Basket Sniper

"Two points!" Vincent announced as he flipped the scoreboard. He counted the goal Lars had just scored from outside the 3-pointer line. This shot would have been worth 3 points in a normal game, but it earned only 2 points in this 3v3.

[It was nothing short of brilliant!] Vincent commentated internally. [A shot that arrived from such an immense distance yet landed so beautifully into the basket! It's the first time I've seen anything like this in real life! Can he also pull a Full Court Shot!?]

The clean long-range shot fazed everybody on the court, save for Yuel and Lars for whom it was just part of the plan. Though, admittedly, Yuel's jaw also hit the floor the first time he saw this skill.

They casually played basketball a few times when Lars insisted he needed a break from Classmancers, so Yuel got to witness these superhuman 3-pointers from up close. No matter how many times he saw Lars nail these shots, they always looked like nothing short of a miracle.

These goals were as amazing as Lars's ability to land Trickshooter's bouncing shots. Both inside and outside Classmancers, Lars was superhuman.

After witnessing a stunt like this, it was no surprise that even the bullies fell silent. This one amazing shot made a dent in their confidence.

However, one of them immediately conquered his fears through sheer force of will.

"C'mon, wake up!" Mike yelled as he caught the ball from under the basket. "It's our turn to attack! Larry!" He passed the ball outside the three-pointer line, which was a requirement for starting a new legal offense.

"G-Got it!" Larry snapped out of it and focused on the ball heading his way. The weight of the ball in his hands finally brought him down to earth.

[Yeah, so what if dude scored that crazy shot?] Larry forced himself to think. [It gotta be a fluke or some shit. We gonna even the score in no time! Y-Yeah, ez!]

BAMP. The sound of something bouncing off the floor. It sounded heavy, almost like a basketball.

Wait, it WAS a basketball! More specifically, THE basketball, the one Larry was holding in his hands a moment ago!

"What the-!?" Larry turned to the criminal who hit the ball out of his hands. "Ben, you piece of...!"

"A-Ah, sorry!" Ben backed away. [B-But, I didn't do anything wrong, did I? We're playing on opposite teams here...]

Truly, it was a perfectly justified play. He simply knocked the ball out of Larry's hands and the ball jumped away to the distance. Nonetheless, Larry raged on.

"Damn, Ben!" Larry waved an angry fist. "Even if you're on the enemy team, that doesn't mean I gonna forgive this shit!"

"A-Ah!" Ben turned pale. Maybe he shouldn't have exploited Larry's momentary confusion like this.

It was obvious Larry was still a little fazed after witnessing that amazing shot Lars scored, so Ben thought it was a great opportunity to hit the ball out of the guy's hands. But, that was a little underhanded. Larry had every right to be angry.

[I hope it doesn't hurt too much.] Ben gulped. He was very much expecting that clenched fist to come flying toward his face any moment now. But...

"Larry, the ball!" Mike barked. "Stop wasting time and get the ball!"

"Oh snap, you're right!" Larry lowered his fist and broke into a dash. He had to reclaim the ball he just lost, or else Mike will be REAL mad. [I won't hear the end of it if they score another goal from this. Gulp.]

Fortunately, Ben was wack when it came to basketball. Dude was a loser who wouldn't hurt a fly, so he didn't hit the ball too hard. The ball bounced away, but it didn't go far. Larry gonna reclaim it ezpz.

But, just as he was about to reach the ball, a foreign hand slapped it aside again!

It was Yuel. He predicted where the ball will end up and positioned himself accordingly.

"Lars!" Yuel informed about the incoming pass, as clumsy as it was. "It's drifting a little to the outside."

"Yep, same as always." Lars nodded with an amused smile. It was always funny seeing Yuel pull some unexpected tricks that totally outsmarted the enemy team, but then fail to deliver a simple pass. [I've never seen a player like this. Dude is on a whole different level of genius, haha.]

Lars caught up to the drifting ball before it went out of bounds. In the end, the pass was a success despite how inaccurate it was. So, Yuel did his job. Now, it was Lars's turn.

"You're not scoring another one!" Mike dashed straight at Lars, like a mad bull going for a tackle.

[Too slow, yo!] Lars grinned confidently. Even though he was close to the center of the court, near the very boundary of the half-court, he still assumed a shooting position without hesitation.

"Wha-!?" Mike coughed as if he just witnessed the impossible. [Hey, now. You not gonna shoot from all the way over THERE, are you? Nah, that'd be dumb.]

Yet, Lars did exactly that. With a quick jump, he released the ball from his hands. It flew in a clean arc, heading straight toward the basket.

[This one won't get in.] Mike was convinced. [The previous shot was already sketchy but it was still doable. Even I can score from there if you give me enough chances. But, shooting from the center... that's just dumb.]

Mike headed toward the basket, expecting a rebound at best. But, no such thing happened. The ball cleanly went through the basket, without even grazing the hoop.

"Two points!" Vincent announced as he flipped the scoreboard. It was already 4-0 for Lars's team.

[You gotta be shitting me...] Mike felt sweat forming on his forehead. This development was beyond his wildest imagination. He was prepared for the possibility Lars was a decent basketball player, but what the flying fuck was this shit!?

[Even in our club, there's nobody who can score like this!] Mike glared at Lars, the unexplainable alien. [Who the fuck is this guy!? Where did he come from!?]

Mike was losing his wits by the moment. The first goal shook the team a little, but the second shot delivered one heck of a mental blow. What the hell were these Olympic gymnastics!?

[No, calm down.] Mike took a deep breath. He couldn't lose his cool, that was of the most important rules of battle.

The one who lost their cool first was usually the loser. That's why it was Mike's tactic to maintain his cool while rattling his opponents. This approach brought him many victories.

So, before anything else, he had to calm down. No matter how absurd the situation was, he had to analyze it with a cool head. As long as he stayed level-headed, his teammates should have an easier time retaining their cool as well.

"C'mon, guys!" Mike raised his voice. "It's our offense! Don't worry about their shots. No matter how much they score - we just gotta score more, it's that simple. James, you start this time!"

"R-Right!" James prepared to receive the opening pass. He positioned himself just a little outside the three-pointer line, to be as close as possible to the basket the moment his offense turns legal.

"Okay, got it- whoa!?" James jumped. A wild beast appeared in front of him! Lars was already there, blocking James's path!

[D-Dang, this dude!] James gulped. [What a presence. Is this guy a pro or something!?]

James's arms shook a little as he stood in front of Lars's intimidating defensive pose. There were no openings to break through.

[I have a feeling this guy is way above my league.] James hated to admit it but that's how it seemed. This guy's speed and skill were top-notch, just as his insane shooting ability. He was a monster, through and through.

"Hey, James!" Mike called out. "Pass to Larry!" He clearly said that, yet he was strongly pointing at himself.

"Hehe, got it!" James snickered. This was one heck of a sick mind game. The tension he felt from Lars's presence vanished without a trace. [Yeah, I don't have to fight this crazy dude myself. That's not my strong point anyway. I'm a passer, not an attacker.]

James prided himself in his passing ability. He hated boring hard work more than anything else, so he always sought ways to leave most of the work for his peers. That's how he became good at passing.

It was the least physically demanding role out of the bunch. He only had to accurately deliver the ball to others and they'll do the rest from there. Ez life.

So, instead of trying to do something difficult like confronting a strong opponent, James should just pass the ball to somebody more capable. That was his forte.

Following Mike's orders, James raised the ball and directed it in Larry's direction. After all, Mike yelled ["Pass to Larry!"] so that's where James gotta pass, right?

"Hey, Larry! Catch!"

The beast in front of James reacted to these words right away. Lars jumped forward to cover the fake pass route.

"Fooled ya, bitch!" James grinned triumphantly as he threw the ball in Mike's direction. With nobody standing in his path, it was an ezpz pass to deliver.

The ball beautifully cut through the air as it flew toward Mike. The aim was pinpoint. Nothing could've gone wrong at this point. Yet, something did!

[Got it.] Yuel reached his hand toward the ball and blocked it in mid-air.

"What the-!?" James couldn't believe it. [My beautiful pass! How the hell!?]

[Your signs are too obvious.] Yuel criticized.

He has been carefully observing Mike this entire time, so he noticed the contradiction between Mike's words and movements. It was a clear attempt at diversion.

In a way, it was commendable that these guys actually used some tactics. That was already more brainwork than expected from a bunch of delinquents. Nonetheless, their ploy was far too easy to see through.

"Damn you!" Mike roared.

[Gulp.] Yuel shuddered. Even without seeing the enraged demon behind him, the loud fast-paced steps made it clear Mike was charging straight at him, like a train ready to crash into a wall!

"Lars! To the outside!" Yuel passed the ball before Mike ran over him.

"Gotcha!" Lars ran toward the outskirts of the three-pointer line and caught the ball.

"No, you don't!" James hurried to intercept Lars but it was too late. As soon as Lars grabbed the ball - he already assumed a shooting position.

It was yet another shot from outside the three-pointer line. It won't be as mind-blowing as the others in terms of distance but the execution was still superb. It's like the guy was using an aimbot to instantly target the basket. Hax, yo!

Just like before, the ball went into the basket without even grazing the hoop. A clean, perfect goal.

"Two points!" Vincent announced for the third time as he flipped the score. It was already 6-0. The basketball club was getting mopped hard.

[Damn, they're making fun of us.] Mike ranted internally. His cold blood was boiling.

Who could've predicted such an outcome? To think that the nerds in the Classmancers club had somebody who could play like this...

[Why the hell is somebody like him wasting his time on Mancers!?] Mike clicked his tongue.

This made no sense. With Lars's skill, the guy would easily make it into the first-string of the basketball club. Why waste his talent on some dumb video game?

[Whatever. Enough games.] Mike dribbled the ball a few times under the basket and took a deep breath. [I can't leave anything to these idiots. Fine, I'll do it myself.]