The second the whistle blew to end Set 1, the arena went from explosive to nuclear. It wasn't just cheering — it was a tidal wave of human noise, as if Karasuno had just won the entire tournament.
The "Chaos Crows" chant erupted from the student section, drums pounding, banners waving like storm clouds. People were stomping on the bleachers so hard the floor shook.
Aya had to physically lean away from her phone camera because her mic was peaking."CHAT, CHAT! DID YOU SEE THAT SPIKE?! AKIRA LITERALLY SLID INTO IT LIKE AN ACTION MOVIE!"Izume, cheeks flushed and hair wild from jumping around, screamed into frame:"AND HINATA'S HEADBUTT! HINATA IS A WEAPONIZED FOREHEAD NOW!"
The stream chat was moving so fast it looked like a waterfall:
VolleyballLover88: HINATA FOR PRESIDENT 🦅🔥BokuBro22: I think Karasuno just invented slapstick volleyballKingOfTheNet: CHAOS CROWS ARE NATIONAL TREASUREOikawaWife: someone check on Oikawa he looks like he's seeing ghosts
Every five seconds, someone in the crowd was replaying the set on their phone for the people next to them. Clips of Tsukishima's smug block face and Hinata's forehead receive had already gone viral on Twitter. One caption read: "Karasuno is playing volleyball in cartoon mode and somehow it works."
In the Fukurodani section, Bokuto was hanging halfway over the railing, yelling, "THEY'RE SO COOL!" while Akaashi sighed and filmed him."Cool isn't the word I'd use," Akaashi muttered. "Unhinged. Unpredictable. Infuriating. That's more accurate."
On the opposite side of the stands, the Miya twins were doubled over, clutching their stomachs."Bro, they're roasting each other MID-GAME," Atsumu wheezed."And still killing it," Osamu added. "That's not volleyball, that's theatre."
A few rows behind them, Nekoma's Kuroo sat grinning like a cat in the sun. "This," he said to Yaku beside him, "is why Karasuno is dangerous. You can't read chaos."Yaku snorted. "You can't prepare for chaos."
Even Shiratorizawa's Tendō was losing it. He pointed at the scoreboard and shouted, "Wakatoshi-kun! Look at the number! LOOK! This is art!"Ushijima, unfazed, just said, "They're strong."
Back on the court, the energy in the Karasuno bench was ridiculous. Tanaka and Nishinoya were reenacting the forehead receive with exaggerated slow-motion groans. Asahi sat red-faced while Akira kept trying to teach him how to "trip-spike" for style points.
Ukai called them in, raising his voice over the roar. "Alright, settle down, you clowns—""CHAOS CROWS!" Nishinoya yelled.Ukai smirked. "Exactly. That's what you are now. And that's how we're winning this. Keep the rhythm unpredictable, keep them off balance, make them miserable. When they think they've read you, you hit them with something dumber and harder."
Takeda adjusted his glasses, smiling. "Don't forget — having fun is your weapon. But don't mistake fun for carelessness. Keep your hearts in it."
Meanwhile, over in Aoba Johsai's huddle, Oikawa's smile was thin and sharp. "They're not beating us with just skill. They're making fools out of us. That stops now." His voice dropped. "I'm going to break their rhythm."Iwaizumi slammed his palm into the floor. "Then we go all in."
The whistle for the second set's warm-up blew.
And the crowd — oh, the crowd — didn't calm down for a second. Karasuno's fan section was a sea of waving arms, painted faces, and phone screens held high for livestreams. Aya and Izume turned their camera to capture it all, both screaming over each other:"SECOND SET, BABY!""CHAOS CROWS FOREVER!"
It didn't matter that this was only the semifinals. It didn't matter that they still had to win another set. The atmosphere was already like the finals — and Karasuno was walking back onto the court as if they were stepping onto their own stage.