Haruki Komi received that ball a little too hastily, and the volleyball bounced straight out of bounds.
"Ah!" Komi shouted in frustration.
"Sorry, sorry."
Keiji Akaashi waved it off.
"Don't worry about it. There's still the next ball."
Everyone else nodded too.
"Beep------------"
The whistle for the point rang out.
"What a brilliant serve! Kamomedai High School is truly full of hidden talent. Every player has an incredible serve, and each one has their own style! Hirugami from Kamomedai ties the score with that serve! Kamomedai scores again!"
Sitting below, Ryosuke's eyes lit up when he saw that ball. He had seen all kinds of serves in matches, but this was his first time seeing one like this. It looked very similar to Sakusa's serve, but not exactly the same.
"What kind of serve is that?"
Ryosuke tugged on Tendo's sleeve and asked, his eyes sparkling. Tendo's heart softened under that damp, pleading gaze, and he said quietly,
"So there are actually serves Ryosuke doesn't know?"
Ryosuke saw that Tendo was teasing him instead of explaining the serve, so he wrapped both hands around Tendo's arm and shook it back and forth, looking at him expectantly.
Atsumu Miya, off to the side, was so jealous his eyes were practically red. Tendo was enjoying Ryosuke's closeness at that moment, completely unaware that Coach Washijō's glare from behind was nearly enough to kill him.
Tsutomu Goshiki overheard Ryosuke and Tendo's conversation. He chewed and swallowed the banana in his mouth, then turned back toward Ryosuke and picked up another banana.
"That serve is called a Banana Serve."
After saying that, he even held up the banana in his hand to explain it to Ryosuke. As soon as Ryosuke heard someone was going to explain it, he let go of Tendo's arm.
Tendo looked at his suddenly empty arm, then at the two little ones huddled together, and nearly died of anger. Fine, fine. Tsutomu Goshiki, very impressive. Once this match was over, he would absolutely let him experience what hell on earth felt like.
Tendo was almost furious enough to explode, and he decided that during training after the match, he would definitely block Tsutomu Goshiki until he broke.
At that moment, Tsutomu Goshiki had no idea danger was approaching. He was still happily chatting with Ryosuke.
The commotion between the two of them drew the others over too. Ushijima and the rest quietly perked up their ears, secretly listening to their conversation.
"A Banana Serve means the arc of the serve is like a banana. It has a wide curve and very fast spin. You have to hit the lower side of the volleyball to make it spin faster."
"Oh."
Ryosuke nodded to show that he understood.
"Then why is the Banana Serve different from Kiyoomi's serve, even though they're both spin serves?"
Tsutomu Goshiki and Ryosuke instantly thought of Sakusa's wrist and the high-speed spin of the volleyball when he served. The image immediately appeared in their minds. That was a good question.
"Because Sakusa and Hirugami serve differently. One creates pressure on the volleyball through the force and angle of the hit after the serve, turning it into a spin ball with a banana-like arc.
"The other starts bending the wrist to find the angle before even making contact with the volleyball. By the time the hand strikes the ball, the volleyball already has a very standard spin.
"Although both are spin balls, one comes from practice, and the other comes from talent. Besides, the Banana Serve has pretty major limitations. It is nowhere near as adaptable as that kid from Itachiyama's serve."
Hearing everyone discussing Hirugami's serve, Aaron, as Kamomedai's coach, felt it was necessary to explain it to them. Aaron also liked these first-years from Shiratorizawa very much.
They were all rare talents, one in ten thousand. And then there was that quiet backup setter. Just from the look in his eyes, Aaron knew that boy's future would definitely not end with him staying on the bench.
He really looked forward to facing them.
Ryosuke and Tsutomu Goshiki nodded repeatedly after listening. Ryosuke really had never heard of this kind of serve. It seemed rare in textbooks and in matches, so it was normal that he did not know about it.
But how did Tsutomu Goshiki know?
"Tsutomu Goshiki, how did you know that?"
Thinking that, Ryosuke asked Tsutomu Goshiki directly. Tsutomu Goshiki chuckled and scratched his head.
"I heard it from a friend. He plays tennis, and tennis has a Banana Serve too. He explained it to me and told me the Banana Serve in volleyball works on the same principle."
"Oh."
Ryosuke had originally wanted to ask who Tsutomu Goshiki's friend was, but Tsutomu Goshiki immediately turned his attention back to the match and watched with great interest, so Ryosuke did not feel right asking any further.
The point Fukurōdani had lost allowed Kamomedai to tie the score. It was now 24:24. The score was even, but if Hirugami kept serving Banana jump serves, it was hard to say who would win this set.
Haruki Komi felt a little apologetic. It was all his fault. Otherwise, he definitely could have received that ball. But Haruki Komi had not expected Hirugami's serve to be that powerful. It was almost on the same level as Sakusa's.
Still, Hirugami's ball was a little easier to receive than Sakusa's. At least with Hirugami's serve, the path and trajectory of the ball were visible. Sakusa's ball was another matter.
"Come on, don't look so gloomy. We'll just side them out on the next ball."
Bokuto casually slapped Haruki Komi on the shoulder with so much force that he nearly drove Haruki Komi into the floor, and Bokuto himself did not realize it at all.
Seeing that Bokuto was about to beat their Libero to death, Keiji Akaashi and Konoha moved in. One pulled Bokuto away, and the other comforted Haruki Komi, finally preventing the shocking incident of "Libero suddenly dies on court" from happening. Their teamwork had become surprisingly smooth.
Haruki Komi felt like he had almost seen God, only for Konoha to yank him back. By then, his frustration over missing the receive was completely gone. Haruki Komi was just grateful he had lived another day.
Maybe Bokuto's deadly threat had been too terrifying, because when Haruki Komi stood in position again, his heart was almost completely calm. Seriously, he had nearly met God. A little setback like this was nothing.
Hirugami glanced at Haruki Komi across the net, then patted the volleyball. He tossed it up, lowered his center of gravity, began his approach, and jumped.
Bang!
A deafening sound echoed across the court. Hakuba, standing in the front row, almost thought his ears had gone deaf.
The volleyball brushed past Hakuba's ear. Hakuba cursed under his breath as he moved to adjust his position. Serving was one thing, but could he not accidentally hit his own teammate?
Hirugami seemed to sense Hakuba's feelings too. He pressed his lips together, looking slightly apologetic, but there was no time for Hirugami to apologize now.
Hirugami ran to the net, preparing for the next round of defense.
On the other side, Haruki Komi had made full preparations this time.
He stepped forward by half a body length in advance. That position was the least likely to cause mistakes when receiving a spin ball. Then he brought both hands together and reached forward, raising his arms high enough so his hands could touch the volleyball.
If the volleyball hit his forearms, it would be hard to control. There would be no time to cushion the impact. He had to receive this ball with his hands first.
Bang! Just as Haruki Komi had expected, once the preparation was done properly, the rest was easy with all his years of match experience.
The volleyball paused on Haruki Komi's hands for the tiniest fraction of a second. A pause that short would not be judged as a carry by the referee, but in that brief instant, it gave Haruki Komi enough time to cushion the ball.
His upper arm drove his forearm, and his forearm drove his wrist. Everything flowed smoothly. After being cushioned, the volleyball lost half of its original force and spin, turning into a beautiful first pass. It was a textbook receive.
The volleyball flew high into the air. Keiji Akaashi looked up at it and let out a breath of relief. As long as the other side had not scored on this ball, they still had a chance.
Keiji Akaashi ran to set. He planned to give this ball to Bokuto. At the final moment, he trusted no one else. Only Bokuto, their ace, could score. That was what Keiji Akaashi believed.
Because every time, it was Bokuto who pulled everyone out of trouble. He believed Bokuto would definitely bring them a different outcome this time too. Keiji Akaashi tilted his head up in the air and saw Bokuto near the side of the net. Then his ten fingers moved lightly, and he set the ball to Bokuto.
Bokuto-senpai! Please score again!
Bokuto, who was moving near position three, seemed to hear the cry in Keiji Akaashi's heart. He turned and saw the volleyball flying toward him, not surprised at all. In this situation, giving the ball to him was the best choice.
Because I'm the ace.
Under everyone's gaze, Bokuto jumped and swung his arm. Across from him were Hirugami, Hakuba, and Suwa.
No matter what, this was set point. They absolutely could not let Bokuto score here. Otherwise, the situation they had worked so hard to pull back might all fall apart at the last second.
So at this critical moment, Kamomedai offered Bokuto the highest level of respect without hesitation: a three-man block.
A three-man block made up of one 190-centimeter player and two 180-centimeter players. Just looking at it was enough to make someone feel suffocated.
Tsutomu Goshiki and Ushijima fell silent at the same time as they watched Kamomedai's block. Honestly, Kamomedai's block really was disgusting. Just the height alone was enough to make someone physically uncomfortable.
Tsutomu Goshiki could hardly imagine how badly his mentality would collapse if he had to face a three-man block like that.
But Bokuto looked completely unfazed.
Bokuto raised his arm and thought about how he should hit this ball. How could he break straight through the block, keep the Libero from receiving it, and score cleanly?
He spent a little too long thinking. Even Bokuto himself did not realize that, without noticing it, his hang time seemed to have become stronger.
Bokuto's gaze fell on his own arm and its position. This ball looked like a cross shot. That was what Bokuto thought, so the other side would definitely think so too. If everyone thought it was a cross shot, then he would hit a straight shot instead.
In this set, Bokuto had barely used straight shots. But like a bodily instinct, the moment that thought appeared in his mind, Bokuto's arm naturally moved.
How should he hit a straight shot to score?
That was the second question Bokuto considered. At this moment, how could a straight shot score?
Bokuto's answer was: fast, accurate, ruthless, and ready to fire at any instant.
In the face of overwhelming strength, every obstacle was just decoration. All he had to do was hit it through.
Bang!
A fierce light flashed in Bokuto's eyes. Before anyone could react, while they still thought he was going to hit a cross shot, his arm suddenly shifted into the form for a straight shot. Then he caught the timing perfectly and aimed at Hakuba, who was blocking in the middle. Bokuto's arm drove his wrist, and he slammed the ball down hard against Hakuba's palm.
The sound was incredibly loud. Hakuba felt as if his hand had been shot. It went numb and ached sharply, and he lost control for a moment, his palm moving away.
Keiichiro's expression changed, and he rushed over to receive. In his heart, he cursed Bokuto. Damn Bokuto. Since when did he know how to fake one way and hit another?
Hoshiumi's expression changed too, and he ran over to receive.
But both of them were still one step too slow. The volleyball was about to hit the floor.
Nozawa appeared out of nowhere, diving at Hakuba's feet and raising his hand to receive. Although Nozawa could not see what was happening behind him, he could still roughly remember everyone's positions. He tried his best to make this receive as controlled as possible.
But Bokuto's spikes were usually hard to absorb even under normal circumstances, let alone in Kamomedai's current chaotic state. The volleyball flew off almost completely out of control. Seeing the ball fly away, Kazuyoshi Bessho immediately sprinted after it.
Hakuba had been startled and was about to receive, only for Nozawa to suddenly appear. In his panic, Hakuba accidentally stepped on Nozawa's left hand.
Nozawa's expression twisted. He let out a muffled groan, then gritted his teeth and said,
"You're stepping on my hand!"
Hakuba's face drained with fright, and he hurriedly lifted his foot. But then Suwa, who had no idea what had happened, bumped into him. Hakuba, already standing unsteadily on one leg, lost his balance again and stepped on Nozawa's hand a second time.
A second injury was the deadliest. Nozawa was already prepared to lie down peacefully.
The moment that thought appeared, Nozawa remembered the ball and quickly scrambled up from the floor to join the next part of the rally.
But when he looked up, he saw Kazuyoshi Bessho and Hoshiumi sprawled awkwardly on the floor, while Keiichiro had stopped not far away. In front of their hands lay the fallen volleyball.
"Beep-----------!"
The referee blew the whistle and announced the point. Bokuto's ball had not only broken through the block, but also escaped the Libero and setter's desperate chase.
"That was amazing, Bokuto!"
"When did you get this good?"
Everyone surrounded Bokuto with amazed expressions, looking him up and down.
Bokuto proudly lifted his chin.
"Hey, hey, hey! I knew I was the strongest!"
Konoha jumped up and ruffled Bokuto's hair, while Keiji Akaashi smiled and gave Bokuto a thumbs-up. The match was not over yet.
But everyone on Fukurōdani looked as if they had already won.
Kamomedai's side was not doing nearly as well. They had finally managed to tie the score, only for Bokuto to take it back with one ball. Anyone would feel bad after that.
"What do you think of that ball just now?"
Off the court, Coach Washijō sat in his chair with his legs crossed and suddenly spoke.
No one knew who Coach Washijō was asking, so they all turned to look.
Then they realized Coach Washijō was speaking to Shiratorizawa's first-years.
Yunohama, Tsutomu Goshiki, and Ryosuke looked at one another, as if deciding who should speak first.
Yunohama pushed up his glasses and said,
"There was a lot of acting in that ball. Turning a cross shot into a straight shot, first of all, you'd have to sell it well enough to fool the two blockers across from you. And even just changing the hand form is already troublesome."
...
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