Seijoh's furious offensive was relentless. Time and again, Oikawa funneled the ball toward number 16—Kyotani, the 'Mad Dog.' His wild, explosive spikes kept the score tight, the two teams locked in a tug-of-war, neither giving an inch.
Karasuno tried to disrupt the rhythm. Hinata went for a surprise dump, but Oikawa read it cleanly, sliding in for a perfect receive. In one fluid motion, the libero sprinted forward, jumping from behind the three-meter line to set. The ball arced high—of course, to Kyotani again.
With sheer force, Kyotani tore through the block, slamming the ball onto Karasuno's court. The score lit up: 19–19.
"It feels like Seijoh is putting everything on number 16," Shimada muttered, adjusting his glasses.
"Yeah," Takinoue replied, his eyes sharp. "Maybe they're using him as bait. Draw the block, then pass to the others. Just like Hayato and Hinata—it's a nasty strategy."
The two commentators weren't wrong. If the blockers fell for the feint, Karasuno's defense alone wouldn't be able to handle the follow-ups.
Hanamaki, rotating in the back row, thought grimly, We all know why Kyotani's here. His firepower. If we can't use him properly, it's a waste.
On court, Iwaizumi launched his jump serve. Karasuno's formation had Hinata in the back row, with Hayato and Daichi up front—their best blocking line. But the back row was vulnerable.
The serve skimmed low, forcing Tanaka to dive desperately. His arms met the ball, but it caromed awkwardly toward the back court.
"Sorry!" Tanaka shouted.
"I'll get it!"
Hinata bolted like a streak of orange, chasing the ball all the way to the wall. At full tilt, he had no way to stop. Gasps rang out—
"Hinata, careful!"
But Hinata didn't falter. He kicked off the wall, springing back like a coiled spring, and popped the ball back into play.
"Spiderman!"
"Amazing!"
The audience erupted in laughter and applause at the acrobatic save.
"HINATAAA!" Koyuki from the cheer squad jumped up, cupping her hands to shout his name at the top of her lungs.
But Hinata didn't hear. The ball had already crossed into Seijoh's court. Oikawa, ever the opportunist, signaled. "Mad Dog!"
Kyotani leapt again—but now Karasuno had their iron wall waiting. Tsukishima, Hayato, and Daichi rose together, three shadows forming a solid wall.
"Three-man block!"
"Kyotani, soft shot first!" Oikawa barked.
But Kyotani ignored him, intoxicated by the thrill of the challenge. He swung with everything he had—
Boom!
The ball ricocheted straight back into Seijoh's court.
"Blocked!" Sugawara leapt from the bench, fists pumping. Karasuno surged to 20 points.
Cheers thundered from the stands. "Nice block!" "That's the Iron Wall!" Excitement rippled through the crowd—Karasuno was closing in.
"Idiot!" Oikawa snapped. "Didn't I say to go soft?"
Kyotani only muttered, "...Sorry." In truth, facing Hayato across the net, he couldn't resist the urge to clash head-on. Even being blocked thrilled him.
Oikawa's voice chilled. "There won't be a next time. Understood?"
Kyotani stiffened. His wild instincts told him—Danger. He actually stepped back.
"Look at that. The Mad Dog backed down," Matsukawa chuckled.
"Guess even instincts know Oikawa's scarier," Hanamaki added lightly, as the team reset.
Daichi rotated to serve, Kageyama stepped into the front row. With Hayato ready to attack, only Tsukishima was left to anchor the block. Tsukishima nodded once to Hayato—silent trust.
The serve flew over. Seijoh's Matsukawa ran a C-quick to distract, but Tsukishima read Oikawa's eyes and chased Kyotani instead. His block was a fraction late, but his fingertips brushed the ball.
"One touch," Tsukishima said calmly, already moving back.
Karasuno rallied. Daichi popped the ball high. Kageyama's gaze swept—Hayato, Hinata, Tanaka—before choosing.
Hayato launched forward, every muscle coiled for the kill. But the set went elsewhere—Hinata, surging from the back row.
"Take it!"
Hinata's spike exploded—but Seijoh's block swallowed it whole. The ball crashed down, scoring instantly.
"Damn it! My back-row attack..." Hinata grimaced.
"Don't sweat it," Hayato said, steady at the net. "Next time, we'll score."
Hinata clenched his fists. "Yeah!"
Meanwhile, Oikawa called across to Kageyama, smug. "Back-row to Shorty, huh? Bold choice. I thought so too."
Kageyama's jaw tightened, but he swallowed the retort. Now wasn't the time to snap—winning came first.
Seijoh's serve targeted Hinata, but Daichi cut him off. "Mine!" He cushioned the ball perfectly.
Kageyama didn't hesitate. The toss soared to Hayato.
From the sideline, Hayato sprinted, launched—and ripped the ball clean through the block. It clipped Kyotani's hand and shot out of bounds.
"Yo! Fierce Bird!!"
Koyuki's voice rang clear and proud. For the first time, Hayato's nickname echoed through the gym. Heads turned. Saeko and the neighborhood guys exchanged curious grins.
"'Fierce Bird,' huh? Not bad."
"Yeah, sounds pretty cool. Fits him too."
The crowd murmured.
"The number 13—Fierce Bird?"
"Yeah, the way he spikes and serves—it's brutal. Fierce fits."
"A fierce bird among a flock of crows... that's kinda poetic."
The name spread like wildfire through the stands.
But in the end, names were only words. To soar higher, Karasuno still had to win—not just this set, but the entire match. And waiting beyond Seijoh was the monster of Miyagi, Shiratorizawa.
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