The second half had begun, and both teams looked ready for war.

Baby-Boom's girls tightened up their defense. Their faces were focused, no smiles, no jokes.

Rei called quick orders; Kai and Miko switched positions fast, hands up, moving sharp. Aiko crouched low, her eyes focused on Nash. Hina guarded the inside.

The rhythm was faster, harsher, they played like their lives depended on it, and it was really the case.

Nash moved smoothly at first, testing the water, passing once to Nia, then to Alicia, before getting the ball back.

The crowd leaned forward. He dribbled slow, staring straight at Aiko, who crouched low in front of him.

"You got better," Nash said, still trying to get closer to her. "Didn't think you'd hold up this long."

But Aiko, who would usually be flustered or complain, frowned.

"Shut up and play."

Nash's eyes widened, a bit surprised. That cold answer was nothing like the Aiko he'd seen before.

Since the start of the match, she was more talkative, a little proud, at worst, a bit of a tsundere.

Now she looked tight, her eyes flat, jaw tense. The change confused him for a moment. Then he focused and checked what the system had to say on her.

[Aiko: Satisfaction 45%. Tense.]

Her mood was low, her tension high. He tilted his head, studying her face, then exhaled.

"Alright," he said softly. "No more jokes."

He dribbled once. Twice. Then the ball started moving faster.

The crowd gasped as Nash shifted, sudden, like lightning cracking the air. The ball bounced so fast it became harder to see.

Razz's voice hit the speakers.

"Y—Yo! Blaze is cooking again! Look at that handle!"

Vex almost laughed.

"Holy shit! That's him! That's the prodigy we were waiting for!"

The ball bounced between his legs, behind his back, to the side, back again, every move faster than the last.

The Baby-Boom girls froze for a second, eyes wide.

"The fuck is this speed?" Kai blurted out.

Aiko's hands twitched, unsure where to go. The bounces were too quick to follow.

Nash feinted left, Aiko bit, then he crossed right, switching hands. The speed doubled. Aiko reached out, but the ball was gone, flicking behind her. Nash spun back the other way, crossing again, and then, Aiko's knees buckled.

She stumbled, then fell straight onto her butt.

The crowd exploded.

"Ankle break! Oh damn!"

Nash didn't stop. He slipped past her like water, speeding up toward the arc. Hina jumped in front of him, but he dashed around her. Kai and Miko rushed in, cutting from both sides. Rei sprinted to block his lane.

There was no way they would let this monster get closer.

Nash grinned, leaning forward.

"Eh..."

He jumped, ball high, all three girls leaping with him. They saw no point in marking anyone, this man right here, wouldn't stop until he had shattered the ring.

They reached out, but the ball had vanished.

Rei's eyes widened.

"What..."

Across the arc, Drex blinked, realizing something was in his hands. The ball. His brain caught up a second late, but his instinct took over. He turned and threw, a clean, wide shot.

The ball flew. Swish.

The crowd went wild.

"Three points for Blacklist! 43–42!"

The bench jumped up cheering. Nia slapped Nash's back, Alicia raised both hands high, laughing.

On the bench, the subs cheered. Jinzo, still pale, blinked, trying to understand what had just happened. Jaz punched the air in joy.

On the other side, Baby-Boom's girls froze. Aiko, still on the floor, breathed hard, her palms flat against the wood. Miko readjusted her glasses, whispering.

"No way... what even was that?"

Kai cursed, eyes wide. Rei clenched her jaw, Hina stood frozen, eyes darting between them.

They thought Jaz was the real threat, but now they realized that she was just saving them from Nash.

Monique's fan stopped mid-swing. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Nash jog back.

"C'était quoi ça?" she murmured.

Although it was just one action, she was experienced enough to know it wasn't a fluke, and she hadn't expected to meet someone with that level in the underground.

Razz's voice boomed again.

"The prodigy delivers! Blaze breaking ankles and hearts tonight, people!"

Vex laughed, slapping the table.

"That's the real Blaze! They can't stop him, no one can!"

The arena shook with cheers, fans chanting his name again.

"Blaze! Blaze! Blaze!"

The crowd went wild, not for the points, but for the play that came before it.

People jumped, shouted, waved shirts, phones flashing nonstop. Nash jogged casually back down the court.

His teammates followed behind him, clapping his back, still stunned by what they had just seen. Even the bench stood, cheering him on.

There he was, the monster that would give them the win.

On the other side, the Baby-Boom girls stared at his back as he passed by. Aiko swallowed hard, Kai wiped her mouth with her wrist, Miko's hands trembled on her knees.

Rei gritted her teeth, then clapped once.

"So this is it? Yeah, so what? We knew this would happen! Focus up!" she shouted.

Her voice cut through the chaos, snapping them back into place. The girls straightened, eyes sharp again. There was no time to fear, no time to even consider the threat.

They moved differently now, more precise, closing space, switching quick, reading every pass. Nash still broke through them, the crowd screaming every time he scored. But Baby-Boom adapted, learning from each play.

Rei became the voice that held them together.

"Remember, if he scores two, we score three!" she shouted.

Her words reached the girls on the bench, all having lost any hope at first, now regaining a little bit of confidence.

The match got faster and wilder.

Both teams pushed hard. Bodies bumped, sneakers screeched, and players fought for every inch of the court. Rei stole a pass from Mac, then passed to Kai inside. Kai shoved back hard against Drex, grabbed the ball, and sent it to Aiko, who drew a foul on Nia.

The free throws went in. Score: 53–48.

The game turned into a tug-of-war, Nash's raw skill against Baby-Boom's teamwork. He made flashy plays, stealing from Hina and darting past Aiko for a layup. Score: 55–48.

But Baby-Boom worked like a war machine, moving smoothly and smartly. They grabbed rebounds, set hard screens, and synced their moves perfectly. Miko drained a three-pointer over Mac. Score: 55–51.

Nash hit back with a no-look pass to Alicia for a dunk that rattled the rim. Score: 57–51.

The crowd split apart. Nash's fans screamed his name, kids copied his dribble moves in the aisles, while Baby-Boom fans booed Nash.

Nash scored another shot over Kai, but Baby-Boom ran the floor fast. Rei drew a foul and made both free throws. Score: 59–53. Nash stole again and passed to Nia for a clean layup. Score: 61–53. Miko answered with another three-pointer. Score: 61–56.

The rhythm was incredible, Nash kept dominating, but Baby-Boom didn't give up. Their teamwork shone brighter; they even started letting him score when he was in the 2-pointer area, to conserve their energy and set the reaction early.

The noise was deafening, half the arena chanting, "Blaze! Blaze!" and the other half, "Boom! Boom!"

The score stayed close: 66–59. Blacklist was barely ahead.

This match was one of a kind.

Every play felt harder, more tense. It wasn't a simple match anymore; everyone was giving their all, even the subs watched with wide eyes, as if fearing that something bad would happen if they blinked.

Meanwhile, Nash kept an eye on the progression of his quest.

Hidden Quest: Alpha Male

Progress:

Jaz – 93% (Excited)

Aiko – 62% (Determined)

Nia – 79% (Impatient)

Miko – 55% (Determined)

Hina – 42% (Determined)

Kai – 68% (Determined)

Rei – 41% (Frustrated)

Alicia – 85% (Motivated)

Dahlia – 35% (Worried)

Victoria – 51% (Annoyed)

He frowned slightly. It was more confusing. As he could see on the court, all of them were determined, all but Rei. It was confusing. Why the others and not her? Why were they suddenly so motivated? What was weighing on her?

But it only deepened his desperate situation. He dribbled once, twice, eyes scanning faces and body language, and wondered if it was even possible to please them all before the match ended.

The thought made him grin slightly. What did the system expect here from him? How to please Rei?

The game was no longer just about scoring points; if he focused too much and destroyed them, he would lose the quest, and if he let them win, the girls on his team would lose their satisfaction.

How do you please everyone in such a short time?

From the booth, Razz and Vex exploded with energy.

Razz yelled into the mic.

"They're trading blows! Everyone's on fire tonight!"

Vex laughed loudly.

"Yeah, but Blaze is carrying hard, man! Built different, but can he last the whole quarter? Or is he gonna crash like Jaz?"

The camera panned to Baby-Boom's bench. Monique was sitting calmly among the storm, her fan opening and closing occasionally. The rest of the girls looked tense and nervous, but she was perfectly composed.

Without turning her head, she spoke.

"Get me everything you can about that man," she said, fanning herself lazily. "Stats, habits, history. I want to know what makes him breathe."

The staff nodded fast. One pulled out his phone, typing quickly, while the other spoke into the small radio on his shirt.

Monique closed her fan with a quick snap, her eyes staying on Nash as he ran down the court again.

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