Nash's finger landed squarely on Jinzo.

Jinzo's eyes widened.

"What?!"

Mac and Drex shot up from their bench in unison.

"The fuck?!" Mac barked.

Drex's jaw dropped, his broad shoulders hunching.

"You kiddin' me?!"

Nash said it casually, like he was commenting on the weather, leaning back with a shrug.

"Jinzo starts on the bench for this one. Annoying, right? But necessary."

Jinzo shot up like a spring, face red with rage, fists clenched.

"You're benching me? Me?!"

He complained verbally, voice rising sharp and bitter. He looked at Daliah, Victoria, but both women barely reacted.

He was alone, all alone.

He grit his teeth.

"You bastard! This is revenge! This is revenge for exposing you fucking Hina! You can't just—"

Nash brushed it off with a wave.

"Revenge or not, I have the power here. You're the bench. Deal with it."

It was too much for Jinzo. His fists clenched harder, veins bulging on his forearms as he spat the insult.

"You bastard! Selfish prick... always rigging shit for your favorites!"

He lunged forward, the room exploding in tension.

Jaz reacted fastest, her formidable strength kicking in just in time.

she grabbed him by the back, lifting him clean off the ground, his feet kicking air.

"Jinzo, no! Calm down!"

Mac and Drex stood fully now, but not to stop the fight. They were ready to back him, Mac stepping up with a growl.

"You touch him, and..."

Drex mirrored, fists raised like they were seconds from swinging.

Victoria talked once from the front, and her voice, like a whip, froze the room.

"You're going to calm down like good dogs or I put you all on the street."

Jinzo snarled, struggling in Jaz's iron grip, his face twisted, voice raw and breaking with fury. "This is payback for exposing you fucking Hina! You call that strategy? Bullshit! You're just covering your ass!"

Nash didn't flinch, smiling still, his posture relaxed like he was watching a mildly entertaining show, and sure, it was so entertaining.

"Fair play, yeah. You snitched, we're even. But real talk, I wanna test a new strategy. Sit tight, it's for the win."

Jinzo's voice rose, raw and desperate, kicking against Jaz's hold.

"Bullshit! You're just protecting your harem! Alicia and Nia? Come on! We all know they can't do shit here! Flirting won't faze girls! They're useless!"

Nia and Alicia shot annoyed gazes at him.

Nash kept his calm, voice steady, addressing the room.

"Sadly for you, no, it's strategy. I want to try you as my sub, Jinzo. You underperform when I'm leading, you can't deny it. So let's flip it: I start, build the lead. If it goes according to plan, we'll have a huge edge by the second quarter. There, you'll sub me in, fresh legs. Play like you hate my guts; and prove you're better."

He looked at the team, sweeping his gaze to pull them in.

"I observed Baby-Boom, studied their matches. I've already burnt their main plan last night, so now they put everything on the court. Trick is, all-men squad sounds better on paper, but here's the catch: Hina or Kai touches Mac or Drex even once, you'll ejaculate prematurely."

Mac and Drex were offended, faces vexed and flushing red.

Mac slamming a fist on the bench.

"Fuck that noise! You callin' us premature ejaculators?!"

Drex growled low.

"Like we'd fold that easy, bullshit assumption!"

Jinzo snarled from Jaz's grip, twisting to glare.

"You think we're weak? That it?!"

Nash kept going, hands up.

"Us not able to use seduction doesn't mean they can't. They expect us to go all-boys, brute force. They don't expect us to send a girl looking for a flute on a clam."

"And how do we deal with the power difference?" Victoria asked, cutting in sharp, arms still crossed. "More girls mean less raw advantage."

Nash said, gesturing to one person.

"This is where Jaz comes into play."

Everyone looked at the stunned giantess pointing at herself.

"Me?"

Nash explained.

"Yes. This time, make her play the whole court. Baby-Boom's all women, small frames, their tallest, Rei, hits your chest level. You'll steamroll 'em, if you go all out. Nia and Alicia are just overkill, if it doesn't work, sub 'em out, but I want to try."

The team looked at each other.

At first, they were angry he was favoring his harem, then, they were curious about why he wanted to try a strange strategy on Rei, and finally, they had to admit...

He spoke so well, so convincing, that they wanted to believe he was one step ahead.

Daliah murmured.

"When did he think all that up?"

It was unexpected. Nash gave the aura, and had the attitude of an annoying bastard with no moral, treating women like possession.

Then, on occasion, he would put the whole game on the table, with the rules, the secret codes, and a manual of explanation.

Victoria's eyes narrowed.

"Clever... I forgot we had this use of Jaz's raw power. And I suppose you found something useful on Rei too. Let's give it a try."

Even the boys shifted uncomfortably, forced to concede the logic. This was a reminder, that Nash had great instincts from the start, honed in street games long before any system.

But Jinzo's eyes burned.

"Still picking on me specifically 'cause I called you out!"

Jaz pulled him back gently, her voice soothing.

"Nash might be right... it's for the team, Jinzo. Play smart as sub; you'll get your shot."

But Jinzo shook her off, voice rising.

"For the team? Or his ego? You always take his side now!"

The room tensed more. The opinion was divided into two now, each willing to make their voice heard. Victoria sealed the debate with one word.

"Enough."

The room stilled instantly.

"Nash's call. Deal."

There was no room for arguments.

Jaz let go of Jinzo's, comforted by Mac and Drex, who clustered around him, murmuring support.

"We're with you, man; this bastard won't get away with it."

Nash had his back to them, smiling faintly, unfazed.

Daliah watched him, worried.

On the way to the court, she pulled Victoria aside.

"Ma'am, the risk of implosion is higher; we should really put some leverage in place. Nash may be our best asset, but we shouldn't risk losing the whole squad over one player."

Victoria paced slower, her high heels clicking on the concrete like metronome ticks.

"Hmph, are you saying I should back off my word? I put Nash in the lead, and he won it fair. It goes as he pleases for as long as they win, hate each other all they want, Daliah. Victory covers a multitude of sins."

Daliah seemed contraried, her brow furrowing as she jotted a quick note, murmuring under her breath.

"Is this really how you wanted to do it?"

The team composition locked in: Nash at point guard, Drex at power forward, Jaz at small forward, Mac at center, Nia at shooting guard, with Alicia, Jinzo, and the trinity NPCs somehow back from the orgy but in terrible states, as subs.

The locker room door opened, and the team stepped into the Neon Nexus Arena.

The crowd's roar hit like a wall of sound, a deafening wave of cheers and chants crashing over them.

The court gleamed under blinding lights, the polished wood reflecting neon streaks, the air filled with energy.

The stands were a riot of color, Blacklist's black-and-gold jerseys clashing with Baby-Boom's pink-and-white gear.

Fans screamed, "Black-list! Black-list!" while others chanted, "Ba-by Boom!" A drunk tossed a beer can, missing the court, as a glittery sign read, "Rei Rules!"

In their hotel room, Zayela was comfortably installed in front of the TV, watching her man entering with a bright smile.

In another hotel room, Sarra and Lina watched on TV, Lina yelling.

"Kick ass!"

Sarra's eyes gleamed behind her glasses.

Amara lounged in her suite, sipping rich wine, smirking.

And somewhere else, in another room without all this comfort, Saya watched intently, glued to the TV.

It was a simple match, with the taste of a finale.

Blacklist came with their usual sleek, black jerseys while Baby-Boom strutted in cute-rebel style, pink crop-top jerseys with black heart patches, white shorts with star studs, pink sneakers with glittery laces.

Rei led, fierce; Kai bounced energetic; Aiko calm; Miko confident. However, once Hina spotted Nash, she panicked.

"Ah! The butt bandit!"

She hid behind Rei, peeking out.

Nash smirked, finally an acceptable reaction, his vengeance payed back. He glanced at Aiko, who looked cute in her uniform, glancing away as their eyes met.

Nash smiled, but Rei cut in.

"I'll eat that smile, Blaze."

Nash's smile widened, his eyes switching to her.

"You'll swallow something else."

Rei gritted her teeth,

"Fucking pig."

The teams lined up at center court, the ref holding the ball. Razz boomed, "Underground, it's go time! Blacklist vs. Baby-Boom! Who takes control?"

Vex added.

"Bet's on, the court's gonna burn!"

The ball tipped, and the game started.

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