Seeing Kenjiro Shirabu's pass, Wakatoshi Ushijima's eyes immediately sharpened.
The intensity of his focus condensed in an instant!
"Block the cross shot!" Akira whispered to the two teammates beside him.
But this time, Ushijima made a different choice!
He aimed for a straight-line dunk, intending to overpower the block with sheer force!
"Wow! What a player who refuses to back down!" Naoto Kunimura in the audience exclaimed with excitement.
"Wait, something's off!" Mitsuda suddenly interjected.
Smack!
Although Ushijima went for a forceful, straight-line spike, he specifically targeted Tsukishima's position in the block!
A ruthless move!
"It touched his fingertips!"
Even though Akira's timing for the block was perfect, Tsukishima hadn't fully braced for the impact of the spike. Combined with Ushijima's overwhelming power, the block couldn't fully contain it.
But…
Akira turned slightly, watching the ball ricochet upward.
That was enough!
Tanaka, positioned in the back row, reacted in time and managed to receive the ball cleanly.
Immediately, Shiratorizawa's three front-row players tensed.
They knew.
This was it.
Kageyama was undoubtedly going to set up Akira for a counterattack, aiming to regain momentum for Karasuno!
"Come on!"
"Let's see it!"
Tendō Satori, on the other side of the net, whispered, eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Now, I'm really in the zone!"
—
"How will he deal with Shiratorizawa's middle blocker?" Kunimura Naoto pondered from the stands.
"That guy's blocks have been unreal throughout the match!"
"This could become a mental hurdle for Karasuno's attackers," he added, his voice laced with concern.
Yoshino Heiji, standing beside him, frowned slightly. "If Akira's spike gets shut down again, it'll be a devastating blow to Karasuno's morale."
But time for speculation had run out. The ball was already in play, and Akira had made his approach!
Boom!
As he leaped high, Kageyama's set was placed perfectly for him!
Whoosh!
All three of Shiratorizawa's blockers jumped simultaneously!
They were aiming to shut down Akira's straight-line shot!
From what they had analyzed in previous plays, Akira typically aimed for diagonal attacks. While he had the ability to break through Shiratorizawa's blockers head-on, doing so would cost extra stamina.
Diagonal attacks were the more energy-efficient choice, as he could either go for a sharp angle or a wider cross-court shot.
But at this moment, Tendō Satori, positioned at the edge of the block, grinned wildly!
Perhaps due to his previous successful blocks against Karasuno, he made a daring move.
Tendō Satori fully extended his arms, deliberately sealing off Akira's diagonal shot path!
"I got you!!"
For a brief moment, Akira looked surprised by the sudden shift.
Then, the corner of his mouth curled into an amused smirk.
"Who gave you that confidence?"
Bang!
The sheer force of Akira's spike sent Tendō Satori reeling backward!
The volleyball rocketed off his fingertips, bypassing, and landed with a thunderous thud, bouncing into the audience seats!
The unstoppable power behind the spike left everyone in stunned silence!
Tendō Satori clutched his left hand, a bead of cold sweat forming on his forehead.
"Satori-senpai! Are you okay?!" Goshiki Tsutomu called out, stepping forward in concern.
The rest of Shiratorizawa's team quickly gathered around.
"I'm fine…" Tendō gritted his teeth. "Just… sprained my fingers a little."
Tweet!
Watching from the sidelines, Coach Tanji Washijo immediately signaled for a timeout.
"How is it?" he asked, expression unreadable.
"Do you need to be subbed out?"
"No way!" Tendō stubbornly shook his head. "Just wrap it with tape. I'm not sitting this out!"
Washijo let out a low scoff before muttering, "You should use your brain a little more out there. And gauge your own strength before making reckless decisions."
"Yes, sir!"
—
"I can't believe it…" Kunimura Naoto's excitement was palpable from the stands.
"That so-called 'unbreakable' block was completely overpowered!"
"Now that— THAT'S how a real man plays volleyball!"
He clenched his fists and punched the air triumphantly.
"That's exactly how I'll play from now on! If I ever face a blocker, I'll CRUSH them! No matter who it is, I'll—"
Before he could finish his dramatic declaration, Mitsuda and Yoshino Heiji grabbed him, covering his mouth.
"Mmmph!! Mitsuda… what are you doing?!"
"Baka! We're in public!" Yoshino hissed under his breath.
"Everyone's looking at us now, you idiot! Settle down!"
Mitsuda, nervously sweating, stood up and gave a series of awkward bows to the surrounding audience members. "Sorry! Really sorry about that!"
—
After the timeout, Shiratorizawa returned to the court, their focus unshaken.
Their mental resilience had been honed through countless matches.
This was the true strength of an elite team!
No matter what setbacks they faced, they refused to falter!
"Watch the cross-court shot!"
Boom!
No matter if Shiratorizawa adjusted to block straight or diagonal shots…
Their back-row defenders struggled to keep up with Akira's raw power!
As the match progressed, he began to utilize techniques reminiscent of his battles against Aoba Johsai.
A topspin spike!
By applying spin to the ball on impact, Akira made it even more difficult for Shiratorizawa's defenders to control their passes.
This technique, combined with his sheer power, resulted in devastatingly unpredictable shots!
Several rallies later, the Shiratorizawa back row was in complete disarray.
Goshiki Tsutomu and the others scrambled to adjust, their receptions faltering.
At this moment, they felt like they were reliving their early days of volleyball training.
Fumbling passes. Desperate lunges. Constantly chasing the ball.
"What… what's going on?"
The audience murmured in confusion.
"Why is Shiratorizawa's reception so shaky all of a sudden?"
"Are their first-years just struggling with basic skills?"
"No way! If it was just a technical issue, their libero would've been able to adjust!"
As the game intensified, the spectators broke into heated discussions, each offering their own theories.
But deep down, even the Shiratorizawa players knew the real reason.
It wasn't a lack of skill.
It was Akira's unstoppable attack power!
------
I'll upload remaining chapters later