"Aoba Johsai struggled under Mujinazaka's relentless assault, ultimately losing the first set."

"Hah, so this is the so-called dark horse? Aoba Johsai dropped the first set to Mujinazaka," a spectator sneered from the stands.

"Not necessarily," another spectator chimed in. "Aoba Johsai played better in the latter half. They managed to stop the gap from widening further. Sure, they lost, but it wasn't disgraceful. This match is far from over."

"Tch, no matter how hard they fight, it doesn't change the fact that they lost the first set!" The disdain in his voice suggested his bias was deeply ingrained.

-----

"Damn it, Mujinazaka's blocking is a tough nut to crack!" Iwaizumi Hajime grumbled.

"They're quick to react and towering in height."

"You've already done really well, Iwa-chan!" Oikawa Tōru reassured him with a grin.

"Did I ask for your opinion?" Iwaizumi retorted, elbowing Oikawa before turning to Kaedehara Taichi. "But seriously, putting all the offensive pressure on Taichi isn't sustainable. You better come up with something, Oikawa."

"Got it, got it…" Oikawa ducked away from Iwaizumi's chase, dodging him skillfully.

"Well, if that guy—who's on par with Ushiwaka—is so hard to deal with, let's target their setter instead~," Oikawa proposed with a sly smirk.

Iwaizumi shot him a wary look.

Oikawa might not have definitively earned the title of the best high school setter, but if it came to being the craftiest setter, Iwaizumi thought he deserved the crown hands down.

"Mujinazaka's focus on me in the first set didn't feel like a spur-of-the-moment strategy," Oikawa mused, a thoughtful expression on his face. "That setter of theirs seems sunny on the outside but is probably a total schemer at heart."

"Are you talking about him or yourself, Oikawa-senpai?" Taichi had approached quietly, his comment dripping with dry humour.

"Tch." Oikawa flicked his head in mock indignation, his eyes narrowing with resolve. "Fine then, let's mess with him. Let's see if he's as tough as I am…"

Meanwhile, on the Aoba Johsai bench, Matsukawa Issei approached Kyōtani Kentarō.

"What?" Kyōtani snapped impatiently, glaring at Matsukawa. He was still bitter about being subbed out earlier.

"Kyōtani! Show some respect to your senpai!" Yahaba Shigeru reprimanded, ready to intervene.

Matsukawa waved Yahaba off with a calm gesture. "No need to be so serious." Turning back to Kyōtani, he said, "You must've noticed from the sidelines earlier—we managed to block Kiryū Wakatsu's spike. He's not invincible. Just like we defeated Shiratorizawa, teamwork wins matches. Six players together are what makes a team strong."

But Watari Shinji cast him a dejected look from the side.

"Uh, okay, not just six. I mean the entire team," Matsukawa quickly corrected himself. "I heard Iwaizumi say that once."

He even dragged Iwaizumi into the mess.

"We need your firepower, Kyōtani," Matsukawa said earnestly.

"Fine." Kyōtani sighed. He understood that the resolve of the third-years surpassed his own. "As long as I'm on the court, I'll give it my all."

With a switch of sides, the second set began.

Aoba Johsai's lineup:

Front row—Middle Blocker Kindaichi Yūtarō, Opposite Hitter Kyōtani Kentarō, Setter Oikawa Tōru

Back row—Wing Spiker Hanamaki Takahiro, Wing Spiker Iwaizumi Hajime and Middle Blocker Kaedehara Taichi (Libero: Watari Shinji).

Mujinazaka's lineup remained unchanged:

Front row—Wing Spiker Hondo Subaru, Middle Blocker Unnan Keisuke, Wing Spiker Naoharu Ezota

Back row—Wing Spiker Kiryū Wakatsu, Middle Blocker Nozomu Mami (Libero: Bishin Haruma), Setter Usuri Michiru

Coach Irihata made adjustments on Aoba Johsai's side, moving Kindaichi to position 4 to better counter Kiryū. Kyōtani remained in the starting lineup to boost their offence.

"It seems Aoba Johsai realized that simply containing Kiryū isn't enough. They're focusing on strengthening their overall attack."

"Exactly. After all, Kiryū won't let himself be restrained for long. On the other hand, when Aoba Johsai relies solely on Kaedehara Taichi, their firepower is a bit lacking."

Aoba Johsai's serve.

Taichi launched a jump float serve.

Mujinazaka's libero, Bishin Haruma, faltered on the receive, sending an imperfect pass. Kiryū dived in to save it, bumping the ball to the front row for Unnan Keisuke to execute a powerful spike.

From the right wing, Unnan's blistering cross-court hit screamed toward Aoba Johsai's court.

However, Hanamaki Takahiro having anticipated the shot, managed to dig the ball.

Oikawa scrambled outside the court to set it from a difficult position, delivering it to Kindaichi.

"Double block!"

Unable to find an angle for a spike, Kindaichi Yūtarō gently tipped the ball over the net. Usuri Michiru saved it with a one-handed dig.

Ezota Naoharu, filling in as the setter, set the ball to the left wing. Hondo Subaru launched a powerful attack.

"Double block!"

"One Touch!" Kyōtani Kentarō shouted loudly.

The ball flew toward the sideline. Hanamaki Takahiro sprinted to save it, managing to keep it in play. Oikawa Tōru leapt up, setting the ball to the right wing.

This play would reignite their momentum

—

"Mad Dog-chan!"

Kyōtani Kentarō charged in from the side, his body angled toward the net as he jumped.@@novelbin@@

"Triple block!" Mujinazaka's blockers were determined to shut down Aoba Johsai's attack once more.

Bang!

The ball slipped past Ezota Naoharu's side and slammed into Mujinazaka's sideline.

Kyōtani Kentarō scored!

[Aoba Johsai 1 - 0 Mujinazaka]

"It…it was a straight shot!"

"Mujinazaka's blockers had grown too accustomed to Kyōtani's cross-court spikes, so they naturally shifted to block that angle. Who would have thought Kyōtani Kentarō would deliver such a beautiful straight shot at this critical moment!" Commentator Ōtomo exclaimed excitedly.

"It wasn't just their previous assumptions. Kyōtani's approach angle was deliberately deceptive, further confusing the blockers. This ferocious spike has set the tone for the second set!"

Aoba Johsai continued their serve.

Taichi abandoned his jump float serve for a more aggressive tactic, targeting Mujinazaka's setter, Usuri Michiru, directly.

Taichi's precision was exceptional, forcing Usuri into a difficult first pass. Hondo Subaru opted to set a quick attack to Unnan Keisuke near the net.

"One Touch!" Kindaichi, confident in his height, met the attack head-on.

Oikawa Tōru's set was perfectly in position, sending the ball to the right wing where Kyōtani awaited.

"Triple block!" Hondo Subaru, Unnan Keisuke, and Ezota Naoharu all jumped to form a wall.

However, their instinctive focus on defending against another straight shot opened a gap. Kyōtani capitalized, aiming a sharp diagonal spike toward the interior corner.

Smack!

Usuri Michiru sprinted forward, diving to save the ball.

The ball ricocheted back into Aoba Johsai's court, floating above their side.

Boom!

Kindaichi, leveraging his height advantage, slammed the ball back. It struck Usuri, who had just risen to his feet and deflected out of bounds.

Kindaichi Yūtarō scored!

[Aoba Johsai 2 - 0 Mujinazaka]

"Incredible! Aoba Johsai has taken two consecutive points with aggressive plays!"

"Kyōtani's sharp diagonal spike forced Usuri into a desperate save, leaving Mujinazaka vulnerable for Kindaichi's follow-up!"

"They've taken two points. But didn't they also lead at the start of the first set? Didn't they lose in the end anyway?" a sceptical spectator muttered from the stands, continuing to doubt Aoba Johsai.

Aoba Johsai maintained their serve.

Kaedehara Taichi's sharp eyes locked onto Usuri Michiru at Mujinazaka's backline. "He must be feeling the pressure," Taichi remarked with a smirk. "A setter unable to deliver proper sets? That's got to hurt."

He chuckled softly. "Let me push you a bit further."

Bang!

Kaedehara unleashed another jump float serve, targeting Usuri again.

Too high! Taichi realized his mistake the moment he struck the ball. His composure had wavered.

The ball sailed over the net and dropped rapidly. Mujinazaka's experienced libero, Bishin Haruma, had already predicted its trajectory.

"Out!" Mujinazaka's players relaxed, certain the ball would land beyond the boundary.

But then—

Usuri Michiru, tense and jittery, reached up and touched the ball awkwardly.

Tap, tap, tap...

The ball deflected off Usuri's hands and spun out of bounds, the sound of it hitting the ground particularly grating.

"A mistake?"

"Usuri's receiving error gives Aoba Johsai another point!"

[Aoba Johsai 3 - 0 Mujinazaka]

Oikawa turned to glance at Taichi, who was still standing at the service line. A sly grin crept across his face.

"Well, well. Looks like we're thinking along the same lines…"

Then, Oikawa shifted his gaze to Mujinazaka's setter. A hint of pity flickered in his eyes.

"Really? You're breaking down already? And I haven't even started playing seriously…"