"Waaah~ So this is Miyagi Prefecture, huh?"
A bus pulled to a stop near a coastal station, and before long, a volleyball team clad in matching uniforms stepped off. One of the players stretched and took a deep breath.
"Ahhh… the ocean air really is the best."
"Seishin, the air here is way better than Tokyo. You really don't need that mask anymore–" another teammate commented.
Hidden among them was a tall, gloomy-looking guy with a mask covering half his face. In a muffled voice, he replied, "The ocean just seems cleaner. In truth, sea breezes carry a lot of bacteria and pollutants. With the strong wind out here, you end up inhaling more debris than you think. It's exactly in places like this where caution is most important."
"Uh…"
"Pffft, Hahaha! Still the same as ever!" a laugh suddenly rang out from the distance.
The masked player turned along with his teammates to the source of the voice. Coming toward them were the players from Shiratorizawa and Aoba Johsai, walking side by side.
The one laughing was Tendo Satori, clutching his stomach in amusement. "It's been ages, Sakusa, and yet you still haven't changed a bit!"
Sakusa Kiyoomi, unbothered by Tendo's reaction, had his attention fixed entirely on one person, Ushijima Wakatoshi.
"Whoa, I can't believe Coach Washijo actually got Itachiyama to come here!" someone from Aoba Johsai exclaimed in disbelief.
"Of course! Coach Washijo isn't just famous in Miyagi, he's well known across the country. His connections are on another level, totally different from Coach Irihata's–" another whispered, lowering their voice instinctively.
"No wonder Shiratorizawa players have so much real-game experience!"
Aoba Johsai had only received word that a new scrimmage opponent was coming this morning. What they hadn't expected was for the opponent to be Itachiyama Institute, the national champions from the summer tournament.
Washijo's powerful network had left Aoba Johsai stunned.
"It's been a while, Wakatoshi… and Asuka too–" Sakusa greeted them, though his gaze lingered on Ushijima, with Akashi Asuka clearly an afterthought.
Ushijima nodded calmly. "Yes. It's been a while, Sakusa."
────────── ✦ ─────────
Thirty minutes later.
All three teams were gathered at Aoba Johsai's rented training facility.
The players from Itachiyama had already changed and finished their warm-up.
"Didn't expect to face you guys again so soon," said Tsukasa Iizuna, Itachiyama's captain, as he shook hands with Oikawa Tooru.
"Yeah, but this is just a friendly scrimmage. Go easy on us, alright?" Oikawa said with his usual grin.
But the moment he turned around, the smile vanished from his face.
If today's opponent had been any other team, then maybe this would've been just a practice match. But against Itachiyama, it was a whole different story, for Aoba Johsai, this was a rematch, a revenge match.
On the other side, Iizuna seemed to recognize that tension too. The moment he returned to his team, he barked, "Heads up, everyone. We beat Aoba Johsai at Nationals, and we're going to beat them again today. Got it?"
"Yes, sensei!"
Itachiyama's players responded in unison.
Tweet!
A whistle blew, the Shiratorizawa assistant coach, acting as the referee, signaled the start of the match.
Aoba Johsai's starting lineup:
Wing Spiker: Akashi Asuka
Setter: Oikawa Tooru
Middle Blocker: Yutaro Kindaichi
Libero: Watari Shinji
Opposite Hitter: Hajime Iwaizumi
Wing Spiker: Kyotani Kentarou
Itachiyama's starting lineup:
Wing Spiker: Sakusa Kiyoomi
Setter: Tsukasa Iizuna
Libero: Komori Motoya
Middle Blocker: Nakagawa Seishu
Wing Spiker: Takada Kaoru
Middle Blocker: Yada Tetsuji
In this first set, Aoba Johsai didn't get the initial serve.
Serving first for Itachiyama was Takada Kaoru.
Right out of the gate, Takada delivered a powerful jump serve. The ball zipped past the net and plunged toward Aoba Johsai's backcourt, aiming right for the corner of the baseline.
Even for experienced players, deciding whether such a ball will land in or out can be a split-second gamble.
Kyotani Kentarou, directly in line with the serve, judged in that brief moment that it was likely going out and stepped aside.
But just as he moved, the ball suddenly shifted trajectory, floating upward slightly in the wind.
"Crap, this isn't right!"
Kyotani's eyes widened. He spun around, trying to recover, but it was already too late.
Just as the ball was about to kiss the baseline,
Boom!
A figure suddenly dove in from the side, lightning-fast, and popped the ball back into the air just before it could hit the ground.
"Huh?!"
The Itachiyama players were stunned.
"Wasn't that guy weaker at receiving during Nationals? It's only been a month since then, and he's already improved this much?"
"No… I don't think it's just his technique. Didn't you notice? His position's changed, he's not playing as a wing spiker anymore."
"You mean… he switched positions?"
The player who made that incredible save was none other than Hajime Iwaizumi. After losing to Itachiyama at Nationals, this was their first meeting since, and he'd just given them a shocking surprise on the very first play.
Oikawa quickly moved in to set, timing a delayed attack and lofting the ball into the air, right above Akashi Asuka.
With a few swift steps, Asuka leapt high to meet the ball.
Whoosh,
It felt like a gust of wind passed through. Itachiyama's blockers barely registered a blur before Akashi appeared overhead, rising like a soaring eagle.
"You've got to be kidding me, he's jumping even higher now?!"
Nakagawa Seishu, one of Itachiyama's middle blockers, had defended against Asuka's spikes before. Back then, his jumping power was already insane. But now, after just a month, he'd improved even further.
Bam!
There was no way their block could reach his hitting point. Akashi hammered down a powerful spike, the ball crashing straight through the front blockers and plummeting into the backcourt.
But just as the ball was about to land,
A shadow moved underneath...
==========
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