The Birth of A Volleyball Legend

Chapter 218 Heated Battle

Riku was sulking. No amount of cold water he drank was enough to lift his mood, and even though all the players were relatively new to each other, they could all guess the reason why. It had to be because of the humiliating defeat he suffered earlier. After all, not only did he lose to his friend, but Riku's team also couldn't score a single point in that game. Losing 11 points in a row was honestly a rare achievement, but to lose it all just from the opponent's serves was too much for him. His ego was bruised, and it would take a long time for him to recover.

"Oi, spiky, move! Can you read his intentions quicker?!"

"Shut up, you bastard! Just follow my lead!"

BAM!

"YOSSHAAAAA!"

Riku glanced for a moment, watching everyone who was excited about the block made by Aizawa. It was an impressive block, especially considering how quickly the two players recovered after the first one. Seeing how Akihiro celebrated, he couldn't help but shudder, remembering the immense pressure coming from the blocker during their last match against each other.

"What do you think, Agostini-kun?" Ono's question snapped him from his thoughts. "Can your friend survive against those two monsters?"

Riku knew this question was just Ono's attempt to strike up a conversation since he felt guilty for not being able to provide any help earlier. However, Riku still pondered the question thoroughly. He knew firsthand how terrifying Akihiro was as a middle blocker, and while Aizawa was someone he had only heard about today, based on the enthusiasm of the other players, he guessed that Aizawa was equally intimidating, if not more so, than Akihiro.

Still, there was one key word Riku caught in Ono's question that made him believe in his friend. "Yes, he will be able to do that," Riku replied with conviction. "After all, his best skill is not his serve, but his ability to survive. He will adapt quickly and find a hole to exploit in the next play, trust me."

-0-

Unaware of Riku's flattering words, Yuki was talking to Tanaka, discussing their next move. "Don't just spike into an empty space, Tanaka-san. Believe me, they will always react quickly enough to stop you. Always assume you don't have an open space and rely on tricks to fool them," he advised his partner.

With that thought in mind, Yuki spiked the ball straight into Akihiro's hands. The blocker attempted to redirect it straight to the floor, but he wasn't quick enough. As a result, the ball flew back to Tanaka, giving the pair a second chance to attack.

"Oh! Nice rebound, Kobayashi!"

"Tanaka, run to the left!" Yuki shouted. Even though the ball hadn't yet come in his direction, he knew Tanaka needed to run to attack after this. So, rather than doing it aimlessly, it would be better for him to guide his friend.

"I got it!"

As soon as he picked up the ball, Tanaka sprinted toward the direction Yuki pointed. Unfortunately, he wasn't quick enough, as Akihiro and Aizawa had already rushed to his side.

"Ha! Don't think you can get away from us that easily!"

"Sparky, you're too fast! Hold on for a second and jump!"

Tanaka gritted his teeth when he saw two formidable blockers jump right in front of him. No matter how talented he was, at best, Tanaka was always a support player, never the main attacker. Having the opponents' eyes on him was pretty intimidating.

Still, he knew he had to move. After their last game, he hadn't done anything and saved his energy. If he couldn't score right now, it would taint his pride forever. So, he jumped, facing the wall in front of him bravely, without considering the consequences.

However, to everyone's surprise, as the three leaped into the air, the ball they were waiting for didn't come. Instead of passing the ball, Yuki took advantage of the situation, knowing that his opponents would react quickly enough to erect a second wall and used Tanaka as bait to draw their attention. As for himself, the moment the ball came in his direction, he flicked it gently, letting it fall into the opponent's area.

1 – 1

On the sideline, Riku merely snorted as everyone stared at the court in disbelief. "See? I told you he would survive. He's the trickiest bastard you'll ever know."