Technical timeout
Kurai catches the ball and tosses it, exhaling as he flies into the air and slamming his body weight into the ball, Leo Hayashi catches the ball, but it returns to OPU's side of the net. Carlos bringing the ball up.
"It's low, Kurai!" Kurai smirks, leaning down on his knee as pain shoots down his leg, quickly setting the ball vertically to Owen. 'Thanks for this opportunity, Kurai!' Owen spikes the ball as it hits the court behind him. Takumi Watanabe read the spike and blocked it. The buzzer blows as waves of relief and exhaustion fill the arena, the atmosphere remaining charged as both teams head to their benches. The tension is thick, with OPU holding a narrow lead over ESU at 8-7. Haruki passes out cool towels and water bottles. The crowd murmurs in excitement, the arena still buzzing from the intense rallies.
Kurai exhales deeply as he sits down, massaging his knee subtly while scanning the court. Coach Haruki walks over, clapping her hands loudly to get everyone's attention.
"Alright, guys, you're doing great! Keep that energy up," Haruki says, pacing back and forth.
"Carlos, keep reading their plays like you've been doing—you're in the zone. Jaden, that quick set just now was perfect. Keep staying sharp, but we need to mix up the tempo a bit more... Kurai…" Haruki pauses, meeting Kurai's glowing eyes.
"You're controlling the pace like a maestro but be mindful of that knee." Kurai nods, shifting his leg slightly, though the pain is still there. 'I can't back down; this knee can't stop me… there's no time for weakness…' Kurai exhales and rubs his knee.
"Focus on those dumps when their blockers get too comfortable. This game is all about deception," Kurai says, his voice calm but determined. He leans forward, eyeing his teammates.
"We can crack them if we control the rhythm." The team nods, united by their shared resolve. Jazz stretches his arms, rolling his shoulders while Carlos clenches his fists, feeling his flow state still in full swing.
Across the court, the tension in the Everest State University bench is thick. Their coach, Eric Nakamura, speaks in a low but intense voice.
"Don't let them control the court like this. Kaito, your sets need to be cleaner, faster—Kurai's picking up on every hesitation… Ryusuke, you're dominating from the backcourt, but we need more communication up front... Hiruto, don't get baited into those blocks. Read the setter and trust your instincts." Ryusuke frowns, his breath heavy from the intensity of the match, but he nods.
"They're setting up for Jaden every time. We need to force them out of that rhythm."
"We need to break Kurai's momentum," Nakamura adds sharply.
"He's dictating everything right now. Apply more pressure on him directly, make him work harder for every set." He looks around at his players.
"You're still in this... One point doesn't mean anything... You know how to fight back." Daisuke leans in, eyes fierce.
"We'll turn this around. They've shown us their cards, now it's our turn."
As the buzzer sounds, signaling the end of the timeout, both teams rise from their benches with renewed focus. The tension between OPU and ESU is at its peak. Kurai stretches his knee one last time, shaking off the discomfort, while Jaden claps loudly to pump up the team. On the other side, Ryusuke and Kaito lock eyes, ready to counter whatever OPU throws at them. The crowd is on the edge of their seats, eager for the battle to continue. The technical timeout did little to cool the intensity—the real war is just getting started.