CROSS ZERO
Chapter 15: The Final Minutes
The Last Push
TEAM OMEGA: 11 | TEAM GAMMA: 12
TIME REMAINING: 5:18
Akira grabbed the ball, eyes blazing.
"TEAM OMEGA, PUSH FOR IT!"
He passed to Kaoru.
Kaoru dribbled forward, breaking past Ryoichi Nakano with a wild spin move, then sent a sharp pass to Mitsuki.
Mitsuki caught it and immediately passed to Akira.
Akira lobbed it high for Taiga—
—and Zuchi intercepted mid-air.
He landed and burst forward with explosive acceleration.
Mitsuki chased, blue lightning crackling around his legs.
He was catching up—
—and then Zuchi snapped to a stop.
Mitsuki overshot him, stumbling forward.
Zuchi grinned. "My acceleration versus your sprint long-range? Yeah, your sprint is superior. But I can snap to a stop. You need to decelerate gradually."
He sent a throw to Yuichi.
Yuichi caught it, immediately passed back to Yuma, and broke away from Akira.
Akira yelled, desperation clawing at his throat. "TEAM OMEGA, WE CAN'T GIVE UP!"
Taiga lunged, barely managing to deflect Yuma's shot.
The ball spilled.
Kaito grabbed it.
Kaoru cut him off.
Zuchi darted in from behind and stole it, sending a quick throw toward the basket.
Taiga slapped it away.
The ball fell to Yuma.
Yuma caught it and fired—
—and Akira slapped it away.
"We won't lose this one!" Akira shouted.
Suno's Conflict
In the shadows, hidden behind the chairs, Suno Kisibe watched.
Are this team for real?
They refuse to lose.
Annoying.
This is so annoying, Team Omega.
Yuma collected the ball again and sent a throw to Yuichi.
The ball sailed through the air.
Yuichi was free.
No defenders.
Open shot.
Suno's mind flashed back.
Flashback: Suno's Breaking Point
A tournament, years ago.
Suno stood on the court, breathing hard, sweat dripping down his face.
It was his team's moment to get noticed.
Their moment to shine.
But his teammates… they lacked spirit. They lacked drive.
The loss was crushing.
Soul-crushing.
Even after Suno pushed himself.
Even after he tried to motivate them.
Their words echoed in his head:
"It's just a game."
Suno stood alone on the court, staring at the scoreboard.
And his mentality was born:
Camaraderie is a lie.
Teammates are unsuitable for teamwork.
Present: Suno's Choice
Suno saw Akira and the others chasing Yuichi, who was free and about to seal the game.
They're still fighting.
Suno chuckled quietly.
Then he stood.
And he leapt onto the court.
He tackled Yuichi to the ground, preventing him from taking the shot.
"I'm a scumbag," Suno muttered, breathing hard. "But even I can't ignore that passion."
BZZZZT.
The system's robotic voice echoed through the court:
"SUNO KISIBE. AGGRESSIVE TACKLE. YOU ARE SUSPENDED FOR THIS GAME."
Suno stood up slowly, brushing himself off.
"Well," he muttered. "It was worth it."
Taiga rushed over, grabbed Suno by the collar, and punched him in the face.
Suno stumbled back, clutching his jaw.
"That's for your betrayal against us," Taiga said coldly.
Then he paused.
"But… thanks for that save."
Suno rubbed his jaw, grimacing. "Couldn't that thanks have cancelled out that punch?"
Taiga smirked. "No. I'd wanted to punch you for a while."
Suno sighed. "Fair enough."
He turned and started walking off the court.
"Don't lose, Team Omega," he called back. "I'll be watching."
The Final Play
TIME REMAINING: 2:03
Yuichi stood up slowly, dusting himself off.
"Aww," he muttered. "What a hassle."
Yuma stepped forward, eyes sharp. "We got a throw-in for that assault."
Yuichi raised an eyebrow. "Assault is such a strong word, isn't it?"
He turned to Yuma. "Now, Yuma. Use Zuchi."
Yuma didn't wait for Team Omega to be ready.
He fired a precise through ball to Zuchi, who was already sprinting toward the basket, ready to dunk.
"We'll seal it here," Yuma said.
And then—
Akira intercepted.
His binary aura flickered around him—purple and white light sparking like electricity.
"That was your plan at this moment," Akira said, breathing hard. "Explosiveness. So why don't we copy that tactic?"
He mimicked Kurasi Toru's defensive style, cutting off the passing lane with surgical precision.
He grabbed the ball and passed to Taiga.
"GO, TEAM OMEGA!"
Mitsuki, Kaoru, and Akira sprinted forward.
Yuma's eyes widened. "Don't let them through!"
Ryoichi tried to mark Mitsuki. "Roger!"
Kaito tried to hold back Kaoru.
But Akira was free.
The perfect ending for my point, Akira thought.
And then—
Yuichi appeared in front of him.
"You barely did anything throughout this game," Yuichi said calmly. "What do you think you'll do now?"
Akira's mind raced.
Yuichi reacted faster than anyone and got here.
We can't lose this ball. It's our final push. Our final point.
I can't just propel the ball forward. Once I receive it, I'll naturally decelerate to keep up.
I'd need to trap.
"HERE IT COMES!" Taiga shouted.
He sent a high throw toward Akira.
Akira watched, still running, analyzing everything:
Spin. Rotation. Force.
He stretched out his hand and absorbed the ball's momentum perfectly, controlling it mid-air.
The Prototype. Copy Yuichi.
His binary aura blazed.
But then—
Akira's eyes sharpened.
Just copying at this moment is not enough.
I need a new impulse.
He thought about everything he'd been told.
Point Guard. Passer. Facilitator.
But… that was never my full dream.
He clenched the ball tightly.
I realize the potential of my game. I realize the potential of my move.
I know it's weird, but…
"I'll be the best Shooting Guard," Akira muttered.
"I'll be living proof that logic surpasses biology."
His aura flared.
My throws' potential is reduced by using both hands.
It's unorthodox, but…
One-handed throws. I have the ability to focus on the needful.
Akira leapt past Yuichi's grasp.
And he fired—with his right hand only.
The ball sailed through the air.
Everyone watched.
Time slowed.
SWISH.
TEAM OMEGA: 14 | TEAM GAMMA: 12
BUZZER.
TIME REMAINING: 0:00
Silence.
And then—
Akira exploded.
He leapt into the air, screaming at the top of his lungs.
"I'LL THRIVE IN THIS EGO!"
Aftermath
Yuichi stood frozen, staring at Akira.
"Slowly but surely," he muttered, "Akira Tenma crawled his way through everything. He wasn't the star originally… but he became it."
Yuma walked over, hands in his pockets. "Yeah, Yuichi. We lost."
Yuichi's jaw tightened. "We can afford to lose once. At least we aren't eliminated."
He looked at Team Omega, celebrating wildly.
"Yes," he said quietly. "And I have a new impulse. A new rival. A new goal."
He turned to Yuma.
"I play now solely to surpass Akira Tenma. Nothing else."
Yuma smiled faintly. "Seems like you had fun, huh?"
Yuichi yawned. "Still a hassle."
Zuchi jogged over, grinning. "Done bickering? Let's go hit the showers. I smell vile."
END OF CHAPTER 15