The blockers lined up before Ushijima in a solid wall, looking almost unstoppable.
But against Ushijima, the opposing block hardly seemed to matter. If a block stood in his way, he would simply smash through it.
Ushijima aimed directly at Suna's arms and swung his left hand with tremendous force, as though he intended to break them.
"Hiss..."
On the sidelines, Tendo clutched his own arm and sucked in a sharp breath. He had been Ushijima's teammate for a long time, but no matter how often he saw Ushijima spike, he still felt a moment of sympathy for whoever had to receive it.
It looked unbearably painful.
Coach Washijō glanced at Tendo and gave a faint snort.
"Pathetic."
Coach Washijō knew exactly what Tendo was thinking. Tendo had trained with Ushijima ever since coming to Shiratorizawa, and from then on, he practically went out of his way to avoid Ushijima whenever he saw him.
"Bang!"
A thunderous impact echoed across the court as Ushijima hammered the volleyball down.
Suna's arms were violently knocked apart like snapped branches.
"Beep-beep--------!"
The spike not only scored the point, but also secured Shiratorizawa's victory in the first set.
"Whoa! They won!"
"That was incredible. Shiratorizawa really is amazing!"
"Ushijima is unbelievable!"
Cheers filled the stands, and everyone on Shiratorizawa's side looked delighted.
Aran froze, then looked up at the scoreboard. At some point, the score had quietly reached 25 to 20.
After landing, Suna sucked in a breath and clutched his arm. It was trembling uncontrollably, and the spot where the volleyball had struck felt burning hot beneath his palm.
All Suna wanted to ask was who had claimed volleyball couldn't kill someone.
If that ball had hit him in the head, he would have died on the spot.
Ushijima's left-handed spike was practically a lethal weapon.
"Suna, are you okay?"
After a brief moment of disappointment, Aran remembered the previous play and hurried over. He reached out as though he wanted to pull Suna's hand away from his arm.
Suna released it, revealing a bright red patch that stood out painfully against his skin.
After checking it several times, Aran carefully took hold of Suna's arm and guided him off the court, muttering as they walked.
"With your arm looking like this, you have to put some ointment on it. I know it'll affect your touch, but if you don't, Coach definitely won't let you back on the court. Just put up with it for a while. Think of it as a sacrifice for the team."
"I don't want to."
"No. You definitely want the ointment."
Their voices faded as they walked farther away.
Ushijima had intended to apologize to Suna. He knew he had used a little too much force.
Unfortunately, neither Suna nor Aran looked at him before leaving. Ushijima remained standing there alone, his large frame somehow making him look slightly aggrieved.
Ryosuke and Tsutomu Goshiki gathered around him and immediately started chattering.
"Ushijima-senpai, that last spike was so cool!"
"You can spike with both your left and right hands. Ushijima-senpai, you're incredible!"
Only then did Ushijima's expression change. He turned and walked back with the two of them.
Behind them, Reon and Yamagata carried the volleyballs while talking, and Shirabu followed close behind. Everyone had been waiting for Ushijima.
"The first set of this match has concluded. Shiratorizawa has taken the opening set. We will now have a short break before the match continues."
With the first set over, both teams left the court to rest.
On Shiratorizawa's side, Ryosuke and Tsutomu Goshiki still couldn't stop talking about Ushijima's final spike. They looked completely in awe of him.
Ushijima's ears turned red under their relentless praise, but he stubbornly refused to say anything more.
"Ryosuke, are you feeling frustrated? Suna kept you tied down for that entire set."
As soon as Ryosuke stepped off the court, Tendo grinned and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
Ryosuke's good mood from winning the set instantly vanished, as though someone had dumped a bucket of cold water over him.
Everyone immediately glared at Tendo.
He really knew how to bring up the worst possible subject. Couldn't he see that Ryosuke already blamed himself?
Under everyone's condemning stares, Tendo rubbed his nose somewhat awkwardly.
It was the first time the entire team had looked at him that way. The experience felt strangely novel.
Still, Tendo didn't feel guilty in the slightest.
He knew Ryosuke would never let something like this crush him.
Sure enough, Ryosuke looked dejected for only a few seconds before meeting Tendo's gaze with renewed determination.
"Tendo-senpai, please teach me how to shake off a blocker!"
Sparks flared in his usually calm, lake-like eyes, burning brightly enough to set anyone watching him alight.
Oh my. I really do love that look in Ryosuke's eyes.
Tendo thought this almost casually.
The boy was now nearly as tall as him. Not long ago, Ryosuke had still been half a head shorter.
Tendo could feel the youthful energy and passion radiating from him.
Looking at Ryosuke's expression, Tendo didn't know whether he would become a qualified libero in the future.
But right now, Ryosuke was unquestionably a qualified blocker.
"Hahahahaha! Ryosuke, what an irresistible look!"
Tendo said exactly what he was thinking without hesitation, laughing so hard that tears appeared in his eyes.
It took him several seconds to calm down.
Then he looked at Ryosuke's serious expression and said, "You said you want to shake off the blocker, right? When a blocker is marking you, you can't focus on the blocker himself. Your attention has to be somewhere else. Look past him and focus on everything you can see besides the opposing block."
Yamagata and Tsutomu Goshiki didn't understand at all.
They looked at each other and seemed to see matching question marks above their heads.
But Ryosuke understood concepts as quickly as his talent allowed him to learn them.
He immediately grasped what Tendo meant.
Then a hint of doubt arose in his mind.
Was it really that simple?
Not far away, Coach Washijō watched Tendo teach Ryosuke about blocking without interfering.
In truth, Coach Washijō couldn't have been happier.
He hoped Ryosuke would stop thinking about becoming a libero.
It was fine if he didn't want to play middle blocker. He could switch to opposite hitter instead.
But letting Ryosuke become a libero would be an unforgivable waste of talent.
More than anything, Coach Washijō wanted Ryosuke to discover the enjoyment of playing middle blocker and forget all about becoming a libero.
After hearing Tendo's explanation, Ryosuke lowered his head and thought seriously for a while.
Then he looked up and nodded.
"Tendo-senpai, I'll do my best to try it!"
Tendo's smile widened when he heard the answer he wanted.
Like Coach Washijō, Tendo hoped Ryosuke would remain in that position for much longer.
Ryosuke had been a promising talent Tendo noticed from the very beginning. Tendo wanted Ryosuke to become someone like him.
It was difficult to tell whether that feeling was affection or obsession.
The atmosphere on Inarizaki's side was not nearly as gloomy as everyone might have expected.
Coach Kurosu looked sternly at the team. He had intended to ask what everyone was thinking, but when he saw their confident expressions, he swallowed the question.
The kids had grown up.
They had their own ideas now.
After discussing something together for a while, Omimi and Atsumu Miya stood and approached Coach Kurosu.
Coach Kurosu remained where he was and watched them.
Omimi spoke first.
"Coach, can I switch with the captain in the next set?"
He looked somewhat embarrassed.
Shinsuke Kita, who had suddenly been mentioned, looked up from the bench at Omimi.
Coach Kurosu neither scolded them nor commented.
He simply said, "Tell me why."
Omimi let out a relieved breath and nudged Atsumu Miya with his elbow.
Atsumu Miya cleared his throat, then began speaking with an exaggeratedly serious expression.
"This lineup works fine against other schools, but it isn't enough against teams like Shiratorizawa or Fukurōdani. Our defense is too weak. Suna can't support it alone, and Omimi-senpai needs to focus on attacking with everyone else. The others are good at defense too, but against Shiratorizawa, it still isn't enough.
"For the next set, we need our captain, who's excellent at both offense and defense and never makes mistakes. That'll give us a much better chance of winning."
Shinsuke Kita sighed helplessly.
Excellent at both offense and defense, with zero mistakes.
Atsumu Miya really knew how to flatter someone.
Coach Kurosu seriously considered Atsumu Miya's suggestion.
He had already thought about putting Shinsuke Kita on the court.
First, only Shinsuke Kita could keep those unruly monkeys under control. However, Coach Kurosu had originally intended to save him for the third set.
Second, Shinsuke Kita truly did maintain an almost perfect record without errors. His presence would greatly improve the flow of Inarizaki's offense.
There was also a third reason.
If Shinsuke Kita didn't play in this match, he would lose yet another opportunity.
Third-year and nearing graduation.
Those were words Coach Kurosu had always hated.
"All right. In the next set, Kita, you'll replace Omimi."
Hearing his name, Shinsuke Kita stood and nodded to the coach.
"Understood, Coach. I'll get ready."
The moment everyone learned that Shinsuke Kita would be playing, several Inarizaki players crowded around him.
Atsumu Miya looked especially delighted.
"Captain Kita, Captain Kita! We'll be playing together soon. You have to watch me closely!"
"Captain Kita, we've been waiting forever for you to play."
The twins surrounded Shinsuke Kita and kept talking.
Akagi wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel and watched them chatter nonstop in amazement.
"The twins have never been that enthusiastic toward us without wanting something."
Omimi smiled until his eyes narrowed.
"That depends on who they're talking to. To the twins, the most important person in all of Inarizaki is Kita. It can't be helped. Kita is so gentle. You like him too, don't you?"
That final question made Akagi blush.
He huffed indignantly and refused to admit anything, making Omimi burst into laughter.
Surrounded by the twins, Shinsuke Kita wore a gentle smile the entire time.
He was incredibly happy.
It wasn't only because he would finally play in an official match.
Part of it came from knowing that everyone had been looking forward to seeing him take the court.
That realization made his heart feel as though blueberry-flavored popping candy had burst inside it.
Slightly tart and tingling, but overwhelmingly joyful.
Shinsuke Kita took a pair of shoes from his bag.
They were brand-new volleyball shoes, bought during his first year in the hope that he would someday wear them in an official match.
He had kept them in his bag ever since.
Every day, Shinsuke Kita had carefully wiped them clean.
Today, he finally put them on.
He solemnly laced his shoes, secured his knee pads and wrist guards, then looked up at everyone waiting for him.
"Let's go. I'm ready."
At that moment, the whistle signaling the beginning of the second set sounded.
"Beep-beep----------!"
"Captain, let's go!"
"Inarizaki! Let's do this!"
"Take the second set!"
The second set hadn't even begun, yet Inarizaki's momentum had already surged.
Shinsuke Kita's presence had filled the team with confidence.
On Shiratorizawa's side, Ryosuke rubbed his knee.
It felt sore and swollen, but it didn't hurt, so it probably wasn't anything serious.
Tsutomu Goshiki pulled Ryosuke to his feet, then ran smiling toward Ushijima and the others.
"Ushijima-senpai! We're ready!"
Ushijima nodded and led everyone back onto the small court.
The second set officially began.
"Welcome back to the National High School Boys' Volleyball Championship quarterfinals! We are now beginning the second set between Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki!"
"We can see that Inarizaki has made a substitution. Their original wing spiker, Omimi, has been replaced by Inarizaki's captain, Shinsuke Kita. He appears to have been appointed captain in his third year. Let's see what kind of performance Shinsuke Kita will deliver!"
Standing across the net, Shinsuke Kita saw Ushijima.
The two met each other's gaze.
This was the first time Ushijima had stood opposite Shinsuke Kita on an IH court.
It felt strangely special.
Shinsuke Kita was one of Ushijima's few close friends.
The thought of facing a good friend across the net filled Ushijima with excitement.
"Beep-----------!"
The match officially began.
"Oh! Shinsuke Kita is playing!"
Bokuto pointed toward Shinsuke Kita on the court and shouted happily.
Bokuto and Shinsuke Kita had known each other for a long time.
Even so, Bokuto had never properly faced an Inarizaki lineup with Shinsuke Kita on the court.
He was now brimming with anticipation.
"Bokuto-senpai, would you rather play against Shiratorizawa or Inarizaki?"
Keiji Akaashi asked a question that left Bokuto genuinely troubled.
Bokuto answered confidently.
"Obviously, I'd rather... Huh? Oh, right. One of them has to lose this match. But I want to play against Inarizaki, and I also want to play alongside Inarizaki. Why can't I play with both of them?"
Bokuto became so flustered that his eyes shrank into tiny dots.
Keiji Akaashi found the sight amusing.
Every now and then, he enjoyed teasing Bokuto.
In the end, Konoha came to Bokuto's rescue and laughingly scolded Keiji Akaashi.
"All right, Keiji Akaashi, stop teasing Bokuto. He isn't very smart to begin with."
Bokuto hadn't understood everything else, but he understood that sentence perfectly.
"Konoha! Did you just call me stupid?"
Only then did Konoha realize he had said the wrong thing.
He could only laugh awkwardly and apologize to Bokuto.
...
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