Rise Up

The screeching sound of basketball shoes changing from each other echoes throughout the playing field as the sandstorms decorate the game.

"Kaze, is everything ready?" Raito asked while maintaining the ball he was holding.

"Yes, this is it," Kaze replied.

Slowly the opposing team members began to feel an extraordinary thirst but their attitude seemed like they already knew what was going to happen.

"Looks like it has started, let's break the technique," said Inazuka shortly after realizing the start of the second phase of the technique Kazemaru used.

Hearing the command from the captain, Taki immediately cast his technique and created a mist as thick as he could then prepared to perform a combination technique with Hibike and Tomoi.

"What are they really doing? Don't they already know that their technique has no effect on us?" muttered Gyo.

The thick mist created by Taki slowly began to be blown away by Kaze's sandstorm but instead of disappearing, it slowly started to blacken along with the electric charge inside.

"What happened? Doesn't it look like a thunderstorm? Are they planning to make it rain?" Kaze started to wonder what the opposing team was planning.

"Cold Temperature"

The sound of Touma's screaming out the technique he chanted echoed out and then unexpectedly droplets of water began to fall down the entire field.

"Did you know that sand is weak against water?" asked Taki who then easily grabbed the ball from Shin's hand who was dumbfounded at the rain falling on the field.

"Damn I missed it," said Shin, noticing the ball was captured by Taki.

Shin tried to catch Taki but it was too late as the ball was passed to Touma who easily scored and made the score even wider with a 46-76 result.

With the rain pouring down inside the field, the sandstorm created by Kazemaru slowly disappeared and made the temperature inside the field even colder.

"Is it just my feeling or is it getting cold in here?" Gyo asked while shivering with his body soaked.

"It's not only you who feel it but all of our team members also after all the sandstorm created by Kaze has disappeared because of the rain," Hiruka replied.

"Unlike us, it seems they don't feel cold," Gyo pointed out.

"This is a technique they use after all so it definitely doesn't affect them like the second phase of my technique," continued Kaze.

Regardless of the condition of their cold bodies, Gyo and his friends returned to attack. Gyo easily passed Tomoi who blocked him and then immediately passed the ball in his hand to Shin, who was floating freely in the air, preparing to do a dunk but suddenly his body felt paralyzed instantly and just fell.

"W-what happened? How come their technique hit me even though I didn't step on the floor," muttered Shin, grimacing in pain from falling.

Regardless of the condition of his opponent, Hibike immediately picked up the ball that fell near him and tried to counterattack but suddenly the ball in his hand disappeared without realizing it.

"I'll be a little serious now," said Gyo who easily grabbed the ball using Gold Eyes' second seal ability.

Gyo then uses another ability from the second seal by creating several clones of himself and making it difficult for the opposing team to distinguish between real and fake. Gyo easily scored for his team and immediately returned to the defensive position.

"You're great Gyo, apparently as time goes by you become stronger," said Shin while high five with him.

"This is all thanks to the aura I got after defeating the black figure within your soul realm," replied Gyo with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow because of Dark Eyes' sacrifice.

The opposing team made another attack and chains slowly began to appear to shackle their opponent's legs but with Shin's ability, his team members were made to fly and easily dodge the chain but ...

"Paralyze Conductor"

Instantly the technique used by the opponent paralyzed their body so they couldn't move.

"Looks like you forgot something important," said Hibike who passed Shin easily.

"You seem to forget that water is a good conductor of electricity so our technique can work well wherever you are," continued Taki, who followed Hibike.

Hibike then passes the ball he holds to Taki hoping to add to the number but again Gyo can easily grab the ball that was passed with his second seal even though when he gets the ball he still can't move.

"You rely too much on your abilities so forget that the five of us are still free while you still can't move," said Tomoi trying to get the ball back from Gyo's hand.

"If you can make us unable to move then I can do the same," Shin replied while creating a gravitational field with the ability of his eyes.

The two teams were both unable to move, but time went on until finally the violation occurred.

"5-Second Violation"

Gyo held the ball for too long so that it passed the time limit without passing or dribbling the ball so that the ball changed hands again.

The opposing team returned to attack, but this time without hesitation, Shin immediately activated his gravitational field ability and made the opposing team unable to move.

"This is my revenge because you guys make us unable to move," said Shin as he grabbed the ball from Touma's hand then immediately passed the ball to Hiruka.

As if he understood Shin's intention, Hiruka immediately fired his flagship three-point shot and made the score increase by 49-76.

The match continues and without realizing it, Cyoku High School basketball team starts catching up without being behind and makes the tally become 68-76 but suddenly Raito starts to feel something happening to his body.

"I've been running here and there but my body temperature doesn't go up. Not even a single sweat is dripping. In fact, I feel the temperature is getting colder and colder," muttered Raito.

A few moments later, it turned out that not only Raito but the other team members started to feel the same way even though their stamina was drained twice as much as usual. Seeing this, Mr. Yagami immediately took the initiative by including Ren to replace Kazemaru, who seemed unable to continue the match.

"I'm starting to feel tremendous fatigue but the opposing team looks normal, why is that?" Gyo asked with panting breath.

"I don't know either, but if this continues then we won't be able to beat them before they run out of strength," replied Shin who was also exhausted.

"Even though it hasn't reached the second half but you are already tired like this, is it possible because your clothes are wet?" asked Ren who had just entered.

Hearing a nearby conversation, Tomoi immediately came with the intention of provoking his opponent.

"Apparently you don't know that your immune system will decrease over time with your body soaking wet like that and I think that with reduced immunity your stamina will also be drained. Besides, with Touma's ability, your body temperature will decrease while we remain stable as before.

"Looks like our team will win this match without any more effort so have a good fight," said Tomoi as he turned and left Ren.

"God damn it!!" Furiously, Ren yelled at Tomoi because he was consumed by his provocation.

With an opponent's ability that is so difficult to deal with and his body condition worsening, will the Cyoku High School basketball team win this match and advance to the final round or will it just stop here?

To be continued ...