When Bokuto Kōtarō is in peak form, he's undoubtedly on par with the nation's top three. This was something Kaedehara Taichi had known from the very beginning.
However, the fact that even a team as stacked as the Reserve Team couldn't completely stop his attacks was somewhat difficult to accept.
The serve rotated, and Ushijima Wakatoshi stepped onto the service line.
Thump, Thump, Thump...
He pounded the volleyball forcefully against the floor.
This match was exactly the kind of high-level battle he had been looking forward to, yet, for some reason, it failed to ignite any real excitement within him.
It wasn't just him—Kiryū Wakatsu, Oikawa Tōru, even Iizuna Tsukasa—were all playing at a composed, almost effortless pace.
This game reminded him of the past, back when Shiratorizawa played against Aoba Johsai before Kaedehara Taichi had even entered the picture.
Pushing aside his idle thoughts, Ushijima executed a powerful jump serve.
Komori Motoya received the ball, but the trajectory was high and veering toward the right sideline, nearly out of bounds.
Hoshiumi Kōrai shot forward like a blur, while in the front row, Chigaya Eikichi and Kaedehara Taichi, along with Sakusa Kiyoomi and Miya Atsumu in the back, all launched into an attack formation.
A synchronized multi-attack—overwhelming the blockers with sheer numbers and unpredictability!
Multiple attackers leapt at once, forcing the Youth National Team's front-row blockers to commit to covering Chigaya and Kaedehara.
Miya Atsumu, executing a back-row attack, spiked the ball cleanly past the block for a decisive point.
[Reserve Team 23 – 23 Youth National Team]
Hoshiumi and Miya exchanged a high-five, praising each other's plays.
The serve rotated once again. This time, it was Hoshiumi's turn.
With two elite setters on the opposing side, targeting just one of them wouldn't be effective. Even if they disrupted the first pass, Oikawa Tōru and Iizuna Tsukasa had the ability to adjust on the fly.
The reason the Youth National Team had been playing so smoothly was that their attackers were always receiving perfectly placed sets.
At the very least, they needed to take out one key offensive threat.
Hoshiumi tossed the ball into the air and, with a sharp thud, jumped and struck it at the peak of his jump.
The ball dipped steeply, heading toward the back corner—a wickedly precise serve.
Ushijima, unable to retreat in time, received the ball, but the unexpected force behind it made him lose control. The ball deflected toward the sideline, seemingly heading out of play.
Oikawa reacted instantly, diving to save it, sending it soaring high into the air.
This was turning out even better than expected.
With the ball still high above the back row, Iizuna made a quick decision, opting for a no-spike pass over the net.
Hoshiumi received the ball with ease.
Seeing Kaedehara signalling a play, Kageyama Tobio swiftly stepped in to set the ball.
The set was a touch higher and slightly more to the right than before.
Taichi dashed down the sideline, leaping with a powerful boom as he soared into the air.
Keisuke Unnan, Bokuto Kōtarō, and Kiryū Wakatsu formed a solid wall in front of him.
After an entire set of being forced into left-handed spikes, Taichi had subtly conditioned the blockers to expect him to attack toward the left.
Even though they realized at the last second that he was switching to his right hand, their blocking position hadn't adjusted in time.
A gap remained on Kiryū's right side—just enough space for Kaedehara to exploit.
The ball slammed down right in front of Iizuna Tsukasa.
A right-handed straight shot—point scored.
[Reserve Team 24 – 23 Youth National Team]
"Nice set!" Taichi praised.
As expected of Kageyama—just a brief verbal exchange was enough for him to deliver the ball exactly where it was needed.
Across the net, Iizuna Tsukasa locked eyes with Taichi.
It wasn't just that he had orchestrated the right-side opening; the power, height, and speed of that last spike had clearly been on another level.
He had been watching him closely the entire time, yet he still wasn't able to react in time.
"Hoshiumi-senpai, give us another good serve!" Taichi called out loudly—before subtly turning back and whispering a single word to Hoshiumi.
A sly grin tugged at Hoshiumi's lips as he launched his next serve.
The ball curved sharply, dropping short—right in front of Keisuke Unnan.
Keisuke's eyes widened in alarm.
Washio Tatsuki barely managed to react, scrambling to receive the ball.
The volleyball bounced off his hands and shot backwards.
Ushijima Wakatoshi dived to save it, sending the ball toward the net.
Kiryū Wakatsu rushed in, taking off just as the ball reached him.
It had been a while since he'd seen such a difficult ball—strangely enough, he almost missed the feeling.
Even without Kaedehara Taichi shouting, Sakusa Kiyoomi was already shifting from the left side, closing in.
Sakusa Kiyoomi, Chigaya Eikichi, and Kaedehara Taichi formed a wall in front of Kiryū.
Only an idiot would aim at Taichi.
Kiryū drove the ball into Sakusa's arms with full force.
Sakusa's arms were blasted apart from the impact, but the ball still popped into the air.
"What the hell—?!" Sakusa scowled, rubbing his slightly numbed forearms. "Where does this guy get that kind of power?"
Miya Atsumu darted forward, setting the ball to the right.
Kaedehara Taichi was already airborne, waiting.
Kiryū had miraculously returned to the right side, launching himself into the air for the block.
"I've been watching you this whole time, Taichi!"
The volleyball rocketed skyward—straight to Iizuna Tsukasa, who received it cleanly.
Oikawa sprinted under the falling ball and set it to the left.
Bokuto Kōtarō soared from the left flank.
Sakusa and Chigaya braced themselves in front of him.
Chigaya was starting to feel anxious, but at this point, jumping was his only option.
Bokuto adjusted, smashing a diagonal shot past the block.
Kaedehara Taichi had caught up—one hand appearing beneath the ball just as it crossed the net.
"Kageyama! Right-wing!"
Hoshiumi Kōrai was already sprinting from the back row, leaping high into the air.
Kageyama, moving instinctively, set the ball perfectly into his path.
The ball arced sharply, dropping toward the baseline.
Ushijima hit the floor again, barely keeping the ball in play as it floated toward the net.
Oikawa, keeping up, sprinted forward.
"If it's a bad set, just leave it to me!" Kiryū shouted, raising his right hand.
He crushed the ball down at Kageyama's feet.
Oikawa's setter dump had scored.
[Reserve Team 24 – 24 Youth National Team]
"Kageyama, did you see that coming?" Oikawa grinned.
On the court, even the other setters—Miya Atsumu and Iizuna Tsukasa—looked slightly stunned.
That attack had been incredibly risky.
The initial pass had been off-target, the ball too low, and with so many powerhouse spikers on his team, Oikawa had still chosen to attack himself.
Too high, and the ball would go out.
Too low, and it would get stuffed at the net.
Not enough power, and it would turn into a chance ball.
Iizuna Tsukasa sighed in reluctant admiration.
This guy…He's insane.
No matter the circumstances, Oikawa was absolutely confident in both his decision-making and his skill.
Maybe this is what a genius really looks like.
Oikawa, of course, had no idea what Iizuna was thinking.
For years, he had struggled to accept that someone like Kageyama Tobio—a so-called 'genius'—was constantly chasing after him.
But now, standing across the net from Kaedehara Taichi, he found himself facing an even more terrifying kind of talent.
Not just because of Taichi's freakish learning speed.
Not just because of his relentless drive to win.
But because—unlike anyone else—The closer the game got to its climax, the more excited he became.
"That was a beautiful spike, Oikawa-senpai."
Taichi's grin didn't fade in the slightest.
Even with the score tied, he looked absolutely thrilled.
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