Finals (Part 2)

Extra long chapter here. Enjoy :)

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When Reo saw Mibuchi's body language, he felt an ominous feeling creep upon him.

'Here he comes. Let me see what it's like to face the Loose Cannon!'

He was nervous but excited at the same time.

To fight a strong opponent where the odds of losing and winning were in no one's favor, it always gave one an excitement for a glorious battle.

Mibuchi, on the other hand was also feeling excited but not for the same reason as Reo. Instead, he was happy for finally being able to teach this cocky bastard a lesson that he would never forget.

So with that, Mibuchi finally made a move.

Unlike before where he used his form to confuse his opponents, Mibuchi chose to not pull any stunts this time.

Instead, he chose to dribble past Reo with just sheer force!

When Reo saw Mibuchi not orchestrating any mind games and chose to just dive in, he too made a move and started to defend aggressively against Mibuchi.

However, no matter how much Reo tried to defend, Mibuchi always kept him at arm's length by using his free hand to push Reo away as he continued his aggressive pace.

Seeing that Mibuchi was constantly trying to keep him away, Reo was in a bit of a loss about what to do.

He had only seen videos of famous basketball stars and various tutorial videos. Even if he had the skills of the system, he still lacked experience as to decide in what to do in these types of given situations.

With Reo being constantly kept at bay, Mibuchi finally dribbled all the way to the basket and just like that, he proceeded to jump and score with a layup with the ball gracefully rolling off his fingertips.

In response to Mibuchi's quick counter, the crowd roared in excitement.

The score was now 2-1 in Reo's favor but Mibuchi was just a point away from a draw. He truly lived up to his name as one of the stars to make such a quick counter.

Reo couldn't help but curse inside when he saw the free point that he gave away.

[Brat, you need to keep your mind focused! Remember that you have those skills for a reason!]

Reo just decided to ignore the system.

What skills? Would they even help him now?

Reading Reo's thoughts, the system really felt like throwing a slipper at Reo.

Of course those skills would help him!

[Oi, idiot! Remember that you have more than just Basic Shooting and Basic Dribbling!]

[You have Basic Defense and Basic Rebounds for a reason!]

While Reo did have those skills, he only knew how to play according to his instincts using those skills.

He had yet to unleash the full potential of that skill.

However, Reo still could not understand the importance of those skills.

"How will rebounds help me now? Also, I am already defending Mibuchi using my skills. It's just that he knows how to bypass me", Reo argued.

The system finally couldn't handle it anymore.

[Stupid asshole! You are only playing by your instincts right now thanks to the Common Grade Skills but you have yet to unleash it's full potential!]

[You need to think of a proper gameplay and what to do in tricky situations! Instincts can only take you so far!]

For some reason, Reo shut up when he heard this.

Because it was true. He was only playing solely on instinct right now thanks to the passive effect of those Common Grade Skills.

However, that was not how basketball was played.

While instincts were important, thinking it through was also important.

Since Reo had only been practicing ball handling, dribbling and shooting whenever he was at home, he severely lacked in the defensive and rebound aspects.

He could at least think it through a bit when he was on the offense but when he was on defense, he was absolutely useless.

This was because he lacked experience.

Meanwhile, Mibuchi and the referee were staring at Reo with a weird expression.

Reo had just been standing there and looking into space for almost 20 seconds which made them wonder if there was something wrong with Reo.

'Did he go into shock?', the referee wondered internally.

After all, Reo only had a physical appearance of a 10 year old so not being able to handle sudden emotional fluctuations was completely reasonable to the referee.

Inside, Reo noticed that he was being stared at so he promptly stopped talking to the system and started paying attention to reality.

Taking a deep breath, Reo nodded to the referee.

"I'm ready", Reo said.

The referee stared at him for a while before deciding to drop it.

Since Reo was able to make it to the finals in his very first rumble, his mental capacity would surely not be low as to have a sudden breakdown.

However, if Reo really did have a mental breakdown, then the referee could only stop it when Reo showed significant signs.

As such, the referee left it be as the two got into their starting positions.

In Reo's head the system's voice rang out.

[Listen, if you want another chance to score, you need to get the ball back from him!]

[However, you're defensive gameplay is still too weak at the moment. As such, I will be helping you to make the plays!]

[Now, listen! This is what you have to do....]

As Reo and the system had their conversation, the referee soon started the next round.

Reo's eyes gleamed as he recalled the system's words.

The Common Grade Skill(Basic Defense) had a 50% accuracy to block all shots as long as Reo was in the right position which made steals and blocks extremely easy. Adding with the extra 20% upgrade from the Common Grade Skill(Basic Handling),it could be said that Reo's blocking percentage was extremely high.

However, this was only if Reo played the right strategy. Without a good defensive strategy, it didn't matter if you were the best defender in the world, you would still get on if your gameplay lacked.

Thinking about this, Reo recalled the system's gameplay advice and proceeded to make some distance between him and Mibuchi.

Mibuchi was mildly surprised when he saw Reo distancing himself away from him.

Wasn't he worried that he might score with a jump shot instead?

While there was enough distance for Reo to close the gap and block the shot, it was still a risky maneuver. One mistake could cost him another point.

When Mibuchi saw Reo's stoic face as he looked at Mibuchi, Mibuchi instantly felt annoyed.

This bastard was looking down on him again!

It was like he was saying, 'No matter how much space I give you, you still wouldn't score'.

Mibuchi cursed in his heart that he wasn't tall enough at that moment. Otherwise, he would score a dunk right over Reo's big head!

'Since you think you are a bigshot, then I'll just brush you aside like how I did before!', Mibuchi was incensed.

Even if Reo looked down on someone, there should be at least a limit right?!

As Mibuchi complained about this, he finally made a move.

Applying the same strategy as before, he aggressively dribbled down the court as he was ready to use his free hand to keep Reo at arm's length.

However, Reo never came near him. Instead, he kept a distance from Mibuchi as his arms were spread out to prevent a sudden jump shot.

Mibuchi sneered in contempt.

If he wasn't up close in person, how was he going to block his jump shot? The very probability of doing so was low.

As such, Mibuchi didn't give it much thought as he dribbled all the way to the basket before jumping up for a layup.

To him, it was impossible for Reo to block his shots while staying at such a distance away from him. As such, he didn't hesitate to attempt a layup.

All was going well as the ball rolled off his fingertips when suddenly....

BAM!

The ball suddenly whizzed past Mibuchi's head as he looked forward in shock. In front of him, a gigantic palm seemed to be looming over him, casting an eternal shadow over his heart.

The crowd was reacting the same way as they had their hands over their heads in shock.

'What was that block?! It was too clean and aggressive!', the crowd thought as their bloods boiled in excitement.

A star was blocked in such a ruthless manner! How could they not be excited?! This could very well mean the dethroning of a star!

Meanwhile, Reo was panting as he recalled his previous gameplay.

[Keep your distance from him and raise your hands to prevent any sudden jump shots! Don't be afraid that you'll end up losing a point!]

[If my observations are correct, that boy seems to have a grudge against you so we will use this to our advantage. He is still young and his feelings can spiral out of control at any time, thus we will be using his anger to blind his reasoning!]

[As he is still young, he uses an underhand scoop layup to score which makes his positioning further away from the backboard, making it so that the ball has to travel a further distance than a usual layup!]

[Use this to your advantage and stay in front of him at all times! Once you see him releasing the ball, time it properly and slap the ball out of his hands!]

Surprisingly while the system acted childish and shameless at times, it was a pretty good coach.

Explaining the fundamentals on how to block an underhand scoop layup in such simple terms that even made Reo understand it in such a short while. If the system had been a person, he would surely be a top coach at least for the junior level.

Younger kids didn't have very good fundamentals in the basics so them jumping at a further distance from the backboard to make a layup was a pretty common move. It was a simple counter for teens and adults but for children, it was very rare for them to have such an advanced gameplay at such a young age.

However, what did the system mean when it said that Mibuchi had a grudge against him? Didn't he treat him nicely all this while?

Well, it's not like it mattered anyway. Initially,he felt a bit guilty for crushing Mibuchi when he found out that he was a star.

But now, he no longer needed to hold back. Since Mibuchi didn't like him, then he wasn't going to hold back either.

In the crowd, the old man's eyes were on fire as he stared hungrily at Reo.

This was what talent was truly all about!

From observing Reo's moves on the court, the old man saw that he didn't have any special skill like Mibuchi but he was a fast learner!

This could be seen by Reo's in depth understanding of the fundamentals of basketball and how he adapted to block Mibuchi's aggressive layup on the second attempt.

This made Reo truly a treasure. If he could pick up new moves and gain an even deeper understanding in the fundamentals of basketball, he would surely be a formidable player in the future.

However, there was just one major problem with Reo.

He lacked experience. This could be seen from how he allowed the first score over him. If he was a bit more experienced, he would have changed his position accordingly to immediately block Mibuchi once he released the ball.

The old man's brows furrowed as he thought about this.

Gaining experience at a young age was a common thing and not a big issue but the problem was that Reo was still in elementary school.

Elementary school didn't have basketball clubs or any type of corresponding competitions like how middle school did. As such, it was a severe dent in the fundamentals of the students when they arrived in middle school.

Most people would take at least a year just to polish their fundamentals which was the main reason why most of the regulars were in their second or even third years. Only those who have had professional coaching or extreme talent had a good chance of securing their fundamentals which could make them a regular in their very first year.

There was also another thing. Reo had talent but the question was that how good was it?

He had only seen Reo's gameplay in the finals so it was too early to make a definite judgement but the one thing that he was certain about was that Reo had higher talent than Mibuchi.

In a sense, this game's outcome has already been set.

As such in the next 2 rounds, Reo administrated Mibuchi's own tactic against him as he used his free hand to keep Mibuchi away from him as he dribbled down the court. He was going on really aggressive this time.

Although Mibuchi had seen Reo's method of blocking him, he wasn't a 'fast learner' like Reo. Even if he could keep his distance away from Reo, it was still difficult to execute the block on time.

Youngsters always played in close quarters since it was easier for them to gauge. As such, they were already used to close gameplay with their opponents.

Even if it's a simple defense, it could still drastically increase in difficulty whenever the distance was not preset. After all, they were kids not professionals.

Also, Mibuchi was currently not in the right state of mind.

That aggressive block in the beginning had severely rattled his confidence as he kept on double doubting his own moves.

As he watched Reo dribbling up the court, Mibuchi's eyes were bloodshot.

'Why?! Why does this arrogant bastard have such skills!', Mibuchi was infuriated.

He was a star! He was the Loose Cannon for God's sake!

Yet, he was being beaten by a bastard who was incomparably arrogant and had no sense of respect for others.

Mibuchi's anger was reaching it's boiling point and at that moment, the misunderstanding turned physical!

As Reo was continuously dribbling down the court, Mibuchi suddenly came up to him and up close at that.

Reo was surprised for a brief moment but soon recovered to use his previous tactic as he reached to push Mibuchi away.

When Mibuchi saw Reo's hand coming to push him away, his eyes reddened.

At that moment, he immediately twisted his body and reached for the ball at full force. It was at this moment that at his other hand, his elbow came into a hard contact with Reo's cheek.

Reo felt his brain rattle as he nearly fell over. However, he managed to catch himself at the last moment but still fell to his knees nonetheless.

When Mibuchi saw Reo fall to his knees, he couldn't help but gloat as he stood over him.

Looming over him, Mibuchi couldn't help but think in his head.

'How does it feel to be looked down on, you bastard!'

However, just as he was gloating over Reo, he felt a hand on his chest that pushed him away.

It was the referee.

At the same time, the referee blew his whistle while raising his right hand into a clenched fist and immediately made a timeout sign.

"Double technical foul! Two free throws!"

At the same time, the referee was looking at Mibuchi with disgust in his eyes.

It was common for streetball to get a little bit physical but to deliver an elbow to the opponent's face and even gloat over it....It would be a technical foul whether it was in streetball or in an official game.

The crowd seemed to have the same reaction as they loudly booed at Mibuchi. Such disgusting play was intolerable to them, much more since it came from a star.

The old man in the crowd had an even uglier expression as he disgustedly stared at Mibuchi.

'Since you don't have talent, you choose to resort to violence instead?! What scum!', the old man hated these types of players the most.

His good evaluation of Mibuchi disappeared just like that.

While there will be frustrations and accidents on the court, you don't deliberately beat up your opponent just because you can't win.

On the other hand, Mikasa hurriedly rushed onto the court to check on Reo. He was still a kid like her so taking an elbow to the face could leave some serious damage.

Meanwhile, Reo was still rattled up as he felt his vision a bit blurry while he tried to get control over his vision. That shot really rattled his brain up.

The system wasn't faring any better as it was livid beyond reason!

[Motherf*cking asshole! Come here and let me kill you, you son of a bitch!]

[You're sad just because you don't have talent then go hit yourself for being useless! Stupid piece of shit!]

If Reo was in the right state of mind, he would have noticed that the system was even more angrier than whenever they had their daily disputes.

As for Mibuchi, he was stunned for a moment before complaining to the referee about the technical foul, stating that it was only an accident.

However, the referee was buying none of his bullshit as he stared coldly at Mibuchi.

"If this was an official game, I would have kicked you off the court with the double technical. Overt actions indicating resentment and a deliberately thrown elbow"

"This is more than enough to showcase your non-sportsmanship like conduct"

Mibuchi was incensed. This was not what he wanted at all!

He merely wanted to teach that cocky bastard a lesson but now, it seemed like it would cost him the game!

The referee who noticed Mibuchi's expression couldn't help but let out a cold smile.

"I don't think that the second free throw is necessary. After all, just one shot will be enough to end the game"

The referee didn't mince his words as he directly spoke his mind. Whether Mibuchi was a star or not, he did not mind offending him at all.

He disliked foul plays the most.

Mibuchi's face turned abnormally ugly at this. He wanted to hit the referee but after a brief moment, he calmed himself down.

If he really got into a fight with the referee, forget losing the game, he might even end up in the hospital. After all, the referee was a full grown adult man.

Then, turning to Reo, the referee kneeled down beside him as he asked in a soft voice, "Kid, you good?".

Reo lifted his hand up, signaling for silence.

The referee was not offended by this action. Instead, he was a bit relieved.

If Reo could make hand signals, there was a high chance that he would be fine.

True enough, it only took Reo a few more seconds before he got onto his feet again while holding the right side of his face.

The crowd let out a sigh of relief when they saw that Reo was alright. By now, the crowd was no longer cheering for Mibuchi but for Reo instead.

No one would cheer for a player who committed a physical foul just because he wasn't good enough.

"Reo-kun, are you really ok?", Mikasa asked worriedly as she held Reo's side as if she was afraid that he might suddenly collapse.

Reo was still a bit out of it but registered Mikasa's words nonetheless. As such, he replied with a simple nod.

Mikasa grew even more worried when she saw Reo not answering her verbally but after receiving Reo's affirmation, the referee politely asked her to leave the court so that they could continue the game.

Left with no other options, Mikasa could only leave the court while staring worriedly at Reo's back.

It was not just Mikasa who was worried about Reo, the system was as well. It repeatedly tried to get confirmations whether Reo was all right.

Reo was recovering but at a slow pace as he merely responded with a 'Uh-huh'. Hearing this, the system couldn't help but be worried that Reo had gone mentally retarded after taking that elbow to the face.

It that was so, what could it do? It was The Court Ruler System not the Great Doctor System!

Would it's creator come down to fix Reo if anything really happened to him?

The system was getting so antsy that it didn't realize that it had unknowingly grown to care for a boy after a short span of time.

The referee who noticed that a good amount of time had passed after Reo stood up, came up to him with the ball and asked.

"You have 2 free throws. You only need one shot to end the game. Are you good to take the shot?"

Reo responded the same way to the referee as he did with the system. His ears were ringing so badly right now and all he wanted was peace and quiet but no one seemed to give it to him.

Seeing Reo's less than satisfactory response, the referee frowned but there was nothing he could do about it since Reo had already voiced his agreement.

As such, he handed Reo the ball and directed him to the free throw line.

When Reo was firmly in position as he looked towards the basket, the referee finally blew the whistle to signal Reo to make the shot.

As Reo got into a shooting position, he released the ball and watched it soar through the air.

Bam!

The ball collided with the edge of the rim as it soon dropped down onto the floor.

The shot had missed!

The crowd frowned in disappointment while Mibuchi had a brief look of hope in his eyes.

He had a chance to make a comeback! If Reo missed the next shot, Mibuchi might be able to win the game with Reo's current condition.

There was no chance that he couldn't win if the game really progressed back to normal. By then, the referee could not do anything even if he had any objections.

Reo seemed to have realized that he had made a grave mistake as he furrowed his eyebrows.

Bouncing the ball off the floor, Reo took a moment to try and regain his mental state before going into the shooting position.

Win or lose would all be decided by this next shot.