1:2.

Thanks to Iwaizumi Hajime's powerful line shot right on the sideline, Aoba Johsai finally broke the early disadvantage in the second set.

"Oh? He actually pulled off a shot like that?"

Tendo Satori looked surprised. As a long-time rival of Aoba Johsai, he knew Iwaizumi fairly well. In his memory, Iwaizumi was strong, but landing such a high-difficulty spike was usually beyond his capabilities.

So was it just luck?

"Looks like they're not going to let us take this set so easily, huh?"

"Don't worry about it, Ohira-senpai." Shirabu Kenjirō spoke up calmly. "Our strategy is sound. As long as we lock down their No. 6, Aoba Johsai's setter won't have much room to run his offense."

Both teams were already very familiar with each other's strengths and styles. Aoba Johsai, in particular, was known for their seamless offensive coordination, every attacker played to their full potential.

But from another angle, that same strength had been a limitation for Oikawa Tooru.

Until Akashi Asuka joined.

His addition transformed Oikawa's offense into something far more diverse, like a demure young bride suddenly turning into a confident, alluring woman on her wedding night.

In the first set, Kitagawa had been caught off guard by this sudden change and failed to adapt in time, which cost them the set.

In the second set, they identified the key threat and clamped down on Akashi Asuka. As long as he couldn't fully perform, then even if Tendō couldn't block everyone, stopping half, or even a third, of Aoba Johsai's attackers would be enough to secure the win.

After all, Kitagawa's greatest strength had never been their defense, it was their overwhelming offense.

Boom!

An explosive spike blasted through the blockers and slammed into the court.

1:3.

"Tch!"

Oikawa clicked his tongue in frustration. His serve had just misfired, though it made it over the net, it lacked speed and handed Kitagawa an easy opportunity to counterattack.

Next play.

Kitagawa served. Aoba Johsai gained control and launched an attack.

Oikawa set the ball once again to Kindaichiichi. Tendō, relying on his exceptional instincts, set up the block early. But Kindaichiichi and Oikawa executed a perfectly timed delayed spike, catching Tendō off-guard and scoring the point.

2:3.

Now Aoba Johsai was on serve.

Kitagawa received cleanly, and Shirabu quickly funneled the ball to Ushijima Wakatoshi.

Akashi, Kindaichiichi, and Iwaizumi had just rotated to the front row and set up a triple block, but Ushijima smashed a tight-angle spike that landed cleanly inside the three-meter line.

2:4.

"Damn it! Ushiwaka's attacks are just ridiculous!"

Even though they'd long become used to Ushijima's overwhelming power, Iwaizumi still felt his composure waver every time he was on the receiving end of those monstrous spikes.

Kitagawa regained the serve.

This time, it was Ushijima's turn to serve again.

Boom!

The ball rocketed off his hand, shrieking through the air toward Aoba Johsai's court. Oikawa, closest to the landing point, dove to save it, but misjudged the spin and sent the ball flying out of bounds.

2:5.

Boom!

Ushijima's second serve followed immediately. Whether it was luck or sheer skill, this one smacked the outer edge of the court, landing right on the line.

2:6.

Boom!

His third serve launched but struck the net, Aoba Johsai finally caught a break.

Still, the score had been stretched to a 3-point difference: 3:6.

Ushijima's three consecutive serves nearly suffocated the Aoba Johsai players. For the third-year players like Oikawa, this pressure had almost become a recurring nightmare.

It was always like this.

No matter how ingenious their strategy or how perfect their coordination, Ushijima would bulldoze through it all with brute force, single-handedly dismantling everything they had built.

A shadow fell across Oikawa and his teammates' faces.

Just then, Aoba Johsai rotated positions, Akashi now moved to the position 1 serving spot.

Boom!

A sharp crack rang out.

Akashi served his first ball of the set, a monstrous, high-powered serve even more forceful than Ushijima's, slicing through the air like a hurricane straight toward Kitagawa's court.

Then,

Smack!

It was received cleanly.

Kitagawa immediately launched a counterattack. Shirabu and Goshiki executed a rapid attack combo, scoring a point before Aoba Johsai could react.

3:7.

The gap widened further.

But now, none of the Aoba Johsai players were thinking about the score. Instead, their eyes all turned to Akashi, wide with disbelief and shock.

Tweet!

Coach Nobuteru Irubata quickly called a timeout.

Back on the bench, the players wore gloomy expressions. Their earlier energy had vanished.

Maybe Akashi's serve being returned was just a fluke. After all, with his current power, no team in the country could guarantee a perfect reception every time.

But in this moment, whether it was a fluke or not no longer mattered.

What mattered was the harsh reality: both of Aoba Johsai's best servers, Oikawa and Akashi, had just had their serves returned, and Kitagawa had turned both into points.

It was a heavy blow to the team's morale.

"Serving is one of the most unstable offensive tactics in volleyball. Even professional players make service errors all the time." Coach Irubata said, sweeping his gaze across the team. "So don't get discouraged over one or two failed serves. And definitely don't think the match is over."

His eyes finally rested on Akashi, his tone softening. "Akashi, getting scored on after a serve is nothing unusual. Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Even Oikawa, a third-year senior, just got scored on the same way. Just focus on your usual performance moving forward."

Oikawa: "…"

(Coach, you're trying to boost morale, why drag me into it?!)

Coach Irubata was particularly concerned about Akashi's mental state. After all, no matter how much of a "monster" or genius he was, at the end of the day, he was still just a first-year high school student.

If this shook his confidence, then the rest of the match would be lost.

But after Irubata finished speaking, Akashi looked up, scratched his head, and said casually, "Huh? Coach, what are you talking about? Losing points is normal in a game! It's not like I've never lost before, what's there to be stressed about?"

==========

You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria

There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 245+ advanced chapters available across them!

From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 215

Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 127

Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 58

Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 58

I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 44