I Died on the Court, Now I'm Back to Rule It

—Semifinal Bound—

[Congratulations. Host have advanced to the Semifinals of the Spring Tournament.] [Reward Available: 1 Rare Skill, 2 Items, +1 Attribute Point.]

[Host may claim now, or hold until after the next match for upgraded rewards.]

I stared at the floating blue text hovering above my vision, half-listening to the chatter around me. My body still felt the residue of Flow—my legs heavy, my breath shallow—but it wasn't as bad as the last time. Maybe I was getting stronger. Maybe my attributes had caught up. Or maybe... I was just getting used to the pain.

Either way, I ignored the reward.

[I'll hold it for now, Echo.]

[Confirmed, Host. Reward has been stored.]

We had just knocked out Tennoji High—one of the Four Monarchs. A shootout. A war. 106–101.

And now, the bracket narrowed.

"Nice game, team!" Takeshi-sensei's voice broke through the moment. He strolled past us with a proud smile and handed out high-fives and fist bumps.

"Nice gameeee!" Kaito exhaled loudly, clapping his hands above his head.