"I've received that Number 1's serve back in middle school," Nishinoya Yū suddenly said to his teammates.

"You mean that guy from Kitagawa Daiichi with the crazy powerful serves?" Tanaka Ryūnosuke, who had also heard of this player back in middle school, responded with interest.

"Yeah, that's him."

"Damn it, his serves were already that strong back then?" Tanaka said, clearly frustrated.

"If they didn't go out of bounds, they were incredibly hard to deal with," Nishinoya recalled the scene carefully. "At that time, though, his serve accuracy was off, and he didn't have the control he has now."

"Really?"

"Yeah. That's why I think he must have worked really hard on his serving since then!" Nishinoya's face lit up with respect for Oikawa Tōru.

"If you let your guard down even for a second, you'll lose a point," Nishinoya said with determination, his eyes shining. "But don't worry—just focus on the front. Leave the back to me."

"I'll protect it!"@@novelbin@@

"So….cool!!!" Hinata Shōyō and Tanaka Ryūnosuke exclaimed in unison, looking at Nishinoya's dependable figure as if he were glowing with a brilliant aura.

What an outstanding libero….The team's tension immediately lifted, and Coach Ukai found that he didn't even need to say anything more.

"Keep up the momentum and close the score gap!"

"Yes!!"

The timeout ended, and the match resumed.

Despite seeing Karasuno's renewed morale, Oikawa Tōru remained completely unfazed as he stood on the service line, patting the volleyball a few times.

"OHHHHHHH—HEY!"

Amid the electrifying cheers, the ball shot toward Karasuno like a cannonball.

The power has increased again!

However, the ball's trajectory was direct, heading straight for Nishinoya, whose face was set with concentration.

In the instant Nishinoya's arms connected with the ball, his wrists softened slightly to absorb the impact, and then his muscles tensed as he popped the ball up with precision.

"Beautiful receive, Nishinoya!"

Though the ball's direction wasn't perfectly accurate, it was good enough.

Kageyama Tobio quickly shifted into position and sent a perfect set.

Smash!

Hinata Shōyō spiked the ball for a point.

[Aoba Johsai 6 – 2 Karasuno]

"Ugh, just a second too late," Kaedehara Taichi muttered under his breath, exhausted from chasing Hinata Shōyō all over the court. This kid never stops moving…

"They still pulled off that quick attack?" Spectators marveled at Kageyama Tobio's incredible set.

Only Hinata Shōyō had unwavering trust from the beginning—trust that Nishinoya Yū would receive Oikawa Tōru's serve and that, no matter the situation, Kageyama Tobio's set would always appear right in front of him.

Karasuno's serve.

Tanaka Ryūnosuke's serve posed no threat, and Iwaizumi Hajime received it effortlessly.

Here it comes again!

Taichi leapt on the right side for another quick attack.

Smack!

"Touch!" Hinata Shōyō shouted. The moment you're aware of the attack, you can keep up with Kaedehara Taichi's movements.

Nishinoya received the ball, and Hinata was already sprinting to the left side—using the full width of the court.

Taichi chased after him relentlessly.

The ball now went to the right side. Asahi Azumane leapt high and spiked the ball with force.

"Double block!" Kunimi Akira and Hanamaki Takahiro jumped to intercept.

Thud!

The ball ricocheted off the block and soared into the air.

"I've got it!" Iwaizumi positioned himself under the ball.

Oikawa Tōru discreetly gestured toward Kaedehara Taichi, who began shifting back to the centre of the court with Hinata Shōyō once again following close behind.

Whirr!

The ball Iwaizumi Hajime saved flew back into play. Taichi stopped near the net, knees slightly bent. Hinata Shōyō jumped up to block, only to notice that Taichi was still holding his jump and watching him carefully.

As Hinata began his descent, Oikawa Tōru's set finally arrived overhead.

Kaedehara Taichi sprang up and spiked it down.

Aoba Johsai scores.

[Aoba Johsai 7 – 2 Karasuno]

If it had been any other setter, this play might not have fooled Karasuno's defence so easily. But because the setter was Oikawa Tōru, there was always the possibility of a quick attack from that position.

Aoba Johsai had used Karasuno's quick attack from the previous rally as bait, creating the illusion that they would respond in kind. They cleverly deceived Hinata Shōyō, exploiting the timing gap to score.

Taichi said nothing as he walked to the service line, his smile dazzling.

Aoba Johsai serve.

Seeing Kaedehara Taichi rotate to the back row, Karasuno's players let out a small sigh of relief.

For so long, it was always their unpredictable quick attacks that forced opponents to stay on edge. Now, they were the ones feeling the pressure.

"At least Taichi's serve shouldn't be that strong…"

Huh?!

Kaedehara Taichi measured his steps carefully, pressing the ball firmly with both hands, his expression intensely focused.

"Wait, isn't this…?"

Karasuno's nerves tightened again. That was the exact same preparatory motion Oikawa Tōru used!

"No way…"

Kageyama Tobio scowled. Back in middle school, he had asked Oikawa for advice on serving and was flatly rejected. And yet, it looked like Oikawa had taught Kaedehara Taichi.

Taichi wasn't thinking about Karasuno's reactions. He just wanted to serve well—a float serve.

Thud!

The moment Kaedehara's serve was launched, Karasuno quickly recognized it as a float serve. But….something was odd. The ball didn't seem to have much movement.

Nishinoya Yū stepped up cautiously to receive it, only to realize—

"It's just an ordinary serve!"

The sheer surprise caused Karasuno to miss their ideal opportunity for a quick attack. Kageyama adjusted and sent the ball to the middle. Sawamura Daichi spiked it down.

Iwaizumi received the ball, and before Oikawa even touched it, he could feel the intense stare from his left side.

Set me, set me, set me…!

Oikawa chuckled softly. "You've been holding back for a while, haven't you, Mad Dog-chan?"

The volleyball soared high to the left, and under Karasuno's astonished gazes, Kyōtani Kentarō began his run-up right next to the net.

We have to block this—no matter what!

"Triple block!" Hinata Shōyō, Sawamura Daichi, and Azumane Asahi formed a wall to close off Kyōtani's options.

But Kyōtani's right arm lashed out like a whip, slicing through the air at an awkward angle. The ball grazed the net and shot diagonally into Karasuno's court.

Thud!

The ball struck the ground with a force that sent it bouncing high into the air. It wasn't just the angle—Kyōtani's spike carried overwhelming power.

Kyōtani Kentarō scores.

[Aoba Johsai 8 – 2 Karasuno]

"Nice one, Mad Dog-chan!"

"Great spike!"

"That was awesome, Kyōtani-senpai!"

Karasuno's players felt the weight of the pressure intensify.

They had assumed that with Kaedehara Taichi rotating to the back row, they could relax a little and catch their breath.

But instead, this unfamiliar face in Aoba Johsai's lineup had shattered that brief moment of peace with a single powerful spike, waking Karasuno up abruptly and forcing them back into reality.

In the past two months, Karasuno had shown immense growth—a fact proven by their victory over Date Tech the previous day.

But now, they could feel it clearly.

There existed an undeniable gap in strength between the two teams.

_________

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