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

The bus rumbled to life at exactly 09:00 AM, rolling forward with a low growl as the Horizon High team began their long journey to Tokyo.

A seven to eight-hour ride.

Destination: the legendary Yoyogi National Gymnasium in Shibuya. Capacity: 13,000 roaring fans. Stage: the Week of Madness—where legends are born and dreams are broken.

But before the first tip-off, there was one ritual every team had to face:

The National Group Draw.

A random lottery to determine the bracket placement. Chaos, tension, and whispers of rigged luck.

And for Horizon, two representatives would face that wheel of fate:

Dirga and Kaito.

Dirga sat by the window, his head leaning slightly against the cool glass, watching the highway blur into gray ribbons. A mix of nerves and excitement swirled in his chest.

In his mind, one name kept repeating.

Masaki And Yuto