Score: 20 - 20.
Set 4.
The two rotations Ryuu asked for felt like two lifetimes.
Itachiyama Serve.
Iizuna served. It was a floater, drifting dangerously toward the sideline.
Yamamoto hesitated, then lunged. "Mine!"
He bumped it up, but it was tight to the net.
"Cover!"
Kuroo was there. He couldn't spike it. He barely managed to push it over with his knuckles before colliding with the net post.
"Chance ball!" Komori yelled.
Itachiyama countered. Iizuna set to the middle.
The Attack was fast.
Kuroo jumped. He was exhausted, his vertical inches lower than usual.
He couldn't kill it. He tried to soft block.
THUD.
The ball hit his hand and fell heavily onto the Nekoma side.
Itachiyama 21 - 20.
Kuroo landed, stumbling slightly. He put his hands on his knees, gasping for air, sweat dripping from his nose.
"Sorry," Kuroo wheezed. "Legs...were heavy."
Ryuu walked up to him. He slapped Kuroo's back—hard enough to leave a stinging red handprint.
"You held them," Ryuu said. His voice wasn't breathless anymore. It was deep, vibrating with restored energy. "Now move over, old man. My rotation."
____________
Score: 21 - 20 Itachiyama.
Ryuu rotated to the front-left. He stood opposite Sakusa.
Sakusa looked at him. He noticed the change immediately.
Ryuu wasn't slouching. His chest wasn't heaving. His golden eyes were wide, sharp, focusing like a camera lens.
'He rested,' Sakusa realized with a jolt of annoyance. 'While we were fighting in the mud, he was recharging.'
Rally at 21 - 20.
Itachiyama served. Kai received perfectly.
"Kenma!"
Kenma didn't look at the other attackers. He looked straight at Ryuu.
"Ryuu!"
The call was simple.
Ryuu began his approach.
Step. Step. PLANT.
He exploded off the floor. It wasn't the heavy, labored jump of the third set. It was fresh. He hung in the air, looking down at the Itachiyama block.
Sakusa and the Middle jumped. They were tired. Their timing was slightly off.
Ryuu saw the seam.
He didn't hit a trick shot. He didn't hit a cut.
He swung straight through the seam with maximum velocity.
KABOOM.
The ball hit the floor so hard it bounced up to the scoreboard.
Komori didn't even react. He just stood there, watching the blur.
Nekoma 21 - 21.
Ryuu landed. He rolled his neck. Crack.
He turned to the empty space above the net, arms wide.
"COME ON, BABY!" Ryuu roared, the sound vibrating in his own chest. "I'M BACK!"
Kenma, wiping sweat from his face with his jersey, hid a small, tired smile.
"So loud," Kenma muttered. "Finally."
__________
Score: 22 - 22.
The game shifted gears instantly. It wasn't a mud fight anymore. It was a shootout.
Sakusa answered immediately. He hit a nasty spin shot that ricocheted off Yaku's arm and flew into the stands. (22-21 Itachiyama).
Ryuu answered. He smashed a line shot past a late block, screaming as he hit it. (22-22).
It was Ace vs. Ace.
Nekoma served. Komori received.
"Sakusa!"
Sakusa approached. He was tired, but his will was iron.
He jumped. He saw Ryuu blocking.
'I'm not losing to you.'
Sakusa snapped his wrist. A sharp inner cross.
Ryuu saw it. He pressed his hands over.
THUD.
Block.
But Sakusa's spin was too heavy. The ball spun up and over Ryuu's hands, landing on the sideline.
Itachiyama 23 - 22.
Sakusa landed, glaring at Ryuu, chest heaving. "I'm not done either."
Ryuu grinned, wiping sweat from his chin. "Good! It would be boring if you were!"
Itachiyama was two points away from the Championship. The tension on the court was suffocating.
Iizuna served. Kai received.
"Kenma!"
Kenma set to Ryuu.
Ryuu smashed it cross-court.
Komori dug it. Of course he did.
"Counter!"
Iizuna set to the right. The Opposite hitter.
He had an open look. Kuroo was late closing the block.
The Opposite spiked. A clean kill shot to the deep corner.
The Itachiyama bench started to stand up, ready to celebrate match point.
But Yaku Morisuke was flying.
The Libero threw his body horizontally. He extended his right arm fully.
BAM.
The ball hit his fist inches from the floor.
"UP!" Yaku screamed, sliding across the wood.
The ball popped high.
"Nice dig, Yaku!"
"Kenma! Cover!"
Kenma was under it. He couldn't set a quick.
He set high to the left. To the Ace.
"Ryuu!"
Ryuu was waiting.
He saw the set. It was a bit far off the net. A difficult ball.
Three Itachiyama blockers were waiting. They knew it was going to him.
Ryuu jumped.
Ryuu swung his arm fast.
But he didn't hit the ball hard. He wiped it off the outside of Sakusa's hand.
Thack.
He brushed the ball against Sakusa's pinky finger.
The ball flew sideways, far out of bounds.
Nekoma 23 - 23.
"Block out!" The referee signaled.
Sakusa looked at his pinky. He looked at Ryuu.
"You..." Sakusa hissed, his eyes narrowing.
"Yeah, yeah," Ryuu waved him off with a grin, turning to walk away. "I know. I'm annoying."
________
Yamamoto served. A risky jump serve.
It clipped the net... and rolled over.
Komori dove. "Front!"
He saved it, but it was a free ball.
"Chance ball!" Kai yelled.
Kenma moved under it.
"Kenma!" Ryuu called, running fast.
"Kai!"
Kenma set the middle. Kuroo.
Kuroo was gassed, but he had enough for one more jump.
He hit a quick.
The Itachiyama middle touched it. "One touch!"
Komori scrambled. "Iizuna!"
Iizuna bumped it to Sakusa. A high ball.
The entire Nekoma defense shifted.
Sakusa jumped. He had three blockers on him.
He tried to hit a line shot.
But Ryuu was there. He had read the line.
He didn't block it. He funneled it.
The ball hit Ryuu's hand and slowed down.
Kai dug the deflection.
"Counter!"
"Kenma!"
Kenma set to Ryuu.
Ryuu was in transition. He took two steps and jumped.
It wasn't a perfect set. It was low.
Ryuu adjusted in mid-air. He contorted his body, crunching his abs.
He hit a Line Shot underneath the block.
WHAM.
The ball squeezed between the block and the antenna.
It hit the line.
Nekoma 24 - 23. Set Point.
Ryuu landed on his side, sliding a bit. He popped up instantly, adrenaline screaming in his veins.
"ONE MORE!" Ryuu roared, pointing at the ceiling. "GIVE ME ONE MORE!"
Nekoma Set Point.
One point to force a Tiebreaker.
Kai served.
Komori received. "Center!"
Iizuna set to Sakusa.
It had to be him.
Sakusa approached. He was frustrated. He was tired. He was dirty.
He jumped.
Ryuu and Kuroo blocked.
Sakusa saw the wall.
'I'll blast through.'
He swung with massive spin.
But Ryuu...
Ryuu didn't stiffen his hands. He kept his wrists loose.
BAM.
The ball hit Ryuu's block.
Instead of spinning out, Ryuu's soft hands absorbed the shock.
The ball lost its energy.
It dropped straight down.
It fell onto the Itachiyama court, right at Sakusa's feet as he landed.
Kill Block.
Game Set.
Nekoma Wins Set 4: 25 - 23.
Set Count: 2 - 2.
The whistle blew.
The roar of the crowd was deafening, but on the court, it was just the heavy breathing of the players.
Ryuu landed. He looked at his hands. He looked at Sakusa, who was staring at the ball at his feet in disbelief.
Ryuu turned to Kuroo, a massive, exhausted grin splitting his face.
"Soft hands!" Ryuu yelled, "I told you I could do it!"
Kuroo grabbed Ryuu's head and shook it violently. "YOU CRAZY BASTARD! WE'RE GOING TO SET 5!"
The teams walked off the court.
Itachiyama looked stunned. Nekoma looked like a pack of wild animals that refused to die.
Set 5.
15 Points.
The Crown was up for grabs.