"What? He just put the ball in the basket, that's all! Why is everyone screaming like he summoned God or something?" Sakura said in an annoyed voice, her eyes scanning the crowd. Everyone around her was cheering wildly—for that guy.
Her gaze shifted to her friends, her face full of frustration.
"Guys, come on! We need to support my Senior! Help me out here, don't just stand like mannequins!" she pleaded, hands clenched into fists.
But most of the girls turned away or gave her awkward looks. Their eyes held sympathy, but also hesitation. The truth was obvious, even if no one dared to say it aloud.
Leo was going to lose... Everyone knew it.
And going against someone like Kai, in front of a crowd this massive, where almost every student was cheering him on?
That wasn't just foolish—it was social suicide.
Sakura gritted her teeth, her expression twisting with disbelief. "I can't believe I call you all my friends!" she snapped, her voice sharp and accusing as her eyes suddenly flared with an intense glow.
"Sakura," Luna called her name sternly. It was enough to make Sakura pause.
Sakura inhaled deeply, then exhaled in a frustrated puff, crossing her arms with a stubborn pout. "Who cares! I'll support my senior even if no one else does! Hmph!"
Meanwhile, back on the court...
Leo's expression had shifted completely. His eyes locked onto Kai's with unwavering intensity as the two approached the centre of the court for the next round.
Kai chuckled arrogantly, walking with a smug swagger. "What's wrong? Surprised? Want to run back to your corner before you embarrass yourself even more?" he taunted, his words loud enough for those near the front to hear.
But Leo didn't flinch. He didn't even blink. Instead, he walked in—closer and closer—until he was only inches away from Kai's face. For a moment, it looked like something else entirely was about to erupt… like the game might turn into a full-on fight.
The atmosphere crackled.
Students held their breath. Even the ones holding phones stopped recording.
Kai's grin widened, his fingers twitching at his side like he was ready to throw a punch. He wanted this. He lived for this kind of tension. He clenched his fist tightly, preparing to teach this nobody a lesson he wouldn't forget.
But then—
"Mage."
The word was spoken in a low whisper. Almost too soft to hear, but for Kai… it was like a thunderclap.
He stumbled back, his smirk vanishing in an instant. His eyes widened in panic.
Leo narrowed his eyes, confirming what he had suspected.
It started when he saw those strange green symbols flicker on Kai's tongue earlier. At first, Leo thought he was just paranoid. Maybe he'd been overthinking things after last night. But then, Kai had moved—too fast.
Inhumanly fast. Unnaturally precise. No normal high schooler could perform like that.
It clicked.
Kai was a mage.
'How... how the hell?' Kai thought, struggling to keep his face calm. His heart was pounding. He had been careful, he only used a small enchantment to strengthen his body. Sure, it bent the rules of Mages, but no one here would know what magic even looked like, right?
Except now... Leo had figured it out.
The same grovelling kid he used to order around like a servant—the quiet boy who carried bags and cleaned up after everyone—was now standing tall and calling him out.
'Calm down. Just beat him. If you crush him here, he'll go back to bowing like before. No one else will know,' Kai reassured himself, trying to slow his breathing and keep his composure.
But Leo could see right through him now. That smug aura Kai always wore? It was cracking.
Then it happened—
"YOU CAN DO IT, SENIOR LEO!!"
"LEO!"
"SENIOR!!"
"LEO!!!"
Voices rang out from the crowd. Leo blinked in surprise... someone was actually cheering for him.
He squinted toward the crowd, eyes scanning for the source. He couldn't see clearly—his vision was a little blurry without his glasses—but there was definitely a figure near the front, waving their hand like crazy.
Leo sighed and gave a small smile. He raised his hand casually in return. "Thank you, beauty," he said, with quiet amusement. He wasn't sure who it was exactly, but the voice was definitely feminine—and he figured that was a safe guess.
"KKKYYYYYYYYAAAAA!!!!!"
Sakura felt a thunderbolt hit her chest. Her face went red from the tips of her ears to the edge of her collar.
"H-He called me b-beauty… L-Luna? I-Is this heaven?" she stammered, her legs giving out as she collapsed into her best friend's arms.
Luna stared down at her with a blank.
Back on the court, Leo chuckled softly under his breath, then shifted his attention to the bulky man now holding the ball again. He looked at both players, then tossed the ball into the air.
Leo and Kai both jumped simultaneously, their bodies slicing through the air as they rose for the next showdown.
Just as Kai's hand brushed against the ball—
"Mage Association?"
Leo said it low and deliberately.
Kai flinched—visibly. His concentration shattered. The ball slipped through his fingers and hit the ground with a loud bounce.
Leo landed smoothly, grabbed the ball mid-bounce, and spun it in his hand with an easy, confident rhythm.
Kai hit the ground hard with a thud, cursing himself silently.
He'd fallen for it.
Leo grinned and raised the ball slightly, as if showing it off. "What's wrong? Out of miracles already?" he taunted with a calm, mocking tone, his expression amused but sharp.
Kai's fists clenched tighter, his nails digging into his palms as the sting of humiliation twisted inside him. His pride was boiling over, trembling under the surface. "You'll pay for this…" he muttered under his breath, his voice low and shaking with restrained fury. His eyes locked on Leo as he moved swiftly toward the post.
Kai picked up speed, muscles tensing as he surged forward. With a burst of force, he appeared before Leo, cutting him off and blocking his path with sudden intensity.
But—
There was no ball in Leo's hand… just a slow, deliberate motion of bouncing the air.
Kai blinked, momentarily confused.
Then his eyes widened.
Just as he was processing the trick, he noticed it. Leo's other hand—subtly hidden behind his back. And there it was.
The ball.
Kai's lips curled into a confident smirk. He pivoted on his heel, his body fluid and fast, preparing to snatch the ball—expecting it to fall right into his grip.
But just then—
A whisper of movement behind him.
Fingers… again. Moving. Taunting.
Leo's fingers flicked, and he winked.
"Magic~" he whispered with a sly grin, his eyes dancing with playful mischief as he glanced behind.
And there it was—the ball already sailing toward the basket.
Kai's legs exploded with unnatural strength, pushing off the ground with a force that cracked the hardwood beneath his shoes. He rocketed forward, reaching for the ball, desperate to intercept it before it could fall.
The crowd went completely silent, like the entire arena had been vacuum-sealed. Not a breath. Not a whisper. Everyone leaned forward, frozen halfway out of their seats.
Kai reached for it—
Fingertips brushing the edge, so close he could feel the spin.
... But it slipped by.
The ball grazed his fingers, rotating slowly, mockingly, and agonizingly beyond his reach.
'NOooo....!' He could only watch, helpless... but it hit the backboard.
Sigh.....!
Everyone exhaled, a collective sigh of disbelief and relief rippling through the stands.
But it wasn't over.
The ball rebounded, hard.
And Leo was already in the air, catching the rebound. His body arched, his eyes locked on the target, arms wide like wings.
"Skadoosh," he murmured, almost too casually.
Then—
He slammed the ball down with every ounce of strength in his body.
THUCKKK!!
Crack!
Thud!
The sound cracked across the court like thunder.
And then—
Silence.
Pure, raw silence.
No air... No movement... Not even breathing.
Everyone held their breath, their eyes wide, their minds unable to catch up to what they'd just witnessed. It was as if time had broken.
Men almost faint, and Women fall back.... Their gazes slowly shifted into pure horror...
"PPFFFTT!! HAHAHAHA… HE LOST HIS FAMILY! DING DONG!!!"
Sakura's voice shrieked through the stunned silence, wild and merciless, echoing through the cold, tension-thick basketball court.
And there—
A body crashed to the ground.
Curled up... Broken.
Unmoving.
"Goal, Baby~" Leo winked.