okay," I whisper, more to myself than anyone. "Just two points."

But I feel it—low and tight in my chest.

We need to shake them.

We need to stir this court.

Light it up.

Unleash chaos.

So I drive hard.

Up the court. Fast.

Pass to Rei—back to Aizawa—tap to Taiga.

Then back—right into my hands.

A lane flashes open.

I thread the pass.

Quick zip to Taiga.

One motion—into the gap between the Takasugi brothers.

Layup.

2 – 2.

They score two?

Fine.

We’ll take ten possessions to their five.

Chaos wins.

But chaos burns.

Three minutes flash by.

14 – 8.

We’re in control.

Rei splashes a catch-and-shoot three.

Rikuya fades and nails a jumper off the elbow.

Aizawa picks a pocket clean and flies for an easy two.

Our bench is roaring.

Coach Tsugawa’s pacing with that satisfied scowl.

We’ve set the pace.

Horizon basketball.

But the Iron Giants?

They don’t blink.

They grind.

Kenta rips down another rebound, powers through contact, earns the and-one.

Takeru slithers through staggered screens, rises, buries a soft mid-range jumper.

Renji posts, spins, slams—again.

They don’t get rattled.

They don’t get rushed.

They just wear you down.

And I can feel it—bit by bit.

Lungs burning.

Legs dragging.

Each cut takes just a fraction longer.

Each dribble bounces just a little higher than I like.

The fire is there—but it’s flickering.

And Coach Tsugawa sees it before I even want to admit it.

"Dirga—out! Kaito, in!"

I freeze.

Not because I disagree.

But because I know what it means.

This game?

It’s not a sprint.

It’s a siege.

He’s not pulling me for a mistake.

He’s rotating the gears. Preserving the engine.

Still—watching Kaito jog past me stings.

He slaps my shoulder on the way in.

"You lit the fire," he says with a grin. "Let me keep it burning."

I nod.

Take the towel. Water bottle. Sit. Breathing hard. Eyes locked on the court.

Coach leans in, voice low.

"You gave us first gear," he says. "Now watch what happens when they realize this isn’t the Horizon they thought they scouted."

And I watch.

Kaito enters the court like a pianist walking onto a silent stage.

No heat. No speed.

Just rhythm.

First possession?

He walks the ball up.

Lets the air settle.

For the first time all quarter—

the court breathes.

Aizawa to Rei. Back to Kaito.

He dribbles once. Makes a subtle hand signal.

Rikuya moves.

Not to the block.

To the arc.

Stretch-five.

Kenta follows.

The paint empties.

Their anchor pulled.

Kaito surveys. Calm.

Feeds Rei.

Renji rotates. Help defense.

But Rei doesn’t shoot.

Whip pass—baseline.

Taiga. No pressure.

Layup.

16 – 10.

No roar.

No flex.

Just quiet precision.

A crack in the Iron shell.

Next play—same rhythm.

Kaito jogs it up. Rikuya drifts wide again.

Kenta hesitates.

Trap.

Pop pass to Rikuya.

Wide open.

Set. Fire.

Splash.

19 – 10.

But the Giants don’t crumble.

Their offense?

Still relentless.

Every rebound we miss becomes a second chance.

Every loose ball?

They pounce.

19 – 16.

They chip back.

Quiet. Steady. Cold.

And that’s how the quarter ends.

Not with a bang.

But with a whisper.

A warning.