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Chapter 300: Trust the Ace (D-L)
🕑 Added 2025-03-15 16:00:17 +0000 UTC"Beep—!"
"Please take care of us!!"
Date Tech's starting lineup:
Front row—Outside hitter Futakuchi Kenji, Middle Blocker Aone Takanobu, Setter Kanji Koganegawa.
Back row—Outside Hitter Onagawa Tarō, Middle Blocker Fukiage JIngo (Libero: Sakunami Kōsuke) and Outside Hitter Obara Yutaka.
Aoba Johsai's starting lineup:
Front row—Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi, Setter Yahaba Shigeru, Middle Blocker Kindaichi Yūtarō.
Back row—Middle Blocker Honda Heisuke (Libero: Watari Shinji), Outside Hitter Kunimi Akira and Outside Hitter Kyōtani Kentarō.
The match began with Aoba Johsai's serve.
Kaedehara Taichi looked across at the Date Tech players, finally understanding the subtle sense of unease he had felt before the game.
Because Date Tech's lineup had remained unchanged, they weren't like other teams, whose new members were awed by Aoba Johsai's national championship title. Instead, they carried only the determination to avenge last year's loss in the prefectural Spring High qualifiers.
Even Shiratorizawa's new starting players had shown a subconscious reverence for the "National Champions." That slight mental relaxation alone was enough to shift the state of the game entirely.
In fact, Date Tech had spent a full six months longer refining their team cohesion than Aoba Johsai. They didn't need to adapt to new teammates or strategies—only to hone their existing weapons and throw themselves fully into this match.
"Bring it on!"
Now entering his second year, libero Sakunami Kōsuke showed no trace of hesitation as he faced Kyōtani Kentarō's serve.
"Hah, not bad."
Kyōtani tossed the ball up and launched a powerful jump serve.
Boom!
"Kōsuke!"
Smack!
Sakunami shifted laterally and received the ball head-on.
"Cover it!"
Onagawa Tarō ran to recover the ball, sending it back into play, while Obara Yutaka prepared for a back-row attack.
Smack!
"Chance ball!" Kunimi Akira called out as the first touch landed perfectly.
—What incredible pressure!
Yahaba Shigeru could feel the sharp, piercing gazes from the other side of the net. His heartbeat quickened.
"Give it to me."
Kaedehara Taichi's calm voice came from the left side. Yahaba exhaled, trying to relax.
Whoosh!—
The ball soared toward the left-wing, where Taichi had already started his approach from the back row.
BAM!
Across the net, Date Tech's front-row trio moved in unison, locking onto Taichi the moment Yahaba set the ball.
"Triple block!"
As Taichi leapt, Date Tech's iron wall instantly took shape—unyielding and unbreakable.
Bang!—
The ball skimmed the right sideline of Date Tech's court and bounced out.
A razor-thin shot over the net!
Kaedehara Taichi scored with a sharp cross-court spike!
[Aoba Johsai 1 – 0 Date Tech]
"That was incredible!" Koganegawa Kanji exclaimed, staring at the ball's landing spot.
"Forget it, we'll stop him next time!" Futakuchi Kenji shouted nonchalantly.
Kunimi Akira's expression was serious. "That's terrifying…they actually managed to match Taichi in both speed and height."
Though Taichi had scored a brilliant sharp-angle spike, judging from his current ball control, barely keeping it inbounds likely hadn't been his original intent.
Aoba Johsai continued serving.
Kyōtani sent his second serve flying.
Boom!
Smack! Obara barely managed to receive it, but the ball rebounded straight over the net and into Aoba Johsai's court.
"Chance ball—"
Before Watari Shinji could finish speaking, a large hand appeared beneath the ball.
"Damn it! His jump—"
Kindaichi Yūtarō had jumped immediately to challenge Koganegawa, yet he still fell a full palm's height short.
"Hammer it down, Kanji!" Futakuchi called out, realizing he had been locked out by Taichi. He didn't even bother attempting to contest the play.
Bang!
Koganegawa spiked downward.
Smack!
Kunimi Akira received the ball.
—It's heavy!
"Save it!" Kunimi shouted.
Yahaba moved quickly, and the sudden acceleration of the play actually helped him clear his mind and act more fluidly.
Whoosh!—
He set the ball to the right—his closest option.
—A quick set!
Kindaichi Yūtarō immediately leapt, forming a right-side quick attack in an instant!
"Double block!" Aone Takanobu and Koganegawa Kanji rose in unison to meet him.
"He didn't shake them off?!"
"They read it?!"
The chance to adjust mid-air was fleeting. Kindaichi had no choice but to spike directly into the block.
Boom!—
—Smack!
The ball slammed off Koganegawa's arms and fell back into Aoba Johsai's court.
Date Tech scored with a block!
[Aoba Johsai 1 – 1 Date Tech]
"Sorry!" Yahaba said grimly to Kindaichi.
"Ah, n-no, it's fine!" Kindaichi stammered.
"That wasn't even Yahaba-senpai's fault." Kunimi said flatly. "The fact that they instantly put up a double block against such a sudden quick attack just means the other side is too strong."
"Thanks for the compliment~" Futakuchi grinned at him over the net. What a shame—he had hoped this would shake the setter's confidence a bit.
"Why is Futakuchi-senpai so smug?" Taichi asked in a neutral tone. "You weren't even in that block, were you?"
Futakuchi: "…"
This guy is even sharper-tongued than Oikawa-senpai. I need to shut him up with actions!
Date Tech took over the serve.
Futakuchi tossed the ball up.
Boom!
A powerful jump serve with a slight curve!
"I got it!"
Watari barely received it, and Yahaba quickly set the ball to the left wing.
"When in doubt, just give it to Taichi!" Oikawa's voice echoed in Yahaba's mind from their phone call. "He'll find a way to tear through their defence."
Trust in Aoba Johsai's ace!
BAM!
Kaedehara Taichi soared on the left side.
"Triple block!" Aone, Koganegawa, and Obara lined up to form a solid wall.
Tall, fast—
The "Golden Iron Wall" with Koganegawa at its core.
Aone sealed off the straight shot completely, but Taichi twisted his wrist at the last second and launched another sharp cross-court spike!
—Bang!—
"Amazing. He's completely unfazed by the previous attack. His angle is even sharper than before."
From the back row, Futakuchi Kenji stared intently at the ball.
Sakunami Kōsuke rushed in from the right-side three-meter line and received the ball with an underhand pass.
Smack!
The ball bounced off his arms and flew out of bounds.
Kaedehara Taichi had scored again.
[Aoba Johsai 2 – 1 Date Tech]
"Kōsuke, how was it?" Futakuchi Kenji asked.
"No problem. The power is about the same as Aone-senpai and Kanji." Sakunami Kōsuke nodded. Next time, I'll definitely receive it properly!
Futakuchi Kenji gave him a thumbs-up, and Kōsuke smiled awkwardly.
"Taichi?" Yahaba Shigeru cast a concerned glance at Kaedehara Taichi. The opponent was clearly focusing most of their defensive efforts on him.
"Don't worry. They're just putting on a show." Kaedehara Taichi smiled nonchalantly. "Talk to me when they actually manage to stop me."
Aoba Johsai reclaimed the serve. Kindaichi Yūtarō stepped up.
Boom!
Kindaichi's powerful jump serve was received cleanly by Onagawa Tarō.
"I got it!" Futakuchi Kenji called loudly.
Date Tech launched a simultaneous three-man attack at the net.
"They're so tall—!"
Honda Heisuke and Yahaba Shigeru spread out to the left and right, but whether it was Aone Takanobu or Obara Yutaka, both were towering over them.
Whoosh!—
The ball was set toward the left wing. The moment Kaedehara Taichi recognized the set, he shifted to the left.
"Double block!"
Honda Heisuke and Kaedehara Taichi jumped to block Aone Takanobu's spike.
Boom!
A high-velocity spike over the block!
The ball sailed over Honda Heisuke's hands and slammed onto Aoba Johsai's court.
[Aoba Johsai 2 – 2 Date Tech]
Effortlessly, Date Tech had tied the score again.
"W-What do we do now?" Mizoguchi Sadayuki finally recognized Aoba Johsai's biggest weakness—aside from their setter—blocking!
With Oikawa Tōru and Matsukawa Issei gone, Aoba Johsai's front-row blocking struggled to counter multi-player attacks.
In previous matches, since opponents primarily relied on one or two attackers, Aoba Johsai could use Kaedehara Taichi's and Kindaichi Yūtarō's quick defensive reactions to cover the gaps.
But Date Tech's attack just now—it was almost as if they were expecting Taichi to defend against all three attackers alone.
Impossible.
No matter how strong Kaedehara Taichi was, he couldn't do that.
Coach Irihata remained silent. Date Tech, like Kamomedai, was a blocking-heavy team. Many would assume that as a national semifinalist, Kamomedai was far superior to Date Tech.
But in Irihata Nobuteru's eyes, the only clear advantage Kamomedai had was in offence.
As for blocking, although Kamomedai's Hakuba Gao and Hirugami Sachirō gave them a higher ceiling, Date Tech had the better overall system.
With every rotation featuring at least two players over 185cm and half their rotations forming a three-man (185cm+) wall, Date Tech's blocking was suffocating.
With Aoba Johsai's blocking height decreasing—and even their overall attack power weakened—
This match might be even tougher than the one against Kamomedai.
The serve switched. Date Tech's turn.
BOOM!!!
Aone Takanobu's jump serve exploded off his palm, rocketing across the court like a cannonball.
"Out!"
Watari Shinji made the call instantly.
Aone Takanobu's serve went out. Aoba Johsai scored.
[Aoba Johsai 3 – 2 Date Tech]
Kunimi Akira eyed the faint ball mark beyond the baseline with lingering tension. So this time, we're the ones dealing with the "heavy artillery" serves.
Aone Takanobu pressed his lips together and silently bowed to his teammates.
"It's fine, don't worry about it!" Obara Yutaka waved it off.
"Aone, next time, get us a point!" Futakuchi Kenji encouraged.
"Yeah!" Aone Takanobu nodded firmly.
-----
The match remained fiercely contested. The score swung back and forth, making the audience's emotions rise and fall with every play.
Yahaba Shigeru stepped up to serve.
"They look evenly matched…"
"Yeah, but energy-wise, it feels like Date Tech has the upper hand…"
For some reason, even though this was the toughest match Aoba Johsai had faced in this tournament so far, Yahaba Shigeru felt oddly calm.
Back when Oikawa Tōru was still on the team, Yahaba had often imagined stepping onto the court during critical moments and saving the team from disaster. But as Aoba Johsai's opponents grew stronger and Oikawa's departure loomed closer, he had started to fear the arrival of that day.
Aoba Johsai was the national champion. Could his skills measure up to a champion setter?
Would the audience notice the difference? Would his teammates feel the gap?
—Of course, they would.
After all, the person who understood that gap best was Yahaba Shigeru himself.
"Even if I bring out my best, I still won't surpass Oikawa-senpai. So what right do I have to hesitate and hold back?"
At that moment, Yahaba thought of Sannan High's setter. "At the very least, I have to give it my all!"
"Full attack!" Yahaba shouted. "Take the next point!"
The Aoba Johsai players turned toward the service line. It was probably the first time they had heard Yahaba raise his voice like that in a match.
"Tch. About time." Kyōtani Kentarō scoffed.
"Yes!" The team responded with determination.
Yahaba tossed the ball into the air.
Bang!
His serve targeted Futakuchi Kenji in the back row.
Smack!
Futakuchi Kenji's receive was perfect. Kanji Koganegawa jumped in the front row.
"Damn—" Kunimi Akira could only jump with him. If this was a setter dump, Kanji could just spike it straight down.
Smack!
Kanji Koganegawa only tipped the ball upward in place. Obara Yutaka charged in for a delayed attack.
They forced this into a time-difference attack.
But—
"Double block!"
Honda Heisuke and Kaedehara Taichi rushed in from the right, leaping to challenge Obara Yutaka.
"Kyōtani! Move up!" Yahaba shouted, betting that the ball wouldn't be spiked toward Taichi's side.
Boom!
Just as expected, the ball sailed over Honda Heisuke's block, heading toward the three-meter line on the left.
Smack!
Kyōtani Kentarō dug the ball up. Yahaba swiftly moved into position.
If his technique wasn't refined enough, then he'd just have to react sooner!
Reading an opponent's attack pattern—this was the one thing he had honed while sitting on the bench.
Whoosh—!
The set flew perfectly toward the right wing.
Date Tech's front row reacted immediately. Their primary focus had always been on Aoba Johsai's right-wing attack.
Kaedehara Taichi began his approach from the back. The set wasn't any different from before.
The same stability.
The same absence of misdirection.
But this time, the intent was crystal clear—
"No need to run. I believe in you, Ace!"
BAM!
Kaedehara Taichi soared.
"Triple block!!!"
Kanji Koganegawa, Obara Yutaka, and Fukiage Jingo jumped together.
"Not just anyone can stand in my way."
Kaedehara Taichi's muscles tensed, his back arching as his right arm swung down in a powerful arc.
BOOM!!!
Fukiage Jingo's hands were blasted apart. The ball slammed deep into Date Tech's court.
Kaedehara Taichi had scored again.
[Aoba Johsai 4 – 2 Date Tech]
"Defeating Aoba Johsai won't be that easy…"
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