𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖

lxxxvii - bloody nose

"Ooho lucky!" Terushima grinned as the next serve was a tapeball. "It went over the net!"

"Dammit!" Tanaka dove and got it, meaning Crow was up and running for it within that same second. 

"Whoa, nice reflexes!" The audience gasped. "But can they continue the rally?" 

"Crow-sama's going for it!" Another person shouted as the ravenette jumped, using that propulsion to twist in midair and get the ball to where Asahi could hit it over, which got them the point. "SUGEI, CROW-SAMA'S SO STRONG!!"

"Nice one Crow!" Nishinoya almost jumped on him, but the boy sidestepped and dodged. 

"That set was great," Asahi told him as he returned to the court, causing him to nod. 

"Glad it worked."

"Well, that was definitely surprising," Futakuchi muttered as he sat with Aone in the stands. "Crow-sama being athletic is nothing new, but Crow being that good of a setter is just overkill," He sighed before leaning back and putting his hands behind his head. "Guess that's why Karasuno hasn't done their ridiculous attack yet, who would need some outta pocket attack when they can save it for when it matters?"

"Mm," Aone acknowledged. 

"C'mon! Bring out the killer serve!" Hinata yelled at Kageyama, who scowled at him for a moment before doing just as the orange top said. Jozenji's number 4 got it up easily enough, though the ball was getting really close to the net. 

"Don't block yet!" Crow snapped at Hinata, who had just about gone up to block the setter, who had one hand extended. Sure enough, it wasn't a dump, and Hinata managed to get a hand on the hit that came after it, meaning Noya was able to get it up in the air. 

With that, Kageyama sent the ball to Crow, who smashed it right in the middle of the court. "Daaaaamn, you're still a force to be reckoned with, dude!" Terushima said as the point was allotted, causing Crow to shrug. 

"Sure."

"But you're still boring!"

"Uh-huh," This comment made the ravenette deadpan for a moment before it was time for the next serve. Things progressed the same, with barely a gap in the score. 

"Jozenji's really rough around the edges," Futakuchi commented as some of the other Date Tech players joined him and Aone in the row behind them. "Their blockers just keep jumping around and they fall for feints a lot."

"Yet they're so persistent and hard to play against."

"I have a friend on the Jozenji basketball team," Sakunami raised, causing his captain to look back at him. 

"Maji-de?"

"Apparently their volleyball team does nothing but two-on-two matches for over half of their practice time," He explained. 

"Nothing but two-on-two matches?" Futakuchi winced at the thought. "That's rough."

"Since they're used to playing in teams of two, they don't expect anyone to get the ball for them, and all of them are constantly setting up some sort of attack--"

"Ack!" Two Jozenji players suddenly collided on the court going for the ball, causing their coach to yell at them as Date Tech sweatdropped. 

"Which is probably why that sort of thing happens."

"They're all really annoying," Futakuchi stretched.

"People from other schools think you guys are annoying too."

"Huh?!"

Suddenly during a play, Jozenji's setter went for a hit, causing Karasuno's blockers to momentarily fumble as number 4 came from the back row and set the setter, who hit the ball over. "Please focus," Crow grumbled as he got the ball up, which luckily snapped everyone out of it, and Karasuno managed to get back with the point, making it 19-16, the largest gap in score so far. 

"One more to twenty, guys!" Suga called from the player box. During the next point, Jozenji's setter practically fell into the net, which got Karasuno up to twenty. "JUST FIVE MORE!"

Karasuno got one more point before something concerning happened. "Nice block Kageyama!" Yachi shouted from the stands as she stood next to a Neighborhood Association player. 

"That... wasn't a block," He grimaced as Kageyama turned, revealing a bloody nose. "That was his face."

"...Don't let them affect you," Crow sweatdropped. "You got overzealous."

"I'm fine," He sniffed harshly, which just made the second year deadpan at him. 

"Get off the court before I make you more fine."

"Time out!" Takeda reqested swiftly, so luckily Crow did not have to do anything. 

"Kageyama, don't die!" Hinata wailed, his face blue with dread as Tanaka rolled his eyes at the dramatics. 

"He's not dying."

"Hey, we're switching you out until your nose stops bleeding," Daichi told the first year as he held his bleeding nose. 

"My nose isn't bleeding!" Kageyama protested even as the blood from his nose started dripping down his chin. 

"Yes it is. Why would you even lie about that?" The captain squinted at him. "Do you want Crow to incapacite you?"

"I'm ready and waiting," Crow cracked his knuckles. With that display, Kageyama finally relented, and Kiyoko took over treatment of the setter.

"Are your eyes okay?"

"They're fine."

"Did he get caught up in the excitement of the other team?" Takeda sweatdropped as Kiyoko handed Kageyama some tissues so that the blood wouldn't continue to get on his hands. 

"Well, this is a good opportunity to cool your head off," Keishin pointed out as he put his hands on his hips. "You can't get back out until your nose stops bleeding, so go get yourself looked over."

"Just in case!" Takeda added as Yamaguchi gestured for Kageyama to follow him. 

"Come on, let's go."

"Hey Kageyama!" Hinata suddenly piped up. "I'll handle things while you're gone!"

"Yep, leave it all to your upperclassmen," Suga agreed. And just like that, Kageyama was getting pushed off the court as the time out ended and Tsukishima got ready to serve. Now that the other setter was gone, Crow was going to take over being full-time setter with Daichi as his opposite. 

The first point went to Jozenji, and then Keishin sent out Kinoshita to replace Hinata. "Why are they subbing number ten out?" A Date Tech player asked as they watched from the stands. "He seems to be doing fine."

"I think they're going to use this opportunity to try other things," Futakuchi explained. "Besides, the other guys seem to be better at the fundamentals," He said, then flinched at the glare Aone was giving him. "What? Isn't that the truth?"

"Aone developed a strange friendship with Karasuno's number ten during the interhigh prelims."

"It may be like that for now," Aone spoke, making literally everyone that knew the guy gawk at him. "And their number ten is aware of it."

"Ready to go?" Crow asked Kinoshita, who nodded with a tight smile. 

"Yeah. Gimme the best you've got, Crow."