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Chapter 398: Unforeseen Developments
🕑 Added 2025-04-24 16:48:24 +0000 UTC"The first to reach match point is Date Tech from Miyagi Prefecture!"
"Inarizaki is in a desperate situation!"
Date Tech to serve.
Fukiage Jingo's powerful jump serve—
Bang!!
The ball clipped the top of the net and dropped straight into Inarizaki's side!
"—!?"
"Damn it!" Miya Atsumu lunged forward in a low crouch, arms raised. "Don't even think—'bout underestimating me!"
"Osamu!"
Fwip!—
Boom!!
Miya Osamu spiked it—score!
[Inarizaki 24 – 24 Date Tech]
—"The serve grazed the top of the net and fell into Inarizaki's court."
—"Just when it looked like this intense final set might end on a fluke, Miya Atsumu magically set the ball!"
—"And what's more, he chose a risky quick from the right wing! Should we say—as expected of the twins?"
—"The only one able to react in time was Miya Osamu, who leapt in from the back row!"
—"In such a critical moment, Osamu faced off against Aone Takanobu's solo block and reclaimed a point with expert spiking technique!"
—"The score's tied again!!!"
Service rotation—Inarizaki to serve.
Riseki Heisuke stepped up to the line.
Since becoming one of Inarizaki's starting players, Riseki had delivered some stellar serves. But the one he remembered most vividly…was from a year ago, in their match against Aoba Johsai—a soft, lifeless ball he sent over because he was too afraid of making a mistake.
"Whether we're ahead or behind… as someone from Inarizaki, all I need to do is face today with courage."
He tossed the ball, stepped into the run-up, jumped, and swung his arm—
BOOM!
A full-power, 100% jump serve!
"I got it!"
Smack!
Sakunami Kōsuke received it.
The ball shot upward and rebounded toward Inarizaki's side.
Thud!
Koganegawa Kanji leapt forward, stretching as far upward as he could.
"Damn it!"
He was off by barely a fingertip—Koganegawa couldn't reach the ball.
Bang!
It landed just outside the right sideline on Inarizaki's court.
Riseki Heisuke had scored an ace!
[Inarizaki 25 – 24 Date Tech]
—"At this critical moment, Riseki Heisuke held firm under pressure and blasted a cannon-like serve to drag Inarizaki back into the lead!"
Inarizaki continued to serve.
"Bring it on!!!" Date Tech's spirit didn't falter in the slightest.
BOOM!
Riseki fired off a second serve.
Smack!
It hit Obara Yutaka's arm and veered out of bounds—but Koganegawa quickly shifted into position.
"Needs to be high—steady too…"
Whoosh—!
The ball was set high toward the left wing. Aone Takanobu jumped for the spike.
"A triple block!" Nojima Nobu, Miya Atsumu, and Ginjima Hitoshi all went up together.
Standing at 193 cm tall, Aone loomed over the net with a terrifying presence. His right arm tensed—then swung with a snap from the back.
Inarizaki's three blockers instinctively gritted their teeth and braced their arms.
Smack!
"…!!!"
Just as Aone's hand made contact with the ball, he suddenly withdrew some power. Accompanied by a sharp crack, the ball slipped just past the fingertips of Nojima Nobu and dropped behind the blockers.
—"In a life-or-death moment, Aone seemed to read the defenders' thoughts and placed his shot right into the front court!"
"Think, think, think!"
Atsumu's eyes darted to the back right—the ball seemed to fall in slow motion in his view, but hanging midair and already spent, he couldn't move.
Smack!
A hand suddenly slid between the floor and the ball.
"Atsumu!!!"
It was Osamu—diving in to save it with a last-second pancake!
Atsumu landed and instantly turned, lunging forward in a low crouch. As long as the ball was still alive, how to set it—there was no need to think. His body responded on its own!
Whoosh!—
The ball floated steadily to the left wing.
Inarizaki's formation was in disarray. The only offensive threat left…was Riseki Heisuke in the back row!
And a free ball?
Not an option—as long as Miya Atsumu could still organise an attack, he'd never choose that!
Thud!
Riseki leapt from the back row. If he scored this, he'd be the team's hero!
"Triple block!" Aone Takanobu, Futakuchi Kenji, and Kimura Ryōta all went up.
Under the arena lights, Date Tech's Iron Wall cast a massive shadow across the court. Riseki's vision darkened—an overwhelming sense of pressure crushed down on him. The ball hadn't even left his hands, yet its edge was already dulled by that unseen force.
"Damn it!"
He aimed for the edge of the block on the right and spiked with all his strength.
BOOM!—
The ball flew along a razor-straight line toward the right side of Date Tech's net.
—Smack!
Kimura Ryōta pressed his hands downward just in time, catching it solidly. The moment the ball struck his arms, it let out a heavy thud—
Wham!
It slammed into Inarizaki's floor.
Date Tech scored on the block!
[Inarizaki 25 – 25 Date Tech]
—"A monstrous block! Riseki Heisuke ran straight into a wall of steel!"
—"Inarizaki's hard-won offence was utterly shut down by Date Tech!"
Service switch—Date Tech to serve.
"Sorry—!" Riseki clenched his fists tightly.
"Don't worry. Just keep spiking like that." Atsumu said with a blank expression. "I'll tear that wall down for you."
—If you can't even spike a ball I set, you're trash.
For Atsumu, who once spat those words so coldly…to now console a teammate who failed to score—everyone on Inarizaki instinctively turned to glance at him.
If only Ojiro-senpai were still here, he'd probably have a perfect quip for that moment…
Kimura Ryōta tossed the ball and launched a powerful jump serve.
Its trajectory landed right between Atsumu and Osamu in the front and back rows.
"Creepy little brat! Just like that guy!"
Atsumu shifted aside—Osamu stepped forward and bumped the ball up.
"That was only to throw off Osamu's offence…Date Tech must really trust their block…"
Atsumu jumped for the set. Inarizaki still had options: Nojima on the left, Ginjima on the right, and Riseki in the back.
Boom!—
But Atsumu chose—
A second attack right at the net!
"Should've seen that coming!" Futakuchi dove left and barely kept the ball alive.
Kimura stepped in and set it to the middle—Aone spiked—
BOOM!!!
"Triple block!"
Smack!
"One touch!" Atsumu shouted.
He expected the second attack to be dug—that wasn't the point.
What he really wanted—
"A chance ball!"
Smack!
Sakurai Shōta received it. A perfect first touch.
Atsumu jumped. Osamu was now freed up—and Inarizaki launched an all-points attack!
Date Tech's players froze like their feet were stuck in concrete. Atsumu's setting form was flawless—there was no telling where the ball might go.
"We'll have to spread out—"
Boom!!—
Just as Date Tech's blockers started to move, the ball crashed onto the court floor.
No one had expected it—again—
A second second-attack from Miya Atsumu.
Points for Inarizaki.
[Inarizaki 26 – 25 Date Tech]
—"Even after his first second-attack was defended, there was always the option of a second!"
—"Miya Atsumu's fearless and precise decision-making puts Inarizaki back in the lead!"
Service switch—Inarizaki to serve.
Nojima Nobu launched a powerful jump serve. Kimura received it cleanly.
Koganegawa and Aone executed their signature hand-off quick—
The ball shot past Inarizaki's block and bounced sharply off the floor.
Aone Takanobu's spike.
Points for Date Tech.
[Inarizaki 26 – 26 Date Tech]
—"What a sharp, clean down-the-line shot—Date Tech answers with ease!"
—"It's the third day of Nationals. Everyone's exhausted. In this gruelling tug-of-war, the one thing that'll decide the winner—"
"—is willpower."
Service switch again—Date Tech to serve.
Futakuchi Kenji sent over a jump floater, aiming at newly rotated front-row player Suna Rintarō.
Bang!
Smack!
Suna furrowed his brows as he received the ball.
Atsumu quickly stepped in to cover—such a flawed first touch was nothing to him.
Whoosh!—
The ball was sent to the right wing—Suna Rintarō leapt up and faked his spike, shaking off Aone Takanobu's block, and from the back row, Miya Osamu launched into the air and spiked!
Boom!!
Even though all the players on the court should have been exhausted by now, their focus only continued to sharpen! No one wanted to slack off with an easy attack, and no one was willing to give up on defence either.
Aone Takanobu jumped again, closing in on the right side along with Koganegawa Kanji to form a double block!
Smack!
"One touch!" Aone shouted.
"Chance ball!" Futakuchi Kenji received the ball cleanly and sent a perfect first touch.
Koganegawa Kanji jumped for the set—
"Hitoshi!" Miya Atsumu suddenly called out loudly.
BOOM!!!
In the instant Ginjima Hitoshi froze, Kanji twisted and spiked the ball himself.
Against Miya Atsumu—the strongest high school setter at the moment—Koganegawa Kanji was growing at breakneck speed in this national-level tournament. This well-planned second attack showed no visible signs of being a fake.
Smack!
But right now, Inarizaki had Suna Rintarō in the front row!
"One touch!"
Suna reached up and popped the ball into the air.
Atsumu quickly moved into position and sent the ball back to the centre front—where the previously stunned Ginjima Hitoshi fired back with a heavy spike!
Boom!!!
Smack!
Sakunami Kōsuke received the ball!
"Cover it!"
Kanji rushed in and sent the ball flying high to the right wing—Aone jumped up for a spike.
It wasn't surprising to Inarizaki's players. Kanji's setting options were limited after covering the play—most of his sets in these cases were easy-to-read high balls. The front row of Inarizaki had already concentrated on the right.
"Triple block!"
Boom!!
"—!!!"
But before the ball could reach the right, it was intercepted mid-air by Kimura Ryōta, who had jumped from the back row.
A complete gamble—Kimura swung at the ball in-flight.
Smack!
Sakurai Shōta reacted quickly, but the ball still struck his arm and flew out of bounds.
Kimura scored on the spike!
[Inarizaki 26 – 27 Date Tech]
"I'm crystal clear about my role—this is when I gamble everything I've got!" Kimura's eyes gleamed with a touch of madness. "I'm the ace of Date Tech. I'm the variable in this game!"
In this final clash, hope and despair passed hands in turns.
This time, it was Date Tech who had the match point.
They continued serving—Futakuchi Kenji stepped up for his second serve.
Boom!!!
After an entire match of jump float serves, Futakuchi suddenly switched it up for a powerful jump serve on his final attempt!
"Damn it!"
Miya Osamu and Riseki Heisuke both lunged for the ball at centre court. Neither backed down even when they saw each other closing in.
Letting this ball drop would mean the end of the match!
Smack!
Osamu received the serve.
The two collided right after, but at the last moment, Heisuke twisted slightly, and their shoulders bumped without serious impact.
Atsumu never even glanced behind—his focus was entirely on the ball in the air.
Whoosh!—
The ball flew high toward the right wing—steady, precise, without an ounce of waste.
Suna Rintarō's body tensed, his spirit sharpened. He could feel the message the ball carried—If you don't score, I'll KILL you!
"What a terrifying guy!" Suna muttered as he soared to spike.
"Triple block!" Obara Yutaka, Koganegawa Kanji, and Aone Takanobu jumped together.
Facing the same wall that had shut him down before—especially Aone's intimidating presence—Suna still found Atsumu more terrifying.
Boom!!—
The ball brushed past the edge of the net and antenna and landed narrowly on Date Tech's right sideline.
Suna scored on the spike!
[Inarizaki 27 – 27 Date Tech]
Still deadlocked!
—"That ball's trajectory and landing point were both crazy!"
—"To hit a spike like that, Suna Rintarō's form was amazing—but Miya Atsumu's ability to 'place' the ball exactly at the point of attack was just as crucial!"
—"That was an absolute masterpiece of a combo!"
Service change—Inarizaki to serve.
"It's my turn to bring despair to you all." Miya Atsumu strode up to the service line.
The music in the background, which had gradually faded from the minds of the players, suddenly grew clear again.
"—!"
With Atsumu's silent command, the music came to an abrupt halt.
"Tweet!—"
He tossed the ball, ran, leapt, and struck!
BANG!
Atsumu chose a jump float serve at the last second, targeting Date Tech's front row—Aone Takanobu!
The ball reached in a blink, and not only was the trajectory wicked, but it also changed direction just before contact…
Smack!
The ball struck Aone's hand and flew out of bounds. Futakuchi couldn't reach it.
Ball down.
Atsumu scored on a service ace!
[Inarizaki 28 – 27 Date Tech]
Inarizaki had match point again!
"So scary…" Tōma Kaoru trembled in the stands. If I were on the court, I'd feel like there was a bottomless pit behind me.
Yahaba Shigeru wasn't much better. Though he was in the same grade as Atsumu, he knew full well that they weren't even in the same league as setters.
"Is Oikawa-senpai even stronger than Miya-senpai?" Tōma mumbled, struggling to imagine it.
"Hard to say. They're one win, one loss against each other," Kaedehara Taichi said with a grin.
Noticing Tōma's trembling hands, Taichi reached out and mussed his hair.
"As far as setters go, I'm not sure who's better. But as for teams—Aoba Johsai's definitely stronger."
Inarizaki continued serving—Atsumu again.
BANG!
He didn't try anything flashy and simply stuck with another jump float, once again targeting Aone.
Futakuchi rushed forward.
Smack!
But this time, Aone handled it well and popped the ball up.
"Cover!"
Kanji moved into position and set the ball—Obara Yutaka rose for the spike.
Boom!
Smack!
"One touch!" Suna shouted.
"Chance ball!" Sakurai Shōta made the receive, sending a perfect pass.
Atsumu jumped and set—the ball went to Osamu already in the air at the net.
"Block him!" Futakuchi yelled. Aone followed Osamu tightly.
Whoosh—!
But the set continued to the far left—Ginjima Hitoshi jumped and hammered the ball!
Boom!!
The ball avoided Obara's block and slammed into Date Tech's backcourt.
Smack!
Sakunami managed to get a hand on it.
The ball popped up and drifted back toward Inarizaki's side.
"Chance ball!" Sakurai was ready to receive it again.
"Not happening!"
Thud!
Kanji jumped up and blocked the returning ball this time.
Smack!
He tapped it one-handed into the air at centre court—Kimura Ryōta rose from the back.
"Dammit—!" Suna was already frustrated, forced into a solo block.
Boom!—
The ball slipped past the block and flew toward Inarizaki's backcourt.
Smack!
Riseki Heisuke dove and managed to get a hand on it, but the ball flew out of bounds.
Sakurai chased it beyond the baseline.
"It's playable!"
"I got it!!!"
A figure moved even faster than Sakurai—
Smack!
"Osamu!!!"
Atsumu, from beyond the baseline, sent the ball back high toward the right wing! Even on a save, even from distance—it was perfectly placed, pinpoint accurate.
Osamu had already jumped and didn't hesitate—he swung his arm.
BOOM!
The ball avoided Aone's block and landed hard in Date Tech's court.
Thud!
Futakuchi collapsed to the floor—looking utterly defeated.
Osamu scored the final point!
[Inarizaki 29 – 27 Date Tech]
"Tweet—!"
A long whistle echoed through the stadium—the final set had come to an end.
Victory: Inarizaki.
With that, the semifinals of the Inter-High National Tournament were now officially set:
[Aoba Johsai vs. Inarizaki]
[Itachiyama vs. Kamomedai]
"Let's go," Kaedehara Taichi stood up first.
Miya Atsumu didn't rush to celebrate—instead, his eyes had already found the group of players in pale blue and white uniforms sitting in the stands.
"Taichi, we're here."
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