"That Kageyama Tobio—he's Oikawa-senpai's junior, right?" Kawanishi Taichi asked Tendō Satori during the timeout.

"Yup, that's right. Why do you ask?"

"I feel like the sets he's giving Karasuno's #10 are a bit...strange. It's almost as if the ball stops mid-air for just a moment," Kawanishi said hesitantly. "Maybe I'm just imagining it. Oikawa-senpai never set balls like that during training camp."

"Nonono!" Tendō wiggled his finger with a playful grin. "Kageyama Tobio and Oikawa Tōru are completely different players. Just because Oikawa couldn't do something doesn't mean Kageyama can't."

Tendō continued, "I had a similar feeling earlier, but since you were the one blocking the tiny guy, you'd have seen it more clearly than me."

"But if that's the case, even you wouldn't be able to block that kind of spike on your own, would you, Tendō-senpai?" Kawanishi asked bluntly.

"Uhhh…" Tendō scratched his head, deep in thought.

Watching Tendō struggle for an answer, Kawanishi thought to himself, Maybe I shouldn't have said anything.

"Kawanishi!" Tendō suddenly called out, his voice loud and sharp.

Startled, Kawanishi turned to look at him, unsure why his name had been shouted.

"Have a little more confidence in yourself! You're stronger than you think!" Tendō said, gesturing wildly.

There it was again—Tendō-senpai's habit of blurting out incomprehensible comments. Kawanishi nodded half-heartedly and stepped aside.

"And you're Taichi too, aren't you? At least when it comes to blocking, don't lose to him!"

Kawanishi paused mid-step. Maybe Tendō was the only one in Shiratorizawa who noticed that beneath his aloof exterior, Kawanishi cared deeply.

"And by the way, I'm in perfect form today!" Tendō beamed, holding up both hands in a "V" gesture, his grin as cheerful as ever.

-----

"Azumane, shift your position back a little. Nishinoya and Sawamura, widen your coverage for receiving," Ukai Keishin instructed, revising Karasuno's defensive strategy against Ushijima Wakatoshi's serves. "Sawamura, we'll need to rely on you more in defence."

"Got it!"

"As for Ushijima's spikes—even if he spikes over the block, we're not changing our strategy. He can't possibly deliver at that level every single time."

"We need to make him feel the presence of Karasuno's blockers. Seal off his cross-court angles; leave the straight shots to our guardian deity!" Ukai's gaze landed on Nishinoya Yū. "Once again, the burden falls on you. Can you handle it?"

"Of course!" Nishinoya gave a thumbs-up, pointing confidently at himself. "I'm the shield of Karasuno!"

"Good! Maintain our aggression. No matter how we fare in defence, I want you all to give it everything you've got in attack!"

"Yes, coach!"

-----

The timeout ended, and the game resumed.

Ushijima's serving rhythm seemed slightly disrupted—his serve hit the net.

[Karasuno 2 – 4 Shiratorizawa]

"Hmph," Oikawa Tōru smirked proudly as he watched from the stands. Lately, his own serve timing had become immune to interruptions like timeouts.

The serve rotated, and Hinata Shōyō stepped up to the service line.

Bang!

A simple overhand serve—not even a jump serve.

"Chance ball!"

With Ushijima and Hinata both in the back row, Shiratorizawa still had the offensive advantage.

Yamagata Hayato received the serve cleanly, sending the first touch perfectly to the setter.

Kawanishi Taichi jumped for a quick attack.@@novelbin@@

"Double block!"

Tsukishima Kei and Kageyama Tobio rose to meet him at the net.

But Kawanishi feinted, sending the ball toward the left wing instead. Ōhira Reon finished the play with a powerful spike, scoring for Shiratorizawa.

[Karasuno 2 – 5 Shiratorizawa]

"Sorry!" Kageyama shouted.

He hadn't read the play correctly—or rather, he had been too focused on the middle blocker's quick attack and underestimated the opponent.

From Aoba Johsai's and Shiratorizawa's game footage, #12 Kawanishi had seemed like an ordinary player.

On the sideline, Tendō Satori cheered enthusiastically for Kawanishi, whose expression remained calm.

Only the slight twitch of his eyebrow hinted at the satisfaction he felt inside.

-----

The match remained tense, with Ushijima Wakatoshi rotating to the back row, giving Karasuno some breathing room.

Tanaka Ryūnosuke landed two consecutive sharp cross-court spikes, forcing Shiratorizawa's defence to shift toward him. Taking advantage of this, Tsukishima Kei executed a well-timed high-point spike, catching Shiratorizawa off guard and securing a point for Karasuno.

On the other side, Shiratorizawa kept the pressure on with Kawanishi Taichi's quick attacks and Ushijima's back-row spikes, which continued to pose a significant threat despite his position.

The score climbed to [Karasuno 7 – 10 Shiratorizawa].

Shirabu Kenjirō stepped up to serve. He had spent his summer training intensively to improve his serves.

A sharp jump float serve darted into Karasuno's court, the trajectory unpredictable.

Smack!

Nishinoya Yū took a decisive step forward and cleanly received the serve. His movements had become more refined since the match against Aoba Johsai, where he realized how much room he still had to grow.

Before the arrival of the first-years, Karasuno had been like warm water—gradually dulling the edge of someone who had once been the best libero in junior high.

But never underestimate the growth of a prodigy. Sometimes, their transformation happens in an instant.

Nishinoya's perfect receive sent the ball soaring into Kageyama Tobio's set zone.

Although Hinata Shōyō had learned a lot during training camp, nothing gave him the same thrill as the super quick attack.

In the next moment, Hinata leapt toward the net. Across the court, the only one quick enough to react was Tendō Satori.

Unlike the first quick attack, which had caught him off guard, Hinata now had the composure to analyze Shiratorizawa's defence mid-air.

—Whoosh!

The ball came perfectly into Hinata's strike zone. Locking onto the opening in the block, he swung decisively.

Bang!

Thwack!

Hinata's pupils constricted as familiar hands suddenly closed off the once-clear path. Tendō Satori's mischievous grin loomed larger in his vision.

The ball ricocheted off Tendō's hands and landed back in Karasuno's court.

[Karasuno 7 – 11 Shiratorizawa].

Why?

For the first time, Hinata encountered a situation like this. Unlike the initial super quick attack, the improved version—where he controlled the direction—was specifically designed to bypass blockers.

In fact, previous opponents had only ever managed to adjust their defence in the backcourt to compensate for the quick attack. None had ever blocked it so precisely, as if they knew exactly where the ball was going.

On the sidelines, Kawanishi Taichi was equally stunned. Tendō-senpai had actually done it—he had blocked a quick attack that Kawanishi himself thought was unstoppable.

At this moment, Kawanishi and Hinata shared the same confusion.

"It's the eyes," a voice said from beside him—it was Semi Eita.

"As a setter, you're extremely sensitive to the direction someone is looking. A skilled setter can even manipulate the opponent's blockers or receivers just with their gaze."

"That little guy's intention to avoid the block was clear as day. Tendō intentionally left an open path for him, and the moment he committed to spiking there, Tendō sealed the deal."

Kawanishi mulled over Semi's explanation and, realizing he had stopped mid-thought, quickly thanked him.

Semi waved him off. "Save your thanks for Tendō. He pulled off that block specifically to show you something."

Kawanishi looked back at the court. Tendō was laughing heartily, his hands forming gun shapes, which he held above his head and pointed toward Kawanishi in a mock salute.

Why?

Kawanishi had always seen Tendō as an eccentric who marched to the beat of his own drum, albeit a kind one.

Semi sighed softly. "Your blocking combines Tendō's style with Aone's from Date Tech, doesn't it? Among the second-years, you're one of the most talented blockers we've got."

"Every match we play from now on could be our last as third-years. Shiratorizawa's future will depend on you."

"And, even if it doesn't show, the ones who care about you guys the most are Tendō and Ushijima."

"Even Ushijima-senpai?" Kawanishi was genuinely surprised.

"You'll see someday. Though I hope that day doesn't come too soon."

Semi smiled, but there was a faint trace of melancholy in his expression.

_________

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