CROSS ZERO
Chapter 5: Despair Rising
TEAM OMEGA: 0 | TEAM ALPHA: 2
TIME REMAINING: 20:00
The scoreboard glowed above the court, cold and unforgiving.
Akira wiped the sweat from his forehead, breathing hard.
It's just one basket.
We can come back.
"Oi, Team Omega!" Akira shouted. "It's just one! Let's go!"
He grabbed the ball off the inbound and passed it to Taiga, who caught it cleanly and drove forward with raw power.
But before Taiga could make his move, Suno darted in from the left.
"Give me the ball!" Suno shouted.
Mitsuki closed in from the right. "I'm open!"
Taiga hesitated, caught between them—
—and a player from Team Alpha ripped the ball away.
Akira clenched his fists.
This shit is so annoying.
Garachi's Command
Garachi caught the stolen ball mid-stride, eyes cold and focused.
"Serve me," he said flatly.
He passed to a teammate—Yosuke Mori, a wiry player with sharp eyes—who immediately passed it back without hesitation.
Garachi didn't slow down. He drove to the three-point line, planted his feet, and fired.
The ball arced through the air.
SWISH.
TEAM OMEGA: 0 | TEAM ALPHA: 5
TIME REMAINING: 15:23
Garachi turned and walked back, expression unchanged.
Yosuke grinned. "That's our captain!"
Another teammate—Daichi Takeda, a stocky defender with a buzz cut—clapped. "Too easy!"
Akira's Analysis
Akira caught the inbound pass, mind racing.
If we can stop Garachi from driving, his entire formula will collapse. Everything relies on him.
"Easier said than done," Suno muttered, jogging past.
Akira gritted his teeth and pushed forward.
This is bad. We aren't even showing whispers of life.
He threw a quick pass to Mitsuki, who caught it and immediately started to move toward the basket—
—but then he froze.
His body locked up, like someone had hit the pause button.
"What are you doing?!" Akira shouted.
Mitsuki's eyes were wide, unfocused. He passed the ball back weakly.
And Garachi intercepted.
"Trash," Garachi said.
His skeleton aura flickered around him, and for a moment, Akira could hear it—a low, guttural laugh, like bones grinding together.
Garachi moved left.
Then right.
Then broke forward with a sudden burst of speed.
Akira lunged to stop him, overcommitting—
—and Garachi blew past him.
"You wanna stop me?" Garachi said, voice dripping with contempt. "Impudent peasant."
He pulled up from beyond the arc and fired.
SWISH.
TEAM OMEGA: 0 | TEAM ALPHA: 8
TIME REMAINING: 12:47
Yosuke pumped his fist. "You're really good, Garachi!"
Daichi laughed. "Awesome! Keep it up!"
A third teammate—Riku Hayashi, tall and lanky with long arms—nodded. "They can't touch you."
Akira stood frozen, chest heaving.
He's… he's like a machine gun.
Fires rapidly. Frequency unpredictable. Target unpredictable.
His plays in general are unpredictable.
Akira's eyes narrowed.
But… if I can't stop his attack route, I can tear apart his receiving route. Make his attacks impotent.
The Counter-Attempt
The game resumed.
Team Alpha had possession again. Garachi started making a run down the court, and Akira immediately shadowed him.
"I won't let you," Akira said, staying close.
Garachi glanced at him, eyes cold. "Damn pest. Stay down."
Yosuke threw the ball into the air, a high pass aimed directly at Garachi.
Akira grabbed Garachi's arm, trying to hold him in place.
Garachi's eyes flashed.
He shoved Akira's arm away with one hand, simultaneously grabbing Akira's jersey with the other to keep him off-balance.
Then he leapt.
"Futile," Garachi said.
He caught the ball with both hands mid-air.
Akira's mind raced.
Once you land, I'll steal it—
But Garachi didn't land.
He twisted his body mid-flight, aimed, and fired.
SWISH.
TEAM OMEGA: 0 | TEAM ALPHA: 11
TIME REMAINING: 9:18
Akira crashed to the floor, staring up at the hoop in disbelief.
Garachi landed beside him, looking down.
"Learn from this," he said coldly. "Learn that you are useless. Never face me again."
He turned and walked away.
Akira's fists clenched against the hardwood.
The uncoordinated plays from Taiga, Mitsuki, and Suno… they make our formula dead before it even launches.
It's not even about winning anymore.
We badly need a point. Just one. To prove we can coordinate.
Kaoru's Beast
Kaoru jogged over, hands on his hips, grinning despite the score.
"We're losing pretty badly," he said. "Let's do this ourselves, Aki-Aki."
Akira looked at him. "Yeah."
Kaoru's eyes flashed—a beastly orange glow, wild and untamed.
The Counterattack
The game resumed.
Akira caught the inbound and passed immediately to Kaoru.
"BANG BANG! SLAM SMASH BANG!" Kaoru shouted, dribbling with wild, chaotic movements.
He weaved through the defense—ankle-breaking one player, spinning past another, leaving a third stumbling backward.
Then he passed to Akira.
Akira caught it and drove forward.
We're getting it. A formula. A formula to—
Suddenly, Garachi was in front of him.
Akira's heart stopped.
Huh? You weren't in my analysis.
Garachi tilted his head. "What are you gonna do, player?"
Akira's mind froze. His body locked up.
Even if I pass him, there's another defender right behind to steal.
"Pass!" Suno shouted from the left.
"To me!" Taiga called from the right.
Akira's vision tunneled.
I have to do something.
His mind went into overdrive.
Garachi shifts his body. Changes his center of gravity. Makes unpredictable dribbles.
I'll try it.
Akira drove forward and cut left, creating space.
Garachi moved to follow—
—and Akira saw it.
The opening.
I don't know why, but I resonate with you. Go, superstar.
He threw a sharp pass to Taiga.
Taiga caught it, two defenders closing in on him.
"Thanks, Akira!" Taiga shouted.
He didn't hesitate. He leapt from far outside the paint, gripping the ball with both hands.
A defender lunged to block—
—but Taiga's throw was too powerful.
The ball spun violently through the air, overpowering the block attempt.
SWISH.
TEAM OMEGA: 3 | TEAM ALPHA: 11
TIME REMAINING: 0:32
The crowd—what little there was—gasped.
Akira stood there, breathing hard, staring at the scoreboard.
At least we have something.
A formula.
BUZZER.
TIME REMAINING: 0:00
The game was over.
Aftermath
Akira collapsed to the floor, exhausted.
At least we have something. A formula.
Footsteps approached.
Akira looked up.
Garachi stood over him, eyes dark and empty.
"You," Garachi said slowly. "Akira Tenma, is it?"
Akira didn't respond.
"You were pathetic," Garachi continued. "A basketball player who freezes up like that is a wimp. Give up."
He turned and walked away.
Akira sat there, staring at the floor.
A hand appeared in front of him.
Taiga.
"Thanks, Akira," Taiga said, pulling him to his feet.
Before Akira could respond, Suno grabbed his collar.
"Piece of shit!" Suno snarled. "I was open!"
Akira's throat tightened. "Sorry."
Suno shoved him away and stormed off.
Mitsuki walked over, expression calm. "You did well, Akira."
Kaoru leapt onto Taiga's back, grinning. "SUPER SHOT, SUPERSTAR!"
"Get off me," Taiga muttered.
Akira stood there, watching his team fall apart.
Maybe I'm not fit to be a basketball player.
Maybe it'll be over for me soon.
But then he thought about that last play. The pass. Taiga's shot.
But at least…
I'm having some fun in this.
END OF CHAPTER 5
Next: Chapter 6 — One Life Remains