Yami no Kiba vs Raijin Showdown - I

The sun had barely begun its descent when the court at Reikou Academy was already packed. Students from all Houses gathered around, voices mixing into a chaotic buzz of excitement.

This wasn't just any match.

This was Yami no Kiba vs. Raijin—two powerhouse teams clashing for dominance.

Kazuki stood near the sidelines, rolling his shoulders as he took in the scene. His teammates were doing their final warm-ups, stretching and taking practice shots, but his mind was elsewhere.

The weight of the moment pressed on him.

Not just the match, but everything leading up to it—the training, the teasing from his friends, and most of all… her.

His hand instinctively brushed against his pocket, feeling the small charm Miyuki had given him a few days ago.

"You got this, Kazuki."

Her words echoed in his head, steadying him.

He let out a slow breath. No distractions. Just play.

"Yo, Kazuki."

A familiar voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

He turned to see Daiki, standing a few feet away in his Raijin jersey, a cocky smirk plastered across his face.

"Last chance to back out," Daiki teased. "Wouldn't want you to embarrass yourself in front of your girl."

Kazuki rolled his eyes. "I think you're more worried about losing in front of yours."

Daiki laughed. "Man, if I was worried, I wouldn't be here."

Before Kazuki could reply, a sharp whistle rang out.

The match was about to begin.

As the referee tossed the ball for the jump ball, Kazuki's mind cleared. No more talking. No more nerves. Just the game.

The ball was tipped—Raijin got possession.

Daiki wasted no time.

With explosive speed, he blew past his defender, slicing through the lane before kicking it out to Renji Sakamura, Raijin's ace forward.

Renji faked a shot, baiting the defense, then cut inside and leapt for a clean layup.

Swish.

Raijin 2 - 0 Yami no Kiba.

The crowd roared.

Kazuki didn't flinch as he caught the inbound pass and dribbled up the court.

Raijin's defense was already pressing hard, forcing him to think fast. They wanted an early lead.

Kazuki smirked. Let's see how long they can keep that up.

He called for a screen, baited his defender with a fake to the left, then exploded to the right.

A half-second of hesitation—that's all he needed.

Pull-up jumper—perfect release.

Swish.

Raijin 2 - 2 Yami no Kiba.

The game kicked into high gear.

Possession after possession, both teams traded blows.

Renji hit a tough fadeaway. 4 - 2.

Kazuki found his center open under the basket. 4 - 4.

Daiki turned up the heat.

Breaking free from his defender, he caught a quick pass, stepped behind the arc, and let it fly.

Swish.

Raijin 7 - 4 Yami no Kiba.

Kazuki sighed. "Alright, showoff."

He immediately pushed the pace, using his agility to weave through defenders before flipping a no-look pass to Kyouya—splash.

7 - 6.

The pace only got faster from there.

Renji and Daiki played an aggressive inside-outside game, forcing Yami no Kiba's defense to scramble.

Kazuki, meanwhile, orchestrated plays, breaking down Raijin's press and creating scoring opportunities.

At the 5-minute mark, the score was locked at 15 - 15.

Both teams refused to back down.

Kazuki wiped the sweat from his brow. This wasn't going to be an easy win.

Then, Raijin struck first.

Raijin's Counterattack

The moment Kazuki miscalculated a pass, Renji intercepted it.

Like a bullet, he sprinted down the court on a fast break, with only one defender in his way.

Too late.

Renji soared up, slamming the ball through the hoop with a powerful dunk.

17 - 15.

The crowd erupted.

Kazuki clenched his jaw. Tch. Gotta be more careful.

Raijin pressed harder.

Daiki went off—driving through traffic, hitting a floater over two defenders.

19 - 15.

On the next play, Renji pulled up from the three-point line—bang.

22 - 15.

Kazuki's team was staggering.

The energy on Raijin's side was electric.

And then, just to twist the knife, Daiki caught a pass from Renji and—without hesitation—launched a deep three.

Swish.

25 - 15.

Kazuki exhaled sharply. They're running away with the game.

With two minutes left in the first half, Yami no Kiba called for a timeout.

The players huddled up, their breathing heavy.

"We're getting outplayed," Ryouma muttered.

Kazuki's gaze stayed locked on the scoreboard.

He took a deep breath.

"No. We're just playing into their rhythm."

The team turned to him.

"We adjust," Kazuki said. "We slow it down, make them work for every point. Stick to tight defense, force them into bad shots. Then we counter."

They nodded.

When the game resumed, Yami no Kiba shifted their strategy.

They tightened their defense, closing down passing lanes, forcing Renji and Daiki into tough shots.

Slowly, they clawed their way back.

Kazuki led fast breaks, capitalizing on defensive stops.

A mid-range pull-up—buckets.

25 - 20.

A steal, a quick pass, and an easy layup—25 - 22.

With just 10 seconds left in the half, Kazuki got the ball.

His eyes flickered toward the clock.

A split-second decision.

He took one step back beyond the three-point line—

And let it fly.

The buzzer rang—

Swish.

Halftime.

Raijin 27 - 25 Yami no Kiba.

The crowd exploded as Kazuki walked off the court, his heart pounding.

They had closed the gap.

And they weren't done yet.

Kazuki grabbed a towel, wiping the sweat from his forehead as he caught his breath.

As he turned toward the stands, his eyes met Miyuki's.

She was watching.

And she was smiling.

Kazuki exhaled.

The second half was going to be a war.

But he was ready.