"This fired-up version of Kenma is a rare sight," Kuroo Tetsurō remarked, a rare, genuine smile appearing on his face.
Under the command of its 'brain', Nekoma's 'blood' was beginning to boil!
"I'm really looking forward to his performance today—just as long as he doesn't suddenly fall apart halfway through the match."
Kuroo turned to look at Kenma.
His usually indifferent eyes now seemed infused with a peculiar energy—their edges sharpened while the depths grew darker. That gaze gave off a feeling both dangerous and captivating.
"...Looks like that won't happen," Kuroo chuckled. "Guess I'll have to step up my game too."
Nekoma's serve—Nobuyuki Kai sent a powerful jump serve across the net.
Kyōtani Kentarō received it, and Oikawa Tōru set the ball high to the left wing. Kaedehara Taichi sprinted in and leapt for the spike.
"Wait for it—" Kuroo locked onto Taichi's movement. "Jump!"
Kuroo and Fukunaga Shōhei leapt together, forming a solid wall in front of Taichi.
With Kenma typically staying out of blocking formations, Nekoma's front line was effectively down a player. This would normally create an exploitable gap in their defence, but under Kuroo's leadership, their wall against spikers had only grown more efficient.
The opening left deliberately in the straight-line angle was no accident. It was bait—because standing directly in Taichi's path was Nekoma's libero, Yaku Morisuke!
Mid-air, Taichi tightened his right arm. At the moment of impact, his palm wrapped around the ball slightly, adjusting his wrist angle with precise control—
A downward wrist snap—
The ball slammed down inside the three-meter line—a nearly vertical spike!
Kenma had just raised his arms for the receive when a tremendous force knocked them apart.
The impact sent him stumbling backwards, falling onto the court as the ball ricocheted out of bounds.
[Aoba Johsai 6 - 3 Nekoma]
"Kenma, I just picked up this move during the Youth National Camp. You haven't seen it in the match footage yet, have you?" Taichi grinned mischievously, his golden eyes glinting with amusement.
Kenma got up from the floor, his gaze flickering with intrigue.
"...Well, I have now."
"But we're just getting started!" Taichi jogged toward the service line. "I've got a few more tricks to show you!"
Rotation change—Aoba Johsai's serve.
Kaedehara Taichi stepped up to the service line.
"Watch his footwork!" Kuroo called out.
Taichi's rare 'Quad-Threat' serve had already stunned them in video analysis. But even an unpredictable technique followed some kind of pattern.
If they could determine whether he would use his right or left hand, they'd already be halfway to solving the puzzle.
Of course, that was just Nekoma's assumption.
Taichi tossed the ball into the air—
One step, two steps, three steps—his right foot leading into the jump.
The Nekoma players subtly adjusted their receiving stances.
A powerful jump serve!
Fast! Almost on par with Oikawa's.
Yamamoto Taketora barely managed to bring his arms together, predicting the ball's trajectory—
The ball struck his forearms, ricocheted off his shoulder, and flew out of bounds.
It wasn't just the spin—it was the sheer power that made it nearly impossible to control!
[Aoba Johsai 7 - 3 Nekoma]
Aoba Johsai's first service ace of the match.
Taichi's gaze swept across the Nekoma lineup, searching for his next target.
He extended two fingers—pointing directly at Kenma and Yaku.
"Interesting!" Yaku grinned. "Last time, you were fun to play against. But now? You're even more fun!"
The last time they faced each other, Taichi's serve had been a liability—often turned into a chance ball for Nekoma to counterattack. But now, it had become one of his greatest weapons.
Taichi launched his second serve—
A left-handed jump float!
The ball cleared the net before abruptly diving down toward the front row!
Kenma stepped forward, ready to receive.
Just as the ball neared his hands—it suddenly veered right!
Kenma's eyes widened. He stretched his arms further—
The ball accelerated downward, heading straight for his feet.
From behind, Yaku dove in, flattening his palm to cushion the ball just before it hit the floor.
The ball popped up—but not high enough!
Kenma crouched down instantly, using a single hand to push it even higher.
The two collided, nearly tangling together.
Fukunaga Shōhei seized the moment, leaping into the air—
"One touch!" Matsukawa Issei shouted from the back.
Kaedehara Taichi received the ball, and Oikawa Tōru set it to the middle.
Iwaizumi Hajime leapt and spiked the ball with full force—Nekoma had no chance to defend!
It wasn't that Iwaizumi had made a mistake in his attack—
It was that the pair of hands extending from the left side were just faster!
The ball ricocheted off Kuroo Tetsurō's arms and fell back into Aoba Johsai's court!
[Aoba Johsai 7 – 4 Nekoma]
"Even when Nekoma was in complete disarray, their captain Kuroo Tetsurō stepped up and single-handedly made the defensive play!"
"Kuroo, that was an amazing block!!"
"Nekoma never fails to impress!!"
"Nekoma's Kuroo Tetsurō once again proves why he's one of the best middle blockers in the country!"
"Thanks, Kuroo." Kenma Kozume and Yaku Morisuke had already scrambled back to their positions.
Even Kuroo himself hadn't expected Kaedehara Taichi to wreak such havoc with just his serves, forcing Kenma and Yaku into such a messy state.
"If we let the gap widen any further, it'll be a disaster," Kuroo muttered grimly.
The serve switched hands—Kuroo stepped up to the service line.
His eyes locked onto Aoba Johsai's back row.
As much as he wanted to test Kaedehara Taichi's receiving skills, he made the strategic choice to target Kyōtani Kentarō instead.
The ball arced through the air, cutting between Kyōtani and Watari Shinji.
Watari slid left, but the serve curved even deeper—plummeting toward Kyōtani's feet.
The ball shot straight up.
Kuroo Tetsurō scored directly off his serve!
[Aoba Johsai 7 – 5 Nekoma]
"Nekoma's captain, Kuroo Tetsurō, steps up in this crucial moment, closing the gap with two consecutive points!"
"As expected, Kuroo is a master of all trades!!"
From the cheers around the court, it was clear just how beloved Kuroo was.
Kaedehara Taichi's gaze lingered on the figure standing at the service line.
Back when he was still Aoba Johsai's middle blocker, the player he most wanted to learn from was Nekoma's Kuroo Tetsurō.
As a middle blocker, Kuroo was exceptional in every aspect—serving, attacking, blocking, even receiving—he handled it all with ease.
Kaedehara Taichi had once dreamed of reaching that level, of becoming a solid and reliable force his teammates could always count on.
But now—he wanted to surpass him.
He wanted to defeat Kuroo Tetsurō head-on.
Kaedehara Taichi called out, issuing his challenge with a fearless grin.
Kuroo blinked in surprise. This guy...
But if someone had the guts to challenge him—
Kuroo Tetsurō would never back down.
Kuroo launched his second serve—this time, aimed straight at Kaedehara Taichi!
Taichi rocked onto his toes.
From the previous serve, he had already grasped Kuroo's serving tendencies—the ball followed a deep, looping trajectory, arcing before suddenly plunging downward.
Which meant—he couldn't just wait for it to drop.
He had to intercept it mid-flight!
For a split second, his mind flashed back to the sunlit beaches of Hawaii—
To those days when no one else was around to bail him out—
When he had to receive every single serve, no matter what.
The ball soared outside the boundary line—but Taichi knew it would curve back in.
Gambling on it going out? Not a chance.
Kaedehara Taichi lunged right, stepping over the sideline, arms locked together as he braced for impact.
The ball struck his forearms and shot high into the air.
Oikawa Tōru had already moved into position, stepping precisely under the ball.
Kaedehara Taichi didn't stop.
Adjusting his stance in a flash, he sprinted forward—then leapt from the back row.
Oikawa's set soared to the right—
Kaedehara Taichi's back-row attack!
"This angle—watch for a wipe-off shot!" Yamamoto Taketora yelled, retreating deeper.
After his failed dig earlier, he had adjusted his positioning.
"Double block!" Nekoma's front line—Fukunaga Shōhei and Lev Haiba—jumped up together.
Nekoma's defence was formidable not just because of their technical skills but because they adapted.
The moment they figured out an attacker's habits, scoring against them became nearly impossible.
But Kaedehara Taichi—
Wasn't someone they could categorize just yet.
The moment he swung his arm, Lev braced himself.
But the expected impact—never came.
Kaedehara Taichi lightly tipped the ball, just grazing it over Lev's outstretched fingers.
The ball floated past him, dropping softly behind.
Yamamoto Taketora dove forward with everything he had—
But all he could do was watch the ball hit the floor.
Kaedehara Taichi scored off a tip shot!
[Aoba Johsai 8 – 5 Nekoma]
[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!
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