The ball flew high, and Jaz jumped over Kai, tipping it back to Nash with a loud smack that cut through the cheering crowd.

Nash caught it smoothly at half‑court and moved immediately forward. The arena was loud, fans on their feet shouting "Blaze!" and "Boom!" The whole place felt electric, like the game could still swing either way.

Aiko rushed in to stop him. She blocked his path, her eyes focused, her twintails bouncing as she stayed low on her toes. Her legs shook a little, but she refused to back up.

Nash's earlier words still burned inside her. She wanted more time with him, a chance to prove herself, and maybe pull him to their side. That hope pushed her harder than ever. She played with a new fire, smiling even through the sweat.

Nash faked left quick, crossed right, and blew past her clean, her hands grabbing air as she stumbled a step, cheeks flushing but a laugh slipping out despite the miss.

The strange sensation of feeling pride for her valuable rival, another gift she got from this match.

Nash rose for a mid-range jumper over Hina's late jump, her clumsy arms reaching high, and the ball swished through the net. Score: 100-82.

The crowd erupted in joy, Blacklist fans stamping frantically, but Baby-Boom did not give in; they ran back, Rei quickly putting the ball back into play to Miko, who propelled it forward, her glasses fogged with sweat, but her shooting steps were assured, and she sketched a slight smile.

Miko set a screen on Nia, bumping hips light and playful now, and pulled up for a three, ball arcing high and clean, swish loud that pulled cheers from their side. Score: 100-85.

Nash smiled at the answer, grabbed the inbound, and pushed again. Kai cut off the paint, arms wide, stance strong, but Jaz slipped behind her, cutting the baseline with force.

Nash made a no-look pass that Jaz caught, passing in front of Hina for an easy basket, her body brushing against hers, her chest rising and falling with her breath, as she finished with a wink to the bench, prompting cheers from her teammates and confusion from Jinzo.

Score: 102-85. Hina laughed, shaking her head, more amused by Jaz's strength than by the outcome of the game. Her eyes landed on Nash with that spark of stunned happiness, determined to give it her all, even when they were behind.

Alicia got her chance next. Rei rushed an outlet pass under pressure, and Nash stole it. He passed it to Alicia on the wing. She jumped for the three, body loose, but the shot hit the rim hard.

She grimaced right away. Yeah, having fun was good when you actually succeeded in what you tried.

She slapped her own hands once and ran back with a big smile. The crowd laughed with her.

As the game progressed, the match settled into a rhythm, with Nash and Jaz gradually taking control.

Their teamwork and individual strengths slowly overwhelmed Baby-Boom, allowing them to penetrate the defense repeatedly.

The score steadily increased, each basket extending Blacklist's lead. Victoria's smile widened as she watched the lead grow, delighted with the flawless execution.

Dahlia's eyes lit up with pride, in contrast to hers, because the entire team was finally playing as a true unit: Jaz was finally letting her emotions show, Alicia was giving it her all, and even Nia was playing with genuine commitment, without any pretense.

Their teamwork seemed authentic, and their satisfaction improved as the game wore on.

120–89.

Both teams kept fighting even though the gap was huge.

Miko scored a clean three from Rei's pass, Alicia missed a few shots but kept trying, and the crowd cheered her on.

Nash set her up more, and she finally hit one.

Aiko kept trying to beat Nash one‑on‑one. She pushed herself hard, driving at him again and yelling for him to show more.

Nash let her get close, then stole the ball and passed to Drex for another three. Score moved to 126–91.

Even getting dribbled again and again she didn't stop coming. Each failed try only made her want to keep going, even if she knew she couldn't stop him.

Kai got one good stop on Nia, blocking her drive and sending Hina ahead for a lucky layup that made her laugh when it somehow dropped in.

But Nash stayed in full control, while focusing on their mood, he tried to succeed the second quest too.

Jaz was by all evidence leading in the points scored, and the fact that he needed to regularly feed her assists to keep her mood up was already a serious handicap.

He stole passes, scored points, and made the whole match move at his crazy pace.

Nia guarded hard without teasing, Jaz dominated the paint with strong finishes, and Alicia kept firing threes, missing many, hitting the big ones.

Miko watched Nash bring the ball up the court and her heart skipped a beat.

She was the shortest player on the court, barely taller than his shoulders, but she was a woman nonetheless.

Shouldn't that be enough? Besides, she was pretty good-looking.

Her slender, athletic body, with its narrow hips and almost flat chest beneath her loose-fitting jersey, exuded a subtle sensuality.

Her delicate collarbones were visible, her endless legs seemed to float in her shorts, her skin smooth and rosy from the match.

A subtle, almost childlike grace, mixed with a tomboyish confidence. Neither voluptuous nor extroverted, like Hina or Kai, just… a quiet beauty that drew the eye.

That should definitely be enough for Nash.

She crept towards him, her cheeks burning, and moved closer, far too close to defend herself.

Her slender hip brushed against his thigh, lightly, almost timidly, and she rose onto her tiptoes, pressing her small breasts against his arm.

Nothing particularly pressing, but the contact was soft, warm, her swimsuit damp and clinging just enough to reveal the curves it outlined beneath.

"You... you won't escape me," she murmured, her voice breathless and low, trying to be sensual but falling into a soft, trembling tone, her glasses fogging instantly from the heat between them.

Nash felt the slight shock, the small, courageous push from her body, the trembling of her long legs.

Even Miko? The discreet, intelligent girl who was throwing herself at him?

An intrigued smile slowly spread across his face. Damn… this night is really going to be interesting.

He let the contact linger for a second longer, then smoothly turned away. As he turned, his hand slid down her back, his fingers brushing the subtle curve of her waist and hips, murmuring a quiet, "Getting bold, kitty?"

Miko gasped. Her entire slender body tensed, her knees buckling for a moment. She froze, pushing up her completely fogged-up glasses, her cheeks flushed, a small, stunned smile flickering involuntarily.

Nash was already away, but she didn't try to catch him back.

She bit her lip, half embarrassed, half delighted.

The ridiculous attempt had worked. He'd noticed her.

Nash intercepted the pass she hadn't seen coming and handed it to Alicia, bam, three more points. Score: 115-93.

The score jumped to 131–94, then 140–96.

The crowd was loud, Blacklist fans enjoyed the show, while Baby‑Boom supporters looked tense, they could see the score slipping further and further.

Even Monique began to frown, despite her earlier instructions, realizing how one‑sided it had become.

It was now and humiliation.

Victoria smirked, pleased, her satisfaction peaking.

The last minute kept the same pace. Baby‑Boom refused to quit, Miko hit a three, and Rei fed Hina for a layup that made the crowd cheer.

Score reached 142–102. Nash answered with a steal and set up Jaz for a clean dunk, shaking the rim. 144–102.

With a few seconds left, it was over.

Aiko pushed close to Nash during a last screen.

"Will we really meet after the match?" she asked quietly.

Her satisfaction was at its peak too, and with this request, it was practically the doors of completion for his main quest opening.

Nash glanced at her, smiling like a good gentleman.

"Yeah. I said we would, and I want to respect my words."

"You promise?" she whispered, like she needed the answer to breathe.

"I'll be there, right in the locker," he said simply.

Aiko nodded fast, almost too relieved, then ran back into position.

Nash stripped the ball again and passed to Alicia for another three. Swish. 146–102.

Blacklist kept scoring and running plays clean, while Baby‑Boom kept pushing with bright smiles even as the score worsened for them.

Their supporters grew quieter, faces worried, and even their bench looked tense. In contrast, the girls on the court looked strangely free, laughing, shouting, and fighting for every point like they had nothing left to lose, but they didn't stop.

They fought until the very end, and when the final buzzer rang, they were still smiling, even with the huge loss shining above them.

Final Score: Blacklist 146 – Baby‑Boom 104.

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