I Died on the Court, Now I'm Back to Rule It-Chapter 140: Horizon VS North Wolves : Break the Shepherd 2

Layup. Glass. In.

14 – 11.

Dirga’s jaw tightened.

So that’s the power of a maximum playmaking attribute.

It wasn’t just the numbers.

It was the illusion of options.

Every movement baited defenders into the wrong choice.

Every step... rewrote the script.

...

A sharp whistle pierced the air.

Horizon’s bench.

Coach Tsugawa signaled.

Kaito in. Rei out.

Fresh legs. Fresh eyes.

Dirga moved fast, pulling Taiga aside before the inbound.

Voice low. Focus razor-sharp.

"I’ve got a plan for the Shepherd."

Taiga raised an eyebrow.

"We’re going to burn him out."

Dirga’s Plan: Exhaust the Playmaker.

Gaito’s skill set was maxed into one area—Playmaking.

But that came at a cost.

His stamina. His defense. His physicals. All average.

So they’d turn the tempo into a storm.

They’d force him to run, chase, defend—everything he wasn’t built for.

Make the game fast.

Make it relentless.

And then watch him crack.

Inbound: Horizon ball.

Dirga caught it—and sprinted immediately.

The crowd surged as he blitzed the court like a shot from a cannon.

Haru trailed, struggling to keep up.

At the arc, Taiga came for the screen—but Dirga faked using it.

Instead, he passed.

Kaito. Wing. Isolated.

And waiting for him?

Gaito.

It was a mismatch in every direction.

Kaito—disciplined, fluid, surgical with his dribble.

Gaito—crafty on offense, but barely C-tier in on-ball defense.

Dirga’s thought flashed like lightning:

This isn’t Rei. You’re dancing now, Gaito.

Kaito took his time.

Shoulders twitching. Hips feinting.

Gaito bit once.

Then twice.

Kaito didn’t attack—he tortured.

And when the Shepherd gasped for air—Kaito struck.

A single crossover burned him.

Tomoya rotated fast.

But Kaito slipped a bounce pass to Rikuya.

Paint.

Clash of Titans.

Rikuya vs Riku.

Weight. Muscle. Power.

A sumo bout in sneakers.

Rikuya backed in, turned, and faded—

Clink!

Ball hit the back iron—bounced high.

Minato and Aizawa—up in the air!

Two shadows colliding above the rim.

Minato touched it first.

But couldn’t control.

Aizawa swiped—tipped it—

Still wild.

Minato landed with better position.

Snatched it.

Cleared.

Passed.

To Gaito.

Dirga saw it coming.

Full-court sprint.

Gaito vs Dirga.

One-on-one.

The Shepherd galloped like a wild wolf, hair trailing, breath burning.

Dirga ran too—shoulder to shoulder.

Gaito gathered—pump-faked the layup.

Dirga bit.

Jumped.

Too soon.

But—

On his way down...

Dirga reached out—

Fingers grazed the ball—

Tip. Out of bounds.

Crowd gasped.

Gaito landed and bent forward, hands on knees, chest heaving.

Dirga saw it.

That shake in his breathing.

That wobble in his step.

Yeah. That’s right.

You’re getting tired.

Inbound—North Wolves.

Haru to Gaito.

The Shepherd took it slower this time.

Dirga pressed instantly.

Chest to chest. Breath to breath.

No breaks. No space. No rest.

Gaito tried to walk it up, but Dirga stuck to him like static.

Haru came to screen.

Dirga evaded—but Taiga rotated perfectly, continuing the pressure.

Double defenders.

Gaito gritted his teeth.

Bumped Taiga.

Spun off Dirga.

Still—he couldn’t escape.

Nowhere was safe.

But even under fire—he lifted the ball high—

Over his head—

Dirga blinked.

Wait... that pass...?!

The ball flew like a guided missile.

A perfect lob.

The Wolves’ center, Riku, was already mid-leap.

CATCH.

SLAM.

14 – 13.

Crowd exploded.

Dirga stumbled back in shock.

What the hell? Did he... predict that? Or just—feel it?

That pass wasn’t random.

It was instinct. Precision. Madness.

A shepherd’s command without a word—no look, no signal, no doubt.

But still, as Gaito landed, Dirga narrowed his eyes.

He saw it.

The tremble in Gaito’s stance.

The way his hands rested on his knees.

His breath, dragging heavier than before.

Even as the Wolves closed the gap—

The cracks had started showing.

From the bench, Kaito caught Dirga’s eye.

A silent nod.

The reply came instantly—

An inbound pass.

Kaito hurled it straight to Dirga.

Fast.

Dirga caught it in stride.

Chaos unfolded as he blasted down the court like a bullet.

The Wolves scrambled to recover.

Gaito tried to chase—

But his steps were heavy.

Haru lagged behind.

Riku and Minato were already collapsing into the paint like a wall.

But Dirga never stopped.

He pressed forward—

And when Riku planted himself at the rim...

Behind-the-back pass.

A no-look whip, smooth as silk.

Rikuya caught it in full stride—

BANG!

Dunk.

16 – 13. freewёbnoνel-com

A statement.

Dirga wasn’t just matching Gaito anymore.

He was mirroring him.

Matching fire with fire.

But this time...

The wolves fumbled.

They rushed the next inbound to Gaito.

Sloppy. Nervous.

And they didn’t see it—

Their Shepherd was breaking down.

Gaito caught the ball mid-stumble, unsure.

Dirga struck.

A second later—Aizawa was there too.

Double team.

Trap set.

Gaito hesitated.

Too late.

STRIP. STEAL.

The ball was gone.

Dirga snatched it.

A lightning-quick one-two with Aizawa.

Layup.

18 – 13.

The crowd exploded.

Timeout—Sapporo North Wolves.

The Wolves’ bench scrambled.

Coach didn’t hesitate.

Gaito sat.

Bent over. Chest heaving.

A new player stepped in.

[Echo Scan: Active]

Ren Shigure (PG)

Age: 15Height: 180 cmWeight: 75 kgAttributes:Inside Scoring: CShooting: APlaymaking: ADefense: CPhysical: AMentality: B

A first-year...? At Nationals?

Dirga’s eyes sharpened.

Solid, but raw. Let’s end this quarter loud.

He took a breath.

And activated—

[Maestro’s Pulse: Maestro State]

(Duration: 60 seconds)

The court shimmered around him.

Like every movement clicked into a perfect rhythm.

Inbound to Ren.

The rookie tried to bring it up.

Too slow.

[Black Mirage: Counterveil] – Activated

Dirga vanished from his front.

Stole the ball in a blink.

Ren froze—confused, off-balance.

Dirga didn’t hesitate.

Fast break.

Easy layup.

20 – 13.

System Notification:

Counterveil Stock Depleted (0/1)

Steal once more to restore 1 stock.

From there—

The quarter spiraled.

Dirga took over.

The Wolves tried to slow the pace—but Horizon?

They were in motion.

Dirga found Kaito for a catch-and-shoot three.

Bang.

Minato answered with a drive of his own.

Spin. Fade. Net.

Taiga answered back with a two-foot eurostep off a bounce pass.

Minato again—

Post-up. Turn. Score.

The Wolves didn’t fold.

But they were reacting now.

Not dictating.

Because Horizon wasn’t running plays—

They were running a symphony.

Led by the Maestro.

And when the horn blew to end the second quarter—

Score: Toyonaka Horizon High 28 – Sapporo North Wolves 22.

Six points.

A storm still brewing.

But momentum?

Belonged to Toyonaka Horizon.

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