A/N: Hello, readers! Welcome to another chapter! Enjoy!

edited on september 19th, 2021 @ 5:41am

════ ∘◦ᵒ 𓅓 ᵒ◦∘ ════

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR - THE BATTLE WITHOUT WILL POWER

TAKASHI, NAGATA, UYEDA, AND KOBAYASHI could only watch from the audience in shock as Daichi laid on the ground while his team crowded around him.

"Sawamura-san!"

"Daichi!"

"Daichi-san!"

"I'll be back!" Takashi told his friends as he got up from his seat to head down to the court.

He finally made it to the court as he rushed up towards Daichi along with Ukai.

"Where did you get hit?" Ukai asked.

"M-My face?" Daichi replied, unsure.

"Daichi, where are you right now?" Takashi asked, making sure the captain didn't have slight amnesia.

"Sendai City, in the gym." Daichi answered.

"Who are we playing right now?"

"W-WakaNan. I'm fine!"

"But it appears that you hit your head, so please go to the infirmary." Takeda told him

"Right."

Takashi saw that Daichi had an unpleased look. "I know that look. I had the same one when Coach Hibarida told me I couldn't play for the rest of the Korea match when I tore my ACL." He thought.

He placed his hand on Daichi's shoulder. "Go have them confirm that you really are okay. That's the quickest way for you to return to the match." Takashi told him.

"Yes, coach Takashi." Daichi finally agreed.

Daichi stands up as Kiyoko was beside him. "Blood..." She pointed out, making Takashi widen his eyes when he saw blood drip from Daichi's mouth.

"Did you cut your lip?" Ukai asked. However, Daichi didn't respond as Takashi cringed a little when Daichi spat a tooth from his mouth.

Kiyoko was tending to him, as Ukai turned to Takeda. "Sensei, can I leave the rest to you?" Ukai asked as Takeda nodded in reply.

Takashi followed Ukai and Daichi off the court. Takashi looked over at Daichi who had a worried expression on his face.

"They'll be fine."

"Senpai?"

"All of them will. They'll pull through, they always did in the past. You being gone won't change that. Sure it might make things harder, but they'll come out stronger." Takashi explained. "Don't worry about your team, okay?"

A flashback of him laying down on the court with his teammates surrounding him flashed in Takashi's mind as he clenched his leg.

"I'm not just speaking as your coach, I'm speaking as a fellow captain who's been in your position." He finished.

"Yeah, you're right..."

Ukai smiled lightly. "If anyone knows what Sawamura is feeling, it's Takashi. He was the same way." He thought.

Takashi soon returned to his fellow alumni as he sat down. "Is Sawamura alright?" Nagata asked.

"I think he will be. Though, if he rejoins this match is up to Keishin." Takashi answered.

"They got their #6 as his replacement." Uyeda caught Takashi up on what he missed.

"Oh, Ennoshita?" Takashi hummed. "They'll be okay then."

"Huh?"

"Ennoshita may not look like much, but he's the peacemaker between Nishinoya and Tanaka. As well as the first-year troublemakers." Takashi explained as Ennoshita was up to serve.

The second-year hits the ball over the net where the opposing players receive it. Tobio and Tsukishima get ready to block, as WakuNan's setter tosses it up to their spiker and the spiker hits the ball down, as Tobio and Tsukishima jump up to block, but the ball gets past them.

Takashi watched as Nakashima performs a jump serve as he sent the ball over to their side, Ennoshita tried to save it, but the ball bounces off his arm and WakaNan gets a point.

"Damn it... I'm sorry!" Ennoshita apologized.

"I'll guard a little wider." Nishinoya reassured.

"Thanks, Nishinoya." Ennoshita replied.

"Bring it!"

Takashi smiled as Karasuno waited for the ball to get served by Nakashima. The ball gets spiked as Takashi watched Ennoshita save it as the ball gets sent to Tobio.

"It's up!" Nishinoya exclaimed.

"Ennoshita, nice!" Tanaka praised.

"Connect it! Connect!" Nishinoya said.

"Give it to me!" Asahi announced as Tobio tossed the ball over.

"Azumane-san!" He shouted to the third-year as Asahi slammed down the ball and got Karasuno a point.

"All right!"

"Nice kill!"

Nishinoya ran over to Ennoshita happily. "Chikara! Good job getting it up!" He praised.

"Y-Yeah!" Ennoshita responded. Soon, it was Asahi's turn to serve.

"Asahi-san, nice serve!"

Takashi watched as Asahi did his jump serve and got Karasuno a point when the ball bounces off Number 2's arm. Asahi serves once more.

"One more!" Nishinoya cheered as Asahi did his jump serve again.

The ball gets saved as the volleyball reaches WakaNan's setter as they did a dump and not toss it, as Nishinoya was a little slow on receiving it.

As the game continues on, Tanaka scored a point when he spiked the ball through the blockers. "All right!" He cheered as Takashi glanced at the scoreboard to see where they were at.

Karasuno

23

WakaNan

20

"Tanaka, nice kill!"

TWEEEET!

Takashi looked over to see who was being swapped in, only to see it was Yamaguchi holding Tsukishima's number. However, he sweat drops when he saw how Yamaguchi was shaking and looked extremely nervous.

"Huh? That's the pinch server you were telling me about, right, Nagata-senpai?" Kobayashi questioned.

"Yeah."

"He's the only first-year that's not a starter, huh?" Uyeda laughed out loud. "How totally lame!"

Both Kobayashi and Nagata smacked him on the head. "Ouch! Kobayashi-san, Nagata-san!" He exclaimed.

Takashi chuckled. "Yamaguchi is one to not be underestimated just because he's a pinch server. He was taught how to do float serves by Shimada." He explained.

"Huh?!"

"Oh, so like Yoshioka and Hayashi, right?" Uyeda questioned.

"Precisely."

Yamaguchi was given the volleyball as he was going to serve. Takashi saw that Yamaguchi was trying to calm down.

The whistle blew as Takashi saw the ball hit the top of the net, making him stop breathing for a second as he waited to see what side the ball will fall on. He saw the volleyball roll onto WakaNan's side, getting Karasuno a point.

"Nice serve!"

"It's over the net!"

"Just one more point!"

Takashi sighed in relief, silently praising Yamaguchi for his serve. "Yamaguchi, nice serve!" Tanaka exclaimed.

"One more!" Ennoshita encouraged as Yamaguchi grabs the ball again for his second serve.

"If he gets this point, they'll win the first set." Takashi noted.

"You've got this, Yamaguchi!" Nishinoya cheered from the sides. Takashi watched Yamaguchi as the ball goes over the net and the opponents save it, as the setter tosses up the ball.

Hinata and Tobio jump up to block, as the ball hits Hinata's fingertips. "It's falling! Front, front, front!" Hinata announced. However, Takashi saw that Yamaguchi was frozen in place, too scared to move. Takashi was scared that the ball would touch the court but was relieved that Ennoshita dived in an instantly sent the ball back up.

Tobio covered for Ennoshita as he sent the volleyball to Asahi. "Azumane-san!" He shouted.

"Right!" He shouted back, as he spikes down the ball and got Karasuno a point, making the first set end and Karasuno the winner.

TWEEEET!

"All right!"

Takashi, Nagata, Kobayashi, and Uyeda all sighed in relief when Karasuno won the first set.

"Man, they really pulled through." Kobayashi muttered as Uyeda suddenly got a shiver. "Huh? What's wrong, Uyeda?"

"I-I suddenly feel like someone is about to be scolded."

They all looked down to see Ukai looking pissed as he marched over to Yamaguchi before Ennoshita stopped him.

"The more I think about it, the more Yamaguchi reminds me of Yoshioka and Hayashi." Uyeda spoke up.

"Huh?"

"Well, they didn't do anything flashy like the rest of the team. For Yamaguchi, his fellow first-years are already higher than him. That serve is his only weapon." Uyeda stated.

Somewhere else in the gym, Ushijima had spiked past the blockers from the opposing team.

"Nice kill, Ushijima!"

"Ushijima!"

A certain red head smirked from the audience. "Well, seems like Shiratorizawa will go to nationals for another year. How boring. I wonder how Yama-chan's team is holding up." Miura thought.

════ ∘◦ᵒ 𓅓 ᵒ◦∘ ════

Takashi could only stare in shock as everyone on Karasuno was panting. He looked over towards the scoreboard.

WakaNan

18

Karasuno

14

Takashi could tell everyone on Karasuno was sweating and nervous about what they were facing. But they were all determined.

"Come on, boys. All of us believe in you! You can push though this! Don't give up!"

════ ∘◦ᵒ 𓅓 ᵒ◦∘ ════

A/N: Another chapter done! Sorry that this chapter was so short. Thanks for reading!

Word Count: 1427 words.