Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium - Center Court.
The Interhigh Finals.
The atmosphere was different from the Quarterfinals and Semifinals. There were no other whistles blowing in the background. No stray balls rolling from adjacent courts.
There was only the orange court, the blinding lights, and thousands of people watching.
Nekoma High (Tokyo) vs. Itachiyama Institute (Tokyo).
On one side, the Cats. On the other, the Weasels.
Ryuu stood at the net during warm-ups. He stretched his arms high, his joints popping audibly.
"It's bright," Ryuu noted, squinting at the lights. "And loud. Why are there so many people? Don't they have jobs?"
"It's Sunday, genius," Kuroo said, jogging past him. "And this is the National Final. Smile for the cameras."
Ryuu looked at the press section.
"I don't smile for free," Ryuu grumbled.
Across the net, Itachiyama was warming up. They moved with military precision. No shouting. No wasted movement.
Sakusa Kiyoomi was spiking.
Snap.
The sound of his hand hitting the ball was sharp, like a whip crack. The ball curved wickedly and slammed into the corner.
He landed, checked his landing spot, and walked back without a word.
"He looks miserable," Ryuu observed. "Does he hate volleyball? Or just existence?"
"He hates germs," Kai said calmly. "And losing."
________________
The captains met at the net. Kuroo Tetsurou vs. Iizuna Tsukasa.
Iizuna was a third-year setter, the recipient of the Best Setter award last year. He had a bandage over his nose and an aura of absolute stability.
"Heads," Kuroo called.
It was tails.
"We'll take the serve," Iizuna said politely.
They shook hands. Kuroo walked back.
"They took serve," Kuroo announced. "They want to strike first."
Set 1 Start.
Score: 0 - 0.
The starting lineups were announced.
Nekoma:
S: Kozume Kenma (#5)
WS: Gojou Ryuu (#10) - The Red Giant
MB: Kuroo Tetsurou (#1)
WS: Yamamoto Taketora (#4)
WS: Nobuyuki Kai (#2)
L: Yaku Morisuke (#3)
Itachiyama:
S: Iizuna Tsukasa (#1)
WS: Sakusa Kiyoomi (#10) - Top 3 Ace
L: Komori Motoya (#13) - #1 Libero
(Generic strong players filling the rest).
The referee blew the whistle.
Iizuna Tsukasa, the Best Setter in the nation, stood at the service line. He served a fast jump serve aimed at the seam between Kai and Yaku.
Kai moved efficiently. He didn't panic. He took the ball on his chest.
"Up!"
The pass was slightly off, drifting toward the 3-meter line.
"Kenma!"
Ryuu was in the front-left. He started his approach immediately, stomping the floor.
'First point. Establish dominance.'
"Give it to me!" Ryuu roared.
Kenma set a high ball to the left.
Ryuu jumped.
The Itachiyama block formed. Two blockers. They were disciplined, sealing the line.
In the back row, Komori Motoya, the Number 1 Libero, shifted. He was ready for the cross.
Ryuu saw the defense.
'You think you can dig me, eyebrows?'
Ryuu didn't aim for a gap. He aimed for the floor. He swung with maximum violence.
KABOOM.
The ball blasted past the block.
Komori reacted. He was fast. He got his platform in position perfectly.
BAM.
The ball hit Komori's arms. But the velocity was too high to control on the first touch. The ball exploded off his forearms and flew straight backward into the advertisement boards with a loud CLANG.
Nekoma 1 - 0.
Ryuu landed. He looked at Komori, who was shaking his arms out with a surprised smile.
"Heavy!" Komori laughed, looking at his red forearms. "Sakusa-kun, he hits harder than you! That actually hurt!"
Ryuu smirked, adjusting his collar.
"Number 1 Libero?" Ryuu muttered loud enough to be heard. "You're gonna need stronger arms than that."
____
Nekoma served. Kuroo hit a floater.
Komori stepped in and passed it beautifully. "Center!"
Iizuna set to the left. To Sakusa.
Ryuu and Kuroo formed the "Iron Wall."
Sakusa approached. His run-up was smooth, almost unreadable.
He jumped.
Ryuu saw Sakusa's arm swing. 'He's hitting straight.' Ryuu sealed the line.
But at the moment of impact, Sakusa's wrist bent inward unnaturally.
WHIP.
The ball curved around Ryuu's outside arm. It didn't go straight; it hooked inside.
THUD.
It landed in front of Yaku, spinning wildly.
Itachiyama 1 - 1.
Yaku stared at the ball. "It moved. It swerved mid-air."
Sakusa landed. He pulled his jersey over his nose immediately. He stared at Ryuu with dead, black eyes.
"You leave too many gaps," Sakusa said, his voice muffled but clear. "Messy."
Ryuu twitched.
_____________
Itachiyama served. Yaku received.
"Kenma! Tora!"
Kenma set to Yamamoto on the right.
Yamamoto smashed a cross shot. It was a good hit, powerful and fast.
But Komori was there.
He didn't dive. He didn't scramble. He took one step to the left and dug it with an overhand pass.
POP.
"Easy," Komori said.
"Counter!"
Iizuna set to the middle. Their middle blocker hit a quick.
Fukunaga tried to receive it, but the timing was perfect.
BOOM.
Itachiyama scored.
Itachiyama 2 - 1.
"Damn it!" Yamamoto yelled. "Why didn't that go down?!"
"Because that libero is annoying," Ryuu said, watching Komori high-five his team. "He reads the play before it happens. He's like a psychic."
_________________
Score: 3 - 3.
The game settled into a rhythm. A very high-level, suffocating rhythm.
Ryuu scored a point by wiping off the block. (Nekoma 2-2).
Kai scored with a feint to the corner. (Nekoma 3-2).
Sakusa scored a point by hitting a nasty wipe off Ryuu's hand. (Itachiyama 3-3).
Itachiyama served. Kai received.
"Kenma!"
Ryuu called for the ball.
"Bring it!"
Kenma set to Ryuu.
Three blockers. Itachiyama wasn't underestimating him anymore. They bunched up.
Ryuu jumped.
'Crowded.'
He saw Komori waiting deep cross. He saw the line sealed.
Ryuu spotted a small gap between the blocker's hands and the net.
He pushed the ball. A controlled power tip.
The ball hit the net tape, rolled over, and dropped.
Nekoma 4 - 3.
Ryuu landed.
"Calculated," Ryuu said.
Sakusa looked at the net. "Lucky."
"Luck is a skill, Weasel."
_______
Score: Itachiyama 6 - 5.
Sakusa rotated to the front row again.
Iizuna set to Sakusa.
Ryuu blocked.
Sakusa jumped. He hit a wipe off Ryuu's arm.
GRRRT.
The sound was distinct. The spin on Sakusa's ball was so heavy it literally ground against Ryuu's skin before flying off.
The ball flew into the stands.
Itachiyama 7 - 5.
Ryuu looked at his forearm. It was red and irritated, like a rug burn.
"His spin is annoying," Ryuu complained to Kuroo. "It feels like sandpaper. Does he wrap the ball in grit?"
"It's the wrist snap," Kuroo said, looking serious. "He adds so much rotation that if you don't kill-block it perfectly, it spins out of control."
_____
Score: Itachiyama 9 - 7.
Itachiyama was slowly pulling ahead. They were just... clean. They didn't make mistakes.
Kenma noticed Komori cheating toward Ryuu.
"They're watching you too closely," Kenma whispered to Ryuu. "Be loud."
Ryuu grinned. "With pleasure."
___
Nekoma received.
Ryuu took a massive, stomping approach. He swung his arms wide.
"KENMA! OPEN!" Ryuu screamed, drawing every eye in the stadium.
Komori shifted. The blockers hesitated, leaning toward the left.
Kenma set a back-set to the right. To Kai.
The quiet Vice-Captain was unmarked.
Kai jumped. He hit a clean, sharp straight shot.
BAM.
It landed perfectly in the corner.
Nekoma 8 - 9.
"Nice kill, Kai-san!" Ryuu shouted.
Kai smiled gently. "You make a very good distraction, Ryuu."
Ryuu looked at the Itachiyama blockers.
"You guys are jumpy," Ryuu taunted. "Scared of the big bad wolf? Don't forget the other cats bite too."
Iizuna frowned. "Focus. Don't let him disrupt the formation."
______________
Score: Itachiyama 11 - 10.
The game was tight. Every point was a war.
Ryuu was sweating. Sakusa looked fresh, though he kept sanitizing his hands during timeouts.
Ryuu looked at the scoreboard.
"They aren't doing anything special," Ryuu muttered to Kenma. "They just... don't mess up."
"That's why they are the favorites," Kenma said. "They are the standard."
Ryuu cracked his knuckles.
"The standard is boring," Ryuu said. "Let's introduce some chaos."
____
Kenma set to Ryuu.
Ryuu jumped.
Sakusa blocked him solo (transition play).
Ryuu swung.
Sakusa didn't try to kill it. He funnelled it to Komori.
'He's funneling me.'
Ryuu twisted his wrist mid-swing. He didn't hit cross or line. He hit a Cut Shot straight down, almost parallel to the net.
BOOM.
The ball landed inside the 3-meter line, far away from Komori.
Nekoma 11 - 11.
Ryuu landed. He looked at Sakusa.
"You can't funnel what you can't touch," Ryuu grinned.
Sakusa's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Filthy angle," Sakusa muttered.
"I aim to displease."
The first set was far from over. The mud fight was just beginning.