Kaedehara Taichi had never underestimated Karasuno. In fact, he might have been the player in Miyagi Prefecture who paid the most attention to them.
Karasuno's offence revolved around the lightning-quick attacks of Kageyama Tobio and Hinata Shōyō. With Kageyama's godlike setting adjustments and exceptional volleyball IQ, every player on the team—except for the libero—possessed commendable offensive capabilities.
Azumane Asahi, with his power and ability to challenge blockers head-on, and Tanaka Ryūnosuke, who balanced strength with ball control, were like scaled-down versions of Shiratorizawa's Ushijima Wakatoshi and Fukurodani's Bokuto Kōtarō.
The team's tactician, Tsukishima Kei, used his intelligence to deliver well-timed blocks and offensive plays, consistently shining in critical moments.
This was complemented by the unwavering Daichi Sawamura and the team's defensive pillar, Nishinoya Yū, who anchored their backline.
Karasuno had become a team that couldn't be ignored. Through strategic cohesion and players with unique strengths, the team created an impressive synergy, allowing them to challenge any high school team in Japan with their relentless offensive style.
All of this information flashed through Taichi's mind in an instant.
Of course, this was merely the idealized version of Karasuno—the image they wanted to project.
In reality, their offence lacked a true ace who could face blockers head-on.
Once Hinata Shōyō's attacks were contained and his role as a decoy neutralized, Karasuno's offence tended to stagnate.
Defensively, while Nishinoya and Daichi were reliable, they weren't quite sufficient to withstand the relentless firepower of elite national-level teams.
In blocking, Tsukishima had yet to fully develop, leaving Karasuno without a dominant core presence. Hinata, despite his improvements, remained a vulnerability at the net.
What a great team to defeat, Taichi thought with a sense of satisfaction as he glanced at the three Karasuno players now in burst mode.
Nishinoya Yū's entire focus locked onto Kaedehara Taichi.
As Karasuno's final line of defence, he would never back down, even if the opponent could rack up 24 consecutive points with their serves.
Even on the 25th ball, Nishinoya was determined to stand his ground!
He lowered his centre of gravity, bent his knees slightly, and positioned his feet shoulder-width apart. His body leaned forward in anticipation.
Calming his breath, Nishinoya raised his hands, holding them just below his face. His fingers naturally spread into a semicircle, his wrists slightly bent—ready to receive the ball.
Taichi launched his sixth serve.
The ball streaked through the air like a missile, targeting the seam between Nishinoya and Azumane Asahi.
"I got it!" Nishinoya called out.
A powerful left-handed serve! Merely receiving it wouldn't suffice—they had to organize a counterattack!
Otherwise, Taichi will crush us again with his spikes.
The light in Nishinoya's eyes intensified. To him, the ball seemed to slow down. With a quick step forward, he moved directly into its path.
Using the inner side of his arms, Nishinoya absorbed the serve's impact by slightly compressing his wrists and arms. His body leaned back slightly, channelling his full strength to stabilize the ball's spin and maintain his balance.
The volleyball soared high into the air.
Nishinoya rolled backwards instinctively, creating space for Kageyama Tobio to move into position.
Kageyama sprinted under the ball. His peripheral vision caught a glimpse of Hinata Shōyō already airborne in the front row.
With a graceful jump, Kageyama executed a pinpoint backset. The ball shot toward the centre of the front row, just above the net.
Oikawa Tōru, standing in position, anticipated the play perfectly. Even in this situation, he knew Kageyama would opt for a quick attack.
Oikawa stepped directly into Hinata's path.
But Hinata's target wasn't the open court—it was Oikawa's fingertips.
Now, Hinata thought, I can fight in the air.
The ball ricocheted off Oikawa's hand, flying toward the back of Aoba Johsai's court. It was likely going to be a perfect touch-out.
A figure darted along the ball's trajectory, pursuing it beyond the court's boundaries.
Kaedehara Taichi leapt after the ball, twisting midair to send it hurtling back toward Karasuno's net with a single-handed spike.
Sawamura Daichi dove with all his might, managing a miraculous save.
Kageyama Tobio quickly repositioned himself, knowing full well that he couldn't let the offence grind to a halt. No matter how chaotic the situation, he had to deliver a set that would allow the attackers to score.
Hinata Shōyō pulled back, starting his run-up from the back row. With a resounding boom, he launched himself into the air!
"Double block!" Kindaichi Yūtarō and Hanamaki Takahiro raised their arms, forming a formidable wall.
The 160 cm tall Hinata had managed to complete a high-speed spike over the 190 cm blockers!
Iwaizumi Hajime had been on high alert the moment he saw the trajectory of Kageyama's set. With Aoba Johsai's own "monster" Kaedehara Taichi on the team, he'd become desensitized to surprising plays.
Iwaizumi managed to dig the ball successfully.
"I've got it!" Oikawa Tōru shouted as he rushed to the ball's landing point.
There's no way I'm letting my junior Kageyama outshine me!
Oikawa swiftly positioned himself beneath the descending ball. Taking a wide lunge, he set the ball with precision as it descended to chest height.
His hands rose above his head, fingers expertly spread. With a fluid motion, he sent the ball soaring toward the centre of the net.
In the middle, Hanamaki jumped and swung his arm as if to spike, drawing Hinata's block upward.
But the real attacker was Taichi, who launched himself from the back row on the right side!
Ryūnosuke Tanaka and Daichi Sawamura sprinted to form Karasuno's final line of defence at the net.
Taichi unleashed a devastating spike, sending the ball straight past Daichi's right side.
It's a line shot targeting the edge of the court!
In the back row, Kageyama Tobio lunged toward the boundary line, desperate to keep the ball in play.
The ball slammed near his hand and ricocheted high into the air.
"It...it didn't go out…" The referee hesitated momentarily before signalling the call.
[Aoba Johsai 6 – 0 Karasuno]
In this gruelling back-and-forth rally, both teams had pushed themselves to the limit, reaching peak performance. Yet, despite their best efforts, Karasuno had still failed to score even a single point against Aoba Johsai.
Ukai Keishin fidgeted nervously on the sidelines. The trajectory of this practice match had gone far beyond his expectations.
If this continued, forget about growing under Aoba Johsai's pressure—the confidence Karasuno's players had painstakingly built during the training camp might completely crumble.
"Again," Hinata Shōyō's voice rang out suddenly, cutting through the tense atmosphere.
"The match isn't over! Let's do it again!" he shouted with unwavering determination.
Kageyama Tobio slowly got up from the floor, his gaze lingering on an opponent for the first time—someone other than the setter.
Fixating on just the setter wouldn't work. Kaedehara Taichi possessed a magnetic presence that drew everyone's attention.
Kageyama's mind flashed back to a few months ago when he had secretly gone to Aoba Johsai to seek advice from Oikawa-senpai. At that time, Oikawa had asked him to set for Taichi, but no matter how hard they tried, their plays had failed to sync.
Now, however, Kageyama felt certain—they could create something extraordinary together.
"I'd like to try it too…" Kageyama spoke haltingly, his words uncharacteristically hesitant. "The feeling of setting for you."
Oikawa immediately snapped to attention. "???"
"But," Kageyama continued, his voice growing firm, "only after defeating you!"
Kageyama and Hinata stood shoulder to shoulder, their resolve unshakable.
Kaedehara Taichi chuckled. "Then I guess I won't get to experience your sets."
"After all," he added, his tone light yet resolute—
"I've never planned on losing to you even once."
[T/N] - My boy is finally growing into a proper ace -sniff- I suddenly feel like a proud parent.
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