The Underleague bracket schedule appeared early that afternoon, gradually spreading throughout the streams and feeds. As always happened in such situations, discussions exploded. Everyone talked about it.

Some predicted possible outcomes, while others bet on favorites who would be able to overcome upper brackets and continue in the tournament. In any betting list, among top predictions, there was only one team that received an honorable place, its name written in capital letters.

The Colossus.

As evening fell, queues outside Hell Gates arena grew to ridiculous lengths like lines during the festival. Rowdy and wild citizens were all on the streets now, ready to have fun. The crowd pushed the huge concrete gates like a wave in the river, with people rushing in.

The atmosphere inside was unlike anything seen before. It felt more like a street party than a game, and nothing looked like it was being organized here. Shouts filled the space while people pressed against metal gates, violently kicking them. Those crowds weren’t gathered randomly for nothing tonight. Everyone there was waiting for one thing: a game of the highest Breakball level.

Nash moved through the upper stands, his big shoulders making it easy for him to push past the loud betters shouting odds at each other. He had his heavy black sweater pulled low over his face, keeping himself hidden in the shadow of his hood as he didn’t want to be recognized.

Right beside him, Victoria. She had actually followed him all the way from Hangar 47, sticking to him like glue. To blend in with the crowd, she had ditched her usual black suits, the kind that made her look like she belonged in a boardroom. Instead, she wore a plain dark jacket and a thick scarf wrapped tight over her hair, like she was trying to disappear into the background. She still had her dark glasses on though, and for once, they served to something else than intimidating people.

"You really should’ve stayed back and waited for the debrief," Nash muttered, side-eyeing her like he was annoyed but not really surprised. "If someone sees me alone, I can just say I’m scouting the competition for the team. But if they look up and see the manager of Blacklist sitting next to me..."

Victoria didn’t even hesitate.

"For my own sanity, I needed to be here," she shot back. "Your winning streak with your words is... messing with my head. I need to see how you work. Plus, we’re entering the most important part of this whole plan, so I’m not sitting in my office waiting for a message like some secretary."

A few rows behind them, completely hidden in the crowd, Jinzo sat down silently, his hands resting on his knees like he wasn’t even trying to breathe too loud. He had followed them all the way from the hangar, slipping through the crowd at a safe distance, sticking to the shadows like he was part of them.

He had come here earlier and almost missed them, but not everyone stood as tall as Nash, so he still managed to pick him out in the crowd, especially with the unmistakable way the woman beside him moved, her hips swaying just slightly with each step.

He was shocked to see the manager out here, wearing that kind of outfit, like she was trying to be someone else. But seeing them together only made the ugly suspicion in his chest grow stronger. There was a secret deal happening. He was on the right track.

Down beneath the stadium seats, the hallway that led to the court was so cold you could see your breath. Or maybe was this just the result of immense pressure?

The five girls from Baby-Boom were standing there under the emergency lights, all sweaty despite the chill in the air. Their muscles were tight, their shoulders stiff, while the noise from the crowd above them rumbled down the tunnel.

"My hands won’t stop shaking, Rei," Aiko said in a low voice, chewing her lip. She pressed her back against the wall, her sneakers tapping fast against the floor as she spun the ball between her palms over and over.

Normally, Aiko was the one who got everyone pumped up, the one who yelled loudest in the huddle, but right now? Her chest was moving up and down way too fast, her eyes locked on the bright rectangle of light where the court entrance was.

Rei stepped closer and grabbed her shoulder.

"Don’t stare at how big they are," Rei said, loud enough so Kai, Hina, and Miko, who were leaning in, could hear too. "We aren’t playing for Apex anymore, right? Remember the plan. Tonight, we’re just here to make sure these fans don’t look away from us. Forget their stupid reputation. Just watch the net."

"Yeah, I’m gonna run these guys until they give up," Kai snapped, punching her own palm. "They’re too slow. They’ll never keep up with us."

Miko pushed her glasses up her nose, trying to look calm, but her fingers were trembling a little. She was thinking about how much taller the other team was, especially near the hoop. Like, even Rei was short compared to them, so Miko looked more like... something that could provoke a riot about being legal or not.

"If Vex stays planted under the basket, we’re finished, Rei," she whispered. "We have to pull him out."

"Then we pull him out," Hina said, forcing a grin onto her face even though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "But, seriously, girls, watch your backs. They look like they want to break us. And definitely not in the butt-bandit way."

Right then, the speakers above them screeched.

"Welcome to HELL GATES, you animals!" the announcer screamed. "Tonight, the cute little idols of Baby-Boom are on the menu! But tonight, this ain’t their safe little studio game! They’re stepping onto the same floor as the monsters of the league! The kings of crushing everything in their path... THE COLOSSUS!"

The crowd lost it. The noise was so loud the floor under Nash and Victoria’s shoes actually vibrated.

The Colossus team walked out of the tunnel like they owned the place. No fancy moves, no looking at the crowd—just straight to their side like they didn’t even hear the noise. These weren’t the kind of guys who needed dirty tricks or cheap fouls to win. No, this team was different. Built on pure breakball skill, the kind that made other teams look like amateurs.

Stonewall Vex planted himself under the rim, all two meters of him blocking everything like a living wall. Phantom Cross spun a ball lazily on one finger, a little smirk curling his lips like he already knew how the game would go. Hawk-Eye Kael walked slow to the mid-court logo, testing the bounce of the ball a couple times. And Skybreaker Hall? Well, he just stood near the wing, staring at the girls in the stands like they were something he wouldn’t even bother stepping on.

Then there was their captain, Seth Vane.

Good-looking guy, sure, but his eyes? Dead. Like staring into black ice. Didn’t even glance at Rei when he took his spot at center court. Just stood there like he was already bored.

Victoria leaned in close to Nash, her voice barely louder than a whisper under all that crowd noise.

"Keep an eye on him," she said. "This one is going to be a problem. To be honest, he was actually one of my very first choices for a playmaker before I met you, but I couldn’t reach him. Guys like Seth aren’t interested in helping a manager build a new franchise from scratch. The Colossus were already accomplished champions, and this season, he’s widely expected to get the call-up for the Blood Star invitation."

Nash exhaled as he watched Seth.

"Yeah," he muttered. "I heard about him last year. He plays pure breakball. No wasted moves."

The players lined up around the center circle, their shadows stretching weirdly under the bright lights. Vex and Rei stepped forward for the tip-off while the ref held the ball tight between them, checked their eyes quick, making sure no one was about to do something stupid, then tossed it high into the air.

And just like that, the game began.

The ball flew high under the white spotlights. Rei, with her powerful legs suddenly pushing off the ground like springs, reached up with all her might, fingers stretching as far as they could to grab that leather ball.

But Vex didn’t even try that hard. He was already tall, so all he had to do was tilt backward just a little and easily tap the ball right into Cross’s waiting hands. Cross caught it while already running, dribbling the ball low and fast past the timeline like it was nothing.

Aiko crouched down into her defensive stance. Her high-top sneakers squeaked loudly against the shiny court floor as she shifted her weight.

"Not today, swift boy," she spat out, eyes locked onto Cross.

But Cross didn’t even glance at her face. Nope. Instead, he pulled off this nasty behind-the-back dribble, then suddenly did a hard drop-step right at the three-point line. The way he moved? Pure violence in motion. Aiko’s feet got tangled up trying to keep up, and before she knew it, she was stumbling backward, landing hard on her ass. Before she could even lift her head, Cross had already tossed the ball up high for an alley-oop.

And then—boom! Hall came flying in from the left wing like a rocket, caught the ball way above the cylinder, and slammed it down with both hands. The backboard groaned under the impact like it was about to break. Just like that, the score was 2-0.

"Reset!" Rei shouted, taking the ball and throwing it hard to Aiko. "Don’t let them set the grid! Move the ball!"

Aiko scrambled up, her face bright red from embarrassment and frustration. She rubbed her hip quickly before pushing past the line, calling for a high pick-and-roll. Kai, who had been waiting near the low post, rushed over and planted himself shoulder-to-shoulder against Cross, setting up a perfect screen, like a solid wall.

Aiko didn’t waste a second. She used that little bit of space to drive hard into the lane, then launched her signature floating jumper right over the interior defense.

But Vex? Oh, he didn’t even move from his spot under the rim. He just timed it perfectly, took one step, and stretched up one of his massive arms, right as the ball reached its highest point. SMACK! He swatted it away. The ball flew straight into Kael’s hands all the way at the opposite three-point line.

Kai tried to box Vex out for the rebound, but pushing against him was like trying to move an iron wall. Vex’s shoulders slammed into Kai’s chest, sending him stumbling backward like a leaf in the wind. Couldn’t budge him even an inch.

"Kael from downtown!" the commentator screamed over the roaring crowd.

Kael caught the ball mid-run and, without even looking, launched a high-arc jumper way behind the three-point line. Swish. The net snapped back violently like it had been insulted. And Kael? He was already casually jogging backward, yawning like this was just another boring day at the office, before the ball even went through the hoop. 5-0.

But Baby-Boom wasn’t giving up. Rei snapped the ball hard to Aiko, who caught it while already running. Aiko’s sneakers squeaked as she slowed just enough to see Miko sneaking along the very edge of the court, the baseline, where defenders sometimes forget to look. Meanwhile, Kai planted her feet like a brick wall, blocking Miko’s defender so hard the girl stumbled. Miko stopped suddenly, jumped straight up, and—swish—the ball went in clean.

The scoreboard ticked to 8-2.

For a little while, the girls actually played well. Like, shockingly well. Hina dribbled fast toward the basket, her pigtail whipping side to side, then tossed up a soft little layup that rolled right in. Next play, Kai jumped like she had springs in her shoes, snatching the rebound right out of Hall’s hands. She passed it out quickly, starting a fast break, and even though Rei missed the first shot, she grabbed her own rebound and scored before anyone could stop her.

Just like that, the score didn’t look so embarrassing anymore:

Colossus 12 — 10 Baby-Boom

Up in the stands, Nash nodded under his hood. This was unexpected, but it worked well for a part of the plan, the girls fighting for every loose ball, playing like they actually believed they could win. For a second, he almost thought they might pull it off.

Then Seth got the ball at half-court. His expression went blank, like someone had flipped a switch.

"Alright," he muttered, bouncing the ball once. "Let’s teach these clowns a lesson."

His right foot stomped down, and then—whoosh—he was past Rei before she could even blink. She just stood there, frozen, her brain short-circuiting. By the time her feet finally decided to move, Seth was already at the basket, the white numbers on his back shrinking into the distance. She couldn’t even follow him with her gaze.

Seth sprinted straight into the paint, drawing both Miko and Kai toward him like magnets. Then, without even looking, he flicked the ball behind his hip to Vex, who caught it easily and dropped it into the hoop.

The crowd gasped. Nash’s eyes narrowed. He had known about Seth since he was in the Dust Dogs, he knew about his legendary speed, but seeing it live... it was completely something else. Next to him, Victoria scowled.

That one burst of speed was easily on Nash’s level, maybe even higher.

After that, Colossus turned into a machine of destruction. Cross started playing this insane full-court press, stealing the ball right out of Aiko’s hands twice before she could even cross half-court. He scored one layup, then threw an alley-oop to Hall, who dunked it so hard the whole backboard shook.

Rei called a timeout, her voice shaky, and they swapped in the bench girls to give Aiko and Hina a breather. But it didn’t help. If anything, it got worse. The substitutes couldn’t handle the pressure.

Kael casually sank two deep shots in a row without even glancing at the defense. Hall drove straight down the middle, pulled three defenders toward him, then passed to Vex, who just stood there and dropped the ball in like it was nothing. The girls were running as fast as they could, but they were always one step behind. Every single possession ended in disaster.

The buzzer gave a rest to the girls, ending the first quarter on a troubling. Colossus 32, Baby-Boom 10.