"BEEP!!!"
"Hey, hey! Karasuno's already used both timeouts this early? Are they gonna be okay?"
"For Karasuno, that Freak Quick Attack is probably their strongest offensive move right now. Having that blocked… that's gotta be a huge blow."
"Ugh, this is stressing me out just watching!"
────────── ✦ ──────────
Karasuno's coach, Ukai Keishin, had no choice but to burn their second timeout.
Seeing that, several Karasuno supporters in the crowd couldn't help but grow anxious.
"Why? Why was he there? When did he even get there?" Hinata Shoyo's mind was still spinning with the image that had greeted him the moment he opened his eyes.
It wasn't a new scene, he'd experienced it twice before.
Their Freak Quick Attack had already been blocked once during the practice match against Nekoma, and again in the match against Date Tech.
Hinata was starting to hate this feeling.
Not because his spike got blocked.
But because he had no idea how it happened. One moment he was jumping to hit, and the next it was already shut down.
"Oi, Hinata! Hey, are you okay!?"
A sudden voice snapped Hinata out of his daze. He blinked and looked around, somehow, a whole group of people had gathered in front of him.
Coaches, teachers, teammates…
It was Sugawara Koushi who had called out to him.
"Huh? Ah! I'm fine. Sorry!" Hinata scratched his head, then quickly bowed in apology.
"Jeez… Coach is explaining the strategy and you're just zoning out?" Kageyama Tobio chimed in, frowning. "That last one was just a fluke. Next time, I will set a toss no one can block. So snap out of it already."
"I'm good! Don't worry!" Hinata replied with a renewed nod.
Ukai gave the boy a quick glance. He was a little worried about Hinata's state of mind too, but there wasn't a real solution right now. He pushed forward anyway.
"There's no doubt about it, Aoba Johsai, with both Oikawa and Akashi, is a team built for offense. But at this point, their blocking might be just as terrifying."
"And because of their ridiculous height across all positions, even with rotations, their front-line block never has a weak link."
"It sounds harsh, but honestly, this version of Aoba Johsai might be even more worthy of the title Iron Wall than Date Tech ever was."
"In other words, our next opponent is basically a supercharged Date Tech that can also attack like monsters."
"Ughhhhh…"
Ukai had barely finished speaking when Asahi Azumane shuddered and hugged himself instinctively.
Can't blame him.
The words "Iron Wall" alone were enough to give Asahi flashbacks. Now imagining a wall that hits back? It was enough to make his blood run cold.
And it wasn't just Asahi.
In the past, whenever Asahi showed his more "fragile" side, someone would step in to console or tease him. But this time, no one said a word.
Ukai's eyebrows were practically forming a kanji by this point.
Analyzing the situation was one thing. Finding a solution was another.
After all, how do you beat a team with better defense and better offense?
He let out a breath. "Anyway… Kageyama, be extra careful when using the Freak Quick Attack from now on. We still don't know if their #8 blocked it because he saw through our code, or if he used some other method."
"I understand."
Kageyama nodded.
Just then, the referee's whistle signaled the end of the timeout.
────────── ✦ ──────────
"Well, well! We meet again so soon, huh? So, little Tobio~ Have you figured out how you're going to beat us yet? Don't tell me you're still going to rely on that Freak Quick Attack? If that tiny guy gets blocked again, I don't know if his little heart can take it~"
Even if they didn't hear the voice, everyone on Aoba Johsai knew exactly who said that.
Kageyama's eyelid twitches. He could practically feel his blood pressure rising.
Even Akashi, standing next to Oikawa, discreetly shuffled a step away.
He had a thought: If Oikawa ever donates his body to science, I bet the doctors won't find a heart. It's all just eyeballs in there. No good meat left.
The match resumed with Aoba Johsai serving.
The ball floated over the net and was quickly received by Karasuno, who passed it to Kageyama. At the front, both Hinata and Tanaka began their running jump.
But the third front-row player, Daichi Sawamura, didn't move at all. In fact, he hadn't gone for a single front-row attack this entire match.
Which ironically made the blockers more cautious of him.
Being a setter was a mentally draining job. After some practices, Akashi and Oikawa would shower together, and Akashi would see Oikawa pull out several hairs while shampooing.
Kageyama was probably no different.
This time it was Kageyama vs. Oikawa again. Both read the play and moved.
Whoosh,
The ball shot out from Kageyama's hands.
Oikawa bolted to the center of the net, where, visibly, no front-row player was making an attack.
Then suddenly, from the back row, Asahi leapt up,
Smack!
The ball hit the court.
Oikawa couldn't stop it.
In the end, Kageyama had gone with Hinata again.
"…That was… one hell of a gutsy attack."
Oikawa's temple twitched visibly. It was clear he was annoyed he didn't block it.
The rest of Aoba Johsai, however, didn't even bother reacting anymore.
Let the child have his tantrum…
14:8.
Karasuno finally clawed back a point.
But they didn't get to enjoy it for long.
Aoba Johsai quickly struck back.
15:8.
15:9.
16:9.
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In the blink of an eye…
Karasuno and Aoba Johsai were locked in another fierce back-and-forth.
Each team used their setters to shift tempo, adjust positioning, and exploit gaps, racking up points on both sides.
But the difference was stark.
Karasuno had to fight tooth and nail for every single point.
Aoba Johsai, on the other hand, made it look effortless. Even as the match neared its climax, their players still hadn't lost their rhythm.
And under this relentless pressure, the speed of the rally began to climb,
Unknowingly, both teams were pushing faster and harder than ever before…
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