Akashi Asuka landed, his eyes locking with those of Ushijima Wakatoshi across the court.
Their gazes met.
It was as if an invisible pressure spread between them, engulfing the entire court.
────────── ✦ ──────────
"Ohhh~~ Ushijima actually received that serve?"
"Idiot, Ushijima Wakatoshi is a national-level ace. Of course he can receive it. He just hasn't until now because it wasn't Shiratorizawa's strategy."
"Impressive! Aoba Johsai managed to push Shiratorizawa this far."
The title "Absolute Monarch" wasn't for nothing. Even though many spectators could see Shiratorizawa was at a disadvantage, more than 60% of the crowd still believed they would win.
That belief came from Shiratorizawa's track record.
The score was tied at 1–1.
Aoba Johsai regained serve.
As the match neared its end, Oikawa Tooru's focus became razor sharp. Standing just outside the baseline in Position 1, he gently tossed the ball, then unleashed a super high-speed serve, slicing toward the far corner.
Boom!
The serve was so fast that the Shiratorizawa players felt like their legs couldn't move.
"Damn it, MOVE! Just MOVE already!"
Yamagata Hayato screamed internally. He was the libero, yet he'd barely made any proper receives the entire match. For a libero, that was practically an insult. Damn it! Move, move,
Smack!
The serve smashed straight into Yamagata's forehead. Unable to judge where the ball would land, he'd thrown himself at it with everything he had.
The impact echoed loudly as the ball flew back into the air, drawing gasps from the crowd.
"Whoaaaaa!"
"Shiratorizawa resorting to using their bodies too? He took that with his head, it hurts just watching!"
"Looks like they're going all out now!"
Thud!
A powerful spike ripped through Aoba Johsai's block. Shiratorizawa scored.
This was the first time Oikawa's serve had been broken on the first try all game.
"Tch... Can't these bastards just peacefully settle for second place?" Oikawa grumbled, clearly rattled by Shiratorizawa's unrelenting fight.
1–2.
Shiratorizawa's serve.
The ball soared past the net and was received by Watari Shinji. Oikawa instantly synced with Akashi Asuka on the right for a quick attack.
But just as Oikawa thought they'd broken through the blockers, Tendo Satori appeared out of nowhere, and beside him was Tsutomu Goshiki.
Both jumped.
Perhaps due to exhaustion, they couldn't fully control their air positions and crashed into each other mid-air.
Despite the pain evident on both their faces, they still managed to force up a double block right in front of Akashi.
Boom!
The next instant, Akashi's spike exploded against Goshiki's arms. In a flash, the ball tore through the slight gap in his hands and slammed down onto Shiratorizawa's court.
2–2.
"Sorry!" Goshiki shouted the moment he landed.
"Don't worry about it. Next one... we'll get it." Shirabu Sōsuke clapped his shoulder, trying to comfort him, though he was breathing so heavily he could barely talk.
This final set had gone far beyond what anyone expected. Most knew it would be a battle between dragons and tigers, but no one imagined it would be this brutal.
Just watching the players left spectators exhausted.
The players' labored breathing was loud enough to be heard even in the front row.
Even the slightly more resilient players, Akashi and Oikawa, were drenched in sweat after a few rallies.
There was no helping it.
Shiratorizawa's comeback pressure was relentless.
The combination of Oikawa and Akashi was powerful enough to tear apart any defense, including Shiratorizawa.
But what Oikawa hadn't anticipated was that even though Ushijima looked on the verge of collapse, he was still punching through their block, almost single-handedly keeping Shiratorizawa in the game.
"Damn... Ushiwaka is just straight-up unfair and strong!"
Even Hajime Iwaizumi was shocked. Though Ushijima looked like he could fall over any second, his presence remained as intimidating as ever.
The back-and-forth continued until 4–4.
And then, something unexpected finally happened.
At 4–4, rotation brought Akashi to the service line. Given how tight the match was, he didn't hesitate to unleash a cannon of a serve.
The ball danced through the air and headed right toward Goshiki's position.
After four intense sets, Shiratorizawa had somewhat adapted to Akashi's serve power, so their reception success rate had slightly improved.
Except, not for Goshiki.
Reception depends on fundamentals, and while Goshiki's basics weren't bad, he was still a first-year.
He knew he couldn't receive that ball properly, but letting it through and giving Seijoh a free point wasn't an option either.
So, in a split-second decision,
Goshiki mirrored Yamagata.
He took the serve with his face.
Bang!
The ball smacked Goshiki square in the head. His head jerked back, and the ball rebounded high into the air.
Ushijima didn't waste the opportunity and scored, giving Shiratorizawa the lead again.
4–5.
But before they could even celebrate, the ref's whistle blew in a panic.
Everyone froze.
They turned, and saw Goshiki's face drenched in blood.
The sight caused a wave of gasps. On closer inspection, they realized it wasn't just a nosebleed, Goshiki had tried to wipe it, and half his face was now smeared with blood.
Emergency timeout.
Nosebleeds in volleyball weren't rare, since the nose's capillaries are delicate and vary per person. Most assumed it was just a minor injury.
Until the doctor spoke:
"Initial diagnosis: nasal bone fracture. We'll confirm with X-rays, but he can't continue."
The news stunned everyone.
To break someone's nose just with a serve... what kind of monster was Akashi Asuka?
Goshiki clearly didn't want to leave, but it wasn't his decision anymore.
He was stretchered off. His substitute was Eita Semi, a key server who had appeared in both the second and fourth sets.
The match resumed quickly.
Back on court, Aoba Johsai's players briefly paused upon seeing Goshiki absent, but quickly refocused.
Whether it was an accident or not, Shiratorizawa's substitution caused unexpected trouble.
It wasn't that Semi's serves were overly dangerous, he wasn't at a super-elite level, but...
Semi's original role wasn't server.
He was a setter.
With him now on court, Shiratorizawa had a double setter formation.
It was a first for both teams.
And Aoba Johsai struggled to adjust.
Shiratorizawa's unexpected lineup shift caught Seijoh off guard, and gave Ushijima precious time to recover.
So even though Coach Washijo didn't like Semi's strong personal style as a setter, he didn't sub him out.
Both sides kept exchanging points.
The score quickly reached 12–13, Shiratorizawa still ahead.
Aoba Johsai called a timeout. It would be their, no, both teams', final timeout.
In this fifth set, timeouts were used far more frequently than in the previous ones. And every single time out had the same purpose: giving the players a chance to breathe.
By now, Aoba Johsai's carefully planned stamina advantage had completely worn out.
Both Oikawa and Akashi were spent. Oikawa was so drained he could barely think straight.
"Come on... there's gotta be a way. Even if we can't get ahead, just let us tie the score..."
Oikawa's mind raced, desperate for an opening. But no matter what he considered, he saw the same result:
Nothing would work.
Because even if he could come up with a strategy, the rest of the team likely couldn't execute it.
But still,
He refused to give up. No, he couldn't accept defeat.
He had done everything, tactics, execution, effort. Seijoh had dominated the match.
And Shiratorizawa?
They had done nothing but rely on Ushijima.
One man had crushed everything Seijoh built.
No one, no one, could accept that.
"If you're not sure who to set to next..." Akashi's voice cut through his thoughts.
"...then give every ball to me."
Oikawa turned, stunned.
Akashi stood calmly, his gaze still and dark like deep water.
For a moment, Oikawa stared.
Then smiled faintly. "Got it, Akashi-chan."
────────── ✦ ──────────
BEEP!
The whistle blew. The final showdown began.
Aoba Johsai lineup: Setter: Oikawa Tooru; Wing Spiker: Akashi Asuka; Wing Spiker: Kunimi Eikichi; Middle Blockers: Kindaichi, Matsukawa; Libero: Watari Shinji.
Shiratorizawa lineup: Setters: Shirabu Kenjirou, Eita Semi; Wing Spiker: Ohira Reon; Middle Blocker: Tendo Satori; Opposite: Ushijima Wakatoshi; Libero: Yamagata Hayato.
Both teams had used up all substitutions and timeouts. Only the liberos could still be rotated freely.
In other words,
These were the final battle formations.
On Shiratorizawa's side, Ushijima's face had turned an unnatural shade of pale, a symptom of utter exhaustion. Yet, his presence hadn't waned. If anything, it blazed brighter.
On Aoba Johsai's side, everyone's fighting spirit was high, except Akashi.
His presence didn't rise, it sank, deep and still, like a bottomless abyss.
Aoba Johsai to serve.
This point was crucial. If Shiratorizawa scored, they'd lead by two, and that would push Seijoh to the edge.
Wham!
The serve crossed the net and was received. Shiratorizawa set it, of course, to Ushijima.
He jumped. Even at this stage, his form was flawless.
Kindaichi jumped to block, but couldn't even reach Ushijima's height.
Ushijima swung his arm.
Then,
A shadow flashed in front of him like a ghost.
BOOM!
SMACK!
Two dull impacts rang out almost simultaneously.
The ball dropped onto Shiratorizawa's court and bounced high.
The shocked expressions of the Shiratorizawa players stood in stark contrast to the ball spinning off the floor.
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 466+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 279
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 209
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 97
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 121
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 104