Ace of the Bench

Seiryō 144 – Shikoku 147.

0:50 remaining.

The roar of the crowd was deafening, a living, breathing entity pressing down on every inch of the court. Foam fingers waved, banners shook violently, and students slammed the bleachers in a frenzy but for the players, it was all noise. All distraction. On the hardwood, there was only the heat, the tension, the pounding of their hearts like war drums echoing through their bones.

Yuuto wiped the sweat streaking his forehead, grit in his teeth. He took a breath and locked eyes with his teammates.

Marcus, chest heaving, gasped for air but stood unwavering, a pillar of unyielding force. Shunjin's fists clenched, knuckles white, ready for the next cut. Daichi was low, every muscle coiled like a spring, sweat dripping from his chin and splashing onto the polished floor, leaving dark, glistening marks. Shunjin crouched near the arc, eyes wide, scanning the court for the slightest opening, every nerve screaming with anticipation.

Across the court, Renji stood alone, calm, poised, yet exuding an intensity that made the air itself vibrate. The King of the Court.

His grin wasn't cruel, not mocking it was pure exhilaration. His emerald-green eyes glowed with a predatory thrill, alight with the joy of battle. Every muscle in his body hummed with controlled chaos, and his aura rippled outward like storm winds, palpable even to the referees, who instinctively gripped their whistles tighter.

The ball was inbounded. Naturally it went straight to him.

"Let's finish this," Renji muttered, voice low but carrying across the gym.

He took one dribble. The sound snapped like a whip against the polished hardwood. The thump of leather against floor echoed through the ears of everyone, every bounce a declaration of intent.

Daichi squared himself, legs tensed, ready to absorb the force but Renji exploded past him in a blur. There was no wasted motion. No hesitation. Just speed, precision, and power. Marcus rotated instinctively, chest-to-chest, muscles straining as he tried to block the inevitable.

Renji rose.

"Executioner's Wrath!" he roared.

Time slowed. His body twisted midair, shoulder cocked, one arm dragging the ball behind him like a loaded hammer. Marcus jumped with everything he had, fingertips brushing the leather, but the sheer speed and angle made it impossible to stop.

BOOM!

The dunk tore through the defense, rattling the rim violently. The gym shuddered. Every spectator jumped in unison, some screaming, some frozen with awe. Marcus landed, shoulders sagging, chest heaving, but his eyes burned with unbroken fury.

144–147

Yuuto was already sprinting downcourt, legs pumping like pistons, arms outstretched. "Ball!" he shouted, voice cracking from the exertion.

Daichi lofted it forward with a precise, arching pass. The ball spun in the air, glinting under the harsh gym lights. Yuuto caught it mid-stride, feeling the weight of the game in his hands, the vibrations of the court beneath his sneakers. He attacked in transition, weaving through defenders like a blade cutting through water, dodging arms, shoving off shoulders, slicing the gap with precise footwork.

He drove hard to the lane, chest low, body angled perfectly to draw attention. The defense collapsed a wall of arms and legs but Yuuto didn't hesitate. He kicked the ball out. Shunjin caught it in stride, eyes widening, body spinning mid-air in a sharp, instinctive motion. The shot was clean, fluid a corner three but the rim betrayed them.

Clang. Off the rim.

A collective groan rose from the crowd. Foam fingers froze mid-air. The sound of sneakers squeaking against polished wood filled the pause. But before anyone could exhale, the air above the chaos rippled.

Renji was there.

He soared higher than anyone had a right to, body twisting, aura flaring like molten emerald fire. Fingers closed around the ball as if it had always belonged to him. No hesitation. No look. Just pure dominance. He snatched the rebound effortlessly, rising above the forest of Seiryō arms like a hawk descending on prey.

Without even glancing up, he passed to a teammate in motion. His grin widened, a predator savoring the hunt.

"I see what you're trying to do," Renji's voice boomed across the gym, cutting through the chaos like a cannon. "Screens to free Shunjin. Quick corner shot. Risky. Desperate."

The ball zipped back to him, spinning through the air as though guided by some invisible hand. Renji jogged across half-court, eyes locking on Yuuto like a sniper lining up a shot. Calm. Controlled. The storm at his back hummed with barely contained energy.

"Pass it here," he said to his teammate, voice low but carrying a weight that made everyone pause. "Let me show you how it's done."

The gym went silent for a breath, the air thick with anticipation. Every heart seemed to stop. Even the referees felt the invisible pressure pressing down, holding their whistles mid-air.

Renji moved toward the corner the exact same spot where Shunjin had just missed. Every cut, every pivot, every twist of the body was mirrored perfectly, down to the awkward lean that had betrayed Shunjin's shot.

Only difference? Renji released the ball with flawless precision.

The ball arced high, spinning in a perfect spiral. The gym lights reflected off it, making it glow as if illuminated by the tension itself. It descended in slow motion, the net fluttering as it passed through like a whisper.

Pure.

The crowd erupted. Stomps, screams, a wave of noise that threatened to tear the rafters off. Seiryō's players froze for the briefest of moments, jaws dropping, hearts sinking. The scoreboard updated:

Seiryō 144 – Shikoku 150.

Yuuto skidded to a stop, chest heaving, sweat streaming down his face. He felt every fiber of his body screaming, burning, demanding more.

Shunjin's fists slammed into his palms. "We can't let him do this!" he shouted, voice cracking under effort and disbelief.

The crowd detonated half in awe, half in despair.

"HE COPIED HIM!" someone screamed.

"Renji's mocking them!"

"No he's proving he can do everything!"

Renji turned, pointing at Shinji with a smirk. "Like this, right? That's what you wanted? That's how it's supposed to look."

Shinji's face flushed red. His fists shook. "Tch…"

Yuuto clenched his jaw, stepping between them. "Enough games."

But Renji only laughed, his chest heaving with excitement. "Games? No, Yuuto. This is basketball. This is where legends are made."

The clock ticked down. 0:40 left.

Yuuto dribbled hard, eyes scanning. He called Marcus up for a screen. The crowd's chanting became a storm. "Seiryō! Seiryō! Seiryō!"

Marcus set the pick, his massive frame colliding with Renji, buying Yuuto just enough space. Yuuto drove right, then cut back left, slashing to the rim. A defender rotated Yuuto dished to Marcus inside.

Marcus powered up, teeth bared, slamming the ball through contact.

146–150.

The gym shook. Marcus's roar cut through the chaos.

But Renji was already in motion. His teammate inbounded, and before Seiryō could set their defense, Renji exploded coast to coast. Yuuto stepped up, chest high

SMASH!

Renji hammered a dunk over him, his voice ripping through the air:

"Judgment Slam!"

146–152.

The crowd was wild now, a storm of cheers and gasps.

Yuuto staggered back, chest heaving, but his eyes didn't break. His grip on the ball tightened as he took the inbound.

Not done. Not yet.

"Marcus," Yuuto hissed. "We're not losing. Not like this."

Marcus's breathing was ragged, but he nodded. "Then let's burn it all here."

The clock read 0:30.

Yuuto surged forward. Renji shadowed him step for step. Their bodies collided, sparks flying in the eyes of everyone watching. The ball snapped low to Marcus inside, defenders collapsing. Renji swiped down, nearly stealing it, but Marcus spun, his body forcing space.

He rose, but Renji met him midair. The clash was brutal air itself seemed to split. The ball wavered loose Yuuto snatched it, twisting in the lane, firing a pass through Renji's outstretched arms to Shinji in the corner

Shunjin jumped, twisting midair, just like before. The pass skimmed too far off angle, too fast. Shunjin's fingertips grazed the ball, redirecting it, but the shot was off-balance, the arc skewed

Clang. Miss.

The crowd gasped. Renji and his teammate both leapt Renji secured the rebound, landing hard. He whipped it back to the wing, but didn't attack. Instead, he smirked, holding the ball against his hip.

"I get it," he said loudly, his voice booming above the storm. His gaze locked on Yuuto and Marcus. "You're trying to connect. You're trying to trust each other, to find that one perfect play. Cute."

He bounced the ball once, then spun it into his hands. "But let me show you what happens when you actually finish the job."

Renji nodded to his teammate. "Ball."

The pass came. Renji cut to the exact same corner Shunjin had been. He didn't even dribble just twisted midair, body snapping into the same awkward shape. And then he drained it.

146–155.

The gym erupted. Renji pounded his chest, screaming, "That's how it's DONE!"

The King had proven his crown.

But then

Something stirred.

Yuuto stood frozen, ball in his hands after the inbound. His chest heaved, sweat dripping, vision tunneling. And then his right eye lit up. A glowing blue-black star shimmered in his iris, burning brighter than the lights above.

Beside him, Marcus staggered, clutching his chest. His aura flared dark blue swirling into gold. In his left eye, a yellow-black star ignited, glowing like fire.

The gym fell silent.

"What what is that?" a voice whispered from the stands.

Yuuto looked at Marcus. Marcus looked back. Their eyes locked and their auras exploded.

Light-blue aura surged from Yuuto, wrapping his body like a storm. Marcus's dark blue aura flared darker, heavier, golden streaks cutting through the air. The two powers clashed, yet harmonized, like lightning splitting the sky.

Yuuto's hands shook. "We're not… losing. Not like this."

Marcus's voice thundered: "We fight until the last breath!"

Renji froze mid-step. His grin didn't falter instead, it widened.

"Oh… this just got interesting."

His aura erupted, green flames roaring outward. It surged, twisting, spiraling and then expanded.

The aura grew, stretching above him, forming into something colossal. A shadow blotted the court. The outline of a Titan, towering, massive, made of raw, burning will.

Renji's voice shook the walls.

0:28 seconds remaining.

The Titan had descended.