A full concert stage materialized in the central park. A holographic banner glowed: "IRON TIDE — ONE NIGHT WAVE TOUR."
A crowd had gathered. Marco "Wave" Herrera took the stage with a natural, rockstar confidence. His band followed—Flash Mendoza on guitar, Tank Cruz on drums, Clip Santos on bass.
The music hit, loud and clean. It was professional, powerful, and utterly unexpected.
Bornok immediately pushed to the front, cheering. Renz stared, dumbfounded by the skill. Drei analyzed the technical proficiency with a frown.
Then Marco pointed into the crowd. "This one's for our Cubao brothers!"
The band launched into "Lakas Tama"—Flowstate's song.
Riki sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Renz groaned in mock despair as Bornok sang along enthusiastically.
Teo listened, his head nodding almost imperceptibly to the rhythm. "They are very coordinated," he observed.
As the final note faded, Flowstate was left in the ringing silence.
"We can't top that," Renz said.
"We don't have to," Riki replied. "We just have to beat them on the court."
The challenge was set. The season's stakes felt higher than ever.