After a short break, the second set quickly began.
Karasuno served, with Ennoshita Chikara serving directly down the middle, but Kindaichi received it. Setter Yahaba Shigeru set the ball to Kunimi Akira, who spiked it from the left. Karasuno's Tsukishima Kei barely managed to receive the ball.
"Kageyama, save the ball!"
Hearing Sawamura Daichi's shout, Kindaichi nodded inwardly. The first receive wasn't good. From the previous set, Karasuno didn't seem to use quick attacks. It was probably another long attack to the left (Tanaka Ryunosuke) or right (Sawamura Daichi).
Suddenly, Hinata Shoyo's figure burst out from behind Kageyama. Was it a quick attack? No, there were no quick attacks in the entire first set. It must be a decoy!
Kindaichi quickly made his judgment, his gaze still fixed on Tanaka Ryunosuke and Sawamura Daichi on both sides.
"Bang!"
Hinata Shoyo spiked for a point.
Karasuno 1 VS 0 Aoba Johsai
Huh? A quick attack! Kindaichi looked incredulous.
"They actually used a quick attack from the middle? Karasuno's short guy seems to be back to normal." People around whispered.
"One more point!" The Karasuno team shouted.
Karasuno served again, and Aoba Johsai returned the ball.
"Chance ball!"
Ennoshita Chikara easily passed the ball to Kageyama Tobio. As Kageyama Tobio received the ball, Hinata Shoyo had already jumped. Kageyama Tobio quickly set the ball, and before Kindaichi could jump to block, the ball had already landed on Aoba Johsai's side.
Karasuno 2 VS 0 Aoba Johsai
"Ah?"
"...Huh?"
"What was that just now? So fast!"
Is this the "Freak Quick Attack"? Maple Field Taiichi watched from the sidelines with excitement. To witness it firsthand, how amazing!
"Oh oh oh..." A cheer erupted from Karasuno's side. The slump from the first set seemed to vanish instantly, and the players' morale significantly improved.
"That number 5 is performing differently from the first set," Kunimi Akira said to Kindaichi.
"Two quick attacks. I won't let him succeed again." Kindaichi glared fiercely at Hinata Shoyo's figure.
Feeling the gaze from behind him, Kageyama Tobio revealed a meaningful smile: "Good, they're starting to guard against Hinata. Our counterattack is about to begin."
The match continued. After several rounds of offense and defense, Kageyama Tobio finally received a decent first pass. He glanced at Hinata Shoyo, who quickly rushed to the right side of the net.
"I'm here!"
"Another quick attack, huh?" Kindaichi, who had been watching Hinata Shoyo, reacted quickly and jumped simultaneously with Hinata Shoyo. "Since I know you're going to spike, it's not scary at all."
"Swish!" "Bang!"
Kageyama Tobio's back set sent the volleyball above Tanaka Ryunosuke on the left side. Tanaka Ryunosuke jumped and spiked the ball down.
"Ahhh! I've been waiting for this!" Tanaka Ryunosuke's roar echoed through the stadium.
Karasuno 3 VS 0 Aoba Johsai
"Damn it, was that a decoy again?" Kindaichi regretfully slapped his face.
"Don't rush, Kindaichi, don't let them affect you." Iwaizumi comforted Kindaichi, but he also couldn't think of any good counter-measures for now.
"Yes." Kindaichi nodded.
That being said, this offense was simply unstoppable. The score on the court quickly reached Karasuno 7 VS 3 Aoba Johsai.
"Sigh... Even we laymen can see that the blockers are spread out and can't stop Karasuno's offense." Spectators on the sidelines discussed amongst themselves.
"Was Karasuno originally this strong?"
"No way, it's mainly that first-year running around, and that setter, his movements are too precise, just like Oikawa-senpai."
"Beep." Aoba Johsai called a timeout.
"Hey—Kindaichi, that Kageyama is completely different from what you said." As a setter on the court, Kageyama Tobio's pressure on Yahaba Shigeru was probably the greatest.
"I... this is also the first time I've seen such a situation... an attacker who can adapt to Kageyama's impossible sets." Kindaichi said helplessly.
"That's not it, Kindaichi," Coach Irihata's voice came.
"Kageyama is adapting to those hitters, especially that short number five. That short guy's fundamentals are clearly very poor, similar to Taiichi... but Kageyama can turn his speed into a weapon."
Maple Field Taiichi was listening fine, but suddenly being cued, well... it would have been better not to mention him.
"Kageyama does have strong setting skills, as Oikawa said, able to accurately send the ball to every attacker, but their individual attacks aren't that good, so..."
Coach Irihata looked at the eager Maple Field Taiichi: "Go, stick close to that short guy."
A monster first-year, we have one at Aoba Johsai too.
Aoba Johsai substituted, Maple Field Taiichi in, Kindaichi out.
Karasuno served, Aoba Johsai's libero Watari Shinji received the ball, setter Yabahaba set to Kunimi Akira, Kunimi Akira spiked the ball over, Karasuno's Sawamura Daichi easily received the ball, and Hinata Shoyo simultaneously began his approach run.
"He's caught up!"
To say who on the court understood this Freak Quick Attack best, besides Kageyama Tobio, it was probably Maple Field Taiichi. At this stage, Hinata Shoyo merely jumps to spike. Even so, he can be 100% certain that the ball set by Kageyama Tobio will reach his hands, and he will jump and spike it down. This is also something a normal person cannot do.
Maple Field Taiichi knew that Hinata Shoyo at this time was just playing with his eyes closed, and he also knew about situations where this quick attack was blocked, and even knew the evolved form of this "Freak Quick Attack."
Maple Field Taiichi kept his eyes on Hinata Shoyo! The two figures mirrored each other on opposite sides of the net. Although his speed was a little off and his jump wasn't enough, with the advantage of his height, as long as Hinata Shoyo didn't score, it would be fine!
"Bang!" "Slap!"
Hinata Shoyo's spike was touched by Maple Field Taiichi!
"One touch!" Maple Field Taiichi shouted loudly.
Watari Shinji perfectly received the first pass. Completely unexpected that the "Freak Quick Attack" would be defended, the Karasuno team hadn't had time to adjust their state when Kunimi Akira spiked the ball down from the left for a point.
"Nice touch, nice spike!" Aoba Johsai regrouped.
Karasuno 7 VS 4 Aoba Johsai
"Damn it, was that a coincidence?" Kageyama Tobio didn't expect the second "Freak Quick Attack" to be blocked. It was incredible.
"It's okay, it's okay, let's keep attacking." Captain Sawamura Daichi patted Hinata Shoyo, who was still in a daze.
Coach Irihata tapped his tactics board on the sidelines: "Very keen observation, and a blocking method that doesn't overcommit at all. Not aiming for a block point, Taiichi is very smart."
"If the short guy can't score, can he still serve as a decoy?" Coach Irihata looked at the Karasuno team with a smile.
The Karasuno players on the court looked serious. Being blocked by the opponent's rookie, was it a coincidence or skill? Kageyama Tobio used two more balls to confirm this.
Indeed, the opponent's speed could keep up with Hinata Shoyo. Although his jump was insufficient, he was about twenty centimeters taller than Hinata Shoyo, and Hinata Shoyo couldn't shake off his defense at all.
The opponent even kept up with Hinata Shoyo without considering whether Hinata Shoyo would receive the ball, and with just one person, they completely neutralized Hinata Shoyo's effectiveness. Without Hinata Shoyo as a decoy, Tanaka Ryunosuke's and Sawamura Daichi's spikes were also difficult to make a killing blow, and the tide of the match had changed.
"Damn it! If only we had an Ace who could break through the deadlock."