Chapter 44: Training Camp 7

Yamagata and Kawanishi worked together to restrain Satori Tendō, who was trying to sneak away.

Yamagata wore a look of tragic resolve. “Sorry, Satori.”

Taking advantage of the moment, everyone else slipped out. In their eyes, the softly smiling team doctor Saito looked exactly like a demon.

Yamagata and Kawanishi dragged Satori Tendō into the rest area, each holding him down from one side. Saito smiled at Tendō and picked up the fascia knife in his hand.

Seeing there was no chance of escape, Tendō spoke weakly. “C-could you… be a little gentler…?”

He swallowed hard as he stared at the pale, gleaming blade.

The next second, Tendō’s screams echoed through the rest area.

“AAAAAHHH! Doctor Saito! G-go! Easy! AAAAAH!!”

Tendō howled as his body twitched, desperately trying to yank his leg back.

Saito smiled gently. “Kawanishi, could you please hold his leg properly?”

Kawanishi shuddered, cold sweat pouring down his face. He gave Saito an awkward smile—and in the next instant, clamped down hard on Tendō’s leg.

Realizing struggling was useless, Tendō could only scream while shouting threats.

“AH! Kawanishi, just you wait! I’ll get you back later—ahh! It hurts! It hurts so bad!”

After his leg was finished, Tendō stared blankly into space, tears trailing from the corners of his eyes, his whole body radiating an almost holy “god have mercy” glow.

Saito let out a breath. “Alright, scram. Who’s next in line?”

Kawanishi lay down on the massage chair with the expression of a man marching to his death.

“Yamagata, go act as captain and bring everyone else back. Hurry.”

Yamagata ran off at once. What a joke—if even the captain had run, how was he supposed to catch everyone?

As he ran, he frantically thought of solutions. If he couldn’t bring them back, he’d be the one suffering. Yamagata shivered and picked up his pace.

Just then, he spotted Fukurōdani’s ace and setter walking past and immediately blocked their path.

Keiji Akaashi, leading an owl with dot-like eyes, looked at the Shiratorizawa libero standing in front of them with confusion.

Yamagata smiled shyly and scratched his cheek. “Um… could I trouble you to help us with something?”

A moment later, Kōtarō Bokuto charged off full of vigor to look for people, while Yamagata apologized to Akaashi.

“Sorry for the trouble. Our team members are really rude.”

Akaashi shook his head patiently. “It’s fine. But could I ask your team doctor to try the fascia knife on me? I’m a little curious.”

Yamagata’s face twisted. “Of course… but it will hurt a bit.”

Akaashi smiled faintly. “That’s fine. Thank you.”

He genuinely wanted to know what kind of thing could make those maniacs on the court tremble in fear.

...

On the other side, Kōtarō Bokuto was running around looking for people. Why couldn’t he see any Shiratorizawa players anywhere?

Ah—target spotted!

Bokuto immediately noticed three people crouched in a corner: Goshiki, Yunohama, and that really good receiver, Ryosuke.

Bokuto snuck around from the other side and suddenly lunged forward while they were chatting.

Kōrai Hoshiumi, passing by, widened his eyes and hurriedly tugged on Sachirō Hirugami’s sleeve, pointing in Bokuto’s direction with a shocked expression.

“Ah! There it is! A tiger pouncing on its prey!”

Hirugami sighed helplessly. “Kōrai, you shouldn’t describe it like that. It’s very rude.”

Caught completely off guard, Yunohama and Goshiki nearly rolled their eyes from the force as their necks were grabbed. Ryosuke narrowly escaped by standing up at just the right moment.

Grabbing Ryosuke by the collar and herding Yunohama and Goshiki along by the arms, Bokuto dragged the three of them toward the rest area.

Goshiki yelled, “Hey! What are you doing?!”

Only then did Bokuto realize he hadn’t explained why he’d grabbed them. He thought for a moment—and realized he couldn’t remember at all.

Whatever. Akaashi had said that as long as he brought them to the rest area, it was fine. Bokuto nodded in satisfaction.

“No idea! Akaashi told me to bring you guys to the rest area!”

Ryosuke’s face instantly turned ashen.

So… there really was no escaping it…

His eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Sure enough, once they reached the rest area, they saw Kawanishi, freshly “scraped,” and Saito looked up to see a tall, broad-shouldered boy delivering three Shiratorizawa juniors straight to him.

Saito smiled gently—his expression looking like spring breeze on the surface, but madness underneath.

“Go on, run some more. You kids are pretty bold, aren’t you?”

In that moment, Saito looked exactly like a final boss villain. The three juniors trembled as they tried to back away.

Yunohama sighed helplessly. Looks like there was no escaping. Early death or late death, death was still death. If I don’t go to hell, who will? As the saying goes, “When Heaven is about to place a great responsibility upon a person…”

He resolutely lay down on the massage chair.

Saito cast a half-smiling glance at the remaining two. “What are you standing there for? Come over and hold him down.”

Then he turned to Bokuto with an apologetic smile. “Um, could you help check how many Shiratorizawa members still haven’t been found?”

Bokuto scratched his head in confusion. Akaashi had said to bring everyone from Shiratorizawa over, right?

“Oh! No problem! Leave it to me!” Bokuto patted his chest and gave a thumbs-up.

He dashed off again in a whirlwind.

Leaving behind three people about to meet their doom in the rest area.

“AAAAH!!!” Yunohama’s scream drifted out…

Bokuto: ?? Did I just hear something?

...

Bokuto continued searching and happened to find the remaining people at the convenience store.

Shirabu, Eita Semi, and Ushijima were all there.

“Hey! Shiratorizawa! Someone’s looking for you in the rest area!”

Ushijima thought it was Coach Washijō calling them and led everyone toward the rest area.

They ran into Reon, who had just finished eating in the cafeteria. Shirabu waved at him.

“Reon, over here! Coach Washijō’s looking for us.”

Reon was still chewing on a takoyaki. Hearing that, he hurriedly swallowed and ran over.

“What does Coach Washijō want with us?”

Bokuto shook his head, just about to say it wasn’t Coach Washijō, when Konoha suddenly appeared out of nowhere and dragged him away.

“Bokuto! Hurry up! The cold marinated rape blossom Akaashi likes is about to sell out!”

Only then did Bokuto remember—Akaashi had said he was going to the bathhouse, and Bokuto was supposed to help bring him food.

He waved hurriedly. “Shiratorizawa, I’m heading out first! You guys need to go to the rest area!”

And with that, he ran off without looking back.

When the group finally arrived at the rest area, the first thing they saw were two figures crouched in the corner with teary eyes.

Ryosuke was still sniffling, and Yunohama’s eyes were red as well.

Eita Semi panicked. “Hey—no way. Why are you two crying…?”

“Ahhh—I wanna go home! Waaaaah!”

Before he could finish, Goshiki’s pig-slaughter-like scream echoed out of the rest area.

Everyone’s faces went pale as they instinctively prepared to run—only for Yamagata and Kawanishi to block the door with white faces.

“Don’t bother. You’re the last ones. You can’t escape.”

Reon screamed internally, Bokuto! You’ve really screwed me over!

At that exact moment, Bokuto sneezed in the cafeteria.

Huh? Why does it suddenly feel so cold?

...

Back in the rest area, the resentment coming off Ushijima and the others was almost visible.

Among them, Shirabu’s expression was the worst.

Shirabu hated the fascia knife more than anyone in Shiratorizawa. When he chose to switch positions, one reason was that he could set for Ushijima.

The other reason was that he wouldn’t have to receive, and wouldn’t get hit by the ball. In truth, Shirabu—the fiery little pepper—was actually very afraid of pain.

The first time he encountered the fascia knife, he didn’t even know what it was. He’d been tricked by Tendō and Eita Semi. After that, every time the team doctor showed up, Shirabu would bolt.

He ran even faster than Tendō.

Now, as soon as Shirabu saw a team doctor with a gentle smile, he would start shivering. He’d truly been left with psychological trauma.