"He made it?"
Heiji Yoshino swallowed hard, his eyes widening in disbelief.
"Is that even possible?"
"Ah... The problem lies with Shiratorizawa's second setter!" Mitsuda let out a wry smile.
"When Shiratorizawa first started using the setter-run tactic to defend against Akira's spikes, he must have noticed something."
"Even though this strategy does have some effect in disrupting his spikes, it puts a tremendous strain on the second setter's stamina."
Hearing this, Yoshino Heiji nodded in agreement.
Mitsuda continued, "The situation on the court now is that Akira is deliberately exploiting this flaw, continuously draining the second setter's stamina!"
"Just now, there were a few moments where he could have easily exploited the gaps in Shiratorizawa's defense and spiked straight to the ground to score!"
"But instead, he deliberately targeted Shiratorizawa's back-row defenders!"
"What?!" Yoshino gasped.
"You mean… Akira is controlling the way his spike rebounds off the receiver's arms?"
"The farther the ball flies, the farther the second setter has to run, leading to even greater exhaustion!"
Mitsuda gave a knowing nod. "Exactly!"
"It sounds crazy, but that's precisely what's happening."
"A few moments ago, the second setter kept having to sprint to the edge of his reach just to get a touch on the ball."
"The ball would always fly just far enough to make him believe he could reach it—but by the time he got there, it was still just a bit too far. Even if he managed to set it, the pass wouldn't be ideal."
Mitsuda rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"It's like dangling a carrot in front of a horse—just out of reach, pushing it to keep running harder."
"But no matter how much effort it puts in, the horse will never get to eat that carrot."
"That's exactly what's happening to Shiratorizawa's second setter."
"The ball is always close—just close enough to keep him from giving up, forcing him to keep chasing it. But in the process, his stamina is draining at an alarming rate!"
Heiji Yoshino scratched his head, still somewhat skeptical.
"But... controlling how the ball rebounds after hitting the receiver's arms sounds… impossible!"
"There are so many variables!"
"Even if Akira can precisely control the power and angle of his spikes, how could he possibly predict how the opponent will receive the ball?"
"That's just unrealistic, isn't it?!"
As the two discussed, the match on the court continued to intensify.
Mitsuda pointed toward Akira's spiking path and said, "At first, it seemed impossible. But look closely—this has been happening since the start of this set!"
"Watch this play! It's happening again!"
Akira launched a sharp diagonal spike, targeting Yamagata Hayato in the back row.
The ball ricocheted high to the left!
Seeing this, Shirabu Kenjirō immediately sprinted without hesitation!
Smack!
Just as the volleyball was about to hit the floor, he barely managed to get a hand under it, forcing an extreme set to keep the play alive.
However, due to his awkward positioning and exhaustion, his set wasn't accurate.
Boom!
Ōhira Shion's spike was shut down by Karasuno!
Shiratorizawa lost another point!
Kenjirō Shirabu, frustrated by his poor set, clenched his fists tightly before returning to his position.
Seeing this, Yoshino rubbed his face, feeling increasingly unsure about his earlier doubts.
On the sidelines, Mitsuda continued, "Throughout this match, Akira has been slowly getting familiar with each Shiratorizawa player's defensive habits—the way they receive, the strength they use, the angles they prefer."
"That's why his spikes have such a devastating effect!"
Hearing this, Heiji Yoshino could no longer deny the reality in front of him.
He stared at the figure on the court, muttering, "Adjusting the power of each spike to manipulate the ball's rebounding trajectory..."
"I've never seen anyone do that before."
Just as he spoke, Kunimura Naoto, who had been deep in thought, suddenly straightened up, his eyes wide with realization!
At that moment, it was as if a lightbulb had gone off in his mind!
"Different power?"
"It's not just about power..."
"It's not just the power that's different!!"
Kunimura Naoto suddenly shouted, his face lighting up with excitement.
His outburst startled the two beside him.
Yoshino frowned, clearly annoyed.
"Kunimura! What's wrong with you?!"
"Seriously, you've been acting weird this entire time..."
But Kunimura Naoto ignored him.
Instead, he grabbed Yoshino by the shoulders, looking at him with intense eyes.
"Haha! Thanks for the reminder!"
"I finally understand! I finally get it!!"
"It's not just the power—it's the way he's making contact with the ball!"
Heiji Yoshino, struggling against Kunimura's grip, groaned in frustration.
"What?!"
"What did you figure out this time?!"
"Let go of me!!"