A new round of offense began. The score was 15-14 for Lars’s team. After the previous two-pointer, it was now the enemy’s turn to attack.

  James collected the ball uhe basket and opened with a calcuted pass. Since Lars was tightly marking Mike, the only option was to pass to Larry.

  “Got it- Agh!” Larry excimed as the ball jumped out of his hands.

  It’s not like he failed to receive the pass, he wasn’t an amateur like that. And, James’s pass was definitely not shabby either.

  No, somebody straight up smacked that ball out of Larry’s hands. It was Ben!

  “You piece of shit!” Larry roared.

  “S-Sorry.” Beed his eyes as he apologized. But, I did nothing wrong. I’m your oppo, so I’m only doing what I must.

  The ball hopped all the way back beyond the three-pointer li was heading baes.

  “Heh, nice!” James jogged toward the ining ball. Since Larry had already touched the ball beyond the li meant this offense became legal. So, all James had to do was to casually collect the ball and score.

  “Run to the ball, dumbass!” Mike barked. “She gonna take it!”

  “Wut?” James turned his head in fusion. Just then, a bck sports cap flew right past his eyes. It was that new chick that subbed in!

  Got it! Kai snatched the ball before James. While that zy bum was leisurely jogging toward the ball, Kai gave the sprint of her life to get the ball ASAP.

  “Crap!” James hurried to front the oppo. “You guys got no chill, huh. Welp, that’s no biggie.”

  Perhaps James was te to grab the ball but that wasn’t the end of the world. All he had to do was steal the ball back from the girl, thehing will be alright.

  If anything, he was thankful to that tryhard girl. She went out of her way to collect the ball for him.

  Thanks for the service. You’re doing a great job as my ckey, huehue. James snickered as he blocked the girl’s path.

  What’s with that stupid smile? Kai narrowed her eyes. That idiot was smiling to himself for some reason. He clearly didn’t register Kai as an oppo.

  Yoing tret this. Kai started dribbling. First to the left, then to the right. The ball went from side to side in random patterns.

  Naturally, the oppo paid attention to every motion with great i. He carefully followed the ball with his eyes. From left, tht, to left, tht. He didn’t want to give Kai any openings.

  But, it wasn’t just his eyes that followed the ball’s movements. Ever so slightly, his feet also moved along with the ball’s dire, to be ready to give chase the moment Kai starts driving.

  The movements were so mihey were practically invisible to the naked eye. But then, how did Kai notice them?

  I hear them. Kai perked her ears to the max.

  Squeak. Squeak. The sound of the oppo’s sneakers was loud and clear for her sensitive ears. From that, she could tell this oppo was jumpy. He was eagerly waiting for the right moment to un attack.

  This is good. Kai smiled fidently. This was the sort of movement she expected from an experienced pyer. In order to be able to follow and steal the ball at a moment’s notice, it was necessary for the guy to stay on his feet like this.

  However, against Kai, these minute movements will be that bastard’s undoing, for she could hear ead every twitch the guy made. So, by moving the ball from side to side as she pleased, she could manipute these tiny movements. She affected their dire and their timing.

  With the ball in hand, Kai was in total trol of her oppo right now. The guy was like a dang puppet to the tune of her moving ball. And so, via repetition, she made the oppo loto a certain rhythm that made him easy to read.

  That’s a tern. Kai nodded. , you gonna move my right.

  The guy was expeg Kai to move the ball to the right. Why? Because that’s the pattern she had established thus far.

  Therefore, at this exaent, she’ll break through the left side!

  “Ah!” James jumped. “No, you don’t- wha!?”

  Something was off. James tried to respond to the chick’s sudden ge of dires but there was an odd resistance. He anded his body to move to the right, yet it wao move to the left regardless.

  “What the heck is- whoa!” James felt his body falling backward. Did he just slip!? Nah, no way. He wasn’t an amateur like that.

  A, he was definitely falling backward. “Dang!” He nded on his butt. “Agh! It hurts, dang it!”

  “Heh.” Kai sneered as she firmed her oppo’s downfall. Her trick worked eveer than she expected. Looks like this guy is pretty damn weak in 1v1s. I’ll remember that.

  With nobody to stand in her way, Kai immediately went for the shot.

  “One point,” Yuel announced. It was 16-14.

  “Damn, James!” Mike ranted. “What the hell was that!?”

  “an.” Larry cracked a ugh. “You’re already out of gas? We still got lots of points to score.”

  “Haha, no problem.” James got himself off the floor with an awkward smile. “I just slipped, that’s all. It not gonna happen again, word.”

  “It better not.” Mike shot a gre at James, to make sure that idiot uood the gravity of what he had just done.

  “H-Haha, I’ll get the ball!” James hurried to start a new offense.

  For most people who saw this exge, it was easy to take James’s words at face value. “He just slipped.” That’s probably what most of them thought about that i.

  But, as always, there was oellectual here who uood this deep exge in its ey. By accessing the forbidden records sealed at the edge of the universe, this man could dis the eruth of the i.

  It was... the Rhythm Breaker! Vi announced loudly to an imaginary crowd in his head. “Nani!? Maska! What is this ougi!?” Such fbbergasted reas resounded from the audien his head.

  I ’t believe I have the opportunity to catch such a brilliant py on film! Vi’s eyes glittered as he firmed that he captured the entire exge with his pho’ll be worth applying some of my Videocraft on this ter to create the ultimate evidenbsp;

  Ihat was an amazing showcase of a new Personal Skill. It was the one and only Rhythm Breaker! A natural upgrade for her Rhythm Reader.

  First, Kai used her Rhythm Reader to read the oppo’s rhythm. She forced James to move from side to side with her fast-paced dribble, to make him reveal all his quirks.

  Then, once Kai had the etern figured out - she stru the opposite dire! While James’s body was naturally trying to move to the left, Kai’s sudden attack urged him to move to the right. At that moment, a flict was born!

  A body that was trying to move to the left versus a brain that ao go to the right. Due to that momentary csh between mind and body, James lost his band failed to go iher dire. That was the true nature of this new skill, the Rhythm Breaker!

  Such a magnifit high-level skill! Vi hyped it up to no end. If she master this teique in Cssmancers as well, she’ll bee a true force to be reed with! Taking on the regionals will no longer be a dream for this underdog team!

  While Vi was absorbed in entating the events to an imaginary audiehe game moved onward. It was the enemy’s turn to attaow.

  “ge of pns,” Mike announced. “Larry, you mark the chick. James, you’ll handle Ben.”

  “Haha, now.” James produced a dry ugh. “I know I’m no pro, but even I handle a girl, ya know.”

  “Kek, right.” Larry snickered. “We saw how you ‘handled’ her just now. That was some pro ass slipping, haha.”

  “It’s not just that,” Mike said. His sharp eyes veyed he wasn’t in the mood for jokes. “She might be a girl, but she’s not all talk. You saw how fast she went for the shht after tripping James? She’s more petent than Ben, at the very least”

  “Heh, I bet she is.” Larry nodded. “Ben is just a meatball. He ’t move his 200-kilo ass that fast, haha.” The trio cracked a ugh.

  “ge marks as soon as you get the ce,” Mike ordered.

  “Got it!” James collected the ball uhe basket to start an attack. “Oh? You ing at me again?”

  The one who stepped in to intercept his pass was her than the girl who embarrassed him a moment ago.

  “Heh, get lost.”

  “How about ‘no’?” Kai stretched her arms to the sides. Perhaps she wasn’t allowed to attack the pyer initiating the attack, but she was allowed to block his passes.

  I o at least touch the ball. Kai thought.

  ht stopping the pass will be difficult. But, if she at least knocks the ball off course a little, the ball might bee loose and end up in anybody’s hands. That’s what Kai was aiming for.

  To pull that off, Kai had to carefully follow the dribble motions and listen to every twitch her oppo made. By pieg all this information together, she should be able to read the guy’s iions.

  “Ya know,” James said. “Being stared like this by a girl is kinda embarrassing.”

  “Sounds like noob problems. A veteran pyer wouldn’t be distracted by nonsense like that.”

  “Hah. You sure talk, bitch.” James’s face torted for a moment, but he pstered his usual smirk over it. Rex, bruh. She’s just trying to get under your skin. Gotta stay focused here.

  James checked his passing options.

  As usual, Mike was a difficult target. That dang Lars guy didn’t give him any room to breathe.

  Though, Mike did the exact same thing to Lars when the enemy had the ball. They were at each other’s throats the entire game, refusing to let go of their marks for even a millised.

  So, I gotta pass to Larry. James cluded. Meatball is trying to mark him over there but he ain’t gonna stop my passes. Oher hand, this chick be a problem, so let’s do this smart.

  And so, the pn was set in motion.

  “Mike!” James raised the ball and gnced in Mike’s dire.

  To the left! Kai jumped to cover the left fnk. She didn’t have the time to fully deduce the oppo’s iions from his movements, but thankfully the guy made his pns public. He was loud and clear about it.

  I got it! Kai was certain.

  Get rekt, bitch! James turned in the opposite dire ahe ball flying to Larry!

  A feint!? Kai grit her teeth. Shit, I totally fell for that one! I uimated him.

  Based on their earlier 1v1 exge, James seemed like a po. But, this smooth feint implied otherwise. His 1v1 skills were wack but his passes were a whole different level.

  That’s probably why the enemy leader ordered his teammates to switch marks. This James scrub wasn’t going to beat Kai in 1v1 but his passes were a valuable asset, so the enemy wao keep him safe.

  Instead, Kai will have to face the guy who robably) stronger in 1v1s. Or, maybe he was just less valuable in general for their team, who knew. Either way, Kai couldn’t sit in pce while the ball was getting farther and farther away from her.

  Looks like we’ll get to face each other faster than I expected. Kai darted after the fleeing ball. I won’t let you shoot

  The pass ly nded in Larry’s hands. However, just as he was about to shoot, a hand stretched in front of him!

  “Ben, you piece of shit!” Larry dribbled to the side to avoid the fat blockade. You bloe shit, I’ll give you that. But, your fat ass ain’t gonna keep up with my speed!

  Larry easily maneuvered around the slow defender and assumed shooting position once again. But, just as she raised the ball, another oppo appeared! This time, it was that chick who wore a cap indoors!

  Dang, this girl be fast. Larry clicked his tongue. James did a feint on her but she’s already here. I don’t like where this is going.

  There were also these weird pys this girl pulled off. Like, the way she tripped James on his ass, and the way she delivered a pass right under Mike’s nose. No to mention, her smooth movements had this “aura” about them.

  I get now what Mike was saying wheold us to s marks. She might be a chick, but I ’t be too careless against her. She might actually snatch the ball if I don’t proceed carefully. So...

  Larry jumped for a shot.

  “No, you don’t!” Kai jumped to block it. Thanks to the momentum from her sprint, her leap had an explosive burst to it. She reached high enough to block the ball!

  Yep. Larry o himself. Had a feeling it’d be dangerous to shht away. Good thing I was born smart, kek.

  The jump was a feint. Instead of shooting, Larry sent the ball flying sideways from his jumping position. “James, back to you!”

  “Shit!” Kai cursed. Another feint!? These bastards sure know how to py. Damn!

  “Got it.” James collected the ball and delivered it into the basket.

  “One point,” Yuel annouhe score was 16-15. It was too close to fort but Lars’s team still had the lead.

  Ben, quick! Get the ball to me! Kai motioo Ben as she ran to the outskirts of the three-pointer line.

  Okay! Ben nodded in response and hurried to collect the ball uhe basket. Then, he passed the ball without dey.

  “Whoa!” Larry jumped. Already starting!? Shit, where’s the girl!? He looked around in panic. The girl was a few meters away from him and she already had the ball!

  You’re slow. Kai drove the ball forward to increase her ces of sg. Then, she stopped in pd jumped.

  “Damn you!” Larry stretched his long arm but he was too far...

  “One point,” Yuel announced. 17-15. They regaiheir safe lead again.

  “Shit.” Larry clicked his tohat’s some dirty trick you pulled there, girl.”

  “Dirty? That’s how you py basketball. If you’re too slow to keep up - you’ll be left behind.”

  “Heh, ’t argue with that.”

  Kai had some experience pying 3v3 basketball, so she khe importance of speed for this game mode. Both teams were fog the half-court, so there was nonstop a. As such, initiating fast attacks after losing a point was an integral part of gaining momentum.

  These bastards sure py but they’re rough around the ers. Kai cluded.

  Truth to be told, the idea of going up against members of the basketball club sounded a little intimidating at first. There was no telling how Kai’s skill will hold up against these boys who practiced the spurly. But...

  I do this. Kai was vinced after this py. With her and Lars carrying the team, as well as Ben supp from the side, they had a very real ce of victory!

  Today, I’ll pay you back. Kai gred at Mike.

  For how long has she been waiting for this moment? Ever sihat bastard tackled her a long time ago, the vengeanside her has beeing up. By now, it has already passed its boiling point by a long shot. She’ll never fet that moment for the rest of her life.

  Kai was the captain of the Cssmancers club. It was her responsibility to take care of the other members, but she failed to do anything for Ben for all this time.

  However, that’ll end today. By winning this game, Kai will finally fulfill her duty!

  I have Yuel and Lars to thank for this opportunity. She smiled wryly. I’ve been thinking long and hard about how to front these bastards, but the two mad ds just went ahead and challenged basketball pyers to a basketball match. Isn’t that just the epitome of madness? Heh.

  Yes, it was crazy. Everything about this situation was insane. But, here they were, representing a MOBA club by duking it out in basketball. And, they’re going to win!

  DarkestCymore