The Birth of A Volleyball Legend-Chapter 484: It Is Finally Over!

"YEAH!" Shun Matsuena punched the air crazily as he saw the ball fall on the other side of the court, celebrating probably his first point ever in this game. Right after that, Kuniyoshi and Takumi followed, grinning widely as they saw their friend going crazy. "We tie again! Come on!" The defensive specialist roared, encouraging his teammates more.

"Yeah, we tied the game again! We are still alive!" Takumi also spoke, slapping his friend's back playfully.

"Come on, guys! Where is your spirit? Do you really want to give up when we, the old-timers, are still fighting like this?" Kuniyoshi smiled, sending the last jab to his kouhai.

The three sophomore players; Tsubasa, Yuya, and Ryusei, couldn't help but blush, embarrassed. Hell, even Kubota, their main server who was currently on the bench due to the team's rotation also had his face red when he overheard this, knowing that Kuniyoshi was talking about him too. After all, just a moment ago, those four were ready to lose the game, especially after the early lead that Kuniyoshi earned at the beginning of the set had already been gone. They all thought that losing in this round wasn't that bad, especially since they still had another year to make up for their shortcoming. They forgot, though, that this was the last chance for the three senior members of the team, and they were ready to fight tooth and nail until their last breath.

"Okay, Kuniyoshi, don't embarrass them too much like that." Just like usual, Shun came out to break the awkward tension here. "We still need them to fight with us so that we have a chance to win this game. Come on!"

Yeah, with the current score, 21 – 21, the chance for both teams to win was still pretty much open. While the momentum was snatched by Shirayuki players, it had been on Shimo High's side for the entire set, so the shift wouldn't affect the game that big. Now, it was time when the real fight began, where both teams had already been on the verge of exhaustion, fighting against not only their opponent but also their body. It was a time when their focus and determination were tested, and not a single one of the players on the court wanted to lose in such a battle.

"Come on, we can do this!"

"Hell, yeah!"

As the game continued, the score climbed higher and higher until it reached 24-24. The excitement in the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium was at its highest point again, exactly the same as how it went during the last game. Everyone could feel the tension in the air, rising astronomically to the point where some of the people there couldn't bear to look at the game directly.

With each play, both teams were pushing harder than ever. The players from both teams were neck and neck, neither one of them willing to back down. The crowd was on the edge of their seats. Every time someone scored, the cheers erupted, but when a point was lost, the gasp and groan of disappointment could also be heard there.

From Shimo High, even though he was in front of the death door already, Ezaki was still alive, making amazing jumps in almost every play while trying to land powerful spikes one after another. However, Shun Matsuena on the other side of the court seemed to be possessed by a demon, kept reading Ezaki's intention every time while also diving and digging to keep the ball in play for Shirayuki High. Takumi and Kuniyoshi also didn't want to lose here, working together seamlessly to create opportunities to score against the opponent.

For a moment, the game looked balanced here, entering a stalemate period where neither teams couldn't score against each other. However, it was clear that Shirayuki High was one step closer to the finish line. All the people who knew about volleyball could see that Shimo High's defense was a bit awkward, being restrained by Shirayuki High's new strategy. After all, what Shirayuki High did before, by letting Kuniyoshi, Shun, and Takumi run amok, was a gamble they were willing to take, and now that it worked, Shimo High players didn't dare to lower their guard against the surprise attack from those three.

Still, Shimo High hadn't given up yet, putting up a fight for every ball that came in their direction. Even though their performance was sloppy, they still managed to match the opponent's intensity, to the point where the score finally tied again, 24 – 24.

"Shit! This is it! We are so close to the end of this game!"

"Come on, Shimo High! Ezaki! You can do this!"

"Takumi, Shun, Kuniyoshi, don't disappoint us here! Keep fighting and win this game for the school!"

All the players on the court could only smile bitterly at the constant noises coming from the stand. If anything, they only made it harder for them to concentrate. Of course, they wouldn't say it out loud.

"You okay, Ezaki?" Hideo asked, showing his concern to his kouhai.

The boy himself just sent a thumb-up, but his state was by far the worst out of all the players on the court. He was panting heavily, holding his knees to prevent him from collapsing on the spot. The sweat drenched on his jersey was the testament of how hard he worked in this game. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

"Don't… Don't worry, Captain… I can still hold on." The boy smiled weakly.

Of course, this didn't reassure Hideo at all. If anything, his answer only made him feel worried and distressed. He had half of his mind asking for Miura to replace him. However, his logical side knew that this game would be a lost cause without the boy in front of him. In the end, Hideo could only pat his kouhai's shoulder gently, saying, "Don't feel pressured too much, Ezaki. If you need to rest, just stop running for a while, and we will cover your place until you are ready to go back, okay?"

"… Sure."

True enough, after this, all the Shimo High players decided to work together. They knew Ezaki needed a moment to catch his breath after all that jumping. So, they focused on defending hard, making sure nothing got past them. Even though they lost the first point, they quickly bounced back and tied the score again. The team was excited! And it didn't stop there. Right after that, Hideo managed to break the stalemate with his powerful serve, going straight to the area between Yuya and Takami.

BAM!

"OH!" Hideo roared, venting out his emotion on the spot. "Just one more point! Come on!"

"Yes, Captain! Good job!"

"Come on, we can do this!"

Of course, on the opponent's side, the three senior players there didn't stay idle. They kept clapping their hands loudly, letting their mouth run loose to encourage their teammates nonstop.

"Come on, don't give up yet! Yuya, raise your head! We can still tie the game too!"

"Oi, Ryusei, don't you dare to slack off at this moment! You better defend your area with all your life, okay?!"

While encouraging their teammates, the three senior members also stared at each other solemnly, knowing that they had to pull their trick again. Even if they didn't speak out loud, a solid plan formed inside their head. First, Shun would try to receive the ball, then Kuniyoshi would pick it up and set up an attack, and everything would depend on how the opponent would react next. It was a good plan that had a high chance of success.

Unfortunately, they forgot about one part here. Ezaki, the most dangerous player on Shimo High's side, saw their intention and lurked in the shadows. He used his exhaustion as a disguise, giving the opponent the impression that he couldn't hold on anymore. Then, when the attack was about to come, when all of his teammates were confused about where the ball would go, he finally took action, moving so quickly before anyone could figure out what happened, he had already set a high wall on the front line, blocking the area where Takumi could slam the ball.

He knew that in a critical moment, there was no way the emergency setter could be so brave to try something new. The biggest possibility was for the emergency setter to give the ball to the ace, and that was the bet that Ezaki was willing to take. Fortunately, it worked perfectly here, as the ball was flying in Takumi's direction. As a result…

BAM!