"The first point of this match! A block from Aoba Johsai's ace, Kaedehara Taichi!!"
"Against Nekoma's middle blocker, Haiba Lev, who stands at an impressive 196 cm, first-year ace Taichi has pletely shut him down with his height and timing!!!"
"Lev! Don't let it get to you, you just didn't notice him!" Kuroo Tetsurō called out encingly.
"Eh?! Eh?!!"
Up iands, Haiba Lev's older sister, Alisa, let out a shocked excmation.
"What was that just now? Amazing!! That guy actually blocked Levochka's (her niame for Lev) attack at such a height?!!"
"Tch, a bunch of annoying guys…" Elsewhere in the audienohebi's captain, Daishō Suguru, was also watg the match with his girlfriend.
Oeam was Aoba Johsai, the squad that had eliminated his team at Nationals. The other was Nekoma, the team that had defeated them in the Spring High qualifying rounds.
No matter which side lost, Suguru was eager to see their expressions of frustration.
Yamaka Mika, sitting beside him, noticed his flicted expression and smiled knowingly. "Suguru, you expin that py? It looked really impressive."
"Huh? Oh!" Daishō Suguru scratched his head awkwardly.
"Aoba Johsai's No. 1 has an incredible serve, and it's clear he was targeting Nekoma's setter."
"But I didn't expect that id-back setter, Kozume Kenma, to step up and receive the ball himself. His teique is solid—he read the trajectory of the serve perfectly on the very first py."
"Then their libero sent the ball back toward the , and that tall middle blocker went up for the attack…Up until that point, Nekoma's respoo Oikawa Tōru's serve ractically fwless…"
"But what they didn't expect—" Suguru gaze locked onto the pyer wearing Aoba Johsai's No. 10 jersey.
"—is that he's gotteronger. His ability to read passing routes, predict blog timing, and jump ahead of the py…He pletely shut down Nekoma's terattack with a solo block."
"There's that much to analyze in just a single py? You're amazing, Suguru!" Mika's eyes sparkled with admiration.
"Haha…Well, a lot of it es from years of training and instincts," Suguru replied, scratg his head shyly.
-----
Aoba Johsai tiheir serve.
"Oikawa-senpai, another one!"
Oikawa Tōru strode to the service line, unfazed.
He hadn't noticed it during their previous practice match, but this setter, Kozume Kenma—whom he had mentally categorized alongside Kunimi Akira as lethargic—actually had such solid reception skills.
As expected of Nekoma, huh?
Oikawa tossed the ball into the air.
"Oh—hey!"
BOOM!!—
Adding even more power than before, the serve once again rocketed toward Nekoma's back row.
"I got it!"
Yaku Morisuke swiftly positioned himself.
At the very least, for Nekoma, "one more serve" wasn't an option!
SMACK!
The ball rebounded high into the air.
Kenma jogged toward the tre, quietly waiting for the ball to desd.
"You really 't tell where he's going to set it," Oikawa observed inwardly. Aside from his ck of energy, Kenma was undoubtedly an exceptional setter.
—Whoosh!
The ball flew toward the right side. To avoid fag Kaedehara Taichi head-on, Kenma had chosen not to set to Lev.
Nobuyuki Kai leaped for the spike.
"Double block!" Kindaichi Yūtarō and Kyōtaarō jumped up.
Smack!
"Touch!" Kindaichi shouted.
Wataru Shinji received the ball ly.
Without hesitation, Oikawa sent the ball high to the left wing—there was no need for Taichi to avoid anyone.
Boom!
Charging in from the back row, Kaedehara Taichi soared into the air.
"Triple block!" Lev, Yamamoto Taketora, and Nobuyuki lined up against him.
BANG!
Taichi aimed for the e of Lev's hands and smashed the ball down.
So heavy!
Only then did Lev realize—the sheer force behind Taichi's spike was far, far greater than his own!
The ball ricocheted out of bounds, but a figure was already sprinting after it.
Smabsp;Fukunaga Shōhei dived ahe ball back toward the setter's zone.
"What a brilliant defensive py! It's as if Nekoma had anticipated the ball would deflect off the blod out of bounds—they were already prepared!" the entator, Aoi, praised.
Kenma set the ball to the middle. Yamamoto roared as he jumped and smmed the ball down.
Boom!
Smack!
"Aoba Johsai's defence isn't falling behiher—Wataru Shinji with a beautiful dig."
Oikawa leapt, setting once again to the left.
Taichi jumped, Nekoma's defeaying right on him. He g their back-row positioning.
"So cautious, Kenma…"
Taichi spiked a straight shot past Lev's left side.
SMACK!
Kenma received it. But—
The ball veered off toward the sidelines.
Fukunaga dashed out to save it again, but this time, the ball didn't have enough height for him to return it.
Thud, thud, thud…
The ball hit the floor.
[Aoba Johsai 2 – 0 Nekoma]
"So that's the spin of a left-handed hitter?" Kenma mused, feeling out the uation.
After their victory in the first rouerday, Nekoma had studied Aoba Johsai extensively, with Kaedehara Taichi as their primary research target.
In every avaible match rec, Kenma had discovered something both fasating and terrifying—Kaedehara Taichi was stantly evolving.
The stronger his oppos, the more he adapted and grew…
But simply w about the unknown wouldn't help them move forward. Kenma had done his best to prepare for Taichi's existing teiques.
He just needed a little time to adjust.
Oikawa served again.
Boom!
Since power serves weren't yieldis, he switched tactics.
A slow-floating jump float serve wobbled toward Haiba Lev.
"Ah…this!" The tension in the air shifted as the spectators noticed Lev's hesitation.
"Lev! Hands up, lift it higher!" Yaku yelled as Kenma had already moved in to cover.
Smack!
As expected, the ball still slipped through Lev's hands, flying backwards.
Kenma lunged forward, croug low to bump the ball to the tre.
Yamamoto barely mao spike it over.
Smack!
Oikawa received it effortlessly, sending it high above the right wing.
A sudden quick attack—Kyōtani jumped and hammered the ball down.
Smack!
Yaku reacted swiftly, digging the ball ly.
"This guy…He's even more of a mehan Japan's U-19 libero!" Oikawa clicked his tongue in frustration.
Finally, Kenma got a perfect reception—something that should be a on sight for Nekoma.
He took a subtle step to the right, his gaze flickering toward Nobuyuki Kai.
Kindaichi, reading Kenma's eyes, shifted toward the right as well.
"Kindaichi!" Taichi shouted.
Whoosh!—
The ball left Kenma's hands—headi!
Kenma hardly moved, so even the slightest gesture made defenders react…
Kindaichi's block had been pulled away!
Yamamoto jumped, Taichi blog in front of him.
But—
This was the sed yer of misdire!
The ball sailed over Yamamoto's head, and a t figure appeared in midair.
Boom!
Haiba Lev, using his full reach, smashed the ball down—finally sg Nekoma's first point!
[Aoba Johsai 2 – 1 Nekoma]
"Kenma! Your movements are sharper than usual! Is it just because the game has just started? Is it really just the beginning?!!"
Yamamoto Taketora, fortunate enough to be one of the decoys, shouted excitedly as he 'motivated' Kozume Kenma.
"Shut up…" Kenma replied helplessly.
Kaedehara Taided on the ground, slightly stunned.
Kenma had actually set up two yers of decoys in a siack, pletely clearing the obstacles in front of the spiker.
"Taichi, I never po take you on one-on-one," Kenma murmured.
Immediately, a series of gazes locked onto Kaedehara Taichi.
"If I'm treating you as the Boss, then of course I'll gather a party of heroes to challenge you."
"Taichi, your oppo is the entire Nekoma team."
Feeling the attention of Nekoma's entire lineup on him, Kaedehara Taichi grinned.
"What an honour!"
———
Serve switekoma to serve.
Lev Haiba could only perform a standing float serve.
"ce ball!" Watari Shinji shouted, easily receiving the serve.
Kaedehara Taichi had already leapt up on the left wing.
Even though Yamamoto Taketora had his eyes locked on Taichi the whole time, he still couldn't keep up with his speed.
Kenma shifted slightly toward the left in defence.
—Whoosh!
The ball was set high to the right wing.
Kyōtaarō sprinted in from the sideline, leaping into the air.
Boom!
Even a double block couldn't stop his cross-court spike.
Kiyotaarō scores.
[Aoba Johsai 3 – 1 Nekoma]
"Nekoma's oppo is supposed to be Aoba Johsai, isn't it?" Oikawa Tōru said as he stood beside Kaedehara Taichi.
This was what made Seijoh so difficult to deal with.
Aoba Johsai still had a beast of an attacker, one whose offeyle was simple yet relentless. Even if Nekoma lost just one defehey would struggle to stop him.
———
Aoba Johsai to serve.
Kyōtaarō unleashed another powerful jump serve.
"I got it!" Yaku Morisuke received the ball.
Kenma set it to the left wing.
Yamamoto Taketora roared as he leapt up and smmed the ball down.
Boom!
"Double block!" Iwaizumi Hajime and Kaedehara Taichi jumped.
No matter who was blog, Yamamoto's sheer power wouldn't be easy to break through.
Smack!
"Oouch!"
Kaedehara Taichi shouted, nding and sprinting toward the right wing.
"Again?"
But this time, the one blog on the right was Kuroo Tetsurō. Nekoma's front line remained posed.
Boom!
A sharp cross-court spike from Iwaizumi Hajime flew past the right side of the blockers.
However, Lev Haiba mao dig it up!
Still, his reception was unstable—the ball was about to fly over the —
At that instant!
Kuroo Tetsurō leapt and smashed it back down!
Kaedehara Taichi was right there, waiting to block.
Bang!
Kuroo adjusted mid-air, avoiding the blod spiking the ball past the hands of the defence.
The ball struck Kyōtaarō's arm and ricocheted out.
[Aoba Johsai 3 – 2 Nekoma]
"Well? Taichi, do you like that spike of mine?" Kuroo smirked.
"Of course, Kuroo-senpai," Taichi responded with a calm smile.
—"Heh…"
The way the two of them ughed sent a shiver doweammates' spines.
Kuroo turned back, signalling to his teammates, his expression now serious.
This Aoba Johsai…is way tougher than before.
They were pletely different from the team they had faced in practice matches—not just in teique, but in their posure.
Even after g a point, not a single pyer seemed shaken…
———
BOOM!
Kaedehara Taichi scored with a high-tact spike over Yamamoto Taketora and Nobuyuki Kai.
"Although Haiba's teique is still a bit rough, once he rotates to the back row, Nekoma's blog bees noticeably weaker!"
[Aoba Johsai 4 – 2 Nekoma]
BOOM!!
"This spike ricocheted off Kuroo's arm and flew far out of bounds!"
"Yamamoto ositioned deep, but he still couldn't save it!"
"Kaedehara Taichi has single-handedly broken through Nekoma's defence!!"
[Aoba Johsai 5 – 2 Nekoma]
"Don't worry! Stay calm!" Kuroo reassured his teammates.
Nekoma had always been a slow-starting team. But today, with Kenma unusually energized, their engine was already running at full speed.
Still, fag this version of Aoba Johsai, they struggled to find their rhythm.
If they let the point gap widen too much before settling in, it would be hard to recover.
———
Kindaichi Yūtarō to serve.
Yamamoto Taketora delivered a perfect first touch.
As a power attacker, he had endured tless drills to improve his receiving skills.
After all, for Nekoma's 'brain' to funoothly, such sacrifices were necessary.
Kenma's gaze flicked toward the right side—Fukunaga Shōhei.
Aoba Johsai's front line sisted of Matsukawa Issei, Iwaizumi Hajime, and Kaedehara Taichi—three posed pyers who wouldn't recklessly overit.
But then, the ball was actually set to the right side!
"No problem! We follow it!"
Iwaizumi and Taichi moved in sync, crossing steps as they rushed toward Fukunaga.
Smack!
The ball traced a high arc through the air, dropping behind Kyōtaarō.
"Line shot!"
"A precise and sharp angle from Nekoma's sed year, Fukunaga Shōhei!!"
"The ball nded right on Aoba Johsai's baseline—more than half of it outside the court! Impossible to defend!!"
[Aoba Johsai 5 – 3 Nekoma]
"Don't mind it! Don't mind it! That was a total lucky shot," Iwaizumi called out.
Still, despite his words, there was no denying the fact that Kenma had once again fooled their blockers.
Although they hadn't been pletely shaken off, even a moment of hesitation was enough to lose the best timing for a block…
_________
[T/N] - If you guys want to read 50 Chapters in advance of the current story, you support me on my Patreon. Trust me, it's awesome!
Link - (P)atreon./Iseebck [Remove the brackets]
