The score now stood at 8–5, with Yukigaoka leading Kitagawa Daiichi.
Kageyama Tobio's expression darkened as he glared at the three teammates who had failed to block effectively.
"Why did you move early?! You think not having to follow the ball with full focus makes things easier for you?!"
"Do the blocking properly!"
His frustration was written all over his face. Earlier, thanks to their libero's saves and the coach's time-out pep talk, Kageyama had seemed a bit more willing to cooperate, but that patience was already gone.
Once again, the thought I can handle this alone took over his mind completely.
The three blockers, Kitagawa's #3, #4, and Akira Kunimikichi, knew exactly what kind of person Kageyama was. None of them were the type to argue over every little thing, so they merely frowned and acted as if they hadn't heard his outburst.
The #3 player, standing closest to Hinata's side, gave his teammates an apologetic nod.
"Sorry, my speed couldn't keep up. I ended up blocking your path too."
"It's fine. Even if my left side was open, I probably wouldn't have caught up anyway."
Kunimi spoke calmly, offering a reasonable explanation.
"That shorty from Yukigaoka, #3, he's built really well. That side-step just now was way faster than any of us. Plus, since they have control of the offense, it's not like we didn't try hard enough."
"But next time, let's read less and react more. That first-year setter's got a surprisingly sharp head on his shoulders."
Kageyama scowled but didn't say anything further. Even though they'd ignored his scolding, seeing them discuss how to improve cooled his irritation, for now.
In the previous round, Kitagawa Daiichi had lost serve to Yukigaoka, so the rotation brought the serve back to Yukigaoka.
This time, the server was Yudai Hyakuzawa.
"Eh..."
The Kitagawa players all frowned slightly when they saw the tall ace walking to the service line.
"Why does it have to be the ace now of all times?" the captain muttered with a sigh.
Earlier in the match, Ichinose Guren's five-point streak of super-powered serves had left them mentally shaken.
And now, another powerhouse, Yudai Hyakuzawa, was stepping up, with an even bigger frame than Ichinose's. Their focus immediately spiked to maximum alert.
Every Kitagawa player assumed a ready defensive stance. Even the usually lazy Kunimi had an unusually serious look on his face that said: There's no way I'm letting this one score.
They all knew it, this was Kitagawa's best window to close the gap.
If Hyakuzawa managed even three points here, not five, just three, and Yukigaoka's lead stretched to 11–5, it would crush Kitagawa's morale.
That's why, before Hyakuzawa even reached the service line, Kitagawa's coach was already shouting from the bench.
"Don't let this one through!!"
Although he rarely said much, Yudai Hyakuzawa was actually a bit of a show-off at heart. Seeing the entire Kitagawa team bracing themselves for his serve, he scratched his head and thought to himself:
You guys are gonna be disappointed. My serves are honestly nothing special.
He exhaled softly, waiting for the referee's whistle. Once the signal came and the serve timer began, Hyakuzawa tossed the ball high.
"Here it comes!!"
The captain shouted the warning.
Pop!
A solid but non-jump standing serve flew across the net.
Smack!
"What an ordinary serve..."
Kitagawa's #3 received it with ease. It wasn't spectacular, but his first touch was clean and crisp.
Kageyama immediately repositioned himself, scanning both teams' formation and movement.
"Over here!"
Without hesitation, the captain called for the ball. Facing a blocker lineup that included the undersized Hinata Shoyo and two first-years, he executed a lightning-fast A quick with Kageyama.
With no block pressure, the captain's spike slammed straight into an open patch of court. A clean point.
"Nice one!!"
He roared triumphantly.
And just like that, Kitagawa Daiichi stole a point during Yukigaoka's service turn, narrowing the gap.
The scoreboard now read 8–6, with Kitagawa closing in after being heavily behind earlier.
But as the rotation switched and the serve returned to Kitagawa, Ichinose Guren's eyes widened slightly, because standing at the service line was none other than Kitagawa's King, Kageyama Tobio.
Despite his earlier frustration toward his teammates, despite his anger at their laziness, when Kageyama stepped into the service zone and began rolling the ball in his hands, all emotion vanished from his face.
What remained was pure focus.
The referee's whistle blew.
In that instant, a powerful aura erupted from Kageyama, pressing down even on his own teammates.
Listen to me. I'm the strongest. Do exactly as I say, and I'll lead us to victory.
The presence of a King filled the court.
This was Kageyama Tobio's domain, where he needed no teammates, no cooperation.
Now it was time for him to unleash the ultimate weapon of a king on the volleyball court, his serve.
At that moment, he didn't need anyone else.
There was no "we." Only him.
And for Kageyama Tobio, that was exactly how he liked it.
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