Watching the ball fly up, Akagi called out to Miya Atsumu, "Atsumu! I'm counting on you!"
Coach Kurosu also shouted loudly from the sidelines, "Cover! Cover!"
Hinata, who had been in the center of the front row, instantly rushed toward Position 2, moving toward that side along with Kindaichi and Kyokutsu.
Hinata landed on one foot beneath the marker, then used that foot to support his body as he instantly completed a counter-clockwise turn, shifting direction to charge toward Position 4.
In an instant, he had already crossed the horizontal distance of the court, raising his hand to touch the ball at the Position 4 marker.
This time, the two Seijo blockers were thrown nearly two meters away by him, in the end, only Iwaizumi, who had originally been defending against Kosaku's spike at Position 4, managed to keep up.
But for a player like Hinata, who is exceptionally skilled at technical plays, a single blocker is practically meaningless.
Only experienced Middle Blockers like Kuroo or Hirugami, who can accurately time the changes in a ball's trajectory, would have a chance of blocking Hinata solo.
The spike was driven down in the space between Iwaizumi Hajime and the sideline, landing in a spot still a distance away from Watari Chikaharu.
Oikawa Tooru, being closer, turned decisively and lunged from the front row, using one hand to cushion the ball.
He called out for Kawarai to cover the other side: "Makoto!"
Kawarai moved into position very quickly as well, but he had no way to set this ball for a spike, so he could only dig it with his forearms near the net.
“Kindaichi!”
He gave this ball a very high arc; it was the best high ball to use when there was no chance of shaking off the block.
Kindaichi's gaze locked onto Hinata once again as he stepped back, preparing to receive a front-court ball.
Hinata's current positioning was close to the center of Inarizaki, so if he wanted to force him to lose his center of gravity and balance to receive the ball, the best option would be to tip it toward the Position 2 marker.
Having made up his mind, Kindaichi immediately tipped the ball over.
But Hinata seemed to have anticipated it; already in a shuffling step, he instantly took another step forward and reached out his hand to make contact with the ball.
“Atsumu-senpai!”
Miya Atsumu also breathed a sigh of relief: "Nice receive!"
Yaku's eyes lit up in the stands: "Hinata's lure was quite good that time."
Hinata retreated for his approach with a hint of smugness.
After being hit so many times, he had already memorized Kindaichi's movements, this time, the fishing was a huge success!
Miya Atsumu sent the ball toward Position 2, giving Hinata, who was running a straight approach, a chance to spike.
Under Matsukawa's instructions from the sidelines, Kindaichi and Iwaizumi quickly moved toward Kyokutsu's side.
Given Miya Atsumu's personality, after a spiker has such a highlight moment, he is very likely to continue passing the ball in a celebratory mood.
Especially since this person was Hinata, whom Miya Atsumu trusted relatively more and found easy to work with.
The moment Hinata prepared to spike, three players from Aobajohsai jumped, pressing down from above.
The extremely close distance to the net made it impossible for Hinata to adjust for a short diagonal or a back receive, the incredibly high block, following his full jump after the approach, also prevented Hinata from successfully spiking over the top.
So, the only path left before him was a single one.
—Tooling the block.
Hinata's gaze locked onto Kindaichi's fingers before he could press them down.
But at the very moment he spiked the ball, Kindaichi's entire arm pressed down, enveloping him from both sides like an umbrella.
By this time, the volleyball had already left Hinata's hands, he had no chance to adjust again.
With a heavy thud, the volleyball had already landed within Inarizaki's court.
Aoba Johsai scores on a block.
The score jumped to Inarizaki 0, Aobajohsai 2.
Kindaichi, who had just scored the point, erupted instantly: "Yes!!"
He turned his head and gave a thumbs-up to Kunimi Akira, who was offering him advice from the waiting area.
Fishing isn't something only Hinata can do; they at Seijo can do it too.
Miya Atsumu clicked his tongue lightly.
Aobajohsai was unexpectedly annoying; it looked like he had to take the initiative to speed up the tempo, so as not to give them too much time to think.
Aran clapped his hands, soothing everyone's emotions: "It's okay, it's okay, next ball."
Oikawa walked back to the service position with a smile, catching the ball that was thrown back to him as he prepared to continue his serve.
He naturally knew that Miya Atsumu would likely choose to use a Quick Attack to prevent the middle blockers on their side from having any reaction time.
But Kindaichi wasn't thinking too much about it; he just needed to keep up with the fast pace, so he wouldn't be affected at all.
The ones who truly bear the tasks and responsibilities in this regard are..
They are the two external brains for them in the waiting area and on the Coach's bench.
Chapter 192: The One Hundred and Ninety-Second Fox
Watching the situation on the court, Hoshiumi in the stands couldn't help but frown. "I have this lingering sense of foreboding."
Even though Oikawa Tooru's service turn currently holds the upper hand, Inarizaki essentially retains the ability to counterattack at any time, so where is his current anxiety coming from..
"I've got it!" Akagi shouted, diving out once again to perform a back receive.
At this stage, being able to maintain a minimum level of receiving was enough, after all, they had a setter who could handle every ball better.
Under the cover of Hinata's Quick Attack, Aran scored a point with a spike, breaking Seijo's Service Turn.
Amidst the cheers of the crowd, Miya Atsumu gave a cold snort, as if he had just vented some pent-up frustration.
His expression was very grim: "If they like playing against Shoyo so much, then let them play against him."
“Aran! You also need to keep your eyes on their Position 4 spikes. They won't let our Shoyo move, so don't let their own Ace move either!”
Aran wiped his face: "Calm down.."
Miya Atsumu waved his hand. "I'm very calm."
Seeing that Seijo was targeting Hinata without reservation, Miya Atsumu began to frequently set quick attacks for Miya Osamu.
As this kind of attack forcibly sped up the tempo of the match even further, Coach Kurosu sighed on the sidelines.
They had a hard time in the morning's match, the afternoon brought an even more difficult one.
Hinata is the one who plays these kinds of balls—so fast they make both teammates and opponents uncomfortable—most often, with Miya Osamu being second only to him.
But since Miya Osamu himself didn't have Hinata's speed to back him up, he was clearly getting a bit frustrated after those few plays.
However, Miya Osamu didn't clash with Miya Atsumu; instead, he shut his mouth after glancing at Hinata, who was working hard to get a compliment for his first receive.
There really wasn't much to say; it was just that Seijo had swapped his and Hinata's roles.
Clashing with Miya Atsumu now would be exactly what Oikawa-senpai wants.
During the time-out, the score on the sidelines was frozen at 7:8. Since neither side had managed to score consecutive points, the gap still reflected the advantage established during Oikawa Tooru's opening serve.
Coach Kurosu turned his head and looked at Kita Shinsuke, who was handing out towels to everyone.
Kita nodded after receiving the signal and said nothing more.
Miya Atsumu's most comfortable state was achieved by using a wide variety of attacking options to reach a state of "controlling the opponent."
And now, Hinata, who could be considered his "right and left hands" in this playstyle, was being heavily restrained by the opponents, he himself often failed to get high-quality first receives.
It was only natural to get impatient, but at least he hadn't reached the state of losing his head and becoming disconnected.
After a brief rest, everyone returned to the court to continue the long match.
"Atsumu-senpai!" Hinata steadily received the ball sent over by Matsukawa, then stepped back, preparing to run toward the center for a high ball in the back row.
On the other side, Miya Osamu scored a point by executing a Quick Attack under Miya Atsumu's setting.
Kuroo frowned: "Even though it feels similar to the match this morning, Inarizaki is clearly finding it much harder to play."
Yeah," Shiratori Natsume nodded, "If we look at this from a rational perspective, the problem still lies with Shoyo himself.
Although Seijo referenced Nekoma's tactics to some extent this morning, Seijo is more aggressive and fierce, possessing greater suppressive power than Nekoma.
"The difficulty of receiving the ball has increased, right?" Kuroo also understood what he was saying.
“Yeah, the increase in pressure will prevent Shoyo from executing follow-up support attacks.” Shiratori nodded, his furrowed brows showing his concern for Inarizaki.
A fish out of water, a trapped beast fighting for survival..
If we just maintain the status quo, it will only allow Seijo to accumulate strength while they hold their opening advantage. But as for how to play specifically, it will depend on Miya Atsumu's own thoughts.
Actually, the simplest way would be to abandon Hinata just like Aran was abandoned before, letting him bear the pressure while using the others to launch a counterattack.
With Aran and Miya Osamu present, this is an absolutely viable way to play.
But.. he always felt that Miya Atsumu wouldn't agree.
Kuroo spoke with certainty: "So you mean that from an emotional standpoint, it's Miya Atsumu's fault for not being decisive enough with his sacrificial piece."
Shiratori rested his chin in his hands: "But Shoyo really isn't a piece that can be discarded at will; he is a Speedster, after all."
Of course.
Miya Atsumu would never accept treating a Speedster as just some disposable pawn.
Wiping the sweat from the side of his face with his hand, Miya Atsumu felt a surge of irritation.
Sacrificing Hinata or sacrificing the Ace are both normal ways to play, but the two situations are completely different.
Making Aran take the pressure is usually something he does proactively, but now he can only make choices passively.
Giving up on Hinata just like that, according to Seijo's intentions, always gave him the feeling of being completely controlled and led by the nose.
Miya Atsumu clicked his tongue lightly. "So frustrating."
Hinata, who had just landed after covering the spike, had intended to celebrate with Miya Atsumu, but he found that Miya Atsumu's expression was extremely sour.
Hinata pulled his hand back, shrinking his neck as he sized up Miya Atsumu, imperceptibly taking two steps backward.
In a moment of panic, Hinata turned his head toward Coach Kurosu on the sidelines, attempting to call for help.