The arena buzzed with excitent—one that intensified as more people filed into their seats.
Nina and Rolan looked around the Fire Court and shook their heads in amusent.
Like its na, the court was engulfed by a fiery atmosphere, leaving them sweaty even though the ga hadn't started yet.
Suzy and her team also arrived, sitting on the front seats just right behind the Dog's bench.
"Finally," Yani sighed. "It's the last ga of the group phase. We can finally cheer for the quarter-finals."
Suzy nodded, feeling excited yet nervous at the sa ti. There was a gnawing feeling in the back of her mind, but she shrugged it off.
More people went inside the court.
The Yin Yang Knights, as well as Chaoxing and the newbies, sat next to each other.
"Max!" Chaoxing exclaid.
Max turned to the older player with raised eyebrows. "Chaoxing! You're watching this ga?" he asked.
"Yeah," Chaoxing smiled. "You may not know, but we t each other during the sumr training camp. I find this team very interesting."
Fabin, Ailun, and Max turned to each other in surprise. "Oh, really?" Fabin asked. "Do you find a player particularly intriguing?"
Chaoxing nodded. "Guo. Kai Guo."
Fabin and Ailun held back their chuckles as they glanced at Max.
"Looks like you have more competition," Ailun teased, causing Max to roll his eyes.
Just then, their coach arrived, capturing the attention of Chaoxing and the others.
"Good afternoon, coach," they greeted respectfully. Although he was from another city, he was still well-respected among the biggest teams.
Guanyu nodded in acknowledgnt before taking a seat. He initially didn't want to watch the ga. However, he couldn't contain his curiosity. He felt that he should watch it—almost like an instinct.
More and more people ca in.
It felt like the crowd had doubled since the last ga. Parents, fans, students, scouts—it didn't matter. All eyes were fixed on the court, everyone waiting for the final showdown of the group phase.
"They really packed it in," Max muttered under his breath, glancing up at the swarming stands. He stretched his arms above his head, feeling the muscles in his back flex and release.
Fabin sighed. "Dude, I think it's because there's no other interesting gas left. They were all held in the morning."
Max nodded, running his fingers through his oily hair. They, too, had just finished their last ga on this very court.
They had been undefeated, winning against all of their opponents—well, luck also played a lot in their win. They didn't play with the Dogs or the Knights for the group phase.
However, they weren't the only ones undefeated. If the Shizi Dogs managed to win this ga, then they, too, would have a perfect record.
The Keystone Giants, on the other hand, had that one blemish— a loss to the Dragons.
"Looks like they've got fans now, too," Rolan said, gesturing toward the far side of the court. The Shizi Dogs had just entered the gym, and sure enough, a small crowd erupted in cheers. Banners and signs flew up in the air, people yelling the nas of their favorite players.
Rolan couldn't help but snort. "Funny how winning changes things, huh?"
"I think Kai's handso looks also contributed to it," Nina giggled.
Rolan shook his head, grinning.
The Shizi Dogs' players strutted across the court, wearing their confidence-like armor. They had every reason to feel untouchable, especially after beating the Dragons. That win cented their reputation, making a team to beat in the tournant.
But the Keystone Giants also wasn't one to be underestimated.
"Eyes up," Coach Li said, his voice cutting through the chatter. "You see that?"
He pointed toward the Dogs, his face calm, but his words pointed. "They're feeling good right now. Real good."
"That's because they beat the Dragons," Ming Yao, their center standing at 7'3 tall, said. "We were beaten by the Dragons, so they'd probably think it would be natural to defeat us."
Coach Li smirked. "I know," he said, looking over at the Dogs. "But we only lost that ga because the Dragons' average height—excluding Fenhua—is also pretty high. These guys have average heights."
Then he folded his arms, his sharp eyes still watching the Dogs intently. "They may be undefeated right now, but that doesn't an they're unbeatable, especially since they're facing us," he smirked.
anwhile, Kai looked across the court at the Giants.
They were laughing, tossing the ball around like it was just another practice session, but he could see the determination in their eyes.
"They ca here to win," he muttered.
Kai knew that the Keystone Giants needed this win.
"Hmm," Lina humd right by his side, hearing his statent.
"There are a lot of teams gunning for that top spot," she continued.
"The Knights haven't lost, and they had pretty high scores, so it's expected that they're going to top our bracket."
"The Dragons co next with only one loss."
"If we win this, we'll be the team with no losses. The only other team."
"And, in return, the Keystone Giants would be tied with the Lizards—and that's not a good place to be," Kai added.
So, in short, the Keystone Giants would definitely go out of their way to win this ga—no matter what it took.
"You ready?" Yuze asked, joining their conversation.
Kai took a deep breath, standing tall. "I've been ready."
The sound of sneakers squeaking against the polished floor filled the gym as both teams completed their warm-ups. The crowd had grown impossibly louder, the noise bouncing off the walls.
Coach Li called them into a huddle, his face stern. "I don't care who they've beaten. They haven't beaten us. We've co this far, and we're not going to let them take this from us. You play smart, you play hard, and you don't give them an inch."
Coach Muchen also gathered the Shizi Dogs.
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"Now," he said. "You've co such a long way. I know they're the most intimidating team we've ever faced, but you will face even scarier teams from now on."
"Play your best, and always stay safe. Always," he reiterated the last statent.
Their hearts pounded in their chest—both from fear and excitent.
"They think they've got this in the bag," Renren said, glancing at the Giants. "Let's show them what a mistake that is."
Kai's eyes locked onto the Keystone Giants as they moved into position, the adrenaline surging through him.
Then, the buzzer sounded.
Ga ti.
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