"Commendable courage...but that's all it is—just courage." A cold indifference glinted in Taichi's eyes.

Alexander lowered his head in a daze, looking at the volleyball that had landed to the side, then at Kaedehara Taichi standing opposite him, a whole head shorter.

Lost again.

Every time he had tried to face Taichi head-on, without exception, he had gained nothing.

"Alex!" Zaytsev shouted loudly from the sideline. Now wasn't the time to sink into despair—if he did, the match would be over in a blink.

"I know." Alexander raised his head. "It's fine. I've already made up my mind."

San Juan continued serving.

Conte stepped up for his second serve!

BOOM!!!

To stop Conte from targeting Kageyama Tobio with his serve, Alexander and Boro dropped back to the rear, shielding Kageyama.

Smack!

Alexander received it, the pass half-perfect.

This left only Ryan as a true offensive threat in Trentino's front row.

"Incredible…he still managed to restrict Kageyama's options," Hirugami Fukurō muttered.

Whoosh!—

The ball flew high to the right wing—Ryan leapt for the spike!

"Double block!" Loser and Taichi both jumped up.

So high!

"No…wait." Hirugami's eyes widened. "Kageyama is still controlling the offence!"

—BOOM!!!

Ryan hit a high-reaching wipe-off shot!

The ball soared over the block; even as the only middle blocker left up front, he still posed a threat no different from an ace!

Smack!!

Bruno managed to touch it, but the ball veered out of bounds.

Oikawa chased toward the sideline, but there was a figure even faster than him!

Kaedehara Taichi had hit the floor and shot forward instantly, arriving under the ball the next moment!

"Left wing!"

Whooosh—!

"What?! No way!" Under the stunned gazes of everyone, the ball cut across the entire court, flying precisely to the left wing.

Conte came soaring in from the back row!

Trentino's front row blockers focused intently.

"Triple block!" Alexander, Boro, and Ryan all rose up.

BOOM!!!

The ball ricocheted off Alexander's arm and flew out of bounds.

"I got it!"

Fabio dove forward and miraculously kept it alive.

Kageyama followed right behind, slowing down the tempo and tossing the ball high to the left wing.

Alexander spread out, took his approach, and leapt.

Thud!

San Juan's blockers realised and reacted—Taichi and Loser jumped together in front of him.

Tap!

Just as Conte dropped back to prepare for a dig—

The ball was tipped softly behind the double block.

Santiago dived forward, but failed to reach it.

Thud!

The ball hit the ground. Alexander scored!

[San Juan 20 - 21 Trentino]

"Damn it!" Santiago pounded the floor in frustration.

"He's surprisingly composed…" Oikawa pulled his teammate up. "Seems it won't be easy to completely break him."

Serve rotation. Trentino's serve. Zaytsev moved up to the front row.

"Tweet!—"

Ryan served a powerful jump serve!

Conte received it, the pass only half-ideal.

Oikawa calmly set the ball high to the right wing. Taichi took off for the spike!

"Double block!" Zaytsev and Alexander both jumped.

The block was intimidating, but—

—BOOM!!!

The ball soared over the double block and hammered straight into Ryan's arm in the back row, bouncing out of bounds.

Kaedehara Taichi scored with a high wipe-off shot!

[San Juan 21 - 21 Trentino]

"Easily tied again."

Serve rotation. San Juan's serve.

Oikawa tossed the ball, approached, leapt, and struck!

BOOOM!!!

Yuri was blasted backwards; the reception wasn't ideal.

Kageyama quickly repositioned, setting the ball high to the left wing—Zaytsev leapt for the spike!

BOOM!!!—

Taichi and Loser both jumped to block.

—SMACK!

The ball hit Kaedehara Taichi's arm and dropped.

Kageyama rushed to cover, and Fabio scooped it up, sending it to the middle.

Alexander soared up for a spike!

BOOM!!!—

—SMACK!!

The ball was blocked again!

Yuri dove and saved it. Kageyama immediately repositioned and set up another attack—Zaytsev launched again on the left!

Whoosh!—

The ball flew cross-court to the right.

Boro jumped for the spike!

Loser and Taichi had been baited left, leaving only Bruno for a solo block.

BOOM!!!—

The ball slammed down near San Juan's right sideline, bouncing high.

A razor-thin line shot.

Boro scored!

[San Juan 21 - 22 Trentino]

"Fantastic!"

"Beautiful set, Kageyama!"

Kageyama was smiling—genuinely smiling. He only felt this strange, thrilling sensation when facing Taichi and Oikawa.

This wasn't an illusion.

His heart was pounding wildly. He could almost predict his teammates' positions—their habitual spacing and movement from countless trainings and matches were all mapped out in his mind!

What would they do next? What should he do next? A powerful, almost electric sensation guided his entire body.

This sensation led his sets, and his sets drove the team's offence.

Leading the players with the ball!

Kageyama's precision as a setter was being pushed to its limit!

"Yes…this feels incredible!" Kageyama murmured.

Serve rotation. Trentino's serve.

Boro targeted Taichi with a float serve.

The ball wobbled over the net and dropped sharply to the front.

Taichi's expression was blank. He jumped and calmly lifted the ball high to the left wing.

Loser soared for the spike!

—BOOM!!!

Zaytsev and Alexander's double block was just a beat late.

The ball shot past them, hammering into Trentino's court.

Loser scored!

[San Juan 22 - 22 Trentino]

"So flashy." Taichi didn't even look fazed as he shifted positions.

Boro: "…" Ignoring a jump float is one thing, but to immediately organise a fast offence right off the first touch...

"Don't mind it! Next ball!" Kageyama shouted. For some reason, he felt he wouldn't lose.

Serve rotation. San Juan's serve.

Loser unleashed a powerful jump serve!

Fabio received it steadily, perfect pass.

Kageyama jumped in front row to set—Bruno stood facing him.

WHOOSH!—

In the next instant, the ball was already "frozen" in front of Zaytsev.

That was way too fast!!!

Zaytsev hesitated for a split second. On the other side of the net, only Taichi had followed him.

But at that moment, Zaytsev felt he could hit to any angle he wanted!

BOOM!!!

The ball flew past Taichi's left side, bouncing up at Loser's feet.

Zaytsev scored!

[San Juan 22 - 23 Trentino]

"Kageyama…"

Kaedehara Taichi didn't even look at Zaytsev, who had scored right in front of him. His eyes were fixed on Kageyama Tobio.

Oikawa's expression grew tense. He could sense it—Kageyama's sets had gotten even faster—deadlier, on top of already being fast. This slight increase was a fatal threat to San Juan's block.

Serve rotation. Trentino's serve.

Alexander tossed the ball high, approached, leapt, and struck!

—BOOM!!!—

The ball flew over the net with a very low arc and heavy topspin.

Oikawa bent his knees, lowered his centre of gravity, and lunged forward to meet it.

But the ball dropped even more sharply than he imagined.

Smack!!

The ball struck Oikawa's wrist and flew off at an angle.

"Cover!"

Bruno barely managed to pop the ball up with a one-handed hook. Taichi leapt for the spike!

"Double block!" Yuri and Zaytsev both rose to block.

No space to swing!

BOOOM!!!

The moment they realised Taichi had chosen to force his attack, both Yuri and Zaytsev tensed and braced their arms.

SMACK!!!

"What kind of monster?!"

Yuri's face froze. The ball brutally deflected off his arms and fell into Trentino's court.

Smack!

Fabio dove forward and managed to keep it alive.

"Cover—!"

"No problem." Kageyama Tobio darted in to cover, jumping to set.

This is…!

The instant Alexander saw the look in Kageyama's eyes, he understood exactly what he intended.

Thud!

Alexander leapt from the back row for a spike!

Ramos went up for a solo block, while Taichi covered from the left side.

BOOM!!!—

The ball avoided the block, hammering precisely onto San Juan's right sideline.

A razor-sharp line shot!

Alexander scored!

[San Juan 22 - 24 Trentino]

"Tobio…" Miya Atsumu murmured, "So this is you fully awakened…"

"Yet another quick attack orchestrated by Kageyama! Who knows how he manages to get the ball to the hitter so fast and so precisely?!" the commentator shouted with all his might.

Trentino was the first to reach 24 points—two set points in hand!

"Beep! San Juan calls for a timeout."

Coach Jose Blanco called the last timeout of this set. As a former setter himself, he fully understood just how terrifying Kageyama Tobio's current state was.

At this moment, San Juan had no way to stop Trentino's offence!

"If we pull Taichi back to receive, the front-row offence against Zaytsev will hardly be a threat; but if we don't, it'll be like before—Oikawa gets pinned, the reception breaks down, and the attack can't even start." Coach Jose tapped the tactics board in frustration.

Alexander's serve combined with Kageyama's state—together, it was almost unsolvable.

"Just give me high balls." Taichi suddenly spoke. "You guys find a way to keep the ball up. Leave the rest to me."

The players looked toward Coach Jose. This meant Kaedehara Taichi had made the decision himself.

"Can you do it?" Coach Jose, instead of answering directly, turned to ask the players.

"No problem." Conte answered without hesitation.

"Me neither." Santiago nodded firmly.

"I'll try my best—" Bruno saw everyone's eyes on him and sighed, "Urgh, I know! I'll handle the reception properly!"

Oikawa looked at Taichi, "I'll make sure to get the ball to you."

"Of course." Taichi replied offhandedly. "I've always counted on that."

-----

Timeout over. The match resumed.

Trentino continued serving.

Alexander tossed the ball up and sent his second serve!

BOOM!!!

The ball flew between Oikawa and Bruno.

Oikawa's eyes stayed locked on the ball's trajectory, ready to pounce at any moment.

"I got it!" Bruno shouted loudly. "Leave setting to the setter—this is my job!"

Smack!!!

Just as the ball dipped sharply, Bruno dove forward, bent his elbow, and launched the ball high.

The reception wasn't ideal—neither in height nor in placement.

But it gave Oikawa just enough time to handle the set.

Whoosh!—

The ball soared high toward the left wing. Taichi leapt to spike!

"Double block!" Yuri and Zaytsev both rose to meet him.

BOOM!!!

The ball flew past the two blockers, heading toward Trentino's right side.

"I've got it!"

Alexander lunged forward. He had deliberately left a gap around the three-meter line to bait Taichi's spike. As the ball approached, his breath grew steady and heavy, arms rising rapidly.

Smack!!!

"——?!"

At this moment…a left-handed spin…!

The ball ricocheted off Alexander's arm and flew out of bounds!

Kaedehara Taichi scored!

[San Juan 23 - 24 Trentino]

"You missed your chance again~" Taichi said lightly, almost teasingly.

Serve rotation. San Juan's serve.

Kaedehara Taichi walked to the service line.

Gulp—

Trentino fans swallowed hard. The memory of his serving performance in the second set was still vivid, and now they were only one point ahead…

Too dangerous!

They had match point, yet felt pure fear!

"Tweet!—" The service whistle blew.

Taichi tossed the ball high, approached, leapt, and struck!

—BOOOM!!!

"I see it!"

Alexander quickly stepped up to meet the ball. He could catch every subtle spin and movement—

He saw the topspin clearly.

THUD!

The ball plunged sharply in front of Alexander, landing at his feet.

"This is…my serve…" Alexander froze in disbelief. "Exactly the same."

Kaedehara Taichi scored an ace!

[San Juan 24 - 24 Trentino]

"So close!" the commentator sighed. "The ball almost grazed Alexander's arm before dropping!"

What the fans feared most had come true—the score was tied again!

San Juan continued serving!

"Tweet!—"

BOOOOM!!!

Taichi launched a second serve!

As the ball ripped through the air at over 130 km/h, every Trentino player tensed up.

"Pick it up!!!" Kageyama Tobio couldn't help but shout.

SMACK!!!

Fabio received it, but the ball flew out of bounds.

"That's enough!"

Kageyama dashed out, appearing beneath the ball almost instantly. With cupped hands, he absorbed the impact using his wrists and fingers, then pushed the ball swiftly.

Whooosh!—

The ball soared to the right wing—Zaytsev rose for the spike!

"Block him!"

Ramos and Conte both jumped to block.

—BOOM!!!

"Damn it! Another wipe-off?!"

Conte didn't know whether to curse Kageyama or Zaytsev—the ball shot over the block and slammed towards San Juan's back row.

Smack!

Just when Santiago felt completely helpless, Kaedehara Taichi made the dig!

"Great save—!"

Oikawa sprinted over to cover.

"Give it to me."

Taichi's voice was calm yet carried a commanding power that calmed the entire San Juan side.

Oikawa slowed the tempo, sending a steady high set to the left wing.

Thump!

Taichi soared!

"Double block!" Yuri and Zaytsev both rose again.

But seeing the ball's height, they knew at once—their block was meaningless.

In midair, Taichi's body stretched to its absolute limit. Even from the back row, his spike height still completely surpassed the block.

Again?

Alexander's mind suddenly flashed back to the first set—when victory had been so close, only to be shattered by this one man.

—BOOOM!!!

The ball thundered into Trentino's back corner.

Kaedehara Taichi scored!

[San Juan 25 - 24 Trentino]

_________