SWDnovel Chapter 277: Despair Paradise
Chapter 277: Despair Paradise
With the buzzer ringing, there was a blaring sound reverberating from the beams, yet on the floor, there were no cheers. No one on the Colossus team leapt into the air nor exchanged high fives. Not even did they acknowledge the scoreboard showing a crushing score of 114-22 against their opponents.They just started walking toward their bench, completely relaxed.
"So, what are we doing for dinner?" Cross asked, tossing his warm-up jacket over his shoulder as he walked past the free-throw line. "There’s that new pizza spot nearby, or we could just get something Chinese."
"Chinese sounds better," Kael muttered, yawning as he untied his wrist wraps without looking back. "I’m not trashing my macro-cycle for cheap grease tonight. Hall, what do you think?"
"Whatever’s fast," Hall answered bluntly, drying a single bead of sweat off his face. "I want to get home before my favorite show is over."
"Man, you should really drop women’s shows, that doesn’t suit you." Cross laughed.
They were talking casually, completely ignoring the five girls sitting frozen on the hardwood just a few feet away from them. For the Colossus, this wasn’t a war. It wasn’t even a challenge. It was tuesday, just a routine task they had finished before moving on with their evening.
Rei was standing by the center circle, breathing raggedly and her knees shaking because of how completely exhausted she was. Her jersey was drenched in sweat, her heartbeat racing in her chest as she heard them chatting away casually and not giving a shit about what they were saying.
She spun around, her mouth set in a hard line as she saw Seth making his way to the baseline.
"Is that how things work out for you?" Rei almost shouted at him, her voice strained and quivering with a very unexpected anger as she positioned herself in front of him. "You humiliate us, crush everything and not even turn around to glance at our losers? Don’t you think you should add some more pain to our misery?"
Seth halted. He neither appeared to be angry nor proud. All he did was stand there as still and silent as ever, his ice cold eyes looking at her in absolute, chilling silence. He was looking at her as one looks at an incomplete data or an unsatisfying meal.
"Look at you," Seth said. He tilted his head just a little, watching her face carefully. "You’re getting angry now? Seriously? You’re raising your voice at me?"
Rei felt her jaw tightening. She stared back at him without blinking, her whole body stiff like a board.
Seth didn’t even seem bothered. He crossed his arms loosely and kept talking in that same calm, almost bored tone.
"So where was all this anger during the match, Kimura?" He tapped one finger against his elbow like he was counting seconds. "Where was this big fire when we were dumping a hundred points right in your face? Huh? You just stood there like someone glued your shoes to the floor. Didn’t fight back. Didn’t even try to move faster. Just watched the numbers go up while your whole team fell apart."
Rei stopped breathing for a second. His words landed like someone had swung a metal pipe straight into her ribs.
"And you’re supposed to be the captain," Seth continued, shaking his head like he was disappointed in a kid who failed a simple test. "Your one job was to keep your team together, to stop them from giving up. But you let them turn into scared little statues out there. The only one who actually tried was that stubborn girl over there."
He jerked his chin toward the sidelines where Aiko was still panting, her knees scraped up from diving for the ball too many times.
"She’s totally useless, but I’d still pick her over a loser like you." He scratched his eyebrow lazily, like he was bored. "Maybe you should just give her your captain spot? She made us all run around like idiots because her captain was too weak to stop anything. You didn’t protect them, Kimura. You left them screwed way before the game even ended."
He wasn’t even looking at her reaction, just stepped around her.
"You suck as a leader. Get out and let actual players handle this."
And then he just... walked away. Like she wasn’t even worth arguing with. His team was already halfway to the locker room tunnel, laughing about something stupid, and Seth just joined them like nothing happened.
Meanwhile Rei was still standing there, right in the middle of the court, her whole body frozen. Her brain was going a million miles an hour, but all the thoughts were the same: He’s right. Her chest hurt so much she could barely breathe. I messed up. I let everyone down. They needed me and I did nothing.
Everything around her was desolate.
Even the substitutes were all crying silently. Their first major psychological blow had just hit them hard, and it hit them really hard.
Miko was sitting on the wooden benches with her legs hugged tightly to her chest. With her glasses removed, her head covered up by her hands, and her shoulders shaking like crazy, Miko looked totally broken down. All the training, all the skills, all the shooting patterns... all were now useless, turned to garbage thanks to Kael.
Kai was sitting right beside her, staring vacantly at the tiled floor while a solitary stream of tears flowed slowly down her cheeks. There weren’t any sounds of wailing coming from her, she was just an empty shell. She had become an absolute null due to Vex’s actions within the rim. It hit her like a bolt out of nowhere, her physical power meant nothing compared to the titans of the league.
Hina was positioned at the very end of the bench, with her head resting between her thighs. The usually cheerful and lively aura that was hers seemed to have vanished, leaving her face looking quite pale. Her big breasts were heaving up and down with each tremor as she shook because her entire self-worth was completely demolished after Hall’s disregard for her. All the things about her, all the strength she felt through her looks and her seductive moves, didn’t matter here anymore.
Then there was Aiko.
The point guard remained on the floor, close to the free throw line, with her body quivering uncontrollably from the sheer agony inflicted upon her.
She gazed down at her hands, which still shook vigorously, and found it impossible to control herself. She had hoped to compete with Nash. She had sworn that she would be as sharp in mind as he was and would never waver so that he would be able to witness her standing beside him as an equal.
Yet... seeing the 114-22 score glaring at her from the ceiling above made her proud spirit crumble into ashes.
Rei forced her legs to move, breaking out of her own existential crisis. She walked over with slow steps, her own face pale and full of grief. She didn’t say a word, she didn’t have any words left to give.
She leaned down, her arms trembling as she placed them around Aiko’s waist, physically supporting her guard because Aiko’s legs were too weak to hold her own weight.
She lifted Aiko up slowly, shielding her shivering frame from the few cameras still tracking the floor. Aiko buried her face straight into Rei’s shoulder, her small fists gripping her captain’s uniform as she cried blindly. Rei held her tight, her head low, her eyes fixed on the grimy floorboards as she guided her broken guard toward the dark mouth of the tunnel.
The remaining substitutes followed behind them in a slow, weeping line, their heads down, completely crushed.
The people were slowly exiting from the stands. Usually, the crowd would be filled with roars either from being victorious in the game or angry about having lost. Today, however, it seemed that not a single noise could be heard besides the scuffing of many shoes as they shuffled away towards the massive iron gates.
A guy with messy hair and a frown clenched his betting slip in his hand and crumpled it into a ball.
"That wasn’t even a real match," he muttered, sounding annoyed but also kinda disappointed. "The Colossus just... wiped them out. Like they weren’t even there. Kinda messed up to watch, honestly."
The second man spat out onto the concrete stairs without giving a second thought.
"Those idols shouldn’t have been here in the first place," he grumbled, shrugging like it was obvious. "Breakball isn’t for girls. Dunno why anyone thought they’d stand a chance."
The first man sighed deeply, throwing his now crumpled slip somewhere into the trash.
"Yeah, well, I guess we’ve got our lesson learned. Those bitches made me lose money."
All the way at the very top of the seating section, Nash and Victoria stood there, waiting for the crowd to thin out. Nash had his hands shoved deep into his pockets like he was hiding something in there, and his eyes were locked onto the empty hardwood floor below, the exact spot where Rei had just led a trembling Aiko into the dark tunnel entrance.
Victoria, standing right beside him, fiddled with her dark scarf, pulling it tighter around her neck like she was cold or something. Her face? Totally calm, like she didn’t even feel something from the demolition.
"A complete and total slaughter," she muttered. "Mentally, they’re wrecked. I’ve never seen players crying right after a match before." She tilted her head slightly. "A strange experience, kind of satisfying, though."
Nash tilted his head.
"That’s exactly what we needed," he said flatly. "It’s gonna suck for them to bounce back after this kind of hit, but... that’s the best way to achieve our goal."
Victoria side-eyed him.
"And now? Are you going to meet her now? They aren’t aware of the update of your plan, right?" She exhaled. "Just warning you, Nash, that meeting is going to be ugly. Rei is probably having a full-on meltdown, and with Monique in the mix? Trust me, it’s gonna be worse."
Nash pulled his phone out of his pocket, his fingers tapping the screen fast.
"That’s why it’s the perfect time," he said, not looking up. "They’re broken, I don’t feel like letting them make a mistake now. All can be done by tomorrow."
The text shot straight to Rei’s phone, time, place, no room for argument.
A few rows behind them, Jinzo hadn’t moved an inch, but with the last people finally leaving, he knew he couldn’t stay much longer. Didn’t matter though. He’d heard every single word they said. And now? Everything made sense.
Too much sense.
Finally, fucking finally. After looking for so long, he had finally found something. He knew, he finally knew what was going on behind his back.
He let out a smirk, the kind that curled just enough to show he knew something nasty. His fingers tapped the screen of his phone one last time before shoving it into his pocket. Then he slipped into the crowd of fans shuffling out, no one noticing him at all. He had everything now, every little detail about Nash’s whole game. Time to go tell Saya what he found.
Down below, the Baby-Boom locker room felt like someone had sucked all the air out. The metal door clanged, sealing in the kind of misery that sticks to your skin. It smelled like sweat, the sharp sting of muscle cream, and something worse: defeat, and its brother, despair.
Aiko was sitting on the wooden bench, her whole body slumping forward the second Rei’s hands left her waist. She grabbed a towel and shoved her face into it. The sobs came out choked, like she was trying to swallow them back down but couldn’t.
This was the girl who always acted tough, who wanted to stand next to Nash like she belonged there. Now? She felt like a kid who’d been caught pretending to be something she wasn’t.
Right beside her, Kai leaned against the cold metal lockers, spine pressed flat like she was trying to disappear into them. Her eyes were wide open, staring at nothing as tears rolled down her cheek. Miko sat with her glasses in her lap, hands shaking. She didn’t even wipe the tears away. At the far end of the bench, Hina curled in on herself, head hanging low.
And Rei? Rei stood in the middle of the room, hands on her hips. Seth’s voice played over and over in her head: You let your team collapse. You suck as a leader. She looked at Aiko crying, Kai hollow-eyed, Miko trembling, Hina broken. The plan, their one shot at breaking free... was gone. Poof. Like it had never existed.
They had nothing left.
Nothing.
The door suddenly opened with a loud bang that echoed through the locker room. Everyone jumped.
Monique stepped inside. Her golden silk dress stayed perfect, not a wrinkle, not a single stain. She moved the golden fan slowly, like she had all the time in the world. Lips pressed tight.
Days ago, Nash had planted the idea deep in her head. These girls were a lost cause. Useless. A waste of money that only drained her department’s budget. Now she saw them sprawled on the benches, broken and barely moving, and she knew he had been right all along.
Monique stopped in the middle of the room. Her eyes swept over the starters and the bench players alike. All of them beaten.
"There is no point crying about it now," Monique said. Her voice stayed soft like a candy, but cold enough to make Rei tremble a little. She didn’t raise it. Didn’t even sound angry. "And don’t waste my time thinking you’re going to fix this or do better next time. It’s over. You are completely useless to my department. You turned Apex into a public joke in one single hour."
She tapped the fan once against her palm.
"Blaze was entirely right about you from the start. You are nothing but incompetent bums."
Rei’s head jerked up suddenly. Even though she was so defeated, hearing that name was like being punched in the stomach.
Blaze?... Nash? Why would Monique talk about him now?
The idea that Nash, the guy who always acted like he was on their side, was actually the one who called them useless garbage made her feel like the floor had disappeared under her feet.
Around her, the other girls lifted their heads too. You could see the moment their tired, beaten-down faces twisted into complete confusion.
Monique didn’t raise her voice at all. She spoke slowly, politely, and that somehow made it ten times worse.
"Don’t worry," Monique said, so quiet it was almost gentle, while her lips curled into this tiny, fake smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "We never believed in you. We knew you were a gamble, but you still managed to surpass our expectations and humiliate us beyond imagination. Do you even know who those guys are? The ones who just defeated you? They are underground players. Street rats. And you managed to make Apex look like clowns in front of their boot lickers."
Rei’s throat felt too tight to speak properly.
"Madam, please—" she choked out, the words scraping like sandpaper.
Monique snapped her fan open with a sharp flick of her wrist, cutting her off.
"Kimura," she said, not even looking at her. "I’m busy killing rats with words. Don’t make me use rodenticide."
Rei winced, her shoulders curling in as she stared at the floor like it might swallow her whole.
Monique began walking back and forth, the sound of her high heels tapping against the floor like a clock ticking too fast. She stopped suddenly, crossing her arms as she looked at the group in front of her. Her voice was sharp, like she was explaining something obvious to children who just didn’t get it.
"Let’s be real about the Baby-Boom initiative. It was a good move to monetize the underground circuit. The move was smart, but you weren’t special. You were designed as products to increase our reach. You are interchangeable. If we needed a different aesthetic or a different sound to capture a market, we would have replaced you instantly. You are entirely expendable. And now?" She smirked, tapping her fingers against her elbow. "Now Apex found a better way to make money without you. So you’re useless."
The idols stared at her, frozen. Some of them looked like they might cry. Monique snapped her folding fan shut with a loud click.
"But," she said, tilting her head like she was pretending to feel sorry for them, "there’s a little problem. You still owe us. Three million credits. For finding you, training you, making you look pretty, all your concerts, all your contracts... all of it."
She smiled then, bright and happy, like she was enjoying a joke only she understood.
"The system is designed to ensure the house always wins. Since you can’t pay us back through victories, we’ve found a new way to recoup our investment," she added, leaning forward just a little.
The idols didn’t move. They didn’t even breathe.
Monique laughed, looking down at Hina and Aiko with a smile. She tapped her chin lazily with her fan.
"We’re reviewing your contracts," Monique said, her voice too sweet, like syrup that’s gone bad. "There’s a good chance you might get sent to work in the massage parlors down in the lower Spires. Picture this, no more sneakers, no more lights. Every night, you’ll be in these VIP rooms, serving," She paused, tilting her head. "It starts with just a few rich pigs, but soon it could be a whole room full of gross men using you at the same time. Unless..." She leaned in closer, her smile growing wider as she watched their faces turn pale. "Unless you’re okay with doing it one customer at a time. Poor little babies can’t handle getting toyed by a group? Fine... But then it never stops. One at a time can take a long time when the line is very long. Eat, shit, sleep, then spread your legs again. That’s all your life would be."
She lowered her voice, almost whispering now.
"You know what happens to girls who can’t handle that much work, right? Last year, some girls got sent down there because they weren’t good enough. Three months later? Two of them lost their minds from all the damage. The third one couldn’t even control her bladder anymore. We sold them off cheap after that." She shrugged like it was nothing. "That’s what’s waiting for you. Sure, your debt goes down fast, but usually, the girls break before the debt does. I really wanna see your cute little faces after a month of that."
With a loud smack, she threw the papers onto the table, turned on her high heels, and walked out, slamming the door behind her so hard the room shook.
Aiko made a small, sharp noise, like someone punched her in the stomach, and buried her face in her towel, shaking all over. Kai punched the lockers, her hands trembling, her eyes wet and furious. Miko curled into a ball, hiding her face in her knees, crying silently. Hina squeezed her eyes shut, tears running down her face, her fingers clutching her jersey.
Rei just stood there, frozen, her mouth slightly open, like she couldn’t even breathe right anymore.
Then Rei’s phone buzzed.
One text, from Nash.