The air inside the gymnasium was electric, a pulsing drumbeat of human voices and booming speakers. This was the National High School Basketball Tournament—the Palarong Pambansa—and the stakes were palpable. The Dasmariñas National High, fresh off a nervous win against Calapan, were preparing to face a team built on a single, terrifying talent: the Cagayan de Oro (CDO) High School, and their 6'9" wrecking ball, Louis Andre 'LA' Morales.
Tristan Herrera stepped onto the polished asphalt, the roar of the crowd washing over him. He was a small figure in a giant's arena, but his posture was rigid, his focus absolute. He felt the weight of the last 24 hours—the chilling film of Emon Jacob's surgical dominance, the nightmare footage of LA Morales's relentless rebounding, and the silent, burning promise of the System upgrades waiting in his mind.
He scanned the stands. The home crowd was a sea of green and yellow, colors he knew belonged to CDO, not his team. But then, he saw them. Tucked away near the baseline, close enough for him to see clearly, sat Aiden and his mother.
Aiden, though his legs was still in a cast, was wearing his Dasmariñas jersey, number 7. He was beaming, giving Tristan a thumbs-up that was shaky but defiant.
Seeing Aiden—the reason, the sacrifice, the heart of the team—poured a fresh, cold resolve through Tristan's veins. This wasn't just a game for a trophy. It was a promise.
He nodded once, a sharp, quick acknowledgment that held a universe of meaning. He then turned his full attention to the floor.
The lights dimmed, spotlights sweeping the arena as the announcer's voice boomed through the speakers, deep and gravelly.
"Ladiiies and gentlemen, presenting first, the champions of the CALABARZON region, the undefeated warriors of the South Luzon bracket... The Dasmariñas National High!"
The Dasmariñas team ran out to polite, if not enthusiastic, applause. They were the regional underdogs, known for their system, not their size.
"The starting five for Dasmariñas!"
"At Center, a man known for his tenacious defense, 6'6", number 34, IAN VENERACION!"
Ian thumped his chest, eyes locked on the spot where the CDO center would stand.
"At the 4 position, a new addition to the starting lineup, the heart of the Dog Pound, a man who knows no fear, 6'1", number 5, GAB LAGMAN!"
Gab jogged out, his small stature highlighted, his jaw set in a furious line. He looked directly at the CDO bench, a furious pitbull challenging a mastiff.
"At Small Forward, the quickness specialist, 6'0", number 10, DAEWOO KIM!"
"At Shooting Guard, the team's spark plug, 5'11", number 23, MARCO GUMABA!"
"And finally, commanding the offense, the captain, the Floor General, 5'9", number 20, TRISTAN HERRERA!"
The noise levels instantly ramped up as the announcer introduced the CDO High Kings. They were local heroes, heavily favored by the Davao crowd.
"And now, for the Cagayan de Oro High! Their starting five!"
The crowd erupted, a wall of sound that made the floor vibrate.
After introducing their guards and center, the announcer drew out the final name, letting the anticipation build.
"And at the Power Forward position! The pride of Mindanao! The most dominant rebounder in the tournament! Standing 6-foot-9, number 4, LOUIS ANDRE 'LA' MORALES! THE JANITOR!"
The gym went absolutely ballistic. LA Morales ran out, huge, carved out of granite, and moving with the unnerving grace of a man half his size. He looked like an apex predator. He glanced at Gab Lagman, and a slow, almost bored smirk crossed his face.
The size difference was cartoonish: a 6'1" fire hydrant against a 6'9" mountain.
The whistle blew. The first quarter began.
Tip-Off: Ian Veneracion, at 6'6", jumped well, but LA Morales, standing 6'9" with his preternatural vertical leap, snatched the ball out of the air before anyone else had a chance. CDO ball.
CDO walked the ball up. The first possession was clear: feed the beast. The point guard tossed the ball high to Morales on the right block. Gab Lagman was there, denying the catch, his low center of gravity making him impossible to move. He was using his entire body, digging his shoulder into Morales's hip.
Morales, arrogant and annoyed by the annoyance, simply used his height. He jumped straight up, caught the lob over Gab's outstretched hand, and turned. Gab, following Coach G's orders, stayed down, denying the baseline drive.
Morales, settling for the height advantage, shot a high, soft turnaround jumper. It barely missed.
But Morales didn't stand still. He immediately out-jumped both Ian and Gab to grab his own offensive rebound. He went straight back up for the put-back.
Swish.
Score: Dasmariñas 0 — CDO 2
The crowd roared. Morales had just shown his engine. He scored, missed, and scored again—all in one possession.
"Run it! Pace!" Tristan yelled. He brought the ball up fast, looking for the mismatch. Morales, however, was already back on defense, guarding Gab.
Tristan isolated the CDO point guard. He utilized his Tight Handles with a sharp crossover and drove hard right. Tristan's focus was on the paint. He saw Morales start to shift, covering the middle.
Tristan pulled up short, drawing the defense to him, and fired a quick pass to Daewoo Kim on the wing. Daewoo, with a new, practiced confidence, took one dribble, set his feet, and launched the three-pointer.
Clang.
Back rim.
Missed.
Morales again. He ran a screen, forcing Ian to switch onto him near the three-point line.
Morales, seeing the 6'6" center on him, drove. Ian played him perfectly, denying the right-hand drive. Morales, however, used his power, taking two massive strides and absorbing the foul from Ian.
Whistle.
Two free throws.
Ian shook his head in frustration. It was an inevitable play.
Morales missed the first free throw (a subtle flaw spotted by Tristan, but only one shot).
He swished the second.
Score: Dasmariñas 0 — CDO 3
Tristan knew they needed a basket. He pushed the tempo again, driving into the paint. Morales was waiting, his massive presence clogging the lane.
Tristan utilized his speed and his Slithery badge, twisting his body to avoid contact with the 6'9" wall. He bounced off the CDO center and fired a quick, difficult pass to Marco Gumaba in the corner. Marco, standing wide open, took the shot.
Swish.
Three-pointer.
Score: Dasmariñas 3 — CDO 3
Marco screamed in triumph, pointing to the stands where Aiden was cheering wildly.
The crowd was stunned by the immediate answer. CDO immediately went back to Morales on the right block. This time, Gab was ready. He denied the entry pass with furious, low-to-the-ground physicality. The CDO point guard had to pass the ball around the perimeter. The shot clock wound down.
CDO's shooting guard, forced into a difficult isolation, took a fadeaway jumper. It hit the side of the backboard.
Airball.
Tristan grabbed the rebound. "Pace, pace, control!" he yelled. He slowed the game down, forcing CDO to play defense.
He ran a simple pick-and-roll with Ian. Morales, guarding Gab on the wing, stayed put, ignoring the action. Coach G's prediction was true: CDO didn't trust their role players.
Tristan saw his chance. He drove hard into the paint, forcing the CDO center to commit. He fired a no-look pass back to a cutting Ian, who laid it up and in.
Score: Dasmariñas 5 — CDO 3
Dasmariñas had the lead! The crowd noise dropped to a confused murmur.
Morales, visibly frustrated by Gab's denial, yelled at his point guard to get him the ball higher up. He caught it 20 feet from the basket, isolated against Gab.
Morales tried a dribble move, a hard cross-over. Gab, utilizing his low stance and strength, stayed with him, forcing the ball high. Morales, with his high handle, lost control for a split second. The ball bounced off his knee.
Tristan, sensing the error, dove for the loose ball, wrestling it away from the point guard.
Steal!
Tristan led the fast break. He took it all the way, saw Morales sprinting back, and pulled up for a quick floater.
It went in.
Score: Dasmariñas 7 — CDO 3 — CDO Timeout
Coach Gutierrez looked calm. He didn't yell. He just pointed at Gab. "You did it. He's frustrated. He's predictable. Now, keep feeding the pitbull. Tristan, keep running the machine. They want to play five-on-five. We play five-on-one."
Out of the timeout, CDO adjusted. They didn't pass to Morales. They tried to run a set for their shooting guard. Daewoo Kim, his mind clear, stuck to the shooter like glue, forcing him off his spot. The shooter settled for a tough, contested jumper. It missed.
The rebound came off hard. It was a race between Ian, the CDO center, and Morales. Ian boxed out the center, but Morales flew in from the high side, his vertical leap swallowing the ball. He ripped it out of the air, landed hard, and was immediately swallowed by Gab.
Gab did not jump. He planted his 6'1" body and braced for impact. Morales, furious and rushing, tried to power through him. Gab held his ground, forcing Morales wide. Morales threw up a wild, angry shot that bounced off the rim.
Gab immediately grabbed the defensive rebound. A clean, physical win.
Score: Dasmariñas 7 — CDO 3
They ran a methodical half-court set. Tristan, patient, found Gab cutting toward the basket. Morales, still recovering from the last sequence, was a step slow. Gab caught the ball and scored an easy layup. Tristan rewarded the pitbull for his defense.
Score: Dasmariñas 9 — CDO 3
The noise in the gym was now a frantic, worried buzz. CDO was down six, and their star was being neutralized by a 6'1" walk-on.
CDO finally scored, getting a desperate three-pointer from their point guard. Tristan knew they could live with that.
Score: Dasmariñas 9 — CDO 6
Tristan pushed again. He saw Morales coming over to challenge him. Tristan used his new speed and the Giant Slayer mentality, driving hard right at Morales, leaning in. Morales, afraid of the foul, pulled back for a split second. Tristan was by him, laying the ball in softly over the center.
Score: Dasmariñas 11 — CDO 6
CDO was visibly frustrated. They went back to Morales. He caught the ball high. Gab was there. Morales, tired of the annoying, constant contact, shoved Gab hard in the chest to create space. The whistle blew. Offensive Foul on LA Morales!
Gab collapsed to the floor, rolling theatrically, but his face was set in a triumphant scowl. He had won the physical battle.
Tristan walked over and helped Gab up. "Perfect, Gab! He's boiling! Keep it up!"
The momentum was entirely with the Dasmariñas National High. They swung the ball, using their system. Marco hit another three-pointer.
Score: Dasmariñas 14 — CDO 6
Morales, angry, forced a drive. He barreled into Gab, who took the hit. Whistle. Charging Foul on LA Morales! His second.
The crowd booed furiously. Morales yelled at the referee. Gab just smirked. He had done it. He had taken the Janitor's fire.
The CDO coach pulled Morales from the game, his face purple with rage. The monster had been reduced to a spectator, fouled out of the quarter by a 6'1" pitbull.
Tristan brought the ball up, his face impassive. Morales was out. The hard part was over. He ran a clear, simple play, getting Ian Veneracion a clean look in the post against the backup forward. Ian scored easily.
Score: Dasmariñas 16 — CDO 6
Without Morales, the CDO High looked lost, relying on isolation plays. Daewoo intercepted a terrible pass for a breakaway layup.
Score: Dasmariñas 18 — CDO 6
Dasmariñas ran a final, deliberate set. Tristan found Daewoo in transition for a pull-up jumper.
Swish.
Score: Dasmariñas 20 — CDO 6
CDO ended the quarter with a desperate heave that missed everything.
End of First Quarter: Dasmariñas National High 20 — CDO High 6
The Dasmariñas bench erupted. They hadn't just survived the monster. They had neutralized him. They walked to the bench, exhausted but triumphant, knowing they had executed Coach G's plan perfectly: Sacrifice the body, win the quarter.
The 6'1" Gab Lagman walked off the court, rubbing the immense bruise already forming on his chest, a hero who had slayed the first dragon. Tristan looked up at the stands.
Aiden was still seating, applauding furiously. They had done it for him. The game was far from over, but the first battle belonged to the Dog Pound.