Rakuzan 25 - Horizon 27
Now?
The lead was real.
And with it came a silence from the Rakuzan crowd.
Not defeat.
But doubt.
A silence that said: "Wait… are we losing this?"
Rakuzan inbounded again.
But the air was different now.
Tense. Tilted.
Reiji caught the ball, but he wasn't smirking anymore.
He was tight.
Not in his body—no. His mechanics were still smooth. But his timing? His reads?
Off.
Dirga shadowed him now—not just physically, but mentally.
Every step Reiji made, Dirga was there—half a second before he expected it.
"Step right," Dirga murmured.
"Then spin. Right?"
"Oh wait… you're too slow for that now."
Reiji shoved off—just a little harder than necessary.
The ref didn't call it.
But the bench saw it.
The crowd saw it.
And Dirga felt it.
A crack.
He wanted more.
Not just mistakes.
He wanted doubt.
He wanted Reiji to feel every second drag like weight on his chest.
Rakuzan swung the ball—Asahi tried to break the rhythm.
