Chapter 33: Aoba Johsai vs. Shiratorizawa 2
Ushijima Wakatoshi landed on the ground, looking across the net at Kaedehara Taiichi.
Though he said nothing, Taiichi read the doubt in his eyes: Why can you only jump that high? Why call yourself Aoba Johsai's ace when you're so weak?
"Don't bully my first-year, Ushi," Oikawa Tooru interjected timely, then turned to Taiichi. "Hey, Taiichi, if you want to be the ace, don't get intimidated."
"Of course not," Taiichi replied calmly, having anticipated Ushijima's strength.
But now, it's my turn.
Shiratorizawa's serve. Kawanishi Taichi stood at the service line, targeting Taiichi, and swiftly sent the ball over.
No jump—a float serve!
Taiichi instantly identified the serve type but lacked experience with floaters. He raised his hands, preparing to receive overhand.
Good thing it's not a jump floater; the variation isn't too wild.
"Taiichi! Step forward!" Watari Shinji shouted from the back row.
Taiichi instinctively took a small step forward, just as the floating ball suddenly lost momentum and dropped!
Too late. Taiichi switched to an underhand receive, barely getting the ball up.
"Sorry!" Taiichi called out as the ball drifted toward Shiratorizawa's side.
Ohira Reon waited under the net, seeing the ball come over, and jumped to spike it back.
"No way I'll let you!" Oikawa jumped in time, back to the net, and slapped the ball single-handedly to the net's right side.
"Kunimi! Smash it!"
Kunimi Akira quickly leaped and spiked the ball down.
Aoba Johsai scored.
[Aoba Johsai 1 vs. 1 Shiratorizawa]
That was close. Thanks to Oikawa, the ball didn't sail to Shiratorizawa's side, and he turned Taiichi's receiving error into an attack, converting a potential lost point into a score.
Taiichi exhaled. "Thanks, Oikawa-senpai."
Aoba Johsai's serve. Kunimi Akira gently sent the ball over.
Kawanishi Taichi received it steadily. Shirabu adjusted his position, setting the ball high again.
Ushijima Wakatoshi, as steady as ever, charged, jumped, and spiked!
"Triple block!" This time, Hanamaki Takahiro, Oikawa Tooru, and Kaedehara Taiichi stood at the net.
Ushijima's spike height couldn't clear Hanamaki and Oikawa's block, but he neither forced through the block nor aimed a cross shot past Taiichi.
Instead, he targeted the line left exposed on Hanamaki's right, spiking straight down. Waiting there was Aoba Johsai's libero—Watari Shinji.
Bang!
Taiichi, landing, glanced over. The ball was up! The spike that even Nishinoya Yuu needed three tries to handle—Watari received it.
"Taiichi! Why are you spacing out?" Oikawa, seeing Taiichi freeze, set the ball to Iwaizumi Hajime in the backcourt spike.
Goshiki Tsutomu received it, and Shirabu sent the ball to Tendou Satori on the other side.
Taiichi, now alert, rushed to block.
"Single touch!"
The moment after blocking Tendou's spike, Taiichi dashed to the net's far right.
Kunimi in the back set to Oikawa's overhead position, while Taiichi had already jumped on the right!
"What's he doing?" Shiratorizawa's players tracked the ball's trajectory.
Oikawa jumped, setting the ball, in a straight line to Taiichi's front.
Bang!
Shiratorizawa's front row hadn't even jumped before the ball landed in their court.
"Freak attack—Aoba Johsai version" succeeded!
Kaedehara scored with Taiichi's spike.
[Aoba Johsaiichi 2 vs. 1 Shiratorizawa]
"Ohh-la-la, is this Aoba's new weapon?" Tendou Satori eyed Taiichi with interest.
Goshiki's gaze on Taiichi grew fiercer.
Ushikima, however, showed no surprise, his expression unchanged.
Is speed your only asset as an ace? Taiichi read this in Ushijima's eyes.
"Nice spike, Taiichi! But you should've gone for that after the block," Oikawa said.
Taiichi, a bit sheepishly, said, "I didn't expect Watari-senpai to receive that ball. The first one looked too insane."
"What are you thinking? We've faced Shiratorizawa for two years. Don't let Watari's quietness fool you—nobody in Miyagi handles Ushi's spikes better."
That said, spikes of that force can't all be received.
Even with himself, only two on the team could somewhat handle Ushijima's spikes over the past two years.
Oikawa looked at Taiichi. If you can't receive, no worries. No matter how many points they score, we'll score more.
Aoba Johsai continued serving.
Kunimi realized that without sharp serves, every ball to Ushijima would be a crisis for Aoba Johsai.
He aimed for the baseline behind Goshiki Tsutomu and Shirabu Kenjirou, sending the ball over, hoping to at least disrupt the setter.
The ball flew between Goshiki and Shirabu. Goshiki sidestepped right to receive, blocking Shirabu's path.
"Out!" Shirabu shouted, yanking Goshiki's jersey from behind.
Goshiki hesitated briefly but trusted his senior, shifting to clear the path.
The ball landed just outside Shiratorizawa's baseline. Kunimi's serve went out.
[Aoba Johsai 2 vs. 2 Shiratorizawa]
"Damn it," Kunimi gritted his teeth. "Sorry."
"No worries, great serve! Keep the aggression next ball!" Iwaizumi Hajime reassured.
"Yes!"
Shiratorizawa's serve. Whispers rippled through the stands as Ushijima Wakatoshi slowly walked to the service line.
"Don't be so tense. Little Ushi's serves aren't as good as mine," Oikawa teased, boosting his team.
Taiichi glanced at Oikawa, startled to see his serve stat had hit 97. Indeed, while Ushijima's serves packed more power, they lacked Oikawa's freakish control.
Pre-match data showed Ushijima's serve scoring rate was lower than Oikawa's.
Plus, Shiratorizawa's lineup was as Aoba Johsai predicted. With Watari Shinji, Iwaizumi Hajime, and Kunimi Akira in the back row, it was their best receiving formation.
Taiichi relaxed.
Bang!!
The ball smashed into the court just behind Taiichi, the impact like thunder, startling him.
What relaxation?!
Ushijima Wakatoshi scored with his serve!
[Aoba Johsai 2 vs. 3 Shiratorizawa]