Chapter 173 Inarizaki vs Shiratorizawa (5) (Two in One)
"Touch the ball once."
After Alan's serve was received by Yamagata, the setter passed it to the outside hitter Tendo for a spike. Unfortunately, Inarizaki was not a team that would suffer a loss twice in the same place. They were well-trained in organizing the block. The outside hitter with fox eyes had a loud voice, but it was loud enough for people to hear clearly.
"Good touch!" Akagi praised him, then cushioned the ball and let Miya You take over.
Miyaji's reception and spike, the range and angle of his arm swings were perfect. Honestly, it made Jiancheng's eyes widen a little. He has a sharp appearance, but his eyes are not the narrow type. When he widens his eyes, there is a strange roundness and dullness. In other words, he looks a little silly.
The twins are indeed very strong, but that doesn't mean Shiratorizawa can't deal with it. This block gave Shiratorizawa enough time. Even if Miyaji wanted to adjust, he could only change the original ball into a big diagonal shot, and Yamagata had already been waiting in that direction.
"Well done to Yamagata Yamagata for saving us!"
The stadium cheered loudly, "Shiratorizawa! Defend!"
Ichiro couldn't help laughing when he heard this, and seeing him laugh, Momo beside him couldn't help but look at him curiously. It was true that Otokoma had some connection with Miyagi Prefecture, but it wasn't with a strong guy like Shiratorizawa, but with another school that was now in decline, Karasuno. Kanagawa Daiichi was the one who was on good terms with Shiratorizawa.
"No, I just thought of something funny," Ichiro said, his fist touching his lips to stifle his smile. "Yamagata wasn't the type to catch every ball before."
It's not that he's not strong. The fact that Hayato Yamagata can secure a starting position in a school like Shiratorizawa is outstanding in every aspect. But as I said before, his thinking speed is definitely not this fast.
After all, Shiratorizawa is not a school known for its defense, but from now on, the original "shortcomings" have been almost made up. Although it cannot be called an iron bucket, it is enough for Shiratorizawa to move back and forth among major schools.
Mo Mo was very smart and understood what he meant instantly.
The first-year setters at Shiratorizawa are all offensive types, so there is no problem even if one is singled out as the starting setter for another school. In such a case, the attacker will also evolve in conjunction with the setter.
Otherwise, it would be impossible for Shiratorizawa to win so many championships just by relying on one outstanding person.
On the court, Ushijima had already converted the ball and dunked it. The young attacker received the ball and jumped at the three-meter line. There was no one blocking in front of him - Inarizaki was fooled by Kenjo's fake move, thinking that he could catch Tendo and Ohira off guard and attack them cross-wise, but the result was that Ushijima got the advantage.
With his arms stretched out and the muscles on his back bulging, he hit a powerful spike. Even if Akagi was in position quickly to receive the ball, he would only end up being hit on the arm and knocked out of the court.
“Jori-senpai!!!” Screams rang out everywhere. Ushijima was already a very popular contestant, and his outstanding performance would only make the fans who came for him even more crazy.
"Nice dunk by Ushijima! Nice pass by Kenjo—! Another one!"
"Shiratorizawa!!!"
The score jumped again, and it was a point scored by the ace to liven up the atmosphere.
"Damn it," Gong You was not in a good mood, because they were still far behind due to Kenjo Shinichi's serve, "You jumped too low just now."
The twins, who were showing friendly brotherhood in the previous second, broke up in the next second, snorting coldly at each other. Miyaji's rotation from the front row to the back row just cooled down the situation.
The libero was substituted due to round reasons.
Shiratorizawa Tendo serves.
Seeing that the red-haired outside hitter was standing at the serving point, the Inarizaki cheerleaders' mood did not improve at all.
As one of the strongest schools in the country, the cheerleading squad will of course study their opponents. When facing opponents who are not so strong, they will put pressure on them throughout the game. When facing stronger opponents, they will use various tactics in rotation. So far, they have been successful and have successfully made Inarizaki a terrifying cheering school that no one wants to encounter. But even so, there are schools that they occasionally don't want to encounter.
For example, the current Shiratorizawa.
The first server, Shinichi Kenjo, can maintain a terrifying serve scoring rate under any conditions. He is usually the one serving from the first position, and Kaku Tendo, who follows closely behind him, is not an easy person to get along with either.
He was smiling, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking. His actions seemed to be provoking them. Although his serve was not too threatening, it always made people feel helpless.
As if their tactics were worthless.
This time the booing was sparse, completely different from the full-throated booing he received when facing Kenjo Shinichi. Tendou bent his lips and nodded, imitating the younger generation.
Inarizaki Cheerleaders: ...
No matter what, I'm still angry!
The serving rights kept switching back and forth between the two. When it was Miya Yu's turn, he probably held his breath. It was not until Ushijima's spike interrupted his serving rights again that Inarizaki stopped his continuous scoring behavior.
Miya You returned to the court and clapped hands with Kakuname, his face gloomy as he stared at the server behind him, Kenjo Shinichi, who was standing at the serving point.
'Trouble is coming,' he said slowly to himself.
The current score is [20:16]
Although the score difference has narrowed, it still exists. The points that Kenjo Shinichi scored for Shiratorizawa's serve gave them enough confidence to deal with it even if they made mistakes later, and the first game was just a warm-up.
Shiratorizawa stepped into the 20th mark first, but the final will be played in five games. Even if they have a high probability of winning the first two games directly, it does not mean that they can relax. There are teams that will explode at the last minute.
——At such a critical juncture, Jiancheng’s serve came again.
*
"That last ball wasn't passed to me, was it?" Baibu said to Jiancheng during the side change, "You passed it too low."
Kenjo, who was following him, confessed his mistake, "Yeah." His serve score was stuck at four points this time, which was just enough to make Inarizaki breathe a sigh of relief. Then Inarizaki started scoring continuously, and the score difference once appeared at [24:22]. Finally, Shiratorizawa won the match thanks to an unexpected lob from Shirabu.
Bai Bu wasn't thinking about his mistake. He looked at Jian Cheng's wrist. After all, that shot at the beginning of the previous round was truly incredible. Although Jian Cheng said he was fine, could the human body really withstand hitting that kind of shot? "...Is your wrist really okay?"
According to his personality, no, to be more precise, according to Jiancheng's current state, it should be impossible for him to make such a low-level mistake.
The next second, Jian Cheng Xinyi's face showed obvious confusion. He shook his head and said, "My wrist doesn't hurt."
Before Bai Bu could continue asking, he spoke first: "Yu, I mean, You-kun, you're making faces at me."
“……?”
A huge question mark appeared above Bai Bu's head. Until the side change was over, he stood in front of Gong You, and his expression looked wrong.
Gong You, who later learned about this: ...
This Jiancheng guy was really saying bad things about him. No, Gong You realized it and then said madly: "That was a sour face, no, it was rolling my eyes, okay? The cool and handsome Gong You!"
"What kind of fool is he?" Gong You couldn't understand.
Anyway, who would think that was just a face? He wouldn't do such a low-level thing, okay? But after thinking carefully for a few seconds, Gong You immediately changed his mind and looked at Gong Zhi who was playing games next to him: "What do you think about us making faces at that idiot together when we meet Shiratorizawa in the next game?"
Gong You said seriously: "Maybe it will work wonders." He is probably already thinking about the feasibility of this stupid plan.
"Not very good," Miyaji said succinctly, "You are a scumbag."
"You have to do the embarrassing things by yourself."
"Haha," Gong You said, "Then I'll go dye my hair silver and say I'm Gong Zhi."
“…”
An expression of "Do you want to listen to what you are saying" appeared on Miyaji's face. Besides, even if he dyed his hair, his nickname would not change!
Of course, Gong You on the court now has no idea what will happen next. He just feels that during the short period of time when the sides change, Shiratorizawa's second setter seems like a different person, and looks at him with strange eyes.
——Could it be that Jiancheng is secretly saying bad things about him?
Gong You is very suspicious.
*
The farmer, who was stared at by Gong You with strange eyes for a long time: ...
The farmer lets himself go when he's not serving.
Sure enough, there is a generation gap between humans and fish, he thought. Even if some people have the appearance of humans, it cannot hide the fact that they are actually fish.
Speaking of which, who exactly is the mage who raised him? Could it be that the mage really knows magic? The farmer thought as he gave instructions for the back row attack.
*
Oikawa, who was far away in Miyagi taking care of the children, sneezed.
My sister's voice came from the yard, "Xiao Che -? Do you have a cold?"
Oikawa took off his headphones: "No, it's probably dust."
In short, he failed to compete with the elementary school students for the right to live TV broadcast, so he had to watch the game here on the sofa with his mobile phone. As a result, the screen was black for a long time due to network problems. When he finally solved this problem, the match between Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki had already reached the middle stage of the second round.
At this moment, the commentator's voice prompt said that Inarizaki's coach called a timeout.
Looking at the score, Shiratorizawa 12:9 Inarizaki.
Oikawa:…
The broadcast also split the screen with the faces of Kenjo Shinichi and Miya Yu, as if one could see their next tactics from the faces of the setters on both sides.
Oikawa:…………
"I see! You're the culprit, aren't you, Hanako-san?" The voice of the only elementary school student in the house watching a TV drama echoed through my ears, along with the commentary on my phone: "Both setters have serious expressions. It seems they both think the other is a worthy opponent."
Oikawa took a deep breath and exited the broadcast.
I started to think about why he was trying so hard to find the internet to watch the game in his room.
He thought that both Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki were sick, and after a while he opened it and added to his own thoughts, but he wanted to see it no matter who lost.
Elementary school student: "You're so weird, Archer!"
He keeps talking to himself and pacing back and forth. Isn't this just to prevent you from watching TV?
Oikawa:…
The vein on Oikawa's forehead bulged: "You're so long-winded!"
*
"Jiancheng's serve score has stabilized at around four points," Coach Kurosu said calmly. "While this score brings some pressure, it's not impossible for us to catch up."
Indeed, Inarizaki is quite experienced in scoring ability. This was demonstrated by the fact that they were able to control the score within 3 points despite such a huge gap in the last game - of course, this was also inseparable from Miya Yu's breakthrough in serving at the end.
Thinking of this, Alan didn't know whether he was relieved or not, and patted Gong You's shoulder: "You are really reliable, You."
Gong You was confused. He looked at Alan, then at the others, and finally said, "Then you go and kill Ushijima...?"
Alan:
Alan quickly withdrew his hand, as if Gong You had some disease.
The pause was brief. Kurosu Hosō wasn't trying to make these kids suddenly realize something, but at least to bring them back to their senses from their slightly anxious state. Furthermore, watching the others return to the court to start the game, Coach Kurosu looked straight ahead and said, "North."
He said steadily, "Go warm up."
This scene seems familiar.
Kita Shinsuke folded the coat on his shoulders and placed it on the bench while sitting and stretching. It seemed that this was the time when he was sent on the court last time.
However, compared to his passiveness during the IH period, Inarizaki was able to deal with Shiratorizawa's serve very well this time. Akagi had already caught Kenshiro Shinichi's floater at the beginning of the second game. The pass was so beautiful that he couldn't help but applaud from the bench.
There are still some minor problems, Kita Shinsuke thought silently.
Seeing him like this, Big Ear shuddered, "Captain is sometimes quite scary, isn't he, Senior?"
"How would I know?" Qianli was very cautious, not being able to tell the identity of the senior at all. "Don't try to drag me into this."
Big ear:......
The warm-up time was neither short nor long. Estimating that the time was almost up, Coach Kurosu signaled for a substitution.
[The end of No. 5 Silver Island]
[No. 1 Kita Shinsuke comes on as a substitute]
When handing over the small sign, Yindao was obviously relieved and said quickly in a low voice: "Leave it to you."
Kita Shinsuke nodded calmly.
When they entered the arena, they could clearly feel the two overly enthusiastic people faltering behind them. Kita Shinsuke took his position and then said slowly, "Relax, I'm not here to criticize you."
Miyaji and Miya Yu were obviously a little too excited before the timeout. To be precise, it was Miya Yu who was too excited, and Miyaji was messing around behind them. Although the score didn't change much, the rhythm was a little messed up. This was part of the reason why coach Kurosu called a timeout. However, after coming on the court, Miyaji calmed down, but Miya Yu was still messing around, so Kita Shinsuke had to come on the court.
As a volleyball player, Kita Shinsuke's talent is not that outstanding, but as the captain, his strength is far beyond everyone else.
Just one look can calm Miya Yuu and Miya Osamu above. Although they say "it's not criticism", it is obvious that it should not be taken seriously - although Kita Shinsuke may really feel that way.
The serve was in Shiratorizawa's hands, and it was Ushijima's turn. The left-handed serve was the most difficult type of jump serve to receive, except for those with high ball control accuracy and power (such as Oikawa and Kenjo). The different angles made it difficult for everyone to cope. In addition, Kenjo Shinichi served sidespin balls only a few times today, so Akagi still had a hard time receiving the ball.
The score was widened again, but unlike Kenjo, Ushijima still made some mistakes in his serve, and the third ball went directly out of bounds, giving points to Inarizaki.
But the spectators outside the court were very understanding. After all, mistakes are the norm in volleyball. If everyone was like the inhuman creature that was Kenjo Shinichi, why would they even play volleyball? They could just hold a serving contest.
——After all, humans are not machines.
There is another reason for letting Kita Shinsuke play. His standing in Ginjima's position means that after Shiratorizawa's serve is over, he will be the next server for Inarizaki.
If it were someone else, Coach Kurosu would definitely not choose such a time, but that was Bei after all.
When they walk to the serving line, they give people a sense of security. Maybe others don’t feel it, but coach Kurosu, the assistant coach, and teammates who have been with them for a long time can all feel one thing.
"It looks like a shrine." Someone in the stands murmured, "Did I see the true form of a martial spirit or something?"
To some extent, Kita Shinsuke is also one of Inarizaki's "trump cards".
On Shiratorizawa's side, Kenjo Shinichi tutted softly. Although the sound was not loud, Kawanishi Taichi still heard it. Since the opponent hadn't started serving yet, he still had time to spare. "What's wrong?"
The blue-haired boy looked calm, "The difficult guy is coming up."
“…”
Taichi Kawanishi didn't quite understand the mentality of the No. 9 setter. Although he had dealt with Kita Shinsuke before, he was not to the extent of being "difficult to deal with". At most it would be a bit troublesome. However, he still paid great attention to Kenjo Shinichi's judgment.
"Just treat it as a practice match," Kawanishi Taichi retracted his gaze, "We will win in the end."
This time Jian Cheng didn't refute. He pursed his lips and said in a soft but firm voice, "Of course."
——That’s why he came.
*
Although he didn't quite understand volleyball, Takao, watching the game behind his juniors, understood the meaning of number 1. Honestly, he was puzzled by the fact that someone had been on the bench for the entire game. "The main player isn't the starter?"
"It's a tactical effect," Midorima said. "After he came on the court, the twin setters... how should I put it, they calmed down a lot."
Even he, an outsider, could see Gong You's absent-mindedness and impatience before.
"He has a solid foundation," Yuichi said, clearly possessing a much deeper understanding of volleyball. Even though Shiratorizawa was still leading, the point difference had shrunk from four points to two, and remained at that level. Judging from the situation, Yuichi pursed his lips. When he looked stern, he and Kenjo Shinichi looked like twins. "Inarizaki's got a good hand."
It is indeed a good card. It can calm everyone down and disrupt Shiratorizawa's attack to some extent.
Steady erosion.
"It's not spectacular," Kuroo smiled, "but from a strategic point of view, Inarizaki is victorious."
Two points is not too big, but not too small either.
…
Inarizaki's tactics were successful, but they were unable to get any closer, and the score difference in the second game was fixed at this point, Shiratorizawa 25:23 Inarizaki.
If it had been regular time, they would have won, but unfortunately this was the final and they had to play three games no matter what.
If they could still take advantage of the situation in the first two games, the third game would require perseverance and physical strength, but these are also what Shiratorizawa and Inarizaki have in abundance now.
When changing sides, Gong You grabbed the grid and smiled, which looked a little fake: "Shinichi-kun." The Kansai accent sounded strangely sticky.
Kenjo Shinichi's expression remained unchanged.
However, Gong You accepted his personality and continued slowly and clearly, "Let's have fun in the third game."
Even if he loses, he will make Shiratorizawa so tired that he can't stand steadily on the podium. Gong You gritted his teeth a little.
Kenjo Shinichi:......
Although he didn't understand what the fish king was planning, the farmer thought he was a bit naive.
-----------------------
The author has something to say: There should be about one more chapter (contemplation)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
