"Gather 'round!" Coach Nekomata's voice cracked like a whip, drawing the attention of the Nekoma players.
The team huddled up near the bench. Ryuu stood at the back, towering over everyone, his presence radiating a lazy sort of intensity.
"For today's practice match against Karasuno," Nekomata began, his eyes crinkling with a mischievous smile, "we're trying something different. Usually, Nekoma relies on connection. We receive, we toss, we connect until the opponent breaks."
He pointed a wrinkled finger at Ryuu.
"But today, we have a cannon."
Ryuu grinned, crossing his arms. "I prefer 'Intercontinental Ballistic Missile,' Sensei. But cannon works too."
Nekomata ignored him, turning to the whiteboard. He slapped a magnet with the number 10 onto the front left position.
"Gojou, you're playing Wing Spiker. Outside Hitter. You're taking the Ace position."
The team wasn't surprised—they had seen him in practice—but the weight of the title hung in the air. In volleyball, the Ace isn't just a scorer. He's the one who breaks the wall when everything else fails.
"Yamamoto," Nekomata continued. "You're the other Wing Spiker. Create openings. Distract them."
"Osu!" Yamamoto shouted, looking pumped but also slightly competitive. He glared at Ryuu. "Don't think I'll lose to you just because you're tall, City Boy!"
"Kenma," the coach turned to the pudding-headed setter.
Kenma looked up from his shoes, looking like he wanted to be literally anywhere else.
"Use him," Nekomata said simply.
Kenma sighed. "Understood."
Ryuu walked over to Kenma, draping a heavy arm around the smaller boy's shoulders. Kenma stiffened under the weight.
"Did you hear that, Kenma-chan?" Ryuu whispered, his voice dropping an octave. "I'm your new favorite weapon. You don't need to strategize. You don't need to think about trick plays."
Ryuu leaned down, his golden eyes narrowing.
"Just get the ball in the air. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be pretty. Just put it high." Ryuu pointed a thumb at his own chest. "I will kill anything you give me."
Kenma looked at Ryuu. For a second, the setter's cat-like pupils dilated. He wasn't used to this. Usually, he had to micromanage his hitters. He had to calculate their height, their fatigue, their mood.
But Ryuu wasn't asking for help. He was demanding tribute.
"Fine," Kenma muttered, shrugging Ryuu's arm off. "Just don't miss."
___________________
The whistle blew.
The game began with Karasuno serving. Asahi Azumane, their ace, sent a decent jump float serve over the net.
"I got it!" Yaku, Nekoma's libero, moved with fluid precision. He didn't just receive the ball; he killed its momentum completely, sending a soft, perfect arc toward the setter position.
"Nice receive, Yaku-san!"
The ball fell toward Kenma.
On the other side of the net, Kageyama Tobio was already analyzing. 'Perfect receive. The setter has options. A quick to the middle? A set to the right?'
Kageyama's eyes darted to the middle blocker, then to the right wing.
But Kenma didn't look at them.
Kenma did something simple. He set the ball high. Very high. A towering arc toward the left wing.
To the casual observer, it looked like a standard open set. But to the players, it felt different. It was a declaration.
Look here.
Ryuu began his approach.
One step. Two steps.
The floor of the gym seemed to vibrate. He wasn't quick and scampering like Hinata. He was heavy. Powerful.
STOMP.
Ryuu exploded upward.
"Block!" Daichi shouted.
Karasuno was fast. Tsukishima and Daichi were already there, forming a two-man wall. Tsukishima, the tall blonde middle blocker, smirked. 'He's big, but a high set is easy to read. We can shut him down.'
Ryuu hung in the air.
He was looking down at them.
Gravity seemed to forget about him for a split second. Ryuu saw Tsukishima's hands. He saw the gap between Daichi's shoulder and the antenna. He saw the rotation of the ball.
His Emperor's Eyes overlaid the visual data with red lines.
'Two blockers. Height: Adequate. Technique: Solid. Threat Level: Zero.'
Ryuu didn't aim for the gap.
He aimed for the arm.
His arm swung like a guillotine.
BOOM.
The sound was terrifying. It wasn't the clean thwack of a volleyball; it was the sound of a gunshot.
The ball slammed into Tsukishima's forearms. But instead of bouncing up for a block, it tore through his guard. The sheer force bent Tsukishima's wrists backward.
"Guh!" Tsukishima grunted, his face twisting in shock.
The ball didn't stop. It blasted through the block, ricocheted off Tsukishima's arms, and slammed into the floorboards behind them with enough force to bounce nearly to the ceiling.
The gym went silent.
The ball rolled away, spinning innocently.
Tsukishima shook his hands, staring at his reddened forearms. He looked up at the net.
Ryuu landed softly. He didn't cheer. He didn't fist pump.
He just stood there, staring down at Tsukishima through the net, his golden eyes cold and amused.
"Your block is correct," Ryuu said, his voice carrying through the silent gym. "Your timing was perfect."
Ryuu smirked, tapping his own chest.
"But you're trying to stop a tank with a bicycle helmet. Next time... bring the whole team."
"Don't antagonize them!" Yaku yelled, slapping Ryuu on the back. "Nice kill, though!"
"One point!" The referee signaled.
Ryuu turned to Kenma. "See? I told you. Just put it up."
Kenma stared at Ryuu. A small, barely noticeable smile tugged at the corner of the setter's mouth.
"That was... easy," Kenma whispered.
On the Karasuno side, the atmosphere had shifted.
"Did you see that?" Nishinoya whispered, his eyes wide. "That power..."
Kageyama was trembling. Not with fear, but with anger. He hated losing points. He glared at Ryuu.
"Give it to me," Hinata whispered to Kageyama. The small boy was staring at Ryuu with a burning hunger. "Kageyama. Give me the ball."
Ryuu saw it. He saw the spark in the protagonists' eyes.
"Oho?" Ryuu whispered to himself, getting back into position. "The shonen heroes are waking up. Good. It's no fun if the toys break too easily."