studiobondurri Chapter 228: The Comeback (Double-Length)
Chapter 228: The Comeback (Double-Length)
"LET's GO!! LET's GO!! Inarizaki!!"
"LET's GO!! LET's GO!! Inarizaki!!"
Just by standing at the service line, Miya Atsumu filled the Inarizaki cheering squad with unshakable confidence.
They actually managed to push the game to a comeback situation...
Atsumu slowly raised his left hand and clenched his fist.
—!!!
The Inarizaki supporters' chants came to an abrupt halt.
"He's coming!"
Without any unnecessary theatrics, Atsumu tossed the ball up, took his approach, and struck.
Bam!
The sound of contact wasn't particularly loud, but by the time Iwaizumi Hajime tried to track the ball's trajectory, it had already dropped to his hand level.
So fast!
More importantly, he didn't even see how the ball got there!
Iwaizumi reached out to receive, but the moment the ball hit his wrist, it didn't rebound upward. Instead, it plummeted straight to the floor.
Iwaizumi Hajime: "!!!"
The ball landed—Atsumu had scored directly off his serve.
[Aoba Johsai 23 – 23 Inarizaki]
They...they caught up!!!
From the very start of the set, Aoba Johsai had been in the lead, with the largest gap reaching five points on two occasions!
But at some point, without anyone realizing, Inarizaki had clung onto the score and finally evened it out in the closing moments of the set!
And it was still Atsumu's serve!!
The Inarizaki supporters grew even more frenzied, their cheers reaching a fever pitch at this critical juncture. The surging melody of their brass band crashed over the stadium in waves, intensifying the already electrifying atmosphere.
Atsumu was brimming with confidence. The thrill of making a comeback like this—honestly, it was even more exhilarating than steamrolling an opponent from start to finish.
He clenched his fist again, and the roaring stadium seemed to freeze for a moment.
Maybe... maybe this was what he enjoyed the most—control.
Atsumu tossed the ball again—his second serve!
Bam!
The ball shot toward the gap between Iwaizumi Hajime and Watari Shinji.
Judging by its trajectory, both of them had the same thought—"Out!"
But—
Neither dared to gamble on it.
"I got it!" Iwaizumi and Watari both shouted at the same time.
Yet in that brief moment of hesitation, as their eyes met, the ball was already behind them.
There was still one last hope—if it really was out!
Smack!
Half of the ball landed flush on Aoba Johsai's end line before bouncing out.
"IN!" The referee signaled.
Atsumu scored another ace!!
[Aoba Johsai 23 – 24 Inarizaki]
They took the lead...
"YEAAAAHHH—!!" Atsumu clenched both fists and let out a triumphant yell.
"ATSUMU!! ATSUMU!! That was sick!!!"
"ATSUMU!! ATSUMU!! Keep going!!!"
"Another service ace! Atsumu Miya is absolutely unstoppable at set point!!"
"To be honest, I thought for sure that was going out!"
"The Master of Serves from Inarizaki, the nation's No.1 high school setter, Miya Atsumu has single-handedly forced Aoba Johsai, who had been leading all this time, into a corner with his serves!!!"
Calm down...Calm down...You have to stay calm.
Iwaizumi stood in the centre of the back row, scanning his teammates' faces.
He had seen it clearly—both of Atsumu's serves had an even sharper downward dip when they were about a meter off the ground. The ball changed trajectory so fast that his reactions felt sluggish, his feet stuck to the floor...
I have to get the ball up!
As long as I can receive it, Oikawa and Taichi will find a way to score!
-----
Atsumu stepped up to the service line again, his expression turning ice-cold.
One more.
Take the first set in one go!
Bam!
A third float serve!
Iwaizumi saw its trajectory and immediately moved forward to meet it. Even if his hands couldn't make solid contact, he'd at least use his chest to pop the ball up!
Smack!
He got it!
"Hehe, nice try." Atsumu grinned at Inarizaki's end line.
The ball had bounced off Iwaizumi's hands, veering toward the backcourt.
Smack!
"Taichi!!!"
Kunimi Akira dove desperately, his entire body stretched out behind Iwaizumi. This ball CANNOT be lost!
The ball was sent high into Aoba Johsai's back row.
Kaedehara Taichi sprinted from the front row to the back, leaping into the air in a single stride—sideways, single-handed—spiking the ball over.
Bang!
"Wait, that actually worked?!!"
"Give me the ball!!!"
He raised his right hand high and shouted.
It was a direct challenge to Inarizaki's block—and a bold declaration to Aran, a national Top 5 top-tier ace!
Watari Shinji received the ball, and Oikawa moved into position.
He could sense it—Kaedehara Taichi's demand wasn't just for this rally. He wanted the ball every single time until they secured the first set!
Because he was Aoba Johsai's ace!
Whoosh—!
The ball soared toward the right-wing high above the court.
Kaedehara Taichi started his approach from near the baseline.
Boom!
Feeling his body surge with power, he ascended like a hawk soaring from the forest into the sky.
"Three-man block!!!" Ginjima Hitomi, Suna Rintarō, and Miya Osamu leapt together.
Yet Taichi's ascent was still incomplete. A heartbeat later, the block disappeared from his vision, leaving him with an open view of the court.
"Bring it on!!!"
From Inarizaki's back row, Akagi Michinari, Miya Atsumu, and Ojiro Aran locked onto the airborne figure.
With unshaken composure, Taichi swung his arm from behind, his wrist slightly flexing upon contact.
BANG!
The ball whizzed past the three blockers, carving a sharp trajectory through the air like a bullet, striking Inarizaki's baseline with a crisp thud.
Smack!
The ball was in!
Ignoring both block and defence, Kaedehara Taichi scored!
[Aoba Johsai 25 – 24 Inarizaki]
"That was terrifying...It felt like Inarizaki clawed their way back only for everything to collapse in a single point."
"Aoba Johsai's #10 doesn't even seem like he's going all out."
"It's just one point, but losing it feels suffocating for Inarizaki. If this happens again, they won't be able to stop him."
"Don't hesitate! Get back out there and take the point back!!!" Atsumu roared.
"Defend with everything you've got!!!"
Oikawa stepped up to the service line again. Aoba Johsai was a team meant to stay on this court until the very end.
There was no way they'd fall here.
Boom!!
Oikawa sent another serve flying.
"Urgh!" Atsumu received it. "Cover!!!"
Miya Osamu retreated to assist.
"Aran!!!"
Aran launched into another back-row attack. Failing to score in his previous attempt was his greatest shame as an ace!
"Three-man block!"
Aoba Johsai's iron wall remained steadfast!
Boom!
Aran twisted his wrist, spiking a sharp cut shot!
The ball barely slipped through the narrow gap in front of Iwaizumi.
Smack!
"Kunimi Akira receives it! But the ball deflects to the left and flies out of bounds!"
"Oikawa rushes in!"
"He doesn't opt for an easy set—he sends a long cross-court pass to the far right!"
"He's feeding it to the ace—Kaedehara Taichi!!!"
Once again, Taichi charged along the right sideline, leaping high.
"Three-man block!"
This time, Inarizaki's blockers jumped with all their might, completely cutting off his view of the court.
"Sometimes, knowing too many techniques can be a hassle."
—!!!?
On the other side of the net, Suna Rintarō felt a sudden chill—he was being targeted!
His gaze met Taichi's, and it felt like a sharpened blade was about to pierce through him. Instinctively, he tensed his arms, lowering them slightly.
Taichi swung his arm down, and at the moment of contact, every muscle in his arm tensed explosively.
BOOM!!!
Unlike before, this spike carried raw, unrelenting power.
Suna barely had time to react before the ball slammed into his arms, instantly blowing them apart.
The ball plummeted straight to the floor.
Atsumu, Akagi, and Aran dove simultaneously—
THUD!
The ball struck the ground before they could reach it.
Kaedehara Taichi, standing tall, looked down at the fallen trio.
"You can't stop me."
Kaedehara Taichi scores!
[Aoba Johsai 26 – 24 Inarizaki]
"Tweet—!"
First set over.
Winners: Aoba Johsai.
_________
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