Score: Nekoma 13 - 13 Inarizaki.
Ryuu's second serve was a rocket, but Inarizaki's libero, Akagi, was ready. He didn't try to catch it cleanly; he just bumped it high into the air.
"Cover!"
Miya Atsumu moved under the ball. He was standing on the 3-meter line.
Ryuu watched from the back row.
'Bad pass. He has to bump set it to the left.'
Most setters would play it safe. They would underhand toss it high to the Ace, Aran, on the left.
But Atsumu didn't bump it.
He crouched low, his knees almost touching the floor, and reached his hands up. Using only his wrists and fingers, he flicked the ball backwards to the right side.
It was a back-set. From a crouch. With zero body rotation.
Miya Osamu was already jumping.
BOOM.
Osamu smashed the ball down the line before the Nekoma block could even shift.
Inarizaki 14 - 13.
The crowd roared. The brass band started playing a victorious tune.
Atsumu stood up, dusting off his knees. He looked at Ryuu and winked.
"Don't blink, Dragon-kun," Atsumu called out. "Or you'll miss the magic show."
Ryuu stood up from his defensive stance.
"Show-off," Ryuu muttered. "He sets like he's trying to impress a girl in the stands."
"He's impressive," Kenma admitted, looking annoyed. "His hands are soft. He nullifies the spin of the bad pass instantly."
_____________________
Score: 16 - 15 Inarizaki.
The game was tight. Nekoma was "connecting," keeping the ball alive with their trademark defense. But Inarizaki had weird weapons.
Ryuu rotated to the front row. He was blocking in the middle (switching with Kuroo for a play).
Inarizaki attacked. Atsumu set to the middle.
Suna Rintarou approached.
He was a lazy-looking guy with narrow eyes. He didn't look fast or strong.
Ryuu jumped. He built a solid wall.
'I have the timing. I have the height. He's stuffed.'
Suna jumped. He cocked his arm. Ryuu saw him aiming for the cross. Ryuu shifted his hands left to seal it.
But in mid-air, Suna didn't turn his hips. Instead, he used his terrifying core strength to twist his entire upper body sideways, like a snake coiling around a branch.
His arm swing changed trajectory completely. He didn't hit cross. He hit a super-wide straight.
The ball flew around Ryuu's block, bypassing his right hand by inches.
THUD.
It landed in the deep corner.
Inarizaki 17 - 15.
Ryuu landed. He stared at his hand, then at Suna.
"Your spine," Ryuu said, pointing at the middle blocker. "Is it made of rubber?"
Suna looked at him with dead eyes. "Maybe."
"That was weird," Ryuu frowned. "You looked like you were hitting left, then your torso went right. Are you possessed?"
"It's called a wide-range spike," Suna shrugged, walking away. "Deal with it."
Ryuu cracked his neck.
"Noodle Man," Ryuu nicknamed him instantly. "Annoying."
___________________
Score: Inarizaki 20 - 17 Nekoma.
Inarizaki was pulling away.
The combination of Atsumu's unpredictable sets, Suna's bending spikes, and the constant noise from the band was wearing Nekoma down.
Every time Nekoma served, the booing started.
Every time Inarizaki served, the crowd clapped in rhythm.
Ryuu was getting irritated. Not angry, just... itchy.
"They're comfortable," Ryuu noted, watching the twins high-five. "They're having fun. I hate it when other people have fun."
"Ryuu," Kenma called out. "Next one."
"Yeah."
Nekoma received the serve. Kenma set to Ryuu.
Three blockers. Atsumu, Suna, and Osamu. The "Inarizaki Wall."
Ryuu approached.
'Suna bends around blocks. Atsumu sets from his knees. They play with tricks.'
Ryuu jumped.
'I don't have tricks. I have physics.'
He saw Suna's hands.
Ryuu didn't aim for a gap. He aimed for Suna's chest.
He swung with maximum violence.
KABOOM.
The ball smashed into Suna's arms, but Ryuu followed through so hard that he practically pushed Suna's arms down. The ball broke through the block, hit Suna in the face (lightly), and ricocheted onto the Inarizaki court.
Nekoma 18 - 20.
Suna rubbed his nose, looking mildly annoyed.
"He's heavy," Suna muttered to Atsumu. "It's like blocking a falling vending machine."
Ryuu landed. He looked at Suna.
"You can bend," Ryuu said. "But you can't bend if you're crushed."
__________________
Score: 22 - 20 Inarizaki.
Ryuu was scoring, but Inarizaki had their own monster.
Ojiro Aran. The Number 4 Ace in the country.
Atsumu set high to the left.
"ARAN-SAN!"
Aran jumped. He was huge. He didn't do tricks. He just jumped higher than everyone else and hit over the block.
BOOM.
He blasted a spike right through Kai's block.
Inarizaki 23 - 20.
Aran pumped his fist. The band played a fanfare.
"He's strong," Kuroo wiped his face. "Top 5 Ace for sure. We're leaking points everywhere."
"We need a break," Yaku said. "They have too many weapons."
______________
Score: 23 - 21.
Atsumu was feeling good. He was controlling the game. He saw Ryuu in the back row, looking bored.
'I want to break him,' Atsumu thought. 'I want to make him look stupid.'
Atsumu received a pass. He jumped.
He looked like he was going to set to Aran again.
But at the last second, he pulled his hand back. A Setter Dump.
He pushed the ball over the net, aiming for the empty spot right in front of Ryuu.
'Too slow, Dragon. You can't reach this.'
The ball fell.
But Ryuu didn't lunge. He didn't dive.
He took one long step and simply... kicked his leg out.
THWACK.
He kicked the ball up with his foot.
It wasn't a desperate save. It looked like he was juggling a soccer ball.
The ball popped up perfectly to Kenma.
"Counter!" Ryuu shouted, already running.
Atsumu's eyes widened. 'He kicked it? Like it was nothing?'
Kenma set to Yamamoto.
Yamamoto smashed it off the block.
Nekoma 22 - 23.
Ryuu stood there, checking his shoe.
"Nice try, Fox," Ryuu called out to Atsumu. "But I played soccer in elementary school. My footwork is S-tier."
(Lie. He just panicked and kicked it, but it looked cool).
Atsumu grit his teeth. "You lucky..."
_____________
Score: 24 - 23 Inarizaki.
Set point for the Foxes.
Aran served. It was a heavy jump serve.
Yaku dug it. "Kenma!"
Kenma looked around. The Inarizaki block was ready. Suna was watching the middle. Atsumu was watching the left.
"Ryuu!"
Ryuu was in the back row. A pipe attack.
He took off from behind the 3-meter line.
Atsumu saw him.
'Back row attack. He's going to power through.'
Atsumu and Suna jumped.
Ryuu was in the air. He saw the block. He saw the open court.
But he also saw the Inarizaki defense shifting back, expecting a power spike.
Ryuu grinned.
'Let's try that thing I saw on TV once.'
He swung his arm. But he didn't hit the ball.
He missed it on purpose? No.
He did a Fake Spike into a Set.
But he didn't use his hands.
He swung his arm down, but hit the ball with his forearm, bumping it gently over the block to the empty front zone.
It was a makeshift, ugly, disrespectful dink.
The ball dropped.
Plop.
Nekoma 24 - 24. Deuce.
The gym went silent again.
"What..." Osamu stared at the ball. "Did he just... forearm smash a feint?"
Ryuu landed. He looked at his arm.
"That was uglier than I expected," Ryuu admitted aloud. "But it worked."
He looked at Atsumu, whose jaw was on the floor.
"Deuce," Ryuu said, putting his hands on his hips. "You guys are fun. Tricky. But fun."
He turned to his team.
"Let's steal this set," Ryuu declared. "I want to hear what that band sounds like when they're crying."