Both Nekoma and Fukurodani breezed through their respective matches earlier in the day. That afternoon, Taichi decided to watch the matches of Itachiyama and Nohebi Academy.
Nohebi Academy wasn't bad—they showed solid fundamentals in defence and serving, along with some well-coordinated offensive plays against blockers. However, they lacked a true standout player who could carry the team in critical moments.
Adding to their arsenal were their occasional underhanded tactics—acting in front of referees or using trash talk to provoke opponents. Such behaviours made them a tricky team to face despite their otherwise average strength.
Taichi's primary focus, however, was on Itachiyama. If his memory served him right, this was the team that won the Inter-high Championship in his original timeline.
His understanding of Itachiyama wasn't extensive, but there were a few players who had left an unforgettable impression on him:
Sakusa Kiyoomi, a wing spiker whose skill rivalled Wakatoshi Ushijima's as one of the three top offensive players in the nation.
Motoya Komori, who transitioned from a wing spiker to libero in high school and went on to become Japan's top libero.
Tsukasa Iizuna, a setter who would later earn the title of Best Setter at the Junior Olympic Cup.
With three players ranking among the top in their respective positions nationwide, it was no wonder Itachiyama had earned the title "The Kings of Tokyo."
Taichi made his way to Itachiyama's match area. Their opponent was Sengoku Commerce Academy, a school he wasn't familiar with. Judging by the size of their cheer squad and the enthusiasm of their supporters, they weren't a team to be underestimated.
Sengoku Commerce started the serve—a powerful jump serve that flew towards Itachiyama's backcourt. The serve was sharp and forceful, the kind that could earn a direct point against an average team.
Motoya Komori, Itachiyama's libero, stepped forward and received the ball cleanly.
'Fast. Tall. This libero is on another level...' Taichi thought.
[Motoya Komori. Libero. Overall ability score: 86; Height: 180 cm, Strength: 85, Jump: 82, Stamina: 90, Speed: 85. Skills: Serve: 87, Recieve: 90, Spike: 88.]
'A 180 cm libero….with spiking stats at 88? No wonder he transitioned from a wing spiker. There's so much to unpack, but most importantly—this libero is taller than Iwaizumi!' Taichi thought in disbelief.
"Cover!" Komori's voice rang out.
From within the three-meter line, a solidly built figure stepped forward, leaping into the air and setting the ball perfectly towards the net.
[Tsukasa Iizuna. Setter. Overall ability score: 88; Height: 181.4 cm, Strength: 90, Jump: 82, Stamina: 88, Speed: 90. Skills: Serve: 86, Recieve: 90, Set: 94.]
'A powerhouse setter... taller than Iwaizumi-senpai too,' Taichi mused, shaking his head in amazement.
Sengoku Commerce was quick to respond. Their blockers, disciplined and synchronized, formed a formidable three-man wall. As they disrupted Itachiyama's first touch, they kept their eyes fixed on Iizuna, carefully analyzing the setter's movements.
From the back row, Sakusa Kiyoomi silently gathered momentum, taking two light yet precise strides before launching into the air. His movements were fluid, graceful, and devoid of any wasted energy.
Kiyoomi was exceptionally tall but had a slender frame, a stark contrast to Sengoku Commerce's blockers. The three-man wall loomed over the net, their muscular arms forming an impenetrable barrier, ready to deny any attack.
The stark visual contrast between Kiyoomi's lean silhouette and the imposing wall of blockers was striking. The audience collectively held their breath, anticipation thick in the air.
Sakusa seemed to hover in midair longer than humanly possible. His arm traced an elegant arc through the air, spiking the ball with an unexpected angle and speed.
For a brief moment, the audience's hearts nearly stopped as the ball struck the wrist of one of Sengoku Commerce's blockers, bouncing out of bounds.
The ball was out. Point for Itachiyama!
Sakusa landed gracefully, his expression calm and composed.
"Sakusa! Sakusa! NICE SHOT!"
"Keep it up! Sakusa!"
"Sakusa-senpai, that was incredible!"
The overwhelming cheers jolted Taichi back to reality, but what truly shook him was the skill behind Sakusa's spike.
It was another off-the-block shot, yet the difference in technique was obvious. Against such a solid wall of blockers, the slightest miscalculation in angle could lead to an outright rejection.
[Sakusa Kiyoomi. Wing Spiker(Ace). Overall ability score: 90; Height: 189 cm, Strength: 84, Jump: 90, Stamina: 88, Speed: 90. Skills: Serve: 99, Recieve: 96, Spike: 99.]
Two 99s in technical skills?!
Kaedehara Taichi was stunned by Sakusa's stats. He was an entirely different type of ace compared to Wakatoshi Ushijima—a wing spiker with precision and finesse, and one of the three top aces in the country!
Taichi felt his trip had been more than worth it. Bokuto Kōtarō and Sakusa Kiyoomi—he had just witnessed two elite wing spikers in action. The experience only deepened his desire to grow stronger!
Taichi stayed to watch an entire set of Itachiyama's match. Even against a relatively strong Sengoku Commerce team, the Kings of Tokyo completely dominated.
[Itachiyama 25 vs 9 Sengoku Commerce]
It wasn't just Sengoku Commerce's offence struggling to score against Motoya Komori's impeccable defence.
Sakusa Kiyoomi alone managed to rack up eight points with his devastating serves.
Though satisfied with what he had seen, Taichi couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed that he didn't get to watch Kamomedai from Nagano or Inarizaki from Hyōgo in action. With those lingering regrets, he returned to Nekoma's match venue.
Since Tokyo's tournament schedule was relatively relaxed, most schools returned to their campuses for post-match reviews and extra practice after their games. Seizing the opportunity, Taichi shamelessly tagged along with Nekoma after their match, offering to help mentor Lev Haiba as an excuse.
In truth, this was subtly permitted by Coach Nekomata.
The coach had a keen interest in every player's growth, which was why he had facilitated connections between Karasuno and the Fukurodani group to allow Karasuno to join the Fukurodani training camp.
Kaedehara Taichi was also on Coach Nekomata's radar, especially since Kuroo Tetsurō had personally requested it—or rather, because Kuroo didn't want to be the one stuck practising with Lev.
The afternoon matches wrapped up quickly, with Tokyo's four seeded teams—Itachiyama, Fukurodani, Nekoma, and Nohebi—all advancing to the next round with 2-0 victories.
However, the first match of the following weekend's round would pit Nekoma against Itachiyama.
Taichi noted that Nekoma's players appeared calm, perhaps because they had already processed their emotions when the draw was announced.
"Alright, Taichi, spill the real reason you're here~" Kuroo Tetsuro draped his arm over Taichi's shoulder, wearing an expression that screamed, I've got you figured out.
"Kuroo-senpai, what are you talking about?" Taichi replied, feigning innocence. "I'm here purely to cheer for my close friend, Kenma, since he has a match coming up!"
"Of course! How could you doubt the bond between me and my best friend?" Taichi protested righteously, sneaking a glance at Kozume Kenma, silently hoping he'd back him up.
Kenma, clearly uninterested in the conversation, quietly put on his headphones and immersed himself in his game.
"Then why did you only watch one out of our four sets across two matches today?!" Kuroo pressed his forehead against Taichi's, glaring at him accusingly.
He really came prepared for this, huh…
Taichi's eyes darted as he quickly came up with an excuse. "I was gathering intel on your future opponents, of course! I'll share my observations during training later. Trust me, my insights will be useful!"
"If you don't come clean now, you won't get another chance," Kuroo warned, his tone eerily calm.
"Fine! I'll confess!" Taichi suddenly grabbed Kuroo's hands, gripping them tightly. His expression turned solemn as he declared, "Kuroo-senpai, I'm actually your biggest fan! Please teach me how to hit cross-court spikes!"
That line sounded way too familiar…
[T/N] - If you guys want to read 50 Chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on my . Trust me, it's awesome!
Link - (P)atreon.com/Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]