With that, Dirga exploded toward the rim, the rest of Horizon moving in harmony with him—like sparks trailing lightning.
Seiryuu's defense locked into place instantly. It was like watching automatons click into a grid—man-to-man, cold and calculated. But something was off.
Dirga wasn't being guarded by Seta Naoto, the point guard.
Instead, Jinbo Haruto, the small forward, took the assignment.
A pre-read? Dirga thought.
They must've run simulations—predicted matchups, adjusted in advance. Jinbo's size, his defense... makes sense. On paper.
But paper wasn't the court.
Dirga didn't stop.
He hesitated—a half-step freeze, a flick of the shoulder—and then exploded again, a slashing blur of motion. Jinbo bit. That fraction of hesitation broke the structure.
Now, Fujisawa, Seiryuu's powerful center, rotated over—just as expected.
Dirga didn't flinch.
With calm precision, he braked, lifted, and released a soft floater.
