Haikyuu: Rise of Sengoku
Chapter 84: The Second Half of the Third Set
Bang!
A brutal force knocked Kindaichi's arm away, sending the volleyball flying out of bounds.
Nushijima Wakatoshi landed from the air as Kitagawa scored another point.
12–15.
...
Bang!
Asuki Akashi timed it perfectly to exploit the slight gap between two blockers, slamming the ball down hard.
Though Kitagawa's setter barely managed to dig the spike, the ball's tremendous power sent it soaring off the second-floor balcony, flying well out of bounds.
Point to Seijoh.
13–15.
...
Bang!
The ball left Wakatoshi's hand, tracing a massive diagonal arc that evaded Asuki's block at the net and Watari Shinji's defense in the back row, landing cleanly in bounds.
13–16.
...
Bang!
Asuki swung fiercely, relying on his refined instincts. Tendou Satori jumped up ahead to block, but the sheer force of Asuki's spike pushed Tendou's arms aside and the ball slammed down onto Kitagawa's court.
14–16.
...
The match had entered the final half of the third set and had effectively turned into a showdown between Asuki Akashi and Nushijima Wakatoshi.
Both teams' players were drenched in sweat, pushed to their physical limits. Although both sides had deep benches full of substitutes, neither team made a single change.
First, this was still a practice match, not the time to reveal all their strategies.
Second, facing the full-on offensive firepower of Wakatoshi and Asuki, substitutions likely wouldn't make much difference.
When the score hit 14–16, the serve rotated back to Asuki.
Standing behind the baseline in position one, Asuki slowly exhaled, his aura shifting dramatically. The explosive volcano of energy that had been building suddenly sank into a deep, silent abyss.
Noticing this, a few front-row players instinctively covered the back of their heads and stepped away from the net, opening gaps in the block.
The next moment, Asuki tossed the ball high into the air, then sprinted forward, jumped, swung, and struck...
"Hmm? That felt pretty good."
Boom!
A thunderous crack echoed.
The ball shot forward with blinding speed. Before Kitagawa's backcourt players could react, it slammed into their floor.
Kitagawa's players froze, their expressions tightening.
"So fast!"
"Can his serve really get even stronger?"
That serve was far more powerful than any before it, instantly cutting the point difference to just one.
Seijoh's players blinked in surprise, then burst into loud cheers around Asuki.
"One more!"
"One more!"
...
The entire Seijoh team shouted in unison.
Asuki returned to the baseline at position one and unleashed a second serve with fierce determination.
Boom!
The ball screamed across the net, swiftly arriving over Kitagawa's court.
"Damn it, don't think you can score that easily every time!"
Smack!
At a critical moment, Kitagawa's libero, Yamagata Hayato, leapt out and managed to receive the serve. However, he misjudged the angle, and the ball didn't go to the setter but fell near Goshiki Tsutomu.
"Push it up, Goshiki!"
Yamagata shouted. Goshiki reacted instantly, jumping to bump the ball back into Seijoh's court.
But at that exact moment...
A shadow suddenly appeared in front of Goshiki. Just as his hands touched the ball, another pair of hands appeared from the opposite side, pushing the ball back into the air with equal force.
The contest for the ball lasted only an instant before Goshiki felt the opposing force suddenly increase, and the ball dropped right at his feet.
"We're not just a bunch of first-year players, kid. You've got a long way to go!"
That teasing tone could only come from one person on Seijoh's side.
Tetsuro Oikawa stood opposite the net, smiling with a grin that made you want to punch him.
16–16.
At a critical moment, Oikawa's point tied the game.
"Yeahhhh!"
"Nice one, bastard Oikawa!"
Seijoh's players erupted with excitement, for the first time, with both teams at full strength, Seijoh finally saw a glimmer of hope for victory.
...
"Sorry, it's my fault..."
"If you want to apologize, save it until after the match!"
On Kitagawa's court, Goshiki tried to apologize to the senior players for losing the point, but was immediately cut off.
"And we haven't lost yet! If one rookie mistake was enough to make Kitagawa lose, what use would we seniors be?"
"Hahaha... that's right."
"Hey Wakatoshi, say something."
The team turned to Nushijima Wakatoshi, who blinked and nodded calmly: "Yeah, we won't lose."
The Kitagawa players fell silent.
...
"One more, Asuki!"
Boom!
Asuki jumped high like a soaring roc, slamming his third serve with power and precision.
His serving was unexpectedly sharp, three serves in a row with perfect touch, the ball screaming over the net and crashing down.
But this time...
Before the ball could land, a pair of hands reached up steadily to receive it.
Seeing who made the save, both Kitagawa and Seijoh players changed expression.
It was none other than Nushijima Wakatoshi, the one who never participated in serve reception.
Smack!
The ball flew high into the air.
Kenjirou Shirabu, momentarily stunned, quickly recovered and organized a fast counterattack, winning a point for Kitagawa.
16–17.
...
Iwaizumi Hajime's expression darkened as he looked at Wakatoshi, shock and disbelief mixing in his gaze.
"This bastard... he can receive serves?"
During their previous matches against Seijoh, Wakatoshi never joined in serve reception.
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