[To all our viewers in the stadium and those watching from home, welcome to the third round of the Spring High School Volleyball Nationals, year XXXX!]
[Yes, that's right, it's me again, your old friend, Oda, here to commentate!]
[And today's match is one that fans have been eagerly waiting for: the face-off between Aoba Johsai High, one of the last Interhigh's Top 8, and Inarizaki High, the reigning runners-up from the Interhigh!]
[Now, I know many of you are already well-acquainted with the rosters of both teams, but as a commentator, it's my job to give everyone a proper introduction.]
[First up, wearing white uniforms, we have Aoba Johsai High School. Leading the lineup is team captain and setter, player #1, Oikawa Tooru.]
[Right behind him is player #8, the team's ace, Akashi Asuka!]
[Then we have player #4, Hajime Iwaizumi, and player #12, Yutaro Kindaichi…]
[On the other side of the net, wearing black uniforms, is Inarizaki High.]
[Their captain, player #1, is Shinsuke Kita.]
[Following him is player #7, setter Miya Atsumu, and player #11, outside hitter Miya Osamu…]
[Then there's player #4, Aran Ojiro, and middle blocker Rintarou Suna, wearing jersey #10…]
[Now, among all these elite athletes, the ones to watch are undoubtedly the setters and the aces on both sides.]
[Inarizaki's setter, Miya Atsumu, is currently hailed as the top high school setter in the country, while Oikawa Tooru from Aoba Johsai is widely considered to be among the top five.]
[As for the aces, Akashi Asuka and Aran Ojiro, they're both ranked among Japan's top six attackers.]
[If we go by rankings alone, it may seem like Aoba Johsai is at a slight disadvantage compared to Inarizaki…]
The commentator's passionate voice echoed throughout the stadium.
On the court, just as Oikawa Tooru stepped into position, he suddenly froze mid-step, as if sensing something, and sharply turned his head to glance across the net.
At the same time, a blond-haired boy on the opposing side looked in his direction.
Their eyes locked.
In that instant, it felt as if invisible sparks shot between them,
Neither moved, frozen like statues locked in a silent clash of wills.
WHACK!
A fist came crashing down on Oikawa's head, courtesy of Iwaizumi.
"What the hell are you spacing out for, dumbass?" Iwaizumi growled.
"Ah... I'm not really sure," Oikawa muttered, rubbing his head. "But there's just something about that guy... I get this super annoying vibe from him."
WHACK!
Another punch. Iwaizumi snarled, "Idiot. Since when have you not found someone annoying?"
"Fair point..."
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Meanwhile, on the Inarizaki side of the court,
The blond-haired boy, Miya Atsumu, stood still as his twin brother, Osamu, identical in everything but hair color, walked up beside him.
"What were you staring at just now, Atsumu?"
"Nothing much. Just that #1 from Aoba Johsai… for some reason, he really ticks me off."
"Heh. You've got a whole list of people that tick you off. One more won't kill you."
"Shut it, Osamu! Don't ruin my moment like that!"
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BEEP!
"Teams, bow!"
"Let's play our best!"
"Let's play our best!"
With the referee's whistle, the match officially began.
Inarizaki would serve first.
For average high school teams, the receiving side often has the advantage, since it's easier to set up an attack. But at the elite national level, the serve can be a powerful weapon, an opportunity to seize momentum right from the start.
Stepping up to serve was Miya Osamu, one half of the famous twin duo.
"Even though they play different positions, in terms of pure skill, Osamu isn't far behind Atsumu," Iwaizumi remarked from the back row.
Naturally, Aoba Johsai had studied Inarizaki thoroughly before this match. As the runners-up from the Summer Nationals, they were a team worth dissecting.
Inarizaki's most talked-about stars?
The Miya twins, Atsumu and Osamu.
And, of course, Aran Ojiro, the ace ranked among the top six in the nation.
The Miya twins were especially famous for their so-called "telepathic" coordination. Their synchronicity had become a defining trait of Inarizaki's offense.
But that often led people to forget a key fact, each twin, individually, was a powerhouse in his own right.
"Let's go, Inarizaki! Let's go, Osamu!"
As Osamu stepped into the service zone, the Inarizaki cheer section exploded in unison.
This wasn't just your usual school cheering, this was a full-on musical performance, with booming, orchestrated beats that shook the stadium.
"Whoa! I'd heard that Inarizaki's cheer squad was intense, but this is next-level!"
"Focus. The serve's coming."
BOOM!
Right on cue, Osamu launched a powerful jump serve.
The volleyball whistled through the air like a missile, targeting the space between Iwaizumi and Watari Shinji in the back row.
"Dang! Starting off this fierce?"
Osamu's aggressive opener startled Watari, but his reflexes were sharp. Like a bolt of lightning, he dashed forward, positioning himself precisely where the ball was headed.
SMACK!
He received it cleanly, but as the ball shot upward, something was clearly off.
"Crap, too much force!"
The first serve receive against a new opponent is always the trickiest. Without prior familiarity, it's hard to gauge spin, speed, or intent. Even if you manage to catch the trajectory, that doesn't guarantee a smooth pass.
This was one of those cases.
Osamu's serve had zeroed in on the gap between Watari and Iwaizumi. The placement was razor-sharp, and the ball speed was brutal.
Despite this, the pair managed to predict and reach the target thanks to the teamwork they'd honed during their joint training with pro teams.
But Watari, unable to gauge the perfect soft touch on the first try, ended up overcompensating. The ball popped straight back over the net—
—and into Inarizaki's court.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria