The whistle had barely died when the internet detonated.
Phones everywhere in the arena were out — fans, students, parents, strangers who had only wandered in for snacks — all recording, screaming, live-posting. Aya's stream was still going, Izume leaning into frame while the chat speed climbed past insanity.
VolleyBros420: HISTORY HAS BEEN MADECrowCultPriest: demon chaos >>> everythingKarasunoStan_99: they're not a team, they're a sitcom with spikesOikawa4President: I'm in pain but… respect.
The hashtag #DemonChaos was trending nationwide within minutes, joined quickly by #ChaosCrows and #BonkPoint.
Outside the gym, hundreds of people who couldn't get tickets were watching highlights projected on a nearby wall. When the final 25–8 score flashed, the crowd reacted like Karasuno had just won the finals, not a semifinal. Strangers hugged, someone let off a confetti cannon, and a street vendor was already selling bootleg "BONK" headbands.
In the post-match handshake line, Oikawa's usual smile was gone. His eyes found Akira, steady and serious."You," he said quietly, his hand firm on Akira's. "Beat Ushijima."
Akira's lips curved into a slow grin, eyes burning with that dangerous promise."Count on it."
They didn't need to say more. The entire exchange was caught on camera and, of course, went viral within the hour. People clipped it with captions like:
"Shonen anime in real life""Rivals respecting rivals, we love to see it""AOBA JOSAI PASSES THE TORCH"
Far away, in Shiratorizawa's gym, the reigning kings of Miyagi Prefecture were in the middle of their own practice. Ushijima was smashing balls into the hardwood with his usual terrifying precision.
Their captain paused when an assistant manager rushed in with a tablet, playing a highlight reel of Karasuno's match. Demon Chaos mode in all its glory — the fake blocks, the bonk spikes, the smug smirks.
The room went silent.
Semi whistled low. "Uh… they're… different."
Tendō grinned like he'd just spotted a shiny new toy. "Ohhh, this is gonna be fun."
Even Ushijima, stoic and unshakable, watched a clip of Akira obliterating a block, then said flatly,"He will be difficult to stop."
The air in the Shiratorizawa gym shifted. Their coach crossed his arms, gaze hard. "Prepare. We're facing a team with no rhythm to break — because they are the break."
By nightfall, the volleyball world was split between two camps:
Those who thought Karasuno's chaos was unstoppable.
And those who believed Shiratorizawa's raw power would crush them.
The hype was already eclipsing the actual finals — and Karasuno, lounging in their hotel lobby, were happily watching memes of themselves, none of them even pretending to rest.
Akira scrolled through his phone, saw a fan edit of him with glowing devil horns and angel wings in the same frame, and just laughed. "Guess we're both now."
The war drums for the finals had begun