Iwaizumi paused for a brief moment, but quickly reacted, catching the barely saved ball as it flew back into the air. He passed it to Oikawa, who delivered a precise spike back into Karasuno's court.
Thud!
The sudden return caught Karasuno completely off guard. None of them could react in time, they could only watch helplessly as the ball landed on their side of the court.
At that moment, Akashi Asuka, who had fallen while trying to receive the ball, stood back up. He looked calmly across the net at Karasuno and said coldly:
"If you think you can keep relying on luck to score, then you're far too naive."
The smile that had started forming on Yamaguchi's face vanished instantly.
The slight sense of ease that had just begun to return to Karasuno's players evaporated in an instant.
21–15.
Yamaguchi stepped off the court with a look of disappointment, replaced once again by Hinata Shoyo.
A heavy, almost suffocating pressure fell upon the Karasuno team. But what made it worse was that the next serve would be from Oikawa again.
"Damn it, why now of all times?!" Coach Ukai could hardly suppress his frustration on the sidelines.
Boom!
Oikawa wasn't about to go easy. As the game neared its end, his concentration only sharpened. The ball shot off like a missile, but was still received by Nishinoya Yuuu.
As the match progressed, Nishinoya had begun to adapt to the serving rhythms of both Oikawa and Akashi. His successful reception rate steadily increased.
But although he received the ball—
—iIt rebounded straight back to Aoba Johsai's side. Oikawa hadn't made it back into position after his serve, so libero Watari Shinji darted forward from the backcourt. Without even a first pass, he set the ball directly for Akashi Asuka.
Thud!
A sudden parallel quick attack, clean and devastating, scored another point for Aoba Johsai.
22–15.
Oikawa's second serve was once again received by Nishinoya. This time, the reception was clean. Kageyama and Tanaka coordinated a time-delayed attack, finally winning back a point for Karasuno.
22–16.
Karasuno served next, but Aoba Johsai regained control.
The ball was passed to Akashi again. Karasuno set up a double block, but Akashi smashed a sharp line shot right along the edge of the court.
A casual yet deadly return.
23–16.
Aoba Johsai rotated positions again, with Akashi stepping into position one.
The moment he stood in the service zone, Karasuno's players felt the weight of pressure crushing down on them.
Akashi wasted no time. Tossing the ball lightly into the air, he launched a full-powered jump serve.
Boom!
The ball screamed over the net and landed perfectly in the far corner of the backcourt, another point.
24–16.
Match point for Aoba Johsai.
────────── ✦ ──────────
"Damn it… Is there really no way?"
At this point in the match, even Tobio Kageyama was beginning to feel a twinge of despair.
As much as he hated to admit it, he now had to face the truth: the gap between Karasuno and Aoba Johsai was simply too wide.
This wasn't the result of a single player's strength or weakness, it was the difference in overall team ability. In raw athleticism, individual skill, and tactical execution, Aoba Johsai outclassed them by two or even three tiers.
Especially the combination of Oikawa and Akashi Asuka.
One was the senpai he'd been trying to surpass since junior high. The other was an old rival who had defeated him before.
Either one alone would be a formidable opponent. But now, the two were on the same team. The thought alone was enough to send chills down his spine.
And yet… Kageyama didn't want to lose.
No reason needed.
He was sure he wasn't the only one. That guy probably felt the same way.
Kageyama looked over at Hinata Shoyo, and as expected, Hinata seemed completely unaware that the match was nearly over. His eyes were locked on Akashi across the net, burning with the fierce, focused gaze of a predator about to strike.
But what shocked Kageyama most was that even though they were on the brink of defeat, Hinata was smiling.
"There he goes again… That guy… Where the hell does he pull that insane focus from, right at the end of a match like this?"
The situation was dire. One wrong step and they'd fall off the cliff entirely.
Any normal person, even with the strongest mentality, would falter here. But Hinata looked as if he didn't even see the cliff, his eyes held nothing but the volleyball.
Boom!
The next instant, Akashi's second serve came flying in. The power was immense, the shape of the ball visibly distorted mid-flight from the sheer force. The air resistance twisted its path repeatedly.
Even Nishinoya struggled to predict the landing point of such an unpredictable ball.
But then,
A small figure shot forward like a bullet.
Smack!
The crisp sound echoed across the court. Akashi's powerful serve had been perfectly received.
"Set me up!!!"
The moment Hinata made the receive, he rolled to his feet and dashed toward the court's edge at lightning speed. He leapt high into the air.
And Kageyama, almost on reflex, set the ball for him.
No, maybe that's not quite right.
To be precise, it was more like the ball was drawn to Hinata's presence.
At that moment, it wasn't Kageyama who controlled the set, it was Hinata, already soaring through the air.
Boom!
Hinata's spike shot over the net.
It all happened so fast that even Watari, Aoba Johsai's libero, failed to react in time. Still stunned by Hinata's perfect receive, he could only watch as the ball returned to their court.
It was already too late to move.
But then, someone else beat him to it. Someone had read Hinata's move perfectly and was already in position, crouched and ready for the reception.
Smack!
The ball was lifted back into the air.
"Nice receive, Akashi-chaan~–" Oikawa began with a grin.
But before he could finish, Akashi Asuka cut him off.
"Give it to me."
His voice was calm. Commanding. Unyielding.
It was the first time Oikawa had ever heard Akashi speak in that tone since they became teammates. And without even thinking, he complied.
The ball was set high above Akashi. From the backcourt, Akashi leapt.
On the other side, Hinata, Kageyama, and Tanaka all leapt to form a triple block.
Though not the tallest, their combined wall resembled an iron curtain.
Yet Akashi's expression didn't change. He inhaled deeply mid-air, his chest and shoulder muscles swelling with explosive force.
Boom!
In the next moment, Akashi unleashed the strongest spike he could muster.
And in an instant, the wall in front of him crumbled.
==========
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