"This is… the true power of one of the top three aces in the country?"
After Ushijima Wakatoshi's spike, silence fell over Karasuno. In that single moment, the pressure radiating from Ushijima was so overwhelming, it felt like their bodies were frozen in place.
BEEP~~~
Ukai Keishin immediately recognized the issue and quickly called for a timeout.
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"Oh? Karasuno's already calling for a timeout?" Hanamaki Takahiro murmured from the stands, chin resting in his hand, watching as both teams returned to their benches.
"Well, can you blame them? They're going up against Ushiwaka, after all," Matsukawa Issei said, shaking his head lightly.
During their intense summer training camp, Aoba Johsai had practiced extensively with Shiratorizawa, so they were well aware of Ushijima's terrifying strength.
To be honest…
Even though Aoba Johsai felt stronger than ever, if they were to face Shiratorizawa in the finals, they still wouldn't have full confidence in winning a ticket to Nationals.
The reason? Ushijima Wakatoshi, one of the Big Three Aces in the nation.
"Hey, judging by that look on your face, I'm guessing you just saw something that really pissed you off?" Hajime Iwaizumi didn't comment on Karasuno's timeout. Instead, he was more intrigued by the dark expression on Oikawa Tooru's face.
"It's nothing," Oikawa muttered sullenly.
"Really? Because from what I saw, those two sets from Kageyama were seriously good. Feels like he's already caught up to you, huh?"
"Bullshit!"
That hit a nerve. Like a rabbit jolted by electricity, Oikawa leapt up in outrage, face red with irritation.
"That arrogant little punk still has a long way to go before he can catch up to me! So what if he's made some progress? Doesn't mean he should be getting cocky!"
"Let him try and beat Shiratorizawa. If he makes it to the finals, I'll crush him so hard he won't know which way is up."
Seeing Oikawa in such a state, the rest of Aoba Johsai couldn't help but chuckle.
But once the amusement faded, everyone's attention shifted to Kageyama Tobio.
Because if someone as prideful as Oikawa was this agitated, it could only mean one thing:
Kageyama's progress had completely surpassed Oikawa's expectations.
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Before long, the game resumed.
The score was now 16–17, with Shiratorizawa still in the lead.
Kawanishi Taichi continued his serve.
But this time, Karasuno was ready. Without the lucky placement from before, his serve landed in a more predictable spot, and Nishinoya Yuu received it with ease.
The pass went cleanly to Kageyama, just as Hinata Shoyo exploded into motion.
With blinding speed, Hinata zipped across the court, using the full breadth of the net to maximize his run.
"Trying to outrun us? Not happening!"
Tendo Satori immediately followed Hinata, reading the play. He knew it could be a decoy, but his instincts screamed otherwise.
And he was right.
This time, Hinata wasn't a decoy.
Mid-sprint,
A volleyball suddenly streaked across Tendo's peripheral vision, flying not like a normal set, but more like a bullet, aimed directly at a strike point.
"Huh?! That's way too fast!"
BOOM!
Even before Tendo could fully process it, the ball had already slammed into the court.
A deafening cheer erupted from the stands like a tidal wave.
"OOOOOHHHHHH!"
"There it is! Karasuno's Freak Quick!"
"Whoa! What just happened?! That pass was insane, and that #10, he actually hit that ball?!"
"Brrr!"
In the front row of the stands, Yahaba Shigeru hugged himself, shuddering. "No matter how many times I see it, that quick is terrifying. Is Kageyama even human? How does he set that kind of ball?!"
Most spectators were focused on Hinata's spike, but only setters could truly grasp just how insane Kageyama's set had been.
Iwaizumi's expression turned serious. "Is it just me… or did that Freak Quick look even faster than before?"
Oikawa shook his head gravely. "It's not just you. That quick was definitely faster. And…"
He paused.
"…it's not just faster. There's something different about it. Like it's evolved."
Even from a distance, Oikawa couldn't see all the details of Karasuno's new Freak Quick.
But as a setter, his instincts told him that Kageyama had changed something in the set compared to last semester.
17–17.
Karasuno had tied the score.
But in the very next play, Ushijima struck again and effortlessly reclaimed the lead for Shiratorizawa.
17–18.
Shiratorizawa served again, and Karasuno went on the attack.
Hinata made another break for it, prompting a flicker of panic among Shiratorizawa's defenders.
For a split second, they weren't sure whether to go for the block or not.
"Leave him to me."
Tendo Satori's voice rang out with confidence.
It was a strategy crafted by Coach Washijo during the previous timeout.
Given Hinata's threat level, they had decided to mark him specifically with a man-to-man defense.
Karasuno's Freak Quick was fast, yes, but one of its flaws, exposed last semester, was that Hinata had difficulty adjusting the direction of his spike.
Aoba Johsai had kept quiet about it, but Washijo had picked it up from the game footage.
That's why he assigned Tendo to shadow Hinata directly.
But,
That was last semester.
Seeing that only Tendo was marking Hinata, Kageyama made a split-second decision.
He fired the ball toward Hinata, again like a bullet, cutting a sharp line through the air toward the strike zone.
But just before it arrived,
It stopped.
"Ah, I see it!"
Even though he was mid-air and still moving fast, Hinata's eyes locked onto everything in front of him.
The frozen volleyball.
The hand stretched out to block him.
The defensive formation across Shiratorizawa's back row.
He saw everything.
And in that moment,
Hinata swung his arm with full force.
SMACK!
With a sharp crack, the ball carved a diagonal line through the air and slammed down onto Shiratorizawa's court.
Silence.
Then,
Shock spread across the court.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria