44 – 44.
Tie game.
Sweat dripping like rain.
Breathing turning into growls.
And on the court—
Kaito start to breath heavily hand gripping his chest.
His shoulders rose and fell in shallow bursts.
The General had run through his own limits.
Coach Tsugawa glanced at him.
Didn't hesitate.
"Dirga, you ready?" the coach called, voice sharp over the roar.
Dirga stood.
Fist clenched.
Eyes locked on the court.
"Yeah... I'm ready, Coach."
He rolled his shoulders once.
His body still sore.
His breath still heavy from the earlier burst.
But something inside burned brighter than fatigue—
Conviction.
Coach turned again.
"Hiroki, you too. Sub for Rei. We need to cool the tempo. Slow it down."
"Yes, Coach." Hiroki nodded, already peeling off his warmup.
The sub horn blared.
The crowd stirred—again.
A wave of noise rolled across the court.
A name surged with it.
Dirga.
The storm was returning.
But this time, not as a bolt of chaos—
As calculated lightning.
