"The match isn't over yet. Why do you look so defeated? You miss a few receives, and we'll just score a few more points to make up for it. There are plenty of us here. It's not like we're just standing around doing nothing."
Nozomu Mami's tone was not exactly gentle, but Haruma Bishin did not take it personally. He knew Nozomu Mami was scolding him because he expected better from him.
"Got it."
Haruma Bishin felt a little touched. His teammates really were too good to him. He instinctively wanted to smile at Nozomu Mami.
But when he thought about his performance in this set, Haruma Bishin pulled at the corner of his mouth, only to find he could not smile.
Thinking back to after he entered high school, all he had received were praise and admiring looks. Even at the IH and the Spring High School Tournament, he had never come up empty on a ball. He could even receive balls from Ushijima and Sakusa. Somewhere amid everyone's compliments, Haruma Bishin had lost sight of why he had started.
At the very beginning, Haruma Bishin had only wanted to be a good Libero. He had a great dream. He wanted to defend every ball in the backcourt.
Some dreams, it seemed, slowly changed beyond recognition.
Haruma Bishin looked up at the lively group from Shiratorizawa across the court, then slowly clenched his fists. For the first time in a long while, an emotion rose in his chest, just like the determination he had felt back when he fought with everything he had to make the starting lineup.
The whistle sounded again, and Ryosuke stepped up to the service line once more. The spectators, commentators, and his teammates all stayed quiet. They were watching in silence, watching this newly risen volleyball genius. They were witnessing the next rising star of the volleyball world.
"Beep--------"
Ryosuke tossed the volleyball without hesitation. This was already his seventh serve. The moment he tossed the ball, Ryosuke sharply sensed that something about his condition was off. He had lost his feel.
Ryosuke sighed inwardly. He had thought he might be able to take ten points in one go, but it seemed that was not going to happen.
"Bang!"
His palm wrapped around the volleyball, and without hesitation, he sent it flying toward Mujinazaka's side. Its speed was as fast as ever, so fast that even Shirabu could hear the sound of it cutting through the air near his ears.
"Side out on this one!"
Usuri spread his arms and crouched slightly, then shouted. He was trying to help Haruma Bishin receive this ball.
Haruma Bishin stared at the serve. It was fast, but the arc was very clear. He did not know whether this was a trap or a real mistake, but Haruma Bishin chose to trust his judgment again.
He ran in long strides to receive it. The ball flew toward the left side of the court, and Haruma Bishin sprinted over from near the three-meter line.
All he could hear was the roar of the wind by his ears and the heavy sound of his own breathing.
The commentator's expectant voice came through.
"Shiratorizawa's Ryosuke Hanyu! One man against an army, chasing down six points in a row! This is the seventh ball. Let's see whether Ryosuke Hanyu can create a miracle! And can Mujinazaka's Bishin end this newly risen Little Demon King's service run? Let's wait and see!"
Haruma Bishin was still running. He also heard what the commentator was saying. He wanted so badly to tell him, I can! I can do it!
He roared in his heart, but his eyes stayed locked on the volleyball with fierce determination.
Seeing the volleyball fly out of bounds, about to reach the coaches' bench outside the court, Haruma Bishin steeled himself, gritted his teeth, and shouted,
"Move!"
Coach Michiko skillfully grabbed the chair under her and ran, not forgetting to pull along the student sitting on the bench beside her.
Haruma Bishin crouched down. He did not dive. Instead, he used the momentum from his run to slide forward on his knees across the floor, raising his arms together in front of him.
With a bang, he received the ball. Haruma Bishin had been running with so much force that after receiving it, he and his knees continued sliding across the floor for a short distance.
"Nice first pass!"
Nozomu Mami had been keeping an eye on this side the entire time. When he saw the ball go up, he shouted to alert everyone.
At the same time, he let out a breath of relief inwardly. He had been worried about this situation too, but now that the ball had been received, Haruma Bishin seemed to have regained his fighting spirit. Everything was getting better.
After receiving the ball, Haruma Bishin slid along the floor for a short distance, then quickly scrambled up and rushed back into the court to join the attack.
After seeing that ball, the commentators and spectators fell silent for a moment. They had all heard that "nice first pass," and they had seen how desperately Mujinazaka's Libero had thrown himself after the ball. Even the people who did not understand volleyball were shaken by it.
So the Libero... carried that much responsibility? If the first pass was not received, then there would be no offense or defense at all. Everything would die before it even began.
The venue stayed quiet for a while, then erupted into loud cheers.
"So... so cool!"
Some boys leaned over the railing, staring at Haruma Bishin with stars in their eyes.
"Looks like the Libero position is pretty good too."
"It's amazing that he managed to receive that ball."
Many people began talking among themselves. Quite a few of them played Libero too, and there were also plenty who did not want to play that position.
They had always thought the Libero position was too low-profile. Everyone liked the shining Wing Spikers or Setters, but... maybe being a Libero was not that bad either. Barely.
Who says everyone only remembers the champion and first place? In certain moments, the person who leads everyone out of a desperate situation often shines brighter than anyone else. Most people are drawn to scenes like something out of an anime, and at that moment, Haruma Bishin looked like a gallant knight raising his shield high to defend the castle walls.
Of course, that only applied to someone with the resolve to throw everything aside, and a mindset that would never give up easily no matter what.
The saying "you have to break before you can rebuild" probably described someone like Haruma Bishin perfectly.
"After Ryosuke Hanyu's six-point dominance, Mujinazaka's Haruma Bishin has ended his service run and won Mujinazaka a chance to breathe. In this moment, Haruma Bishin has become the hero in the hearts of everyone from Mujinazaka!"
When Haruma Bishin climbed to his feet, he heard the commentator saying that about him. For a moment, he almost wanted to cry. It had not been easy. Receiving that ball really had not been easy.
From below the court, Michiko saw Haruma Bishin's slightly reddened eyes and pretended to click her tongue in disdain.
"Tsk, you brat."
Then she muttered softly,
"Nice work."
Michiko was decisive and strict. She had never been the type to go easy on these kids. Of course, secretly praising them under her breath was not such a big deal.
That first pass lifted Mujinazaka's morale all at once. They had waited so long for this opportunity, and no matter what, they could not let it slip away.
Keisuke Unnan was the first to move. He adjusted that not-quite-perfect first pass, then sent the ball to Wakatsu Kiryū without hesitation.
The first pass led to the set, and the set led to the spike. Every step in volleyball was connected. Only a team held up by all six players could stand on the court.
Wakatsu Kiryū's ball had been earned through his teammates' struggle. He could feel their feelings in it, and this ball felt almost too heavy to hold. When Tendo saw Wakatsu Kiryū preparing to spike, he rushed to the net at top speed. Kawanishi was worried Tendo would not be able to block him alone, so he also moved up to block.
Ryosuke ran forward from the service line to join the attack, but since he had been standing in the service position, he was a step slower than everyone else and did not join Tendo and Kawanishi's block. Otherwise, they would have given Kiryū a three-man block at the very least.
Right now, he was behind the two of them, covering the block in case Kiryū went for a tip. Ushijima was ready on the left. If this ball crossed the net, then according to Shiratorizawa's attacking rhythm, they could connect into offense without missing a beat.
Wakatsu Kiryū did not have that many winding little tricks in mind. He jumped and saw Tendo and Kawanishi's fingers. He knew how strong Tendo's blocking was, but he did not back down. He slammed the ball straight over Tendo's palms with a powerful over-the-block shot.
Even Tendo froze for a second. He had thought Kiryū would at least play it a little safer in order to score.
"Bang!" The volleyball smashed into Tendo's palm and flew out quickly, looking as if it might go out of bounds.
Yamagata turned back to look at the ball and did not go for it, but he was still a little worried. What if this ball landed on the line?
Kiryū landed, gave a light "hmph," and went straight back into defense.
Of course he knew what the Shiratorizawa players were wondering. They probably thought he had lost his mind. If he used a tip, he might still have had a chance to score, so why choose an over-the-block shot and clash head-on?
As for that, Wakatsu Kiryū only wanted to say that even if his ball went out of bounds, he absolutely would not let them block it. He had no interest in tricks like tipping. He was going straight at them. If he took the point, that was his skill. If he could not, then he accepted it.
"Tsk." Coach Washijō clicked his tongue in disdain.
That kid from Mujinazaka had a temper harder than a stone in a latrine. Even at a time like this, he still insisted on being so stubborn.
What he did not know was that this was exactly what Mujinazaka's coach, Michiko, had taught them. Even if they were going to lose a match, they could not lose their backbone or their pride. Everyone from Mujinazaka was tough, and tough players had to play with toughness.
Yamagata was still hesitating over whether to receive the ball when Ryosuke flew straight over and picked it up. He ran so fast that his foot even slipped, making him skid across the floor for a moment.
"Bang!" The ball was received and flew high into the air again.
Yamagata sighed helplessly. Ryosuke really was obsessed with receiving. The moment he saw the volleyball fly over, he was like a dog spotting a boomerang, sprinting after it at full speed.
"I'll take it."
Shirabu saw Kawanishi trying to spike directly off the first pass and could not help speaking up, signaling Kawanishi not to get too excited.
Then he ran over himself and set the ball a little lower to Kawanishi.
A lower ball like this suited Kawanishi's spiking style better. If it was too high, there would be no room to work with. If it was not high or low, he could only hit a normal spike. Shirabu had completely figured out Kawanishi's style over this period of time.
After understanding Kawanishi's recent style, Shirabu felt as if he had only just gotten to know him. So this was how Kawanishi usually played volleyball?
Kawanishi saw the second set flying toward him. It was a little tight to the net, but that was fine. It was just right.
Then, as Mujinazaka's two 1.9-meter blockers came up to block, Kawanishi lightly patted the volleyball right under their noses, sending it into the front court on the other side of the net.
It looked very much like a spike from a second attack, but it was extremely soft. The two tall 1.9-meter players lowered their heads to look at the ball and reached out to scoop it up, but they could not reach it at all.
Nozomu Mami's face was full of disbelief. The thing he had always been proudest of was his height. He had never imagined that today, he would lose a point precisely because of that height. It was truly irritating.
"Beep------------"
The whistle signaling the point sounded, and both Nozomu Mami and Usuri stared at Kawanishi.
Usuri's lips moved, and a large patch of his face turned red. Do not misunderstand. This was not shyness. He was purely red with anger.
Ever since he started playing matches in high school, he had truly never encountered someone with Kawanishi's style, someone who fooled him over and over until he was left completely stunned. For a simple kid like Usuri, this was a little too much to process.
After the point, the match continued. Neither coach called a timeout. They both knew that calling one now would not mean much anymore.
The second set lasted around thirty minutes in total, ending far faster than the first.
"Beep------------"
"This match has come to an end after an hour and a half. Let us congratulate the winner, Shiratorizawa!"
After the commentator finished speaking, the stands were filled with celebration. Only the spectators supporting Mujinazaka looked bleak. Their expressions were not like their team had lost a match, but like their father had died.
That was the whistle signaling victory at the end of the match. Shiratorizawa had successfully advanced to the quarterfinals.
"That's it?" Atsumu Miya looked completely unconvinced. The first set had dragged on for so long, but the second set just ended like this?
Shinsuke Kita stood up, pulled his clothes around himself, then looked back and said calmly,
"Let's go."
Osamu Miya could not stand seeing his stupid older brother still looking so dazed, so he took the initiative to explain.
"Shiratorizawa and Mujinazaka are two schools with very similar lineups. Just like the two of us. When things are exactly the same, neither side wants to give in."
Atsumu Miya looked thoughtful.
"So the match ended this quickly because of the two variables, little Ryosuke and Kawanishi?"
Suna walked over and nodded. Then, with interest, he took out his phone and looked at the videos he had just recorded of Ryosuke's serves and blocks. This first-year was interesting. Suna could hardly wait to face them. After watching for a while, Suna slowly slipped his phone back into his pocket.
Only then did he say to Atsumu Miya,
"Rather than saying variables appeared, it's more accurate to say Shiratorizawa gained two major weapons. Shiratorizawa was already very strong, but it always felt like they were missing something. Now it looks like what Shiratorizawa lacked was an all-rounder."
Osamu Miya nodded with a serious expression. When it came to matches, he was always very earnest.
"And they still have two freshmen sitting on the bench who haven't gone on court. According to Bokuto, during the last Tokyo training camp, he dealt with one of Shiratorizawa's freshmen, the one sitting on the bench. Back in junior high, that player was often mistaken for little Bokuto..."
"How is that possible? Isn't that just a nickname?"
Atsumu Miya shrugged carelessly.
Then Osamu Miya continued what they had not finished saying.
"And Bokuto himself admitted that the first-year really does deserve the name little Bokuto. He's even more reliable than Bokuto was back when he was a first-year."
Atsumu Miya could not say anything to refute that. After all, it had been personally acknowledged by the person himself. Atsumu Miya really had nothing left to say.
After giving a "hmph," he walked away without looking back, completely ignoring Osamu Miya and Suna behind him.
...
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