"But unlike Fukurodani, Mujinazaka High's main players are all quite tall by national standards. Except for one second-year wing spiker who's only 179 cm, all the other starters, excluding the libero, are over 180 cm tall."
"What's especially notable are their two middle blockers, Keisuke Unnan and Nozomu Mami. Both stand at 190 cm, making their blocking a massive threat for any team."
At this point, without Irihata Nobuteru having to say more, everyone at Aoba Johsai immediately sensed something was off.
This description of the team felt strangely familiar.
They instinctively looked toward Hajime Iwaizumi first: "A 179 cm wing spiker."
Iwaizumi: "Are you serious? Why are you all staring at me? I'm not even a second-year."
Seeing veins popping on Iwaizumi's forehead, the others quickly averted their eyes and turned them to Issei Matsukawa and Yutaro Kindaichi: "Two towering middle blockers."
And then, except for the libero and the 179 cm wing spiker, the rest all stood over 180 cm tall.
"Does Mujinazaka High's lineup sound familiar?" Irihata suddenly asked.
"Exactly!" Everyone nodded instinctively.
Unexpectedly, Irihata agreed with them, adding, "And it's not just that."
"Compared to their two super-tall blockers, Mujinazaka's real focus is their 'Ace.'"
"Fukurodani's ace, Kotaro Bokuto, ranks in the national top five. But Mujinazaka's ace, Wakatsu Kiryu, is a completely different beast, ranked among the top three in the entire country, much like Ushijima Wakatoshi from Shiratorizawa."
"In other words, in the next match, we won't just face a block as strong as our own, we'll also be up against a super spiker as powerful as Ushijima Wakatoshi."
After Irihata's words, one would expect cries of despair, but none of the players at the tactics board were surprised.
Not because their spirits were strong, but because they were somewhat numb.
In other words,
They had already given up.
Good grief.
What kind of brutal matchup chart is this?
It was almost a joke.
Facing a national top-five ace in the second round, barely catching their breath, and now they had to prepare for a national top-three ace in the next?
What's next?
If Aoba Johsai wins this one, will they get the last national top-three ace in the fourth round, so they can fight all the top aces one by one?
And looking at Mujinazaka's lineup, what kind of nightmare is this?
From spikers to blockers, Aoba Johsai was almost completely outclassed.
Mujinazaka looked like a souped-up version of Aoba Johsai.
Even Akashi Asuka was stunned when he saw Mujinazaka's detailed profile.
Mujinazaka didn't appear often in the original story, so Akashi only had a vague impression and had mostly forgotten specifics after all this time.
Now reflecting on it, Akashi suddenly realized Mujinazaka felt like a combination of Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa.
"All right, don't lose heart–" Iwaizumi said, snapping everyone back to reality. "Remember, after beating Fukurodani, we're already one of the top 16 teams nationwide. There's no such thing as an easy opponent at this stage."
"No matter who we face, it's going to be a tough battle."
Iwaizumi's words jolted everyone, not because they felt comforted, but because a key phrase hit home:
Right! We're already in the top 16 nationwide.
We're this far in, there's no point in complaining now.
Seeing the team's morale return, Irihata resumed his tactical briefing.
If Aoba Johsai tries to go head-to-head with Mujinazaka, they'd likely lose, setting aside blocking, even Irihata didn't think Akashi alone could match up to a national top-three ace.
So, according to Irihata's plan, Aoba Johsai's main strategy against Mujinazaka would revolve around Oikawa Tooru.
That was the only advantage Aoba Johsai still had over Mujinazaka.
Even nationwide, there aren't many setters like Oikawa.
Also, a small relief: though Mujinazaka's players were all tall, their blocking still relied mainly on their two middles. They didn't have the all-blocking lineup like Aoba Johsai.
Because not every setter is as versatile as Oikawa.
And not every wing spiker can defend as well as Akashi.
Players like Ushijima and Bokuto, though they knew some blocking techniques, mainly focused on offense.
Their blocking was mostly just raw height and jumping power, setting up a tall but rough and unsophisticated block.
After the tactics session ended, everyone dispersed.
────────── ✦ ──────────
The next day.
The match between Aoba Johsai and Mujinazaka High officially began.
As usual, the announcer introduced the starting lineups from the stage.
After all the players stepped onto the court, the warm-up began.
During warm-up, Akashi carefully observed Mujinazaka's players.
His first impression was this professionalism.
Keep in mind,
No matter how strong or skilled players on teams like Aoba Johsai, Shiratorizawa, or Fukurodani were, including Akashi himself, they were still high school students.
And as high schoolers, they all carried a bit of youthfulness, a hint of immaturity.
To put it bluntly, no matter the team, there would always be a few oddballs or misfits who didn't quite fit the overall vibe.
But looking at Mujinazaka's players, Akashi found no such exceptions.
Each player had a strong, well-built physique.
From their expressions, there was almost no personal flair, it was as if each had completely merged into the team as a whole.
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