Chapter 17: Serve vs. Serve
The score was now 8-5, Yukigaoka leading.
Kageyama Tobio's expression had soured, glaring at the three players who had failed to effectively block.
"Why did you move early? Just because you don't have to focus all your attention on following the ball, you can do it more easily?"
"Block properly!"
The intense dissatisfaction was clear on Kageyama Tobio's face again. The previous cooperation from the libero's receives and the coach's talk during the timeout had momentarily made him more willing to cooperate, but that had dissipated.
The mindset of "I alone am enough" had once again taken over Kageyama Tobio's thoughts.
The Kitagawa number 3, number 4, and Kuguri, who were responsible for the blocking, all knew what kind of person Kageyama Tobio was. Plus, their personalities weren't the nitpicky type, so they just frowned slightly, as if they hadn't heard Kageyama's scolding.
The number 3 player, who was closest to Hinata's side, gave a slight apologetic nod to the other two blockers.
"Sorry, my speed couldn't keep up, and I blocked your movement path."
"It's fine, even if my left side was open, I might not have been able to get there in time."
Kuguri also offered some consolation to the Kitagawa number 3, providing a reasonable explanation.
"That short number 3 from Yukigaoka has great physique. That lateral explosion just now was far stronger than all of us. Plus, they have the initiative in the offense, so us not keeping up isn't because we didn't try our best."
"But from now on, we should react less and adjust more, that first-year setter has a rather nimble mind."
Seeing his reminders ignored, Kageyama Tobio was a bit irritated, but seeing the three still discussing how to do better, he didn't say anything further.
Since Kitagawa Daiichi's previous serve was broken by Yukigaoka, the serve rotation now switched to Yukigaoka.
Hyakuzawa Yudai stepped up to serve for Yukigaoka.
"!"
"Eh?"
The Kitagawa Daiichi players couldn't help but furrow their brows when they saw the towering opposite hitter step up to serve.
"Of all times, it has to be the opposite hitter serving now?"
The captain sighed a bit helplessly.
Because at the start of the match, Ichise Guren's super powerful serves that had given them five straight points had already left the entire team somewhat shell-shocked.
Now another opposite hitter, even taller than Ichise Guren, was stepping up to serve, and their mental focus was already at a high level.
The Kitagawa Daiichi players assumed a staunch defensive stance, even the lazy Kuguri had an expression that clearly said "I absolutely won't let you score."
They were all very aware that with both sides not yet reaching double digits, this was the best opportunity for Kitagawa Daiichi to catch up. If Hyakuzawa Yudai could also reel off five straight serves, no, even just three points, to push Yukigaoka's score to 11, that would be huge.
Once the opposing Yukigaoka side, who were already leading, reached 11 points first, Kitagawa Daiichi's morale and competitive state could be greatly impacted.
Therefore, even before Hyakuzawa Yudai went to the serving area, Kitagawa Daiichi's coach was already shouting from the bench.
"Stop this serve!!!"
While he didn't say much on the surface, Hyakuzawa Yudai was actually a bit of a quiet guy. Now, looking at the Kitagawa Daiichi players braced for battle across the net, Hyakuzawa Yudai scratched his head.
He silently grumbled in his mind, 'Looks like I'm going to disappoint you, my serve is really quite ordinary.'
After the inner monologue, he quietly waited for the referee's whistle. As soon as the referee confirmed Hyakuzawa had the ball, the serving timer whistle blew.
Hyakuzawa Yudai promptly tossed the ball up.
"Here it comes!!!"
The captain shouted, warning his teammates to be alert.
Blow.
A fairly powerful but not jump-served standing serve was delivered.
Thud!
"What an ordinary serve."
The Kitagawa number 3 player easily received the serve, although a bit surprised, but it was still a high-quality first pass.
Kageyama Tobio quickly adjusted his positioning and began observing the players' stances and movements on both sides.
"Over here!"
With no blocking pressure, the confident captain went for a quick A-tempo attack in collaboration with Kageyama Tobio, targeting the short Hinata Shoyo and the two first-year newcomers.
With no blockers to challenge him, the captain quickly spiked the ball into the empty space on the Yukigaoka side, scoring a point.
"Nice shot!!!"
The captain roared towards the ceiling.
So in Yukigaoka's serve, Kitagawa Daiichi, relying on their smooth setting and spiking coordination, quickly snatched a point back from Yukigaoka.
The score was now 8-6, Yukigaoka still leading, but Kitagawa Daiichi had gradually closed the large initial gap to only be behind by two points now.
And when the serve rotation came to Kitagawa Daiichi, Ichise Guren realized that standing in the serving area was none other than Kitagawa Daiichi's "king", Kageyama Tobio.
Even though Kageyama Tobio had previously been dissatisfied with his teammates and angry at their lazy behavior, when he stepped into the serving area and started caressing the ball, all emotion vanished from his face, leaving only calmness and focus.
The referee's whistle blew, and a powerful aura surged from Kageyama Tobio, thoroughly suppressing the presence of his nearby teammates.
The "king's" aura was about to be unleashed through Kageyama Tobio's ultimate weapon on the volleyball court - his serve.
In this moment, without distinction of friend or foe, past or present. The "king" no longer had to consider his teammates' existence, nor did he need anyone to cooperate with him to execute an attack. He had reached the point of "I alone can defeat the opponents."
Kageyama Tobio's mentality of "I will receive, I will set, I will spike" - his absolute supremacy - was now fully realized in his "my serve."
*****
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