CHAPTER 136: HORIZON VS NORTH WOLVES : THE HUNT

Dirga scanned the arena stands. Packed. Even as the opener, the seats were heavy with bodies. Reporters. Scouts. Students. Alumni. Fans. Even the highest rows felt like front-row seats to war.

He turned toward Aizawa. Still locked in. Staring. His gaze never left the tall figure across the court.

Minato Haruto.

Aizawa didn’t blink. Didn’t stretch. Didn’t joke. Just stared.

Dirga walked over and bumped Aizawa’s shoulder. "Breathe. You freeze up, and I’ll have to drag you into rhythm."

Aizawa didn’t look away from Minato, but he nodded once. "I’m ready. Just make sure the ball finds me."

Dirga smiled faintly. "I’ll make you sing."

The opening ceremony faded behind them like a distant hum.

Now, beneath the blinding lights of Yoyogi Gymnasium’s main court, the real battle approached.

Horizon sat quietly on the bench, the tension thick enough to taste.

Across the court, the Sapporo North Wolves mirrored them. Their dark blue uniforms glinted under the lights like frost in moonlight. Cold. Unshakable.

He turned toward Aizawa. Still locked in. Staring. His gaze never left the tall figure across the court.

Minato Haruto.

Aizawa didn’t blink. Didn’t stretch. Didn’t joke. Just stared.

Dirga walked over and bumped Aizawa’s shoulder. "Breathe. You freeze up, and I’ll have to drag you into rhythm."

Aizawa didn’t look away from Minato, but he nodded once. "I’m ready. Just make sure the ball finds me."

Dirga smiled faintly. "I’ll make you sing."

He turned his gaze toward the crowd instead.

Packed.

Shoulder to shoulder. Standing room only. Noise spilling like a rising tide. National broadcasters had their cameras fixed on the court, while scouts and analysts whispered over open tablets in the VIP rows. Even the floor trembled slightly from the roar.

Dirga exhaled slowly and began his warm-up—dribble drills, soft jumpers, controlled layups.

Sharp. Clean. Rhythmic.

But even as he moved, he glanced back at Aizawa.

Still staring at Minato.

Still frozen in his head.

Still holding onto something too heavy.

Don’t let it eat you alive, Dirga thought. Not now.

A shrill whistle cut through the arena.

Both benches stirred.

The referee motioned sharply.

Both teams stepped forward—toward center court.

Then, the arena sound system flared to life.

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Game One of the 2009 National High School Basketball Tournament!"

"Opening the stage: Kansai’s rising force—Toyonaka Horizon High—versus the icy titans of Hokkaido—Sapporo North Wolves!"

The gym exploded.

Cheers thundered down from the stands.

Camera shutters clicked like a hailstorm.

Banners rippled as chants rang from both corners of the court.

Dirga’s heart didn’t race—

It beat steady.

Sharp. Cold. Ready.

[Echo System: Opponent Scanning Initiated...]

Gaito Fujimori (PG)

Age: 17

Height: 180 cm

Weight: 76 kg

Attributes:

Inside Scoring: B+

Shooting: B

Playmaking: SSS+

Defense: C

Physical: B+

Mentality: B+

Haru Shimizu (SG)

Age: 17

Height: 185 cm

Weight: 79 kg

Attributes:

Inside Scoring: A

Shooting: A

Playmaking: B

Defense: B+

Physical: A

Mentality: A

Minato Haruto (SF)

Age: 17

Height: 186 cm

Weight: 78 kg

Attributes:

Inside Scoring: SS

Shooting: A+

Playmaking: A

Defense : A

Physical : A+

Mentality : S

Tomoya Ishikawa (PF)

Age: 17

Height: 189 cm

Weight: 83 kg

Attributes:

Inside Scoring : A

Shooting : A

Playmaking : B

Defense : A+

Physical : A+

Mentality : A

Riku Sakamoto (C)

Age: 17

Height: 193 cm

Weight: 92 kg

Attributes:

Inside Scoring: A+

Shooting: B

Playmaking: B-

Defense: A+

Physical: A+

Mentality: A

Dirga’s breath hitched.

"...They’re massive," he muttered.

Not just tall. Not just athletic. Every single player on the Wolves was a machine.

Their lowest attribute was B-, and that was on the center’s playmaking.

The most shocking?

Gaito Fujimori.

That point guard—calm and slender—held a Playmaking stat of SSS+.

Dirga blinked. That was absurd.

It was like watching a game where someone maxed one stat so hard, the rest of the build collapsed. And yet—somehow—he wasn’t collapsing. He was controlling wolves.

So that’s why they call him "The Shepherd."

And beside him?

Minato Haruto.

S-tier mentality. SS-tier inside scoring.

Aizawa’s brother stood tall like a blade forged in silence—expression unreadable, but eyes alert.

The Wolves were frighteningly complete.

Balanced. Polished. Deadly.

No wasted movements. No posturing. No noise.

Dirga grit his teeth.

He knew the truth.

Stats weren’t everything.

Not at this level.

[Skill "Black Mirage" ready.]

His defensive aura surged slightly under his skin.

He didn’t care if it was SSS+ or divine intervention—he’d shut it down.

...

"Okay, folks! On Court One, our national opener pits a new contender against an elite!"

"In red and black, Toyonaka Horizon High! First-year heavy, regional champions of Kansai!"

"And in frost silver and midnight blue... three-time national qualifiers... the precision machine from the north: Sapporo North Wolves High!"

"Alright, before we begin," one commentator chimed in from the live broadcast booth, "Who’s your bet for this match?"

"Honestly?" the other voice replied. "I want to root for the underdog this time. Horizon has something raw. Unrefined, but dangerous."

"Ooooh, you’re betting against the Wolves?"

"I’m betting on chaos."

The camera shifted back to the court.

And there they were.

Ten warriors facing off under the glow of national lights.

Dirga stood at the center, across from Gaito—Horizon’s Maestro vs. Sapporo’s Shepherd.

To his right, rei cracked his neck. Calm. Focused.

Rikuya rotated his shoulder like a silent tower waking from slumber.

Taiga bounced lightly on his toes, eyes darting.

And Aizawa?

His jaw was locked tight.

Eyes zeroed in on Minato.

He didn’t blink.

Dirga glanced at him, and in that moment, Aizawa nodded once.

He was ready.

This is it, Dirga thought.

This is where we start the fire.

No more hesitation. No more ghosts.

The referee raised the ball.

The crowd went silent.

Then—

TWHIP!

The ball soared into the air.

Rikuya and Riku leapt for it—

WHAM!

The tip went Horizon’s way!

Dirga surged forward, catching the bounce on the move.

The crowd erupted again.

Horizon had the first possession of the National Tournament.

Time to conduct the opening movement.

Time to test the Wolves’ precision... against fire.