Smack!
Kunimi Akira received Futakuchi Kenji's spike, and Terushima Yūji rotated into positioing the ball toward the right side.
"I got it." Ushijima Wakatoshi called out calmly.
Terushima's set cked precision, pg the ball too close to the . If Kindaichi had been the spiker, Tendō Satori would likely have blocked it.
Kindaichi stepped aside as Ushijima sprinted, leapt, and drove the ball downward.
"Wakatoshi!"
Tendō jumped with a wild yell, positioning himself directly in front of Ushijima.
Smack!
"tact!"
Ushijima's sheer power forced the ball against Tendō's arms, sending it rebounding upward.
Iwaizumi Hajime's eyes locked on the rising volleyball.
"Got it!"
He tracked its ard moved swiftly to the bae's edge.
Pop!
Iwaizumi's perfect pass soared high. Shirabu Kenjirō, with unshakable focus, sent the ball leftward with a quick set toward a familiar position, just far enough from the o give his spiker momentum.
"Taichi!"
Kaedehara Taichi fshed a fident grin as he began his approach from the back row.His first step past the three-meter line unched him into a powerful takeoff.
The court was ned as follows:
Team Irihata—Kaedehara, Futakuchi, and Tendō at the front, with Goshiki, Shirabu, and Iwaizumi in the back.
Team Washijō—Oikawa, Ushijima, and Kindaichi in the front, with Yamagata, Terushima, and Kunimi c the back.
"Double block!" Oikawa and Ushijima rose together.
It was a rare but immensely reassuring sight.
Oikawa subtly angled his arms to the left, minimizing Taichi's margin for a down-the-line spike.
Taichi tightened his left arm and unleashed a powerful strike.
Boom!
The ball collided with Oikawa's hands and rebounded high.
"tact!" Oikawa's eyes sparkled as he met Taichi gaze.
Yamagata had already moved into position, expertly bumping the ball forward.
"Ushijima!"
Oikawa delivered a precise set to the left wing.
Ushijima's pupils tracted as he tracked the ball.
Being Oikawa's teammate often came with high demands—like now, when he o jump with full force immediately after nding from a block.
But Ushijima thrived uhese ditions.
He stormed forward, accelerating with every step.
"Double block!" Taichi and Futakuchi rose to meet him.
Smash!
Ushijima's spike ripped through Futakuchi's blod crashed into the floor.
pared to the formidable duo of Koganegawa and Aone from Date Tech, Taichi and Futakuchi cked both height and blog power.
But the real challenge y in handling Ushijima's overwhelming strength and perfect setup.
Aoba Johsai's strategy relied on disrupting Ushijima's reception and limiting his setter.
Oikawa's sets ed that advantage.
[Team Irihata 22 - 25 Team Washijō ]
Whistle!
The matded with Team Washijō's victory.
-----
"Ugh, this is so frustrating!" Futakuchi smmed the ball into the ground in exasperation.
Despite Date Tech's famed "Iron Wall," they had no solution for Ushijima's brute force.Memories of st year's defeat at the hands of Shiratorizawa still burned vividly.
This time, despite knowing the odds, he couldn't stomach the idea of going winless in a ten-match series by the end of day six.
"e on, Futakuchi-senpai. We're closing the gap!" Goshiki chattered brightly, oblivious to the tension.
The matches had opened his eyes to Oikawa's sheer mastery of setting, making him realize just how iial a setter could be.
Futakuchi sighed heavily.
Aoba Johsai's narrow losses to Shiratorizawa every year were only a few points apart. It had taken two years of grinding effort to evehat close.
"Don't worry, Futakuchi-senpai," Taichi added with a reassuring grin. "I feel our teamwettier. We'll take a set soon."
Aone silently patted Futakuchi's shoulder in quiet support.
Futakuchi exhaled again, feeling both worn out and amused at needing the fort of his first-year teammates.
Taichi wasn't simply empty reassurahough. While his team admittedly struggled to tain Ushijima Wakatoshi, as their blog strengtheeam Washijō's attacks also became increasingly challenging.
Hyakuzawa Yūdai and Kindaichi's offence grew more fluid with time, but their inexperience meant they were still far from breaking through Irihata's formidable wall.
The rising number of sets directed to Ushijima revealed that despite Oikawa Tōru's exceptional setting, it was getting harder for other pyers to score.
When defence alone isn't enough, offence must pensate.
-----
Set 5: [Team Irihata 20 vs. 25 Team Washijō]Set 6: [Team Irihata 23 vs. 25 Team Washijō]Set 7: [Team Irihata 22 vs. 25 Team Washijō]
-----
It was now the evening of the fifth day of the training camp.
The eighth match began.
Team Irihata lineup:
Front row—Middle Blocker Aoakanobu, Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi, Wing Spiker Futakuchi Kenji
Baiddle Blocker Tendō Satori (Libero Iwaizumi Hajime), Outside Hitter Goshiki Tsutomu aer Shirabu Kenjirō.
Team Washijō lineup:
Front row—Wing Spiker Kunimi Akira, Middle Blocker Kindaichi Yūtarō, Outside Hitter Ushijima Wakatoshi
Back row—Outside Hitter Terushima Yūji, Middle Blocker Hyakuzawa Yūdai (Libero Yamagata Hayato) aer Oikawa Tōru.
Both teams tinuously adjusted their lineups, but Team Washijō's two-ace serving strategy remained stant.
Oikawa stepped up to serve.
Knowing that Iwaizumi had improved at receiving powerful serves, Oikawa switched to a jump float.
Losing to Miya Atsumu at Nationals remained Oikawa's greatest frustration.
Although media entary described their rivalry as ned neck, Oikawa felt that Aoba Johsai's defeat to Inarizaki meant he had personally lost to Miya.
And Miya was only a sed-year.
Determio outdo his rival, Oikawa had been tirelessly refining his jump float serve.
Bang!
The ball shot toward Iwaizumi's face.
Iwaizumi, anticipating Oikawa's i, had been preparing just as relentlessly. If Oikawa wao master his serve, Iwaizumi was just as determined o falter against it again.
He raised his arms as the ball sharply veered left.
He couldn't—wouldn't—let the point slip away!
Iwaizumi lunged, managing to deflect the ball with the top of his foot.
"Save!"
Before he could shout, Goshiki was already rag backwards. He dove, extending a single hand to push the ball bato py.
Tendō's attack tipped the ball lightly over the .
"ce ball!" Terushima called.
He ly bumped it upward, sending it straight to Oikawa.
Team Washijō's front row charged forward. Multiple hitters lined up for the assault, with Ushijima stationed on the far right.
Team Irihata's blockers held steady. A single block would never suffice against Ushijima; they had to wait for Oikawa's decision.
"Ushijima!"
Oikawa saw that Irihata hadn't spread their blockers ahe ball to Ushijima on the right.
"Triple block!" Aone, Kaedehara, and Futakuchi leapt together.
Thwack!
"Oouch!"
The ball deflected toward Irihata's backcourt.
Taichi immediately sprio the left wing after nding.
Iwaizumi delivered a perfect dig, and Shirabu jumped to set.
Taichi soared to the far left.
"Give it to me!"
His fierce cry startled both teams.
Kunimi and Kindaichi instinctively rushed left, blog his approach.
"!"
Smash!
Aone's quick attack down the middle scored ly.
[Team Irihata 1 vs. 0 Team Washijō]
Even though Shirabu wasn't Oikawa, Kunimi and Kindaichi reacted as if Taichi would unleash a lightning-fast attack.
Kunimi suddenly uood the psychological burden Taichi's oppos carried when fag his aggressive pystyle.
Even Shirabu was taken aback. The tactic had been discussed beforehand, but Shirabu had doubted anyone would fall for it. Taichi had insisted anyway.
The moment Taichi called for the ball, even Shirabu had nearly lost his grip on it.
Was this what it meant to crave the spike like an ace?
Kaedehara Taichi's single-minded hunger for the kill had left him momentarily shaken.
Taichi smirked mischievously at Kunimi and Kindaichi.
"Surprised? Even I be a bait."
_________
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