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Chapter 415: A Struggle of Cornered Beasts
🕑 Added 2025-05-01 18:37:41 +0000 UTCTwo sets to zero!
For the first time in eight years, a team had taken the first two sets in the finals of the National Tournament. And every team that had accomplished this in the past—without exception—had gone on to win the championship.
Aoba Johsai had all but secured their victory.
Even more eye-catching was the fact that, looking through Aoba Johsai's match history, from the second day of the tournament until now, they hadn't dropped a single set.
Quick-thinking viewers immediately searched online for Aoba Johsai's match records from the Miyagi Prefectural qualifiers.
The results were indisputable—Aoba Johsai hadn't just won every match, they had won every set.
If Aoba Johsai were to claim victory in the third set, they would become this year's National Champions with a perfect record.
The atmosphere inside the venue began to shift. The spectators suddenly realised they might be witnessing the birth of something miraculous.
Silence.
Kamomedai Academy's cheering section had fallen completely silent.
They had arrived at the finals after defeating the former champions, Itachiyama, with a commanding two-to-zero win. That they might lose here—well, that had already seemed like the worst-case scenario they could imagine.
But to fall behind by two sets and risk getting shut out on the national stage...
That was beyond what they had prepared themselves for. And it was something they could not accept.
Even so, no one complained.
They had witnessed with their own eyes how hard Kamomedai had worked to get here—the effort the players put in during matches, the daily club training, all of it.
And they had to admit—the match had been exciting.
Everyone on Kamomedai was giving their all. Each player had played to their full potential, and Hoshiumi Kōrai, in particular, was in peak condition.
But winning a match wasn't something one team could decide alone.
"We had set point so many times—we were just one point away! Damn it..."
In both sets, the score difference had been narrow:
[Aoba Johsai 25 - 22 Kamomedai]
[Aoba Johsai 30 - 28 Kamomedai]
Aoba Johsai was undeniably strong, but it hadn't felt like Kamomedai had no chance.
The rest of the spectators seemed to be hoping for a dramatic finale worth talking about—though Kamomedai themselves obviously weren't included in that.
They had to win the third set.
They could not become someone else's stepping stone.
After downing several mouthfuls of water, Hoshiumi finally started to calm down.
Kamomedai's bench was unnervingly quiet. Everyone looked like they were resting peacefully, but the air was thick with pressure.
"Are you all giving up?"
Hoshiumi knew full well—against a team like Aoba Johsai, the odds of winning three straight sets were practically nonexistent. But the moment he said it, his emotions started to shift.
He couldn't accept it.
He refused to accept it.
That frustration burned even stronger than when they'd lost two-nil to Aoba Johsai in last year's Spring Interhigh. No—even more than that.
He wasn't the same player he had been back then. Neither were Hirugami Sachirō or Hakuba Gao.
And Aoba Johsai—they didn't even have Oikawa Tōru anymore!
"…The match isn't over yet."
A faint glimmer returned to Hoshiumi's eyes. Even if they lost in the end…
"We are not letting them win easily!"
-----
The interval ended quickly. The teams switched sides, and the third set began.
Kamomedai's lineup:
Front row—Outside Hitter Hoshiumi Kōrai, Outside Hitter Hakuba Gao, Middle Blocker Hirugami Sachirō.
Back row—Middle Blocker Bessho Kazuyoshi (Libero: Wakabayashi Hikaru), Outside Hitter Ogawa Ryūhei and Setter Tokura Liam.
Aoba Johsai's lineup:
Front row—Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi, Setter Yahaba Shigeru, Middle Blocker Kindaichi Yūtarō.
Back row—Middle Blocker Yūki Yōji (Libero: Nakamori Daiki), Outside Hitter Kunimi Akira and Outside Hitter Kyōtani Kentarō.
Aoba Johsai had subbed in Yahaba Shigeru for the third set—the rest of the rotation remained unchanged.
Kamomedai had correctly guessed Aoba Johsai's strong server. Hoshiumi believed it—Kaedehara Taichi would never pass up the chance for a front-row showdown.
"Beeeep!—"
The long whistle sounded. Kyōtani Kentarō stepped up to the service line.
Kaedehara Taichi was in the front row—directly opposite Hoshiumi, Hakuba, and Hirugami.
Fight fire with fire?
Do-or-die?
Burn the boats?
Taichi stared blankly at the Kamomedai players, each of them exuding an aura of desperation…and then, suddenly, the corners of his mouth curled up into a sly grin.
"Let me offer you a more fitting phrase—A struggle of cornered beasts."
[Ding! Kaedehara Taichi has entered Burst Mode.]
[Kaedehara Taichi (Burst Mode)—Outside Hitter:
Height: 190 cm | Power: 100 | Jump: 96 | Stamina: 99 | Speed: 100
Technique: Serve: 100 | Receive: 95 | Set: 92 | Spike: 100.]
Aoba Johsai served first.
Kyōtani's powerful jump serve came screaming over the net—Ogawa Ryūhei managed to receive it.
Being wiped off the court by Aoba Johsai in front of the whole country—when he thought about it, that kind of outcome was unacceptable.
Tokura Liam quickly stepped in to set. Kamomedai launched a synchronised attack with all three front-row players.
Taichi and Yahaba swapped positions, coordinating for a central block.
Fwoosh—!
Tokura deliberately set the ball wide right, hoping to steer clear of Taichi's block, but—
"Double block!" Taichi and Kindaichi both moved in to meet Hirugami.
Boom!!!—
Hirugami unleashed a sharp diagonal spike that cut past the left side of Taichi's block.
Smack!
"You're not scoring that easily anymore." Nakamori Daiki received the ball cleanly.
"Middle!" Taichi shouted loudly.
Yahaba rotated in behind him, his heart pounding despite the calm on his face. He was just an ordinary setter, yet here he was—on the national final court, standing on the brink of making history with his team.
Fwoosh—!
The ball soared high and steady into the middle of the court.
THUD!!
Taichi exploded off the floor, knees snapping straight as he launched himself skyward. His body stretched into a graceful arc, arm swinging from behind like he was reaching to touch the sky itself.
"Triple block!" Hoshiumi, Hakuba, and Hirugami jumped together to meet him.
BOOM!!!
Taichi's palm struck the ball—it was a clean, explosive hit.
The ball soared past Hakuba's extended block like a meteor, slicing across the court.
BOOM!
It slammed into Kamomedai's back line—untouched.
Kaedehara Taichi scores with a spike!
[Aoba Johsai 1 - 0 Kamomedai]
—"SCOREE!"
—"Kaedehara Taichi spikes past the 2-meter Hakuba's block!"
—"Kamomedai's strongest wall meant nothing to him!"
"What the hell? Is that guy even human...?"
Taichi raised his chin slightly, eyes cold. Even when facing the towering 2-meter Hakuba, he gave the impression that he was the one looking down.
"I'm glad you three are all in the front row to start." he said.
"I really enjoy breaking through your blocks."
"Better keep up, upperclassmen."
-----
Comments
Qailyns
hmmm, Taichi's stats isn't as good as Hoshiomi's when he got into burst mode... tbh it feels like author buffed Hoshiomi a bit much but I'll let that slide.
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