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Chapter 210: Far Ahead
🕑 Added 2025-02-06 16:00:17 +0000 UTCWashijō Tanji nodded in satisfaction, his gaze filled with appreciation as he looked at Kunimi Akira and Tsukishima Kei.
"Coach Washijō, your eye for talent is as sharp as ever," Saitō Akira remarked, offering a small but well-timed compliment.
But this wasn't just flattery—Saitō Akira truly meant it.
As an experienced veteran coach, Washijō's judgment extended far beyond simple metrics like height and strength.
His forty years of coaching had honed his keen insight and deep understanding of volleyball.
During this training camp, the players he had the highest expectations for weren't Hyakuzawa Yūdai or Kanji Koganegawa, as others might have assumed. Instead, his focus was on Shiratorizawa's Goshiki Tsutomu and Aoba Johsai's Kunimi Akira.
However, in his eyes, both had their own minor flaws.
Goshiki Tsutomu was energetic but slightly arrogant, and aside from Ushijima Wakatoshi, there were few players he truly admired enough to humble himself and learn from.
Yet, after Shiratorizawa suffered back-to-back defeats at the hands of Aoba Johsai, his attention finally shifted toward his peers—especially Kaedehara Taichi and the other rising players.
The graduation of the third-years had also deeply affected Goshiki.
Now that he had truly taken over Shiratorizawa's mantle from Ushijima, he had begun to mature, showing glimpses of what a true ace should be.
Kunimi Akira's issue, on the other hand, was his laziness.
Despite his solid foundation and well-balanced skill set, he often played with a lack of energy, almost wasting his natural talent. However, something—perhaps Irihata Nobuteru's influence—had clearly shifted his mindset.
Outwardly, he still seemed the same, but there was now a quiet resilience deep within him.
Among the first-years, Kunimi's reception and setting abilities stood out the most. His spiking was also respectable, and he had even developed a jump float serve—clear evidence that he had started planning his role on the court.
This made Washijō regard him even more highly.
As for Tsukishima Kei, his previous attitude had been similar to Kunimi's.
But at this year's Spring High tournament, he had suddenly displayed a sharp instinct for blocking. He was intelligent and understood how to maximize his strengths. If he could further develop his offensive game, he would become a textbook example of an excellent middle blocker.
Washijō Tanji always had high expectations for promising young players.
[Shiratorizawa 8 – 8 Training Camp Team]
Though there was still a gap in skill between the two teams, the match was no longer as one-sided as the first set had been.
Shiratorizawa's turn to serve—Semi Eita stepped up to the service line.
Bang!
Semi's jump float serve targeted Kanji Koganegawa directly.
As a setter, Koganegawa's weakest point was his reception—he was the perfect target.
"I got it!"
Goshiki Tsutomu stepped in front of Koganegawa, prioritizing the reception over his own attacking opportunity.
Smack!
The ball rebounded off Goshiki's outstretched arms, veering slightly to the side. Koganegawa immediately followed up.
"Set it high!" Tsukishima reminded.
The ball was set high—at this altitude, the training camp team had the absolute advantage.
Hyakuzawa Yūdai charged in from the back row.
Boom!
A powerful spike from above rained down, nearly impossible to defend. The ball deflected off Ōhira Reon's hands and flew out of bounds.
[Shiratorizawa 8 – 9 Training Camp Team]
"Being 2 meters tall is a weapon in itself!" someone from the sidelines couldn't help but exclaim.
Serve rotation—Hyakuzawa Yūdai stepped up to serve.
Even without any extra technique, his sheer height alone made his serve resemble a cannonball.
Yamagata Hayato struggled to handle the first touch.
If Hyakuzawa improved his technique, he would become truly terrifying.
Semi Eita set the ball high to the right side.
Without a doubt, there was no better candidate than Ushijima Wakatoshi to take the attack.
"Double block!" Goshiki and Tsukishima leapt up in front of him.
Shiratorizawa's past and future aces faced off across the net.
Ushijima's lips curled into a slight smile. Against this underclassman who had repeatedly challenged him over the past year, he swung with full force.
BANG!!!
Goshiki's hands were blown apart—he was sent sprawling onto the ground.
The ball struck the floor before he could react.
[Shiratorizawa 9 – 9 Training Camp Team]
Goshiki looked up at the ace he had always admired.
"Did you see that? That's what it means to be Shiratorizawa's ace."
Ushijima said nothing, but Goshiki could hear the unspoken message loud and clear.
Quickly, he got up, meeting Ushijima's gaze head-on without flinching.
"Again!"
Ushijima nodded, expressionless. That was exactly how it should be.
Shiratorizawa's serve—Matsudaira Kiyomasa took the service line.
As an outside hitter, his serve was disappointingly ordinary.
The third-year middle schooler felt a hint of shame—he still had so much to learn…
Bang!
A straightforward overhead serve.
Hinata Shōyō received it perfectly.
Koganegawa jumped, stealing a glance at the opposing side.
"Matsu-kun!" Semi Eita shouted.
Instead of setting, Koganegawa went for a second-touch attack.
Smack!
Matsudaira Kiyomasa barely reacted in time, miraculously digging the ball up.
Even a setter with an honest, straightforward look would go for a setter dump? The world of high school volleyball was truly…
Semi chased after the ball, setting it up for Ushijima in the middle.
"Triple block!" Koganegawa, Goshiki, and Tsukishima all jumped together.
A slightly off-set, poorly timed set—against a perfectly positioned triple block.
They had to stop this one!
BOOM!!
Ushijima Wakatoshi evaded the block and spiked a sharp cross-court shot!
His technique was just as refined as ever!
Pah!
A completely unexpected figure appeared right in its path.
At that moment, time seemed to slow.
Hinata Shōyō received the ball!
His body wavered slightly upon impact, but he quickly stabilized, transitioning seamlessly into an approach from the back row.
Boom!
Hinata soared from the back row.
"Set it to me!"
Nagatsumu Mukuto and Ōhira Reon's eyes were drawn to the airborne figure.
Kunimi Akira sent the ball up.
Bang!
Tsukishima Kei calmly jumped and slammed the ball down.
The ball struck Shiratorizawa's court.
[Shiratorizawa 9 - 10 Training Camp Team]
Hinata Shōyō: "Huh?"
Nagatsumu Mukuto: "Huh?"
"Heh, who knew a libero could serve as a decoy?" Tsukishima scoffed. "Idiot, what were you jumping to the front for?"
In an instant, the decoy and the two who had fallen for it flushed red with embarrassment.
Even Koganegawa Kanji stood there, mouth agape.
He marvelled at how Kunimi and Tsukishima had remained so composed—if it had been him, he probably would have instinctively set the ball to Hinata.
Despite his harsh words, Tsukishima was deeply shocked.
Most of the others were too preoccupied with what happened next to realize just how incredible it was that Hinata had perfectly received Ushijima's spike.
-----
BOOM!!
With Ushijima Wakatoshi's final spike, the match came to an end.
[Shiratorizawa 25 - 19 Training Camp Team]
Hinata's reception had seemed like a fleeting miracle. In the subsequent rallies, the training camp team was still unable to contain Ushijima.
Of course, that was to be expected.
Over the past three years, the only team that had ever successfully accomplished that was Aoba Johsai.
"Tweet—!"
The long whistle echoed through the gym. The match was over.
-----
Although the first-years had lost, each of them had gained something valuable. Now, they lay on the floor, catching their breath while reflecting on their progress.
"I wonder how Taichi's doing now..." Kindaichi Yūtarō mused. Ever since he heard that Ushijima had returned from the Japan Youth Team training camp, the question had been lingering in his mind.
"I wonder about Kageyama too..." Hinata suddenly voiced his own thoughts.
"But no matter how good they are, in a place filled with monsters like the Youth National Team, they've probably been put through the wringer!" Tsukishima chuckled.
"They're doing well."
A voice, unexpected yet steady, cut through the air.
It was Ushijima Wakatoshi.
"Ah! Ushiwaka-senpai!" The first-years immediately sat upright.
Unfazed by their reaction, Ushijima continued in his usual matter-of-fact tone. "I played a practice match against them while I was there. They've gotten very strong."
"The Youth National Team's practice match!"
"Who won? What was the score?!" Hinata asked hurriedly.
"A best-of-three match. The third-years won, two to one," Ushijima replied calmly.
Having said what he needed to, Ushijima turned and left with Tendō Satori, leaving the first-years frozen in shock.
"Two to one...So that means Taichi and Kageyama won a set against them?" Kindaichi asked, still processing the information.
"Ushiwaka-senpai said the third-years won...I remember Oikawa-senpai was there too," Kunimi reminded them.
"Does that mean Taichi and Kageyama are already on par with Ushiwaka-senpai and Grand King-senpai?" Hinata's thoughts drifted far beyond the gym.
"And here we are, feeling smug about what we've gained after a crushing loss..." Goshiki Tsutomu clenched his fists, frustration surging through him.
The players once hailed as Miyagi Prefecture's most talented generation suddenly realized that two figures had already taken the lead.
And they remained far, far ahead.
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