CHAPTER 84: HORIZON VS SEIRYUU : BREAKING THE ALGORITHM

The atmosphere inside the locker room was electric. No words were needed; each player knew their role and the strategy ahead. The initial formation was aggressive, focusing on offense: Dirga at point guard, Kaito as shooting guard, Aizawa at small forward, Taiga at power forward, and Rikuya anchoring the center. Coach Tsugawa planned to rotate players swiftly to maintain a relentless pace, aiming to overwhelm the opposition.

"If they’re a dam, we’ll be the waterfall," someone muttered, encapsulating the team’s determination. Horizon entered the court with unwavering resolve.

"Today, we witness a remarkable matchup," the announcer’s voice echoed through the arena.

"A newly formed team has surged into the regional top four in their debut year. Both teams from Osaka have made significant strides, showcasing exceptional skill. Horizon faces the formidable Wakayama Seiryuu, a team known for its evolving data-driven play and a lineup of seasoned third-year starters. In contrast, Horizon boasts a mix of experience and youthful energy, with first-year talents like Dirga, Taiga, Hiroki, and Rei, second-year players Kaito and Aizawa, and the seasoned third-year Rikuya."

"It’s a classic underdog versus veteran scenario," another commentator added. "Both teams bring unique strengths to the court."

As Horizon warmed up, the referee signaled for both teams to take their positions. Just before the tip-off, Dirga activated his analytical skills, scanning both Seiryuu and his own team, preparing for the battle ahead.

The arena pulsed like a living heart—filled with flashing banners, murmuring spectators, the faint aroma of sweat and energy drinks, and the smooth tension of polished hardwood under buzzing lights. Cameras panned. Cheer squads tensed. Commentators hushed their pre-game chatter as the players took their positions.

In that moment—seconds before the whistle—Dirga activated his Scan.

It wasn’t flashy. No glowing HUD, no AR lenses. Just raw instinct honed through years of reincarnated insight. Patterns formed. Stats aligned. Weaknesses whispered. And like a tactician before war, Dirga stared into the storm.

WAKAYAMA SEIRYUU

Seta Naoto (PG)

Age: 17

Height: 177 cm

Weight: 64 kg

Attributes:

Inside Scoring: B

Shooting: A-

Playmaking: S

Defense: C+

Physical: B+

Mentality: S

Mikami Ryo (SG)

Age: 17

Height: 178 cm

Weight: 70 kg

Attributes:

Inside Scoring: A

Shooting: A+

Playmaking: B+

Defense: B

Physical: B+

Mentality: A

Jinbo Haruto (SF)

Age: 17

Height: 180 cm

Weight:

72 kg

Attributes:

Inside Scoring: B

Shooting: B

Playmaking: C

Defense: A+

Physical: A

Mentality: A

Teshima Akihiro (PF, Captain)

Age: 17

Height: 188 cm

Weight: 79 kg

Attributes:

Inside Scoring: A+

Shooting: A+

Playmaking: B+

Defense: A+

Physical: S

Mentality: S+

Fujisawa Kei (C)

Age: 17

Height: 189 cm

Weight: 89 kg

Attributes:

Inside Scoring: A

Shooting: B

Playmaking: C

Defense: A

Physical: A

Mentality: A

Dirga read through the Wakyama Seiryuu lineup one more time—each player a piece of finely tuned machinery. No wasted stats. No weak links. But what stood out, what made his chest tighten for just a moment, was the duality at the core of their system: Seta Naoto, the point guard—S in Playmaking and S in Mentality. The brain. The strategist. The real-time adjuster. Teshima Akihiro, the captain and power forward—S in Physical, S+ in Mentality.

The body. The finisher. The terminator.

Two monsters. One thinks. One executes.

Wakayama Seiryuu wasn’t just a team—it was a well-written algorithm with fail-safes on every corner. It wasn’t flashy because it didn’t need to be. It was efficient. Cold. Clinical.

But Horizon wasn’t a perfect equation. Horizon was a virus.

...

The ball was tossed.

THUMP!

In the air, Fujisawa and Rikuya collided mid-jump, a clash of muscle and will. But Rikuya, powered by raw timing and refined explosiveness, tapped the ball first. Victory. First blood.

Dirga caught it mid-stride.

And slowed.

No need to rush. Not yet.

His sneakers whispered against the floor as he stepped across half-court. Sweat already slicked the ball, crowd noise settled into a low hum in his ears, and every corner of his vision lit up with subconscious data.

He glanced left—

Kaito stood at the wing, bouncing on his toes, a grin twitching at the corner of his mouth. Not the reckless kind. The sharp, sniper’s grin. The kind that came when he’d already calculated three ways to break a defense.

Aizawa rolled his shoulders beside the arc, muscles taut, gaze calm but fierce. A seasoned edge had sharpened in his eyes—no longer just Horizon’s reliable wing, but a hunter.

Taiga crouched low at the elbow, fists clenched, body vibrating like a coiled spring. That raw energy—barely contained—was no longer wild. It was aimed. Controlled destruction.

Not on a screen. Not in code. But in the muscle twitches, the tension in shoulders, the angle of stances. Every heartbeat etched itself into instinct, and the game unfolded like a living diagram in his mind.

He turned his eyes to his own team—Horizon.

Not to admire.

To prepare.

Kaito Nishida (PG, SG)

Age: 17

Height: 178 cm

Weight: 71 kg

Attributes:

Inside Scoring: A to A+

Shooting: A to A+

Playmaking: S

Defense: C+

Physical: D+

Mentality: A to A+

Taiga Okabe (PF, C)

Age: 15

Height: 177 cm

Weight: 72 kg

Attributes:

Inside Scoring: B to A-

Shooting: D to B-

Playmaking: D to C-

Defense: A+ to S

Physical: A+

Mentality: A

Aizawa Haruto (SF, SG)

Age: 16

Height: 178 cm

Weight: 73 kg

Attributes:

Inside Scoring: A to A+

Shooting: B+ to A

Playmaking: B

Defense: A

Physical: A+

Mentality: B to A

Rikuya Asano (C)

Age: 17

Height: 191 cm

Weight: 92 kg

Attributes:

Inside Scoring : SS

Shooting : C to B-

Playmaking : B

Defense : S+

Physical : SS+

Mentality : A to A+

There was a difference. A clear one. Improvement—not just in stats, but in presence.

Dirga’s eyes lingered on Rikuya’s data, and a flicker of awe passed through him. It amazed him every single time.

The Titan of Horizon.

A center built like a fortress.

And now, even more refined than ever.

And... they were taller. Maybe just a centimeter. Maybe less.

But for teenage boys, even that felt like a growth spurt toward destiny.

"We’re not kids anymore."

Dirga smirked.

They weren’t just promising.

They were coming into their prime.

He scanned the rest of his team one more time.

The data confirmed it. Horizon wasn’t a fluke.

This was a team built to fight giants.

And today? They were fighting the most precise, one of the most terrifying team in the regional tournament.

Dirga took a slow breath, let it fill his lungs.

The crowd’s noise melted away—nothing but the sound of rubber soles, breath, and heartbeat.

The scent of polished wood, the crisp bounce of the ball in his hands.

The heat of the lights pressing down on them like a stage spotlight.

This is it.

Not just another game.

Not just another step.

This was the game.

Dirga set his feet. Lifted his eyes.

The Wakyama players stood like statues, perfectly spaced, ready to analyze everything.

Then let’s give them something they can’t read.

Chaos. Instinct. Speed. Emotion.

"Time to win this game," he whispered—and then exploded into motion