Kiryū Wakatsu.

In his second year of junior high, he led his school team to their first-ever breakthrough into the second round of the National Junior High Tournament.

"Thanks to Kiryū's powerful spikes!"

"Their defence players were practically scared out of their pants, haha…"

"Kiryū Wakatsu is the number one ace in Japan!"

Faced with his teammates' unabashed praise, Kiryū bashfully smiled. "Let's sweep through the tournament and take the championship!"

However, in the third round of that year's National Junior High Tournament, Kiryū encountered Shiratorizawa's ace, Ushijima Wakatoshi.

Both players were their team's pillars, relentlessly marked by opposing defences.

But even when facing what felt like a bottomless chasm, Ushijima maintained his composure and secured every crucial point.

Kiryū lost that match.

"Kiryū, we're sorry…"

"It's our fault…"

"We relied on you too much…"

After the game, his teammates were consumed with guilt. Too many poorly set balls had been passed to Kiryū, expecting him to handle them.

But Kiryū's anguish ran deeper—why were they apologizing to him?!

As the ace, wasn't it his duty to score under such circumstances?

He broke down in tears. "Please…from now on, just give me the ball! I'll hit it no matter what kind of ball it is. I will score!"

"So don't apologize to me like that!"

------

"Only Kiryū could have secured that point," commentator Aoi remarked sincerely, reflecting on the earlier play. "Even with an imperfect set, he used sheer power to force the score."

"Of course, I wouldn't recommend others to try that," commentator Ōtomo joked.

"Kiryū's explosive jumps rely on more than just upper body strength," Aoi continued. "His lower-body training must be remarkable—his power spikes are a testament to that."

On Mujinazaka's side, the atmosphere grew tense—not just because Kiryū's brutal spike had tied the score, but because:

"Kyōtani, you didn't even jump to block that, did you?" Hanamaki Takahiro asked grimly. Moments earlier, Kiryū's spike had sailed over Kyōtani Kentarō's head and landed squarely in Aoba Johsai's court.

Kyōtani hesitated. After all, wasn't it pointless to jump if he couldn't block it anyway?

Oikawa sighed quietly. More than the risk of losing, it was Kyōtani's struggle to accept defeat in his speciality was what concerned him the most.

First Ushijima Wakatoshi. Now Kiryū Wakatsu.

Seeing Kyōtani's silence, Oikawa gestured to Coach Irihata for a timeout.

"Tweet!" Aoba Johsai called for a timeout.@@novelbin@@

Mujinazaka's momentum was surging; they couldn't afford to let the score widen at this critical moment.

"What's wrong, Oikawa?" Coach Irihata asked. While he had a clear view of the game's dynamics, the players' psychological states were harder to gauge.

"Let's sub in Matsukawa," Oikawa suggested. "In this set, we need to find a way to contain Kiryū."

The pre-game strategy of relying on Kyōtani and Taichi's offensive firepower was no longer viable. If Kyōtani was shaken, then the rest of the team needed to show him that Kiryū wasn't invincible.

Coach Irihata nodded, trusting Oikawa's judgment.

"If a spike like that hits your hands, it feels like they'll break," Kaedehara Taichi quipped lightly. "Mad Dog-senpai, you're not scared~, are you?"

"Ha?!"

Kyōtani glared at Taichi. He wasn't scared; he just didn't see the point of trying the impossible...

But as he tilted his head back, recalling the two recent plays, he wondered—was he actually scared?

"Don't worry. Aoba Johsai still needs your offence on the court," Matsukawa Issei reassured him with a pat on the shoulder.

"Tweet!" The timeout ended, and the game resumed.

Aoba Johsai substitution—Matsukawa Issei IN, Kyōtani Kentarō OUT

.

"Oh? Aoba Johsai has swapped #2 Matsukawa Issei for #16 Kyōtani Kentarō."

"Kyōtani Kentarō made a strong impression in earlier matches with his cross-court spikes, his unusual flexibility enabling him to pull off some truly unexpected shots."

"Switching out a key offensive player now—is Aoba Johsai aiming to strengthen their defence against Kiryū?"

"With Matsukawa at 188 cm and Kindaichi at 189 cm, Aoba Johsai essentially has their own twin towers on the court! Let's see how the third-year performs..."

-----

Mujinazaka served. Unnan Keisuke delivered a clean serve, but Oikawa's receive sent the ball straight to the net.

Taichi was already in the air.

"A centre attack?! Oikawa's receiving skills are impeccable! But Mujinazaka's blockers are just as sharp!"

"Double block!" Naoharu Ezota and Mami Nozomu loomed in front of Kaedehara.

Whoosh!

But Taichi suddenly set the ball to the right, where Matsukawa was already mid-air, ready for the spike.

Phew. That was close—almost missed it. Matsukawa silently exhaled in relief.

Oikawa's eyes narrowed. This strange playstyle… was it starting again? The pass had been crude, but even he hadn't anticipated it.

"Tweet! Held ball violation!"

Point to Mujinazaka.

[Aoba Johsai 4 – 5 Mujinazaka]

"Sorry," Taichi muttered sheepishly, realizing he'd been trying to be flashy.

"Pfft, Taichi, your passing is terrible~" Oikawa teased without mercy.

"Smack!" Iwaizumi Hajime whacked Oikawa on the head. "Don't worry about it—it was a good attempt. Let's take the next one!"

Rubbing his head, Oikawa smirked. "Taichi won't mind—he's shameless anyway."

Meanwhile, Mujinazaka's wing spiker, Naoharu Ezota felt relieved.

His gaze fixed on Taichi, noting this was the first time he'd attempted such a move.

Trying something new in a high-pressure game? Who does that?

------

The score reached [Aoba Johsai 14 – 17 Mujinazaka].

Mujinazaka served again, this time with a powerful jump serve from Naoharu Ezota.

Aoba Johsai's libero, Watari Shinji, received it perfectly, sending the ball directly to the centre of the net. Oikawa seized the opportunity, setting it for Hanamaki Takahiro on the right wing.

"Blocked again! Aoba Johsai can't escape Mujinazaka's twin towers!"

The ball ricocheted off Mujinazaka's blockers and back into Aoba Johsai's court. Oikawa quickly scrambled to save it, sending the ball toward Watari, who stepped up as a backup setter.

Watari's set went to Iwaizumi on the left, but the angle wasn't optimal. Iwaizumi tipped the ball into Mujinazaka's backcourt to extend the rally.

Mujinazaka's libero, Haruma Bishin, dove to save it. Mami lifted the ball high for their middle blocker, Nozomu Mami, to attack.

"One touch!" Taichi and Hanamaki timed their block perfectly, deflecting the spike. Matsukawa sprinted out of bounds to keep the rally alive, sending the ball back into play.

From the backcourt, Oikawa executed a surprising spike, aiming directly at Mujinazaka's defence.

"Chance ball!" Haruma shouted, sending the ball perfectly back to the setter.

Mami set it high for the left wing. Step one, two, three—Kiryū surged forward, smashing the ball with unparalleled force.

"Triple block!" Iwaizumi, Kaedehara, and Hanamaki formed a solid wall.

But the ball grazed Iwaizumi's fingertips and plunged into Aoba Johsai's court.

Smack!

"Alright!!!"

Watari received the spike, though the force knocked him flat onto the ground.

"Nice one, Watari!" Oikawa back-set the ball to Taichi, who was already airborne.

Bam!

Kaedehara Taichi spiked it down for a clean point!

[Aoba Johsai 15 – 17 Mujinazaka]

"Incredible coordination! Kaedehara and Oikawa's quick attack finally breaks through the defence for a score!"

"And Aoba Johsai's #7, Watari Shinji, made a crucial dig to keep the rally alive! That was a terrifying spike to face…" commentator Ōtomo marvelled.

------

"Right after that, Kiryū Wakatsu delivered another hammering spike that seemed to silence his opponents!"

"Mujinazaka refuses to let Aoba Johsai catch up!"

"Wakatsu! Wakatsu! Well done!"

"Wakatsu! Wakatsu! Attack harder!"

[Aoba Johsai 15 – 18 Mujinazaka]

"The situation is dire for Aoba Johsai as Kiryū's serve rotation comes into play once again."

With unwavering focus, Kiryū Wakatsu stepped up to the service line. Holding the ball at waist level, he took his first step, tossing the ball into the air.

As it floated ahead of his right shoulder, he continued into his approach, his eyes locked onto the ball.

On his third step, his right foot planted firmly while his left foot followed, springing him powerfully upward.

His body arched like a bow in mid-air, his core driving the momentum, his arm swinging forward with precision. At the exact moment of impact, his hand wrapped around the ball, snapping his wrist to impart spin.

Boom!

The ball shot through the air like a cannonball, crossing the net before crashing into Aoba Johsai's court with devastating speed.

"A no-touch ace!!!"

"Kiryū Wakatsu!!!"

The crowd erupted in waves of cheers.

"Wakatsu! Wakatsu! Well done!"

"Wakatsu! Wakatsu! Attack harder!"

"That serve was aimed directly at Oikawa Toru," the commentator remarked. "It was like a statement—an outright challenge."

Adjusting his breathing, Kiryū Wakatsu reflected on his journey.

Since his defeat to Ushijima Wakatoshi, he had let go of the opinions of others and the need to compare himself with anyone. He cast aside all distractions and dedicated himself entirely to volleyball.

"With this version of me, I won't lose to anyone!"

Kiryū launched his second serve.

Oikawa bent his knees to receive it, but the sheer force sent the ball spinning wildly out of bounds.

[Aoba Johsai 15 – 19 Mujinazaka]

"Another hammering ace!!!"

"The gap widens to four points in the blink of an eye!"

"Kiryū-senpai's serves are incredible today!" Mujinazaka's setter, Usuri Michiru, turned back to compliment him.

Kiryū gave a sheepish smile and scratched the back of his head, the intensity of his aura momentarily dissipating.

"Tweet!"

Aoba Johsai called their second timeout.

Coach Irihata frowned. "Oikawa's shouldering the burden of the entire team's offence, along with service duties and the responsibility of scoring points. Ordinary receptions are manageable, but against Kiryū's increasingly aggressive serves…if he keeps being targeted, I'm worried…"

Don't break under the pressure, Oikawa!

"I'm fine," Oikawa stated calmly.

The team could sense he wasn't faking confidence or bluffing. His composure was real, and his determination was unshaken.

"Ushiwaka and Tobio," Oikawa suddenly mentioned, naming the two players who had haunted him the most. "They're the only ones I've ever truly feared."

Then, unexpectedly, he grinned. "But now, I'm not even afraid of them. With you all beside me, I won't lose to anyone!"

For a moment, his teammates were stunned. Then, smiles broke out all around.

"Bakakawa," Iwaizumi Hajime said, slapping him hard on the back.

"Baka-shushō," Hanamaki Takahiro and Matsukawa Issei chimed in, giving him light shoves from either side.

"Baka-senpai~," Taichi added from the sidelines, grinning mischievously.

"Let's take this first set!" Aoba Johsai's players returned to the court with renewed energy.

The timeout over, Kiryū's third serve soared into action.

"Out!"

Taichi couldn't suppress a laugh. It seemed that timeouts were still the best weapon against servers.

Aoba Johsai earned a lucky point.

[Aoba Johsai 16 – 19 Mujinazaka]

The match turned into a fierce tug-of-war, with Aoba Johsai clinging desperately to the scoreline. However, their efforts weren't enough to shift the tide entirely.

------

[Aoba Johsai 21 – 24 Mujinazaka]

Mujinazaka now held a three-point lead with them being at set point, leaving Aoba Johsai with no room for error.

Mujinazaka's outside hitter, Hondo Subaru, served a relatively harmless ball. Iwaizumi received it perfectly, directing it straight to Oikawa.

Oikawa set up a quick attack, sending the ball to Hanamaki on the left. His spike was barely received by Usuri, who fumbled the ball back into Aoba Johsai's court.

Iwaizumi rescued it, delivering a flawless first touch. Oikawa then backset to Matsukawa on the right. Their senior-year chemistry shone through as Matsukawa spiked it fiercely.

Mujinazaka's libero, Haruma, dove and managed to keep the ball alive, but it sailed out of bounds. Usuri chased it down and set it back into play.

"Wakatsu-senpai!"

Despite the rough set, Kiryū adjusted his approach, taking two steps before leaping powerfully.

"Three-man block!" Hanamaki, Matsukawa, and Kindaichi rose to meet him.

Thwack!

The ball smashed into Matsukawa's hands and ricocheted back into Mujinazaka's court.

[Aoba Johsai 22 – 24 Mujinazaka]

"They stopped him!!! Finally, at a critical moment in the first set, Aoba Johsai's block halts Kiryū Wakatsu's attack!"

Aoba Johsai's Kindaichi Yūtarō stepped up to serve. His ball grazed the net cord, narrowly falling into Mujinazaka's side.

"Damn!"

The unexpected trajectory caught Mujinazaka off guard, and the ball dropped onto their court.

A lucky break for Aoba Johsai!

[Aoba Johsai 23 – 24 Mujinazaka]

Kindaichi served again, this time a safe and easy ball. Mujinazaka's libero, Haruma Bishin, received it flawlessly, passing it to their setter, Usuri.

Usuri sent the ball to the right, targeting their ace—Kiryū Wakatsu.

"Wakatsu-senpai!"

With a perfect set, the ball hovered high above the net.

One step, two steps, three steps—Kiryū executed his approach flawlessly, launching himself into the air.

"Three-man block!" Kaedehara, Hanamaki, and Matsukawa stood in his way.

Boom!

Unstoppable. Kiryū hammered the ball past their outstretched hands and into the court.

[Aoba Johsai 23 – 25 Mujinazaka]

Set 1 Winner: Mujinazaka.

_________

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