The ball hit the floor with a dull thump.
Gasps rippled through the arena.
For a moment, no one moved.
Shunjin stared upward, mouth half open, his fingertips still tingling from where the ball had been snatched out of mid-air.
Itsuki Sera landed lightly, barely a sound from his white Curry 11s. His eyes half-lidded, glowing faintly gold tracked the ball as it bounced once, twice, before he caught it effortlessly.
The faint shimmer of a tower tall, golden-yellow and etched in shifting patterns hovered behind him like an illusion. Its outline flickered, reaching high above the court before fading into mist.
It wasn't just speed.
It was reading.
Itsuki had seen the entire play seconds before it happened.
"No one passes… my perfect defense."
Marcus's jaw clenched.
"Wait… how the hell"
Yuuto's voice broke through the tension.
"Bro… wasn't he on the other side just now!?"
Daichi frowned. "He's the point guard! What's he doing blocking like a center?"
