"This fired-up version of Kenma is a rare sight," Kuroo Tetsurō remarked, a rare, genuine smile appearing on his face.

  Uhe and of its 'brain', Nekoma's 'blood' was beginning to boil!

  "I'm really looking forward to his performaoday—just as long as he doesn't suddenly fall apart halfway through the match."

  Kuroo turo look at Kenma.

  His usually indifferent eyes now seemed infused with a peculiar energy—their edges sharpened while the depths grew darker. That gaze gave off a feeling both dangerous and captivating.

  "...Looks like that won't happen," Kuroo chuckled. "Guess I'll have to step up my game too."

  -----

  Nekoma's serve—Nobuyuki Kai sent a powerful jump serve across the .

  Kyōtaarō received it, and Oikawa Tōru set the ball high to the left wing. Kaedehara Taichi sprinted in a for the spike.

  "Wait for it—" Kuroo locked onto Taichi's movement. "Jump!"

  "Double block!"

  Kuroo and Fukunaga Shōhei leapt together, f a solid wall in front of Taichi.

  With Kenma typically staying out of blog formations, Nekoma's front line was effectively doyer. This would normally create an exploitable gap in their defence, but under Kuroo's leadership, their wall against spikers had only grown more effit.

  The openi deliberately iraight-line angle was no act. It was bait—because standing directly in Taichi's path was Nekoma's libero, Yaku Morisuke!

  How bold...

  Mid-air, Taichi tightened his right arm. At the moment of impact, his palm ed around the ball slightly, adjusting his wrist ah precise trol—

  A downward wrist snap—

  BOOM!

  The ball smmed down ihe three-meter line—a nearly vertical spike!

  Smack!

  Kenma had just raised his arms for the receive when a tremendous forocked them apart.

  The impact sent him stumbling backwards, falling onto the court as the ball ricocheted out of bounds.

  [Aoba Johsai 6 - 3 Nekoma]

  "Kenma, I just picked up this move during the Youth National Camp. You haven't seen it ich footage yet, have you?" Taichi grinned mischievously, his golden eyes glinting with amusement.

  Kenma got up from the floor, his gaze flickering with intrigue.

  "...Well, I have now."

  "But we're just getting started!" Taichi jogged toward the service line. "I've got a few more tricks to show you!"

  —

  Rotation ge—Aoba Johsai's serve.

  Kaedehara Taichi stepped up to the service line.

  "Watch his footwork!" Kuroo called out.

  Taichi's rare 'Quad-Threat' serve had already stuhem in video analysis. But even an uable teique followed some kind of pattern.

  If they could determine whether he would use his right or left hand, they'd already be halfway to solving the puzzle.

  Of course, that was just Nekoma's assumption.

  Taichi tossed the ball into the air—

  Oep, two steps, three steps—his right foot leading into the jump.

  "Left hand!"

  The Nekoma pyers subtly adjusted their receiving stances.

  Boom!

  A powerful jump serve!

  Fast! Almost on par with Oikawa's.

  Yamamoto Taketora barely ma his arms together, predig the ball's trajectory—

  Smack!

  The ball struck his forearms, ricocheted off his shoulder, and flew out of bounds.

  It wasn't just the spin—it was the sheer power that made it nearly impossible to trol!

  Service ace!

  [Aoba Johsai 7 - 3 Nekoma]

  Aoba Johsai's first service ace of the match.

  Taichi's gaze swept across the Nekoma lineup, searg for his arget.

  "You."

  He extewo fingers—pointing directly at Kenma and Yaku.

  "Iing!" Yaku grinned. "Last time, you were fun to py against. But now? You're even more fun!"

  The st time they faced each other, Taichi's serve had been a liability—often turned into a ce ball for Nekoma to terattack. But now, it had bee one of his greatest ons.

  Smack!

  Taichi unched his sed serve—

  A left-handed jump float!

  The ball cleared the before abruptly diving down toward the front row!

  Kenma stepped forward, ready to receive.

  Just as the ball neared his hands—it suddenly veered right!

  Kenma's eyes widened. He stretched his arms further—

  Missed!

  The ball accelerated downward, heading straight for his feet.

  Smack!

  From behind, Yaku dove in, fttening his palm to cushion the ball just before it hit the floor.

  The ball popped up—but not high enough!

  Kenma crouched down instantly, using a single hand to push it even higher.

  The two collided, nearly tangling together.

  Fukunaga Shōhei seized the moment, leaping into the air—

  Smack!

  "Oouch!" Matsukawa Issei shouted from the back.

  Kaedehara Taichi received the ball, and Oikawa Tōru set it to the middle.

  Iwaizumi Hajime leapt and spiked the ball with full forekoma had no ce to defend!

  Boom!

  Smack!

  It wasn't that Iwaizumi had made a mistake in his attack—It was that the pair of haending from the left side were just faster!

  The ball ricocheted off Kuroo Tetsurō's arms and fell bato Aoba Johsai's court!

  [Aoba Johsai 7 – 4 Nekoma]

  "Even when Nekoma was in plete disarray, their captain Kuroo Tetsurō stepped up and single-handedly made the defensive py!"

  "Kuroo, that was an amazing block!!"

  "Nekoma never fails to impress!!"

  "Nekoma's Kuroo Tetsurō once again proves why he's one of the best middle blockers in the try!"

  "Thanks, Kuroo." Kenma Kozume and Yaku Morisuke had already scrambled back to their positions.

  Even Kuroo himself hadn't expected Kaedehara Taichi to wreak such havoc with just his serves, f Kenma and Yaku into such a messy state.

  "If we let the gap widen any further, it'll be a disaster," Kuroo muttered grimly.

  The serve switched hands—Kuroo stepped up to the service line.

  His eyes locked onto Aoba Johsai's back row.

  As much as he wao test Kaedehara Taichi's receiving skills, he made the strategic choice tet Kyōtaarō instead.

  Boom!

  The ball arced through the air, cuttiween Kyōtani and Watari Shinji.

  "I got it!"

  Watari slid left, but the serve curved even deeper—plummeting toward Kyōtani's feet.

  Smack!

  The ball shot straight up.

  Kuroo Tetsurō scored directly off his serve!

  [Aoba Johsai 7 – 5 Nekoma]

  "Nekoma's captain, Kuroo Tetsurō, steps up in this crucial moment, closing the gap with two secutive points!"

  "As expected, Kuroo is a master of all trades!!"

  "Kuroo! One more!"

  From the cheers around the court, it was clear just how beloved Kuroo was.

  Kaedehara Taichi's gaze lingered on the figure standing at the service line.

  Back when he was still Aoba Johsai's middle blocker, the pyer he most wao learn from was Nekoma's Kuroo Tetsurō.

  As a middle blocker, Kuroo was exceptional in every aspect—serving, attag, blog, even receiving—he ha all with ease.

  Kaedehara Taichi had once dreamed of reag that level, of being a solid and reliable force his teammates could always t on.

  But now—he wao surpass him.

  He wao defeat Kuroo Tetsurō head-on.

  "Bring it on!"

  Kaedehara Taichi called out, issuing his challeh a fearless grin.

  Kuroo blinked in surprise. This guy...

  But if someone had the guts to challenge him—Kuroo Tetsurō would never back down.

  Boom!

  Kuroo unched his sed serve—this time, aimed straight at Kaedehara Taichi!

  Taichi rocked onto his toes.

  From the previous serve, he had already grasped Kuroo's serving tendehe ball followed a deep, looping trajectory, arg before suddenly plunging downward.

  Which meant—he couldn't just wait for it to drop.

  He had to intercept it mid-flight!

  For a split sed, his mind fshed back to the sunlit beaches of Hawaii—To those days when no one else was around to bail him out—When he had to receive every single serve, no matter what.

  The ball soared outside the boundary li Taichi knew it would curve ba.

  Gambling on it going out? Not a ce.

  Kaedehara Taichi lunged right, stepping over the sideline, arms locked together as he braced for impact.

  Smack!

  The ball struck his forearms and shot high into the air.

  "Cover!"

  Oikawa Tōru had already moved into position, stepping precisely uhe ball.

  Kaedehara Taichi didn't stop.

  Adjusting his stan a fsh, he sprinted forward—the from the back row.

  —Whoosh!

  Oikawa's set soared to the right—Kaedehara Taichi's back-row attack!

  "This ach for a wipe-off shot!" Yamamoto Taketora yelled, retreating deeper.

  After his failed dig earlier, he had adjusted his positioning.

  "Double block!" Nekoma's front line—Fukunaga Shōhei and Lev Haiba—jumped up together.

  Nekoma's defence was formidable not just because of their teical skills but because they adapted.

  The moment they figured out an attacker's habits, sg against them became nearly impossible.

  But Kaedehara Taichi—

  Wasn't someohey could categorize just yet.

  The moment he swung his arm, Lev braced himself.

  But the expected impaever came.

  Instead—

  Kaedehara Taichi lightly tipped the ball, just grazing it over Lev's outstretched fingers.

  The ball floated past him, dropping softly behind.

  Yamamoto Taketora dove forward with everything he had—But all he could do was watch the ball hit the floor.

  Tap, tap, tap...

  Kaedehara Taichi scored off a tip shot!

  [Aoba Johsai 8 – 5 Nekoma]

  _________

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