At this moment, Levic saw it clearly. Jabberwock players were already turning back toward their own half court without hesitation. No celebration, no doubt, only certainty. It went in.
Levic frowned and turned toward the basket, looking at his teammates under the rim. Confusion filled his eyes.
Jack, the "Giant," stood there with a deeply serious expression. He exhaled slowly. "We underestimated Jabberwock. It's not just Nash and Jason Silver, there's also Haizaki Shogo. And honestly, he's even more troublesome than Nash."
Levic's eyes widened. "What happened just now? How did that ball go in?" "I didn't see it either," Jack admitted. "You blocked my view."
Before the confusion could settle, Velia, still guarding Nash on the perimeter, finally spoke. "The ball was switched between his legs. The No. 6 didn't catch it. It hit the floor with spin, bounced up, and rotated into the basket."
A silence followed. Then, "Hiss." "Hiss." "What?" "That's impossible." Shock spread across the court like a cold wave. The fear that Haizaki Shogo had been building returned again.
But the crowd didn't care. The arena erupted in cheers and applause, drowning everything else. "Haizaki!" "Haizaki!" "Haizaki!"
On the Jabberwock bench, Nick, the substitute who had once faced Shogo in practice, watched it clearly this time. His expression froze, then it turned into admiration. So that's what it really looks like up close. He understood Levic's shock perfectly now. And instead of sympathy, he felt something worse. Excitement.
Jason Silver suddenly grinned. "When we win this, I'm finding you the most beautiful, hottest, most skilled girl in the world. That's my respect for you, Shogo!" That was his way of respect. Simple, direct, American basketball logic.
Nash and the others approached for a quick high-five. "Your touch on the ball is insane, Shogo." Shogo smirked. "Same to you. Every pass from you feels like I'm catching a beautiful woman mid-air." "Haha! I like that answer."
But the game didn't pause. Serbian Eagles attacked immediately. Velia brought the ball up again, golden eyes glowing, his dribble rhythm fluctuating fast, slow, unpredictable.
Then Levic suddenly pulled far outside the three-point line, farther than normal spacing. Shogo narrowed his eyes. What is he planning? He didn't follow immediately. No need, that position was too deep for a normal shot.
Then it happened. Velia passed the ball to Levic near midcourt. Shogo reacted instantly, but Levic wasn't shooting. He was running, exploding forward with full momentum.
One step, two steps, three. He cut straight into the paint. Then he leapt, directly at Allen. No hesitation, no fear, just violence in motion.
BOOM! A brutal, crushing dunk, a full-body "posterization" finish. Allen was completely overwhelmed under the rim. The basket screamed under the force. The entire arena shook.
Levic landed slowly, his eyes now glowing emerald, crackling with energy. A transformation had begun. Zone. Pure, overwhelming focus.
He walked past Shogo and spoke coldly. "You've been finished."
Silence. Even Jabberwock froze for a moment. Allen stood there shaking, drenched in sweat, his body refusing to move. That dunk had erased something inside him.
The referee blew the whistle. Timeout.
Back on the bench, Nash's expression darkened. "Nick, replace Allen. You go shooting guard." "Got it." Nick stood immediately, ready.
Nash turned to Shogo. "Can you handle him?" Shogo's eyes narrowed. "Don't worry." Even Zone or whatever he's in. "I'll break him."
Nash exhaled. "Good. Then I'm joining the offense too. We can't drag this anymore." His voice lowered. "They're getting stronger every possession."
Shogo glanced at the scoreboard. Jabberwock was only up by 2. That wasn't a lead. That was nothing.
He stepped back onto the court. His aura changed, slowly rising, calm but sharp, like something sharpening itself inside the silence. Nash noticed it. Jason Silver noticed it. Even the opponents felt it.
Nash dribbled up court. Velia met him again. Nash didn't hesitate, he exploded forward. No setup, no hesitation, just pure acceleration.
BOOM! He slipped through the defense and slammed the ball home. Clean, fast, relentless.
He landed and immediately turned back, eyes burning. We end this now.
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