Chapter 70: The Fallen Crow

"Whoaaa!"

"Nice save!"

The crowd erupted into commotion.

They were in awe and disbelief after seeing Tsuna's flawless save that had caught everyone off guard, especially given the unexpected trajectory of the ball.

"Are you seeing this?"

In the stands, Aoba Johsai's players couldn't hide their shock.

Back during their practice matches, Tsuna had struggled with receiving. Although he only had been dealing with Oikawa's super jump serves—which they were quite sure would give even experienced liberos trouble.

Yet they could tell.

His form was sloppy, almost painful to watch.

His movements had been stiff, his control clumsy.

Sure, he could direct the ball high into the air, which was a feat in itself given Oikawa's serves, but it wasn't the cleanest. It felt like something only someone gifted could pull off rather than someone with proper technique.

But now...

'His foundation seems so much better...'

Iwaizumi's gaze was fixed on Tsuna, his thoughts racing as he processed the transformation.

"Whoaa that little guy..."

Before anyone could fully grasp what had happened, Karasuno had already sprung into action as the crowd broke into murmurs once again.

"..."

Kageyama tossed the ball over toward the net.

Then, like a tightly wound spring, Hinata launched himself into the air.

"He flew!"

Gasps rippled through the gym, the sound of collective disbelief filling the space.

On Tokonami's side, the blockers scrambled, their eyes widening as they saw the small figure soaring higher than anyone expected.

"Ah, we won't make it in time!"

Chaya's voice rang out as Tokonami's blockers reached up, their hands stretching toward the ball, but it was too late. They hadn't anticipated the ball being saved so cleanly, and now, they could only watch as Hinata's form hung midair with frustration.

BAM!

The sound of impact echoed like thunder as Hinata swung his arm, slamming the ball downward with incredible force.

It shot past the outstretched hands of Tokonami's blockers, crashing onto their court with a loud, resounding thud as it bounced once on the polished floor before rolling to a stop.

Despite the point made by Hinata, the players of Tokonami High found their gazes shifting, almost instinctively, toward Tsuna.

His usual bored expression remained unchanged as he stood casually on Karasuno's side. It looked as if that insane save had been nothing to him. 

"Tsuna-san..."

Even Karasuno's players seemed to be in shock at what Tsuna had pulled off as well. Kageyama approached Tsuna, his brows furrowed as he asked, "...How did you react to that ball?"

Kageyama truly didn't understand.

Unless Tsuna could somehow see the future, he couldn't fathom how anyone could react so quickly to such an unpredictable ball.

"Huh?"

However, Tsuna only blinked at him with confusion flickering in his eyes as he tilted his head slightly.

His voice was flat, "The ball hadn't hit the floor yet. Why else would I react?"

"...!"

The simplicity of his answer and the unbothered way he said it—sent an unexpected chill down the spines of everyone on the court.

They all could only look at him in disbelief.

"That save wasn't as crazy as it looked..."

Irihata's calm voice broke through the quiet murmur of Aoba Johsai's bench. The players slowly turned their attention to their head coach.

Irihata's eyes lingered on Tsuna, who stood nonchalantly on the court as the match between Karasuno and Tokonami continued.

After a moment, he added, "The reason everyone's so surprised is that in an early game like this—especially the first round—most players take a little while to find their focus."

"Uhh... but Coach," Iwaizumi interjected, his brow furrowed, "isn't the way he receives has improved kind of... terrifying?"

"Haha..."

Irihata let out a small chuckle, the corner of his lips curling up. "Of course it's scary. Not many players could improve so much in such a short time. But…"

"That save itself?"

He paused, glancing back toward the court, "It was great but not that crazy. Anyone with the basic down could've pulled it off... if they were paying attention and stayed focused."

"...?"

The players exchanged confused glances before Irihata continued. "The real problem is that most people can't maintain that kind of focus. They'll let their guard down, even for just a second, and that's all it takes."

The gym roared as Karasuno scored another point, but Aoba Johsai's bench remained locked on their coach.

"What makes him terrifying isn't just his talent," Irihata explained, "It's the fact that he stays in a constant state of focus. Even when everyone else believes the ball is impossible to save, he doesn't stop paying attention. That's why he can react so quickly. That's why he stands out."

"A player like that is nerve-wracking to face. They never give you a chance to relax."

Irihata looked around at his team. He could see it in their faces—the understanding. They had experienced it themselves, after all.

Tsuna wasn't an unfamiliar opponent to them.

"Take this as a lesson..."

A soft laugh escaped him as he folded his arms. "You can't ever relax against a player like him. If you do, he'll devour you before you even realize it."

As the game progressed, it became painfully clear to everyone watching—Karasuno had seized the momentum completely. Their players had given so much pressure that didn't allow Tokonami a moment to breathe.

'They're...'

Ikejiri's eyes followed the ball as it sailed across the net toward their side. The sound of the crowd grew distant as he sank deeper into his thoughts.

"..."

Tamagawa scrambled into position, his arms outstretched as he received the serve, sending the ball high into the air.

Knowing his position, Ikejiri weakly shouted, "Haga!"

"Alright!"

Haga didn't hesitate, stepping toward the net. His hands shot up, guiding the ball into a perfect toss.

Ikejiri took a deep breath and surged forward. His feet pounded the polished floor as he leapt toward the ball, his body stretching to meet it.

But...

'This guy again...'

The looming presence of Karasuno's #12 blocked his vision.

Long arms, sharp eyes behind thin glasses, and his catchy blond hair.

'Is he really a first year!?'

Ikejiri swung his arm, driving the ball down with all the force he could muster.

BAM!

A loud plop echoed through the gym as Tsukishima's block connected perfectly. The ball ricocheted back down, slamming into Tokonami's court with a resounding thud.

The crowd erupted into cheers.

"..."

Ikejiri landed awkwardly as his gaze froze on the ball now rolling away on the court. He could feel a hand patting his shoulder as he turned to see Tamagawa giving him a nod, "Don't mind it..."

It was barely a whisper that he could still hear as he clenched his fist noticing the fire in his teammates' eyes had dimmed, replaced by quiet resignation.

In the silence that followed, Ikejiri's thoughts churned.

'We came here thinking... we might secure a victory.'

His chest tightened as the match pressed forward, unrelenting, indifferent to the emotions weighing him down. Karasuno continued their onslaught while they were playing passively, unable to regain even a bit of the momentum.

'The fallen crows...'

The title echoed bitterly in his mind, one he had heard whispered about Karasuno before the match. But this team—they didn't look fallen at all.

"Asahi!"

The sharp cry snapped Ikejiri out of his daze. His head whipped toward the other side of the net, just in time to see Asahi soaring into the air for a back attack.

'This guy too...'

Ikejiri instinctively adjusted his position, his feet digging into the floor as he and his teammates leaped to form a wall.

Arms stretched high, palms outstretched, they reached for the ball.

But...

"...!"

A deafening thud shook the gym.

The ball exploded past their hands, crashing onto Tokonami's court with such force it sent a shockwave through Ikejiri's arms. Pain seared through his fingers, and the impact left him frozen in place.

The crowd roared.

As Karasuno's players celebrated, Ikejiri stood motionless. 

'Karasuno...'

Kageyama was a known genius from Kitagawa Daiichi. The setter had obviously lived up to his title as the "King of the Court."

And then there was the little guy, Karasuno #10, Hinata Shoyo—the unknown player who had crazy jumps, soaring through the air as if he had wings.

'These two as well...'

Ikejiri's eyes shifted, landing on Tsukishima.

The tall blocker had been consistently blocking them every time he was rotated up front. Then his gaze fell on Asahi, whose powerful spikes seemed unstoppable.

Finally, his eyes lingered on Daichi.

'He was our best player back in middle school...'

Daichi's calm, dependable presence hadn't changed but he wasn't as flashy as the others. Yet, for a moment, Ikejiri felt a fleeting sense of relief.

'At least Daichi isn't going crazy like the rest of them.'

The whistle blew, and the ball rolled back to Karasuno.

The game resumed.

Tokonami managed to scrape together a few points, capitalizing on small mistakes Karasuno sometimes made.

But it never lasted.

"Tsuna-san!"

The sharp cry sent a jolt through Ikejiri.

'Ah... here he comes.'

Ikejiri's eyes locked onto the grey-haired figure moving forward sending impeccable pressure on them.

Tsuna leaped into the air, his body twisting as he prepared to strike the ball. Even mid-flight, that bored expression never left his face.

"..."

Ikejiri clenched his jaw and sprang into action. He and his teammates jumped, hands outstretched to block the incoming spike.

For a split second, he thought they had it.

Then—

BAM!

The ball cut through their defense like a knife, crashing onto the court with a deafening thud. The force of the impact sent Ikejiri and his teammates stumbling as they landed awkwardly.

The crowd erupted, their cheers growing louder with each passing second.

'This guy...'

Ikejiri's fists tightened at his sides as his eyes fixated on Tsuna. That same, unshaken expression stared back at him as if the whole thing had been effortless.

A wave of frustration surged through him.

'It's like he's not even taking us seriously...'

"Whoaaa!"

"Karasuno's actually amazing!"

"Who said they were the fallen crows again?"

The crowd's excitement was quite clear to see.

Tokonami's players could only exchange weary glances, their bodies heavy from the relentless pace of the game.

Their eyes drifted toward Karasuno's side of the court, where the players stood firm, their gazes sharply locked on them, which gave them a chill.

As much as Ikejiri didn't want to admit it, the truth was clear.

'There's nothing about them that's fallen...'

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Done! Time to sleep because I have more work to do tomorrow!🫡

Well it's past midnight so I guess today! 💀

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