Chapter 31: Quarterfinals Completed, Two Setters
But cats are creatures that won't bother you when you're struggling under their claws, but if you want to take flight, they'll be the first to hold down your wings.
Felines, which observe from the shadows and aim for a single, fatal strike, would never allow their prey to escape.
Ultimately, they were affected by the situation. They were too hasty, and their weaknesses became more and more obvious. The two coaches watching from the sidelines were anxious and stood there shouting, telling them to slow down.
The setter's mentality can indeed subtly change the entire team. They were too eager to win the game, and many times their movements were not done well, whether it was passing or spiking.
Once again, Asaneko made the foolish mistake of serving as a libero, and Kujo Ike stared in shock at the scoreboard.
Yinju has tied the score.
when?
Sawada Tsunayoshi bent over, panting heavily. He looked up at Otoko's side, where the opposite setter wasn't in much better shape, looking even more disheveled than him. His vertical pupils appeared even more defined in this situation, as if he possessed a wild, animalistic quality.
Kujo Ike also complained loudly, "I'm not going to like cats for the next few days!"
Someone in the soundtrack chimed in, "That won't do! Kittens are so cute, you can't not like them even for a second!"
The teammate standing next to that player smacked him hard, saying, "You cat-obsessed idiot, they weren't talking about a real cat."
The cat lover said aggrievedly, "That's still not allowed. I'm not allowed to dislike anything related to kittens."
"Can you even read human language?"
Is this about cats? To others, saying that sounds narcissistic.
Seeing that the members of the Ooku Valley team were not in a good mood, the coaching staff called a timeout. Aoyama Kaede stood aside and helped them get water cups and towels.
The coach didn't dare to say anything harsh. He told everyone to sit down and rest as soon as possible to recover their strength. Hyuga ran down to the audience seats, grabbed a few bags of jelly from Irie Shoichi, and brought them back to share with Tsunayoshi. Well, every little bit helps.
Suzuki held the tactical board, his hands gripping it awkwardly.
“Akaashi, don’t be too anxious. Let’s take it slow. Even if we can’t keep up with the stamina, the other side will be the same.”
As the coach, he immediately noticed what Kyoji Akaashi was nervous about.
"As you can see, Yinju's setter isn't in good shape. Even if we drag it out to the third set, we can wear Yinju down by outlasting him."
Kyoji Akaashi nodded and slowly exhaled. He was only a fifth grader, but Suzuki watched as the other boy calmed down and his previously agitated face returned to calm.
Although we don't know what the other person is thinking, this level of self-control is enough to amaze the coaches.
But they knew in their hearts that Xiaogu's chances of winning this round were not high.
Nine eyes were fixed on the field, his tone unusually serious.
"Otoko has reached its peak performance."
Suzuki kept scribbling and drawing on the paper as he watched, as if doing so could relieve his tension.
"Yes, that's what Nekoma is best at. When the other side launches a crazy attack, he seizes that moment of anxiety when they want to score, and then quietly strikes to score."
The main problem is that they are restricted too much. The setter has to consider a lot of things, such as the positioning of everyone on the court, whether it is their own team or the opponent, who to pass the ball to next, the current state of the attackers, and occasionally having a bad first pass while also having to worry about the first pass.
Thinking too much can easily lead to limitations in thinking. It's likely that the setter, Otokoma, is taking advantage of Akaashi's tendency to overthink and gradually applying pressure, probably waiting for Akaashi to break down now.
"Ah, I knew it." Suzuki put down his pen and saw that Akaashi Kyoji, who had been trying to calm down, was getting impatient again.
"The opposing setter won't allow Akaashi to return to his original form. Otoko is controlling the rhythm of this set and inducing Akaashi to speed up their attack."
He stood up, watching the game move back and forth on the field, wondering what to do, and wanted to call a timeout again.
The situation on the field was completely taken over by Yinju, and just as the coach and his team had predicted, they lost to Yinju 24-26.
The third game is a 15-point match.
The coach called a few of the younger players over, and they all looked somewhat tired.
"This is the third game. The pace is fast this time, let's switch to a different mode."
Shoichi Irie had just run to the convenience store next door and bought some jelly, which Tsunayoshi Sawada was currently sucking on while holding the bag.
"We've practiced this in previous training matches. How about we try two setters this set? Let's abandon defense and directly try to score against Nekoma and his team."
Tsuna's brain, still reeling from the exertion, couldn't quite process what he was saying. He nodded in agreement with the coach: "Double setters, huh? That's the formation for the three-point attack. Good, it's the last set, time to grab points."
Wait, who was the other setter again?
He looked up, jelly bag in his mouth, and saw everyone staring at him. The coach's face clearly said it was time to put this mule to the test.
Faced with his teammates' expectant gazes, Sawada Tsunayoshi nodded solemnly, the jelly bag bobbing up and down with each step.
He'll definitely be exhausted and die on the court by the end of the game!
Although they have two setters, neither Kyoji Akaashi nor Tsunayoshi Sawada are particularly strong offensively; they are simply good at spiking.
If this were high school, their aggressiveness might not be enough, but in elementary school, it's not a bad thing to try more.
In the last set, I didn't see Sawada Tsunayoshi setter. Although he briefly set the ball a few times, it wasn't enough to tell anything.
This is precisely the little trick of the coaches, Fukutani, to keep a few tricks up their sleeves so that they can scare the opponent half to death during the game.
When the whistle blew in the third set, Kyoji Akaashi's serve was received by the opposing libero, but it still disrupted the first pass.
The libero apologized to his setter, "The ball went a little off course!"
Kozume's brain was still working, but his body was screaming and demanding rest.
He tried to run over and catch the ball, but his heavy steps held him back, and Kuroo Tetsuro had no choice but to swing his arm and send the ball flying.
Ah, Kozume Kenma stopped and turned his head to look at Hinata Shoyo, whose spirits were still high.
Although he successfully dragged the Ooku Valley team into the third round, he also paid a heavy price. It seemed that he had forgotten to take the stamina bars of both sides into account, and he silently reflected on it.
Wait a minute, Mo Dan's pupils contracted as he stared at the guy who had suddenly run to the front of the net.
It's understandable that Hyuga is running over, but shouldn't you be defending from the back? The cat-like glasses glanced at the back of the field, indicating that Tsuna should be positioned there.
Matsukawa Saki received the ball from behind, and Kozume thought that this was acceptable. After all, Fukutani would definitely want to end the battle quickly in the last set, so it was normal to abandon some defense and let the opposite hitter come out to spike the ball.
Then he watched as Sawada Tsunayoshi jumped up on the spot, and subconsciously followed suit before realizing something was wrong.
Even though the ball was still with the libero, if the libero hadn't passed the ball from beyond the three-meter line, Kozume Kenma watched as the opposing receiver's hand gradually transformed into a ball-holding position.
He immediately realized he had been tricked, and just as he was about to warn his teammates, Sawada Tsunayoshi passed the ball out, which was then slammed down by Akaashi Kyoji on the other side of the court.
He can also play setter?!
Kozume Kenshin judged that the ball was beyond saving, and only belatedly realized this, so shocked that even his thinking speed slowed down.
Kuroo Tetsuro lowered his hands and clutched his head. It was actually 42!
He walked to the net, grabbed it, and asked the guy on the other side who was surrounded and was supposed to be the receiver,
"Young opposite hitter, were you a setter before?"
Sawada Tsunayoshi looked around and finally realized that he was the only one there to receive the ball. After two rounds of the match, he was no longer as afraid of Kuroo as he had been at the beginning, probably because he finally realized that the other party was just joking on purpose.
He stepped forward and fell into deep thought as he faced Kuroo's question.
Just as Kuroo Tetsuro and Kozume Kenma were wondering what kind of difficult question it was that required so much thought,
After considering all the positions he had played before, Sawada Tsunayoshi gave a vague answer.
"I suppose so."
The doubts on Kuroo and Mamo's minds solidified, but in the end, they simply assumed that Sawada Tsunayoshi was just saying it casually because he didn't want to reveal information.
Sawada Tsunayoshi then passed the ball to the others a few more times, successfully proving that the ball he had just combined with Akaashi Kyoji was not a coincidence.
The two commentators were also surprised to see such tactics in the final game.
"Shiroya pulled out a double setter tactic at the last minute! Using maximum attack power to face Nekoma's defense, the outcome of this game still looks uncertain."
"Sawada Tsunayoshi! He's not just a setter, he also has excellent teamwork with his teammates as a setter!"
If things go as expected, the newspapers will probably be full of articles about the double setter setup in the next round of matches. Seeing the audience around him standing up and screaming, Irie Shoichi got excited and his mind raced.
If there's a syllabus, you should definitely buy two copies: one to read in person and the other to take home and keep.
He didn't realize that he hadn't even considered the possibility that Fukutani might lose.
Seeing this, the coach finally relaxed, and even Aoyama Kaede, who was standing next to him, couldn't help but want to return to the court and spike the ball with everyone after seeing Sawada Tsunayoshi pass the ball.
Kujou Hayate finally sat back down on the coach's bench. "Although Tsunayoshi can be a bit crazy sometimes, everyone else trusts him. He has an inexplicable leadership quality in a crowd."
After a moment of reflection, Suzuki was able to respond properly, "He just doesn't believe in himself, but when has he ever done anything wrong? The other team members aren't stupid. Take that guy from Shohoku, for example. He's actually very picky about passing. Back in Namimori, he was always complaining about wanting to play like Akaashi when it came to passing."
“Tsuna has been practicing his ball-handling skills a lot lately, and Hyuga has been making fewer of his little tricks.”
Kujou: "It must have been tough for you to have to deal with Shoyo every day before."
Suzuki rolled his eyes. "Is it that easy to find a setter? Let alone a setter with such good skills as Kyoji Akaashi."
Another fierce whistle blew, and Aoyama Kaede exchanged his number plate with Matsukawa Saki. His eyes were still a little red, but his gaze was firm and shining. This time, he would not hesitate again.
The two coaches sat in their chairs watching the game, thinking to themselves, "Is this the right way to play? Don't be timid when playing; you have to go all out to score."
In the third round, if we don't fight now, when will we?
Looking at the energetic guys on the court, Suzuki thought it was time to really abandon defense and focus solely on offense to score more points.
Kyoji Akaashi felt as if he had returned to the first day he met Tsuna and Shoyo. The match that morning at the Fukurodani Club was just as chaotic.
Hinata used his toes to lift the volleyball that was about to hit the ground, rolled it in the air, and barely managed to land steadily. Sawada Tsunayoshi had dealt with too many messy first passes like this, and even though he had rarely been affected by them recently, his subconscious reaction was to adjust his posture.
Under Otoko's gaze that seemed to say, "Seriously? You caught the ball with your feet?"
Sawada Tsunayoshi pressed down hard on his waist and abdomen, and the ball quickly slipped from his hands. On the other side, Kojima Shiro, who was already prepared, jumped up and slammed the ball down.
The reason why Otoko targets this guy is not only because Kojima's catching skills are not bad, but also because this guy only takes being targeted as taunting and then retaliates even more fiercely.
How to provoke? Of course, by retaliating with an even stronger spike.
Shoichi Irie couldn't help but wave the little flag in his hand. Great, it's a scoring streak!
On the next ball, Akaashi Kyoji passed the ball again, dragging the ball he had promised to Aoyama Kaede. The emotions he had been suppressed for several sets today vanished the moment he slapped the volleyball. He felt as if the dark clouds in his world had dispersed and the sky was exceptionally clear.
Sawada Tsunayoshi reached out his hand to give him a high five, but Aoyama Kaede, to the surprise of his teammate, grasped his hand and flashed the most hearty smile he had shown since they met.
"Tsuna, I'll practice catching the ball as soon as I get home tonight!"
It's no longer just about doing daily training well; I want to improve myself.
In order not to add any burden to you during the competition.
"Okay," Tsuna's pupils seemed to have been washed clean, becoming moist and bright, but he still hesitated before speaking.
"But you should get some rest when you get back tonight. You can practice catching the ball later."
He feels like he's about to die from exhaustion, and the thought of going back to practice sounds terrifying.
Kujoike waved his hand, put his hands on his hips and said in a mature and sophisticated manner, "That's what I always thought after every competition."
Kojima asked in confusion, "Then, senior, how did you receive the ball?"
Kujo laughed heartily, "Of course it's because I forgot everything as soon as I got back, haha!"
Kyoji Akaashi: "Is this something to be proud of and to publicize?"
The others laughed along with them. At this moment, everyone in Xiaogu returned to normal. They focused their attention on the Yinju group, who were still looking for an opportunity, and dared not let their guard down.
Sawada Tsunayoshi's gaze couldn't leave the panting setter. He had a feeling from the first meeting that they were not to be trifled with. Now that the villain filter had faded, he still found Kozume Kenma a terrifying opponent, the kind of creepy feeling of being stared at by an animal.
Xiao Xiang occasionally gave him this feeling of déjà vu.
Could this be the reason they quickly exchanged names? Tsuna pondered, feeling a sense of kinship among fellow animals.
No, they're clearly not the same species. Xiao Xiang doesn't have the ability to plan such elaborate schemes.
When people are very tired but their brains are still active, they are prone to having random thoughts. Sawada Tsunayoshi got stuck and started thinking about what kind of animals they were.
After a moment, he realized that he shouldn't compare other people to animals in his mind!
Tsuna clutched his head, utterly perplexed. "Damn it, can't I just forget about that idea already?"
Hinata Shoyo watched his friend's expressions change repeatedly, what a colorful and exhilarating performance! He couldn't help but think to himself, even after knowing Tsuna for so long, he still found it hard to keep up with Tsuna's wildly imaginative thoughts.
The brief interlude during the match won't last long; the match between Fukutani and Otoko is not over yet.
Kozume Grinding was protesting all over; the battery was critically low, and the system control center popped up an "overload" interface. He straightened up again, otherwise he would collapse to the ground without the strength to get up.
"It'll be difficult to suppress your opponent now, won't it?" Mo Jin wiped the sweat from his face and looked up at the opponent's serve.
Tetsuro Kuroo made a slight movement the instant the ball slipped from his hand.
"Yes, they're a tough team."
Even though he was unwilling, he lost this game to Fukugaya.
The moment the whistle blew, Tsuna's vision went black, and he almost collapsed from exhaustion. When he opened his eyes again, Kujo Ikeya scooped him up and rushed him toward Akaashi Kyōji, while Hyuga was nestled in Kujo Ikeya's other armpit.
Kyoji Akaashi clearly didn't want to face such a large three-wheeled truck, but because everyone had finally won the game, he held back and silently endured his teammates' suffocating hugs.
"Why, Ikeya, do you still have energy?" Tsunayoshi's words were broken and intermittent from being jostled around.
Hinata raised an arm as if surrendering, "I, I get carsick, you know—"
Before Akaashi Kyoji could rescue his two juniors from Kujo Ikeya, Matsukawa Saki and several others rushed over in a large group, squeezing them into the middle. Sawada Tsunayoshi gave up struggling.
Ah, I'm too exhausted anyway, so let them be.
After winning the game, his mind was calm and peaceful.
For elementary school students, playing such a long match was still too much. Kuroo Tetsurou carried his childhood friend, who had turned into a puddle, away from the field. At this moment, Kenma wouldn't say anything about being eliminated in the first round; instead, Kuroo himself started the conversation.
"Well, we still didn't win."
Mo Yan remained silent. When they shook hands, he looked at the two people who had given him such a big surprise during the competition. If they could compete together again next time, that wouldn't be bad.
Next time, he will challenge the Demon King with his upgraded weapon. As for the slightly increased training required, Kozume Kenma found that he did not feel too resistant.
He walked over to the two little ones who were supporting each other.
"Xiangyang, want to exchange email addresses?"
Hinata Shoyo looked troubled, and Makoto thoughtfully guessed...
"Not yet?"
The two kids from the countryside didn't have smartphones at all. Hyuga nodded quickly, his hair swaying and hitting Tsuna's face next to him.
"Once we win the championship, we'll buy a smartphone!"
Kozume Kenma nodded. "I see. Then I'll exchange contact information with you after I come to watch you win the championship."
Sawada Tsunayoshi, his mind still foggy, was jolted awake by Hyuga's hair. Still half-asleep, he was being led astray by Hyuga Shoyo's constant grinding and rubbing against him. He obediently leaned on Hyuga's shoulder and replied.
"Okay, Grinding Stone."
Kozume Kenma looked at Sawada Tsunayoshi, who hadn't reacted yet, and guessed that he probably wanted to call him "Kozume-kun," but his mind couldn't process it and he just followed Hinata's lead and called him something else.
The malicious person didn't warn the other person, but instead echoed them.
"I can tell at a glance: Shoyo, and Tsunayoshi-kun."
After walking several steps, Sawada Tsunayoshi belatedly realized...
"What did Kozume-kun call me just now?!"
Hinata added a friendly jab, "Hey, Tsuna, didn't you call him 'Genma-kun'?"
"Ahhhhh!" He covered his face, refusing to show it no matter what.
Kujou and Suzuki stood in front of Coach Nekomata. As juniors, they respected the senior coach who was on good terms with their own coach.
"That guy was right, several outstanding cubs have emerged from Owl Valley this year."
Suzuki quickly declined, "Oh no, no, the kids from Otokoma are also excellent. We were completely outmatched in the first two rounds."
Hinata and Sawada Tsunayoshi listened to the coaches chatting and thought to themselves that Nekoma really is like a cat, from the coaches to the players.
After seeing the coach off, Kujo Hayate turned around and packed her things.
"Coach Neko is really healthy. Our coach doesn't even allow the on-site doctor to come."
Suzuki thought of his own coach, "There's nothing we can do about his illness. Maybe he should be the first to retire from his generation?"
"That should be true. Coach Ukai from Miyagi is still leading the team, isn't he?"
"Hmm, speaking of which, isn't the high school that Shoyo's dream senior wants to attend in Miyagi?"
"Eh? Hinata wants to go to Miyagi!"
Kujou Hayate's bag fell to the ground with a thud.
Suzuki nodded. "Yeah, didn't he mention it to you? He's from Miyagi, and he always talks about 'Little Giant' and 'Miyagi' like that."
Kujou Hayate grabbed Suzuki's shoulder, and a question mark slowly appeared above Suzuki's head.
What are you doing?
Kujou Sasa's expression was solemn. "Suzuki, we absolutely cannot let Shoyo go to Miyagi. How can we possibly send away such a promising talent that we've already got our hands on?"
"Ah, well,"
"Let alone Hyuga, Tsunayoshi will probably run to Miyagi as well!"
"That's definitely possible,"
"Losing two child prodigies at once, how can this be allowed!"
Suzuki scratched his head, looked at Kujou Hayate who had inexplicably become enraged, and sighed.
"Then good luck."
Kujo Hayate left with his bag. Suzuki didn't know what kind of method this guy was planning to change Shoyo and Tsunayoshi's minds, but he didn't care as long as Shoyo was happy.
As long as you're still playing volleyball, it doesn't matter where you are.
Irie Shoichi distributed the last few jellies to the key contributors in the Akatsuki clan, and they immediately wolfed them down in one go.
Then, with eyes gleaming and glowing green, Suzuki turned around and saw a row of heads that seemed to be on the same wavelength, like a row of owls hanging in a tree. He was amused and helpless, and quickly told them to take a car to eat.
All the way, Kujou Sa kept nagging in the two kids' ears, bothering them like mosquitoes, saying things like, "Is Fukutani okay? Are you having fun playing ball here?"
From Suzuki's perspective, only Sawada Tsunayoshi was still struggling to answer Kujo's questions, while Hinata had already closed his eyes and was sleeping soundly where Kujo was out of sight.
Behind him, Irie Masakazu looked conflicted, seemingly considering whether to interrupt the coach and give Sawada Tsunayoshi a break.
Suzuki thought to himself that this wasn't the right way to persuade someone, so he reached out and pulled Kujo Hayate back.
"There's plenty of time in the future, let the children rest first."
The bus finally quieted down, and without having to worry about the coach, Tsuna tilted his head and fell asleep.
After a long round of competition with Soundhorse, they will finally have a week of rest.
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