The score had reached match point for Karasuno!
Despite this, Karasuno's players remained composed. Even if they lost this set, they still had two more chances to secure victory. But for Shiratorizawa, it was different.
This match was their last chance.
If they lost here…
The reigning champions of Miyagi Prefecture, the undefeated powerhouse—Shiratorizawa—would suffer a crushing 3-0 defeat in the finals!
That was simply unacceptable.
"Don't lose focus!"
"This year, we will be the ones going to Nationals!"
Ushijima Wakatoshi's voice rang out, steady and commanding.
"Yes!"
Despite being a man of few words, every time he spoke, his teammates listened.
*Bang!*
"Left!"
Sugawara setting was always precise and efficient, prioritizing scoring opportunities above all else.
While he wasn't at the same technical level as Shiratorizawa's setters, his experience and teamwork compensated for it.
"Nishinoya!"
*Swoosh!*
Tanaka Ryuunosuke's spike was blocked, but at the last moment, Nishinoya Yu performed a diving rolling thunder save, keeping the rally alive!
*Boom!*
Without missing a beat, Azumane Asahi leaped up from the side—
A quick attack!
Point secured!
The score was tied once again.
As the serve rotated, Akira returned to the front row, and with his presence, Shiratorizawa's situation grew even more dire.
It was as if he could read their habits, their patterns, their very playstyle, and then exploit them.
Sugawara seemed to recognize this as well, feeding him more sets as the match progressed.
From this moment on… Shiratorizawa's downfall became inevitable.
---
Watching from the sidelines, Washijou Tanji, Shiratorizawa's head coach, subtly shook his head.
He had already sensed it by the time the match had dragged into the third set.
Shiratorizawa had almost no chance of turning things around.
By the end of the second set, Akira had already started systematically dismantling their team's weaknesses. The most obvious proof of this was Ushijima's spikes.
Since then, Akira had repeatedly shut down Ushijima's attacks at the net.
And by the start of the third set, Akira had only intensified his efforts.
What was even more terrifying—his blocking success rate was rising with each attempt!
But even setting Akira's dominance aside, Shiratorizawa faced another major issue.
They were about to run out of setters.
Looking toward his bench, Washijou saw Shirabu Kenjirou, still drenched in sweat, struggling to recover from the earlier sets. On the court, Semi Eita was visibly slowing down.
At this rate…
Shiratorizawa would soon have no functioning setter left.
"No," Washijou thought, his expression hardening.
"At the very least, we must win this set."
With that resolve, he stood up and signaled for a timeout.
*Tweet!*
---
"Oh?"
"Does Coach Washijou have a counter-strategy?"
In the stands, Yoshino Heiji tilted his head in curiosity.
"Do you think he can turn things around for Shiratorizawa?"
Washijou Tanji was a well-respected coach, known throughout Miyagi for both his harsh training methods and his deep understanding of volleyball.
His name carried weight even among teams that had played at Nationals.
Mitsuda , seated beside Yoshino, let out a deep sigh.
"Unless they can find a way to completely shut down Akira," he muttered, "not even Washijou can save them now."
---
As Shiratorizawa returned to the court after the timeout, their strategy immediately became apparent.
"Wait, are they switching to a multi-setter system?!" Yoshino blurted out, eyes widening.
"Even the second setter is joining the attack?"
"It looks promising!"
But Mitsuda shook his head, his brow furrowing in concern.
"This doesn't seem like Washijou's usual approach…" he muttered. "It feels like a desperation move."
"Huh? Why?"
"If Shiratorizawa had tried this strategy back in the second set, the score might be 1-1 right now!"
"Not a chance," Mitsuda countered.
"This might work for a team like Aoba Johsai, but not for Shiratorizawa."
"Why not?"
Mitsuda gestured toward the court, where the cracks in Shiratorizawa's coordination were already beginning to show.
During a crucial play, both Goshiki Tsutomu and Yamagata Hayato moved to receive the ball at the same time. They hesitated for just a moment, unsure who should take it—
And in that instant, the ball hit the floor.
---
Errors like these kept piling up.
Shiratorizawa, a team that prided itself on individual strength, was struggling to adapt to this unfamiliar strategy.
"…This isn't working," Yoshino muttered, stunned by the unfolding disaster.
Mitsuda nodded grimly. "And worst of all—"
His eyes darted toward Akira.
"He's already figured it out."
"If it's him… he'll exploit this weakness immediately."