"Oh dear, it seems Aoba Johsai's #16 pyer, Kyōtaarō, isn't happy with the referee's decision. A disagreement has erupted, and Aoba Johsai was given a red card."

  "Looks like the coach might sub him out now. Such a shame, sidering how brilliant Kyōtani has been so far," ehe announcer.

  In trast, the spectately agreed with the referee's decision. Some even thought the punishment was too light—mahe 'blonde brat' deserved to be ejected entirely.

  "Nohebi has left quite a favourable impression on both the audiend the referees," Coach Irihata expined patiently to Kyōtani. "Referees aren't gods or maes; it's only natural that their decisions subsciously favour the team that appears more disciplined." He added, "Getting into flicts with referees on the court doesn't help anyone."

  Kyōtani remained silent, his anger giving way to guilt for costing his team a point. This was the national stage, after all.

  "Mad Dog-, thanks." Oikawa Tōru patted him on the shoulder. "They've been targeting you all match, but you've held it together really well. That's impressive."

  "It's not like I'm doing it for you," Kyōtani muttered, turning his head away.

  "I'm even more surprised that the court hasn't thrown you off yame. That cross shot you spiked earlier was insanely precise!" Kaedehara Taichi chimed in.

  "It's nothing. I'm used to it," Kyōtani replied nontly.

  The rest of the team was suddenly remihat, before rejoining Aoba Johsai, Kyōtani had spent a long time pying in unfamiliar gyms.

  Adapting to new enviros was sed nature to him.

  "No big deal, but since you've already got a yellow card, take a break for now," Iwaizumi Hajime said, reassuringly. "Leave the rest to us."

  Kyōtani, fully aware of the severity of his earlier outburst, was surprised that no one bmed him.

  "Yes, Iwaizumi-senpai."

  A collective gasp came from the team.

  "Mad Dog-, why don't you call me that too?" Oikawa quipped.

  Kyōtani: "..."

  The timeout ended, and the match resumed.

  Substitution for Aoba Johsai—Matsukawa Issei in, Kyōtaarō out.

  "Oikawa-senpai, judging by your st serve, I'd say you've fully adjusted now, haven't you?" Taichi asked as they returo the court.

  "Yeah, I'm ready. It's infuriating that my perfect serve got wasted like that," Oikalied, his usual grin repced by a sharp, focused expression.

  ook the serve, with Naoyasu Kuguri stepping up to the service line once again.

  "He's clearly aiming for a spot that overps the setter's movement path with another pyer's position. It's a textbook way to disrupt the flow."

  "Aoba Johsai mao barely receive it, but their movements still seem a bit stiff."

  "Especially #1, Oikawa. This might be his first national tour, so it's no surprise he's feeling the pressure," the entator specuted.

  As Iwaizumi received the serve, he momentarily obstructed Oikaath. The dey cost Oikawa his optimal positioning for the set.

  But in a fsh, Oikawa darted forward, adjusting with incredible speed. Taking a single leap uhe ball, he raised it effortlessly with both hands.

  And there, mid-air, was Kaedehara Taichi.

  Boom!

  Kaedehara's spike nded ly, earning Aoba Johsai the point.

  [Aoba Johsai 8 – 9 Noheb

  "What exceptional trol from his upper body! Such a stable set!"

  "A brilliant spike for the point! Aoba Johsai's deadly on has emerged!"

  The entators vely igheir earlier remarks about Oikawa's stiffness and nervousness.

  "The ultra-quick attack between the first-year Kaedehara Taichi and third-year Oikawa Tōru—it's amazing to see it in a."

  "I heard this move gave Shiratorizawa all sorts of trouble during the prefectural finals," the entator added.

  On Nohebi's side, the pyers' expressions darkened. Just when they'd mao ralize one major threat, another emerged.

  "We studied the quick attack between #1 and #10 st night. Don't panic; block them!" Daisho Yuu cpped his hands, rallying his team.

  "Yeah, yeah…" First-year Naoyasu Kuguri replied zily.

  -----

  The match raged on, both teams fighting tooth and nail for dominance. Even without res to dirty tricks, Nohebi Academy was undeniably a formidable team. hat makes it to nationals is ever truly weak.

  "Even though Nohebi seems to be on high alert against Oikawa Tōru and Kaedehara Taichi's ultra-quick attack, stopping it is clearly no easy task."

  "Nohebi's aumai Kazuma, retaliates with a powerful spike to earn a point! A swift respoo Aoba Johsai's quick attack!"

  "What a sharp and ing py from Nohebi's ace!"

  Smash!

  "A diagonal spike from Kaedehara Taichi again! You see his preproving, finding increasingly tricky ao bypass the block."

  "A first-year already holding the ace position—who knows what other surprises Kaedehara have in store for us?"

  [Aoba Johsai 23 – 22 Noheb

  Nohebi served, with Sakishima Isumi stepping up to the line.

  His serve was ly received by Hanamaki Takahiro, while Taichi slowed his steps, blending into the crowd of attackers.

  At the , Iwaizumi Hajime and Taichi stood poised oher side, while Kunimi Akira and Matsukawa Issei eagerly prepared in the back.

  "That #10 has already spiked five secutive times," observed Suguru Daishō, sing the faces of Aoba Johsai's pyers.

  "#4 on the left is covered by just one defender. Which of those two in the back will un attack?!" His frustration grew. "Damn it! That setter's form is too fwless—you 't predict his target until the st sed!"

  Why had they never heard of such a skilled setter before?!

  "I'll get this!" Taichi suddenly leapt out of the crowd, s into the air.

  Suguru Daishō told himself to stay focused, but his body reacted instinctively, jumping to block Taichi.

  "Damn it! What if—?"

  The other Nohebi pyers locked their eyes on their attackers, ready for the block.

  Smash!

  Before anyone realized it, the ball had already hit the ground.

  —Oikawa Tōru scores with a setter dump.

  [Aoba Johsai 24 – 22 Noheb

  "At this crucial moment, Oikaulls off a setter dump that seems to mock the blockers! Nohebi Academy was pletely caught off guard by Aoba Johsai's ued move!"

  "Not a single wasted motion…This is what they call a moment of brilliance!'" Even the entator, watg from the elevated 'God's view', was astounded by Oikawa's deaking.

  "To think there's such a talented setter hidden in Miyagi Prefecture." The voice of entator Aoi was filled with awe as his eyes followed Oikawa's every move.

  "The whole court—no, the entire world—will take notice of him!" excimed entator Otomo, standing up iement.

  "Haha…That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?"

  Iands, a man in a suit watched ily. After seeing that py, he seemed to have made up his mind.

  Sing the roster, he found Oikawa's name and jotted 'U19' beside it.

  "Here it es! Nohebi Academy's stro offensive bination—Daishō and Numai's parallel attack!"

  "It's received by Iwaizumi Hajime! What a remarkable pyer, excelling in both offend defence!"

  "And right after that, Aoba Johsai's ace Kaedehara Taichi strikes back!"

  "Aimed at the baseli Nohebi's libero, Akama Sō, read it perfectly!"

  "These two pyers have such sharp court awareness—it's incredible to watch!"

  -----

  "Oouch!"

  "A beautiful block! Refusing to let any attacker score easily, Aoba Johsai's third-year, Matsukawa Issei, shines!"

  "Hanamaki Takahiro's spike is blocked again by Nohebi. As expected, this Tokyo team is relentless!"

  "Numai Kazuma prepares for another spike! The block is three-man strong! He avoids it!"

  "They got it!!"

  "The synergy between Aoba Johsai's blockers and libero Watari Shinji is outstanding. That receive was nothing short of perfect."

  "This rally is ned neck—both teams are evenly matched in this tug-of-war for the point!"

  "And Aoba Johsai finally chooses to set the ball to—"

  "The ace, Kaedehara Taichi, on the left wing!"

  "Triple block!" Daishō Suguru, Seguro Akihiko, and Numai Kazuma leapt together.

  After aire set, Taichi had executed seven quick attacks and nine diagonal spikes. Though his diagonal shots were being sharper, Nohebi's triple block effectively sealed off the right-hand angles.

  "This ball—we will block it!"

  Taichi sprinted along the sideline and jumped with explosive force. In that fleeting moment, Oikawa, closest to him, swore he could hear the sound of the wind.

  As Taichi hovered in mid-air, his arm rose higher than Daishō Suguru's blo the leftmost side.

  For a split sed, time seemed to slow down for Daishō.

  He thought he saw a faint smile on Taichi's lips as the muscles in his arms tensed.....

  Was it his left hand?!

  Boom!

  In Daishō's stunned gaze, Kaedehara Taichi's left-haraight shot grazed his fiips and smashed onto Nohebi's sideline.

  _________

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