Osamu Miya lifted his chin, his tone unusually cocky and strikingly similar to Atsumu Miya's.
"Of course. I'm Osamu Miya, after all."
For a split second, the twins' faces seemed to overlap. They already looked alike, and when Osamu Miya spoke in the same tone as his brother, it became nearly impossible to tell which one was which.
Fortunately, their hair was different.
"Then keep it up. Better yet, win the whole set for us."
Shinsuke Kita offered the suggestion with a gentle smile.
Osamu Miya was already dizzy from Shinsuke Kita's praise, so naturally, he nodded repeatedly.
Meanwhile, Shinsuke Kita looked like a kidnapper trying to lure an elementary schooler away, a hint of danger hidden behind his smile.
Aran shuddered but said nothing.
He had long since seen through Shinsuke Kita's true nature.
He was an old fox in human form.
"All right, everyone. Get back into position. Samu, give us a good serve."
Shinsuke Kita turned toward the team.
Atsumu Miya immediately began clamoring beside him.
"What about me? What about me? You still haven't praised me!"
He bounced around behind Shinsuke Kita like a child fighting for attention.
"Atsumu is impressive too."
It sounded a little perfunctory, but Atsumu Miya was still delighted.
Something was better than nothing.
He happily hummed to himself as he returned to position.
The next rally began, and Osamu Miya stepped up to the service line again.
Yamagata rolled his shoulders and settled into position, ready to receive at any moment.
"Beep!"
The service whistle sounded.
Osamu Miya remained still for two or three seconds before beginning his serve.
He had actually wanted to wait until the sixth or seventh second and serve right before the time limit, but he was worried he might overdo it.
In the end, he began on the third second.
He tossed the volleyball with his left hand, immediately followed it into his approach, and jumped in one smooth motion.
His right hand struck the ball with tremendous force.
"Bang!"
The volleyball visibly caved in beneath his palm.
Then it shot rapidly toward the backcourt.
Yamagata immediately became alert.
Was this another serve aimed at the line?
With that concern in mind, he retreated several steps and prepared to receive.
The volleyball crossed the net and quickly arrived before him, spinning toward his position.
Yamagata crouched in the backcourt without taking his eyes off it for even a moment.
Whatever the reason, he had failed to receive the previous serve.
He had to reclaim that point with this one.
The ball reached him.
Yamagata lowered his body as it slammed toward his forearms.
"Thud!"
He felt the force behind it.
It wasn't bad, but it still fell short of Reon's serve.
Without even allowing his arms to bend, Yamagata passed the volleyball upward.
"Shirabu!"
"I'm here."
The ball traveled toward Shirabu.
Calling out, Shirabu adjusted his position and jumped to set.
Yamagata watched the ball rise with a vindicated expression.
See?
He had said he wouldn't let that kid score again.
Tsutomu Goshiki and Ushijima began their approaches.
Reon also started moving from behind, following Tsutomu Goshiki in what looked like a staggered attack.
Ushijima ran to position three and jumped.
The set didn't come to him, so he moved aside as he landed.
That revealed Tsutomu Goshiki behind him.
The moment Ushijima's back stopped obstructing his vision, Tsutomu Goshiki found himself at the net. He looked up in confusion and jumped just as bewilderedly.
Huh?
What was going on?
Wasn't Ushijima-senpai supposed to attack?
While Shiratorizawa organized their offense, Inarizaki prepared their defense just as quickly.
Suna had no time to keep watching Ryosuke.
He was more concerned with identifying the hitter and whether he could stop the attack.
He and Osamu Miya moved toward the block.
They hadn't forgotten how they had lost the previous point either, so the moment Shirabu prepared to set, Aran voluntarily remained near Ryosuke to keep an eye on him.
Even if the player was Ryosuke, Aran had to watch him closely.
Who knew whether Ryosuke might suddenly jump and attack?
The Shiratorizawa players loved concealing what they could do.
Inarizaki couldn't afford to let their guard down and suffer an embarrassing upset.
The ditch, Ryosuke, and the overturned boat: ...
That was Tsutomu Goshiki's fault. Go bother him! Why are you guarding me so tightly?
Ryosuke was confused.
Ryosuke thought about it.
Then he gave up.
Perhaps Inarizaki simply preferred to prepare for every possibility.
Shinsuke Kita positioned himself behind Aran.
If Aran failed to handle the ball, Shinsuke Kita could immediately cover him.
Akagi waited behind Osamu Miya and Suna.
It wasn't that he doubted Suna's blocking ability.
He was worried about Suna's thin arms and legs. If Ushijima hit him with another spike, Suna might fall apart completely.
That was why Akagi deliberately stayed behind him.
It didn't matter if Suna failed to stuff the ball.
At worst, they would have to continue the rally for several more exchanges.
Compared to Suna's physical and mental well-being, the extra effort was insignificant.
In Akagi's opinion, this was the wisest decision available.
When Shirabu jumped to set, he naturally noticed that all of Shiratorizawa's attackers were being tightly marked.
There was only a small opening around Ryosuke, where Aran appeared to be guarding him alone.
Then Shirabu noticed Shinsuke Kita hiding behind Aran from the corner of his eye.
The setter sighed helplessly.
With such suffocating defense, anyone watching might think Shiratorizawa had committed some unforgivable crime.
Tsutomu Goshiki had already jumped during the staggered attack, and Reon was about to follow him.
Shirabu still hadn't released the ball.
Reon's spike was certainly powerful, but the opposing block was strong too.
Shirabu had considered setting Ryosuke, but Ryosuke was also being guarded too closely.
It was irritating.
At that moment, Ushijima finished the first phase of the staggered attack, immediately shifted to another position, and prepared to jump again.
The instant Shirabu saw where Ushijima was approaching, his eyes lit up.
Ushijima-senpai really knew how to choose a spot.
Shirabu pushed the ball toward that position with his fingertips.
Ushijima had chosen a spot right beside Ryosuke.
He had deliberately altered his route to stay away from Suna and the libero.
The position still wasn't entirely safe, since Shinsuke Kita was waiting nearby.
Even so, Shirabu trusted Ushijima.
When Reon jumped without receiving the set, Suna realized he had been deceived again.
He looked around and saw Ryosuke crouching as though preparing to jump.
Suna immediately sprinted toward him.
As he ran, he couldn't help feeling that the scene was strangely familiar.
When he reached Ryosuke, Ryosuke was still holding the same ready-to-jump posture.
Their figures passed each other.
Ryosuke even smiled and waved at Suna.
The next second, Suna heard the volleyball strike the floor behind him.
"Bang!"
Shinsuke Kita was sprawled on the court.
About half a meter away, the volleyball bounced lightly against the floor.
"Beep---------!"
The whistle sounded.
Shiratorizawa had scored.
"What a beautiful play! Shiratorizawa's setter used a staggered attack to draw away most of Inarizaki's blockers, then used Ryosuke as another decoy. The set actually went to Ushijima, who changed positions after the first phase of the staggered attack!
"Shinsuke Kita reacted to Ushijima's spike and attempted to receive it, but he couldn't reach the ball. Shiratorizawa scores!"
Suna lowered his head.
Then he looked up at Ushijima, who had somehow appeared in that position.
These people were impossible to defend against.
They seemed to slip into every opening.
Why hadn't Suna considered such an important possibility?
Had he noticed it sooner, Shiratorizawa wouldn't have scored.
Suna was unusually annoyed.
Shiratorizawa had fooled him twice already.
There was a saying that things never happened more than three times.
There absolutely would not be a third.
"Sorry. I couldn't receive that one."
Shinsuke Kita rose from the floor and smiled apologetically at everyone.
Atsumu Miya reached out and brushed the dust from Shinsuke Kita's uniform, looking nervous.
"Are you okay, Kita-senpai?"
Shinsuke Kita shook his head.
"It's nothing serious. Sorry I couldn't receive it."
He looked slightly guilty.
Atsumu Miya and Osamu Miya immediately hurried over to comfort him.
"It wasn't your fault, Kita-senpai."
"Those Shiratorizawa guys were just too sneaky."
The two spoke over each other.
Across the net, Ushijima fell silent.
The twins certainly weren't treating him like an outsider.
"Ushijima-senpai, great spike."
Shirabu jogged over.
His sweat-dampened bangs clung to his forehead, making him look slightly disheveled, but his expression was full of energy.
Ushijima nodded.
"Your set was more impressive."
They looked as though they were exchanging empty compliments.
In the end, Reon ran over and dragged both of them away from the net.
Hadn't they noticed the way the Miya Twins were glaring at them from the other side?
They looked ready to eat them alive.
After Shiratorizawa scored, they regained the serve.
Tsutomu Goshiki unexpectedly received a free turn at the service line.
He walked over clutching the volleyball, still looking slightly dazed.
It was his turn to serve?
How exciting.
Tsutomu Goshiki bobbed his head happily as he made his way into position.
As he stepped up to serve, Reon warned him, "At least score one point. This opportunity was practically handed to you. If you don't score, try guessing whether Coach Washijō will punish you."
Tsutomu Goshiki immediately grew nervous.
The thought of Coach Washijō's brutal extra training made his face scrunch up.
He shook his head like a rattle and answered with complete seriousness.
"I'll definitely score."
Reon chuckled and nodded in satisfaction.
Tsutomu Goshiki took his position.
Across the court, Akagi stood in the back row with a wary expression.
No one from Shiratorizawa could be underestimated.
Tsutomu Goshiki was excellent at both serving and spiking.
The two stared at each other across the court, their determination strengthening.
I have to score.
I have to receive it.
"Beep!"
At the sound of the whistle, Tsutomu Goshiki looked directly at Akagi and tossed the volleyball high into the air.
He followed it into his approach.
As the ball neared the three-meter line, Tsutomu Goshiki raised his palm, veins bulging along his arm.
Then he struck the volleyball with all his strength.
The ball visibly deformed beneath his hand.
Akagi sucked in a breath.
That would hurt terribly if it hit him.
Shiratorizawa must wear through a lot of volleyballs during practice.
"Bang!"
The serve left Tsutomu Goshiki's hand with a thunderous sound.
It tore through the air and entered Inarizaki's court at tremendous speed.
Akagi crouched in the backcourt, his feet rooted firmly to the floor.
The serve was aimed at him.
There was no need to adjust his position.
The ball quickly reached him.
Akagi extended both arms, but the volleyball drifted slightly to one side.
He shifted sideways, supported his body on his left foot, and reached out to receive it.
"Thud!"
The volleyball slammed into Akagi's forearms.
He felt as though his arms were about to be torn from his body.
Shiratorizawa truly didn't keep anyone useless around.
Despite the force behind the serve, Akagi's expression remained calm and composed.
In reality, he was grinding his back teeth so hard they were nearly cracking.
He forced his arms upward.
The volleyball rebounded high into the air.
The moment the weight left his arms, Akagi felt them go weak.
He retreated toward the backcourt, thinking that he needed to build more strength.
Otherwise, the next time he faced players like Ushijima or Bokuto, three serves would be enough to kill him.
The ball had risen extremely high, but its general position wasn't far off.
Atsumu Miya moved beneath it and craned his neck upward while waiting to jump and set.
His neck felt ready to snap.
By the end of this match, Atsumu Miya was convinced he would develop a spinal disorder.
His neck was killing him.
The volleyball slowly descended into a suitable position.
Atsumu Miya immediately jumped to set.
Osamu Miya and Aran had already begun their approaches.
Judging by their paths, one was attacking from the left and the other from the right.
The moment Ryosuke began moving, Suna followed him, intending to keep him occupied.
To Suna's surprise, Ryosuke didn't hesitate.
He ran directly toward Aran.
Suna found the decision remarkable.
Ryosuke had committed without the slightest uncertainty.
What would he do if he chose the wrong attacker?
Meanwhile, Reon and Tsutomu Goshiki moved toward Osamu Miya.
As Atsumu Miya jumped, he saw that both Osamu Miya and Aran had blockers in front of them.
Shinsuke Kita was beginning an approach from the backcourt, apparently preparing to attack.
Suna stood at position three.
He had originally intended to block, but there was nowhere for him to move, so he could only remain there and keep an eye on Shirabu.
After taking in the court, Atsumu Miya knew exactly who should receive the set.
Aran and Osamu Miya were out of the question.
Both were being blocked.
Kita-senpai wasn't an option either.
Kita-senpai must have understood that if he attacked, their backcourt defense would become vulnerable.
So Atsumu Miya chose Suna, who had never spiked during an official match.
Hearing the movement behind him, Suna raised an eyebrow.
What was Atsumu Miya doing?
Did he expect Suna to attack?
Suna knew better than anyone how terrible his spikes were.
Still, if Atsumu Miya trusted him, he couldn't disappoint him.
There was no one in front of Suna.
Ryosuke and Reon noticed Atsumu Miya's set from the corners of their eyes.
Both immediately tensed and sprinted toward Suna.
"Shirabu! Block!"
Shirabu froze when he heard his name.
Why did he have to block?
Then he looked up and saw Suna preparing to jump.
Panic immediately set in.
Block?
How was he supposed to block?
His blocking was terrible.
Shirabu and Suna faced each other directly above the net.
One was terrible at blocking.
The other was terrible at spiking.
...
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