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Chapter 192: The Last Ace
🕑 Added 2025-01-30 16:07:20 +0000 UTCChigaya Eikichi was startled by the figure that had just soared past him.
What the hell?
Who in their right mind would think of spiking from that height?!
Hoshiumi Kourai's eyes gleamed as he locked onto Kaedehara Taichi. No wonder he managed to defeat Ushijima-senpai...But if it was just a matter of jumping that high, then—
I can do it too.
"Heh...That guy's jump is even higher now, huh…" Miya Atsumu squinted slightly. A few months ago, during the National Tournament, the only team that truly gave Inarizaki trouble—aside from their eventual loss to Itachiyama—was Seijoh.
Right now, Atsumu might be hailed as Japan's top high school setter, but there was still something that weighed on his mind—
Back then, his serve couldn't surpass Oikawa Tooru's.
And when it came to pure setting ability, their battle had ended in a draw.
It wasn't him who was better than Oikawa Tooru.
It was Inarizaki that was stronger than Aoba Johsai.
Atsumu's obsession with proving himself against other setters made him yearn for another match against Oikawa Tooru—even more than he wanted to set for Kaedehara Taichi.
"Oi, Atsumu-senpai! What're you spacing out for?" Taichi called from the back. "Let's have another one!"
"Yeah, yeah…" Atsumu took a few steps back. This time, six.
Taichi immediately understood. So he's deliberately proving that his serve isn't dependent on his approach…
This group…Not a single one of them knows how to back down.
It was absolutely thrilling.
Taichi's lips curled into a grin.
Boom!
Atsumu launched his second serve—a jump float, completely opposite to his usual preference for power serves!
The ball wobbled unnervingly as it dipped over the net.
But what made it truly lethal was its landing spot—it wasn't within libero Komori Motoya's range, but instead, it dropped precisely between Sakusa Kiyoomi in the front row and Kageyama Tobio in the back row!
Kageyama had already read the ball's trajectory and was about to step forward to receive it.
But before he could react—
Sakusa Kiyoomi took a single step back, tilted his body ever so slightly, and with both hands, gently set the ball upward—
A perfect back-set!
"What a beautiful touch!"
Kageyama was impressed despite himself.
He immediately dashed forward, positioning himself perfectly beneath the ball.
Sakusa's first touch had been slightly off-centre, but for Kageyama, that margin of error was meaningless.
—Whoosh!
With mechanical precision, Kageyama set the ball toward the left-wing spiker, Matsumoto Dai.
"Oh! That was a perfect set!" Atsumu's eyes flashed with interest.
Matsumoto Dai sprinted forward and jumped—
Team A's front-row blockers reacted instantly.
"Double block!" Taichi and Katayama Akira leaped simultaneously.
Faced with the looming wall of hands, Matsumoto chose to angle his spike away from the block.
Boom!
A sharp diagonal shot streaked toward Team A's backcourt.
Smack!
Hoshiumi Kourai appeared just in time, effortlessly receiving the ball.
"Whoa! That was a libero-level receive!" Taichi's eyes widened. Everyone here is insane!
Atsumu jumped to set. With an attacking lineup this stacked, it was easy for a setter to get carried away.
"Atsumu!"
The moment Hoshiumi completed his pass, he immediately sprinted into his approach—his form perfectly stable.
"Here it comes!" Atsumu licked his lips, barely containing his excitement. Watching Taichi spike was one thing, but—
Hoshiumi's attacks had a completely different kind of thrill!
"Alright then—enjoy!"
Atsumu's set soared toward the right wing at lightning speed.
Hoshiumi took off from the back row—one step, two steps, three steps—stopping precisely at the three-meter line before—
Boom!!
He exploded into the air!
Chigaya Eikichi: "!!!"
A bead of cold sweat rolled down his forehead. Again?!
Hoshiumi Kourai, standing at just 169.2 cm, had jumped even higher than Taichi!
"Triple block!" Matsumoto Dai, Sakusa Kiyoomi, and Mochida Riei all jumped at once.
Boom!
A super high-angle spike!
The ball slammed down at an impossible trajectory, landing directly on the baseline of Team B's court.
Not just the height—his ball control was equally monstrous!
Point—Hoshiumi Kourai!
[Team A 2 – 0 Team B]
[Hoshiumi Kourai—Outside Hitter: Overall Rating: 93.5; Height: 169.2 cm, Strength: 85, Jump: 99, Stamina: 95, Speed: 90; Key Attributes: Serve 95, Set 90, Receive 96, Spike 99.]
though he had already braced himself—this was still ridiculous.
A maxed-out jump stat. Near-perfect speed. And technical ability on par with the best in the nation.
Hoshiumi Kourai…
He was worthy of the title Little Giant.
"Whew~ That was high!" Komori Motoya let out an impressed whistle.
Even at 180 cm, Komori had given up on being an outside hitter. Yet somehow, Hoshiumi—who barely reached 170 cm—was out here challenging triple blocks.
During the National Tournament a few months ago, Itachiyama faced Kamomedai in the quarterfinals.
No matter how many times he saw it, this shouldn't be possible.
Enjoying the shocked stares of those around him, Hoshiumi turned to glance at the two first-years from Miyagi.
They weren't surprised at all.
They were just…
Burning with fighting spirit.
"Hmph, first-years these days…"
Hoshiumi Kourai decided that after the match, he'd have to properly educate those two from Miyagi—like a true upperclassman.
Miya Atsumu stepped up to serve again.
Against Inarizaki's former rivals, the fact that his team was scoring consecutive points felt like a small act of vengeance—like collecting some overdue interest.
Boom!
Another eerie jump float serve.
"Motoya!"
Sakusa Kiyoomi called out to the backline. They couldn't just let Team A dominate like this.
"Got it!"
Komori Motoya grinned as he stepped forward. He had wanted to observe a few more plays, but it seemed like now was the time to step in.
Despite being taller than the average libero, Komori's movements remained remarkably quick.
Smack!
He received Atsumu's serve cleanly—every single one of them!
"Cover!"
Although he had managed to pass the ball, the unpredictable movement of the float serve had caused a slight positional shift.
Kageyama Tobio immediately stepped in to adjust.
Having played against Kageyama before, Kaedehara Taichi had already locked onto his movements.
At the same time, Kageyama caught Taichi in his peripheral vision.
I need to avoid the block!
With a swift motion, Kageyama sent the ball toward the right-wing hitter in midair.
Perfect precision.
But—
There was no Hinata Shoyo on Team B.
Tap, tap, tap…
The volleyball fell untouched onto the court.
A setting error.
[Team A 3 – 0 Team B]
"Sorry, I acted out of habit," Kageyama admitted, his tone sincere.
"Don't worry about it. It's just the beginning~" Komori Motoya reassured him with a casual wave.
"Heh~"
Atsumu flashed a sly grin at Kageyama.
That kind of set...You really think it's just a given that someone will be there to hit it, huh?
Maybe, just maybe, Kageyama was even more insufferable than Oikawa Tōru.
Even Sakusa Kiyoomi frowned slightly, and on the opposing side, even Hoshiumi Kourai was feeling somewhat annoyed.
"Interesting," Coach Fuki Hibarida chuckled from the sidelines. He hadn't expected the ones stirring up everyone's fighting spirit to be two first-years from Miyagi.
———
"Just give me the ball. No unnecessary movements," Sakusa said coldly.
Kageyama: "....."
Sakusa took Kageyama's silence as agreement and turned away.
"I'll set the way I think is best," Kageyama stated calmly. Not a trace of hesitation.
The air seemed to freeze.
The entire court grew tense.
"Alright, alright, take it easy. The other side is about to serve," Komori laughed, trying to diffuse the atmosphere. "Sakusa, don't bully the first-years~"
"I'm not bullying him. I'm teaching him how to win," Sakusa replied flatly.
…
Atsumu, of course, had no intention of waiting for them to settle their differences. The moment the referee's whistle blew, he launched another serve.
Boom!
This time, it was a powerful jump serve!
It left no time to think.
Komori barely managed to dig it out, but compared to float serves, he actually preferred dealing with sheer power.
Slap!
The ball shot into the air.
Kageyama took a quick step forward, positioning himself beneath it.
"Right-wing," Sakusa called for the set, still composed.
Whoosh!
The ball sailed precisely toward him.
Despite his irritation, Sakusa had to admit—Kageyama's setting was flawless.
"Three-man block!"
Kaedehara Taichi, Katayama Akira, and Chigaya Eikichi jumped simultaneously.
Sakusa locked onto Taichi's arms. With a flick of his wrist, he swung his right arm forward—his palm tilting at an unnatural angle just before contact.
Boom!
The ball struck Taichi's forearm.
It wasn't heavy.
That was Taichi's first impression.
After facing countless power spikes, the relative lack of force actually felt unsettling.
Then, he noticed—
The spin.
The ball had barely traveled a short distance, yet it was already rotating violently.
Slap!
It shot diagonally out of bounds on Team A's side.
This was...
One of the Top Three Aces of Japan.
Kaedehara Taichi's lips curled into a grin.
Sakusa Kiyoomi...The reputation is well-earned.
Sakusa scores!
[Team A 3 – 1 Team B]
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