I Died on the Court, Now I'm Back to Rule It-Chapter 138: Horizon VS North Wolves : Before the Wolves Howl 2
Chapter 138: Horizon VS North Wolves : Before the Wolves Howl 2
"Keep trying, little bro."
Aizawa’s fists clenched.
His jaw flexed.
But he didn’t say a word.
Dirga glanced at Aizawa—eyes alert.
He could feel it.
The fire was starting.
And Horizon?
Just getting warmed up.
...
Inbound to Dirga.
Backcourt.
Haru stepped up again—tight stance, arms out, that same focused look. But Dirga saw the gap in his footwork.
This kid still doesn’t get it.
They’re underestimating me.
Fine.
He’d make them regret it.
Dirga brought the ball up, slow at first. Then—
A hand signal. A jab.
Rikuya stepped in for the screen.
A clean angle, set left. Haru readied himself to fight through it.
Except—Dirga rejected it.
BOOM.
Explosive first step.
A blur past the screen.
Dirga cut right—open.
But he didn’t go all the way in.
He paused.
Because he knew.
Riku, North Wolves’ towering center, was waiting in the paint. Lurking. Ready to leap.
So instead—Dirga lifted.
A shooting motion.
Pump fake?
No.
Pass.
At the last second, the ball left his fingertips—a laser off the hip to Aizawa, who came cutting in from the baseline like a shadow through a storm.
Catch. One step.
Minato mirrored him.
The brothers met in motion.
Aizawa didn’t stop—he spun.
Smooth. Sharp. A pirouette in chaos.
He had him.
A glimpse of daylight.
A shot—awkward angle. Mid-spin. Off-balance.
But Minato Haruto wasn’t a normal defender.
He jumped.
PAKK!
Block.
A clean swat in mid-air.
The ball went flying—ricocheting like a pinball across the floor.
Tomoya lunged for it.
Got hands on it—
But Taiga, in the chaos, slapped it loose.
Another scramble.
And then—
Dirga.
In the middle of the mayhem.
As if gravity itself bent toward him.
The ball found him.
Eyes locked. Pulse steady.
North Wolves pounced.
Like real wolves. All teeth and speed.
But Dirga didn’t flinch.
Snap pass.
Needle-thin.
To the corner.
Rei.
Caught it in stride.
Gaito was there—but half a second late.
Too late.
Rei rose.
Release—high arc—clean motion.
CLANK.
Rim.
Not in.
The ball bounced hard—high.
Aizawa was still under the rim.
He leapt.
Tipped—
But Minato was already there.
The rebound snapped into Minato’s hands—clean, two-handed, high above the pack.
He didn’t celebrate.
No hesitation. No delay.
Just a sharp pivot—and a crisp outlet pass to Gaito, who had just start running.
Simple. Efficient. Ordinary.
But what happened next... wasn’t.
Minato exploded down the right sideline.
Full sprint.
Eyes locked forward. No dribble. No slowdown.
Just pure velocity—cutting through the court like a jet slicing low over water.
And Gaito?
He saw it.
That familiar pattern.
The moment.
His fingers tightened around the ball.
Just past the midline—
He launched it.
BOOM.
A straight-line missile.
Half-court bullet.
The ball cut the air like it had a mind of its own.
Minato was already mid-air when it arrived.
Caught.
Turn.
SLAM.
RIM RATTLED.
The backboard shook.
The net flared white.
Yoyogi Gym erupted.
4 – 5.
A silence fell over Horizon’s bench.
Even Kaito and Hiroki looked stunned.
The gym was still echoing from that slam.
Back on defense, Aizawa’s teeth clenched.
His fingers twitched.
Minato passed by on his jog back.
Didn’t even glance his way.
Didn’t need to.
He whispered just loud enough.
"Two for me, little bro."
And kept walking.
Aizawa didn’t answer.
But his jaw tightened.
Something inside him had been lit.
Something that wasn’t going out easily.
...
Horizon possession.
Dirga took the ball again—same position, same setup.
Haru still guarding him.
Still trying.
But Dirga was done playing gently.
He knew what this was now.
"They’re keeping Haru on me so Gaito doesn’t get exhausted chasing,"
"They want me to pass... not create."
Not this time.
Dirga bounced once.
Then twice.
Crossover.
Hesitation.
Then—
Snap.
Dirga’s foot sliced across the hardwood.
Haru’s ankles gave.
Just a half-stumble.
But it was enough.
Dirga stepped into a mid-range jumper.
Release. Flick. Pure.
Swish.
6 – 5.
...
saes possession.
Always Gaito.
Always the shepherd with the ball.
And this time, he really showed why he was called that.
He didn’t just pass—he threaded the court like a composer.
Cross-court bounce pass behind his back.
Quick touch to Minato.
Then a no-look laser to Haru on the cut.
Floater. Clean.
6 – 7.
Dirga narrowed his eyes.
His playmaking is insane... he sees the whole court two steps ahead.
...
Horizon came right back.
Dirga walked it up, then dribbled hard left.
Haru tried to angle him off—this time, Tomoya stepped up to help.
Perfect. Exactly what Dirga wanted.
He kicked it quickly to Taiga—wide open on the right elbow.
One bounce. EURO STEP.
Clean move into the lane.
Layup. 8 – 7.
...
The clock ticked down.
Last minute of the quarter.
Dirga’s system pulsed.
[Echo: Activating Tempo Sight – Godframe]
Suddenly—
His vision changed.
The world around him flattened into layers of color and motion.
Teammates glowed blue. Opponents burned red.
He saw every route.
Every movement.
Like watching a game unfold from a satellite camera in his brain.
Gaito crossed half-court again, unaware.
Dirga tapped his chest—a signal.
Aizawa shifted.
They pressed.
Double team.
Gaito flinched—just a breath.
But Dirga saw it.
Still, Gaito kept calm and tried to fire a pass to the sideline.
Except—
Dirga’s hand was already there.
Tap.
Loose ball.
Taiga dove.
Scramble. Skid. Grit.
Flicked it to Dirga.
Dirga looked up—
Aizawa was already sprinting ahead.
A flash of red and black cutting through the chaos.
Fast break. One-two pass.
Dirga → Aizawa → Dirga → back to Aizawa.
Like music. Like instinct.
Aizawa soared—
Body angled mid-air, defenders trailing—
And kissed it off the glass.
10 – 7.
...
But the Wolves didn’t flinch.
They didn’t even slow down.
Gaito stormed the ball back up the court.
Like he was angry the score changed at all.
Haru moved early—setting up beyond the arc in case Horizon pressed again.
Dirga saw Gaito’s hand twitch. A signal.
Double screen.
Haru and Minato stepped up in tandem.
Precision. Practice. Punishment.
Gaito slithered between them—
Dirga followed, but the screens were tight.
Clean.
Haru curved inside. Minato flared out.
And Dirga realized—
"No... that was never the plan..."
The ball snapped across the hardwood.
To Tomoya.
But it wasn’t meant for a shot.
Minato was already rotating behind him.
Tomoya handed off—
Minato curled—
Step. Catch. Rise.
Pull-up three.
His form? Perfect. Smooth. Balanced.
But—
A shadow rose in front of him.
Faster than instinct.
Aizawa.
From the weak side. From hell itself.
He rose.
"PAAAKKK!!"
BLOCKED.
Clean. Loud. Like a gunshot in a church.
The ball ricocheted up—a perfect arc born from chaos.
And Dirga’s system pulsed:
[GodFrame Active: Trajectory Analysis Engaged.]
Time slowed.
Lines of motion flickered into his vision like a tactical display.
Dirga’s feet were already moving—
He didn’t think. He didn’t decide.
He ran.
Past the top of the key.
Past the halfway line.
A blur.
Scouts up in the rafters leaned forward. Cameras zoomed.
The ball came down—
Dirga arrived at the exact point. No bobble. No fumble.
Clean recovery.
But time—
Only seconds left.
Dirga didn’t hesitate.
He planted his foot—
Launched from deep.
One foot.
Momentum carrying him off balance.
The ball cut the air—
Shwisssshhh!!
13 – 7.
And then—
BZZZZZTT!!
The buzzer blared.
End of the first quarter.
The crowd erupted.
Commentators shouted over each other.
"What a quarter from the underdog—Toyonaka Horizon showing no fear!!"
"That kid—Dirgantara Renji—is a problem!"
"And Aizawa with the block of the tournament already!"
The players returned to the benches, gasping, buzzing.
But Dirga?
He didn’t sit.
Not yet.
He turned his head—caught Minato’s eye across the court.
Minato didn’t speak.
Didn’t scowl.
He just... looked.
And slowly, one corner of his mouth curled.
A grin.
Acknowledgement.
The hunt had begun.
And Horizon—
Was leading the pack.
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