Damn it! I want to see it!!!
Kaedehara Taichi stood at the front row, unable to see how Sakusa Kiyoomi's serve
moved
after crossing the net. The frustration gnawed at him.
Every player on the court had a reception ability of at least
80
, and yet, of the three currently in Team A's back row, the
weakest
was—shockingly—the libero, Hirao Jin.
Even so, Sakusa had already scored
two
consecutive service aces.
It was absurd.
Urgent! Urgent!! Urgent!!!
Sakusa stepped up to serve again.
Kaedehara Taichi took two steps back, nearly standing in the back row himself.
"Taichi, don't block my view! And Sakusa's going to target the front row!"
Miya Atsumu's voice was uncharacteristically sharp—even
this
was him trying to control his emotions.
Boom!
Sure enough, Sakusa's third serve
dropped
into the front row!
The ball
dove
after clearing the net at an alarming speed.
Taichi had been waiting for this.
His body lowered into a deep lunge.
If the spin is too strong, I'll use an overhead pass to stabilize it!
However—
As the ball fell, it suddenly
veered left again
.
"Shit!"
The ball grazed his palm and continued plummeting toward the ground.
Smack!
Hoshiumi Kōrai dove and barely managed to save it!
But—
The counterattack was weak.
Kondō Masato had no choice but to send the ball over the net without a proper attack.
Komori Motoya received it with ease.
The first pass floated directly to the setter's position—
And before Mochida Riei even realized it, Kageyama Tobio had
already
set the ball.
He was momentarily surprised.
But then again, Mochida
was
a naturally gifted outside hitter—he quickly recovered from the surprise, using the final moment to
leap
into an awkward spike.
Smack!
That slight delay gave Team A
just
enough time to react.
Hirao Jin dug the ball out.
Miya Atsumu jumped for the set.
Hoshiumi Kōrai sprinted from the baseline, preparing for another
back-row attack
.
And then—
From the right side—
A presence impossible to ignore surged forward.
Kaedehara Taichi's eyes locked onto the airborne ball like an eagle hunting its prey.
His entire demeanor radiated an undeniable
claim
over the play.
That
still
figure, filled with silent intensity—
It was a declaration:
This ball is mine.
"Give it to me."
Kaedehara Taichi's voice was steady and calm, carrying a weight of authority that
brooked no argument
.
Time had changed him.
He was no longer the brash, loudmouthed rookie who constantly
demanded
sets.
Currently, he was the
ace
Aoba Johsai placed their absolute
trust
in.
Now—
He was the
New King of Miyagi.
Miya Atsumu glanced at Hoshiumi, who had momentarily hesitated—then smirked.
Without a second thought, he sent the ball to the right wing.
Kaedehara Taichi sprinted from the back row.
His
first
airborne moment was still
etched
in everyone's minds.
Team B's blockers reacted immediately.
Sakusa Kiyoomi and Komori Motoya readied themselves for the reception.
"Let's see it."
"The spike that defeated Ushijima Wakatoshi—"
Boom!
"Triple block!"
Mochida Riei, Nakamoto Shigeru, and Kageyama Tobio all jumped together!
Smack!
The ball
slammed
off Mochida's hands and flew out of bounds.
Kaedehara Taichi scores.
[Team A 5 – 4 Team B]
A
beautiful
tool-out spike.
But—
Sakusa Kiyoomi's eyes were filled with
doubt
.
"That's it?"
As someone who
specialized
in tool-out shots, Sakusa found nothing particularly
impressive
about that spike.
Honestly?
Even Hoshiumi Kōrai's attack had been
sharper
.
Disappointing
.
His expression laid his thoughts bare.
Hoshiumi clenched his jaw,
ashamed
of his moment of hesitation earlier—
That spike had been far less
stunning
than Taichi's first one.
But—
Two people
didn't
share Sakusa's disdain.
Miya Atsumu and Kageyama Tobio.
Because they
knew
.
No one could predict how much Kaedehara Taichi was
still
hiding beneath this tiny glimpse of power.
No one knew—
When his next evolution would come crashing down on them all.
Team A's serve.
Katayama Akira's
powerful jump serve
was effortlessly received by Sakusa Kiyoomi.
Komori Motoya leapt, skillfully setting the ball to the right wing—
Kageyama Tobio spiked for the kill.
[Team A 5 – 5 Team B]
"Beautiful set!"
With such strong teammates around him, Kageyama's form only
sharpened
as the match progressed.
Team B's Mochida Riei stepped up for a
high-speed serve
Miya Atsumu received the ball cleanly.
It soared toward the net—
Hoshiumi Kōrai took flight from the left flank.
"Double block!"
But—
Whoosh!
Hoshiumi redirected the ball to the
far right
!
Boom!
Breaking free from the blockers, Kaedehara Taichi
slammed
it down with ease.
[Team A 6 – 5 Team B]
Sakusa Kiyoomi's frown deepened.
That was the second time.
And yet—
Still unimpressive.
The power was slightly greater, the speed marginally faster—
But nothing extraordinary.
It wasn't even as
exciting
as Hoshiumi's quick set.
"Nice set, Hoshiumi-senpai." Kaedehara Taichi praised.
After facing numerous opponents with
explosive
athleticism, he found himself unexpectedly refreshed by these two players—
Physically
average
, yet standing at the absolute
peak
of high school-level skill.
"Hmph. Make sure you put on a good show."
Hoshiumi huffed.
He wasn't particularly close to Kaedehara Taichi—
But
damn
, did he
hate
the condescending look on Sakusa's face.
The serve rotated.
Kaedehara Taichi stepped up to the service line.
He caught sight of Sakusa's expression—
That air of
unshakable confidence
bordering on arrogance.
Like no one but Ushijima Wakatoshi was
worth
his attention.
"So, anyone but Ushijima-senpai just doesn't matter to you, huh?"
Kaedehara Taichi loosened his shoulders, joints
popping
slightly as he stretched.
Only now—after all this time—did his body feel like it had reached
peak condition
.
His gaze shifted back to Sakusa.
A
familiar smirk
crept onto his face.
"Let me show you Ushijima-senpai's serve first."
Taichi tossed the ball high into the air.
His approach was steady and powerful, footsteps
driving
into the floor.
And then—
He
launched
himself upward, muscles
coiling
as his left arm swung through in a devastating arc.
BOOM!
A thunderous crack echoed through the gym.
Sakusa reacted instantly.
He had already calculated the ball's trajectory—
A slight sidestep, positioning himself directly in front of it.
Of course.
Kaedehara Taichi's serve had
been targeting him from the start.
The moment Sakusa's hands came together for the reception—
Smack!
The
sheer force
of the serve blasted through his unformed platform, slamming against his wrist—
And then—
The ball hit the ground right in front of him.
It's just a serve.
Nothing special…right?
Kaedehara Taichi had scored a
service ace.
[Team A 7 – 5 Team B]
A slight hush settled over the court.
The space that had once been filled with technical discussions now felt like it had been invaded by something wild.
Something monstrous.
A raw,
overwhelming
force.
95
power.
Among these first and second-years, it was a number that stood alone.
The next closest?
Kageyama Tobio—who hadn't even
stepped up
to serve yet.
The
brutality
of Miyagi's power volleyball—
Today, the so-called
City Boys
were getting a first-hand demonstration.
Sakusa flexed his wrist, shaking off the slight sting.
He hadn't expected that kind of power to be packed into a first-year's body.
And more than that—
It was a left-handed serve.
For someone
hyper-aware
of Ushijima Wakatoshi, that fact stood out
immediately
.
Kaedehara Taichi picked up the next ball, tapping it lightly against his palm.
Then—
Holding it up in one hand, he pointed toward the opposite baseline.
His gaze locked onto Sakusa.
"Ready, Sakusa-senpai?"
_________
[T/N] -
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