Just as they had been broken through by Ushijima Wakatoshi countless times before, Seijo failed to save the ball this time as well.
"Owari-senpai is so cool!" As Hinata, who had acted as a decoy to draw away the blockers, raised his hands and cheered, Owari immediately went to high-five him.
So wonderful.
Having quick attacks on both sides acting as decoys, he only needs to experience the feeling of a block crumbling the moment it touches him.. It's too amazing!
Unfortunately, the opposing Setter's reaction speed was still too fast; otherwise, he could have spiked it right over the net.
Miya Atsumu and Miya Osamu finished their high-five and turned to wave at Hinata.
Hinata jogged over and slapped Miya Atsumu's hand heavily: "Atsumu-senpai! Being a decoy is also so much fun!"
Especially when the opposing blockers were chasing after him, that feeling of being able to clear a path for others.. it was pure joy.
Miya Atsumu also nodded. "Right? Being a decoy is also very rewarding."
However, this only works if the opponents have limited strategic thinking; if every Middle Blocker were as skilled as Suna, the effectiveness of a decoy would become extremely limited.
Coach Omimi lamented sincerely, "I feel like since Shoyo arrived, the frequency of Atsumu and Osamu's fighting has decreased."
This, of course, doesn't refer to their usual playful bickering, but rather those serious fights where the two of them would go through a cold war for several days.
“Especially Atsumu-senpai, he's been much more cheerful lately,” Omimi said, stroking his chin. "It's obvious that Atsumu-senpai really likes Shoyo-kun, but.. I can't quite figure out why."
Although Hinata's personality is indeed likable, no one in the Volleyball Club dislikes him, Miya Atsumu is not the kind of person who can be swayed by just a few compliments.
Otherwise, his reputation wouldn't be so bad.
Coach Kurosu smiled slightly and said nothing.
—Why would Miya Atsumu like Hinata Shoyo?
The answer to this question is actually very simple; even Akagi and Oori, who don't usually probe into other people's thoughts, could see it.
After all.. Miya Atsumu was never the type of person to keep things bottled up inside.
The fourth serve from Miya Atsumu in the court was received by Kawarai, Oikawa Tooru sent the ball to the center to Kindaichi for a Quick Attack.
With his height advantage, Kindaichi's overhand spikes were quite easy, not to mention that he was facing Hinata's vertical jump block.
However, Akagi's follow-up speed was also very fast, as if he had anticipated it and was waiting at the gap behind Hinata.
Kindaichi's control over power was nowhere near as exquisite as the others, so receiving it was equally not difficult.
The volleyball fell toward the top of Miya Atsumu's head, the neutralized spin allowed the ball itself to maintain a state that the Setter could handle perfectly.
For Inarizaki, who rarely pursues perfect reception quality, this could already be considered a rare, high-quality ball.
And an impeccable ball.. should, of course, be utilized to its full potential.
No communication was needed; an orange figure could already be seen in his field of vision, carving a semicircle from the edge of the court and rushing toward the net.
A faint smile curled at the corners of his mouth as Miya Atsumu leaned his body slightly backward. The moment his fingers touched the volleyball, he controlled it to impart a slight spin, sending it flying into the hands of Hinata, who had already leaped into mid-air.
The angle, the speed, the rotation—everything was exactly as anticipated.
Before anyone could even react, the volleyball had already flown above the net, continuing forward with a certain amount of momentum.
Oikawa Tooru's eyes widened.
Wait, this ball.. it couldn't be what he's thinking, could it?
Kindaichi's reaction was extremely fast; already positioned on the wing, he followed up almost the exact moment Hinata rushed to the net.
Although his overall running speed was much slower than Hinata's, he still managed to reach the ball by relying on his advantages in height and experience.
Oikawa Tooru shouted loudly, "Stop him!"
Based on the previous quick attack, the direction of Hinata's spike was already determined the moment he jumped, consisting mostly of simple variations like straight or diagonal shots.
As long as they block on the side of the dominant hand, they will definitely be able to react in time.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Miya Atsumu's ball passed through Hinata's hitting point and slowly came to a halt on the other side.
Wait, it went through?
In the next second, just as Kindaichi's block reached Hinata, Hinata changed his hand position mid-air.
The contact point of his left hand coincided perfectly with the ball's sudden stop, sending it with unerring precision into the empty space in the back half of Seijo's court.
With a loud thud, the volleyball had already hit the floor, the back-row players, Kunimi and Kawarai, had completely missed it.
Miya Atsumu slowly lowered his hands and cast a glance toward Oikawa Tooru on the other side of the net.
As Hinata landed on the ground, he stepped forward and gave Hinata a heavy high-five: "Shoyo-kun, that was a great spike!"
Oikawa Tooru's mind went blank for a moment, an utterly absurd feeling welled up in his heart.
Wait, did they just communicate?
Relying entirely on the Spiker's reaction speed? Is he that trusting?
That Setter is the same; he doesn't just send it straight through, but instead makes a distinct pause at the highest point, giving the Spiker enough time to decipher the intent of the set..
Is that even a ball a human can set?
"Great set, Atsumu-senpai!" Hinata replied to Miya Atsumu while breathing a sigh of relief in his heart.
It scared the life out of him; why did Atsumu-senpai suddenly want him to switch to a left-handed spike!
He had originally intended to hit a tip, he almost failed to react in time and missed the ball.
Miya Atsumu stared at Hinata, whose face made his thoughts completely transparent, felt very pleased.
—Why did he like Hinata?
Because Hinata could keep up with his pace on the court, was even constantly growing stronger at a speed faster than his own, chasing after his position.
Unlike his twin Miya Osamu, where one is a connection based on blood, the other.. is a soul resonance built upon a "love" for volleyball.
Just like his other half.
Miya Osamu watched the two people who were completely on different wavelengths, yet a barely perceptible smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.
Although I don't want to admit it, but..
Now, he could truly be at ease.
Oikawa Tooru stood with his hands on his hips, staring at the Inarizaki members across the net, suddenly feeling a sense of relief.
Without a doubt, Seijo is currently lagging behind Inarizaki in more than just a few aspects.
If Shiratorizawa is a team supported by a genius, then Seijo is a team of ordinary people.
As for Inarizaki, although it wouldn't be accurate to say they are composed entirely of so-called geniuses.. it's pretty much close to that.
Aside from their ability in tactical arrangements, Inarizaki is far superior to Seijo in everything from receiving and blocking to offensive capabilities.
No, it would be more accurate to say they were completely superior to Shiratorizawa.
And what Oikawa cared about most was that the entire Inarizaki team achieved the setter's tactical arrangements with what could be called two hundred percent completion.
It wasn't just simple obedience to instructions, but rather executing them more efficiently, even exceeding expectations.
Oikawa Tooru was not surprised by this result.
Just as Iwaizumi Hajime always said, volleyball is a sport that requires the collective effort of all six players on the court; it is not a solo show for any single individual.
The strength of a single person alone cannot change anything, not even for Ushijima, who is hailed as the strongest genius of the current era.
Watari Chikaharu passed the ball over again; under the intense pressure exerted by Miya Atsumu, even the increasingly skilled Watari Chikaharu could barely manage to provide a playable ball.
Oikawa Tooru looked up at the falling volleyball; on the other side, Iwaizumi Hajime had already swapped positions with Kindaichi and was raising his hands for the ball at the other end of the court.
Give me the ball!!
As the Inarizaki players shifted toward Seijo's position four, Oikawa Tooru raised his hand and gave a light touch, sending the ball directly over the net.
Second Attack.
Akagi's lunging movement was a bit slow, allowing Seijo to take a point.
The Seijo students, who had been suppressed throughout the entire match, burst into cheers: "Nice play!"
Taking the volleyball thrown from the opposing side, Oikawa's gaze shifted away from Hinata and finally landed on Miya Atsumu.
Noticing Oikawa's gaze, Miya Atsumu, who had just scored several points in a row during the service turn, spoke up: "Oikawa-senpai is certainly handsome, but.. he's nothing more than a showpiece, all style and no substance."
To think our service run was interrupted by an opponent's Second Attack.. We really did get a bit too complacent because things were going too smoothly.
Oikawa Tooru did not refute it: "Perhaps."
He looked at Miya Atsumu's hands, his eyes filled with an unreadable expression.
Vitality, flamboyance, confidence.
Perhaps that is the best state for a Setter who possesses both talent and resources.
—But he wasn't envious.
Watching Oikawa Tooru turn and walk toward the service position while holding the volleyball, Miya Atsumu narrowed his eyes slightly.
Akagi's ball control was indeed not steady enough, but he was quite skilled when it came to being able to "receive" it.
Oikawa's initial serve was neutralized directly by Akagi, so nothing unexpected happened.
So..
Oikawa's serves are just full of momentum, but they aren't exactly a lethal threat.
Spinning the volleyball in his hands, Oikawa Tooru exhaled softly.
That being said, he must certainly feel some regret, otherwise he wouldn't have impulsively walked into the basketball gym yesterday.
His gaze swept over the two figures at the gymnasium's back door, passing over them as if he hadn't seen them.
Oikawa Tooru never regrets any decision he makes, even if he sees the potential consequences of that path.
Because his purpose for standing on this court was simple and pure.
It was just for.. the sake of dignity.
A whistle sounded in his ears, Oikawa looked down at the volleyball in his hands.
Someone's figure appeared before his eyes, the elder's firm voice rang out once again.
[You must believe that your abilities are far more than just this.]