Chapter 7: Freak Quick Attack
After a brief rest, the second set began quickly.
Karasuno served first. Ennoshita Chikara sent a serve straight down the middle, but Kindaichi Yutaro received it. Setter Yahaba Shigeru passed to Kunimi Akira, who spiked from the left wing. Karasuno's Tsukishima Kei barely managed to dig the ball up.
"Kageyama, save it!" Sawamura Daichi shouted.
Hearing this, Kindaichi Yutaro nodded to himself. The first receive wasn't clean. Based on the first set, Karasuno didn't use quick attacks, so it was likely a long attack to the left (Tanaka Ryunosuke) or right (Sawamura Daichi).
Suddenly, Hinata Shoyo darted out from behind Kageyama. A quick attack? No, they hadn't used one the entire first set—it must be a decoy!
Kindaichi quickly judged, his eyes locked on Tanaka Ryunosuke and Sawamura Daichi on both wings.
Bang!
Hinata Shoyo's spike scored.
[Karasuno 1 vs. 0 Aoba Johsai]
What? A quick attack?! Kindaichi's face was full of disbelief.
"They're doing a quick attack from the middle? That shorty from Karasuno seems back to normal," spectators whispered.
"Let's go again!" Karasuno's players shouted.
Karasuno served again, and Aoba Johsai returned the ball.
"Chance ball!"
Ennoshita Chikara easily passed to Kageyama Tobio. As Kageyama received the ball, Hinata Shoyo was already airborne. Kageyama swiftly set the ball. Before Kindaichi could jump to block, the ball landed in Aoba Johsai's court.
[Karasuno 2 vs. 0 Aoba Johsai]
"Huh?"
"…What?"
"What was that just now? So fast!"
Is this the "Freak Quick Attack"? Kaedehara Taiichi watched from the sidelines, thrilled. To see it in person—amazing!
"Oooh!" Karasuno erupted in cheers. The gloom of the first set seemed to vanish, and the team's morale visibly surged.
"That No. 5 is totally different from the first set," Kunimi Akira said to Kindaichi.
"Two quick attacks—I won't let him score again," Kindaichi growled, glaring at Hinata Shoyo.
Feeling the stare from behind, Kageyama Tobio gave a knowing smile. "Good, they're starting to guard against Hinata. Our counterattack begins now."
The match continued. After a few exchanges, Kageyama finally got a decent first touch. He glanced at Hinata Shoyo, who dashed to the right side of the net.
"Here I go!"
"Another quick attack, huh?" Kindaichi, fixated on Hinata, reacted instantly, jumping simultaneously. "If I know you're spiking, it's not scary at all."
Whoosh!
Bang!
Kageyama's back set sent the ball to Tanaka Ryunosuke on the left. Tanaka leaped and smashed it down.
"Aaagh! I've been waiting forever!" Tanaka Ryunosuke's roar echoed through the gym.
[Karasuno 3 vs. 0 Aoba Johsai]
"Dammit, a decoy this time?" Kindaichi slapped his face in frustration.
"Don't rush, Kindaichi. Don't let them get to you," Iwaizumi Hajime reassured him, though he couldn't immediately think of a good counter.
"Yes, sir," Kindaichi nodded.
Easier said than done—this offense was unstoppable. The score soon reached [Karasuno 7 vs. 3 Aoba Johsai].
"Sigh… Even us outsiders can see the blockers are spread thin, completely unable to stop Karasuno's attacks," spectators murmured.
"Is Karasuno really this strong?"
"No, it's mainly that first-year running around everywhere, plus that setter—his moves are so precise, almost like Oikawa-senpai."
Beep. Aoba Johsai called a timeout.
"Hey, Kindaichi, that Kageyama's nothing like what you described," Yahaba Shigeru, also a setter, said, feeling the most pressure from Kageyama's performance.
"I… I've never seen this before either… An attacker actually keeping up with Kageyama's demanding sets," Kindaichi said helplessly.
"That's not it, Kindaichi," Coach Irihata's voice cut in.
"It's Kageyama adapting to those spikers, especially that short No. 5. His fundamentals are clearly weak, about on par with Taiichi… but Kageyama turns his speed into a weapon."
Kaedehara Taiichi, listening quietly, winced at being mentioned. Ugh, better if you hadn't brought me up.
"Kageyama indeed has exceptional setting skills, as Oikawa said, able to deliver the ball precisely to every spiker. But their individual attacks aren't that strong, so…"
Coach Irihata looked at the eager Kaedehara Taiichi. "Go out there and stick to that shorty."
A monster first-year? We've got one too at Aoba Johsai.
Aoba Johsai substituted: Kaedehara Taiichi in, Kindaichi Yutaro out.
Karasuno served. Aoba Johsai's libero, Watari Shinji, received the ball. Yahaba set to Kunimi Akira, who spiked it over. Karasuno's Sawamura Daichi easily dug it up as Hinata Shoyo began his approach.
"I've caught up!"
If anyone on the court understood the Freak Quick Attack besides Kageyama Tobio, it was probably Kaedehara Taiichi. At this stage, Hinata Shoyo was just jumping and spiking. That said, his absolute trust that Kageyama's set would reach his hand, and his ability to jump and spike it, wasn't something an ordinary person could do.
Kaedehara Taiichi knew this version of Hinata Shoyo played with his eyes closed. He knew scenarios where this quick attack was blocked. He even knew how the "Freak Quick Attack" would evolve later.
Kaedehara Taiichi locked onto Hinata Shoyo! Their figures mirrored each other across the net. Though slightly slower and lacking in jump height, Taiichi used his height advantage to ensure Hinata couldn't score!
Bang!
Slap!
Hinata Shoyo's spike was touched by Kaedehara Taiichi!
"One touch!" Kaedehara Taiichi shouted.
Watari Shinji perfectly received the dig. Caught off guard by the "Freak Quick Attack" being countered, Karasuno hadn't adjusted. Kunimi Akira spiked from the left to score.
"Nice one-touch, nice spike!" Aoba Johsai rallied.
[Karasuno 7 vs. 4 Aoba Johsai]
"Dammit, a fluke?" Kageyama Tobio couldn't believe the second quick attack was blocked. Unthinkable.
"It's fine, let's keep attacking," Captain Sawamura Daichi patted the stunned Hinata Shoyo.
Coach Irihata tapped his clipboard on the sidelines. "Sharp observation and a no-nonsense blocking approach—not aiming for a kill block. Taiichi's smart."
"If that shorty can't score, can he still be a decoy?" Irihata smiled at Karasuno's team.
Karasuno's players looked grim. Blocked by a rookie, was it a fluke or skill? Kageyama used two more attacks to test it.
As expected, the opponent's speed kept up with Hinata Shoyo. Though lacking in jump height, his height—about 20 cm taller than Hinata's—meant Hinata couldn't shake his defense.
The opponent even ignored whether Hinata would receive, sticking to him relentlessly. With just one player, Hinata's role was neutralized. Without Hinata as a decoy, Tanaka Ryunosuke and Sawamura Daichi's spikes struggled to land kill shots. The match's momentum had shifted.
"Damn it! If only we had an ace to break through," Kageyama thought.