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Chapter 202: Once Again! (Double-Length)
🕑 Added 2025-02-03 16:07:39 +0000 UTC"What was that?!"
"That was way too fast!!"
"What just happened?!"
"Amazing..."
The players on the sidelines who had never seen a super quick attack before were filled with confusion, while the few who managed to catch what happened marvelled at Miya Atsumu's precision and boldness in setting the ball.
Yet, standing in the middle of the court, Atsumu himself could only let out a wry smile.
So that's how it is…so this is what it feels like...
He had always thought that this quick attack was dictated by the setter's pinpoint toss, combined with perfect synergy from the attacker.
In truth, he and Osamu had already mastered this play, yet its effectiveness in matches was nothing out of the ordinary.
They could score points with it, but at best, it was just another offensive tool—one among many.
It lacked the shock factor Atsumu had felt the first time he saw Oikawa Tōru and Kaedehara Taichi execute this move.
It lacked that overwhelming, inevitable feeling of a guaranteed point.
And now, he finally understood—this attack was entirely dictated by Kaedehara Taichi.
He was the one in control!
By observing the defence, he pinpointed the slightest moment of hesitation—then, with that blistering speed, he struck when they least expected it!
Atsumu could still feel the lingering pressure from that instant—the suffocating tension, the brief flicker of panic.
Kaedehara Taichi demanded the set.
He commanded the setter.
He wasn't just an ace—he was a tyrant on the court!
Oikawa Tōru, too, still had Taichi's image burned into his mind—the way he soared into the air just moments ago.
This was different from the Shiratorizawa training camp.
Back then, neither Koganegawa Kanji nor Shirabu Kenjirō could bring out Taichi's full potential.
But now, Atsumu must have felt it.
Being Taichi's setter…was not an easy job.
And yet, deep inside, Oikawa felt something else—something unsettling.
As if that one position, the one that belonged solely to him, had been taken away.
Reality, however, had a way of reminding him—next January's Spring High National Tournament would be his and Taichi's final battle in high school.
That kid would have to learn to adjust to a new setter sooner or later.
He just didn't think it would happen this fast…
The serve rotated, and Chigaya Eikichi stepped up to the service line.
He still had no idea what had just happened.
A moment ago, he saw Komori-senpai receive the serve—then suddenly, Kaedehara Taichi had leapt into the air on his right.
The ball somehow appeared in front of him—and the next thing he knew, the point was over.
Wait a second—why did this feel so familiar?
Wasn't this the same attack used by Hinata Shōyō and Kageyama Tobio?!
He had seen it before, back during the Fukurōdani Training Camp!
So this technique could be replicated?!!
Even as a teammate, this quick attack was still terrifyingly fast…
"Eikichi, hurry up and serve!"
Kaedehara Taichi's voice called out.
Chigaya had been selected for this squad for a reason, yet ever since the match began, he had been standing there in a daze.
"O-Oh…!"
In his flustered state, he tossed the ball too low.
"Crap—"
His serve clipped the top of the net—but it barely managed to drop onto the opponent's side.
"Hah?"
Oikawa hadn't expected the ball to land on their side. Scrambling forward, he popped the ball up with a bump set.
"I got it!"
Iizuna Tsukasa's voice rang out, stopping Washio Tatsuki from making a move. Jumping from the back row, he cleanly set the ball high into the air.
And then—
A figure leapt.
Like a massive white eagle unfurling its wings.
Ushijima Wakatoshi.
"Double block!"
Atsumu and Sakusa Kiyoomi jumped up together.
BOOM!!
Ushijima's full-power back-row spike obliterated Sakusa's block.
The ball shot downward—
SMACK!
Stepping forward, Chigaya barely managed to get his arms in place.
The ball ricocheted off his forearms and flew out of bounds.
[Reserve Team 4 - 4 Youth National Team]
A left-handed spiker—but the sheer weight behind the ball was on a completely different level.
A back-row attack. A kill through the block. And when the ball reached him, he still couldn't receive it properly.
This was the difference in quality.
Chigaya hung his head and switched places with Komori Motoya. Maybe watching from the sidelines was more fitting for him…
"Broccoli Head, keep your eyes on him."
Kaedehara Taichi didn't turn around, nor did he raise his voice. This wasn't a pep talk—he was simply stating a fact.
"This is what you will look like when you get stronger."
Chigaya looked up.
He thought of his seniors back at Shinzen High, of their expectations for him.
Perhaps the first step to becoming stronger… was to refuse to give up so easily.
"Thanks, Taichi."
…Wait.
Did he just call me Broccoli Head?!
With Ushijima evening the score, Kiryū Wakatsu stepped up to serve.
Kaedehara Taichi furrowed his brows.
As much as he hated to admit it—right now, he was the weakest player in their back-row defence.
And it wasn't just Chigaya feeling the difference.
Most of the players on the court could sense the gap between themselves and these monsters.
Sakusa Kiyoomi. Hoshiumi Kōrai. Miya Atsumu. Even Komori Motoya.
By the time they were second-years, they were already nearing perfection as all-rounders.
And Kageyama Tobio—he was at this level as a first-year.
Despite all his progress, despite the training, Taichi was still a specialist—a player who had maximized his offensive power at the cost of everything else.
Kiryū tossed the ball into the air.
His control was a little shaky, so no one could tell if he was deliberately targeting Taichi or not.
BOOM!!!
A missile of a serve!
After spending so much time playing against technical players, facing this kind of raw power again caught Taichi completely off guard.
The "cannonball" completely shattered his receiving form, slamming into his arms before rebounding against his chest and flying out of bounds.
For a brief second, Taichi even felt his breath stop.
Kiryū had just scored an ace.
[Reserve Team 4 - 5 Youth National Team]
"Taichi, you okay?" Komori asked, concerned.
"I'm fine," Taichi replied, shaking his head. "Komori-senpai, do you think you could receive that?"
"Hm…maybe fifty-fifty."
After all, it was just pure power—no tricky spin, no awkward angles. It should be possible to get it up.
Taichi nodded.
This match would be gruelling—if they let the gap widen too much, coming back would be nearly impossible.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Komori-senpai."
Stepping back, he reduced his defensive zone.
"Huh?"
Komori sighed and moved closer to the centre.
So that's what he meant…
Not exactly an exciting job, but oh well.
Kiryū's second serve rocketed through the air.
BOOM!!
Another cannonball, this time to the left.
"I got it!"
Hoshiumi barely floated off the ground, meeting the ball head-on.
The moment the ball touched his arms, he instantly understood why Taichi had struggled.
But he gritted his teeth, pressed his wrists down, and absorbed the impact—
SMACK!
The ball shot high into the air.
He flipped backwards, rolling once before regaining his balance.
"Nice receive, Hoshiumi-senpai!"
Taichi shot forward.
This guy…all he ever thought about was attacking.
The ball was heading out of bounds—Kageyama Tobio stepped in to cover.
"Kageyama!"
Kaedehara Taichi had already leapt into the air.
—Whoosh!
"???"
The ball Kageyama set was just a fraction too slow, causing it to completely miss the airborne Taichi.
A mistake?!
Miya Atsumu immediately sprang up to salvage the play, striking the ball toward the opposing side.
Smack!
But Oikawa Tōru and Ushijima Wakatoshi had already anticipated it, rising simultaneously to form a solid block.
[Reserve Team 4 VS 6 Youth National Team]
"Oh, my~ Tobio-chan actually made a mistake."
Oikawa Tōru smirked as he looked across the court.
In terms of setting precision, Kageyama Tobio was undoubtedly the strongest of the four setters on the court—even though he was only a first-year.
For someone as precise as Kageyama, a mistake like that could only mean one thing—his mentality was wavering.
"Kageyama?" Taichi frowned slightly. The set had been difficult, but for Kageyama, it shouldn't have been an issue.
Kageyama's expression darkened to an extreme. He hadn't expected himself to make such a low-level mistake either.
But ever since the match began, his frustration had been slowly building up. His serves—his best weapon—were being received cleanly. He was constantly switching positions with Komori Motoya mid-play.
He was a setter, so why was he being placed in the middle blocker position?!
Just now, he had been thinking about the differences in their roles when, in that brief moment of distraction, he made an elementary mistake.
Taichi sighed. He wasn't like Hinata Shōyō—he and Kageyama weren't part of that "All Energy and No Brain" duo who could instinctively pick up on each other's changes mid-game.
That was beyond him.
But knowing Kageyama, being unable to face Oikawa head-on as a setter must be getting on his nerves. After all, back when he played as a libero and couldn't attack, he had felt the same frustration.
Still…setters were different, weren't they?
No matter where they were on the court, they could always deliver that crucial set to an attacker.
"Kageyama, hasn't Karasuno used a two-setter rotation before? Even when you're the setter, you still get involved in attacks, don't you?" Taichi asked calmly. "Why are you so fixated on your position? Look at Iizuna-senpai on the other side—he's sitting just fine no matter where he is."
As Taichi fired off four consecutive, pointed questions, the reactions from the rest of the team varied.
Hoshiumi Kōrai remained completely indifferent.
Sakusa Kiyoomi found it ridiculous that they even had to address this during a match—how immature.
Miya Atsumu narrowed his eyes in amusement.
Only Komori Motoya looked worried, ready to step in at any moment to prevent a full-blown argument.
"I got it." Kageyama lowered his head. With how he was playing, getting called out was justified.
Taichi let out a long sigh. He never knew how to handle Kageyama, but when it came to someone as obsessed with volleyball as him, hitting him with blunt honesty was probably the best approach.
As if sensing that the tension had eased, even Kiryu Wakatsu over at the service line let out a subtle breath of relief.
Kiryu quickly refocused, his gaze sharpening. He needed to stay locked in!
Boom!!!
Kiryu launched his third serve.
"I got it!" Komori Motoya stepped up to receive.
Smack!
A violent impact numbed his arms, forcing him down on one knee. But the ball still soared high into the air.
Atsumu rushed in to set. In the back row, both Hoshiumi and Taichi were in position to attack, while in the front row, Sakusa was already prepared to spike.
A multi-angle, simultaneous assault—deluxe edition!
—Whoosh!
Bang!
Sakusa drilled a sharp cross-court spike past Ushijima Wakatoshi, scoring cleanly.
[Reserve Team 5 – 6 Youth National Team]
They had finally stopped the Youth National Team's momentum, and now, it was Sakusa's turn to serve.
This was the perfect chance for the Reserve Team to take the lead!
Sakusa remained expressionless, his calm, unwavering confidence built upon years of relentless training. (He and Kita Shinsuke would probably get along quite well.)
Who would he target—Kiryu Wakatsu, Bokuto Kōtarō, or Iizuna Tsukasa?
Bang!
The ball arced toward the Youth National Team's back-right side.
Iizuna saw the serve heading his way but suddenly stepped aside, calling out—
"Bokuto! Watch the spin!"
Bokuto snapped to attention. Just as expected, the ball swerved mid-air, curving toward him.
Smack!
Bokuto tried to adjust, but the ball deflected off his hands and shot straight out of bounds.
"???"
What the hell?! This was exactly why he hated playing against Itachiyama—those slippery weasel-like serves were impossible to handle!
Fukurodani had lost to Itachiyama in the Tokyo Spring Qualifiers, after all.
Sakusa scored an ace.
[Reserve Team 6 – 6 Youth National Team]
The Youth National Team was starting to feel uneasy. Maybe the most dangerous server on the court…was actually Sakusa Kiyoomi.
Sakusa lightly tapped the ball, waiting for the whistle.
Bang!
His third serve shot straight toward the diagonal corner.
"Wakatsu!" Iizuna called out in advance.
Kiryu had never faced Sakusa's serves before, but just from that last ball, he knew they weren't easy to receive.
Kiryu took a step back, lowered his centre of gravity, and tensed his arms—he had to at least send this one high!
Smack!
The ball bounced up but veered completely out of bounds!
"Ushijima-chan!!"
Oikawa had already started retreating the moment he calculated the trajectory. There was no way this ball could be perfectly received—it needed to be saved.
And it needed to be turned into an attack.
Ushijima, hearing Oikawa's call, didn't hesitate. He pulled back, ready for an approach.
Whoosh—!
A cross-court, near-full-length set from the backcourt to the right-wing—executed with pinpoint accuracy!
Ushijima launched himself into the air, stepping inside the three-meter line before detonating his full-force spike.
Back at Shiratorizawa, this was never even a consideration. Who would have thought he'd get to unleash his power from such a distance?
"Three-man block!"
Hoshiumi, Kageyama, and Atsumu closed in, forming a solid wall.
Boom!!!
Ushijima's spike crashed into Hoshiumi's forearm.
Despite his small frame, he managed to absorb Ushijima's full-powered strike!
"One-touch!"
Thud
Hoshiumi shouted as he landed, falling onto his back with a loud sound from the impact. The ball rocketed toward the sideline.
So fast!
Taichi bolted after it, sprinting at full speed.
Fortunately, the venue was large—otherwise, the ball would've already slammed into the wall.
Jumping up, he sent the ball flying back toward the court with a single-handed save. The moment he landed, he turned and sprinted back inside.
Kageyama stepped back, ready to receive.
"Kageyama!!!"
Taichi was already airborne near the left antenna—calling for the ball.
A quick attack.
The quick attack you know best.
Set it!!!
Half a year ago, Taichi and Kageyama had attempted an ultra-fast quick attack multiple times—each time, they had failed.
Since then, they had never tried it again.
But now—
For the first time, Kageyama felt nothing but exhilaration.
This was trust from an attacker. He had to deliver.
Whoosh!—
Ultra-fast quick—back attack!
The ball arrived perfectly in front of Taichi.
"Got you!"
Washio Tatsuki leapt up to block, surprised by Taichi's speed—but a perfectly tracked set like this wasn't getting past him!
Smack!
The ball rebounded off Washio's hand.
And flew out of bounds!
Taichi landed firmly.
"I locked onto your block way before that, Washio-senpai!"
[Reserve Team 7 – 6 Youth National Team]
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