After picking up Rin and Aoi, Iori swung by the Fujinoyama Shopping Hub, where Naozumi was.
Iori decided to pick him up on their way to the volleyball club since his work didn't finish in time for him to go home.
The group reached their Destination at 10:02!
As they entered the club facilities, they found Coach Micha in the lobby, hurrying towards somewhere.
"Coach Micha!" Naozumi called out to Micha
"Oh, Mr. Miyamura, you came to watch Izumi-Kun play," Micha noticed Naozumi after turning to see who had called him.
"Yes, yes...," Naozumi started to reply, but before he could finish, he was interrupted.
"Has Izumi's match started yet?" Rin asked, interjecting Naozumi's question.
"Oh, this is Toshaka Rin, Izumi's friend," Naozumi quickly introduced Rin to Coach Micha.
"Nice to meet you, Toshaka-Chan. As for the match, the toss just happened. I forgot my phone was charging in the staff's room, and when I realized I came back to get it, I was hurrying to the gym myself," Micha explained.
"Well, then we better hurry to the gym. We don't want to miss any moment of the match, right, Rin-Chan?" Iori suggested.
Rin nodded in agreement, and they all hurried toward the gym.
As Rin entered the gym, they made their way to the seating area on the second floor. Her eyes were immediately drawn to Izumi, who was in the middle of a spectacular play. He executed a super high jump, and with a lightning-quick swing of his hand, he smashed the ball through the outstretched hands of the blockers in front of him.
*Thud*
The gym resounded with the buzz of the audience, both the members of Rixe and Sakuraoka, as they witnessed this impressive move. Rin couldn't help but be in awe. Her fists clenched in excitement, her knuckles turning white as she watched Izumi's incredible athleticism.
[1-0]
The gym resounded with the buzz of the audience, both the members of Rixe and Sakuraoka, as they witnessed this impressive move. Rin couldn't help but be in awe.
"That jump was crazy! He's amazing!" Thought Rin
...
Skauaroka won the toss and chose to serve first. Kouhei, their skilled setter, prepared to serve.
*Whiirrrl!*
As teh refree signaled, with a powerful swing of his arm, Kouhei sent the ball sailing over the net with precision.
The ball crossed the net and headed toward Riku, one of Rixe's talented players. Riku moved swiftly to receive the serve, his arms poised to control the ball.
"Nice receive," Yuki, Rixe's setter, complimented Riku as he smoothly passed the ball.
Yuki's eyes quickly scanned the court, assessing the positioning of his teammates. He spotted Izumi, who had positioned himself on the right side of the court.
'Let's go for a high toss for this one.'
Without hesitation, Yuki set the ball with incredible accuracy, creating the perfect trajectory for Izumi to attack.
The ball was sent soaring high above the net, and Izumi reacted with precision. He leaped into the air, his jumping height a testament to his dedication to training.
'First jump and then smash the ball,' he reminded himself.
In the air, everything seemed to slow down. Izumi timed his approach perfectly and with a lightning-fast swing(not literally), he delivered a devastating power spike.
The ball surged through the hands of the blockers, overpowering their defenses, and descended to the ground with tremendous force.
*Thud*
The gym erupted with cheers from the Rixe supporters, who were the other members of the club, as the first point of the match went to them.
[1-0]
Izumi landed on the court, a triumphant grin on his face.
"Nice kill!" "Nice kill!" "Nice spike!"
The Rixe players erupted in celebration, congratulating Izumi for his incredible spike.
On the other side of the court, the Sakuraoka team had a moment of reflection.
"We're sorry, we didn't manage to block this one," one of the middle blockers admitted.
"Nice try, you two," their teammates reassured them. "No worries! I'm sure you'll stop the next one."
Kouhei observed the situation, and a realization dawned on him. "The power behind his spike has increased a lot," he muttered to himself eyeing Izumi.
Ushijima, who had overheard Kouhei's comment, nodded in agreement. "Not only the power, but his jumping as well."
"Ushijima-San"
Kouhei looked at Ushijima, who wore a competitive smile. "He could have spiked the ball over the blockers if he wanted to. Give me a bic set when it's our turn to attack," Ushijima declared, showing his determination to respond with an equally impressive play.
And Kouhei did what Ushijima aksed!
As the ball soared high above the net, Kouhei on one side tracked it with a laser focus.
Ushijima, the team's ace, had been patiently waiting. She positioned herself behind Kouhei, ready to make his move. With a quick nod and a perfectly timed jump, the setter delivered a pinpoint back set.
The ball arced beautifully, inviting Ushijima to strike.
As he reached the peak of her jump, Ushijima's eyes locked onto his target—an opening in the opponent's defense.
Riku firm the back row yelled "Watch the middle!"
With lightning reflexes, Samantha extended his arm, contorting his body in mid-air to accommodate the back set.
The connection was seamless, and the ball left Ushijima's hand with power and precision.
A collective gasp swept through the gym as the ball sailed over the net and dropped inside the opponent's court, just inches away from the sideline.
[3-2]
The bic set had caught the Rixe's defense off guard, and the point was awarded to Sakuraoka. Skauaroka erupted in cheers, celebrating the brilliant execution of the play.
"Great job, Ushijima!"
As the cheers of the crowd resounded, Ushijima returned to her position, ready for the next challenge in this thrilling match.
"Keep it up, Kouhei! That bic set was great"
"Thanks Ushijima-San, Let's keep the momentum going!"
On the other side of the court, Izumi who watched Kouhei and Ushijima's brilliant play, and he couldn't help but be impressed.
"That was so cool; I want to do that myself," Izumi muttered to himself, his eyes still fixed on their extraordinary plays.
"Oi, Miyamura, enough looking in awe; focus on the game," Riku reminded him.
"I know, I know," Izumi replied, though he couldn't help but keep thinking about trying a bic shot himself.
The match's intensity increased, and both Ushijima and Izumi continued to perform remarkably, keeping their teams neck and neck. One moment Sakuraoka was in the lead, and the next Rixe had taken the lead.
[16-15]
Izumi was scoring points with incredible agility, covering the court and utilizing super high jumps and reaching at the peak before the middle blockers to keep the scoreboard ticking for Rixe.
The same was true for Ushijima. Rixe's middle blockers were still struggling to find a solution to stop Ushijima's powerful left-handed spikes. The battle between the two star players was heating up the court.
"The brown-haired guy and Izumi feel like they're on a whole different level than the rest of the players," Rin commented as she watched Izumi execute a super high jump, sending the ball crashing down over the hands of the middle blockers.
"That's true; when they play, it feels like they're the only ones on the court," Coach Micha agreed.
"Yeah," Rin concurred, her eyes still glued to the intense match.
"It makes sense, though. They are both phenomenal players. With their skills and abilities, they could easily compete at the junior high level" Coach Micha remarked, acknowledging their exceptional talent.
Ushijima, with a powerful run-up, forced the ball through the middle blockers of Rixe, but Izumi, positioned at the back row, executed a brilliant dive to dig the ball. The ball deflected towards the opponent's court, and they received it perfectly. Kouhei then set the ball to Ushijima.
"Ushijima-San!"
Ushijima, with a perfect lay-up, prepared to smash the ball towards Rixe's court. However, Izumi once again saved the ball with a spectacular dig. This time, he managed to control it and pass it to Yuki, their setter, who swiftly sent the ball towards the right side of the court, where Izumi was already sprinting forward.
The sequence of impressive digs and quick transitions showcased the incredible defensive skills of both Izumi and the Rixe team.
With a perfectly timed jump, Izumi soared into the air, and as the ball came closer, he unleashed a powerful cross-court spike.
*bam*
[23-21]
"Nice kill!" "Nice spike!"
"Alright, team, just two more points, and the set is ours!" Izumi's leadership and performance were driving the Rixe team forward, and his teammates responded with enthusiasm.
[24-22]
The set was near its climax, and Rixe was at match point.
As the serve came from Sakuraoka, it was received expertly by Yuki, the team's setter. Yuki made a quick and precise decision, to set the ball right the and there, he set the ball high and perfectly for Izumi, their captain.
Izumi's concentration intensified, and he thought to himself, "This is it. The last point. Gotta make it count."
As he approached the net, he saw a gap in the opponent's defense, a window of opportunity too tempting to ignore.
"Go, Izumi! Finish it!"
At the peak of his jump, Izumi adjusted his arm motion, using the element of surprise. Instead of his usual powerful spike today, he executed a soft and precise dink.
The ball floated gently over the net and landed delicately in the uncovered space on the opponent's side of the court.
"Too late!" Izumi exclaimed as he saw the opponent's libero diving back in a futile attempt.
The dink took the opponent's defense by surprise, as Izumi has only used power spikes all over the match, and there was a moment of stunned silence in the gym.
The players of Rixe shouted in joy, "Yes!"
The ball hit the floor on the opponent's side, untouched.
[25-22]
*Swrrril!*
"First set goes to Rixe"
The final point was awarded to Rixe, and the gym erupted in cheers. Izumi's dink had sealed the victory.
Rin was beside herself with excitement. She had never witnessed a volleyball match before, and seeing Izumi's clever dink had her completely enthralled.
"That was amazing! Izumi's move was so cool," Rin exclaimed, her eyes sparkling.
Aoi nodded, sharing in Rin's enthusiasm. "He's quite the player, isn't he? I'm proud of our boy."
The first set had been an exhilarating battle, and after a small break now it was time for the second.
As the second set began, the gym buzzed with excitement. Izumi stepped back to prepare for the serve, and the tension in the air was palpable.
'let's start this set with a bang'
He took a deep breath, his eyes locked on the net. The crowd hushed in anticipation. The moment arrived, and Izumi tossed the ball upwards.
*Swish!*
[A/N- Big thanks to all of you guys! We've cracked the 100 power stones target this week, and it's all thanks to your fantastic support. Your support keeps me going, and I promise to keep working hard to bring you even better content in the future!]