Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium - Semifinals.
Match 1: Nekoma High vs. Kamomedai High.
The center court was cleared. The lights were focused. The air was buzzing.
"HEY! BIG GUY!"
Hoshiumi Kourai was vibrating at the net during warmups. The 169cm "Little Giant" pointed a finger at Ryuu.
"DON'T THINK YOU'VE WON JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE TALL! I CAN FLY!"
Ryuu looked down. He slowly took off his jacket, revealing the Number 10 jersey. He stared at the white-haired boy with mild curiosity, like a human watching a very angry squirrel.
"You're loud," Ryuu said, cleaning his ear with his pinky. "Do you have an off switch?"
"I'M NOT A MACHINE! I'M A SEAGULL!"
"Seagulls are just rats with wings," Ryuu deadpanned. "And I don't like pests."
"GAHHH!" Hoshiumi looked ready to climb the net and bite him.
Hirugami Sachirou, the Kamomedai middle blocker, gently patted Hoshiumi's shoulder. "Save it for the game, Kourai-kun," Hirugami smiled, his eyes calm and friendly. "He's just baiting you. Besides... he is very big."
Ryuu glanced at Hirugami. Hirugami Sachirou. The Immovable. He looks too relaxed, Ryuu noted. It's unsettling.
_________
Set 1 Start.
Score: 0 - 0.
The whistle blew. Nekoma served first.
The whistle blew. Nekoma served first. Kuroo served. It was a nasty jump serve, but Kamomedai's libero, Kanbayashi, stepped into it with perfect form.
"Suwa!"
Suwa set to the left. To Gao Hakuba, the 2-meter giant. Gao was huge, but raw. He swung with pure arm strength.
Yaku was already there, reading the clumsy line shot.
POP.
"Nice receive, Yaku-san!"
The ball arc was perfect. Kenma moved under it.
"Ryuu!"
It was the first attack of the game. The crowd held its breath.
Ryuu approached.
His stride was long, eating up the court. Hirugami and Gao formed the block. It was a massive wall—perhaps the tallest wall in the tournament.
Hirugami watched Ryuu. High elbow. Strong core. He's going to power through.
Hirugami set his hands perfectly. No gaps.
Ryuu jumped.
He saw the wall. He saw Hirugami's perfect form.
'Cute wall.'
Ryuu didn't try to aim around it. He didn't try to wipe it.
He engaged his core, cocked his arm back like a loaded catapult, and swung with absolute, disrespectful violence.
KABOOM.
He smashed the ball right between Hirugami's arms.
The sheer velocity blew through Hirugami's "immovable" hands. It broke the seal, hit the floor, and bounced high into the stands.
Nekoma 1 - 0.
Ryuu landed. He looked at Hirugami, who was staring at his stinging palms with a look of genuine intrigue.
"Immovable, huh?" Ryuu smirked, rolling his shoulder. "I think you moved a little."
Hirugami flexed his red fingers, his smile not faltering. "Strong. Okay. I can work with that."
_____________
Score: Nekoma 4 - 2.
Ryuu had established dominance early, but Kamomedai wasn't a team that panicked.
Suwa set to Hoshiumi.
Hoshiumi took his approach. BAM-BAM. A deep, explosive jump.
He flew. His head cleared the net.
Ryuu blocked.
'He jumps high,' Ryuu thought.
Hoshiumi saw Ryuu's hands. He didn't spike blindly. He twisted in mid-air and wiped the ball off Ryuu's pinky.
Block Out.
Kamomedai 3 - 4.
Hoshiumi landed and screamed. "SEEE?! I CAN FIGHT YOU!"
Ryuu looked at his pinky.
"Congratulations," Ryuu muttered. "You scratched my nail. Do you want a medal?"
_______________
Score: Nekoma 8 - 5.
Kamomedai's blocking system was annoying. They used "Bunch Read Blocking"—grouping in the middle and moving as a unit. It suffocated most teams.
But Nekoma had their own system.
Hoshiumi attacked again. He tried to hit a sharp line shot.
Kuroo was there. He funneled the shot perfectly.
Yaku was waiting in the back.
THUD.
Yaku dug the Little Giant's spike like it was a soft toss.
"Counter!"
Kenma set to Yamamoto. Yamamoto smashed it.
Nekoma 9 - 5.
"You jump high," Kuroo taunted Hoshiumi through the net. "But you land eventually. And when you do, our cats are waiting."
Hoshiumi gritted his teeth. "You guys are sticky!"
_______________
Score: Nekoma 12 - 9.
Nekoma was leading, but Ryuu was starting to get annoyed.
Hirugami had adjusted. He wasn't even trying to kill-block Ryuu. He was just... touching everything.
Ryuu spiked cross. One Touch.
Ryuu spiked line. One Touch.
Ryuu tried a cut shot. One Touch.
Every time Ryuu hit, Hirugami's soft, disciplined hands were there to slow the ball down, allowing Kamomedai to counter-attack.
Kenma set to Ryuu.
Hirugami jumped. He didn't fall for Ryuu's eye fakes. He stayed centered.
Ryuu smashed it.
Hirugami's hands deflected it up.
"Chance ball!"
Kamomedai countered. Hoshiumi scored.
Kamomedai 10 - 12.
Ryuu landed, glaring at Hirugami.
"Stop touching my ball," Ryuu growled. "It's creepy."
Hirugami smiled pleasantly. "I like touching it. It slows down nicely."
Ryuu walked to Kenma during the rotation.
"Kenma," Ryuu whispered. "That blocker. He's a robot. He doesn't guess. He reads everything."
Kenma looked at Hirugami, then back at Ryuu. "He waits," Kenma analyzed quietly. "He waits until the ball leaves my hands. That's why he's always in front of you. He trusts his reaction speed."
"It's frustrating," Ryuu grumbled. "I feel like I'm punching a pillow."
Kenma's eyes gleamed—a rare flicker of competitive fire. "If he waits for the ball..." Kenma murmured. "Then we just have to make sure that by the time he reacts, it's already too late."
"Meaning?"
"We speed up," Kenma said. "Jump early. Trust me."
__________
Score: 14 - 11 Nekoma.
Nekoma received the serve.
"Kenma!"
Ryuu ran. He approached the net aggressively.
Hirugami watched Kenma. 'Who is he setting? The Ace is running fast.'
Kenma looked at Ryuu. His posture screamed "Left Set."
Hirugami shifted his weight to the right to block Ryuu.
But Kenma didn't set immediately. He held the ball for a split-second longer. A Pause.
Hirugami froze. 'He's holding it?'
In that micro-second of hesitation, Ryuu was already in the air. Kenma pushed the ball fast. A shoot set to the antenna—low and blindingly quick.
Ryuu was already swinging before the ball even arrived.
Hirugami tried to jump, but his "Read Block" had betrayed him. He was late. The timing was off.
KABOOM.
Ryuu smashed the ball into an empty net. Hirugami was still ascending when the ball hit the floor.
Nekoma 15 - 11.
Ryuu landed. He looked at Kenma.
"That was fast," Ryuu grinned. "You actually made him lag."
"He relies on reading the release," Kenma said, wiping his hands. "If I mess with the tempo, his system crashes."
Ryuu turned to Hirugami.
"Hey, Immovable," Ryuu mocked. "You looked a little slow there. Did your ping go up?"
Hirugami's smile dropped for the first time.
___________________
Score: 20 - 15 Nekoma.
With Kenma disrupting the timing and Nekoma's defense digging Hoshiumi's spikes, the gap widened.
Ryuu was on a rampage.
Rally at 21 - 15.
Kamomedai served. Kai received.
"Kenma!"
Kenma set to the middle. Kuroo faked a quick.
Hirugami stayed disciplined. He didn't bite.
But Ryuu came flying from the back row. Pipe Attack.
Hirugami tried to react.
Ryuu saw the block. He saw Hoshiumi trying to help.
'Little Giant vs. Red Giant.'
Ryuu didn't aim around them. He hit over Hoshiumi.
BOOM.
The ball cleared Hoshiumi's block height and slammed into the back court.
Nekoma 22 - 15.
Hoshiumi landed, looking up in horror. "HE HIT OVER ME?!"
Ryuu walked past the net, looking down at the 169cm Ace.
"I told you," Ryuu said coolly. "I can't hear you from down there. And apparently... you can't reach me from down there either."
Hoshiumi looked ready to explode. "I'LL KILL HIM! I'LL BITE HIS KNEES!"
___________________
Set Point.
Score: 24 - 17 Nekoma.
It was a clinic. Nekoma's defense was frustrating Kamomedai, and Ryuu's power was breaking their block.
Ryuu served.
He looked at Hirugami. He looked at Hoshiumi.
"You guys are organized," Ryuu admitted, bouncing the ball. "But you're predictable."
He tossed the ball. He smashed a jump serve.
Suwa tried to dig it, but the spin was too heavy. It shanked off his arms and flew into the crowd.
Ace.
Game Set.
Nekoma Wins Set 1: 25 - 17.
The whistle blew.
Ryuu spun the ball on his finger, looking at the Kamomedai side.
"One down," Ryuu said to Kuroo. "The Seagulls are grounded."
Kuroo grinned. "Don't get cocky. They adapt fast."
"Let them adapt," Ryuu shrugged. "I have Kenma. And Kenma has me. That's a cheat code."
Kenma looked away, hiding a small smile. "You're embarrassing, Ryuu."
"I'm effective," Ryuu winked. "Now, let's finish this and go watch the Weasel play."