Tachibana Red Falcons—one of last season's Final Four teams.
Considering the other three were AD, Black Jackals, and EJP, it was clear that this team's strength was anything but ordinary.
The Red Falcons' height advantage stood out even in the V1 League. Even if placed among global club teams, their average height ranked comfortably above average. But that didn't an the Red Falcons were on par with world-class teams. In fact, their flaws were quite glaring.
Height alone wasn't enough.
With that advantage, Tachibana Red Falcons had enough firepower in spiking and blocking to rival most opponents. However, when it ca to coordinated offence and reception, they were arguably worse off than DH before Kaedehara Taichi even joined the team.
DH had gone into the match fully aware of this.
-----
DH to serve.
Yoshii Hiyu launched a powerful jump serve, targeting Tachibana's setter—Akutagawa Jirō.
Smack!
Akutagawa was forced to receive the ball.
Normally, when a team lacked a strong organiser, they would have other players shield the setter during serve receive. But the Red Falcons couldn't manage that. Their receiving formation was fundantally flawed. Even with four-man receptions being their default against most serves, they simply didn't have the capacity to protect their setter.
Thankfully, Ulrich barely managed to double as a secondary setter.
Fwoosh—!
The ball sailed toward the left wing. Hakuba Gao leapt up for a spike.
BOOM!!
Smack!
"Touch!" Kaedehara Taichi shouted.
After Ulrich set the ball up front, only Hakuba and Aran Ojiro remained available for front-row attacks. Against most teams, that would've been enough—but not against DH. Not with Taichi in the front row.
"Chance ball!" Yoshii Hiyu's perfect pass flew into the air.
Iizuna Tsukasa leapt up to set from the front row.
"Watch for a second touch!"
Ulrich stayed on high alert, eyes locked on Iizuna, reading his body language carefully. The mont Iizuna's gaze dipped, Ulrich sprang to the net to block.
Fwoosh—!
Unlike Kaedehara Taichi, Iizuna wasn't the type to pull out flashy or unpredictable plays. He preferred the safest options.
Just like now—he arced a perfect parabola across the net, sending the ball toward the far left.
Kaedehara Taichi jumped for the spike!
"Double block!" Hakuba and Ulrich (thanks to the slow tempo of the set) both got into position and jumped.
"It's a tip!"
Adam Schmidt reacted instantly. The angle of Taichi's swing was too shallow, and the speed was too low—it was clearly a tip!
He lunged forward to cover.
Tap!
It was indeed a tip—but the landing zone was aid right at the deep corner of the Red Falcons' court.
"I can get it!"
Akutagawa sprinted from midcourt to the deep left corner, diving at full stretch and managing to get a hand under the ball.
Smack!
"—?!"
Who the hell puts spin on a tip ball?!
The ball struck the back of his hand and sharply ricocheted out of bounds.
"Idiot! That spike form was obviously bait! When has Taichi ever made such an obvious mistake?" Miya Atsumu shouted from the sidelines, practically fuming. He desperately wished he were the one on court right now.
Sakusa Kiyoomi gave him a sidelong glance. "And? The key was the side spin on the tip. You think you could've dug that up?"
"..."
Atsumu figured he'd rather talk to the erratic Bokuto than continue this emotionally damaging conversation with Sakusa.
Bokuto Kōtarō, anwhile, was staring intently at the screen, a rare mont of seriousness on his face.
After a pause, Atsumu thought it'd be best not to provoke either of them.
"So cool!" Bokuto suddenly shouted. "I'm totally using that move in our next match!"
—"No!" Atsumu and Sakusa shouted at the sa ti.
"Eh? Why not?" Bokuto blinked, confused.
"Because odds are you'll just ss it up…" Atsumu muttered. Black Jackals had already swept VC Kanagawa 3–0 yesterday, which ant their next opponent was almost certainly going to be AD. If anyone thought they could score with a simple tip against that team, they'd be lucky to succeed even once in ten tries.
"Omi-Omi, can I really not use that move?" Bokuto asked eagerly.
"Tch. Whatever." Sakusa gave up on explaining. Too many experiences had already proven that Bokuto Kōtarō was an unstoppable force of chaos.
"Don't give up so fast, dammit!" Miya groaned in frustration.
-----
[DH 12 – 11 Red Falcons]
DH continued serving. Yoshii Hiyu launched his second serve.
Once again, it was Akutagawa Jirō who received the ball, and Ulrich initiated the offence. But this ti, Tachibana Red Falcons launched a three-man attack!
The front-row duo—Hakuba Gao and Ojiro Aran—remained in position, but now Adam Schmidt joined in from the back row.
DH's blockers spread out to cover all angles. Ulrich sent the set toward the right wing.
Across the net, Ojiro Aran faced off against Iizuna Tsukasa. They had been old rivals in high school—"the strongest challengers, Inarizaki," versus "the reigning kings, Itachiyama." Now, both were just echoes of a past era.
BOOM!!!
The spike tore past Iizuna's left side and slamd down right on DH's three-ter line.
A vicious, sharp-angled shot at close range.
Aran Ojiro scored!
[DH 12 – 12 Red Falcons]
Miya Atsumu glanced sideways at Sakusa Kiyoomi, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Idiot," Sakusa replied, blunt as ever.
Serve change. Tachibana Red Falcons to serve.
Ojiro Aran's serving form was…honestly kind of awkward. But the power behind it? Undeniable.
BOOM!!—
The ball spun violently with heavy sidespin and rocketed toward DH's backcourt.
"I got it!"
Smack!
The ball struck Kubo Wataru's arm and bounced high into the air.
Iizuna Tsukasa quickly moved to cover, delivering a steady set to the left wing.
Thump!
Kaedehara Taichi launched himself into the air.
"Triple block!"
Aran's serve had given the Red Falcons ample ti to set up a proper block. Adam Schmidt, Gao Hakuba, and Ulrich ca together to form a wall of iron.
"The real deal, huh? Alright then—bring it on."
Kaedehara Taichi stretched his body to its full extent, his waist powering the motion as his right arm swung back. His legs lifted behind him, forming a stable aerial posture.
"He's doing it again…"
On the sidelines, Hondo Sakuma's expression darkened. His sharp gaze locked onto Kaedehara Taichi.
There was sothing unnatural about the way Taichi hung in the air during his spikes—almost as if ti itself stalled for just a split second. It was eerie…like he had broken free from gravity's grasp.
And in that fleeting mont, he gained sothing precious: ti. Ti to choose, to adjust his swing angle, alter his power, or scan the defence for gaps—with complete control.
—BOOM!!!
The spike blasted over Adam Schmidt's block and slamd into the Red Falcons' backcourt.
Kaedehara Taichi scored!
[DH 13 – 12 Red Falcons]
"Hey, old man," Taichi turned toward Adam Schmidt with what he thought was a very friendly smile, "Welco to the playoffs."
_________
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