Iwaizumi dove to the floor, throwing himself forward in a desperate fish-style save. The receive was incredibly close—another fraction of a second and it would have been too late.
Kawanishi let out a low whistle.
"Whoa… looks like Shirabu's net-clipping ball is finally perfected."
Then he turned and teased Semi.
"Pretty annoying shot, right?"
Semi chuckled through his nose and didn't comment.
The ball Iwaizumi saved bounced off at a middling height. Watari scrambled everywhere trying to patch things up, and after the pass was barely stabilized—
the ball just happened to drop right above Kindaichi's head.
Kindaichi was still blankly staring. How did the ball suddenly end up on top of him?
Oikawa shouted in frustration.
"Kindaichi!"
Only then did Kindaichi snap back to reality.
It really wasn't his fault. Ever since joining the volleyball club, his role in matches had always been blocking and receiving. Suddenly being asked to spike caught him completely off guard.
Kindaichi looked straight ahead.
Great—no blockers.
He could spike!
Ryosuke, meanwhile, was watching Oikawa. As for blocking… if it couldn't be stopped, he'd just leave it to Yamagata-senpai. During their earlier practice matches, Kindaichi hadn't spiked many balls anyway, and the power wasn't particularly threatening.
Kindaichi sprang up with a sharp "shwa!" and slammed the ball down without hesitation.
If Oikawa-senpai arranged it, then it had to be right!
"Bang!"
But the ball was still dug up by Yamagata.
After Kindaichi's spike, Yamagata had already sprinted to the right backcourt and received the ball cleanly and decisively. You'd never guess he had been on the left side just moments earlier.
Shiratorizawa's two defensive anchors—Yamagata and Ryosuke—played in a quiet, almost silent style.
Like leopards lying in wait on the grasslands.
Or like ghosts you simply couldn't shake.
Wherever the ball was, they were already there.
Kindaichi lowered his head in frustration.
"Sorry, senpai."
"Don't mind!"
Oikawa hadn't expected that spike to score anyway. What he really wanted was to see how many Shiratorizawa players would actively commit to defense.
So far… only two.
Yamagata calmly pushed the ball to a spot where everyone could see it clearly. Whether it would become a set or a spike next was up to his teammates.
"Shiratorizawa somehow feels different from before," Ukai muttered quietly from the stands.
As a coach, he knew Shiratorizawa's old style well—overwhelming opponents with sheer thunderous force.
Now they were starting to think.
And that wasn't good news for other teams.
Ukai hadn't thought very highly of Shiratorizawa's players in the past. The earlier generations were undeniably strong, but they relied almost entirely on brute force. Strategy was nearly nonexistent—and even when it appeared, it was obvious, straightforward tactics.
It had left him with the impression that Shiratorizawa was full of big, powerful players who didn't think much about volleyball.
But this match completely overturned that image.
Goshiki was itching to go up for the spike, but with Ushijima on his left and Reon on his right, he didn't have the courage to fight for the ball and reluctantly held back.
But unexpectedly—
Ushijima glanced back at Goshiki and signaled for him to go up and spike.
Reon looked at Ushijima in surprise.
Goshiki's previously dim eyes lit up instantly.
He excitedly circled through the backcourt to build momentum for his approach. Right now, Goshiki looked like a fledgling white bird just learning to fly—its feathers not fully grown yet, so naturally it had to be thrown into the air to practice.
"Watch me!"
Goshiki shouted as he spread his arms wide. His feet pushed hard off the floor as he leapt high into the air, wrapping his hand around the ball and smashing it down with full force.
But Aobajosai's block wouldn't allow that point.
Matsukawa and Hanamaki had already heard Iwaizumi's instructions earlier—focus on number eight.
The two exchanged a glance.
Matsukawa gestured for Kindaichi to join the block.
Hanamaki squeezed in from the middle.
Facing the three-man block, Goshiki froze. He simply didn't have enough experience.
The next second—
Hanamaki reached out and slammed the ball straight down, completely sealing the block.
Ryosuke saw the intensity of Aobajosai's block and already knew Goshiki's spike was doomed.
As the ball was about to hit the floor, Ryosuke couldn't reach it with his hands.
In desperation, he hooked out his left foot and kicked the ball up.
Goshiki landed and immediately turned to look at the play. He could sense Ryosuke beside him, but when he saw the ball saved with a foot, he couldn't help feeling impressed.
"Nice receive!"
Everyone was surprised—especially Reon. Who would've thought that someone who usually looked a bit slow could react so well in a critical moment?
The foot save was a bit awkward, but the play was still alive.
Shirabu set the ball to Goshiki again.
Goshiki pulled himself together, determined to score this time.
But when he went up for the spike, he originally aimed for a straight shot—
only to be completely blocked by Hanamaki again.
Two in a row.
Goshiki stared blankly at the ball on the floor.
Blocked again?
That hit his confidence pretty hard.
The first time could be blamed on inexperience.
The second time meant he simply lost the matchup.
Poor Goshiki visibly wilted on the spot.
Seeing that, Ryosuke immediately knew his teammate was in a bad state. Goshiki's emotions swung wildly between highs and lows, which reminded Ryosuke of a certain owl…
How did Akaashi-senpai comfort Bokuto-senpai again…
Ryosuke racked his brain.
"Goshiki… that spike just now actually looked really good! Yeah—okay, it didn't score, but it's way better than during practice."
Secret Technique from the Akaashi Care Manual #1:
Praise strengths only. Compare with their past self. Emphasize clear improvement. Praise generously to prevent mood collapse.
Goshiki shook his head excitedly.
"Really? Really?!"
Ryosuke forced a smile.
"Really…"
Behind Goshiki, Reon and Yamagata silently raised their thumbs.
Nice one, Ryosuke.
You've got Goshiki handled.
"Alright. You'll definitely score on the next ball. For now, go back to your position."
Ryosuke doubled down on the encouragement and successfully stabilized the kid's mood.
Ryosuke (thinking):
Akaashi-senpai… may good people live peaceful lives.
Goshiki happily returned to position.
Watching the entire "Goshiki persuasion operation," Oikawa stood there in shock.
Thinking back to the straightforward little Ryosuke from before… he never imagined the kid would become like this.
Shiratorizawa really changed him.
Not a little, either…
...
After everyone returned to position, Iwaizumi stepped up to serve.
Oikawa shouted loudly,
"Iwa-chan~ nice serve~!"
Iwaizumi's expression didn't change at all. Completely ignoring Oikawa, he swung his arm and sent the ball flying with a powerful—
"BOOM!"
The serve was crisp and practiced.
Yamagata calmly received it.
At this point, Kawanishi started noticing something.
Neither team had shown their full strength yet. Both sides were probing each other.
Oikawa wanted to see what kind of condition Shiratorizawa was in today and whether there was any opportunity to exploit.
On Shiratorizawa's side—no need to guess.
If someone was thinking strategically, it had to be Reon.
Reon was also trying to test Aobajosai's current level.
Reon and Oikawa exchanged a glance.
One look was enough.
The person testing me is definitely him.
Oikawa sneered.
He knew Reon was full of scheming ideas.
But before Oikawa could finish his internal drama—
"BOOM!"
Ushijima smashed the ball down.
Even while thinking, Oikawa still kept track of the game and calculated countermeasures.
One brain doing the work of three.
No wonder Oikawa was always losing his mind.
Matsukawa and Iwaizumi were in the front row.
Hanamaki was responsible for watching Goshiki.
A strange chain formed—
Hanamaki watched Goshiki.
Ryosuke watched Hanamaki.
Like a weird predator circle.
"BANG!"
Matsukawa and Iwaizumi failed to block the spike.
Watari rushed forward from the back to receive it but couldn't reach in time.
The ball slammed straight into Watari's shoulder and bounced away.
"Ah! Sorry!"
Watari gritted his teeth as pain shot through his shoulder.
It really hurt.
Ushijima's spikes were no joke.
Watari almost thought his shoulder had broken.
People say volleyball won't kill you…
But Watari seriously felt like receiving a few more Ushijima spikes might shorten his lifespan.
In the stands, Asahi clutched his stomach, his face pale like he might throw up any second.
Nishinoya helplessly patted his back.
"Seriously? Don't empathize that hard, Asahi! As the ace, could you be a little braver?"
A 160-centimeter libero comforting a 180-plus-centimeter powerhouse.
The contrast was absurdly cute.
Tsukishima watched from the side and laughed mercilessly.
Meanwhile, Hinata and Kageyama had already leaned halfway over the railing, looking like they couldn't wait to jump down and join the game.
Daichi grabbed the two problem children back with a headache and flicked each of them on the forehead.
Only then did they behave.
Serve changed sides.
Aobajosai's run ended.
Now it was Ryosuke's turn to serve.
The moment Ryosuke stepped onto the service line, the stands erupted.
"Oh! That kid with the hook serve!"
"He's so cute!"
"Five more points!!"
"Shiratorizawa!!"
"RYOSUKEEEEE!"
Several girls in school uniforms practically had stars in their eyes.
The arena buzzed with noise.
Oikawa's fake smile was almost cracking.
Why was Ryosuke getting louder cheers than Oikawa-sama?!
The childish setter was extremely unbalanced inside.
Ryosuke hunched his shoulders slightly, feeling the excitement from the crowd.
He even heard someone shouting his name.
Holding the volleyball, he stepped onto the service line.
The cheers of the audience.
The encouraging looks from his teammates.
Everything felt just like the dream he had been having night after night.
Ryosuke took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and felt the surge of emotion in that moment—while quietly searching for his rhythm.
Across the court, Aobajosai stood ready.
Watari didn't know how good number six's serve was, but if Oikawa was guarding against it this seriously, the guy had to be dangerous.
Ryosuke angled his left shoulder toward the net.
Right leg bent.
Right hand tossed the ball.
His center of gravity shifted onto his left foot.
The moment he struck the ball, his wrist snapped forward sharply.
A powerful topspin hook serve shot out.
Watari's nerves tightened.
No wonder Oikawa had been forcing him to practice receiving hook serves lately.
So this was the reason!
But practice didn't help at all!
He'd never actually faced someone who served like this.
How was he supposed to receive it?!
Watari felt like crying.
He stared at the ball's trajectory, his mind racing for solutions.
But he completely misjudged the landing point.
"BOOM!"
Watari's expression turned ugly.
Completely missing the ball was rare for him.
Right now he felt like a beginner wandering around the starting village.
The Karasuno players were also seeing this kind of serve for the first time.
All of them leaned over the railing, eyes glued to Ryosuke.
Nishinoya was especially excited.
"What is THAT?! What is THAT?! Let me try receiving it!"
"Whoa! Ryosuke's awesome! Go!!"
Tanaka shouted at the top of his lungs.
People all around turned to stare in surprise.
Daichi awkwardly smiled apologetically to everyone, then immediately covered Nishinoya's mouth and whispered like a devil:
"If you shout again, I'll tell Kiyoko not to prepare sports drinks for you next time."
That struck Nishinoya's vital point instantly.
He blinked rapidly and nodded.
Tanaka heard that and immediately covered his own mouth too, afraid he'd get threatened next.
The two idiots fell silent.
Daichi nodded with satisfaction.
"Whoa… a hook serve."
Coach Irihata rubbed his round stomach and sighed.
Mizoguchi nodded.
"This kind of serve hasn't appeared in matches for a long time. Where did that kid learn it…
I just don't know if Watari can receive it."
His voice was full of worry.
Irihata snorted.
"Oikawa's got a belly full of tricks. He must've learned somewhere that Shiratorizawa had someone who could use a hook serve. Otherwise he wouldn't have forced Watari to watch hook-serve analysis videos every day recently."
"Whether he can receive it is one thing."
"Whether he dares to receive it is the real trick."
To be fair, Oikawa was actually a little wronged this time.
Well… not entirely.
He made Watari study hook serves because Ryosuke told him himself that he could do one.
But Oikawa wasn't sure whether Ryosuke would actually use it in the prefectural tournament.
He only had a vague idea of Ryosuke's training progress.
Still—
Luck was also part of strength.
Just like predicting exam questions.
Oikawa's preparation this time was truly foresighted.
"BOOM!"
Watari barely brushed past the ball.
It was simply too fast.
He didn't even have time to judge the spin or the landing point and could only react by instinct.
Mizoguchi watched anxiously.
Irihata looked calm on the surface.
But his tightly clenched hands betrayed how uneasy he really felt.
"Coach Irihata… how are you supposed to receive a hook serve?"
Irihata finally stopped pretending to be calm. He sighed and spoke slowly.
"Hook serves are really hard to receive."
"First is the trajectory. Compared to normal serves, hook serves are more deceptive. Sometimes you can't even see the exact moment of contact—you just watch the ball's arc."
"Topspin rises upward. Backspin floats."
As he spoke, he gestured the receiving motion with his hands.
"Side spin is easier to handle. Just try to receive it toward the opponent's center line."
"If you can't judge the spin, treat it as topspin."
"Most hook serves are strong topspin anyway. Push the ball upward when receiving. Of course, sometimes it'll still drop into the net."
"Pay attention to the arc of balls that fall short."
"No matter how unfamiliar a serve is, once you receive enough of them, it gets easier."
"At first Watari also struggled receiving Oikawa's powerful jump serves."
"But now he reacts to them almost by instinct."
"Don't be afraid of taking the ball."
"You have to commit. Be decisive."
"In the past, you could count the liberos in Miyagi who could receive hook serves on one hand…"
Mizoguchi felt uneasy.
Facing Shiratorizawa was already difficult enough.
Now there was also a hook serve.
Things just got even harder.
"Hmph… if Coach says that, then there must be a way to deal with it, right?"
Kunimi, who had been listening the whole time with half-closed eyes, finally spoke lazily.
Irihata wasn't annoyed at the interruption.
He simply smiled kindly.
...
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