If Aoba Johsai scored a point, Karasuno immediately took it back.
Both sides went back and forth. Oikawa's flawless setting allowed Aoba Johsai's spikers to swing freely, slipping past Karasuno's blocks. With a clever toss, he fed Hanamaki, who blasted a sharp cross-court spike to tie the score once again.
Karasuno, who had been on a winning streak since the qualifiers, suddenly looked a little passive against Aoba Johsai.
The constant tug-of-war reminded the crowd of their last clash—intense, unpredictable, and with both sides showing how much they'd grown.
Then, Oikawa stepped up to serve. His next jump serve was even sharper than the opening one.
Before Karasuno could react, the ball crashed inside the sideline. Another point.
Aoba Johsai's cheering section erupted.
"Oikawa!"
The captain grinned, high-fiving his teammates.
"Damn it, it's even stronger than before!"
"Does that guy even have a limit?"
Daichi and Nishinoya, stationed in the back row, could only watch helplessly as Aoba Johsai celebrated. The serve had been too fast, too precise—no one had time to react.
But Nishinoya wasn't shaken. Spreading his arms, he shouted with full confidence, "No problem! Leave it to me!"
Karasuno steadied themselves.
Oikawa noticed the shift in formation. Karasuno had widened their defense, clearly relying on their Libero to handle his serves.
"They're betting everything on their solid Libero, huh?" Oikawa smirked. "But the me now isn't the same as before."
The whistle blew. Oikawa tossed the ball high and unleashed another ferocious serve—this time straight toward Hinata.
Hinata barely reacted. The ball slammed into his shoulder, knocking him backward onto the floor.
But Hinata quickly shouted, "Chance ball!"
It wasn't clean, but it kept the rally alive.
"Leave it to me!"
"Give me the ball!"
Both Hayato and Tanaka leapt, calling for the set. Kageyama chose Hayato.
Aoba Johsai had read it and formed a wall to block, but at the last second, Hayato's hand softened. Instead of a full-power spike, he tipped the ball delicately over the net.
"Damn it, it's a tip!"
"Get it!"
The defenders dove, but the ball dropped just out of reach.
Point, Karasuno.
Hayato pumped his fist. "Alright!"
Oikawa's brows knitted. What a troublesome guy… messing with the rhythm like that.
The crowd cheered Hayato's name, Karasuno's section roaring louder than ever. Saeko practically tackled Yachi in excitement.
"Hayato's killing it!" she screamed.
Ukai, who had been debating a timeout earlier, clenched his fist. Good call not to stop them. That was perfect timing.
The scoreboard read 19–19. The next point was crucial.
Karasuno played it safe with their serve, sending the ball into Aoba Johsai's court.
Aoba Johsai responded with a sharp attack. Karasuno pressed forward with a full block and got a hand on it, but the ball was recovered. On the second try, the set went to Kindaichi.
Hinata remembered Sugawara's words during their strategy meeting—don't match Kindaichi's rhythm, wait just a fraction longer.
He did.
Jumping a beat later, Hinata sealed the block, stuffing Kindaichi's spike.
The first-year beamed at his childhood rival. "How about that? You see how good I am now?"
Kindaichi glared. "Tch… it's just one point. Don't get cocky."
Their silent exchange was clear to everyone.
Karasuno hit 20 points first, putting pressure on Aoba Johsai.
But the veterans didn't falter. Under Oikawa's steady command, they tied it again with a crisp quick attack.
The duel raged on.
With Iwaizumi in the front row, Aoba Johsai's offense grew sharper. But Karasuno countered with relentless decoys. Hinata's presence pulled blockers away, while Tanaka capitalized on open space to strike.
This time, Kageyama sent Tanaka a perfect ball. The spiker roared as he crushed it down—
—but Oikawa dug it up.
"Good chance!" Daichi shouted.
If Oikawa touched the first ball, he couldn't set the second. This was Karasuno's opportunity.
But even without their captain's hands, Aoba Johsai's teamwork shone. They strung together a clean rally, finding an angle to attack.
"Nishinoya!"
Karasuno's Guardian Deity dove, arms outstretched, and popped the ball perfectly into the air.
"Chance ball!" he yelled mid-roll.
The momentum shifted. Multiple Karasuno players surged forward for the attack. The crowd held its breath.
Everyone expected Kageyama to toss to Hayato or Hinata. But instead—
Smack!
Kageyama executed a surprise setter dump, scoring directly.
The entire stadium froze before erupting.
From the floor, Oikawa gritted his teeth. "This unlikable junior…"
Kageyama's dagger had struck true.
The bench exploded in celebration. Ukai and Takeda leapt to their feet. Even Kiyoko clenched her fists before calmly recording the point.
Iwaizumi glanced at his captain. "You're not getting flustered, are you?"
"Ha. As if. I'm calm." Oikawa exhaled deeply. "The match isn't over yet."
With both teams refusing to back down, the stadium roared louder than ever.
Kageyama stepped back to serve. His jump serve rocketed across the net, but Aoba Johsai's Libero handled it cleanly.
A sharp set followed—straight to Iwaizumi.
Aoba Johsai's Ace hammered the ball down, scoring with authority.
-------------
Support me at patréon com/Lukas25