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 pletely stop his attacks was somewhat difficult to accept.
The serve rotated, and Ushijima Wakatoshi stepped onto the service line.
Thump, Thump, Thump...
He pouhe 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 pying at a posed, almost effortless pace.
This game reminded him of the past, back when Shiratorizayed against Aoba Johsai before Kaedehara Taichi had eveered the picture.
Boom!!
Pushing aside his idle thoughts, Ushijima executed a powerful jump serve.
Pop!
Komori Motoya received the ball, but the trajectory was high and veering toward the right sideline, nearly out of bounds.
"I got it!"
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 unched into an attaation.
A synized multi-attack—overwhelming the blockers with sheer numbers and uability!
Multiple attackers leapt at once, f the Youth National Team's front-row blockers to it to c Chigaya and Kaedehara.
Bang!
Miya Atsumu, exeg a back-row attack, spiked the ball ly past the block for a decisive point.
[Reserve Team 23 – 23 Youth National Team]
"!"
"Nice spike!"
Hoshiumi and Miya exged a high-five, praising each other's pys.
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 pying so smoothly was that their attackers were always receiving perfectly pced sets.
At the very least, they o take out one key offehreat.
Hoshiumi tossed the ball into the air and, with a sharp thud, jumped and struck it at the peak of his jump.
Boom!
The ball dipped steeply, heading toward the back er—a wickedly precise serve.
Smack!
Ushijima, uo retreat in time, received the ball, but the ued force behind it made him lose trol. The ball deflected toward the sideline, seemingly heading out of py.
Oikawa reacted instantly, diving to save it, sending it s high into the air.
"Nice!"
This was turning out eveer than expected.
With the ball still high above the back row, Iizuna made a quick decision, opting for a no-spike pass over the .
"ce ball!"
Hoshiumi received the ball with ease.
Seeing Kaedehara signalling a py, 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.
"Triple block!"
Keisuke Unnan, Bokuto Kōtarō, and Kiryū Wakatsu formed a solid wall in front of him.
After aire set of being forced into left-handed spikes, Taichi had subtly ditiohe blockers to expect him to attack toward the left.
Even though they realized at the st sed that he was switg to his right hand, their blog position hadn't adjusted in time.
A gap remained on Kiryū's right side—just enough space for Kaedehara to exploit.
Boom!!
The ball smmed dht in front of Iizuna Tsukasa.
A right-haraight shot—point scored.
One more to go!
[Reserve Team 24 – 23 Youth National Team]
"!" Taichi praised.
As expected of Kageyama—just a brief verbal exge was enough for him to deliver the ball exactly where it was needed.
Across the , 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 st spike had clearly been on another level.
He had been watg him closely the eime, yet he still wasn't able to rea time.
"Hoshiumi-senpai, give us anood serve!" Taichi called out loudly—before subtly turning bad whispering a single word to Hoshiumi.
This kid...
A sly grin tugged at Hoshiumi's lips as he unched his serve.
Boom!
The ball curved sharply, dropping shht in front of Keisuke Unnan.
Keisuke's eyes widened in arm.
"!!!"
Washio Tatsuki barely mao react, scrambling to receive the ball.
Smack!
The volleyball bounced off his hands and shot backwards.
Dive!
Ushijima Wakatoshi dived to save it, sending the ball toward the .
"I got it!"
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.
"Middle!"
Even without Kaedehara Taichi shouting, Sakusa Kiyoomi was already shifting from the left side, closing in.
"Triple block!"
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.
Boom!!!
Sakusa's arms were bsted 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?"
"Mine!"
Miya Atsumu darted forward, setting the ball to the right.
Kaedehara Taichi was already airborne, waiting.
Smash!!
Block!
Kiryū had miraculously returo the right side, ung himself into the air for the block.
"I've been watg you this whole time, Taichi!"
The volleyball rocketed skyward—straight to Iizuna Tsukasa, who received it ly.
Oikarinted uhe falling ball a to the left.
"Go!"
Bokuto Kōtarō soared from the left fnk.
"Double block!"
Sakusa and Chigaya braced themselves in front of him.
Chigaya was starting to feel anxious, but at this point, jumping was his only option.
Wham!
Bokuto adjusted, smashing a diagonal shot past the block.
Smack!
Kaedehara Taichi had caught up—one hand appearih the ball just as it crossed the .
"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.
Bang!
The ball arced sharply, dropping toward the baseline.
Dive!
Ushijima hit the flain, barely keeping the ball in py as it floated toward the .
Oikawa, keeping up, sprinted forward.
"Waka-!"
"If it's a bad set, just leave it to me!" Kiryū shouted, raising his right hand.
Boom!
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 ing?" Oikawa grinned.
On the court, eveher 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 .
Not enough power, and it would turn into a ce ball.
Iizuna Tsukasa sighed iant admiration.
This guy…He's insane.
No matter the circumstances, Oikawa was absolutely fident in both his deaking 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 stantly chasing after him.
But now, standing across the from Kaedehara Taichi, he found himself fag 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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