"I've shown you countless times before, the incredibly stable and powerful quick attacks, mine and Nishinoya's."
"It's all for this moment."
"You've already fallen into a solo rhythm."
"From reactive blocking, you've reverted to the predictive blocks from the opening."
"If you're predicting…"
"…you'll see this layer coming."
Kenma Kenma, standing in the center, executed a perfectly timed, completely unpredictable middle set.
But this time, the quick attack seemed slightly slower than usual.
Tetsuro Kuroo and Ichinose Guren arrived at the net almost simultaneously and jumped.
And then, a shocking scene for both Nekoma and Karasuno unfolded.
Both made a fake jump at the same time.
"Why aGuren't you jumping?!"
Kuroo's face twisted with confusion.
"You didn't jump either, did you?"
Guren's face no longer showed his previous impulse, only a mischievous smile.
"I knew it."
"I knew it."
"I knew it."
Hinata, Hyakuzawa, and Hoshino shared the same thought:
There's no way Ichinose Guren could be acting on impulse. His so-called "berserk mode" and predictive block? It was all part of the setup Kenma laid out.
"A person who loves predicting others."
"Now, it's your turn to be predicted."
Ichinose Guren had predicted Kenma's prediction!
Though Kuroo saw Guren didn't jump, he couldn't stay idle forever and watch the ball drop.
He leaped, entering a mid-air duel with Guren.
At the instant Kuroo jumped, Guren followed without hesitation.
The two were entangled midair. Kuroo struggled to maintain his spike posture.
Guren's suspension still had energy left, but he didn't continue, he realized the slightly slower set wasn't aimed at Kuroo.
He lowered his center of gravity, landing faster.
"You noticed?"
"Too late."
Kuroo saw that Guren had already seen through the trap he and Kenma set.
He relaxed midair, waiting to land.
Because this trap had a third player: Nekoma's No. 4, Yamamoto Taketora, launching an attack from the back row.
"Wahyaa!"
Mohawk-haired Yamamoto leapt forward with unstoppable momentum.
"I admit, in jump, height, reach, even speed and strength, I can't match you."
"But Nekoma is always a team!!"
"Kenma, Kuroo, will clear my path so I can spike freely!"
It wasn't Guren predicting Kenma's prediction.
Kenma predicted Guren would predict him, and set the trap accordingly.
"A meticulous person like that, how could he suddenly go berserk?"
"He's mimicking me."
Kenma had said during the last timeout.
He even gathered the team to review the setup:
"Since their #15 wants to feign exhaustion and attempt a last-minute comeback…"
"…we'll give him what he wants, just rewrite the ending of the play."
Guren's block was again breached by a back-row attack, yet he wore an 'as expected' expression.
"I just wanted to see if my strategy could challenge a true master strategist."
"Indeed, in pure calculation, I can't beat you."
"But, you have teammates. So do I."
Landing, Guren jumped again, but even his exceptional reflexes and jump speed weren't enough for this timing.
Kenma and Kuroo's coordination already accounted for Guren's speed.
Yamamoto's spike was guaranteed to breach the block.
Guren had no intention to block, this time, his role merged with Karasuno's reception system.
Leaning back and reaching out, he successfully guided Yamamoto's spike trajectory, giving the backrow optimal vision.
Hinata stood up.
Hands raised, he received the middle back-row attack.
Seeing this, Guren shouted for the first time during practice matches:
"Pass it here!!!"
Kageyama smiled, his lips curling.
"Here, I'll give you the perfect set."
"Spike it hard!"
"My points are mine, your points are mine too!!"
Stepping back, pushing off the ground, adjusting hips and center, Hinata launched himself.
Rising from the floor, it was as if he was back in the Yukigaoka gym, watching that astonishing figure for the first time.
Stretching, soaring.
Memories flashed.
Hinata recognized this as Guren's best, most satisfying spike since entering high school.
He inhaled deeply, holding it, smiling like the little sun he was, shouting at Guren in the air:
"Bloom!"
"Guren!!!!"
Guren, midair, allowed a faint smile to appear.
"Hah."
Opposing midair, he exhaled:
'Damn!'
When Kuroo and Kenma reached their maximum jump height, they were stunned: Guren had leapt higher than their reach.
His incredible jump and speed meant:
As the blockers reached their peak, Guren, above them by over ten centimeters, unleashed his finishing spike.
BOOM!
The ball slammed onto Nekoma's half of the court, sending dust flying.
Karasuno led by one point.
Ahahaha… if I focus on quality, it feels like I can't even write enough words.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria