Chigaya Eikichi was startled by the figure that had just soared past him.

  What the hell?

  Who in their right mind would think of spiking from that height?!

  Hoshiumi Kourai's eyes gleamed as he locked onto Kaedehara Taichi. No wonder he mao defeat Ushijima-senpai...But if it was just a matter of jumping that high, then—

  I do it too.

  "Heh...That guy's jump is even higher now, huh…" Miya Atsumu squinted slightly. A few months ago, during the National Tour, the only team that truly gave Inarizaki trouble—aside from their eventual loss to Itachiyama—was Seijoh.

  Right now, Atsumu might be hailed as Japan's top high school setter, but there was still something that weighed on his mind—

  Back then, his serve couldn't surpass Oikawa Tooru's.

  And when it came to pure setting ability, their battle had ended in a draw.

  It wasn't him who was better than Oikawa Tooru.

  It was Inarizaki that was strohan Aoba Johsai.

  Atsumu's obsession with proving himself against other setters made him yearn for another match against Oikawa Tooru—even more than he wao set for Kaedehara Taichi.

  "Oi, Atsumu-senpai! What're you spag out for?" Taichi called from the back. "Let's have another one!"

  "Yeah, yeah…" Atsumu took a few steps back. This time, six.

  Taichi immediately uood. So he's deliberately proving that his serve isn't depe on his approach…

  This group…Not a single one of them knows how to back down.

  It was absolutely thrilling.

  Taichi's lips curled into a grin.

  Boom!

  Atsumu unched his sed serve—a jump float, pletely opposite to his usual preference for power serves!

  The ball wobbled unnervingly as it dipped over the .

  But what made it truly lethal was its nding spot—it wasn't within libero Komori Motoya's range, but instead, it dropped precisely between Sakusa Kiyoomi in the front row and Kageyama Tobio in the back row!

  Kageyama had already read the ball's trajectory and was about to step forward to receive it.

  But before he could react—

  Sakusa Kiyoomi took a siep back, tilted his body ever so slightly, and with both hands, gently set the ball upward—

  A perfect back-set!

  "What a beautiful touch!"

  Kageyama was impressed despite himself.

  He immediately dashed forward, positioning himself perfectly beh the ball.

  Sakusa's first touch had been slightly off-tre, but feyama, that margin of error was meaningless.

  —Whoosh!

  With meical precision, Kageyama set the ball toward the left-wing spiker, Matsumoto Dai.

  "Oh! That erfect set!" Atsumu's eyes fshed with i.

  Matsumoto Dai sprinted forward and jumped—

  Team A's front-row blockers reacted instantly.

  "Double block!" Taichi and Katayama Akira leaped simultaneously.

  Faced with the looming wall of hands, Matsumoto chose to angle his spike away from the block.

  Boom!

  A sharp diagonal shot streaked toward Team A's backcourt.

  Smack!

  Hoshiumi Kourai appeared just in time, effortlessly receiving the ball.

  "Whoa! That was a libero-level receive!" Taichi's eyes widened. Everyone here is insane!

  Atsumu jumped to set. With an attag lihis stacked, it was easy for a setter to get carried away.

  "Atsumu!"

  The moment Hoshiumi pleted his pass, he immediately sprinted into his approach—his form perfectly stable.

  "Here it es!" Atsumu licked his lips, barely taining his excitement. Watg Taichi spike was ohing, but—

  Hoshiumi's attacks had a pletely different kind of thrill!

  "Alright then—enjoy!"

  Atsumu's set soared toward the right wing at lightning speed.

  Hoshiumi took off from the back row—oep, two steps, three steps—stopping precisely at the three-meter line before—

  Boom!!

  He exploded into the air!

  Chigaya Eikichi: "!!!"

  A bead of cold sweat rolled down his forehead. Again?!

  Hoshiumi Kourai, standing at just 169.2 cm, had jumped even higher than Taichi!

  "Triple block!" Matsumoto Dai, Sakusa Kiyoomi, and Mochida Riei all jumped at once.

  Boom!

  A super high-angle spike!

  The ball smmed down at an impossible trajectory, nding directly on the baseline of Team B's court.

  Not just the height—his ball trol was equally monstrous!

  Point—Hoshiumi Kourai!

  [Team A 2 – 0 Team B]

  [Hoshiumi Kourai—Outside Hitter: Overall Rating: 93.5; Height: 169.2 bsp;Strength: 85, Jump: 99, Stamina: 95, Speed: 90; Key Attributes: Serve 95, Set 90, Receive 96, Spike 99.]

  though he had already braced himself—this was still ridiculous.

  A maxed-out jump stat. Near-perfect speed. And teical ability on par with the best iion.

  Hoshiumi Kourai…

  He was worthy of the title Little Giant.

  "Whew~ That was high!" Komori Motoya let out an impressed whistle.

  Even at 180 cm, Komori had given up on being an outside hitter. Yet somehow, Hoshiumi—who barely reached 170 cm—was out here challenging triple blocks.

  During the National Tour a few months ago, Itachiyama faced Kamomedai in the quarterfinals.

  No matter how many times he saw it, this shouldn't be possible.

  Enjoying the shocked stares of those around him, Hoshiumi turo g the two first-years from Miyagi.

  They weren't surprised at all.

  They were just…

  Burning with fighting spirit.

  "Hmph, first-years these days…"

  Hoshiumi Kourai decided that after the match, he'd have to properly educate those two from Miyagi—like a true uppercssman.

  Miya Atsumu stepped up to serve again.

  Against Inarizaki's former rivals, the fact that his team was sg secutive points felt like a small act of vengeance—like colleg some overdue i.

  Boom!

  Another eerie jump float serve.

  "Motoya!"

  Sakusa Kiyoomi called out to the bae. They couldn't just let Team A dominate like this.

  "Got it!"

  Komori Motoya grinned as he stepped forward. He had wao observe a few more pys, but it seemed like now was the time to step in.

  Despite being taller than the average libero, Komori's movements remained remarkably quick.

  Smack!

  He received Atsumu's serve ly—every single one of them!

  "Cover!"

  Although he had mao pass the ball, the uable movement of the float serve had caused a slight positional shift.

  Kageyama Tobio immediately stepped in to adjust.

  Having pyed against Kageyama before, Kaedehara Taichi had already locked onto his movements.

  At the same time, Kageyama caught Taichi in his peripheral vision.

  I o avoid the block!

  With a swift motion, Kageyama sent the ball toward the right-wing hitter in midair.

  Perfect precision.

  But—

  There was no Hinata Shoyo on Team B.

  Tap, tap, tap…

  The volleyball fell untouched onto the court.

  A setting error.

  [Team A 3 – 0 Team B]

  "Sorry, I acted out of habit," Kageyama admitted, his tone sincere.

  "Don't worry about it. It's just the beginning~" Komori Motoya reassured him with a casual wave.

  "Heh~"

  Atsumu fshed a sly grin at Kageyama.

  That kind of set...You really think it's just a given that someone will be there to hit it, huh?

  Maybe, just maybe, Kageyama was even more insufferable than Oikawa Tōru.

  Even Sakusa Kiyoomi frowned slightly, and on the opposing side, even Hoshiumi Kourai was feeling somewhat annoyed.

  "Iing," Coach Fuki Hibarida chuckled from the sidelines. He hadn't expected the oirring up everyone's fighting spirit to be two first-years from Miyagi.

  ———

  "Just give me the ball. No unnecessary movements," Sakusa said coldly.

  Kageyama: "....."

  Sakusa took Kageyama's silence as agreement and turned away.

  "I'll set the way I think is best," Kageyama stated calmly. Not a trace of hesitation.

  The air seemed to freeze.

  The entire crew tense.

  "Alright, alright, take it easy. The other side is about to serve," Khed, trying to diffuse the atmosphere. "Sakusa, don't bully the first-years~"

  "I'm not bullying him. I'm teag him how to win," Sakusa replied ftly.

  …

  Atsumu, of course, had no iion of waiting for them to settle their differehe moment the referee's whistle blew, he unched another serve.

  Boom!

  This time, it owerful jump serve!

  It left no time to think.

  Komori barely mao dig it out, but pared to float serves, he actually preferred dealing with sheer power.

  Sp!

  The ball shot into the air.

  Kageyama took a quick step forward, positioning himself beh it.

  "Right-wing," Sakusa called for the set, still posed.

  Whoosh!

  The ball sailed precisely toward him.

  Despite his irritation, Sakusa had to admit—Kageyama's setting was fwless.

  "Three-man block!"

  Kaedehara Taichi, Katayama Akira, and Chigaya Eikichi jumped simultaneously.

  Sakusa locked onto Taichi's arms. With a flick of his wrist, he swung his right arm forward—his palm tilting at an unnatural angle just before tact.

  Boom!

  The ball struck Taichi's forearm.

  It wasn't heavy.

  That was Taichi's first impression.

  After fag tless power spikes, the retive ck of force actually felt uling.

  Theiced—

  The spin.

  The ball had barely traveled a short distance, yet it was already rotating violently.

  Sp!

  It shot diagonally out of bounds on Team A's side.

  This was...

  One of the Top Three Aces of Japan.

  Kaedehara Taichi's lips curled into a grin.

  Sakusa Kiyoomi...The reputation is well-earned.

  Sakusa scores!

  [Team A 3 – 1 Team B]

  _________

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