Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium - Semifinals.Nekoma vs. Itachiyama.
The whistle blew to start the match. The air in the stadium felt different. Against Nohebi, the air was toxic; here, it was sterile. Itachiyama didn't exude bloodlust. They exuded professionalism.
Score: 0 - 0.
Itachiyama served first. Iizuna Tsukasa, the captain and setter, tossed the ball. His jump serve wasn't a cannon blast like Ryuu's, but it was fast, flat, and aimed nastily at the deep corner.
Kai dove. "Up!"
It was a slightly short receive. Kenma had to take a step forward.
"Gojou!"
Ryuu was already in the air on the left.
'First point,' Ryuu thought, his arm cocked back. 'Let's set the tone. I'm going to bury this ball.'
Across the net, the block formed. Two blockers. They were tall, disciplined, and their hands were shaped perfectly to funnel the ball into the court.
Ryuu saw the line closed. He saw the cross open.
'They're inviting me to hit cross,' Ryuu analyzed in a split second. 'Fine. I'll accept the invitation.'
He swung with 100% power.
BOOM.
The impact was perfect. The ball screamed past the block, heading straight for the cross-court sideline. It was a kill shot that had traumatized every other team in the tournament.
But waiting there, crouched low with calm eyes, was a player in a yellow jersey.
Komori Motoya. The Number 1 High School Libero.
Komori didn't dive wildly. He had positioned himself there before Ryuu even swung. He planted his feet, dropped his hips, and presented his platform.
THWACK.
The sound was heavy, like a bat hitting a sandbag. Komori's arms shuddered violently under the force, and his sneakers squeaked as he was pushed back a few inches.
But the ball didn't fly into the stands. It popped up.
"Heavy!" Komori grimaced, shaking his arms as the ball floated toward Iizuna. "Cover!"
Ryuu landed, his eyes widening slightly.
'He dug it?'
Ryuu's spike usually blew through receivers. But Komori had absorbed the momentum. It wasn't magic; it was perfect technique meeting perfect positioning.
"Counter!" Iizuna shouted.
The set went to the right. To Sakusa Kiyoomi.
Ryuu moved to block. He was tall, and his reaction speed was instant. He jumped, his hands looming over the net to shut down the ace.
Sakusa was in the air. He looked at Ryuu's hands.
Ryuu's Emperor's Eyes saw it clearly. 'Elbow high. Wrist snap incoming. He's hitting straight.'
Ryuu stiffened his arms, preparing to stuff the block.
But at the moment of contact, Sakusa's wrist twisted unnaturally. He didn't hit the ball flat. He brushed the side of it with a violent snap.
HISSS.
The ball didn't travel in a straight line. It curved. It wrapped around Ryuu's outside hand like a living snake, avoiding his palm by millimeters.
It landed plop on the sideline.
Itachiyama 1 - 0 Nekoma.
Ryuu landed, staring at his hand. He hadn't touched it.
"Spin," Ryuu muttered. "Wicked side-spin."
Sakusa landed and immediately wiped his hand on his jersey, staring at Ryuu with cold, dead eyes.
"Your block is stiff," Sakusa said flatly. "You react fast, but you're rigid. A stiff wall is easy to curve around."
Ryuu's eyebrow twitched. He opened his mouth to retort, but Sakusa had already turned away.
The Grind Begins.
The game continued, and for the first time since coming to this world, Ryuu felt... contained.
Score: Itachiyama 5 - 2 Nekoma.
Ryuu spiked again. This time, he aimed for a sharp line shot to avoid Komori.
But the Itachiyama blockers shifted. They got a "One-Touch." The ball slowed down, and Komori picked it up easily.
"Transition!"
Iizuna set to the middle. Quick attack. Point Itachiyama.
Score: Itachiyama 8 - 3 Nekoma.
Ryuu was getting annoyed. He wasn't playing badly. He was hitting hard, jumping high. But Itachiyama was a machine that ate "good" plays and spat out points.
"Give it to me again," Ryuu demanded.
Kenma looked at him. "They're marking you."
"I don't care."
Kenma tossed high. Ryuu approached. Three blockers this time.
'I'll go over them.'
Ryuu jumped his highest. He saw the court over the block. He swung for the deep corner.
Komori was there. Again.
THUD.
Komori took it on his chest this time, stumbling back but keeping the ball alive.
"Sorry! It's up!"
Itachiyama countered. Sakusa hit a wipe off Yaku's hands.
Itachiyama 9 - 3.
Ryuu stood at the net, panting slightly. Not from fatigue, but from frustration.
Komori looked at Ryuu and grinned, giving a thumbs up. "Nice power, Gojou-kun! My ribs are rattling! But you're looking at the spot you want to hit way too early!"
Ryuu froze.
"I'm what?"
"Your eyes," Komori pointed to his own eyes. "You lock onto the target before you jump. It makes it really easy to know where to stand."
Ryuu felt a cold bucket of water wash over him.
He had the Emperor's Eyes. He spent so much time looking at others—their muscles, their intent—that he forgot they could look at him. He was telegraphing his attacks because he relied on brute force.
"Don't let it get to you," Kuroo slapped Ryuu's back. "They're the National Favorites for a reason. Just keep swinging."
Ryuu gritted his teeth.
"I'm not letting it get to me," Ryuu lied. "I'm just... loading."