"Huh? What did you just say?"
"Hey! Akashi, that's going too far!"
Before Oikawa could even respond, the rest of the team had already started to scold Akashi Asuka for his blunt words.
But Akashi's expression remained unchanged. Calmly, he said,
"This is the Nationals, not a kid's game. Do you really think sheer bravado will be enough to win us this match?"
The court fell silent.
Even Oikawa's face froze in place, emotions halted mid-transition.
For a moment, the atmosphere on the court was tense and awkward.
Then the referee's whistle blew again.
Everyone turned to look, Ryuhei Sanashita was standing in the substitution zone, holding up the number board.
Oikawa's pupils shrank slightly.
After a long pause, he finally lowered his head like he had accepted his fate and muttered, "I'm sorry…"
"No need."
Akashi cut him off before he could finish.
"I'll win this match. So your apology means nothing."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Oikawa stared blankly at Akashi's retreating back, lips trembling slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.
Sanashita was officially substituted in for Oikawa.
For Aoba Johsai, already trailing by 3 points at the start of the third set, losing their starting setter was like salt on an open wound.
"Ahh~ Feels like it's been ages since I played in a Nationals match. Kinda nostalgic, actually."
Despite this being his first time on court this tournament, Sanashita didn't seem nervous. Having competed in Nationals before, he wasn't easily shaken.
Many speculated that this was why Coach Irihata chose Sanashita over second-year setter Yahaba Shigeru for the substitution.
"Hey, Akashi, how are you feeling now?" Sanashita asked.
"Almost there–" Akashi replied.
Sanashita's eyes lit up.
"Really? That's great. We're counting on you now. I'm not ready to pack up and go home yet!"
The tone of their exchange made the rest of the team uneasy.
To them, Sanashita sounded like he was placing the entire burden of the team's offense on Akashi's shoulders, a strange mentality in a sport as team-focused as volleyball.
"Alright then, I'll be counting on you seniors for defense!" Sanashita added.
"Wait a second, defense? What about offense?" Matsukawa interrupted, catching the odd phrasing.
"Offense? That's all Akashi–" Sanashita replied casually, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"All Akashi?! But that's, "
"Everyone."
Matsukawa's protest was cut off as Sanashita's voice suddenly turned serious. He swept his eyes slowly across his teammates and said,
"Are you all underestimating Akashi's power?"
────────── ✦ ──────────
A few moments later.
The whistle blew.
The match resumed.
Mujinazaka High served their fourth ball of the set. Watari Shinji received the first touch, and Sanashita immediately set the ball to Akashi, an unexpectedly high set.
[The main setter for Aoba Johsai has just been subbed out. This could be a major blow to their rhythm!]
[Indeed, Mr. Oda. Up until now, Akashi Asuka and Oikawa Tooru's synergy has been the key to keeping up with Mujinazaka's ace, Wakatsu Kiryu.]
[But now with Oikawa off the court, Aoba Johsai will have a tough time scoring, especially if Akashi is forced to go solo, ]
Before the commentator could finish his analysis, he suddenly went silent. His voice cut off mid-sentence as his jaw dropped in shock.
He had just witnessed something utterly unbelievable.
────────── ✦ ─────────
Aoba Johsai's bench.
Since stepping off the court, Oikawa had covered his head with a towel and remained silent.
Iwaizumi stood beside him. He didn't speak, unsure what he could even say. But even without words, the guilt and regret emanating from Oikawa were palpable.
This was their one shot, three years of blood, sweat, and tears, all leading to this moment at Nationals.
And now, because of his collapse, the team was on the brink of failure. How could Oikawa possibly accept that?
Just then, Coach Irihata spoke.
"Oikawa, during this tournament, how well do you think you and Akashi synced up?"
After a pause, Oikawa answered quietly,
"I probably brought out 90% of his potential."
"I see."
Irihata gave a small nod, neither affirming nor denying the statement, and continued,
"Then look up. See how much Sanashita is drawing out of him now."
A flicker of doubt crossed Oikawa's mind.
He wasn't arrogant, but he had confidence in his own skill. Compared to Sanashita, especially in the role of setter, there should be no contest.
Still, curiosity got the better of him.
He lifted his head to watch the match, and in that instant, his eyes widened in disbelief.
He saw Akashi leap into the air, spike the ball, and unleash a monstrous kill right through the dual block of Mujinazaka's ace defenders, Keisuke Unnan and Nozomu Mami.
BOOM!
The ball punched through the net like a cannon blast, crashing into Mujinazaka's court. It was unstoppable.
It was devastating.
It was a point.
Stunned silence fell across the stadium.
Not just the crowd, both teams on the court were speechless. That attack was beyond what anyone expected.
It didn't make sense.
This was the third set.
Their ace setter was off the court.
So why… why did Akashi's spikes feel stronger than ever?
No one could answer.
No one noticed…
When Akashi landed from that spike, something about him had changed.
A shift.
A breakthrough.
The door… had opened.
==========
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