The bone-chilling sensation that slithered from Ky's scalp to the soles of his feet after coming into contact with Tommy's murderous and blackened ambiance had withered. The wooden court beneath them felt as if it had risen upward, breaking through the ceiling until bursting through the atmosphere, floating aimlessly in the black void of space.

Ky focused his gaze on Tommy, attempting to access his player data; however, outside of his overall skill value, Ky couldn't access anything. It was as if Tommy's data was locked behind a firewall, selecting a prompt would boot Ky back to the main menu.

Talents Access Denied

Talents Access Denied

Talents Access Denied

So this kid is so fucking insane that I can't even read him, even with this new power. It doesn't matter, I have to win. I have to prove that I can keep up, even with the likes of him!

Ky took one, powerful step forward as if intending on stomping a hole through the hardwood. He took off, displacing the air around where he once stood as he beat the ball repeatedly onto the ground, dribbling with such force that the hardwood was bending each time the leather sphere came into contact with it.

Opposite Ky's stone-cold, vacant expression, Tommy watched him with a warped smile, showing his sharp, bloodthirsty fangs, holding himself back from ripping Ky's neck apart with his animalistic urges. His eyes were dilated, his hazel irises disappearing beneath his opaque, black pupils. His fingers were bent inward, honed like the claws of an apex predator, wanting to wrap themselves around Ky's nape.

The hardwood squealed the moment Ky shifted his hips, crossing the ball over from one hand to the other, his sneakers sliding across the ground like a drift racer's tires. That loud, high-pitched shriek was replicated within a nanosecond as Tommy's shoes burned rubber as well, following Ky closely, not letting him out of his reach.

He's fast!

Ky swapped the ball between his hands again, this time even quicker than the last; nevertheless, Tommy was hot on his trail, still in his bestial defensive stance with arms so wide, they formed an impassable barrier.

Damn it, getting to the basket isn't going to work! I'm going to have to shoot from mid-range!

Ky shuffled his feet, the sound of his sneakers was swiftly followed by the sound of Tommy's as the Englishman stayed metaphorically attached to Ky's hip.

Two hundred milliseconds… He reacts to my movements in two hundred milliseconds!

Without looking away from Tommy's eyes, Ky could see a spotlight gleaming in the corner of his visual field. He'd identified the launch point of his first shot attempt, right at the corner of the free throw line.

The free-throw line is fifteen feet away from the basket. I've performed this shot a million times already– one hundred million times! The exact amount of force and arc are all muscle memory at this point, but still!

A three-dimensional model of the court materialized in Ky's mind. The exact location where he would shoot the ball was highlighted, and the arc from where his fingers would release the ball was shown as a shining, white line, along with numbers that showed the precise measurements for a successful shot.

There it is! Measurements complete; now to set things in motion!

Ky crossed the ball behind his back and began moving laterally to Tommy, leading him to the launch point.

You wanna see my superpower, you freaky Brit? I'll show you my superpower!

Ky stepped past where he'd planned to shoot before flinging the ball between his legs and dancing backward onto his calculated spot. Just as he predicted, Tommy reacted in two hundred milliseconds, and his arms began to rise toward the stars surrounding them.

He's fast, but not fast enough! He can contest this shot all he wants, I already did my calculations! He's only two inches taller than me, I'll be over to shoot right over his red head!

Ky's feet parted with the ground as he lifted the ball to his forehead. With a flick of his wrist, he released the ball with flawless precision. Ky's poised, confident, and hopeful gaze watched the ball as it divorced his fingertips. However, that conviction in his eyes would fade away like a dying flame upon seeing Tommy's slender, crooked, and long fingers matching the height of the ball.

No way… Ky's inner voice breathlessly uttered in disbelief.

Tommy's oversized, lanky limbs were outstretched, reminiscent of a superhero with the ability to stretch his limbs like rubber. They were deceptively long; too long for his body, but even longer once they were extended. The way his shoulders mutilated themselves was otherworldly, almost appearing as if they lacked any joints or bones.

The lankly Englishman swatted the ball, his hand completely flattening it for a beat due to the force of the cataclysmic impact. Like a meteorite, the ball bashed the ground, once again seeming flat then bouncing across the entirety of the gymnasium, zooming to the opposite wall like a bullet.

The surrounding area around Ky was once more that of the real world; they were no longer floating in that swarthy vacuum. He didn't look back but he could hear the ball bouncing from over a hundred feet away from him. Even if he wanted to look back; he couldn't look away from Tommy's bestial expression. His eyes were like black holes– that same black aura that resonated from his body was spilling out of his pupils like smoke from a fire.

Since his shot was blocked, Ky forfeited possession. Like a lion watching its dinner from afar, Tommy's eyes tracked Ky as he grabbed another ball from the rack and approached the Englishman hesitantly.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

I don't understand… How can he stretch his body like that, it should be impossible… His wingspan should only be eighty-five inches long. I calculated it! Was I wrong?

The image of Tommy's unnaturally tender shoulders morphing freakishly replayed in Ky's mind.

No, I wasn't wrong. He shifted his shoulders somehow and his wingspan gained multiple inches in length! But how! What the hell is wrong with him!? Does he want to win so badly that he's breaking his anatomy for a slight competitive advantage?

Reluctantly, Ky checked the ball, handing it to Tommy before the British crackpot instantly pushed off the ground. The sound of his sneakers chafing against the hardwood didn't sound like a drift race; no, it sounded like a jet taking off from an aircraft carrier

He immediately took Ky to the basket, opting to take advantage of the two-inch height difference. They were playing a physical game, bumping chest to back as Ky blocked his path. Though Ky was lacking in the length department in comparison, he outweighed the twiggy small forward, using his chest as a barrier to keep him away from the basket.

Still, despite being unable to push the curly-headed guard backward, Tommy b-lined laterally for the basket.

Does he think I'm stupid? There's no way I'm letting him lay it in right in my face like this! You block my shot, and I'll block yours! Equivalent exchange! Shoutout to Edward!

Five feet from the basket, Tommy gripped the ball in both hands, committing to the shot.

Ky contested it, his feet launching himself off the ground to block the attempt. As predicted, Tommy was preparing to throw the ball into the hoop, but not in the way that Ky was expecting. With his body straight, his shoulder aimed toward the rim, Tommy raised his right arm high, his left shoulder colliding with Ky's chest as his right arm began moving in a circular motion. The height of their heads as they both soared through the air was even; in fact, Ky might've been an inch or two higher, raising both hands to block the shot.

A skyhook!? Nice try, it's not going to be that easy, you British bastard!

However, as Ky's fingertips were about to graze the ball, Tommy's shoulder contorted freakishly once again, and his arm grew a few inches, just enough to clear Ky's fingers. With ease, Tommy delicately bounced the ball off the backboard and into the hoop, scoring his first point.

That should be impossible! How can he possibly…

As Ky rationalized the play, Tommy scoffed.

"How disappointing. I guess I was wrong about you…" the redhead mumbled, his back facing Ky. He then reared his neck, the fire in his eyes was gone and his hazel irises were once again visible without any light reflecting off of them. "You don't have a superpower, do you? You're completely ass. Far beneath anyone in this contest, let alone me. How the hell did you even get into this contest? Did you wank off one of the showrunners, huh Lewinsky?"

Lewinsky… Ky repeated in his mind.

A bullet pierced through Ky's chest and heart; whatever sliver of confidence that remained inside of him had completely vanished.

It's my analysis skills! That's my strength! That's my strength… But if it was so useful, why do I always lose? Maybe it's true, I really am ass…

Ky's eyelids sank alongside his brow; at the same time, his shoulder fell and his arms dangled helplessly. Tommy cringed scrutinizing this pathetic display; he was hoping for a challenge at the very least.

It's over. I'm barely seventy-five overall and I can't keep up with players in the eighties… How can I even think of competing against someone like Marcus Jameson, who's in the nineties? I'm not cut out to be a basketball player… I should just go home; maybe I can forfeit my spot to someone else.

The ambient blackness that emanated from Tommy enveloped the entire court as defeat was all but guaranteed for Ky. The coldness of it then began to cocoon Ky, starting from his feet before rising toward his face. Soon enough, even his entire head was covered, only leaving room for his eyes to take one last look at the court before covering him completely.

Analysis Complete!

Ky's eyes shot open, pushing back the darkness like a shockwave. He glanced at Tommy and for the first time since the start of the match, he could view one of his talents.

Talent Description Fantastic Reach Increases the ability to contest shots and shoot over opponents due to long limbs

Well, yeah. Not shit, system. I figured as much.

New Talent Pathway Unlocked

Pathway? Ky wondered, focusing his eyes on the prompt and opening a new menu. Beneath a brand new talent were the requirements to unlock it.

Talent Description Unlock Requirements Pogo Stick Increases one's jumping ability, allowing them to shoot over taller defenders and contest their shots Successfully block or shoot over a defender ten times

Right… I was wrong about my superpower. It's not my ability to analyze and assess the situation; no, that's not it at all. I've always been good at math, and from a young age, I've had a decent grasp of physics and geometry, even as a toddler. I've been using those skills to my advantage when playing basketball, but I haven't been using these skills to their fullest. He's right, I didn't have a superpower, not a full one, but I understand what my power is now.

Adaptability.

That is my power. With the help of my analytical prowess, I can adjust to any situation. I analyze my opponent and then unlock a new skill to beat their power! So that's what I have to do to beat this guy, I have to adjust. If he's going to stretch add three inches to his wingspan, I just have to add three inches to my vertical!

This is the second time he's disrespected me– the second time he's said I was beneath him.

Ky's body quivered; his veins were being pumped full of adrenaline. His hatred for the Englishman was brewing, boiling ten times hotter than it was before. The voice in his head changed; no longer was it the recognizable sound of his own voice. It was the voice he heard in his head before he eliminated Bowl Cut.

I'm not taking shit from some redheaded, twink from England! You play like you want to kill your opponent? Well, so be it! Let's try to kill each other then!

Ky walked toward the ball, gripping it with his fingers and the palm of a single hand. Curiously, Tommy watched, a brow raised as he could see something brewing from the center of Ky's body. An aura, like his, was beginning to take form, an umberish violet smoke that nearly consumed the redhead's whole.

Ky twisted his neck; his gaze, meeting Tommy's, was chilling, robotic. He wasn't just staring daggers; his gaze felt like a railgun blast to Tommy's chest, emanating a warm shiver that spread throughout the Englishman's body. Rather than feeling fear in the moment, Tommy's contorted grin stretched across his face as if he'd just stolen Christmas.

That feeling… the look in his eyes… Tommy's inner voice trembled. So this is what it's like to be on the other side of it. He wants to kill me, doesn't he? You're full of surprises, aren't you? I guess all it takes to awaken that killer within you is to rile you up.

Tommy's body was overtaken by a pleasure-filled shiver as he glanced admiringly into Ky's eyes.

I knew it when I first saw you. You're the one. That special individual who was placed in this world to push me past my limits.

Go ahead and try to kill me; I dare you!