Shinsuke Kita dove in from the backcourt to receive the ball.
He threw himself forward between Osamu Miya and Aran's feet, stretching out his right hand in an attempt to save it, but the force behind the spike was simply too great.
The volleyball slammed into Shinsuke Kita's wrist bone and bounced back into the air.
It flew off at an awkward angle before finally hitting the floor.
"Beep----------!"
The whistle signaling the point rang out.
Tsutomu Goshiki's eyes lit up.
They scored?
They scored!
On the other side of the net, Aran and Osamu Miya each grabbed one of Shinsuke Kita's arms and helped him back to his feet.
Osamu Miya looked frustrated as he said to him,
"Kita-senpai, I'm really sorry. We've made you worry so much during these two sets."
Shinsuke Kita looked up in mild surprise.
"Why would you say that? Doing my best for the team and for all of you is my responsibility."
Hearing those words, another wave of guilt rose in Osamu Miya's chest.
He hadn't even managed to win that many points for Inarizaki, yet Kita-senpai still believed in him this much.
Osamu Miya exchanged a glance with Aran and saw the same emotions reflected in his eyes. Guilt mixed with frustration and unwillingness to give up.
Aran looked at Shinsuke Kita.
"Don't worry, Kita-senpai. We'll score plenty of points for everyone from here on out."
After saying that, he turned to Osamu Miya with a serious expression, clearly waiting for his agreement.
Osamu Miya found himself nodding.
Inarizaki was only two points behind Shiratorizawa now. If they really wanted to catch up, it wasn't impossible.
Shinsuke Kita patted them both on the shoulder, amusement flickering in his eyes.
They were still kids at heart. It really didn't take much to fire up their fighting spirit.
Reon watched Shinsuke Kita from across the net and somehow felt like he was looking at a fox, complete with a fluffy tail swishing back and forth behind him.
What an old fox.
He really knew exactly how to get his teammates fired up.
"As expected from a clash between powerhouse schools! The constant back-and-forth between these two teams is impossible to look away from! Shiratorizawa's first-year player, Tsutomu Goshiki, refused to back down in the face of Inarizaki's double block. With one powerful spike, he smashed straight through their defense and scored! The match has reached a fever pitch, but for now, Shiratorizawa still appears to have the upper hand!"
Reon listened to the announcement, then walked over to Tsutomu Goshiki.
"Nice work, Tsutomu Goshiki. You broke through a double block. You're starting to look like an ace."
Those words were an enormous boost to Tsutomu Goshiki.
His eyes immediately lit up as he stared at Reon.
"Really? Really? Did I really look like an ace just now?"
Yamagata walked over with a grin.
"Of course. That spike just now really reminded me of Ushijima when he was a first-year."
The two of them had completely different personalities and playing styles, yet somehow Yamagata had sensed the same quality in Tsutomu Goshiki.
Maybe that was simply what it meant to carry the responsibility of an ace.
Yamagata was certain that, at that moment, Tsutomu Goshiki had only one thought in his mind.
He had to score that ball.
After hearing Yamagata's praise, Tsutomu Goshiki looked so pleased that his imaginary tail was practically sticking straight up.
Shirabu walked over and looked at the still-excited Tsutomu Goshiki.
He really wanted to pour cold water on him, but he also didn't want to ruin his current momentum. In the end, he awkwardly forced out a sentence.
"You've still got a long way to go. Hit a few more balls like that before you start getting proud."
That was probably the longest thing Shirabu had said throughout the entire match.
Tsutomu Goshiki wasn't discouraged in the slightest.
If anything, he became even more motivated.
He nodded energetically.
"Of course! Just watch me! I'll score another three points!"
"Only three? Ushijima scored five in a row back then."
Tendo teased him from the side with a grin.
Young players ought to be a little more ambitious. What kind of goal was three points?
At the very least, Tsutomu Goshiki should aim for five.
Better yet, he should show the same brilliance Ushijima had back then.
Tsutomu Goshiki immediately turned toward Tendo, his expression full of admiration.
So Ushijima-senpai had already been able to score that many points for the team the first time he played?
Then he really was still far behind.
He needed to work even harder.
"All right, enough talking. Who's serving next? Hurry up and get to the service line. The referee's already watching us."
Reon had noticed the referee glance toward Shiratorizawa several times in the span of only a few seconds, so he quickly cut off their conversation and urged everyone into position.
Tendo blinked in realization.
"Oh, right. I think I'm supposed to serve next."
Reon glared at him.
"Then hurry up and go."
Tendo spread his hands with a smile.
"But I'm not actually the one going in to serve."
"Beep--------------!"
Just as Reon was wondering why Tendo would say that, a whistle sounded from the sideline.
Everyone turned around.
Ryosuke stood at the edge of the court with the substitution board in his hands, looking toward them.
"And at this crucial service rotation, Shiratorizawa has chosen to make a tactical substitution! Ryosuke is coming in to replace Tendo as the server!
There's no denying just how dangerous Ryosuke's serve is. Will Inarizaki be able to protect the advantage they fought so hard to gain? Let's find out!"
The commentator's voice rang through the arena.
Everyone's attention immediately shifted toward Ryosuke.
The difference was that while Shiratorizawa's players looked expectant, every member of Inarizaki watched him with obvious caution.
Ryosuke approached with the substitution board in hand.
Tendo grinned at Reon.
"See? What did I tell you? I'm definitely not the one going in to serve."
It looked as though Tendo had known all along.
In reality, though, Coach Washijō had only made the decision moments ago and hadn't told anyone.
Tendo had figured it out entirely through intuition.
There was no denying it. Geniuses who relied on instinct could be terrifying.
Tendo cheerfully took the board from Ryosuke and switched places with him.
"Ryosuke, I'm leaving the rest to you. You'll definitely bring Shiratorizawa victory."
Ryosuke looked at Tendo and nodded seriously.
He had already seen Tendo's performance on the court.
Tendo had practically shut Suna down by himself, leaving him no opening at all.
Ryosuke was still a long way from reaching Tendo-senpai's level.
These matches alone were nowhere near enough for him to build all the experience he needed.
"Don't worry, Tendo-senpai. Just watch me."
Ryosuke stepped into the lineup in Tendo's place.
When he noticed everyone looking at him, he reached out and bumped fists with Tsutomu Goshiki, who was standing closest.
Their eyes met.
Nothing needed to be said.
"Hurry up and get back into position."
Once Ryosuke entered the court, Reon turned toward the others and called out.
Everyone quickly returned to their places.
The moment Ryosuke stepped up to the service line, another wave of cheers erupted from the stands.
Everyone had been waiting for him to enter the match, almost as though his presence on the court guaranteed victory.
"Shiratorizawa! Shiratorizawa! Shiratorizawa!"
"Go! Go!"
"Go, Ryosuke!"
The cheering was nearly loud enough to deafen him.
For a moment, Ryosuke remembered the National Tournament he had watched before.
There had been an upperclassman known for his serves who had stood on the court beneath the same kind of expectant gazes.
Everyone had loved that player.
And before Ryosuke even realized it, he was starting to become that kind of player himself.
He took a deep breath.
With a faint smile on his lips that even he hadn't noticed, Ryosuke stepped into position to serve.
His gaze passed through the crowd and across the net before locking precisely onto Akagi in Inarizaki's backcourt.
Akagi's entire body tensed beneath Ryosuke's stare.
Ryosuke only looked at him for a brief moment before shifting his attention away.
He focused on the volleyball in his hands.
As he raised it, everyone's eyes followed the ball upward.
Ryosuke tossed the volleyball quickly.
His waist drove the rotation of his body, and that motion carried through his shoulder and into the forward swing of his arm.
Such a slender waist somehow generated an astonishing amount of power.
His arm snapped forward like a whip and struck the volleyball.
It was probably a good thing the point of contact was so small. Otherwise, it almost felt like Ryosuke might smash the volleyball apart.
"Bang!"
A sharp crack rang out.
The ball shot toward Inarizaki's backcourt.
A spinning hook serve had always been extremely powerful. Its curve was wide and unpredictable, and its path could shift without warning.
Akagi felt his scalp prickle.
He stared wide-eyed at the incoming volleyball.
It was moving fast, and trying to judge both the direction of its spin and its landing point with the naked eye was practically inhuman.
Akagi felt like his eyes were being tortured.
The volleyball kept spinning, almost making him dizzy just from watching it.
Once it crossed the net, it curved toward the right.
Akagi had to watch it for several moments before confirming that yes, it really was heading right.
He immediately took off running.
He rushed toward the position he had predicted, following the direction of the ball's flight.
The volleyball curved toward the area where Shinsuke Kita was standing.
Shinsuke Kita had originally been prepared to receive it, but Akagi was already on his way over.
If Shinsuke Kita suddenly stepped in now, it would only interfere with Akagi.
So he decisively retreated a step and cleared the lane for him.
Still, Shinsuke Kita knew perfectly well that Akagi probably wasn't going to receive this ball cleanly.
Akagi had managed to handle Ryosuke's hook serves before.
The problem was that Ryosuke's serves were different every single time.
Each one became a little more difficult and a little more deceptive.
Akagi simply couldn't adapt as quickly as Ryosuke was improving his serve.
The thought gave Shinsuke Kita a headache.
Where on earth had Shiratorizawa dug up a monster like this?
This was pure torture.
Akagi watched the volleyball curve toward the place where Shinsuke Kita had been standing.
It already looked like it was about to hit the floor.
He immediately threw himself forward in a diving receive.
Akagi's dive was extremely precise.
There wasn't a single flaw in his movement.
His palms slid close to the floor as the volleyball began descending directly above them.
From a distance, it looked as though Akagi was certain to save the ball.
But Akagi's own body blocked his view of its downward path.
And as the volleyball fell, its trajectory shifted once again.
It twisted away and dropped toward another spot.
Akagi's heart tightened.
He immediately craned his neck upward and stretched out his arm as far as he could, trying to reach the ball.
The effort looked painfully desperate.
But at such a crucial moment, there was no longer enough time to adjust the position of his hand.
The volleyball slipped just beyond Akagi's reach.
It was frustratingly close.
Just a little more, and he would have had it.
"Beep---------!"
No one was surprised when the whistle signaling the point sounded.
"Nice serve, Ryosuke!"
"That was amazing!"
Yamagata praised Ryosuke without holding back, while Tsutomu Goshiki stared at him with stars in his eyes.
If only his serve could become as impressive as Ryosuke's someday.
It was just too cool.
Ryosuke's face reddened with embarrassment at the praise.
It wasn't the first time everyone had complimented him so openly, but every time they did, his face still grew hot.
It was embarrassing.
Ryosuke scratched his hair.
"Not at all. You guys are amazing too."
Reon watched Yamagata and Tsutomu Goshiki crowd around Ryosuke, amusement flashing in his eyes.
Then he grabbed Yamagata with his left hand and Tsutomu Goshiki with his right and dragged both of them away.
"You two, stop distracting Ryosuke while he's serving. Get back to your positions."
Then he casually dropped them back where they belonged.
From across the court, Atsumu Miya watched Reon pick up two people and put them back down.
He swallowed hard.
He could lift two male high school students at once.
Just how terrifying was that arm strength?
It felt like one punch from Reon could kill him.
What kind of monsters were Shiratorizawa made of?
Atsumu Miya was thoroughly intimidated.
After that, he didn't even dare look toward Shiratorizawa anymore.
What if he stared too long, annoyed someone, and they charged over to beat him up?
That would turn into an actual incident.
Osamu Miya noticed how suddenly well-behaved Atsumu Miya had become.
Following his gaze, he saw Reon talking to his teammates and immediately understood.
Atsumu Miya had started imagining all kinds of ridiculous nonsense again.
Tendo sat on the bench, grinning as he looked at Coach Washijō.
"Coach, didn't you say Ryosuke wasn't going to play in the final set?"
Coach Washijō already had a sour expression.
The moment he heard Tendo's question, it became even sourer.
There was absolutely no way Coach Washijō was going to admit the truth.
Earlier, while watching from the sideline, he had noticed the envy in Ryosuke's eyes whenever Tsutomu Goshiki or Ushijima scored.
There had also been a clear eagerness in his gaze, as though he desperately wanted to get back onto the court.
Ryosuke still hadn't completely come down from the previous set.
His blood was still running hot.
Watching the others play only made him want to go back out there and show what he could do.
Coach Washijō had practically been blinded by the look in Ryosuke's eyes.
Ryosuke never actually said that he wanted to play again, but somehow, Coach Washijō still thought he looked rather pitiful sitting there by himself.
He had been enjoying himself so much on the court, only to be suddenly substituted out and left on the bench.
Of course there would be some disappointment.
So Coach Washijō had made a last-minute decision to put Ryosuke back in to serve.
The instant he told Ryosuke he was going in, Ryosuke's eyes had sharpened.
Faced with Tendo's question, Coach Washijō stubbornly replied,
"Of course I have my reasons for putting Ryosuke in. Ryosuke... will bring us victory. He and Tsutomu Goshiki are our greatest weapons in this match.
Besides, suddenly taking Ryosuke off the court would naturally leave him feeling disappointed. We have to think about his long-term development too."
Tendo pursed his lips.
He didn't buy Coach Washijō's explanation at all.
It was only half true.
In the end, Coach Washijō simply couldn't bear to see Ryosuke looking so disappointed, nor could he stand seeing him sitting there all alone.
Long-term development, my ass.
Coach Washijō certainly hadn't hesitated when he took Tendo off the court back then.
Tendo still remembered being substituted out during his first year.
He had stormed over to confront Coach Washijō in a rage, only to receive a cold reply.
"Shiratorizawa has no need for useless players who can't score. Think it through, then come find me again."
That had definitely dealt a blow to Tendo's confidence at the time.
But by the time Ryosuke's class came around, Coach Washijō's punishments and even his temper had become far gentler than they used to be.
...
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