[66] Grade 11: Spring National High School Competition

This is the final match point.

A sense of oppression permeated the area in the audience reserved for Hu Mei.

The supporters of Hu Mei clutched their support items tightly, their knuckles turning white.

Some people could no longer bear to watch and covered their eyes with their hands, as if they did not want to witness the final act.

Some people bit their lips tightly, their eyes still stubbornly fixed on the field, trying to pass on what little faith remained—

Although they knew in their hearts that facing the formidable new team, Tsurumeikan, who had won the IH tournament with great force, the chances of Tomi turning the tide were extremely slim.

In stark contrast, the enthusiastic cheers erupted in the Crane Cry Pavilion's support area.

The supporters of Heming Pavilion had a calm expectation and a sure confidence in victory written on their faces, as if victory was already in their grasp.

The cheering squad members beat the taiko drums in unison, each beat accompanied by a passionate shout.

The wave of cheers grew louder and louder.

They couldn't wait to celebrate the victory that belonged to the Crane Cry Pavilion.

In the heart of this extreme contrast, Akiyama stood behind the baseline.

He bowed slightly and weighed the volleyball in his hand.

Akiyama has never thought much about his serves, and rarely does he delve into the complex receiving formations or the players' mental state on the other side of the court—which is far too difficult for his straightforward mind to comprehend.

But this empty mind can sometimes bring Akiyama unexpected advantages—for example, he possesses a pure intuition that is almost like that of a small animal, unpolluted by distractions.

His gaze swept across the opposite half of the court.

The Hu Mei team members were on high alert, their eyes filled with a mixture of tension at the brink of despair and the determination to fight to the last man.

Among them, the general stood in the front row, his face so gloomy it was almost dripping with water, and his whole body was shrouded in a terrifying aura of "no matter what, we must receive this ball".

Akiyama's intuition kicked in sharply at that moment.

Although he didn't know why, subconsciously, he avoided the first-year main attacker, Tomi, who had the fiercest aura and seemed most eager to receive the ball.

Akiyama's target instantly locked onto another first-year main attacker on the other side, who was standing slightly hesitant and whose eyes flashed with a hint of wavering.

That's it!

Akiyama tossed the ball, took a running start, and jumped—all in one fluid motion.

This jump shot went straight for Numai in the back row of Tomi!

Numai's pupils contracted involuntarily, and his breath caught in his throat. He paused slightly, a moment of panic crossing his face.

"Get out of the way—"

A loud roar exploded from the side and behind.

"I'll do it!!!!"

It was the team's senior libero! His voice carried an undeniable decisiveness and a powerful, reassuring presence that kept the entire team calm.

Like a conditioned reflex, or as if grasping at a lifeline, Numa no Hibiki took a few quick steps to the side without hesitation. His crossover was swift and clean, immediately clearing the best possible line for his senior to receive the ball.

The libero had already lunged forward, teeth clenched, eyes fixed intently on the incoming ball. He lowered his body as low as possible, his arms taut and together, creating a perfect receiving surface—

"Bang!"

With a muffled thud, the ball slammed heavily onto his forearm. The enormous impact caused his entire body to lean back slightly, but he managed to stay steady with his core strength and, relying on his feel for the ball, managed to deflect the powerful serve upwards!

"once!"

Although the ball was received, the tension of the last ball, coupled with the fact that the ball was not originally in the libero's receiving area, meant that the adjustment was not good enough. The first pass was too fast and aggressive, and the volleyball, with irregular spin, flew crookedly towards the net.

Sakishima gritted his teeth and charged forward, barely adjusting his footing in an extremely uncomfortable position. He almost staggered as he threw his body out, his fingertips finally barely touching the ball as he tossed it toward the right side of the net, the position most familiar to his third-year captain!

Without any hesitation, the captain took a run-up and leaped into the air, his body arching like a bow as he smashed the ball hard at the bottom!

But the netting at the Crane Cry Pavilion had already been precisely positioned, as if it had anticipated everything.

The green willow leaves in her eyes remained as calm as ever.

No matter when, he was always seen as a cold, even arrogant person by people from other schools.

Even when Hu Mei and the others provoked them repeatedly, they were able to completely ignore them.

Unless you mention Imadegawa, it's impossible to detect any emotion on his face or in his eyes.

Even when he repeatedly blocked the ball from the other side with his strange senses, he did not experience any excitement or emotional fluctuations.

So even as they both soared into the air, he remained calm and composed as he gazed at Commander Tomi.

In the reflection of Aoyuki's emerald eyes, Tomi-sama caught a glimpse of her own nearly distorted face and her glaring, almost ferocious, eyes.

His powerful spike was intercepted head-on by Aoyagi—

"Bang!!!"

The volleyball bounced back at a speed far exceeding that of the spike, like a cannonball, and slammed into the undefended gap in the center of the court!

Time seemed to stretch out at that moment.

The trajectory of the volleyball is clear and deadly, with an irreversible downward momentum.

"Save the ball!!!"

The players on the bench almost simultaneously jumped up from their seats, their horrified shouts tearing through the air.

A gloomy mood was just beginning to spread—

Get out of the way!!!

An even more violent shout erupted from inside the arena, drowning out the dark and damp atmosphere.

Just as the sphere was about to hit the ground, a figure shot out from the side at full speed like an arrow!

The general completely abandoned his center of gravity, his upper body almost parallel to the ground, and slid forward along the wooden floor with a resolute attitude.

The knee pads rubbed violently against the smooth ground, making a harsh and teeth-grinding "squeak-squeak" sound.

With all eyes on them, the outstretched arm, reaching out with all its might, became their only hope.

Just as the last bit of distance was erased, the general's arm suddenly thrust forward, striking the bottom of the volleyball!

"Snap!"

A soft sound, yet it carried the weight of a thousand pounds.

The ball, which was originally destined to lose a point, had its trajectory changed by this decisive force, and narrowly escaped flying back into the air.

The general was breathing heavily, his chest heaving violently, and the air he inhaled smelled of rust.

But his mind was clearer than ever before.

This competition isn't over yet—

As long as the referee's final whistle hasn't sounded,

As long as I can still stand on this field,

There's only one point left to play—

With its last ounce of strength, it pounced and bit down!

Let them see just how ugly yet tenacious the counterattack a snake, driven to the brink, can unleash!

The volleyball, supported by the general, bounced back into the air, giving the team a second chance.

Without hesitation, Hiroo jumped up to meet the volleyball that the general had hoisted high and smashed it towards the opponent's court!

This time, the front row blocker at Heming Hall couldn't stop his shot.

Even during the blocking and defense, the defensive formation of the back row of the more famous Heming Hall remained completely intact.

With a precise step, Saotome steadily blocked the unwilling attack with both arms.

The volleyball traced a smooth arc and flew into Imadekawa's palm.

Akiyama, who had been given a prior signal by Imadegawa, was already waiting for his chance to act.

With a crisp sound of the ball hitting the ground, a swift spike hurtled straight towards the fingertips of the blocking player.

"Smack!"

He's been thugged!!!

The volleyball that hit Akiyama's hand did not diminish his extremely powerful hitting force.

Instead, it changed direction and hurtled off the field with tremendous acceleration.

The libero, the captain, and the general sprinted towards the ball's landing point, with the general almost rushing into the bench.

But in the end, we were half a step too late.

The libero who dove to save the ball could only watch helplessly as it landed a few centimeters in front of his fingertips, slammed onto the floor outside the bounds, and then bounced violently.

In the soft sound of the volleyball bouncing through the air.

The referee blew the long whistle, signaling the end of the match.

"Beep! Beep—!"

When the scoreboard finally displayed the final score, there was a moment of absolute silence throughout the stadium.

——

Crane Pavilion: Tomi

25:13

——

"It's over!" the commentator shouted.

……it's over.

After the silence, a cacophony of sounds surged forth—cheers, sighs, discussions, and applause.

There were also joyful cheering sounds from the Crane Cry Pavilion support group.

The team members from Heming Pavilion walked to the center of the field, high-fived and hugged each other, and smiled.

But in that smile, there was more of a sense of natural calm.

……it's over.

On the other side of the net, everything was completely frozen.

Numai stood there, stunned, looking up at the glaring final score, as if he couldn't comprehend what had happened in those few short minutes.

Sweat dripped from his forehead and into his eyes, but he didn't react at all.

Hiroo kept his head bowed deeply, the shadows obscuring his expression, revealing only his clenched fists and slightly trembling shoulders.

Sakishima seemed to have all her strength drained away, collapsing to the ground and covering her face with her hands, unwilling to let anyone see her expression.

Takachiho stood in the substitutes' area on the sidelines, staring blankly at the ground.

The bench and cheering area around Tomi were frozen in shock, as if they couldn't process the decisiveness of the final goal and the stark difference in the overall outcome.

And the general, again and again, for who knows how many times—

I looked at the scoreboard.

The score of Heming Hall has completely melted away, becoming so blurred that only black and white shadows remain.

But the score belonging to Hu Mei is like two curved blades that have been finely sharpened with a whetstone, with every edge and corner outlining a chilling edge.

It seemed to be completely frozen, which is why it remained fixed there, unable to move even a fraction more.

……it's over?

...That's it?

...Is this really the end?

A vast, empty sense of absurdity was about to completely overwhelm Da Jiangyou.

Imaichi walked slowly to the net, his gaze calmly sweeping over the distraught Tomi player.

He wasn't looking at any particular person, but rather in the direction of his opponent.

Following etiquette, I nodded slightly and said in a clear, gentle voice:

"I appreciate your concession."

————————!!————————

(Touching the little ones' paws) They're out! They're out!

That concludes Tomi's chapter; Inari-zaki will appear in the next chapter.

Did you all notice that the final shot was spiked by our Xiaoxian? Xiaohe is such a doting baby, spoiling our silly Xiaoxian!

I really like Tomi's kids; all the kids in Haikyuu!! are so lovable!!! But there's still a gap between Tomi's team and Tsuru's team here. One is a future powerhouse that has won championships (and should still be considered a powerhouse now), while the other is a top four team in Tokyo; one has a clear and stable strategy, while the other is still figuring out tactical variations—and because we need to promote more characters from Haikyuu!!, Tomi's timeline is somewhat disconnected in this world. Aside from the third-year captain and libero, most of the players who appeared in these two sets were first-year players (so the score for the second set is pretty normal). As for the score of the first set, I won't write it out.