Sakusa inconspicuously adjusted his position to be closer to Inarizaki's Position 1, where Miya Osamu was preparing to launch an attack.
They had already guessed before the match that Inarizaki would use a Double Quick.
With the known conditions in place, all they had to do was overcome them.
And it was essentially Itachiyama who was lucky enough to have Hinata and Agatsuma completely matched up.
After all, Miya Osamu was superior to Hinata in terms of raw power, against a kill-shot block like Itachiyama's.. Hinata actually didn't have enough effective ways to deal with it.
The sound of contact rang out, in the next instant, the volleyball traveled in an almost straight line to Hinata's hitting point.
Agatsuma, trailing by only half a step, leaped immediately after, suddenly pressing down just as Hinata was about to adjust his angle for a short diagonal.
Amatori, having rushed over, closed the final crack in the iron wall, the two of them together blocked Hinata's path.
With a bang, the volleyball bounced back toward Inarizaki.
Hinata, having lost his balance, sat down hard on the floor, still somewhat dazed.
Kurosu frowned.
This play involved absolutely no emotional or tactical considerations; it was simply the result of pure, raw physical strength stacked together.
Whether it is a Double Quick or a negative-tempo Quick Attack, they are essentially both types of Quick Attack, Itachiyama used this to forcefully predict and shut it down.
The most important thing is.. Agatsuma can keep up with Hinata's movement rhythm.
Getting up from the ground, Hinata let out a soft breath and reached down to rub his calf muscles, trying to relax the muscles that were tense from nervousness.
The task the coach gave him for this match was to exhaust Itachiyama's Position 4 Agatsuma, without even needing him to consider the next match.
Pour all of one's energy and ability into the present, investing without regard for the consequences.
After all, there were so many people supporting him from behind that he didn't need to worry about what would happen next.
So..
Do not fear, do not retreat.
All the preparation before this was for the purpose of crossing the chasm that lies before him at this very moment.
He must be faster, higher.
—They won't always be the strongest challengers.
—They will crown themselves.
Slowly straightening up, Hinata exhaled a long breath and met the gaze of Agatsuma Soushi, who was looking down at him.
He raised his hand toward the net, his eyes—shining a golden orange in the reflection of the floor—wide open, as he spoke softly like a fierce beast staring at its prey.
I'll go even higher on the next one.
If you have the ability.. then catch up to me again.
The crowned King lowered his eyes.
What flowed down was not the pity of a superior, but a fighting spirit as intense as a raging fire, threatening to swallow one whole.
He spoke softly, "Okay."
Reaching out to pat Hinata's shoulder, Miya Atsumu said in a low voice, "Do it your way."
Hinata nodded: "Understood, I'll leave the toss to Atsumu-senpai."
"A great serve from Iizuna!" A rhythmic cheer erupted from the banner of constant victory held by Itachiyama.
Facing Iizuna's serve, Akagi still moved forward proactively, attempting to get as close as possible to Miya Atsumu's position to deliver a receive.
The wing spikers on both sides moved through the court in a seemingly chaotic manner, leaving Amatori and Inamura feeling a bit dazed.
—Who could it be?
But at that moment, Miya Atsumu leaned back slightly, openly preparing to execute a back set toward Position 2.
Agatsuma, who had been following Hinata all along, was stunned for a moment. Wasn't Hinata running toward Position 4?
This is..
The sound of soles rubbing against the gym floor reached Agatsuma's ears. The moment his gaze shifted, an orange shadow had already completed a 180-degree turn and was charging toward Position 2.
Amatori and Inamura, who were even closer, were also startled, but they still reacted on instinct and lunged forward, attempting to block Hinata's spike.
Agatsuma, trailing by half a step, rushed to join them, the three of them formed an incredibly solid wall.
The volleyball flew from Miya Atsumu's hands, soaring toward a position that was terrifyingly high for everyone at the net at this moment.
That was just the warm-up..
Now the real greeting begins.
Three steps, four steps.
The moment Hinata's foot hit the ground on his final step, he swung his arms upward to pull his body up.
That's right, he will jump higher, completely overcoming those giants in height as well.
With artificial wings flapping, he leaves the ground..
Fly.
The view beyond the wall of players was so vast that it suddenly cleared the breath that had been held tight.
On the coaching bench, Utsunomiya and Himegomiya both widened their eyes in unison, staring at Hinata in mid-air as if they were looking at some kind of monster.
This kid.. has he never been able to jump past his own maximum height before this?
And on one foot, too?!
With their height advantage, Agatsuma and Inamura are rarely completely outplayed by an over-the-top attack during a match; even when they are, it is almost always by a high ball in the center, it is rare to see them being outplayed by a Quick Attack.
No, it would be more accurate to say.. there isn't another player in all of high school who can combine speed and height as perfectly as Hinata.
Turning wouldn't cause his speed to drop, a one-footed jump wouldn't diminish his height.
It was as if.. he was born to fight on this court until the very last moment.
But at this moment, Hinata's battle was not yet over.
On both sides, Komori and Sakusa instantly closed in toward the center, remaining on high alert in case Hinata might perform a line spike or use his usual diagonal spike.
Hinata's vision shifted downward, ignoring the fingertips appearing in the bottom left of his field of vision, he used a backhand motion to press the ball down toward the edge of the court near the sideline.
After the heavy thud, Hinata landed steadily.
The referee bent over to inspect it and, without a doubt, awarded the point to Inarizaki.
1:2, Inarizaki gets the serve.
Coach Kurosu curled the corners of his mouth slightly.
To be able to completely match up Hinata and Agatsuma—it seems fate is currently on Inarizaki's side.
Miya Atsumu walked over from the side and reached out a hand toward Hinata, but he momentarily froze the instant he met his eyes.
The boy standing right in front of him laughed.
Immediately after, Miya Atsumu heard a voice ring in his ear, like a massive hammer striking against his heart.
Use me to my heart's content, Atsumu-senpai.
Use him freely within the limits set by the coach, let him become the sharpest blade in the commander's hand.
Miya Atsumu lightly pressed the tip of his tongue against the roof of his mouth, as if he were savoring the words or perhaps trying to calm his suddenly racing heart.
After a long time, Miya Atsumu heard his own voice.
It's exactly what I wanted.
Chapter 100: The One Hundredth Fox
Miya Atsumu walked to the service position at the edge of the court, holding the ball.
An orange head bobbed in his field of vision before coming to a halt a little further back.
With Suna and Miya Osamu on the court, Hinata doesn't need Miya Atsumu to provide serve cover; all he has to do is find a more comfortable position for the follow-up attack.
No setter could remain calm under these circumstances, let alone Miya Atsumu, who already loved the feeling of being in control of the situation.
But even if he couldn't stay calm, he had to force himself to regain his composure; if he let his blood boil, he would truly be finished.
Raising his hand to call for a halt to the Inarizaki cheering, Miya Atsumu exhaled a breath and waited quietly for the referee to blow the whistle.
Iizuna was still in the back, so he didn't need to hesitate much about his target for the serve.
Even though Itachiyama has the First Libero, making it difficult to target them through a receive, interference is still possible.
First.. first, I have to avoid Sakusa and Komori.
Miya Atsumu's float serve had a considerable height, a ball specifically controlled to drop sharply near its landing point.
But the equally experienced Komori made a quick judgment, handling the float serve to provide a stable set right above Iizuna's head.
Iizuna jumped to set the ball.
Agatsuma coordinated a Back Quick at Position 3, but Akagi was in position to receive it in time.
Atsumu!
Hearing Akagi's call in his ear, Miya Atsumu adjusted his position.
To use it to my heart's content.. is that so?
Licking his slightly dry lower lip, Miya Atsumu's peripheral vision swept across Itachiyama's current blocking position.
—So that's how it's going to be, then.
Stepping back half a step, Iizuna Sho noticed the abnormality on Inarizaki's side at first glance.
What is Miya Atsumu doing standing there?
Isn't he standing a bit too close to Position 2? This isn't the usual setting point for a Setter.
After Akagi received the volleyball, it was still sent toward Miya Atsumu's usual positioning, leaving a gap of three to four steps from his current position.