"Karasuno!"
"Go, go!"
The shouts echoing through the gymnasium made Seijoh's players glance over. Even after being dragged into back-to-back deuces, Karasuno still had the energy to roar with everything they had.
Sweat rolled down Oikawa's jaw as he wiped his chin with a towel. His eyes narrowed.
"The old Karasuno was already troublesome. This new, evolved Karasuno is even worse. We've had to drag the score into ties just to compete—and we still lost the first set. The pressure they're putting on us is suffocating."
His quiet muttering reached Iwaizumi beside him.
"No matter how hard it is, we have to win. You don't want to stop here, and neither do I."
"Heh… on that point, we're in perfect sync."
For Aoba Johsai, it was fortune. For Karasuno, it was the worst possible timing—Oikawa standing at the service line.
As the timeout ended, he bounced the ball rhythmically, the whistle looming. The air grew heavy.
"This is bad… Oikawa's serve, and at this moment," Shimada muttered, his hands gripping the railing. Seijoh's fans erupted into deafening chants of Oikawa's name, rattling Karasuno's section.
Hitoka clasped her hands, lips moving in a silent prayer, while Ukai and the others shouted themselves hoarse.
"Bring it on!" Nishinoya barked.
"Let's go!" Hayato added.
"Stay sharp!" Daichi followed.
Every Karasuno player braced themselves with every ounce of spirit.
"Here it comes."
The whistle blew. Oikawa's body loosened, his expression serene. He tossed the ball skyward, a thought flickering through his mind: This one's mine. Point, guaranteed.
His approach was smooth, his jump sharp, his arm swing fluid. The strike cracked through the air—
Boom!
The gym fell silent as the ball kissed the sideline. Then the referee's whistle pierced the air. Point to Seijoh.
"Good!" Oikawa roared, his teammates swarming him. The Seijoh cheering section erupted into a thunderous chant:
"One more point! One more point!"
Daichi grimaced, eyes flicking to the scorch mark left by the ball. "As expected of Oikawa… tied score, and he still goes for a jump serve."
"I'm sorry… that was my fault." Nishinoya bowed, guilt written across his face.
But Hayato immediately grinned, stepping in. "Don't sweat it. We knew Seijoh was strong. We'll get it back. Look at me—I made mistakes in the first set, but I let them go. You should too."
Daichi smirked. "You can let it go now, but don't think you'll escape Ukai's reflection meeting later."
"Haha, fine by me. Let's win this match first and then get scolded later!"
His words lightened the mood. The players reformed their circle, voices rising once more.
From the stands, Saeko slapped the railing. Oikawa's perfect serve had silenced Karasuno's side, but their renewed shouts reignited hope. Koyuki, inspired, raised her lone pom-pom high.
"Karasuno! Go, go!"
Her raw, almost breaking voice infected the crowd, and soon Karasuno's cheers surged louder than Seijoh's.
Back on court, Oikawa eyed them coolly. "Troublesome as ever. But noise doesn't win matches."
He tossed again, leaping for another blistering jump serve—
"Nishinoya!!" Daichi barked.
Already diving, Nishinoya dug the ball cleanly, arms steady, sending it flying into perfect position.
"Chance ball!"
Kageyama was there, hands ready. The attackers surged in. Oikawa yelled for the block, Seijoh rising in unison. If Karasuno's risky attack failed, Nishinoya alone would shoulder the entire defense.
"Don't back down! I'll protect everyone's backs!" Nishinoya shouted, voice ringing like steel.
A grin spread across Hayato's face. If Nishinoya's behind us, there's no reason to hold back.
"Kageyama!!"
"Right here!!" Hinata sprang into the air, eyes blazing.
Seijoh's blockers rose—but Kindaichi was a beat late. Hinata noticed instantly. His spike sailed just beyond Kindaichi's fingertips, untouched. The ball slammed into the floor.
"Alright!"
"One point back!"
Karasuno's side erupted. Saeko waved her pom-pom furiously, Hitoka and Koyuki hugging in joy, Shimada and Takinoue high-fiving. Not only had they tied the score, they had broken Oikawa's serve. The momentum shifted.
And with the rotation, Hinata now stood at the service line, while Karasuno's ace, Hayato, rotated into the front row.
A golden chance.
At that moment, Karasuno made a substitution.
The player stepping onto the court—none other than their hidden weapon, the decisive server: Yamaguchi.
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A/N: Hello everyone i got a cold :(
1 chapter for now, sorry