A/N: Hello, readers! Another chapter is here! Enjoy!

edited on december 25th, 2020 @ 4:26pm

════ ∘◦ᵒ 𓅓 ᵒ◦∘ ════

CHAPTER FIFTEEN - GUARDING YOUR BACK

"CHANCE BALL!" Daichi yells as Rei sees the volleyball go into the air. Kageyama tosses it over at Tanaka who lets out a battle cry and spiked it down, getting Karasuno a point.

"All right!" Tanaka cheered.

"Nice kill!" Sugawara praised as Rei sighed and looked over at the scoreboard.

Dateko

23

Karasuno

19

"It's still only the first set..." Rei mentally noted as he turned his attention to the game once more.

"Tsukishima, one more. Nice serve!" Tanaka encouraged as Tsukishima serves the ball, the ball gets saved by Dateko, as everyone kept it in play.

Rei watched as Aone spiked the ball down, Hinata managed to one touch it. "Counter!" Ukai shouted.

"Chance ball." Nishinoya informed as the ball goes to Kageyama as he tosses it up to Hinata.

"Don't underestimate us!" Futakuchi exclaimed but his shout was in vain as Hinata spikes the ball and got Karasuno a point.

It was now set point for Karasuno, making Rei grin a little.

Rei observed as Daichi saves the volleyball from a Dateko player. "Give me a toss!" Hinata beamed at Kageyama as he gets ready to set, Hinata jumps up to spike but he was a decoy as it was Asahi once more to spike down the volleyball.

Asahi gets passed Aone who saw the tactic but Asahi had a powerful spike, so the ball got through and Karasuno got a point.

"All right!" Narita, Sugawara, and Yamaguchi announced. Karasuno had won the first set.

TWEEET!

Dateko and Karasuno all leave the court to rest and take a break before the second set. "Oshiro, can you help me give these out?" Kiyoko asked, as she holds up a rack of water bottles.

"Sure." Rei replied as he helped her out. Suddenly, Ukai calls them over so the team surrounded him as he holds up a board.

"So, we're going to start the second set with our second rotation." Ukai informed as Rei looked at the whiteboard. Rei was at the back with Kageyama and Tsukishima, Tanaka was going to be on the sides with Sugawara and the others, this time.

"The first rotation directly matched up Hinata and no-eyebrows #7, so we'll shift that over two places to start." Ukai explained.

"I see. That means Hinata won't get marked by #7 like he was in the first set." Takeda stated, Hinata had a blank look on his face but didn't say anything.

"But we can't completely avoid that. All we're doing is shifting players around." Ukai said. "While Hinata won't get marked, but the other players will get marked instead."

"We can't let Hinata shoulder all our burden. When Hinata's at his best, we're at our best. I'll do my part as the ace." Asahi spoke up as everyone looked over to him.

Nishinoya, Tanaka, Sugawara, and Daichi all looked at their friend. "Asahi, you're awesome!" Nishinoya and Tanaka exclaimed happily.

"You've grown, Asahi." Daichi praised.

"What are you, my relative?" Asahi dead panned at his teammates.

"Me too! I can't back attack like you, Asahi. So, I'll score as many points as I can while I'm front." Hinata assured their ace. "I'll be the best decoy ever!"

Rei chuckled. "And to think he hated being called a decoy in the beginning." He thought.

"Yeah, I'm counting on you. And you can count on me, too." Asahi smiles down at his underclassman.

Hinata beamed. "Yes!" He replied excitedly.

Soon, they started the second set, as it was Asahi's turn to serve.

"Asahi, nice serve!" Daichi called out as Asahi tossed the ball into the air and spiked it. Dateko's libero saves it, but just barely, as the ball was kept in play. The ball gets spiked down by Dateko, letting them get a point.

The ball gets into play again as it was up in the air. "Kageyama!" Daichi shouted. Hinata yells and jumps up to spike, but he was a decoy as Kageyama tosses it over to Asahi who managed to break through the block and get Karasuno a point.

"All right!" Karasuno announced, Rei kept his eyes focused on Aone. "He was lured in for a moment by Hinata-kun's move, but he's already on the left..." Rei thinks to himself with sweat coming down his forehead.

The whistle blew as the game continued. The ball gets spiked down as Kageyama jumps up to block the spike but the ball went down by him. However, before the ball could hit the court, Rei disappeared and then reappeared as he quickly received it.

"Nice, Shiro!" Daichi smiled.

"Nice receive!" Kageyama exclaimed as he gets ready to set the ball.

"Open!" Asahi calls out for a toss as he runs forward, however, when the ball gets set to Asahi, the ace got blocked by three of Dateko's blockers.

Daichi's turn to serve as he threw the ball and hit it, making Karasuno get a point when the ball touches the court on Dateko's side.

"Nice, Daichi!"

Daichi serves once more but failed and Dateko got a point. But Karasuno soon got the point back when Kageyama tossed the ball to Hinata as he spiked it down powerfully as the ball hits the court on the other side.

"All right!" Everyone cheered.

"Nice one, Hinata!" Nishinoya beamed.

Rei glanced at the scoreboard.

Dateko

04

Karasuno

04

Hinata soon rotates to vanguard. "Bring it." Hinata challenges. The ball gets served and is kept in play as Kamasaki spikes it down as Hinata tried to block him, Tsukishima saved the ball.

"It's up, nice." Rei heard Tanaka say from the sidelines.

"Kageyama-kun, cover." Rei called out to his friend who nods.

"Bring it here." Hinata yelled for a toss.

Kamasaki didn't react in time, as Hinata scores them a point when Kageyama tossed to him. "Nice, Hinata, Kageyama." Daichi praised the two first years.

The game continues as Kageyama sets the ball up, Hinata lets out a determined war cry to spike the ball, but he was a decoy as Kageyama had instead set the ball Daichi's way, swinging his arm back as he smacks the volleyball down.

The game goes on as Asahi got Karasuno a point. Before Rei knew it, Dateko called for a time out. "All right!" Everyone cheered, as they head off to rest themselves and get some water. Rei stared at the score and grinned.

Dateko

10

Karasuno

12

"We're ahead, but Dateko won't go down without a fight... but neither will we. We'll make sure our senpais have their revenge." Rei thought.

TWEEET!

It was Hinata's turn to serve. "Hinata, nice serve." Daichi encouraged as Hinata hits the ball, it gets over the net but was saved as the ball was once again in play. Karasuno gains a point when Asahi spiked down the ball.

Rei saw that Asahi was giving a pep talk to Tsukishima, but didn't know what it was about. The whistle blew as he saw Nakano do a jump serve, Rei saw where he was aiming and used his misdirection to receive it, however, it was sloppy.

"Sorry. Kageyama-kun, cover." Rei announced.

"All right." Kageyama assures and gets ready to set the ball.

"Open." Asahi shouts out.

"Azumane-san!" Kageyama replied as he sets the ball over to the ace.

Rei noticed a spot in between Aone and Dateko's captain when they jump up. Asahi was aiming there to blast through the block, but Aone sensed it and moves his hand to block the spike. Dateko gets a point and Aone cheers by yelling.

"Asahi, one more!" Hinata yelled from the sides.

"Don't worry, don't worry." Sugawara added.

The score was a tie with each team having 17 points. Rei was already running out of stamina as he breathed heavily and wiped his sweat.

Dateko serves the ball as it comes down to Karasuno's side, Daichi successfully saves it. "Daichi, nice receive." Tanaka yells from the sides. Rei kept his eye on the ball.

"All right." Kageyama yelled out, Asahi eyes the ball, as Kageyama tossed to him. The ace jumps up and spikes it down, he didn't fully get blocked but Aone managed to one touch it.

Rei saw the ball go to one of Dateko's players as the setter then tosses the ball to Aone who jumps up to spike. Tsukishima and Asahi jump up to block the incoming attack.

"Karasuno... has a wall too!" Rei heard Takeda yell from the sides as Asahi and Tsukishima block the attack and Karasuno gets a point.

"All right." Everyone cheered.

"Nice block, Tsukishima." Asahi smiled.

"Thanks." Tsukishima responded.

"Dateko may be a powerhouse school, known for its blocks and iron wall, but that doesn't mean Karasuno can't do the same." Rei thought.

Hinata was moved to the front. "All right." Hinata announces, waiting to hit the ball. It was Tsukishima's turn to serve as he throws the ball up in the air and hits it. Dateko's libero saves it, as Rei watched the setter toss the ball up, Daichi jumps up to block but the setter tosses it to someone else who spikes it down.

However, Asahi saved the ball in time. "It's up. Kageyama-kun, cover." Rei called out.

"Yes." He replied as he gets under the ball to set it.

"Bring it!" Hinata yells as he runs forward and Kageyama tosses it at Hinata, who got Karasuno a point when he did his spike.

The game goes on as Kamasaki spikes the volleyball, Daichi tried to save it but it was too late. "Take that. We're going to stall them!" Kamasaki yelled out. Rei looked at the score.

Dateko

20

Karasuno

22

"We just can't seem to pull ahead." Rei hissed in his mind as he looked forward at the game. "Just concentrate, Rei. We haven't lost yet. We won't lose." Rei assured himself.

Dateko spikes the ball down again, but Asahi managed to one touch it. "Nice, Asahi!" Tanaka yells from the sides as Rei saw Nishinoya receive the ball.

"Chance ball." Nishinoya yelled at the team.

"Give me a toss!" Hinata yells out, running forward, Hinata jumps but was a decoy as Kageyama tossed the ball to Asahi who smacks it down, and got Karasuno a point when Dateko's captain failed to save it properly.

"All right!"

"Nice keep!"

"One more!"

It was one more to match point making Rei anxious but also excited. The ball gets served as Nishinoya dives down to save it. "Nice receive, Noya-senpai!" Rei said, keeping his crystal blue orbs on the volleyball in the air.

"Nice receive, Noya!" Tanaka yelled from the sidelines.

Kageyama tosses it up, Hinata was once again being a decoy, as the ball goes to Asahi who spiked it down, but Kasamaki was fast and went over to help block the attack.

Nishinoya tried to save the ball, but it bounces off his arms and Dateko scores a point. "All right." Dateko cheered. Rei looked over to the opposing team to see Aone be vanguard now.

Dateko serves the ball as the volleyball made its way to them. "Nishinoya." Daichi called out as Nishinoya saves it and sends it up.

"Nice receive!" Rei praised his upperclassman as Hinata runs forward.

"Bring it!" Hinata called out as Hinata and Kageyama do their famous quick attack.

However, Aone blocked it, but the ball came down and landed onto Dateko's side, making Karasuno get a point, but just barely. It was a match point for them now, which was good.

"All right." Hinata beamed. Nishinoya leaves the court as Tsukishima comes back on, Hinata was back in the rear guard, as it was his turn to serve.

The whistle blew as Hinata serves the ball, however, he hits it out, making Dateko gain a point. "S-Sorry!" Hinata apologized.

"Don't mind. Don't worry about it." Daichi reassured him. Rei saw Kageyama coming over to scold or hit Hinata. Rei didn't want to get in trouble with the referee like they did during the first round so he held his arm out to Kageyama to stop him.

"Hinata, you lousy airhead!" Kageyama growled.

"Are you an idiot? Don't." Rei warned as Daichi gave a small pep talk to Hinata. Hinata goes off the court to join the others.

"Bring it, one point!" Asahi yelled out challengingly.

════ ∘◦ᵒ 𓅓 ᵒ◦∘ ════

The ball gets served as Nishinoya saved it, as the volleyball makes its way to Kageyama. "Tsukishima." Kageyama said as Tsukishima spikes the ball, Dateko's libero saves it.

Rei saw Nakano spike down the ball as he quickly ducks down and saves it. "Cover! Cover!" Nishinoya shouted as Kageyama gets under the ball.

"Azumane-san." Kageyama called out to Asahi who runs forward.

Asahi gets blocked as the ball came back to Karasuno's side. "Shoot! The rear guard is wide open!" Rei panicked as him and Daichi raced over to save it, but suddenly Nishinoya came out of nowhere and slides down to save it just in time.

The ball goes up once more as Nishinoya managed to save it, making Rei sigh in relief. "Cover for me!" He shouted.

"Left! One more!" Asahi called out for a toss as Kageyama sends the ball his way.

"Azumane-san!" Kageyama shouted out. Rei saw that the toss was too close to the net. Rei hoped that Asahi can avoid touching it.

However, instead of a spike Aone and Asahi have a joust instead, suddenly to Rei's shock, the ball goes down to Karasuno's side, making everyone silent and had their eyes wide open when the ball was about to touch the court.

Rei was the closest to the ball, at first he was frozen in place. "I won't reach it in time!" He thought.

Something within him snapped and before Rei knew it, he slid his foot out and saved the ball, his eyes staring down at the ball he just received.

The whole gym yells out in shock at this.

"His foot?!"

"Awesome!"

"He's incredible!"

Rei panted. "Woah, never done that before..." He thought, trying to figure out what he just did.

"One more!" Sugawara, Hinata, and Nishinoya all shouted in unison.

"Oshiro, nice follow!" Asahi praised. Rei just nodded at him in appreciation.

"I have no clue what just happened. My instincts just kicked in." Rei thinks to himself. He winced as his felt pain in his right hamstring. "Probably shouldn't do it again though."

"Kageyama, cover!"

"Yes!"

Kageyama gets under the ball, readying himself to toss it. "One more!" Rei heard Sugawara call out, making everyone flinch and look over. "One more!" Sugawara repeated.

Kageyama sets the ball high in the air for Asahi as he charged forward. "Go, Asahi!" Sugawara shouted from the sidelines.

"Blast through, Asahi!" Daichi added on.

"Go!"

"Go!"

"Go!"

Rei watched as Asahi jumped up to hit the ball, it was like an iron wall opening up for Karasuno for the first time. Asahi smacks down the ball and everyone watched as the volleyball falls onto the net, making Rei swear and hold his breath as he wondered which side it was gonna roll onto.

It rolls onto Dateko's side as Rei saw Futakuchi and Nakano run to save it.

They were slow....

....and Karasuno got a point.

TWEEEET!

Karasuno had just won against Dateko.

Asahi looks up and had a big victory yell as his team joins him.

"All right!"

"We did it!"

Daichi soon told them to line up as Karasuno had a bright aura around them.

TWEEET!

"Thank you very much!" They all said, bowing their heads to their opponents. Karasuno walked to the net to shake hands with Dateko. Rei goes over to Nakano as he looks as though he was trying hard not to cry. Rei sighed, giving his hand a firm shake.

"Hey, Kano-kun." Rei called out to him, Nakano stares at him, wondering what he had to say. "I know you and I weren't close back in Jindai, but I just wanted to say, that you and your team are talented at what you do. I'm jealous to be quite honest, the only thing I'm good at is saving the ball." He informed the opposing team, which made Nakano and the other Dateko players who heard the black haired male widen their eyes.

Nakano then gave him a low smirk. "I'm jealous too. That save you did with your foot? Amazing. You never did anything crazy like that back in junior high." He states with a grin.

"Thanks... I think." Rei replied.

"I want to wish you luck, Shiro-chin. Seems like you'll be going against Ashi-chin next." Nakano stated. "You know how he is."

"Yeah. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how I'll handle that match." Rei said honestly as Nakano gave Rei's hand one last squeeze and walked away to join his captain and his team. Rei did the same thing as he followed his team off the court.

Hinata eventually followed them after talking with Aone and they headed off the court.

"You did it, Asahi!" Nishinoya proudly stated.

"Asahi, you went boom! past Dateko's blockers, and they went like argh! And I was like, ka-blam!" Hinata announced as well, as the two stared in amazement as Asahi sweat dropped at the two.

"Speak Japanese." Tsukishima dead panned at Hinata.

Asahi chuckled. "I'm the ace, but you guys are heroes." Asahi informed as Rei saw Hinata beam in excitement and even Kageyama looked happy at this praise.

"Heroes!" Hinata repeated in a high voice. Nishinoya smiles widely.

"I like that." Nishinoya added.

They start to head off as Rei saw Sugawara, Asahi, and Daichi going togreet the girls volleyball team up in the audience. Nishinoya and Tanaka went to greet the team as well.

He also noticed that the girls looked a little down."I guess they lost their match." Rei mentally noted. Soon Karasuno stood together as they looked at the audience who came to them, which wasn't that many, but it was still appreciated that they clapped for them. All of them were in number order.

"Thank you very much." Daichi shouted out, bowing, as his team followed.

"Thank you very much."

Karasuno walked over to their bags to pick them up. Rei zipped up his bag and swung it over his shoulder. They were about to head off when they heard the girls squeal, making them freeze. They looked over towards the source.

"Oikawa!" A girl announced as Karasuno saw Aoba Johsai as they saw Aoba Johsai winning the game. "It's Aoba Johsai's..." Daichi mumbled but paused.

"...first match." Sugawara added as Rei saw Tanaka and Nishinoya radiated some dark aura at the sight since the girls seem to love Oikawa.

Rei narrowed his eyes at Oikawa, who was about to serve the volleyball.

"Who will devour the king and the dark horse? Who will devour them all and go to Nationals?" Rei heard Oikawa say as he bounces the ball. He then looks forward at his opposing team.

"We will."

Rei shivered. "Hmm? Is something wrong, Shiro?" Nishinoya asked next to him.

"I might just be paranoid, but if Aoba Johsai wins, I have a bad feeling that our match against them will go crashing down." Rei replied.

Nishinoya raised an eyebrow. "It's just a bad feeling, right? I'm sure we'll be fine." He said.

Rei sighed. "I hope you're right, senpai."

════ ∘◦ᵒ 𓅓 ᵒ◦∘ ════

A/N: Another chapter done! Hope you enjoyed!

Word Count: 3256 words.