It took a while, but finally, Yuki and Riku started to get used to their strength disadvantage against their current opponent. Although they hadn't scored even once yet and were already three points behind, the two of them still showed no signs of worry, as if they had anticipated this situation.
"So, how is it?" Riku asked after they lost yet another point.
"I swear, if I couldn't see who we were playing against, I would think Nitta from Kyoei Gakuen was here," Yuki replied, rubbing his red, bruised forearms. Fortunately, his pain tolerance had improved, and the heavy spike couldn't knock him down like in the past. "He has no speed, though, so I'll be able to get the ball next. Don't worry about it."
Riku sighed in relief when he heard that. If he didn't know Yuki better, he would never allow his friend to keep receiving the ball after failing three tis in a row. However, having played with Yuki for three months, he understood what his friend was capable of. Since Yuki said he would be able to retrieve the ball next, Riku had no doubt he would deliver.
After a mont, the ga was about to restart. Yuki took a deep breath and asked Riku to move a bit forward to let him concentrate on receiving the ball by himself. When Tondo finally perford his usual jump serve, Yuki had no problem receiving the ball at all.
BAM!
"Oh! Nice save, Yuki!" Riku grinned.
Unlike before, this receive was perfect; it was neither too short nor too long, and it was not too close to the net. The ball flew straight above Riku, and the setter didn't have to move even a single step to pick it up. The first ti Yuki realized how perfect his save was, he didn't beco complacent and quickly regained his position. In a 2v2 ga, unless the ball was dead, there was no room for players to stop and think; otherwise, their teammates would have to do everything alone.
He rose from his spot and rushed toward one of the wings, circling behind Riku in an attempt to spread the opponent's players. Just as he expected, Miyahara, who was on the front line acting as a blocker, followed him, making it easier for Riku to spike the ball by himself.
BAM!
"YOSSHAAA!"
Both Yuki and Riku clenched their fists in unison and high-fived each other in celebration. At the sa ti, Tondo and Miyahara widened their eyes in surprise, not expecting their opponents to pull off sothing like this.
"Damn, we are getting fooled!" Miyahara cursed.
"Don't worry; it's just one point," Tondo tried to reassure his teammate. "It might just be luck. They won't be able to do that next ti." Little did he know that he was completely wrong about that.
"Hmm… Not bad…" Kawaki nodded, appreciating Riku's creative approach.
"Ha! This is nothing!" Sekine laughed. Then a wide grin suddenly split his face. "You'll see after this, Ryotaro, why I'm so confident in the glasses boy."
"Oh?" Kawaki arched one of his eyebrows slightly, intrigued. He had a basic idea of what Sekine ant. If the old man waited for a while until it was their turn to serve, it ant the glasses boy's ability was likely coming from the service line and was unique enough to impress Sekine—not just a powerful jump serve like the usual. "If this is sothing that could impress you, I cannot wait to see it directly."
Once everyone cald down, Kawaki signaled for Yuki to serve the ball. This was the agreent Yuki had made with Riku. Usually, it would be the blonde boy who served first to test how their opponents would react to a powerful serve. However, this ti, Yuki wanted to show off from the start, and fortunately, his friend agreed with his request.
'Okay, since the opponent only has two players, the serve-to-the-crowd trick cannot be used. So, let's aim for the corner spot and test their judgnt ability first.'
The mont Kawaki blew the whistle, Yuki tossed the ball slightly before sending it with a standard serve. For a mont, everything seed ordinary, and Kawaki couldn't help but feel disappointed. However, that feeling evaporated quickly when he saw the ball travel farther than he expected, veering towards the left back and threatening to fall close to the baseline.
'That spot is tricky. Without good eyes, it's impossible to judge whether the ball would go in or out of the court. Did he deliberately aim his serve at that spot?'
Tondo, who was near the ball, also noticed it and fell into hesitation. Just based on its trajectory, he guessed it would go out; however, it was so close to the line that he didn't dare to ignore it. Unfortunately for him, that millisecond of hesitation cost them the play; he was too late to react, and the ball landed straight on the baseline.
"Oh! Nice serve, Yuki!" Riku cheered when he saw Kawaki signal that the ball was still in play. "Your serve is as nasty as usual!"
Kawaki himself was impressed. However, he still didn't know whether it was a coincidence or if the serve reflected Yuki's abilities at the service line. Fortunately, he didn't have to wait too long, as in the next play, Yuki aid the ball straight at the sa spot as before.
"Don't underestimate , bastard!"
Tondo gritted his teeth, rushing quickly toward the ball. Even though the spot Yuki aid for was tricky, he managed to react, extending one arm to reach the ball. As a result, he saved it, but it cost him the chance to recover quickly, forcing Miyahara to execute the play by himself.
"Riku!"
"I got it!"
BAM!
As Miyahara spiked the ball, Riku also jumped at the sa ti, attempting to block it directly. Although he failed, Riku's attempt allowed Yuki to predict where Miyahara would attack. After recognizing it, he quickly moved to save the spike.
"Oh! Nice save, Yuki! Now, move!"
Yuki didn't need to be told twice. After receiving the ball, he sprang up imdiately and, without waiting for the opponent to recover and realize what he was doing, moved to the opposite wing once again. In an instant, the ball was already in front of him.
"Ha! Nice pass, Riku!" Read new chapters at empire
Without anyone forming a wall in front of him and with only two players on the other side of the net, Yuki saw many gaps waiting to be exploited. Without hesitation, he swung his right arm quickly, sending a spike to the opposite wing on the other side of the net.
BAM!
The ball bounced on the floor without either Tondo or Miyahara being able to receive it. Yuki panted heavily, adrenaline rushing through his veins. From serving to receiving the opponent's attack and ending the play with his spike, the sequence reminded him of how fun it was to play volleyball—sothing he hadn't felt since the ga against Konan.
A grin cracked on his face as he clenched his fist, inwardly thinking, 'This is why I play this ga!'
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