[85] Grade 11: Spring National High School Competition
"...The highly anticipated final is about to enter its third game—will Hemingguan continue their winning streak, or will Xiaodui stage a comeback? Let's wait and see!!!"
With the voices of the two commentators, the third game of the Spring High School National Tournament finals began.
Little Chubby's tiny, beady eyes were fixed intently on the members of Owl Valley on the opposite side of the court.
—After successfully winning the second game at the Crane Pavilion, the previously troubled little chubby bird instantly regained its spirits.
Principal Bird shook off his soft, fluffy feathers and happily circled around Imadegawa's head.
It circled for a long time before reluctantly returning to the head of Imadegawa.
In the second game, Tsurumeikan had a very smooth run. First, Imadegawa and Aoyagi scored several points in a row during Tsurumeikan's service game, and then Aoyagi and Akiyama quickly attacked and pulled the pace of the game.
Watching this match from the perspective of Tsurumeikan was incredibly exciting. Under Imadegawa's relentless pressure, the opposing team became increasingly disorganized and eventually seemed to have no chance to fight back.
As the current principal of Crane Cry Hall, Little Fatty was thoroughly enjoying the show.
Compared to the back-and-forth exchanges in the first set, where Shirotani frequently smashed great shots, Kouhiko was certainly more pleased with the situation in the second set.
Therefore, it also has even stronger expectations for the third game.
"Let's take the third game straight away!!!"
"In this way, our Crane Cry Hall will achieve consecutive victories and remain undefeated in this Spring High School Championship—"
"We'll gain so much more fame! Definitely more than during the National Sports Festival!!!"
As it circled around Imadegawa's head, the chubby little bird made this suggestion.
This is precisely why I am leaving Sichuan.
This time, Chun Gao Jin Chuan led the way with such an oppressive style, not only to solidify Heming Hall's position, but also because he wanted to see if he could achieve a series of crushing victories.
Principal Bird was lost in a blissful fantasy about the future:
"Then I can renovate our Crane Cry Pavilion and make it even more luxurious!!!"
"And it also allows me to build up my personal popularity so I can keep pulling from the gacha pool—"
"By then, our Crane Sound Hall volleyball team will be overflowing with SSRs—"
Imikawa was deeply moved by the little chubby bird's last words.
SSR...
Everywhere...
SSR characters are everywhere...
Oh my god, if only the entire volleyball club could be filled with SSRs—
I dare not imagine how happy he will be in the future.
—Actually, he would be very satisfied if he could assemble a team of SSRs.
With a heavy heart, Imadegawa pressed his right hand against his heart.
......
So, after the third game officially began, Principal Bird, perched on the marker pole, silently made a wish:
"Let's win the third game! Let's win the third game! Let's win the third game! Let's win the third game! Let's win the third game!..."
In this set, Shirogaya had the first serve. Shirogaya's supporters and cheerleaders rallied and gave him a warm welcome before he served his first ball.
Passersby and spectators also cheered loudly during those few seconds of support.
"Owl Valley!"
"Owl Valley!!"
"Owl Valley!!!"
Amidst the waving and fluttering pom-poms of the cheerleaders and the unified cheers of the supporters and fans, Ace of Fukutani delivered a steady serve.
This solid shot was also caught steadily by Hemingguan.
During the support event for Owl Valley, the supporters from Tsurumei Hall maintained a polite silence.
These are the rules recorded on the field, and also the unspoken rules among the audience.
Respect one side when cheering for another, and do not interfere maliciously.
Even without the distraction of the audience's chatter, the cheers from Fukutani at the start of the third game were still much weaker than in the first game.
Fukutani's support team and cheerleaders worked very hard and did not slack off even though Fukutani lost two games to Tsurumeikan.
However, the cheers from the non-support group members in the stands, along with those of the Ootori support group, grew weaker.
—In fact, in the middle and later stages of the second game, the enthusiasm of some viewers had already quietly faded.
The constantly changing score was draining everyone's energy.
The anticipated comeback by Hemingguan never materialized. Instead, Hemingguan consistently maintained control of the score, and their initial fervor gradually faded into unease.
The overwhelming beauty of the Crane Pavilion made many people feel as if an invisible hand was choking them, rendering them unable to utter a sound.
Therefore, the sentiments of both sides gradually shifted in the second game.
From the beginning to the end of the sentence, one side's voice gradually decreases and weakens, while the other side's voice gradually increases and rises.
This trend became even more pronounced in the third game.
At the start of the game, thanks to their first-mover advantage, the Akatsuki supporters briefly rekindled their momentum, but that rekindled flame was quickly swallowed up by the even more powerful roar from the opposing half.
——————
Crane Cry Pavilion: Owl Valley
1:0
——————
The taiko drum thumped loudly.
"Crane Cry Pavilion—!!!"
The supporters of Heming Pavilion shouted in unison along with the voices of the Heming Pavilion support group.
"One hit, one kill—!!!"
......
——————
Crane Cry Pavilion: Owl Valley
3:0
——————
The gong rang out with a "whoosh".
"Crane Cry Pavilion—!!!" (Mjku)
Supporters of Heming Hall and volleyball enthusiasts without any particular stance cheered without hesitation as the support group updated its cheering messages.
"A series of victories—!!!"
......
——————
Crane Cry Pavilion: Owl Valley
5:1
——————
The support fans waved with a "whoosh".
"Crane Cry Pavilion—!!!"
The audience waved their arms as the cheerleaders danced.
"The crane cries—"
"It can pierce the sky—!!!"
......
Perhaps some of Owl Valley's supporters are sighing in despair.
But their sighs were in vain, like a feather that hadn't even had a chance to drift far before being completely swallowed up by the ever-growing roar of the Crane Cry Pavilion.
Their sighs cannot change the cruel reality at the center of the arena.
After all, this is the stage for the Spring High School finals.
The Spring High School Volleyball Championship is one of the three major national volleyball tournaments in Japan, along with the National Sports Festival and the National Sports Festival.
However, with its most brutal single-elimination system and the schedule of the final semester of each academic year, it is hailed as the most prestigious final battleground in high school volleyball.
so--
...So what if Fukutani is a local school in Tokyo?
...So what if Fukutani is a veteran powerhouse from Tokyo who has made it to the national tournament for many years?
...So what if Fukutani has achieved good results on the national stage many times in the past?
Only those of them standing here should understand that so-called history and seniority are nothing but fleeting memories.
Only absolute strength, and only absolute strength.
That is the only standard by which one can stand on this ground and let everyone hear their voice.
......
And after Imadegawa stepped onto the service line—
The support group at Heming Pavilion seemed to understand his thoughts, and their momentum suddenly surged!
And so, it all started with Imadegawa's fierce ace that sliced through the air;
It started with a dull thud as the volleyball slammed into the court.
The scoreboard flipped silently, signaling the start of this clean and decisive non-contact score—
The shouts from the Crane Cry Hall erupted continuously and thunderously, echoing the heavy thud of the volleyball hitting the ground:
"Yuzuru—!!!"
"So easy to send out—!!!"
——————
Crane Cry Pavilion: Owl Valley
6:1
——————
......
Then there was Imadegawa's serve, which was far from "steady".
His serve has never been a "powerful cannon" – which is partly due to his lack of power. If possible, Imaidewa would really like to serve a spike that is praised as a "powerful cannon".
— Rather, it has always been unpredictable and ever-changing, which is also the style of Imadegawa as a whole. Just like his ball control, it is difficult for people to guess his thoughts.
Therefore, Imadegawa's serves always have an unpredictable spin and arc, cutting through the air.
His serves don't reach maximum speed, but they always manage to trace unpredictable trajectories in the air, as if they've broken free from their restraints, carrying a dangerous, light malice as they dart towards the most treacherous corners of the court.
The first ball, seemingly drifting out of bounds, suddenly spun sharply inwards at the last moment, grazing the inside of the sideline and slamming heavily to the ground, leaving the opposing player barely touching a glimpse of the ball.
The second ball, after clearing the net, plummeted with an unnatural sense of weightlessness, as if pulled by a string, landing precisely in the open space in the frontcourt.
The third ball, with its strong sidespin, drew a strange "S"-shaped arc in the air, bypassing the blocker's fingertips and piercing straight into the heart of the defensive formation.
The cheers from the Crane Sound Hall fell again and again, accompanied by the thud of volleyballs hitting the ground.
"Yuzuru—!!!"
"One strike, one kill—!!!"
——————
Crane Cry Pavilion: Owl Valley
9:1
——————
......
One point, one point, and another...
Jin Chuchuan stood quietly behind the service line, his golden irises showing no emotion whatsoever.
Like a frozen lake in winter, it calmly reflected the opponent's gradually disorganized movements and the beads of sweat seeping from their foreheads.
He didn't need to demonstrate or use words of pressure; he simply used his unpredictable serves to steadily and consistently apply pressure to Ootori's defense.
The air seemed to thicken with every swing of Imadegawa's arm.
The breathing of the Okabe Valley players grew heavier and heavier, each difficult save feeling like an attempt to break free from the bird net that Tsurumeikan had silently placed over their heads.
The source of all the difficulties simply walked calmly back to the service position and raised his hand again—
Another serve that hit the corner of the court, accompanied by the dull thud of the volleyball hitting the floor, mercilessly pushed the score to an even greater margin.
The cheers at the Crane Cry Pavilion remained enthusiastic.
Within those few minutes, they changed their cheering slogans countless times.
"Yuzuru—!!!"
"The crane cries out in the deep marshland—!!!"
——————
Crane Cry Pavilion: Owl Valley
12:1
——————
————————!!————————
(Touches paws—) It's been more than ten minutes late, at Xiuwen (bowing deeply).
This chapter is the update for the 29th (kiss). The update for the 30th, which is today, might be an extra chapter if all goes well; otherwise, it will be added during the National Day holiday.
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