Kagetsu Renjiro threw his head back
and laughed.
Not the laugh of joy. Not mockery.
But something raw.
Frustrated.
Ugly.
His fists clenched at his sides, body trembling not from fatigue, but something deeper.
"Damn this," he spat. His voice echoed.
"All of this."
His teeth bared.
"Human Thunderclap?" he mocked, voice rising.
"Shitty nickname. Shitty pressure. Shitty expectations."
The court froze. The crowd fell into hushed confusion.
Even his teammates glanced toward the sideline in stunned silence.
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
He wasn't laughing.
He wasn't speaking.
He was watching.
(…This isn't Kagetsu losing control.)
(…This is him shedding it.)
Then—
a chill.
A crackle.
An invisible pressure leaked from Kagetsu's body, like steam from a bursting pipe.
Even the air around him began to vibrate.
Ethan clenched his fist behind his back and whispered under his breath—
"Basketball System. Scan Kagetsu Renjiro."
