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Chapter 403: The Double Setters (Double-Length)
🕑 Added 2025-04-26 16:00:20 +0000 UTCThere was a title that the players of Inarizaki hated—The Strongest Challenger.
The reason they had earned this nickname was simple: not once had they ever managed to win a championship.
In the 2011 Interhigh, Inarizaki lost to Itachiyama in the semifinals and finished third. Itachiyama went on to claim the title.
In the 2012 Spring High, Inarizaki once again fell to Itachiyama in the semifinals, finishing third once more, with Itachiyama taking the crown.
In the 2012 Interhigh, Inarizaki made it to the finals—only to lose to Itachiyama yet again, finishing as runners-up.
In the 2012 Spring High, Inarizaki was knocked out by Aoba Johsai in the second round, ending up in the top sixteen, while Aoba Johsai captured the championship.
And now, in the 2013 Interhigh, Inarizaki once again faced off against Aoba Johsai in the semifinals.
The first set—on the verge of collapse.
Every time, Inarizaki had lost only to the team that was the strongest at that time.
People praised them highly—but for the players of Inarizaki, it was hardly something to be happy about.
Because they were not the strongest themselves.
They had never given up, always challenging the strongest.
But now, they no longer knew—from where, or in what way—they could defeat the formidable enemy before them.
Kyōtani Kentarō served the fourth ball.
BOOM!!
The ball once again flew toward Miya Atsumu.
Smack!
Atsumu received the ball cleanly.
No matter what, Inarizaki would not stop moving forward!
Atsumu quickly repositioned himself and set the ball to the left wing.
Riseki Heisuke leapt up and spiked.
Boom!!!
Smack!
The ball barely evaded Kindaichi Yūtarō's block, flying toward the back row of Aoba Johsai.
Smack!
"Cover!" Kyōtani Kentarō called out as he picked up the ball.
Kunimi Akira managed to save it back into play, and Kaedehara Taichi leapt on the right side to spike.
"The set's too short!"
"Good chance!"
"Triple block!" Miya Atsumu, Riseki Heisuke, and Nojima Nobu all jumped to form a solid wall.
Aoba Johsai held five set points.
If there was anyone left who still believed Inarizaki could turn the first set around, it would only be the six players still fighting on the court!
Kaedehara Taichi's figure crouched beneath the triple block—he had almost no room to swing.
Atsumu locked his eyes onto Taichi, already predicting what would happen next.
The only option left was a soft tip. But their back row would easily pick it up—then Atsumu could organise the next offence.
Bang!
Smack!
"—!?"
In midair, Kaedehara Taichi twisted his body, deliberately spiking into Riseki Heisuke's block.
A rebound!
From Taichi's angle, even if he had aimed at Atsumu or Nojima, they would have easily pressed the ball down.
But Riseki Heisuke—he picked the perfect target!
The ball ricocheted high above Aoba Johsai's side.
"Chance ball!" Nakamori Daiki called as he cleanly received it, setting it perfectly.
Yahaba Shigeru jumped to set, and Kaedehara Taichi once again leapt up on the right.
"One more time!"
"Triple block!"
Boom!!!
On the left wing of Aoba Johsai, Kindaichi Yūtarō spiked against an open net, scoring without obstruction.
[Aoba Johsai 25 – 19 Inarizaki]
Inarizaki's heart wavered.
Had it not been the very last point, they never would have been so easily baited by Kaedehara Taichi.
"Beeep—!"
The first set ended.
Winner: Aoba Johsai.
The announcer's voice rang out across the venue:
"Aoba Johsai takes the first set! Their incredible teamwork shines brightly once again, and their ace, Kaedehara Taichi, remains unstoppable!"
"Although Inarizaki lost this set, it's clear they're in peak condition today as well! Over a gruelling forty-minute match, they launched a relentless, highly varied offence against Aoba Johsai, making almost no unforced errors."
"Both teams showcased the fruits of their hard training—truly worthy contenders for this year's national championship title!"
"We can all look forward to the matches ahead. Will Inarizaki be able to adjust their strategy and mount a comeback…?"
-----
The short break between sets ended.
Both teams switched sides, and the second set began.
Inarizaki's formation:
Front row—Middle Blocker Nojima Nobu, Outside Hitter Miya Osamu, Outside Hitter Riseki Heisuke.
Back row—Outside Hitter Ginjima Hitoshi, Setter Miya Atsumu and middle blocker Suna Rentarō (Libero: Sakurai Shōta).
Aoba Johsai's formation:
Front row—Outside Hitter Kyōtani Kentarō, Outside Hitter Kunimi Akira, Middle Blocker Yūki Yōji.
Back row—Middle Blocker Kindaichi Yūtarō (Libero: Nakamori Daiki), Setter Yahaba Shigeru and Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi.
"Is Atsumu positioned there? To deal with Taichi's serve?"
"Inarizaki actually starting in a defensive lineup—that's pretty rare."
Aoba Johsai served first. Kaedehara Taichi stepped onto the service line.
"Let's give it a shot."
He tossed the ball high, took a running start, jumped, and slammed it.
BOOM!!!—
The ball spun viciously to the side, flying between Atsumu and Sakurai Shōta.
"I got it!"
Atsumu moved quickly, stepping into the ball's path.
However, the ball curved sharply to the right midair, veering toward Sakurai's side.
Smack!
Atsumu barely managed to slap the ball with one hand—it flew out of bounds.
"Shōta! Save it!!"
Sakurai Shōta dove after it, somehow saving the ball just before it hit the floor.
"What a save!"
Commentator Aoi shouted excitedly.
"'What a save' my ass..."
Atsumu gritted his teeth, spiking the ball angrily back toward Aoba Johsai's side.
"They didn't think we could even pick it up!"
"Chance ball!" Yahaba easily received it, passing it cleanly.
Kunimi Akira jumped at the net to set.
Kyōtani Kentarō and Yūki Yōji both approached from opposite wings to attack.
"No need to mark me so closely..."
Kunimi glanced at Osamu across the net.
"I'm just a harmless little setter, you know?"
Whoosh—!
The ball flew to the left wing.
Kyōtani Kentarō leapt and spiked.
Osamu anticipated the ball from the moment it left Kunimi's hands and shifted left.
Inarizaki's front row barely managed to form a double block.
BOOM!!!
The ball sailed high over Inarizaki's right side.
"Dodge it!"
Atsumu yelled.
It was clear Riseki couldn't handle that spike—he had to step up to receive.
Smack!
The ball hovered over the net. Riseki quickly adjusted and spiked.
Boom!!!
Smack!
"First touch!" Yūki Yōji called loudly.
The fact that he hadn't stuffed the ball outright left him a bit frustrated.
Yahaba easily received it again, setting up perfectly.
Kunimi once again leapt to set.
Inarizaki's blocking strategy remained the same—but this time, Kunimi sent the ball to the right wing.
Kaedehara Taichi rose from the back row for a spike.
"Double block!" Osamu and Riseki jumped together.
BOOM!!!—
The ball ricocheted off their arms and smashed through the gap between their hands, hurtling toward Inarizaki's court.
Smack!
Sakurai Shōta dove and saved the ball.
Atsumu quickly repositioned and set the ball to the left wing.
Nojima Nobu jumped and spiked.
"Double block!"
Kyōtani and Kunimi jumped to block.
Boom!—
A wipe-off shot.
The ball soared over Kyōtani's outstretched hands and crashed into Aoba Johsai's side.
Nojima Nobu scored!
[Aoba Johsai 0 - 1 Inarizaki]
"Beautiful! They snatched the serve back right from Kaedehara Taichi!" Ōmimi Ren shouted happily.
"Aoba Johsai's serves are terrifying..." Akagi Michinari couldn't help but shudder at the memories.
"That's why we have to respond carefully, one play at a time. We must stand firm against every attack from Aoba Johsai!" Kita Shinsuke said seriously.
The serve rotated. Inarizaki served.
Nojima Nobu unleashed a powerful jump serve, but Nakamori Daiki received it easily, passing it perfectly.
Yahaba Shigeru set the ball to the left wing.
Kyōtani Kentarō spiked and scored.
[Aoba Johsai 1 - 1 Inarizaki]
Yūki launched a powerful jump serve, but Ginjima Hitoshi received the ball steadily.
Miya Atsumu quickly moved to cover and set the ball. In front of Inarizaki's net, Miya Osamu, Riseki Heisuke, and Suna Rintarō all launched a simultaneous attack.
With Inarizaki's current lineup, all three front-row attackers had the ability to score independently.
Bang!!—
Suna Rintarō avoided Kunimi Akira's block and spiked the ball straight down the sideline past Yūki Yōji's left side.
Suna Rintarō scored with a spike.
[Aoba Johsai 1 - 2 Inarizaki]
Inarizaki's serve.
Miya Osamu executed a powerful jump serve timed perfectly. Kaedehara Taichi received the ball steadily.
Yahaba Shigeru covered and set the ball.
Aoba Johsai launched a simultaneous triple attack from the front row.
Kyōtani Kentarō spiked a straight shot from the right side, but Miya Atsumu dug it up.
Miya Osamu rushed to cover and sent a quick set to the middle. Suna Rintarō avoided the block and went for a spike.
Bang!!
Smack!
Nakamori Daiki received the ball successfully. Kaedehara Taichi jumped up from the back row, feinting a spike but instead setting the ball, drawing Inarizaki's blockers forward.
On the left wing, Kindaichi Yūtarō faced an empty net, hammering down the ball for a point.
[Aoba Johsai 2 - 2 Inarizaki]
Aoba Johsai's serve.
Kunimi Akira targeted Suna Rintarō with a jump serve.
Boom!!—
"I got it!" Miya Atsumu called out energetically as he ran to receive the ball.
Miya Osamu quickly covered and set it to the left side. Suna Rintarō jumped up for the spike.
"Three-man block!" Yahaba Shigeru, Kindaichi Yūtarō, and Kyōtani Kentarō all leapt together.
Bang!!—
Smack!
The volleyball struck Yahaba Shigeru's arm and flew out of bounds.
Off the block—out.
Suna Rintarō scored with a spike.
[Aoba Johsai 2 - 3 Inarizaki]
Inarizaki's serve.
-----
—"Since the start of the second set, the two teams have been locked in a tight battle..."
—"Both sides are incredibly focused, and the score keeps climbing with rapid exchanges of offence and defence—"
"Futakuchi-senpai, why does it feel like Aoba Johsai's attacks are getting dug up more often?" Koganegawa Kanji asked in confusion.
Inarizaki's offensive strategy hadn't changed much, yet their defence had successfully halted Aoba Johsai's momentum several times.
But this was Inarizaki—they weren't the kind of team to prioritise defence.
"Kimura, what do you think?" Futakuchi Kenji didn't immediately answer Kanji, instead turning to Kimura Ryōta for his opinion.
BOOM!!!—
Smack!
Kaedehara Taichi's sharp cross-court spike was mishandled by Miya Atsumu, but Sakurai Shōta made a diving save, bringing the ball back into play from outside the sideline…
Kimura Ryōta silently observed Inarizaki's unfamiliar court positioning, thinking deeply. After a moment, he pointed at one player—Miya Atsumu.
"It's his playing style that's changed!"
"Mhm," Futakuchi Kenji nodded in satisfaction. "But he alone wouldn't be enough to create this kind of shift."
Koganegawa Kanji looked even more puzzled: "Futakuchi-senpai, can you explain it so I can actually understand?"
Seeing Kanji's confused face, Futakuchi sighed. Oh well, as long as the team had one brain...
"Look carefully at Miya Atsumu's positioning. In the first set, as a setter, he usually didn't take serve receives—after all, they need him to organise the offence."
"But as a result, Inarizaki lost the first set."
"Inarizaki is a team that wins through an endless barrage of attacks, but their offence isn't as strong as Aoba Johsai's."
"To put it simply, they couldn't stop Taichi. When their offence faltered even slightly, the score gap widened rapidly—just like at the end of the first set."
"If they couldn't score, it didn't matter if their setter was Miya Atsumu or Koganegawa Kanji," Futakuchi said, thinking he'd come up with a clever metaphor.
Koganegawa Kanji: "???"
"But...I'm not even an Inarizaki player," Kanji bravely voiced his confusion.
Futakuchi Kenji: "….."
"My point is, if they can't score, who the setter is doesn't matter to Inarizaki!" Futakuchi patiently rephrased.
"Oohhh~" Kanji finally understood.
"So in the second set, Miya Atsumu's positioning is much deeper in the back. He's actively receiving serve after serve...meaning balls that Aoba Johsai would normally score on are now being successfully dug up by Inarizaki because Atsumu's involved."
"But then...what about their setter?"
"Exactly. They have another."
"Inarizaki didn't just turn Miya Atsumu into a 'libero'—this is a dual-setter system."
"Miya Atsumu and Miya Osamu—one focuses on receiving, and the other automatically takes over the setting duties."
"The acts of receiving and setting don't happen simultaneously, so it's almost like they added an extra man to their receiving formation."
Koganegawa Kanji: "???"
Somehow, he got confused all over again.
Futakuchi didn't bother explaining further. For someone like Kanji, it was easier to understand just by watching the match. Besides, this kind of strategy wasn't something most teams could even pull off.
After all, Miya Atsumu could perform top-level receives and spikes, while Miya Osamu could organise the offence seamlessly. More importantly, Inarizaki's entire team didn't seem thrown off by the arrangement—their movements stayed coordinated and smooth.
This kind of fluid strategy was only possible because they had two "all-rounder" players like them.
-----
BOOM!
Miya Atsumu scored with a left-side spike!
[Aoba Johsai 8 - 8 Inarizaki]
At that moment, Miya Atsumu felt a sudden sense of relief—thank goodness they weren't facing Aoba Johsai on the third day of the tournament. He and Osamu wouldn't have been able to maintain this level of energy across two full matches.
Side-out, Inarizaki's serve.
Miya Atsumu stepped up to the service line, tossed the ball high, sprinted forward, jumped, and struck.
BOOM!!!
Smack!
The volleyball smashed into Kyōtani Kentarō's arm and flew out of bounds.
"Maybe it's because we're up against Aoba Johsai, but today...I'm feeling super good!" Miya Atsumu scored a direct service ace.
[Aoba Johsai 8 - 9 Inarizaki]
Miya Atsumu sent out his second serve.
BOOM!!!—
Smack!
Almost the exact same trajectory, only even more powerful.
The ball hit Kyōtani Kentarō's arm again and shot out—but this time—
Smack!
Nakamori Daiki saved it back into the air over Aoba Johsai's court!
Only one touch left!
Kaedehara Taichi sprinted from the front row to the back, leaping into the air and spinning mid-air to unleash a spike.
BOOM!!!
"He's actually going for it?!"
The ball traced a perfect arc through the air toward Inarizaki's baseline.
"Dammit! That's insane!"
Smack!
Miya Atsumu dove and saved the ball, sending it high into Inarizaki's court.
Miya Osamu covered and set the ball. Only Ginjima Hitoshi and Nojima Nobu remained up front to attack.
Nojima was tightly marked by Aoba Johsai's tall middle blocker, so in front of Ginjima Hitoshi, only Kunimi Akira stood guarding.
Swoosh—!
The ball was set to the left side. Ginjima Hitoshi jumped up for the spike.
Boom!!—
The ball avoided the block—
—Smack!
But a pair of hands suddenly appeared at the net.
Bang!
The ball was stuffed back into Inarizaki's court at lightning speed.
Kaedehara Taichi scored with a block.
[Aoba Johsai 9 - 9 Inarizaki]
"Don't even think about sneaking one past me~" Kaedehara Taichi said meaningfully.
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