Chapter 10: Celebration Gesture and Kageyama Tobio's Fighting Spirit
Although the other players and spectators off the court all expressed optimism about Yukigaoka's situation.
However, all the Yukigaoka team members noticed that the opposing Kitagawa Daiichi players' condition wasn't as poor as it had been before the timeout.
No one was spacing out or looking confused.
Each person's face showed a subtle fighting spirit gradually rising.
Because they realized that through these three attempts at desperately trying to save the ball, they had progressed from having no reaction at all to gradually being able to see the ball's trajectory.
Everything was indicating one thing.
Their bodies were gradually adapting to Ichise Guren's powerful jump serves.
Or rather, their bodies, honed through three years of training, were gradually entering a heated state.
And Ichise Guren's last powerful jump serve had almost been received by Kageyama Tobio.
And it wasn't just Kageyama Tobio—his reaction was the fastest to that serve.
But behind him was also a libero who had made a receiving stance for that serve.
This meant that their players could not only follow Ichise Guren's powerful serves with their eyes, but their bodies could also gradually match the rhythm as they faced more serves.
When Kitagawa Daiichi's command tower, Kageyama Tobio, realized this, he chose to trust his teammates for now and let the libero receive the next ball.
After all, he was a setter.
If he made the first touch, he could only let his teammates play freely or adjust the rhythm himself for a third-touch spike.
Compared to spiking, he still preferred to set and assist his teammates in scoring.
Because while his spiking level was probably the best on the team, this level didn't far exceed the wing spikers whose primary responsibility was scoring.
However, when it came to setting skills, every single person on Kitagawa Daiichi was miles behind him.
Comparing the two options: teammates' 60-point setting plus his own 85-point spiking.
Versus his own 95-point setting plus teammates' 80-point spiking.
Which one represented the highest level that Kitagawa Daiichi could achieve as a team?
It was obvious.
"Tch!"
Thinking about this, Kageyama Tobio wore an annoyed expression again.
If Kitagawa Daiichi had six copies of himself, he believed they could keep smiling until the end in this year's Inter-High and become champions!
Looking at Kageyama Tobio, who despite his annoyed expression still consciously positioned himself toward the front.
Ichise Guren shifted his gaze to the opposing back-row Kitagawa Daiichi players who could now keep up with his rhythm.
The smile in his eyes grew even stronger.
'Serving has never been my favorite way to score.'
'If you think you can beat me just by receiving the ball, that's way too naive.'
BANG!
Another powerful jump serve, but this ball was saved by Kitagawa Daiichi's libero.
Although it was saved, compared to Kageyama Tobio who had almost received the previous ball.
The quality of this first touch was extremely poor.
The angle was impossibly low, like the libero had launched a slow cannonball from the ground.
Kageyama Tobio hurriedly adjusted his position and orientation according to the direction of the first touch.
His eyes began searching for teammates on the court, preparing for a quick attack.
He found the opponent's weak point and his own front row's most suitable point.
Lowering his center of gravity, in an awkward posture close to squatting, he delivered an excellent set.
Kageyama Tobio's ten fingers lightly touched, and the volleyball seemed to have precision guidance, finding exactly where it should appear.
It was Kindaichi, who after running his approach, borrowed Kageyama Tobio's quick set and leaped high.
He completed a very beautiful quick attack jump.
Using the approach and Kageyama Tobio's quick attack, he chose not to face Hyakuzawa Yudai's block head-on, but instead chose the person next to Hyakuzawa Yudai.
Yukigaoka's setter, Mori, as his breakthrough point.
Remembering Ichise Guren's guidance well, Mori and Hyakuzawa Yudai jumped with all their might at a position slightly farther from the net.
They locked down Kindaichi's best spiking angle, and Mori, jumping with full effort, although not reaching great height, wasn't so low that Kindaichi could spike straight down at him.
Thus, the blocking tactic of not seeking to shut down completely but only to touch the ball worked.
Successfully putting Kindaichi in a somewhat awkward situation in this rally.
Without sophisticated spiking technique and aerial vision, Kindaichi could only grit his teeth and continue executing the previously decided tactic.
He spiked down hard against the thin Mori's block.
"One touch!!"
Mori shouted loudly while in control, indicating he had touched the ball! Hurry and dig it!
In fact, even without Mori's shout, Yukigaoka's current back-row positioning consisted of their three strongest receivers.
Hinata Shoyo, Hoshino Masaru, and Ichise Guren.
Hinata and Hoshino remembered Ichise Guren's pre-match guidance very clearly, and as for Ichise Guren, how could he not know what effects his own researched tactics would produce?
All three back-row players had already started moving before Mori shouted those words.
But Hoshino Masaru might have been somewhat worried about the opponents' tips, positioning himself a bit too close to the net.
So Hinata Shoyo, who was closest to the ball, quickly took a step, joined his arms, touched the ball, and absorbed the impact.
However, perhaps lacking match experience, Hinata Shoyo's first touch was somewhat hasty.
Although the ball was saved, it flew a bit far.
And the landing point was directly at the net. If Kitagawa Daiichi players didn't come to defend, Hyakuzawa Yudai could very likely complete a second attack directly with his tall frame.
So both teams' front-row personnel began preparing for an exhilarating aerial battle at the net.
But Mori secretly patted Hyakuzawa Yudai's back twice.
The latter understood immediately.
The two front-row players stealthily made eye contact with Ichise Guren in the back row.
Ichise Guren lightly nodded, indicating he had received the signal.
So Hyakuzawa Yudai began his approach and jump while the ball was still in the air.
Facing the 195cm giant, Kitagawa Daiichi players also involuntarily jumped along.
But they realized halfway through their jump that everyone seemed to have jumped too early.
Based on the ball's descent speed, Hyakuzawa Yudai might not be able to spike with full power.
However, Hyakuzawa Yudai completely ignored this and swung his arms with full force in the air according to his own rhythm.
'Could it be hang time?'
The three Kitagawa players responsible for blocking—Kageyama Tobio, Kindaichi, and Kunimi Akira—all had this thought pop into their heads.
Meanwhile, Mori, hiding behind Hyakuzawa Yudai's broad frame, suddenly appeared.
He delivered a set.
At this moment, in Yukigaoka's back court, Ichise Guren had already jumped out from behind the three-meter line with tremendous momentum.
Taking advantage of the three Kitagawa front-row players having just landed, he delivered a powerful spike to the empty net.
The volleyball hit the ground without any suspense, and no one had time to dig it.
In the first set, Yukigaoka had completely routed the national candidate Kitagawa Daiichi Middle School with Hyakuzawa Yudai's super-hand attack, Ichise Guren's surprise move, three powerful jump serves, plus this exquisite coordinated back-row attack.
They achieved a dream start with a score of 6:0.
And this wasn't over yet.
Ichise Guren didn't even look at Kitagawa Daiichi's situation, directly turning toward the spectator seats and counting his points.
Starting with a clenched fist, he lightly swung his hand downward, one finger, two fingers... until all five fingers were extended, then Ichise Guren stopped.
One, two, three, four, five.
Indicating he had scored five points.
Then Ichise Guren elegantly spun his hand twice in the air before placing it on his left chest.
With sweat on his brow, he elegantly completed a bow.
Indicating that his first serving game performance had concluded.
This celebration gesture, for the Kitagawa Daiichi players, wasn't taunting but was better than taunting.
However, since Ichise Guren hadn't spoken at all and it was purely a celebration gesture.
The referee couldn't judge this as any kind of illegal conduct.
Kageyama Tobio's face was gloomy, his fists clenched, his jaw grinding audibly.
He could only turn to Kindaichi and say: "Next time be faster! I won't slow down the ball speed to wait for you anymore!"
Kindaichi also frowned and walked toward Kageyama Tobio with an angry expression: "What did you say?!"
But Kageyama Tobio, who only had volleyball in his head, hadn't made this move to argue with Kindaichi.
He was simply making a notification according to his own thoughts.
So after speaking, he continued without looking back.
He didn't give Kindaichi any chance to retort.
Kageyama Tobio's thinking was extremely simple.
Since limiting his setting speed to match his teammates' spiking hadn't been effective.
Then he would just set at his original ball speed, even if it didn't give the wing spikers much preparation time.
But as long as they could keep up with his ball speed, they would definitely be able to tear through the opponents' defense.
'I didn't come here to create memories!'
'Whether it's the first match or the second match!'
'And the finals and nationals!'
'The person who ultimately wins and stays on the court!'
'Will definitely be me!'
Recalling in his mind the statement he had made to that orange-haired player from Yukigaoka.
His desire to win was unprecedentedly strong.
'I won't fall here.'
'Whether it's the first set or the second set!'
'I will take them all!'
******
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