After making a mistake comes the guilt—and a blow to your pride.
Originally, Daishō had assumed that Karasuno's coach wouldn't let him take the court, and Nohebi hadn't factored him into their strategy at all.
But what they didn't expect… was a pleasant surprise.
In that case, it was time to adjust the original plan.
———
Creak!
The referee's whistle blew!
Karasuno's rotation had completed.
Taking advantage of the brief pause before the serve, several of Nohebi's front row players gathered at the net, whispering among themselves:
"That bald guy doesn't seem to be able to hit line shots, huh?"
"Yeah! That's right!"
"Now that he's in the front row, we can finally score again!"
"Mhm..."
———
" What was That Punk??"
"What did you just say??"
Hearing this, Ryūnosuke Tanaka's expression darkened instantly.
All the pre-game warnings and reminders from the team vanished from his mind like smoke in the wind.
"Haha!"
On the sidelines, Keishin Ukai burst out laughing at the sight.
"I knew it!"
"No matter how much you drill it in before the game, someone's always going to take the bait!"
"Wait, this…"
Ittetsu Takeda looked stunned.
"Is this really okay?"
"Hahaha! Relax!"
Ukai clapped him on the shoulder, eyes gleaming with confidence.
"This is exactly why I let Tanaka play!"
"Maybe Nohebi thought provoking him was a good idea—what a mistake!"
"The more a hot-blooded guy like Tanaka gets provoked, the better he performs!!"
———
Smack!
Nohebi's back row fired off a swift float serve—but it was easily received by Yū Nishinoya!
Whoosh!
Kageyama jumped into position. In that instant, he noticed Nohebi's blockers had all shifted their focus—every single one of them had their eyes glued to Akira!
Without hesitation, Kageyama swung the ball to Tanaka on the opposite side.
Time to catch them off guard.
After all, Akira's stamina isn't infinite.
Even though Kageyama hadn't seen him slow down yet, he couldn't rely on him to carry every play.
There was still another match later today.
Even a workhorse needs rest eventually.
Sometimes, when the ace draws all the attention, giving the ball to someone else can yield an even greater effect.
That was a strategy Kageyama had learned from Keiji Akaashi during training camp.
Boom!
Tanaka leapt—and spotted an opening in Nohebi's formation.
The cross-court shot was wide open!
Smack!
He launched the spike straight into that gap!
But—what no one expected—just before the ball landed…
Several Nohebi players shifted their positions!
The gap was gone—sealed off completely.
It was a trap!
Smack!
Tanaka's spike was dug cleanly by Nohebi!
"Nice receive!"
Isumi Sakishima shouted.
Immediately, Nohebi transitioned into attack.
Tap!
Daishō executed a quick tip.
A second touch attack!
And not just any second touch—it was the captain's!
The ball soared in a sharp arc over the net, headed straight for Karasuno's court.
Daishō had chosen a painfully tricky position—one that none of the defenders had a chance of reaching in time!
"Out! Out! It's going out!"
All eyes tracked the ball anxiously.
Would it land inside… or outside?
Thud!
A soft landing sound.
The line judge lowered their small flag, pointing to the sideline.
In!
Creak!
Nohebi scored another point!
"YEAH!!"
"WHOOO!!"
Cheers erupted from the Nohebi side of the net.
"See? Told you! He can only hit cross-court!"
After the celebration, Daishō turned his head with a smirk, locking eyes with Tanaka across the net.
"Looks like he doesn't know how to go line at all."
"Let's keep pushing the score next point!"
"Huh?"
"You bastard!"
Tanaka clenched his fists, voice booming:
"Say that again if you dare!!"
But the outburst was a bit much—he earned a warning from the referee on the sideline.
"Calm down, Tanaka!"
From the back row, Nishinoya shouted:
"Don't fall for it!"
"I know!"
Tanaka took a deep breath, eyes blazing as he glared across at the Nohebi players.
"Alright!"
"Then on the next ball—"
"I'll make you regret it!"
Creak!
The referee's whistle blew again—Nohebi to serve.
Taking advantage of the moment, their front row players leaned in and started taunting Tanaka again.
"Hee-hee!"
"The ref already warned him!"
"He's all bark! If his spike was as fierce as his mouth, he would've scored!"
———
Smack!
Nohebi served again!
Another tricky float serve—but this level of ball no longer fazed Karasuno.
Asahi smoothly picked it up in the back row.
Then, Kageyama jumped into position—ready to pass.