CROSS ZERO
Chapter 14: The Turning Point
The Lead
TEAM OMEGA: 8 | TEAM GAMMA: 10
TIME REMAINING: 10:04
Yuma Haruto stood near half-court, breathing steadily, mind calculating.
We will naturally win, he thought. Just a few hiccups here and there. Nothing to be worried about.
He caught the inbound and immediately passed to Kaito Fujimura.
Kaito sent a sharp throw to Zuchi Tamuera, who caught it mid-stride and burst forward with explosive speed, blowing past Taiga like he wasn't even there.
Zuchi fired a pass toward Yuichi—
—and Kaoru intercepted.
"TEAM OMEGA!" Kaoru shouted, grinning wildly. "LET'S TAKE THE WIN NOW!"
He sent a high throw to Taiga.
Taiga caught it and drove forward, bulldozing through defenders with raw power.
Yuichi chased from behind, eyes sharp.
Mitsuki sprinted down the other lane, blue lightning crackling faintly around his legs.
Taiga threw the ball intentionally high—too high for a normal pass.
Yuichi's eyes narrowed.
Got you.
He lunged toward Mitsuki, ready to intercept—
—and a voice came from behind him.
"Your game-reading skills are bad, genius."
Yuichi's eyes widened.
Akira stepped out from behind Mitsuki, having used Mitsuki's run as bait.
He caught the high pass mid-air, planted his feet at the three-point arc, and fired.
The ball sailed through the air.
SWISH.
TEAM OMEGA: 11 | TEAM GAMMA: 10
TIME REMAINING: 7:32
Akira landed, breathing hard, eyes blazing.
We're in the lead.
Yuma's Shock
Yuma stood frozen, staring at the scoreboard.
Are I and Yuichi actually… losing?
No.
No way.
Yuichi glanced at Yuma, noticing the worry in his expression.
"Huh," Yuichi muttered. "You're worried."
Yuma didn't answer.
Yuichi's eyes sharpened.
And something shifted.
Yuichi's Interest
Yuichi drove forward—without the ball.
His aura began to manifest around him—a faint, silvery glow that coiled and twisted like a snake.
He muttered quietly, almost to himself:
"You managed to sting us, Team Omega."
Akira watched, eyes wide.
Stop him!
"On it!" Kaoru shouted, cutting off Yuichi's path.
But Zuchi sprinted forward from the side, crashing into Kaoru and putting him off-balance.
Yuichi slipped past Kaoru.
Then past Taiga.
His movements were fluid, effortless, like water flowing through cracks.
Yuma's eyes lit up.
Yuichi… you're trying.
He sent a through ball—a perfect, laser-guided pass that sailed close to the edge of the rim.
Yuichi leapt.
His left arm grasped the rim.
His right hand's pinky finger extended, catching the ball mid-air and controlling its spin with terrifying precision.
"This new-found interest of mine," Yuichi muttered, "won't disappear until I experiment with it."
His silver snake aura wrapped around his arm, coiling tightly.
He twisted his body mid-air and snapped the ball through the hoop with one hand.
TEAM OMEGA: 11 | TEAM GAMMA: 12
TIME REMAINING: 5:18
Yuichi landed softly, expression still calm.
"Feed this interest, Team Omega," he said.
Akira clenched his fists.
Damn it. He turned up for this.
Flashback: Yuma and Yuichi
Two years ago.
An outdoor basketball court, late afternoon sun casting long shadows.
Yuma Haruto was playing casually with Zuchi, laughing, running drills.
Yuma went for a shot—overthrew it.
The ball sailed high, heading straight for a girl sitting in the stands.
She didn't notice.
And then—
Someone leapt.
A white-haired boy with half-lidded eyes, holding a handheld video game in one hand.
He caught the ball mid-air with his pinky finger, trapping it effortlessly, then tossed it back to Yuma without looking up from his game.
The girl blinked, startled.
"Thank you!" she called out.
The boy—Yuichi Haku—didn't respond. He just walked away, still playing his game.
Yuma stared after him, eyes wide.
Then he ran over.
"Yuichi Haku!" Yuma called out.
Yuichi stopped, not looking up. "What do you want?"
Yuma grinned. "I'm Yuma Haruto. Son of the investor Haruto. I want you to play basketball with me."
Yuichi sighed. "It's a hassle. I don't have that dream."
Yuma stepped closer. "You have a talent. That trapping. What else do you want to do if not that?"
Yuichi finally looked up, expression flat.
"I wanna live a boring life," he said. "Die in a boring way. One that isn't a hassle."
Yuma's smile didn't waver.
"That's no fun," he said. "Join me, Yuichi. Let's play together. I'll ensure you enjoy the fun. And we'll win the Basketball World Cup together."
Yuichi tilted his head.
"Why do you want to do that?" he asked. "You have everything. You're the best in class. You're rich. Good at music. Popular. Girls consider you handsome."
He paused.
"But truly, I don't. You have everything."
Yuma's expression shifted—just for a moment.
"That's staged," he said quietly. "That feeling… it's the one thing money and my skills can't buy."
He clenched his fist.
"I want it. I want that stage. I want that trophy. I want to prove to the world that without a silver spoon in my mouth, I'll change the game in such a way the world can't conceive."
He looked Yuichi in the eyes.
"Follow me, Yuichi."
Yuichi stared at him for a long moment.
"Would it be a hassle?" he asked.
Yuma smiled. "No."
Yuichi shrugged.
"Guess I'll follow."
Present
Yuma clapped Yuichi on the back, grinning.
"That was insane, Yuichi!"
Yuichi nodded. "Let's win this, Yuma."
Zuchi jogged over, grinning. "Just five minutes left!"
Suno's Watching
In the shadows, hidden behind chairs near the edge of the court, Suno Kisibe sat alone, staring at the game.
His fists clenched.
It seems Team Omega will lose this without a fighting chance.
He smiled bitterly.
That's… that's great.
They insulted me. They should just give up on this.
But then—
He saw their faces.
Akira, breathing hard, eyes blazing with determination.
Mitsuki, grinning faintly, ready to run again.
Kaoru, laughing, bouncing on his toes, beast flickering behind him.
Taiga, clenching his fists, jaw tight.
Idiots, Suno thought.
They should give up.
But they weren't giving up.
And something inside Suno twisted.
END OF CHAPTER 14