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Chapter 407: The Finals Begin (Triple-Length)
🕑 Added 2025-04-28 17:53:17 +0000 UTCKamomedai's starting lineup was:
Front row—Outside Hitter Ogawa Ryūhei, Outside Hitter Hakuba Gao, Middle Blocker Hirugami Sachirō.
Back row—Middle Blocker Bessho Kazuyoshi (Libero: Wakabayashi Hikaru), Outside Hitter Hoshiumi Kōrai and Setter Tokura Liam.
Aoba Johsai's starting lineup was:
Front row—Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi, Setter Tōma Kaoru, Middle Blocker Kindaichi Yūtarō.
Back row—Middle Blocker Yūki Yōji (Libero: Nakamori Daiki), Outside Hitter Kunimi Akira and Outside Hitter Kyōtani Kentarō.
Kaedehara Taichi was starting in the front row, and their first serve would be Kyōtani Kentarō instead of him?
Although Aoba Johsai was using their new setter, Tōma Kaoru, for the first time in this opening set, Kamomedai's head coach, Aaron Murphy, focused entirely on Kaedehara Taichi's positioning.
There was no doubt that the starting formation Aoba Johsai had chosen was a common one in volleyball. Placing Kaedehara Taichi at position 4 (left front) meant they could maximise the time he spent in the front row, fully utilising his powerful attacking ability.
However, throughout the Nationals, Aoba Johsai had never done this. After all, Kaedehara's serve was just as much of a threat. Normally, they left the front row for Kyōtani Kentarō, who needed more time to warm up his engines.
Murphy had prepared Kamomedai's opening lineup with a defensive formation in mind, placing their three best receivers—libero Wakabayashi Hikaru, outside hitter Hoshiumi Kōrai, and setter Tokura Liam—in the back row precisely to deal with Kaedehara's serve.
"...They pulled one over on me," Aaron Murphy said, glancing over at the Aoba Johsai bench where Irihata Nobuteru was smiling lazily. His instincts told him they had been hiding this card specifically to disrupt their opponents' setup in the finals.
"But facing off against Taichi right from the first set isn't so bad either. It's something we would've had to face eventually," Murphy muttered as he scribbled on his tactical board. "Just a shame our plan to seize an early advantage has fallen through."
Aoba Johsai served first.
Kyōtani Kentarō locked eyes on Hoshiumi Kōrai, tossed the ball, ran up, leapt high—
And unleashed a ferocious jump serve!
BOOM!!!
The ball sliced toward Kamomedai's back row, spinning sharply.
"I've got it!"
Hoshiumi Kōrai darted to the left, lowering his centre of gravity into a crouch.
Smack!
He received the ball cleanly, sending it smoothly toward the front row.
Tokura Liam moved into position, setting the ball high toward the centre.
Thud!
A deep thudding sound echoed as Hakuba Gao soared up for the spike.
"Triple block!" Kaedehara Taichi, Tōma Kaoru, and Kindaichi Yūtarō all jumped together.
"Damn, he's tall..." Tōma Kaoru even had to tilt his head back just to see Hakuba's hitting point.
BOOM!!
The ball slipped just above Tōma's block and slammed onto Aoba Johsai's court.
Hakuba Gao scored with a super-high reach spike.
[Aoba Johsai 0 - 1 Kamomedai]
"Hmph!" Hakuba Gao snorted triumphantly at Kaedehara Taichi.
"Your technique seems to have improved a little, Hakuba-senpai," Taichi said mildly, unfazed by the provocation.
"Ah...uh, thanks," Hakuba froze, his triumphant expression stiffening.
"I'm sure you've been training quite diligently," Taichi added, his gaze clear and tone utterly sincere.
"Ahem...well, yeah, I guess," Hakuba stammered, thrown off by the genuinely sounding praise. All the taunts and provocations he had prepared before the match suddenly got stuck in his throat, leaving him awkwardly mumbling.
"What's he scheming this time..." Kunimi Akira thought, watching Taichi's back suspiciously.
Serve switched—Kamomedai's turn.
Ogawa Ryūhei launched a heavy jump serve, but Kunimi Akira received it cleanly.
Tōma Kaoru jumped into the front row to set. But before he could make any big move, he felt the piercing stares from across the net.
"Left wing!"
Kaedehara Taichi's voice cut through the tension, and only then did Tōma realise he had momentarily frozen. Quickly adjusting, he lifted his hands toward the ball—
Swoosh—!
The set was low.
He had missed the best timing, and the trajectory wasn't what he had pictured.
Thud!
Taichi jumped for the spike.
"Triple block!" Hakuba Gao, Hirugami Sachirō, and Tokura Liam rose in unison.
Such an annoying block...Taichi thought, but his hands didn't hesitate.
BOOM!!!
Hirugami Sachirō's eyes lit up, but he held back the urge to block, letting the ball fly just past him.
Not yet...
Smack!
Hoshiumi Kōrai dug the ball at the three-meter line.
Tokura Liam landed and immediately sent a high set to the left wing. Hakuba Gao rose again for another spike.
"Triple block!"
Kaedehara Taichi positioned himself directly in front of Hakuba, with Kindaichi sealing the cross.
Hakuba hesitated slightly but chose to target the gap—right above Tōma Kaoru—
and unleashed the ball.
—BOOM!!
It pierced through the slight opening in the block and raced toward Aoba Johsai's right back corner.
Smack!
The ball bounced off Kyōtani Kentarō's arm and flew out of bounds.
Hakuba Gao scored again.
[Aoba Johsai 0 - 2 Kamomedai]
—"Hakuba scores a stunning cross-court spike right through the triple block!"
—"Even though he's a 2-meter 'giant,' his hand control is so delicate!"
—"Aoba Johsai falls behind by two points—an unexpected turn at the start!"
"Sorry!" Tōma Kaoru shouted loudly. If there was any difference in this match compared to before, it was that he—having replaced Yahaba-senpai—was now the starting setter...
Tōma could still feel the Kamomedai players' sharp gazes, as if trying to pierce through his very intentions.
The Nationals aren't a stage you can just step onto easily, rookie.
Tōma's instincts weren't wrong. Kamomedai's three front-row players were locked onto him, ready to strike the moment he showed weakness.
Rather than simply waiting for Tōma to mess up, it felt more like they were using invisible pressure to force him into a mistake.
"If you're unsure what to do, just send it to me," Kaedehara Taichi said casually—no scolding, no comforting, just calmly offering the next play.
"Y-Yes!" Tōma's pounding heart gradually settled hearing that familiar voice. He looked up and realised: beyond the menacing opponents across the net, he also had teammates watching him with concern.
"Taichi-senpai, I know what to do now!" Tōma forced himself to steady his breathing.
Kaedehara Taichi just smiled faintly.
Two points behind—and it was only the start.
Nothing to panic about.
"Tweet!—"
The whistle blew for serve.
Kamomedai continued their serve rotation, and Ogawa Ryūhei launched his second jump serve.
This time the ball angled toward the libero.
Nakamori Daiki handled it easily, a perfect first touch.
Kunimi Akira started forward, about to assist. But then he caught the determined look in Tōma's eyes—
Recovered so quickly...
Kunimi halted, choosing to trust him.
"Taichi-senpai!"
Tōma swept his eyes toward Kaedehara's position and jumped to set.
As the ball kissed his fingertips, Tōma felt that familiar, reliable sensation.
He sent a clean set flying toward the intended target.
Swoosh—!
Just like in practice. Nothing to be afraid of.
Thud!
Kaedehara Taichi sprinted along the sideline and leapt high.
"Triple block!"
BOOM!!!
This time the ball blasted past Tokura Liam's block.
Hoshiumi Kōrai, who had shifted up to cover the short diagonal, couldn't retreat in time.
Bang!
The ball slammed onto Kamomedai's right sideline and ricocheted outward.
Kaedehara Taichi scored.
[Aoba Johsai 1 - 2 Kamomedai]
"Nice set," Taichi said with a bright smile. "See? It's simple."
"...This guy acts like if he gets a proper set, it's guaranteed to be a point," Hirugami Sachirō glared across the net, not hiding his irritation. "He's completely disregarding our block."
Serve switched again—Aoba Johsai's serve.
BOOM!
Kindaichi Yūtarō launched a powerful jump serve.
Smack!
Wakabayashi Hikaru managed to receive it.
Tokura Liam stepped in to set the ball, and Kamomedai initiated a three-point attack simultaneously.
Whoosh—!
The volleyball flew toward the right side.
Directly facing Hirugami Sachirō, Kaedehara Taichi immediately sprinted to his right.
"Double block!" Taichi and Tōma Kaoru leapt together.
Thud!
It was the first time Tōma Kaoru saw Hoshiumi Kōrai's spike in person. This "Little Giant," known to be on par with Taichi-senpai, was slightly shorter than himself and had jumped from the back row—yet his contact point with the ball was still a whole hand higher than their block...
Boom!!—
The ball carved a sharp arc through the air and landed squarely on Aoba Johsai's right sideline.
Hoshiumi Kōrai scored with his spike.
[Aoba Johsai 1 - 3 Kamomedai]
—"A textbook back-row attack! That was a high-difficulty over-the-hand line shot!"
—"The Little Giant! The ace! Hoshiumi Kōrai!"
"If you watched yesterday's match, you'd understand—Kamomedai isn't just a top-tier blocking team," Kunimi Akira commented with a slight frown. "Hoshiumi Kōrai, Hirugami Sachirō, Hakuba Gao—all three have top-class attacking skills..."
"Even in Seijoh, the only ones with that level of offensive firepower are Taichi and Mad Dog-senpai."
From Aoba Johsai's perspective, the reason Kamomedai had managed to beat Itachiyama 2-0 by a wide margin was that their offence was no weaker than any other team outside of Aoba Johsai.
"Almost forgot—they're the second seed that defeated the top seed," Kunimi added with a self-deprecating smile. "Way more promising than us, the third seed."
The serve rotated. Kamomedai's serve.
Hakuba Gao launched a powerful jump serve.
BOOM!!!
Smack!
Kunimi Akira barely managed to receive the ball.
Fortunately, thanks to his previous matches against Hyakuzawa Yūdai in the prefecture, he had some experience dealing with high-angled serves—but they were still extremely hard to handle.
Tōma Kaoru quickly stepped in to set. Having successfully organised one offence earlier, his movements were now much smoother.
Whoosh!—
The ball flew high toward the middle.
Thud!
One step, two steps, three steps—Kaedehara Taichi completed his approach and leapt high, his body stretching into a beautiful arc midair.
"Triple block!" Hirugami Sachirō, Tokura Liam, and Hoshiumi Kōrai all jumped to block.
BOOM!!!—
BANG!
Before Tokura Liam even landed, he heard a thunderous crash behind him—the unmistakable sound of the volleyball hitting the floor.
Yet the one even more shocked was Ogawa Ryūhei, who had been preparing for the back-row receive.
"How is it possible for someone to spike an over-the-block shot and smash it down inside the three-meter line?!!"
"This angle is just absurd…"
Kaedehara Taichi scored with his spike.
[Aoba Johsai 2 - 3 Kamomedai]
"Again?" Kaedehara Taichi said with a grin toward Hoshiumi Kōrai, completely ignoring the presence of Tokura Liam, whom he had just spiked over.
"Of course!" Hoshiumi replied earnestly.
The serve rotated. Aoba Johsai's serve.
Tōma Kaoru targeted Hakuba Gao with a jump floater.
Bang!
Although Hakuba Gao had greatly improved his spiking and serving techniques over the past six months, receiving remained his weakness.
Smack!
Hakuba received with his forearms, but the ball floated backwards.
"Cover!"
Tokura Liam dashed to the baseline and managed to set the ball back to the front row.
Hirugami Sachirō leapt up for a spike along the left sideline.
"Triple block!" Kunimi Akira, Yūki Yōji, and Kaedehara Taichi jumped up together.
With Yūki now at the net, Aoba Johsai's blocking strength was significantly higher than before.
BOOM!
Another over-the-block spike!
Smack!
The ball sailed over Kunimi's hands, struck Kyōtani Kentarō's arm, and flew out of bounds.
Hirugami Sachirō scored with his spike.
[Aoba Johsai 2 - 4 Kamomedai]
"Hehe, I can do that too," Hirugami said with a cheeky grin. "Count me in too, Taichi."
Despite having a clear path to spike down the line, he deliberately opted for an over-the-hands shot—almost as if provoking Taichi. The shot wasn't easy, but it proved Hirugami's high offensive ability.
"Whatever," Kaedehara Taichi shrugged casually, his shoulders tilting slightly back. "Another loser doesn't bother me."
Yet Hirugami wasn't fazed by Taichi's words. Even though Aoba Johsai was trailing, Taichi's tone remained arrogantly unbothered.
The serve rotated again. Kamomedai's serve.
Hirugami Sachirō stepped up to the service line.
"You're recovering a little too quickly, aren't you."
He tossed the ball up, approached, leapt, and smashed it.
BOOM!!
The ball shot straight toward Aoba Johsai's deep corner, targeting Tōma Kaoru.
No fancy tricks—just sheer speed and power!
Smack!
The ball struck Tōma Kaoru's arm, ricocheted up, slammed into his shoulder, and bounced out of bounds.
Hirugami scored directly with his serve!
[Aoba Johsai 2 - 5 Kamomedai]
"Don't panic. Just lift the ball high. Daiki will take care of it, right?" Taichi said calmly.
"Stop stealing my lines!" Nakamori Daiki grumbled, then turned to Tōma Kaoru. "Just focus on receiving—we'll handle the rest."
"Got it!" Kaoru nodded firmly.
There was no way he could handle Hirugami's serve alone. But he had the most reliable teammates by his side!
"Tch, so this brat's actually the stubborn type, huh?" Hirugami clicked his tongue.
"Tweet!—"
The whistle blew.
Hirugami launched his second serve.
—BOOM!!
This time, he immediately switched targets—the ball streaked toward the left side, aiming for Kyōtani Kentarō.
And this serve had a vicious side-spin!
Smack!
Kyōtani barely managed to get a touch, but the ball wasn't properly controlled.
"Cover!"
Kunimi Akira scrambled over and quickly set the ball to the middle for Yūki Yōji.
Thud!
Yūki leapt up for the spike.
"Triple block!" Tokura Liam, Hoshiumi Kōrai, and Bessho Kazuyoshi all jumped to intercept.
Although Yūki stood tall at 195 cm, Kamomedai's players were clearly more than familiar with dealing with tall attackers.
Boom!!!
Smack!
"One touch!" Hoshiumi Kōrai called out loudly.
"170 centimetres blocked a 195-centimetre spike! It's Hoshiumi Kōrai again!" The commentator on the sidelines shouted dramatically.
The volleyball soared high into the air, falling toward the back row of Kamomedai High.
"Chance ball!"
Ogawa Ryūhei calmly received it, the first touch perfectly on target.
Thud!
Like a bird sprouting wings, Hoshiumi leapt at the net once again.
"Double block!" Yūki Yōji and Kaedehara Taichi stood in front of him.
"I know I can't shake you off on my own, Taichi."
Hoshiumi was an extremely proud player—but he had a clear and sober understanding of himself.
Whoosh!—
Just like a toss from Koganegawa Kanji, Hoshiumi lightly scooped the ball with one hand.
The volleyball seemed to float in midair for a whole second.
Aoba Johsai's blockers began to descend.
BOOM!!
Hakuba Gao leapt from the back row and hammered the ball down.
Bam!
The ball slammed hard into the court just behind Aoba Johsai's three-meter line.
Nakamori Daiki couldn't make the save in time.
Hakuba Gao scored with a back-row attack!
[Aoba Johsai 2 - 6 Kamomedai High]
—"Hoshiumi Kōrai's feint fooled Aoba Johsai's block! The true finishing blow was Hakuba Gao's back-row attack!"
—"Kamomedai High is showing us unbelievable teamwork! Their attacks are crashing down like raging waves, scoring point after point!"
—"I bet most of the spectators didn't expect this situation at all—Kamomedai High has completely seized control of the match, pushing Aoba Johsai back without giving them any breathing room!"
"'Without any breathing room' is a bit much, don't you think?" Taichi couldn't help rolling his eyes.
"But still...Kamomedai's three-pronged attack really is impressive," he thought to himself.
If anything had caught him off guard, it was how seamlessly Kamomedai's "Big Three" worked together.
And second, Nakamori Daiki still hadn't fully adapted to defending against Kamomedai's offence.
Not that it was surprising—with all those high-angle spikes that practically ignored the block, there was little a libero alone could do.
Even Itachiyama couldn't take a single set off Kamomedai High, which went to show that even Komori Motoya had struggled against their offence.
Stretching lazily without a hint of urgency, Kaedehara Taichi widened his stance slightly more than shoulder-width apart.
Lowering his centre of gravity, he leaned forward slightly, arms hanging naturally in front of him, hands open, elbows bent outward.
His whole body maintained a perfect balance of relaxation and alertness.
Starting the match with a defence-heavy lineup seemed almost accidental for Kamomedai High, but it turned out to be a key reason they had pulled ahead.
Kaedehara Taichi shook his head lightly at Coach Irihata, signalling that there was no need to call a timeout just yet.
Just one ball.
If they could organise a clean attack, Aoba Johsai's counterattack would begin.
"Tweet!—"
Hirugami Sachirō served his third ball.
BOOM!
This time, instead of letting Tōma Kaoru keep adjusting by receiving consecutively, Hirugami targeted him again after a single-ball break.
Smack!
"Save it!"
The volleyball veered off sharply toward the right sideline.
Already anticipating it, Nakamori Daiki instantly chased after the ball.
Whap!
With a diving lunge, Nakamori Daiki popped the ball back toward the net.
Only one touch remained.
Thud!
Kaedehara Taichi leapt diagonally, the ball floating slightly away from the net.
"Triple block!" Tokura Liam, Hoshiumi, and Bessho Kazuyoshi all jumped together.
Kamomedai High's blockers didn't slack off, even though the set wasn't perfectly placed.
BOOM!!!—
"Got it!" Bessho Kazuyoshi had keenly read Kaedehara Taichi's spike form.
Sure enough, when the ball was further from the net, he had more time to react!
Bessho Kazuyoshi thrust his hands downward and forward.
BANG!
"—!?"
A tremendous force instantly blew his arms apart.
The ball shot off along the direction his arms had been knocked open and flew out of bounds.
Tap, tap, tap...
The ball landed just outside the court, and even though Ogawa Ryūhei sprinted for it, there was still a gap between him and the ball.
Off the block and out.
Kaedehara Taichi scored with his spike.
[Aoba Johsai 3 - 6 Kamomedai High]
Bessho Kazuyoshi stared at Kaedehara Taichi in disbelief.
"How is that even possible?"
In contrast, Hoshiumi and Hirugami didn't show much surprise—only grim expressions.
"The monster...just woke up."
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Comments
Flow Stax
Finally, I've been waiting for this😭
