Chapter 92 Qingcheng 4 The air was thick with the scent of Salonpas and sweat…

The volleyball court, filled with the scent of Salonpas and sweat, was ablaze with passion, igniting the youthful energy of the boys.

Hinata has been in a great mood lately, or rather, he's been in a state of high excitement ever since Sawada Tsunayoshi returned to Japan.

He desperately wanted to show perfect teamwork with Xiaogang on the field and surprise everyone, but Coach Wuyang wouldn't allow it.

He told Hinata and Tsuna, the long-separated duo, not to rush into showing off their skills, but to conserve their strength for the powerful enemies to come. So Hinata could only look at the ball of yarn but couldn't play with it, feeling itchy inside.

However, Kageyama and his quick attack are getting better and better, and he has been using it more often in matches recently, which has greatly soothed Hinata's impatient heart.

Sawada Tsunayoshi could, of course, sense what his childhood friend was thinking. The bond forged from their childhood torment was still there, but now he didn't need to worry about Sho's rough skills. This unspoken understanding flowed into the atmosphere between them, unlike the telepathic connection between Hinata and Kageyama.

For many long years, Tsuna and Hinata practiced together, competed together, went to school together, and came home together. Their familiarity with each other was etched into their very being. Even though many years had passed, these two gentle souls, separated by almost an entire world, still thought of each other.

The friendship they had cherished so much had reached its culmination at this moment, and Hyuga felt incredibly happy. He and Tsunayoshi were still as in sync as ever.

The young leader's gaze remained fixed on his opponent. He knew perfectly well that Senior Oikawa had made far more preparations than he had anticipated. Karasuno, acting as a whetstone, had forged a sharp weapon for Aoki, but in contrast, their understanding of the contestant named Kyotani had deepened.

The ball that Hyuga spiked was caught by the prepared libero Wataru, and Oikawa Tetsu praised the pass while reaching out his hand for a quick, short pass.

Sawada Tsunayoshi was calm. Volleyball matches were like battles without gunpowder, but unlike battles that made him subconsciously frown and refuse to play, volleyball matches always made him smile with relief.

He saw every change in his opponent's expression. Following the spike, Sawada Tsunayoshi lunged forward with almost no time to react. The ball hit his arm, but despite its high speed, Tsunayoshi had already adjusted his hand position, not only catching the ball but also flawlessly deflecting the force.

The audience in Karasuno celebrated happily, and when Kageyama scored a point with a perfect combination with the attacker thanks to a good first pass, the cheers from the audience became even more enthusiastic.

Gu Direnhua's face beamed with joy, "The score is tied!"

The audience in Aoba City West were on tenterhooks. This match was thrilling from the very beginning, and the spectators watching the game were on the edge of their seats.

"Ahhh, that crossover!" Qingcheng's supporters went wild. "So many of our shots were caught by that guy!"

However, Daira Sota's expression was serious. "I think Karasuno didn't make this guy their opposite hitter just because he's good at receiving the ball."

They hadn't watched Karasuno's matches before. Although they had heard that Karasuno seemed to be in good form this year, IH Aoki still beat Karasuno, so they didn't take it too seriously.

So much so that the two evenly matched teams were so surprising that they gritted their teeth and kept watching the game. Just then, it was Sawada Tsunayoshi's turn to serve. He went up to the serving position and explained to everyone why Karasuno had chosen this guy who was good at receiving the ball as their opposite hitter.

Having come this far, everyone has more or less a few special skills, and serving is definitely one of the things that everyone focuses on practicing. After all, Hinata has been clamoring to practice serving since elementary school.

Given that Sawada Tsunayoshi could pry open an iron gate with his bare hands when he was a child (in his Dying Will state, of course), his strength as a young man was so great that even a casual high-five from him would make Hyuga cry out in pain.

With sheer brute force, technique seemed to be irrelevant. Sawada Tsunayoshi took his place as the server, and before Aoki could react, several Karasuno players had already swiftly covered the backs of their heads.

Although Tanaka believed that Sawada wouldn't make a service error, it wouldn't be a joke if he did! The back of the head is so vulnerable, he has to be careful, right?

When the young leader was preparing to spike the ball, his face was no longer indifferent. He puffed out his cheeks, and although his baby fat had gradually disappeared during his growth period, he now had chubby cheeks again.

Ka-kawaii!

Several girls switched sides at the last minute. Because they needed to use their body strength, most of the players' expressions were distorted to a funny degree when they spiked the ball. But why did this opposite hitter become so cute!

Her cheeks are so chubby, I just want to reach out and pinch them; they look so soft and smooth.

That was their first reaction.

The next second, this adorable baby-faced girl demonstrated how to deliver the most powerful serve with the cutest face, startling a guy who had come to watch the game with his girlfriend awake from his nap with a loud bang.

"W-what happened? There was an explosion there?"

But his girlfriend didn't answer him; she just stared blankly at the field. He turned around and saw that everyone else around him had roughly the same expression. He looked back at the field and deduced the answer from their reactions.

"That sound just now came from this guy?!" He swallowed hard in horror.

No way, this guy isn't exactly a strongman. Compared to their team's ace who's been stuck in the same league for years, he's even a bit skinny. Are you saying he used this body to deliver that terrifying shot just now?

"I thought I was watching a match against Shiratorizawa." Even the Karasuno audience members were still shaken. Some of them had only come to support Karasuno because they heard that they had made it to the semi-finals.

Sawada Tsunayoshi, with a focused expression, stepped up to serve once again, as if that ball was nothing at all.

It has to be said that this expression made the Karasuno audience feel great. Who cares, it's great that Sawada Tsunayoshi belongs to Karasuno!

"One more ball!"

The audience unconsciously joined in the Vongola's cheers, encouraging Sawada Tsunayoshi.

Oikawa Tetsu looked surprised, but then became serious. He had heard that Karasuno had a new heavy artillery support, but could even the heaviest artillery be better than Shiratorizawa, that left-handed guy?

That was his initial thought.

"This is incredible." This guy is actually just as good as Shiratorizawa, that bull.

Then came jealousy. That wretched little guy wouldn't come to Qingcheng, and neither would his childhood friend, Tsunayoshi. It felt terrible to let two such talented young people slip through my fingers!

"I'm going to beat them to a pulp!" Oikawa gritted his teeth.

Watari asked in bewilderment, "Why did he suddenly have a relapse?"

Iwaizumi hesitated before answering, "From fan to hater?"

Oikawa muttered, "From now until the end of the competition, I'm not going to like Little One anymore!"

So you'll continue to like it after the competition?

"Are you a child? Still playing that half-hour breakup act?"

Du shook his head. "I don't think this match will be over in half an hour."

Adapting to Sawada Tsunayoshi's serve wasn't easy either. Oikawa glanced at Watari Chikaharu, whose expression was sheepish, but he still puffed out his chest.

"I'll get used to it, give me a few more balls."

This was a do-or-die situation; his expression was desolate, but he really didn't want to face a serve that was on par with Ushijima's.

Sawada Tsunayoshi served four balls in a row. Just as Coach Iriyama was about to stand up and call a timeout, Tsunayoshi finally started to make mistakes due to his declining form. One ball grazed Tsukishima's ear and barely touched the net. The little boss's breath hitched, but fortunately, the ball still went over the net.

He doesn't want his serve to hit the net!

Watari Chikaharu reacted quickly. He had been keeping a close eye on Sawada Tsunayoshi, and with a diving save, he caught the ball. Aoki breathed a sigh of relief. The serve-score pattern was finally broken, and Coach Iriyan returned to his position, saving him the opportunity to call a timeout.

Tsuna returned to the court to receive the ball, but Oikawa Tetsu wouldn't allow Karasuno to continue serving. He launched a fast break, and Hyuga regretfully withdrew his footwork, allowing Aoki to decisively take the point.

The fans of Aoba City West breathed a sigh of relief. The atmosphere was too oppressive just now. Fortunately, the team made a mistake in the receiving phase, otherwise they were afraid that the opponent would pull the score to an irrecoverable level.

"Sorry, it was my mistake."

Tsukishima, thinking about the ball that had just whizzed past his ear with a buzzing sound, unusually remained silent.

Hinata and the others would certainly not blame Tsunayoshi. In Hinata's eyes, Tsunayoshi was still a pitiful childhood friend who needed his protection.

He patted Tsuna on the shoulder, "Don't worry about it."

Tanaka also remarked, "You pulled ahead of Qingcheng by four points, kid, you better be proud of yourself!"

“The opponent has taken back one point, so to be precise, it’s three points,” Sawada Tsunayoshi answered meticulously.

"That's because we didn't protect the field well enough." Kageyama looked at his hands, as if pondering whether he could reach Tsuna's level of strength. He raised his head...

“You’re off the court and can’t fly back to receive the ball, so don’t take all the blame for the mistakes. It was clearly us who didn’t receive the ball well.”

How did this guy manage to turn his words of concern into a declaration of war?!

Sawada Tsunayoshi actually wanted to retort that he meant he had made a mistake with his serve, but he still harbored fear of the setter and answered very obediently.

"I see."

This made Kageyama feel embarrassed. He was used to bickering with Hyuga and usually had to put up with Tsukishima's sharp tongue. Sawada Tsunayoshi's sudden obedience made the setter feel a little guilty.

Aoba Josai was determined to win back the points they had lost earlier; they didn't want to hand the first set to Karasuno.

However, Karasuno would not give up their hard-won lead and tightened their defense even further.

After being in a state of high-intensity thinking for a long time, they began to feel tired. Even though Sawada Tsunayoshi was more of an intuitive person, his brain gradually became sluggish.

Sweat streamed down his face. Looking at the sweat stains on the court floor, he shouted, his mind somewhat muddled.

"water."

"Do you want some water?" Tsukishima next door misinterpreted his meaning.

Tsuna shook his head. He found a staff member and wiped the sweat off the floor. Although the sneakers his family had prepared for him had non-slip soles, it was still better to be careful.

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Author's Note: In Hinata's eyes: her cute and adorable childhood friend

In the eyes of the audience: The Great Demon King!

I was packing my luggage today, so there was no extra update. I'll make it up tomorrow. [heart emoji]