Extra Basket-Chapter 143 - 130: Loan Shark (6)

Lucas locked eyes with Leonel.

The arena around them buzzed with faint noise, sneakers squeaking, murmurs from the crowd, Ayumi’s voice shouting encouragement but for a moment, all of that faded.

All that existed was Lucas Graves and Leonel Blaze.

One trying to rise.

The other already standing at the summit.

Leonel leaned forward ever so slightly, as if intrigued.

"You’re not going to run away like the others, are you?"

Lucas didn’t respond.

Instead, he took a step forward, closing the space, chest up, ready.

"I will never run from you." he said quietly.

Jace, over by the wing, laughed.

"Yo, Leon! You letting him talk to you like that?"

Leonel raised one hand without breaking eye contact with Lucas — a casual wave to silence Jace.

"It’s fine," Leonel said. "I like players who believe they have a chance."

But inside, a thought ticked in his head:

(You’re still just a shadow, Lucas Graves. But shadows stretch longer when the light’s brightest... Let’s see how long you can survive in it.)

...

On the bench, Ethan watched the exchange unfold.

He narrowed his eyes.

(So that’s Leonel Blaze in real-time. Not just some highlight reel. Not just a name in the novel... He’s trying to mentally shake Lucas already.)

He tapped his clipboard, muttering under his breath.

"Stay sharp, Lucas... Don’t let him own your head."

Ayumi, standing beside him, clenched her fists. Her eyes hadn’t left Lucas.

"He’s not the same Lucas as before," she whispered.

"I know that fire. He only shows it when it really matters."

Ethan nodded.

"And today matters more than anything."

....

Back on the court, Titan dished the ball back out to Leonel. The point guard caught it near the top of the key, eyes already locked into his internal map of the court.

The ball barely stayed in his hand for more than a heartbeat.

A whip-pass to Jace.

Jace didn’t even look, he just shot.

Swish.

The net barely moved.

Josh slapped the baseline in frustration.

"Damn it! He didn’t even look!"

Lucas shook his head.

"He doesn’t have to. That was practiced. Automated."

Evan inbounded fast; Brandon set a half-screen as Evan sprinted up.

Ethan shouted from the sideline.

"Don’t let the tempo shift! Stay in your rhythm!"

Ryan called out the play "Four-split swing! Run it!"

Lucas slid into position.

Josh curled from the wing.

Brandon dropped into the post.

And just as Evan came off the second screen, he zipped a bounce pass behind his back — right to Ryan.

Ryan pump-faked, then drove baseline two steps in and kicked it back out to Josh.

Josh launched a three.

It kissed the rim... rolled.

And dropped in.

Crowd roared.

9–8.

The scoreboard glowed with promise for now.

Leonel barely blinked.

He walked the ball up.

(Decent ball movement. Josh can shoot. Evan’s got control. Ryan’s reading the floor okay. But the center... Brandon’s not used to speed. That’s a mismatch.)

He gave one subtle nod.

Noah Vance, the Blazing Fox power forward, shifted his stance.

Titan Reed clapped once.

"Let’s make them sweat."

The ball zipped, Leonel to Jace, Jace to Noah, Noah faked then sent it inside to Deshawn Briggs, their 7-footer center.

Brandon braced up feet set but Deshawn barely noticed him.

He caught.

Pivoted.

BOOM.

A dunk that rattled the rim like thunder.

11–8.

The bench of Blazing Fox stood and shouted.

...

Ethan didn’t react.

He turned to the bench.

"Louie, Aiden. Kai. Watch Briggs. His second step is where the opening is not the first."

Aiden nodded.

Louie said "Roger that!"

Kai, eyes narrowed, whispered, "Got it."

Ayumi gripped her clipboard.

"Ethan... you’re calm. Even now?"

"I’m thinking," he said. "They’ll underestimate us. But that’s the moment we flip the game."

....

Back on the court, Lucas ran his fingers through his black hair.

Golden eyes burning.

He looked over at Ethan. Saw him nod once.

And he understood.

No fear.

No backing down.

Just the game.

Ayumi, watching from the bench, gripped her clipboard tighter.

(He’s not giving up. No matter how many times they knock him down.)

Ethan cupped his hands and called out to the team.

"Run Black Ice! Shift formation. We’ll break their perimeter. Ryan — slip screen on Jace. Lucas, relocate corner! Evan, fake high and swing!"

Leonel watched it all unfold.

He dribbled casually; hands loose.

But his thoughts?

(You’re still standing, Lucas. Hm.)

(Alright. Let’s raise the temperature.)

..

Lucas stood near the top of the arc, hands on his knees, breathing heavy. The score read 11–8 — still trailing. But momentum? It was cracking. Something was shifting.

(This guy... DeShawn Briggs... That dunk. That timing. That intimidation...)

Lucas’s golden eyes flickered. His thoughts sharpened.

(If that’s the standard... then I’ll break it. Imitate it. Recreate it. Even if I saw it just once.)

Across the court, DeShawn stood like a monument in the paint, barely sweating. Towering. Unbothered.

"Don’t even think about it, kid," DeShawn muttered under his breath, loud enough for only Lucas to hear. "I’m the ceiling you’ll never reach."

Lucas didn’t respond.

But something in his body language changed more grounded. More dangerous.

Ayumi noticed from the bench.

(Lucas... that look... it’s the same one from back then. The one when he decided he wouldn’t be second to anyone again.)

Ethan leaned forward slightly; arms crossed.

(The mimicry instinct again. He’s syncing. Adapting... Wait—he’s going to try that dunk.)

Evan drove up the court, ball in hand. "Clear out!" he barked. "Let’s isolate!"

Brandon set a hard screen for Josh, who veered right and pulled Jace away from the lane. Ryan ghosted to the baseline, dragging Titan with him.

The paint opened.

Evan dished it. Lucas caught it at the wing.

He took one deep breath.

(I only get one shot at this.)

He exploded forward.

One dribble.

Two.

DeShawn saw it.

"You trying me?! AGAINST ME?!" he growled.

Lucas didn’t hesitate.

He took off.

In that moment, Lucas wasn’t 5’7 anymore.

He was the rim. He was power. He was flight.

"—NO WAY—" Malik Titan shouted from the weak side.

DeShawn leapt, late.

Lucas pulled the ball back with both hands midair.

Eyes locked on the rim.

Body twisting like he’d studied every highlight DeShawn ever made.

And then...

BOOOOOOOM!

A two-handed reverse slam that shook the entire gym.

The bench exploded.

"LET’S GOOOOO!" Kai roared, nearly knocking over Coonie.

Ayumi dropped her clipboard, standing in shock.

(He... he actually did it... He copied DeShawn’s power — and made it his own.)

Lucas landed hard, chest rising, heart thundering.

He looked up.

DeShawn stared at him, stunned.

Lucas didn’t smirk.

He didn’t celebrate.

He just said quietly:

"You’re not the ceiling. You’re just the wall."

The gym went quiet for a second.

Then the Vorpal fans lost it.

Even Jace raised his brows.

"Yo, Leon... we might actually have a game."

Leonel didn’t respond.

He just narrowed his eyes.

(So this is the real Lucas Graves...)

Ethan clenched his fist at the sideline.

(That’s it. That’s the momentum swing. Now push. Push harder. We’ve got them reeling.)

Evan shouted over the cheers, "Let’s tighten up on defense! They’re not unbeatable!"

Brandon added, "We’re still down one! Don’t let up now!"

..

Score: 11–10. Blazing Fox leads.

The scoreboard’s red glow pulsed above the court like a warning light. The crowd’s noise dipped for a moment, not silence, but tension the kind that builds before something cracks.

Ethan stood on the sideline, arms crossed, eyes sharp. He didn’t blink as he looked up at the digital time glowing in harsh red.

(Five minutes left in the first quarter...)

Sweat trickled down his temple. Not from exertion — but calculation.

(I already used my cards...)

He glanced at his transparent system screen — the one only he could see, flickering like a heads-up display.

[ACTIVE BOOSTS:]

Team Synergy Boost

Temporary Attribute Buff (x5): Applied to Ryan, Evan, Brandon, Lucas, and Josh (+2 to key stats for 10 min)

(Even with those... they’re barely keeping up. This Blazing Fox squad... they’re experienced. Cold. Precise.)

He watched Leonel Blaze, walk the ball up the court — relaxed, composed, eyes scanning like he already knew what was going to happen.

(That’s the scary part... Leonel doesn’t even look like he’s trying yet.)

Ayumi moved to Ethan’s side, clipboard in hand, voice low.

"You look tense. What’s wrong?"

Ethan didn’t answer at first.

Then:

"Ayumi... this is bad. Really bad."

She blinked.

"But we’re only down by one. Lucas just dunked on their center. The momentum’s—"

Ethan cut in. "—They’re not playing seriously yet."

His voice was calm but grim.

Ayumi’s eyes widened.

"You mean... this is them holding back?"

Ethan gave a slight nod.

(That dunk... sure, it rattled DeShawn. But Leonel didn’t react. Noah Vance hasn’t even tested our frontcourt yet. Jace has only taken one deep three. That’s not them playing to win — that’s them analyzing.)

On the court, Evan pressed Leonel at the top. But Leonel wasn’t fazed. He stepped around him with a simple pivot, broke into the lane with a ghost-like glide, and lobbed a no-look alley-oop to DeShawn.

BANG!

Another thunderous slam.

Score: 13–10.

Louie shouted from the bench, "They’re answering everything we do!"

Kai muttered, "We need to strike back, hard."

Ethan’s lips tightened. (They’ve played together longer. They’ve fought stronger opponents. They’re sharper on defense, tighter on rotations. Our only edge is our heart... and Lucas’s power.)

...

Evan snatched the ball off the baseline, sweat glistening on his brow, and without hesitation, he launched a sharp inbound pass straight to Lucas.

Lucas caught it mid-stride, his feet barely skimming the court, already sprinting like he was chasing something invisible.

(Let’s see if this works...) Ethan thought, eyes narrowing as Lucas exploded up the court.

Ayumi gasped from the bench. "He’s fast... faster than before—"

Lucas didn’t just run, he cut through.

The moment his sneakers touched the hardwood, it was as if he borrowed the spirit of Allen Iverson himself that raw, street-honed, ankle-snapping brilliance.

Jace Holloway stepped up to meet him. "You’re not crossing me—"

Too late.

Lucas dipped his left shoulder, sold a crossover so tight it looked like a glitch and Jace twitched. Hard.

Lucas exploded right gone.

"He got him!!" Aiden jumped to his feet.

Jace reached in desperation fouled.

"AND ONE!!" the ref shouted as the whistle blew, Lucas had already gone airborne.

In front of the towering 7’0" DeShawn Briggs.

Lucas didn’t flinch.

He cupped the ball in his right hand and took off, rising high, chest forward, fearless.

(Deshawn’s dunk? Let’s see how it feels on the other end.)

Briggs went up, arms like steel beams, face emotionless.

But Lucas... turned mid-air. Twisting.

He switched hands, pulling a mid-air double-clutch.

WHAM!!

The ball slammed in with brutal grace right over the center’s outstretched hand.

Bench: ERUPTION.

Ayumi’s hands flew over her mouth. "He just dunked OVER Briggs! Lucas just—!!"

Kai screamed, "THAT’S MY SHOOTING GUARD!!"

Louie? Speechless — just grabbed Aiden and shook him.

Coonie said "Damn Monster"

Ryan on the court threw up three fingers in disbelief. Josh was jumping. Evan was howling.

Lucas landed. Calm. Cold. Breathing steady.

Score:13–12. Vorpal Free throw

Ref blows the whistle. "COUNT IT. AND ONE!"

Leonel didn’t even blink.

He just stared.

(He copied Briggs. In motion. Mid-play. He adapted instantly. ...That wasn’t normal.)

He narrowed his eyes. (Lucas Graves... you’re not just a spark. You’re a flame trying to be a wildfire.)

Briggs, walking back to the paint, grumbled, "Tch... lucky angle."

Lucas turned, face stone still.

"That wasn’t luck."

He walked to the line.

Ethan’s hands clenched behind his back. (That... was the moment. A momentum shift. He just made them look human.)

Ayumi whispered to herself, still stunned. "Lucas... you’re really trying to win this game, aren’t you?"

Ethan glanced sideways at her. (He’s not trying. He’s decided to.)

Lucas bounced the ball once. Twice.

Then calmly knocked down the free throw.

Score: 13–13.

The bench roared again.

The arena crackled.

But Leonel was already inbounding.

"Back to work," he said, voice low. "Let’s not let the spotlight blind us."

Jace caught the ball, his cocky smirk now replaced by tight lips.

No trash talk.

They knew now.

Vorpal Basket wasn’t just some desperate team.

They were a threat.

To be continue

Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om