The Birth of A Volleyball Legend

Riku was excited.

Well, it was no different from his usual state, but right now, his excitement was at its peak. How could he not be excited when he had the chance to play against a group of the most talented players in Tokyo? He didn't have any illusions that he could beat them all and assert dominance over them, but at least he could make a strong impression on everyone here.

"Are you ready, Agostini-kun?" The boy who was his partner grinned, sharing in the same excitement.

Riku couldn't help but let out a small chuckle when he heard that. The boy's name was Hideyoshi Ono, and just like his namesake, his demeanor was quite aristocratic. In fact, his hobbies included participating in tea-drinking ceremonies and reading poetry—things that any teenager his age would typically find uninteresting.

At first, Riku was afraid that their personalities might clash, making it difficult to work together. However, his worries proved unfounded; the moment they started talking about volleyball, something clicked between them, as if they were old friends.

"One of our opponents is Ishida-kun from Tsukiji High. My team played against his in the top 16 of the inter-high, and we lost the game. Fortunately, he is a libero who has never shown any initiative to participate as an emergency setter, so this will be my chance to take revenge," Ono grinned menacingly.

Riku broke into a sweat at the boy's sudden declaration. Still, after hearing this new information, he was glad to be paired with Ono. Although middle blocker was a specialized position, Ono claimed to have some experience playing as an opposite hitter, so he would at least be reliable during the game. Riku shuddered at the thought of being paired with a libero; that would be a disaster for him.

"So, what about the other one?" he asked.

"I don't know; I've never seen him before," Ono shrugged. "But he's shorter than you, so we will have the height advantage here. It would be embarrassing for us to lose the game. So, don't mess this up, okay?"

Riku grinned widely. "Is that something I should have said?"

-0-

A moment later, the first game was finally about to begin. The other 15 players hurried to the sidelines, their eyes scrutinizing the four protagonists on the court like hawks eyeing their prey. Honestly, it was quite unsettling to be observed so closely by so many eyes. But right now, Riku was too excited to be bothered by that.

"Okay, since everyone is ready, let's start the game!"

As Hasebe blew the whistle, the boy whose name neither Riku nor Ono knew quickly tossed the ball, catching them off guard. When they finally realized the ball was in the air, the boy hit it hard, transferring all the power generated through his small body into the ball.

BAM!

The quick serve intended to disrupt the opponent's timing was nothing new to Riku. He had seen it happen many times with Yuki, and honestly, the boy with glasses was far more lethal because he could combine this trick with others up his sleeve. However, Yuki always relied on tricks, and the serve Riku currently faced was purely brute force without any special technique.

Unfortunately, it worked. Ono, who was closest to the ball, tried to receive it but was caught off guard, making him half a step late as the ball grazed his forearms.

1 – 0

"Oh! Nice serve, Subaru!"

"Damn, it's as nasty as usual!"

"Come on! Keep it up!"

As the other players cheered from the sidelines, Ono approached Riku apologetically. However, Riku brushed it off.

"Ono, can you cover the front row and take on the role of an emergency setter?" he suddenly asked.

The boy was taken aback by the sudden request. A question blurted out of his mouth, "Why?"

For that, Riku just grinned widely. "Why, of course, it's because I want to handle the back row alone."

After that, the game continued, and the boy—apparently named Subaru—served the ball again. Now, with Riku taking the back row alone, it was easier for him to receive the ball without any distractions.

BAM!

'Ha! It seems I've learned a lot from you, Yuki!'

"Oh, damn! That's a good receive!"

"He's a setter, right? How could he receive that so easily?!"

"Ono! Give it high!" Riku shouted, not caring about public opinion. Fortunately, even though Ono wasn't a good setter, he could still toss the ball high and slow, making it easier for Riku to attack. However, because of that, the opponents had a chance to set a block since it took time for Riku to wait for the ball to come down.

But…

'A libero trying to set a block? Are you kidding me?!'

Without mercy, Riku jumped off the ground, recoiling his arms to generate more power before swinging hard and hitting the ball with all his strength.

BAM!

1 – 1

"Shit! Are you sure he's just a setter?!"

"Well, if you watched Tsunemori's games, you'd know he's far from ordinary."

"No shit, Sherlock."

"Nice spike, Agostini!" Ono grinned, giving him a high-five. "My toss isn't that bad, right?"

"Ha! Even with years of training, I doubt you'll ever be a decent setter," Riku snorted playfully. "But it's still good enough. If you set the ball for me, make sure it's as close to the net as possible. That's where I attack best."

"Sure!"

Next, it was Riku's turn to serve. Ono wasn't a good server by nature, so he let the blonde boy take the first serve. Riku didn't hesitate to aim the ball far near the baseline, trying to spread the opponents thin. Unfortunately, the opponent, Ishida, a libero, found it easy to receive the ball.

BAM!

"Nice, Ishida! Run!" Subaru shouted. Without hesitation, Ishida rushed forward, leaping off the ground to attack. Riku had to admit that while Ishida was probably the shortest player among them, he showed no fear at all.

Ono also moved, ready to stop the attack. As Ishida jumped, he also leaped forward, extending both hands high in the air.

BAM!

"One touch!" Ono shouted when he felt the ball touch his hand.

"Okay, I got this!" Riku ran, covering the ball before it could hit the ground. "Ono, send it high again!" he asked.

"I got it!"

After recovering from his position as a blocker, Ono quickly picked up the ball, tossing it high close to the net, just how Riku wanted it. From the corner of his eye, Riku could see Ishida and Subaru switch positions, with Ishida moving to the back row while letting Subaru act as a blocker.

'Well, let's see if you can stop this!'

As he jumped, Subaru did the same, both trying to extend their hands to reach the ball first. It couldn't be helped; Ono's toss was too close to the net, practically within Subaru's reach to swat the ball away. Yet, Riku didn't want to give up the ball just yet.

As they were about to duel for control of the ball in the air, Riku made a move that shocked everyone in the building. Instead of pushing for the ball, he suddenly withdrew his hand and let Subaru handle it. In the end, the opponent was caught off guard, and the ball slipped through Subaru's hand, falling into his own area, resulting in another point for Riku's team.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

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