Aoba Johsai was not Karasuno.
Karasuno's volleyball philosophy was rooted in constant adaptation, like crows scavenging in the junkyard, they sought anything that could help them evolve.
That was why Karasuno's players always seemed to acquire new "skill books" with every match against different teams.
Aoba Johsai, however, was different.
It was like a towering tree, its trunk built from the hard work of generations of players. That trunk, the foundation of Aoba Johsai's volleyball legacy, was immovable.
Neither Akashi Asuka nor Oikawa Tooru could alter that trunk. But as branches of that great tree, they could absorb nourishment and grow in their own unique ways.
In the blink of an eye,
The score reached 15:18. Itachiyama still led by three points.
Yet that three-point lead brought them no sense of security. Because right now, Aoba Johsai felt... strange.
Boom!
After the player rotation, Sakusa Kiyoomi had moved to the back row. With limited options, Itachiyama's setter, Imanaka Tsunetaka, could only send the ball to another outside hitter, Takada Kaoru.
But just as Takada leapt into the air, Issei Matsukawa suddenly appeared in front of him, exuding a beast-like pressure that instantly crushed his intent to go for a straight shot.
Forced to change mid-air, Takada shifted to a sharp diagonal spike.
However, just as he completed his swing, both Watari Shinji and Hajime Iwaizumi were already perfectly in position. The back row, guarded by these two, showed no openings.
The spike was effortlessly received.
"Nice receive. Great job, Iwa-chan–" Oikawa praised, seamlessly transitioning into a quick set aimed above Kyotani Kentarou.
The Itachiyama blockers rushed to form a defense,
But just as they raised their hands, Kyotani twisted mid-air into a dramatic arch, his body forming almost a "C" shape. Then he unleashed a ferocious cross-court spike with explosive power.
Thud!
The ball sliced through Itachiyama's block and slammed onto the court.
"Tch, that blond punk's attack is impossible to read–" one of them muttered. "You can't even tell which direction he's going to hit."
"Yeah… it's like he can control his body freely in the air. Unless we set up a multiplayer block, it's almost impossible to stop him solo."
"Don't worry. Komori will be back on the court soon. We'll let him deal with this guy."
Kyotani might not have Sakusa's flexible wrists, but he had a rare talent: precise control over his large muscle groups mid-air.
This ability didn't let him change direction endlessly, but as long as he prepared in advance, he could choose between two or three attack paths at any moment during a jump.
Kyotani was clearly giving Itachiyama trouble, but he wasn't the one truly keeping them on edge.
That title belonged to Oikawa Tooru.
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"Oikawa is the kind of setter who brings out 100% of a player's potential–" Ushijima Wakatoshi remarked from the stands, watching the game unfold. "Only fertile soil can produce rich harvests."
"From the start, the one thing that limited Oikawa's performance was never himself, it was always his teammates. That was true in junior high, and it's still true now in high school."
"But now that Aoba Johsai's other players have begun to evolve... Oikawa, who appears unchanged, is actually the one who's improved the most."
"Usually, when a team grows too quickly, it's not entirely a good thing. Players undergoing rapid breakthroughs often need time to readjust and sync up."
"But thanks to Oikawa, no matter how fast his teammates evolve, he's able to perfectly connect everyone's playstyles together."
"…Huh."
The Shiratorizawa players fell into an awkward silence at Ushijima's bold praise.
We're literally their rivals, they thought. We're going to be fighting Aoba Johsai for a ticket to Nationals. Is now really the time to hype up the enemy?
And right in front of our own setter, too…
Instinctively, they glanced at Shirabu Kenjiro, their second-year setter, only to see him nodding in agreement as he stared at the court.
"He's right. Oikawa's performance today is nearly flawless. Among all the high school setters in the country, there may not be a single one who can match him."
To the untrained eye, a setter's brilliance often went unnoticed.
But to another setter like Shirabu, it was clear, Oikawa, despite looking ordinary on the surface, was terrifyingly good.
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"That said, doesn't Akashi Asuka seem... underwhelming in this game?"
Shirabu turned his attention to Aoba Johsai's back row. So far, Akashi has only scored a handful of times. The rest of his attacks hadn't just failed, they'd sometimes been shut down by the opposing setter.
To be honest, his performance wasn't just "underwhelming."
It was bad.
"Is he sick or something today?"
"No."
Ushijima's eyes narrowed as he stared at Akashi. A rare hint of seriousness crossed his face.
"The fact that the eagle hasn't caught anything doesn't mean he can't hunt. It probably means... he's stalking bigger prey."
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"We underestimated him–" muttered one of Itachiyama's players, eyes fixed on Oikawa from across the net.
"No, everyone in the country underestimated him. During last year's Nationals, his brilliance was overshadowed by Akashi Asuka. But now that Akashi is lying low, Oikawa's light is finally shining through."
"Good thing Akashi's playing subpar today. If not, we might've been in real danger."
Komori Motoya patted his chest, feeling a lingering sense of dread.
He remembered clearly how terrifying Akashi's offense had been during Nationals. Even though Komori managed to receive a few of his spikes, his failure rate had been much higher.
Akashi might not be in the national top three yet, but top six? That was unquestionable.
Aoba Johsai was already playing at an overwhelming level today. If you added Akashi's usual scoring power on top of that… Komori didn't even want to imagine how this match would end.
"Underwhelming?"
Sakusa overheard Komori's remark and instinctively turned to glance at Akashi in the back row.
Right now, Akashi looked as if he'd faded into the background, completely blending in with the team. If you weren't actively looking for him, you'd forget he was even there.
"No way a player in a 'normal state' would look like that–" Sakusa muttered.
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