Mitsuda on the side smirked and glanced at his teammates.
"I... I..."
Kunimura Naoto's face turned red, but he couldn't form a response.
"I would choose to do the same as him!"
"Facing challenges head-on is what young players do!"
"Hahaha! You really are something else!"
...
" Ushijima senpai.. lost??"
This was the overwhelming thought running through the minds of the Shiratorizawa players.
They stood in disbelief, staring at the court.
"The unstoppable Ushijima senpai... he can fail too?"
It was a hard truth to accept. They were used to seeing their own spikes get blocked, but watching an opponent's spike completely bypass their defense was something different.
A lucky shot? Maybe. But the psychological damage had already been done.
On the court, the three blockers who had failed to stop the attack picked themselves up and looked across the net, expecting to see their opponent reveling in his success.
Instead, Akira simply turned and walked back to his team as if nothing had happened.
"Arrogant ace!"
Tendō Satori narrowed his eyes.
"I have to stop him!"
Tweet!
While Shiratorizawa was still processing what had happened, the referee blew the whistle.
Shiratorizawa had called a timeout.
Ushijima and the others looked to the sideline in shock, watching as Coach Washijō stood there, his expression calm yet firm.
Without a word, they followed his instruction and stepped off the court.
"Shiratorizawa was forced to call a timeout this early in the game?!"
Kunimura Naoto, now fully recovered from his previous embarrassment, looked at the scoreboard in surprise.
"They're not even at 8 points yet! They could have waited for the technical timeout!"
"Hah!"
Mitsuda shook his head.
"If they have waited until 8 points, Shiratorizawa would be in deep trouble. It would be too late!"
"Is that guy really that strong?" Naoto asked incredulously. "Even with such a powerful spike, I don't think he can take down Shiratorizawa within 8 points! These guys have been through so many battles, they should be able to handle this!"
"Nope."
Mitsuda's expression turned serious as he stared at the court.
"This guy isn't just a strong spiker. The scariest thing about him is that he has no weaknesses. And he only gets stronger as the match progresses."
"If Shiratorizawa hadn't realized the danger early on and decided to drag out the match, they would have regretted it."
"I played against him twice, so I know."
"But what confuses me is how Coach Washijō realized this too…"
"Was it just a coincidence? Or did he actually see the threat?"
...
"I'm sure you all saw what that Number 7 is capable of," Washijō said, his sharp gaze fixed on the players in front of him.
"But what he's shown so far is only the tip of the iceberg!"
"So don't fixate on him alone!"
"The rest of Karasuno is where your openings are!"
"I want this match finished in three sets. Do not give them time to adjust!"
"Ushijima! You need to regain your form immediately!"
"Against Karasuno, you cannot afford a slow start!"
"Yes!"
"Alright, that's all."
"But remember!"
As if worried they weren't taking it seriously enough, Washijō emphasized once more.
"End this in three sets!!"
"Yes!"
"The old man sure seems to know a lot about that guy," Tendō muttered as they returned to the court. "Is he really that dangerous?"
"Ushijima, do you understand now?"
Ushijima didn't respond directly. Instead, he turned to Shirabu Kenjirō.
"Shirabu."
"Yes, Ushijima Senpai?"
"From now on, set to me more frequently."
His words stunned the entire team.
"Y-Yes!" Shirabu finally stammered after several seconds.
...
The timeout ended, and both teams returned to the court.
The battle resumed immediately.
This time, Karasuno served again.
The ball sailed over the net but was easily received by Shiratorizawa's defense.
" Ushijima Senpai!"
Shirabu's set was crisp and precise, carrying an air of complete confidence. He understood what was at stake—this wasn't just a point.
This was about momentum.
Whichever team won this mental battle would control the rest of the match.
And in moments like these, the responsibility always fell to the team's ace.
A weapon like Ushijima Wakatoshi was meant to destroy the opposition.
Seeing Ushiwaka's approach, Akira and his teammates anticipated a straight shot and jumped to block.
But at the last moment, Ushijima twisted his wrist and sent the ball diagonally instead!
Akira's eyes narrowed.
That had been part of his expectation.
If they could seal Ushiwaka's usual shot paths and reinforce the back row defense, eventually…
Akira would completely read his attack patterns.
And then, Ushiwaka wouldn't be able to escape his block.
Bang!
A thunderous impact echoed across the gym.
But it wasn't the sound of the ball hitting the floor.
Ushiwaka's spike had been received!
Though Nishinoya had to dive, and though the sheer force of the ball sent him skidding, he had still dug it out!
"Nice one!"
As the ball soared toward Kageyama, Akira had already started moving.
The instant the set went up, he accelerated!
Like a wild beast unleashed, his raw power built up with every step.
Finally, all of it transformed into one overwhelming jump.
At the peak of his leap, he met the ball perfectly.
Bang!
Boom
The three Shiratorizawa blockers might as well have been nonexistent.
Tweet!
The whistle blew.
Karasuno had scored again!
But the most shocking part?
That spike hadn't just gone through the block…
It had been spiked off their hands!!