Saturday's victory had felt like a dream—one earned through blood, sweat, and sacrifice. But now, that dream had a shadow.
The sun rose on Sunday morning. The Spring Tournament Final loomed just hours ahead.
And we were wounded.
The semifinals had pushed us beyond our limits. Our bodies ached, and our spirits—though high—were frayed at the edges. But worse than the bruises and fatigue was the news that followed the final buzzer.
Kaito—our captain, our compass—collapsed after the game.
None of us saw it coming. One moment he was grinning, high-fiving Rei, nodding calmly at Coach. The next, he was on his knees, struggling to breathe.
The gym fell silent as medics rushed in.
We stood in shock.
They said it was his heart.
Nothing life-threatening, not yet. But enough for the doctors to pull him from the court. Enough to move him straight to a hospital for tests. And enough for us to realize that, no matter how close we were to the championship… Kaito might not return.
We gathered that morning in the gym.
The mood was quiet. Focused. The smell of sweat and fresh tape lingered in the air.
Coach Tsugawa paced in front of us, his clipboard in hand.
"Let's face the truth," he said. "Kaito's out for the final. The doctor made the call."
Silence.
"He's stable, and he sends his support. But he won't be with us on the court today."
Still, no one spoke.
Rei stared down at his sneakers. Aizawa clenched his fist against his knee. Taiga swore softly under his breath. Even Rikuya, usually so composed, looked off to the side—his jaw tight.
"So," Coach continued, "we do what we always do. We adapt. We play as a team. And we win this for him."
My hands tightened into fists.
Coach looked directly at me.
"Dirga, you've been leading the court since the quarterfinals. I'm trusting you to run the show. We'll rotate more with Hiroki at the 2, maybe let Rei run secondary ball-handler. But the game's in your hands."
My heart pounded.
I nodded once.
"We'll win it, Coach."
He nodded back. "Good."
As we stood and began to stretch, I felt that familiar pulse in the back of my mind.
[Congratulations. You have advanced to the Finals of the Spring Tournament.]
[Reward Unlocked: 1 Legendary Skill, 4 Items, +2 Attribute Points.]
I blinked.
After everything we'd been through, the system was still watching. Still rewarding.
[Claim Rewards?]
→ Yes.
The interface shimmered.
[Creative Pass + Flow has evolved into: Maestro's Pulse.]
Skill Acquired: Maestro's Pulse
Type: Passive + Triggered
You are no longer just a point guard.
You are the conductor of rhythm. The heartbeat of the team.
Passive Effect:
Your presence aligns your teammates' rhythm, subtly improving spacing, reaction, and off-ball movement.
Active Skill 1 – Maestro State:
Usable once per half – 60 seconds
Boosts: Passing precision, Decision-making speed, Team synergy, Flow efficiency (+20%)
Active Skill 2 – Flow State:
Enter a state of extreme focus and physical power. Boosts physical attributes by 50–200%, scaling with game pressure.
[Items Acquired:]
Injury Reducer x1Stamina Booster x1Training Booster x2
[+2 Attribute Points applied to: Physical → Rank A - ]
Because host Physical stat increase
Inside Scoring: C+ → B
Shooting: B → B+
Defense: D+ → C+
…
Updated Stats – Dirgantara Renji
Age: 15
Height: 172 cm
Weight: 70 kg
System Level: High School
Skills:
Maestro's Pulse (Legendary)Body Control (Common)High Motor (Common)
Attributes:
Inside Scoring: B
Shooting: B+
Playmaking: A
Defense: C
Physical: A
Mentality: A
…
After the system faded, I stood in place for a while, processing everything.
Maestro's Pulse.
I could feel it humming beneath my skin—like a current. A subtle link to the rhythm of the court, like every teammate's movement and every bounce of the ball was part of a greater composition.
Maybe I couldn't replace Kaito.
But I could conduct something new.
We practiced light sets through the morning. Coach limited our reps to avoid exhaustion. Mostly, it was mental.
"Toyonaka High is no joke," he reminded us. "They've got Masaki King. Haruto Senda. Reina on the sidelines."
"They're not just strong—they're smart. Disciplined. Aggressive. If we play like we did in the third quarter against Zenith, we're toast."
"But if we play like we did in overtime—together—we have a chance."
I nodded to myself. He was right.
We'd already slain giants.
One more game.
One last war.
Just before we left the gym for lunch, Sayaka came running in, holding a folded piece of paper.
"It's from Kaito," she said.
I opened it.
His handwriting was messy, clearly rushed, but it was his voice in every line.
"To the team—
Sorry for collapsing like that.
I really wanted to stand with you guys in the final.
But I trust you.
Rei—let it fly. You know when.
Aizawa—no foul trouble this time, please.
Taiga—rebound like a madman.
Hiroki—breathe before you shoot.
Rikuya—be our wall.
And Dirga—
It's your team now. Lead them."
I folded the note and tucked it into my bag.
No tears.
Just fire.
That afternoon, we met at the gym again.
The gym was already being prepped for the finals. Banners hung from the walls. Students from both schools trickled in. The local news crew was already setting up their cameras. Toyonaka had fans in the stands already. Our supporters were coming soon.
As we stood at the tunnel, Coach Tsugawa gathered us one final time.
"This is your story now," he said. "No one believed you'd even make it out of qualifiers. Now look at you. Finals."
"You've got one more fight. So give everything. For the team. For yourselves. For Kaito."
The whistle blew for teams to warm up.
I looked at the court.
At Toyonaka.
At Masaki King, already dunking with thunder.
I could feel it.
The war was about to begin.