Tsutomu Goshiki tossed the volleyball into the air, bent his knees, and prepared for his approach.
Akagi kept his eyes fixed on him, watching his every move.
Tsutomu Goshiki ran forward and jumped. Once the ball reached the right height, he swung his right hand down hard, snapping his wrist and wrapping his palm over the ball.
His serve was becoming increasingly polished. His touch was scorching hot right now, and Tsutomu Goshiki was playing at his absolute peak.
"Bang!"
With a loud impact, the volleyball shot forward.
Akagi tracked it closely. The instant it left Tsutomu Goshiki's hand, he determined its general direction. There was no need to run across the court. The ball was coming straight at him.
All he needed to do was make a few minor adjustments to his footwork.
Having already experienced Tsutomu Goshiki's serve during the previous rally, Akagi was fully prepared this time. He refused to give Tsutomu Goshiki any chance of scoring an ace.
The volleyball reached him in the blink of an eye. Akagi shuffled backward several steps, adjusting his distance so he could receive it cleanly without sending it behind him.
He extended both arms, and the ball slammed directly into his forearms.
"Thud!"
"!"
Even though Akagi had mentally prepared himself, the tremendous force still caught him by surprise. Tsutomu Goshiki's serve was seriously powerful.
His arms began to sink, but Akagi forced them upward with a sudden burst of strength.
The volleyball flew in the direction of that force.
The serve had carried so much power that controlling its angle was difficult.
Akagi had no choice but to pass it straight up in front of himself.
The moment the volleyball rose, Atsumu Miya came racing over like a fox that had spotted a meaty bone.
"I've got it! I've got it! Nice receive, Akagi!"
The pass was considerably better than the previous one.
Osamu Miya had already reached the front row, while Suna once again moved to obstruct Ryosuke's line of sight.
Aran and Omimi had divided their responsibilities clearly. One kept Ushijima occupied, while the other covered Osamu Miya's attack.
Ryosuke had learned his lesson this time. Before Suna could get in front of him, Ryosuke moved opposite Aran and stood beside Tsutomu Goshiki, appearing ready to block Aran's spike.
Suna immediately realized that Ryosuke had found a way to escape him. With Ryosuke positioned near Ushijima, Suna could no longer focus entirely on Ryosuke. Compared to him, Ushijima was obviously the more important threat.
At the same time, Suna didn't trust Aran to handle Ushijima's block alone.
Atsumu Miya reached the spot where the ball was falling in the backcourt and jumped to set.
He barely needed to look to know Osamu Miya's position and intentions. Without the slightest pause, he sent the ball directly to him.
The set was almost as fast as a serve.
Osamu Miya trusted Atsumu Miya completely. The moment he heard the movement behind him, he jumped.
Ryosuke glanced toward him and saw that Osamu Miya was already in the air, preparing to attack. He immediately sprinted toward that position.
Tsutomu Goshiki and Reon were already close to Osamu Miya's hitting point. The moment they saw him jump, both rushed over.
They weren't going to overlook a single ball now. Tsutomu Goshiki still hadn't seen the opposing set, but the same thing had happened during the previous rally. He hadn't seen Atsumu Miya's set then either, yet Osamu Miya had still spiked the ball.
They didn't dare compare their own instincts to the twins' coordination.
Tsutomu Goshiki and Reon moved to block Osamu Miya, while Ryosuke raced to join them.
Suna glanced at Ryosuke but ultimately chose to remain with Ushijima. There was no point trying to follow Ryosuke in this situation.
As Osamu Miya jumped, he saw several players rushing toward him from different directions.
Before any of them could arrive, the ball appeared directly in front of him.
Osamu Miya didn't even need to look. He simply swung his right hand down with all his strength.
Even then, he couldn't help thinking that Pig Atsumu's sets were becoming smoother and smoother. No matter where Osamu Miya jumped or swung, the volleyball appeared precisely where he needed it.
Not that Osamu Miya would ever admit he was a little impressed.
Osamu Miya swung at the ball.
Ryosuke sprinted with everything he had and finally reached the spot a split second after Osamu Miya began his swing. Using the momentum of his run, he launched himself upward.
"Bang!"
Because he had arrived in such a hurry, Ryosuke couldn't properly position his hands even though he had made it in time.
Osamu Miya was equally startled by Ryosuke's sudden appearance.
Ryosuke hadn't been anywhere near this position a moment ago.
Wasn't he moving a little too fast?
The thought flashed through Osamu Miya's mind, but his swing never slowed.
Ryosuke had rushed into place too quickly, leaving his block incomplete. The volleyball struck the side of his palm.
"Thud!"
The deflection sent the ball flying diagonally into the backcourt.
"One touch!"
Ryosuke shouted.
Yamagata charged forward from the backcourt, rolled across the floor, and dug the ball up with both arms.
Shirabu initially moved to set it, but when he saw the ball flying directly toward Tsutomu Goshiki, he stopped.
The ball was already beside Tsutomu Goshiki. There was no need for Shirabu to intervene.
Seeing it approach, Tsutomu Goshiki jumped, intending to score another overpass kill.
Suna's gaze sharpened when he saw Tsutomu Goshiki crouch and jump from a standstill. He took a long lateral step and rose directly in front of him.
Tsutomu Goshiki was still riding the momentum of the previous rallies. Without giving it much thought, he attacked with another Cross Shot.
Suna appeared to have anticipated it.
He extended his right hand diagonally. Tsutomu Goshiki's Cross Shot was about to be stuffed, startling him.
There was no way to avoid the block now. Tsutomu Goshiki's expression grew serious. It was already too late to change the direction of his swing.
So he committed fully and hammered the ball down with all his strength.
"Bang!"
Suna knew Tsutomu Goshiki hit hard, but he hadn't expected this much power. The impact nearly numbed his palm.
Tsutomu Goshiki's spike forced open a gap in Suna's block.
The volleyball flew through that opening and continued into the backcourt.
"One touch!"
Suna shouted as he landed, then shook out his hand.
What ridiculous strength.
That was Suna's assessment of him.
The volleyball traveled toward the backcourt. Akagi was preparing to receive it, but Osamu Miya charged forward first, appearing from the side and positioning himself directly beneath the ball.
He received it with a forearm pass.
Seeing this, Aran and Omimi both retreated several steps to prepare their approaches.
Osamu Miya passed the ball upward.
Ryosuke and Tsutomu Goshiki stared intensely at Aran and Omimi, as though expecting one of them to spike at any moment.
Ushijima frowned.
It couldn't be that simple.
Inarizaki would never run such a meaningless, straightforward play.
Osamu Miya sent the ball up.
In the next second, Atsumu Miya burst forward from behind him.
Aran and Omimi screened Atsumu Miya's attack.
Atsumu Miya seemed to fly across the court.
When Shiratorizawa saw how obviously half-hearted Aran and Omimi's approaches were, they realized they had been tricked.
But if neither of them was going to spike, then who would?
Suna?
Ryosuke turned his attention toward Suna and found him looking back with a faint smile.
"Bang!"
The instant Ryosuke looked at Suna, he heard the volleyball hit the floor.
He whipped his head back in disbelief and saw the last person he had expected.
Atsumu Miya descended slowly, braced his hands against his knees, and exhaled.
His hair covered his eyes, making his expression difficult to read. He raised his head slightly and looked across the net, sweat dripping from his forehead.
Ryosuke's eyes widened.
He could hardly believe what he was seeing.
Atsumu Miya could spike?
"Beep------------!"
While everyone was still stunned, the referee blew the whistle and awarded the point.
The commentator's voice rang out immediately afterward.
"Inarizaki pulls one back! What incredible coordination between the Inarizaki twins! Osamu Miya acted as the setter, while Atsumu Miya delivered the spike! Their chemistry was flawless. What an astonishing play!"
The commentator wasn't the only one surprised.
Everyone else was equally shocked.
Reon sighed, covered his forehead, and muttered, "I knew I was forgetting something. So that was it."
He was talking about the twins' coordination.
Reon had watched Inarizaki play the previous year. Back then, Atsumu Miya had occasionally filled in as a middle blocker, while Osamu Miya could take over as setter.
Whenever the ball reached those two, everyone on the opposing side got a headache. No one knew whether Atsumu Miya or Osamu Miya would be the one to spike next.
That match had established the Miya Twins' reputation and made them famous.
Now that Reon thought about it, something had felt wrong.
The twins had been far too restrained. They had shown none of the reckless confidence they used to play with.
"That was amazing! So cool!"
In the middle of the silence, Tsutomu Goshiki clung to the net, staring at Atsumu Miya and Osamu Miya with sparkling eyes.
He looked ready to lift the net and crawl under it just to celebrate with Atsumu Miya.
Ryosuke said nothing, but his eyes shone as he stared at Atsumu Miya. His gaze moved repeatedly between him and Osamu Miya.
He was obviously just as curious.
"You two really are incredible."
Omimi walked over with a broad smile.
He genuinely thought Atsumu Miya and Osamu Miya were amazing.
Osamu Miya waved modestly, while Atsumu Miya looked so smug that his nose was practically pointing toward the ceiling.
"I forgot to tell you two earlier. Atsumu Miya and Osamu Miya both used to play setter. Later, for some reason, Osamu Miya switched to middle blocker.
"Even so, opponents have always had to watch out for Atsumu Miya's spikes and Osamu Miya's setting during matches. This was my mistake. I should've warned you beforehand."
Looking somewhat embarrassed, Reon walked over and draped his arms around Ryosuke and Tsutomu Goshiki's shoulders.
After hearing his explanation, Ryosuke and Tsutomu Goshiki shook their heads in perfect unison.
Ryosuke hadn't reviewed Atsumu Miya's information because he had already met him at the training camp. Otherwise, he wouldn't have made this mistake.
Tsutomu Goshiki, meanwhile, had simply never thought to check. He also genuinely believed the play Atsumu Miya and Osamu Miya had just shown was incredibly cool.
After speaking to Ryosuke and Tsutomu Goshiki, Reon turned toward the rest of Shiratorizawa.
"Did none of you tell them about this?"
Yamagata shook his head, then looked at Shirabu.
"I thought Shirabu would tell them."
Shirabu looked completely baffled.
What did this have to do with him?
Reon pressed a hand to his forehead.
"Do you honestly think Shirabu is the type to volunteer that information?"
Yamagata thought for a moment, then shook his head honestly.
"I thought Ushijima had told them."
Reon sighed again.
Ushijima looked entirely innocent.
"I thought you would tell them, Reon."
They all looked from one person to another, and for a moment, the scene was almost comical.
"Alright, stop standing around like idiots. Just remember to watch out for it from now on and get back into position."
Reon glanced across the net and urged everyone to move.
Nothing they said now would change the fact that Inarizaki had scored the previous point.
Once both sides were ready, Osamu Miya stepped up to the service line.
He tossed the volleyball into the air and caught it, then tossed it again and caught it once more.
His gaze settled on Yamagata across the court.
At first, Osamu Miya had used his serves to test the opposing team.
Then he realized it made absolutely no difference.
Whether he tested them or served seriously, the result was always the same.
They received the ball.
Osamu Miya no longer bothered overthinking it.
The serve would be received either way. The only difference was whether they received it easily or with difficulty.
He shifted his gaze away from Yamagata.
When the whistle sounded, Osamu Miya tossed the volleyball into the air.
He began his approach and jumped.
Osamu Miya's serving repertoire was extremely limited. He genuinely only knew how to perform a Jump Serve.
Everyone assumed that, as Atsumu Miya's younger brother, he must also know how to hit a jump floater.
Osamu Miya could only shrug helplessly at that.
He and Atsumu Miya had always been different.
"Bang!"
Osamu Miya hammered the volleyball.
He hadn't aimed at Yamagata in the backcourt.
Osamu Miya had no idea exactly where the serve would land. All he knew was that it shouldn't go out.
Yamagata watched the ball approach, studying its trajectory.
Osamu Miya had put every ounce of strength into the serve.
The moment the volleyball cleared the net, it accelerated sharply toward the backcourt.
Yamagata tracked its path and began adjusting his position.
The ball was heading toward the right side of Shiratorizawa's court.
Yamagata sprinted after it without looking back.
Tsutomu Goshiki, positioned on the right, moved aside to clear the way. Yamagata quickly reached the space he had vacated.
He didn't even have time to steady himself.
Yamagata bent his knees, lowered his body, and extended both arms as the volleyball flew toward him.
"Thud!"
The ball slammed directly into his forearms.
Osamu Miya thought he had put tremendous force behind the serve, but when he saw Yamagata's expression remain completely unchanged, he began to doubt himself.
Perhaps it hadn't been as powerful as he thought.
But Yamagata practiced against Ushijima's serves every day.
A serve of this level posed no problem for him at all.
Sheer power alone would never make Yamagata drop the ball.
Anyone determined to overpower him would need a serve on Ushijima's level.
Otherwise, they could forget about it.
...
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