Haikyuu : The Unstoppable Force Chapter 2 - 2 : Puppets

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"It appears that this spiker from Yugama Middle School has pushed us to a tight spot!"

"Coach Nagawa, may I ask why you think so?"

"As soon as we manage to score again, and when that attacker rotates to the back row, that’s precisely when we'll be able to catch up to their score!"

Seated on the Kitagawa Daichi coach's bench, Assistant Coach Nagawa Shin observed the head coach beside him with a look of astonishment.

The grizzled Coach Sumire, shaking his head, elaborated, "You're only perceiving the exceptional individual prowess of this attacker. But keep your focus! Observe Yugama Middle School's coordinated play!"

Nagawa peered at the unfolding situation on the court, a hint of doubt in his eyes, and blinked. "Huh? Were they coordinating well? Isn't it just someone else receiving the ball and setting it up for that formidable attacker? What other cooperation is truly required?" In truth, his understanding of volleyball was quite limited.

"Alas!" Coach Sumire sighed, continuing his explanation. "That is not entirely the case, Nagawa-kun." However, before he could delve deeper into the matter, the dynamics on the court shifted abruptly.

A player from Yugama Middle School committed an error, sending the ball sailing out of bounds.

"I apologize, Akira!" The second-year student responsible for the misstep turned to Akira, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"Haha! It's alright, I make mistakes too. Just keep fighting hard later on." Akira offered a reassuring smile.

"Yes!" Nodding sharply, the junior silently resolved not to be a burden to the team any longer.

As anticipated, during the subsequent play, Kitagawa Daichi's serve was effortlessly handled by Akira. His impressive jumping reach and the unpredictable angles of his spikes left the Kitagawa Daichi players utterly defenseless!

When it was Yugama Middle School's turn to serve once more, the rotation rule came into effect.

Akira was shifted to the back row, rendering him unable to participate in front-row attacks!

"A chance!" The Kitagawa Daichi players' spirits soared! This key attacker had been a colossal weight pressing down on their hearts! With the mountain removed, it was their opportunity to claw back the points!

The spectators in the stands and the Kitagawa Daichi cheerleading squad erupted with renewed shouts: "Kitagawa! Kitagawa! Kitagawa!!" They seemed hopeful for their idols to orchestrate a comeback.

"See, Coach Sumire, we are about to regain control of the game!" Nagawa exclaimed with evident delight to Sumire.

Yet, he failed to notice the head coach's subtle, enigmatic shake of the head.

Gazing at Akira's composed demeanor on the court, Sumire mused, "How will you navigate this predicament? Or is your strength purely individual?"

As the referee's whistle blew, Akira glanced at the current scoreboard: 15-3. His team held a commanding lead over Kitagawa Daichi in the first set! Then, if Akira's memory served him correctly, something intriguing was poised to unfold within the Kitagawa Daichi team.

This time, Akira opted against unleashing a more potent jump serve. He also refrained from employing his notoriously unpredictable float serves. With a casual flick of his wrist, he executed a simple overhand serve, which unfortunately went out of bounds. His teammates positioned in front of him turned back in surprise.

"Akira-kun, what is the reason for this...?"

"Focus on the game!"

"Understood!"

The ball that Akira had casually sent out was expertly received by Kitagawa Daichi's libero.

The counterattack was on!

At this juncture, the Kitagawa Daichi team was brimming with excitement! However, they soon observed something peculiar.

Following the transfer of their exceptionally powerful attacker to the back row, not a single player from Yugama Middle School stepped forward to contest the net! The three players who had cycled into the front row retreated to the back positions, preparing to receive Kitagawa Daichi's spike.

Witnessing Yugama Middle School's unconventional strategy, Coach Sumire on the Kitagawa Daichi bench felt a sudden tightening in his chest. It's over! So this is how it was planned!

And precisely as Coach Sumire had foreseen, the situation on the court unfolded. Under Akira's implicit direction, the Yugama Middle School players seamlessly adjusted into their formations, holding their ground resolutely.

With only two players at the net instead of the usual three, Yugama Middle School effectively covered the entire court. Akira himself occupied a significant portion of the central area.

Snap!

He expertly snagged Kitagawa Daichi's spike! Counterattack initiated! The setter returned to the front row, poised to make the pass! Four players, excluding the libero, surged forward simultaneously! A synchronized assault! Who, pray tell, was preparing to attack?

The three front-row blockers for Kitagawa Daichi grew increasingly apprehensive! Their hearts pounded with intense anxiety! It had to be their main attacker, launching an assault from the back row! His previous performance had been nothing short of spectacular! It was reasonable to assume that everyone else had merely been a decoy, creating openings for him! This thought struck the minds of the three blockers. Exchanging glances, they resolved: Just stop the back-row attack!

However, the reality was far from their assumptions! The setter brilliantly sent the ball to the secondary attacker positioned at the front row! Underneath the swift assault, Kitagawa Daichi found himself completely unable to react in time! A directspike secured a point!

Even though he had anticipated such a turn of events for a considerable duration, Coach Sumire still shot up from his seat, utterly astonished! "This... How can such an individual exist?"

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"Coach Nagawa, though we've conceded another point, there's no need for such an emphatic reaction, is there?" Nagawa Shin inquired with a degree of peculiarity, startled by Coach Sumire's sudden movement.

"No, Nagawa-sensei, you fail to grasp the situation entirely!" "This person... How is it possible for them to play in such a manner?"

"I had originally believed Kageyama's self-centered approach to the game was already pushing the boundaries of excess!" Coach Sumire's pupils dilated as he spoke with a measure of disbelief.

"Indeed, Kageyama treats everyone on the court as mere pawns, failing to genuinely consider them as teammates collaborating together!"

"It's truly a captivating sensation!" Nagawa Shin admitted to harboring some dissatisfaction with Kageyama's dictatorial style.

"However, this ace attacker from Yugama Middle School, he... He is even more extreme than Kageyama." "This method transcends simply utilizing teammates as pawns; it's more akin to..."

"Puppets!"

"The other individuals on the court function like puppets, their strings expertly manipulated!"

"And that individual, much like the unseen hand pulling the strings, orchestrates their every movement!" Coach Sumire concluded his statement with a palpable tremor in his voice.

Nagawa Shin, upon hearing these words, was equally taken aback, his mouth agape in astonishment.

"The puppet... Puppets..."

"Coach Sumire, did you not just mention that they cooperate exceptionally well?"

Coach Sumire gazed at the one-sided contest unfolding on the court and shook his head solemnly. "Pay close attention, Nagawa-sensei!"

"Whenever there's a lull in the action, the five players on the Yugama Middle School side invariably shift their gaze towards the ace attacker!"

"It appears to have become an ingrained conditioned reflex!"

"Furthermore, the ace attacker will then issue directives to them, conveyed through glances, facial expressions, or even a subtle gesture!"

"Indicating to these players their subsequent actions!"

"The subsequent maneuvers of every player on the Yugama Middle School team are dictated by him!"

Upon hearing this explanation, Nagawa Shin's eyes widened as he directed his attention toward the court. He realized he hadn't observed the situation with such scrutiny until this moment.

Coach Sumire continued: "From the outset, I was under the impression that they exhibited remarkable teamwork, as if each player placed unwavering trust in their comrades!"

"Every individual on the court was capable of executing seemingly illogical actions, yet upon closer inspection, they revealed a surprising clarity of purpose."

"Now, the realization dawns upon me!"

It wasn't their exceptional cooperation at all!

It was all due to the machinations of a single individual controlling them!

If rather than six individuals, it were but one entity, numerous conundrums would be resolved!"

"How could one possibly fail to cooperate flawlessly with oneself?"

Nagawa Shin, standing beside him, was already glistening with a cold sweat. "Manipulating teammates on the court with invisible threads..." He fixed his gaze upon Akira, currently dominating the court, his eyes filled with shock.

The figure who was ceaselessly moving across the court now seemed impossibly magnified in his estimation!! Resembling an omniscient and omnipotent deity! ...

Screech! With a piercing whistle, the first set concluded definitively! The score: 25-7! Such a result was utterly unacceptable to Kitagawa Daichi, a team that prided itself on its strength!

"We apologize!" The players on the court bowed their heads towards their coach to offer their apologies.

"Do not hold yourselves accountable! You performed admirably!" Coach Sumire remained silent for a moment before addressing them.

In truth, faced with this predicament, he could not conceive of any alternative strategy to salvage the game. Exceptional individual prowess!

Flawless and synchronized execution!

This combination was unfathomably potent. To overcome such a team, one would need superior individual skills or even better coordination. However, these were precisely the elements that the current Kitagawa Daichi lacked!

Screech! As the referee's whistle sounded once more, the second game commenced! Coach Sumire observed Kageyama walking towards the court with his head lowered and then loudly cautioned him: "Kageyama, you must heed my words; the speed of the attack is not the sole determinant of success!"

The walking Kageyama froze momentarily and responded stiffly: "I understand!"

Nevertheless, the second game saw little improvement in their situation. The score was once again widened incrementally by Akira's dominant playing style! Attack after failed attack, defense after failed defense! Each setback relentlessly chipped away at Kageyama's psychological fortitude!

"Run faster, jump higher!" Witnessing Kageyama's desperate shouts, Akira, on the opposite side of the net, let out a subtle sigh.

Kageyama's relentless pursuit of victory has overshadowed his heart! On the court, dissension among teammates is the ultimate forbidden act!

"Coach Sumire, if what you just said is accurate..."

"Then the opponent's primary attacker must be the same individual as Kageyama! Observing the match unfold, Nagawa Shin could distinctly sense the contrasting emotions emanating from the two teams!

The members of Kitagawa Daichi clearly felt a somber atmosphere pervading their side. In contrast, Yugama Middle School, on the opposing court, exuded an air of undeniable positivity among all its players!

"Nagawa, you must be curious as to why the players of Yugama Middle School appear so joyous, despite seemingly being pawns to their main attacker?" Coach Sumire inquired, her gaze fixed upon him.

"Precisely!"

"Kageyama-san's sole desire was for his team members to keep pace with his unparalleled skill, yet he found himself thoroughly dissatisfied with Kindaichi and Kunimi, and the others!"

"Conversely, the main attacker of Yugama Middle School meticulously controls every single movement of his team members, holding them firmly in his grasp!"

"However, none of his team members exhibit any discontent; instead, they seem genuinely happy to be directed by him..."

Nagawa Shin expressed his profound confusion, asking, "But why is that?"