As expected.
Fukurodani took the second set in their match against Kamomedai High School.
That meant the two teams were officially headed into a third and final deciding set.
"Fight it out, fight it out! I hope they beat each other to a pulp. Then we can waltz in tomorrow and pick up the championship for free!"
Now that Aoba Johsai was just one step away from the title, Oikawa Tooru, the shameless bastard, no longer bothered to hide the ugliness of his thoughts and blurted them out right in front of everyone.
And this time... no one refuted him.
Not even Akashi Asuka.
Because deep down, they were all thinking the same thing.
After all, who wouldn't want to benefit from a classic "when two tigers fight, the fisherman profits" scenario?
Even someone as proud as Akashi wouldn't mind getting a championship handed to him without a fight.
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"Bokuto seems... different, doesn't he?"
"Yeah, it's like he's changed. He used to be like a spoiled kid the whole team coddled, but now... he really feels like a proper ace."
In the stands, the Aoba Johsai players munched on snacks while watching the game unfold, a bit surprised by Kotaro Bokuto's transformation, but not too surprised.
They'd faced Fukurodani before and knew that Bokuto's issue wasn't lack of ability, but his personality.
To put it bluntly, Bokuto was a mental case, but physically? He was a beast. Perfectly healthy, in fact, maybe even too healthy.
As soon as the third set began, Bokuto came out swinging hard.
At his peak, Bokuto's power was comparable to any of the nation's top three aces. During the previous set, Gao Hakuba had managed to block a few of his shots, but in the third set? Bokuto was practically ripping the net apart with his attacks.
Super sharp cross shots, line spikes that kissed the tape, out-of-bounds off-the-block kills, he executed all of it with ease.
Faced with this version of Kotaro Bokuto, Gao Hakuba was still able to get into position for blocks, but stopping the points? That was another matter entirely.
Watching this unfold, Akashi Asuka in the audience silently took notes.
He'd been worrying about what to do tomorrow if they ended up facing Kamomedai High, specifically, how to deal with the towering 203 cm Gao Hakuba. Even for someone like Akashi, a guy with that kind of absurd height was a serious problem.
But now? He had a clue.
"Looks like Gao prefers brute-force blocks… He's not too good at dealing with variety in technique."
Akashi never cared what his opponents liked, what he feared was an opponent with no preferences at all. With his current skills, whether the opponent liked power or finesse, he could handle it. That's the advantage of being an all-rounder.
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Halfway through the match, Fukurodani managed to take the lead.
But despite Bokuto's phenomenal condition, the point gap between the teams remained small, and the reason was none other than Kamomedai's other star: Korai Hoshiumi.
Hoshiumi's incredible jumping power and athleticism allowed him to keep up with taller players.
But even then, it only made him equal to the tall guys, not better. In a one-on-one with true national-level aces like Akashi Asuka, his odds of winning were still slim.
That's precisely why, despite leading Kamomedai to nationals year after year, Hoshiumi still hadn't earned the title of "National Ace."
Because as a wing spiker, Hoshiumi wasn't weak, but he also wasn't on the same level as powerhouses like Ushijima Wakatoshi, Akashi Asuka, or Sakusa Kiyoomi.
It was a matter of innate difference.
As cruel as it sounds, height always mattered. Just like Hinata Shoyo, no matter how hard these short players worked, all that effort often just brought them up to the starting line of others.
However, what Hoshiumi lacked in height, he made up for with his versatility.
Offense, defense, setting, whenever the team found itself in a pinch, Hoshiumi was always there to pick up the slack.
That's also why, after graduating and going pro, both Hoshiumi and Hinata transitioned into roles like opposite hitters or outside hitters.
Because in those positions, what mattered most wasn't dominance, it was versatility.
But this versatility had a downside too.
Even though Bokuto managed to repeatedly break through Gao's block, he didn't score as much as one would expect, because every time, Hoshiumi was there in the back row to cover and recover the ball.
"Honestly, I thought Kamomedai was an all-out offensive team, but now they're giving off serious 'team play' vibes."
"Yeah. And Hoshiumi's style is definitely different from Karasuno's No. 10. Hinata tends to avoid blocks when he spikes. Hoshiumi, on the other hand, seems to prefer direct confrontations."
Coach Nobuteru Irihata rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "His playstyle actually reminds me of another short ace… Karasuno had one year ago who loved going head-to-head with tall blockers."
"You mean… the Little Giant?" someone asked.
At that, Oikawa and Iwaizumi seemed to remember something too.
They didn't know much about Karasuno's so-called "Little Giant." After all, they weren't from the same school and played in different eras.
But still, they'd heard enough, thanks to a certain someone.
That "No. 10" on Karasuno was always going on and on about how the Little Giant was his idol. Eventually, Oikawa and Iwaizumi got curious and looked into it.
"Now that you mention it… yeah, this guy from Kamomedai does resemble the real Little Giant more than that shrimp on Karasuno," Oikawa smirked.
Just imagining Hoshiumi and Hinata meeting someday made him chuckle. That would definitely be one hell of a scene.
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While Aoba Johsai chatted in the stands, the momentum on court was slowly shifting.
Kotaro Bokuto was still going strong.
Now stepping into the role of a true ace, he was no longer swayed by emotion. He could unleash 100% of his power at any time, any place.
But the rest of Fukurodani, those players who used to support and protect Bokuto, were beginning to falter.
It wasn't that Fukurodani's defense was weak. Any team that made it to nationals had a solid foundation, major weaknesses simply didn't exist.
But compared to Kamomedai's blocking, Fukurodani's defense started to show tiny cracks.
It was like the "wooden bucket theory", no matter how good the bucket, its capacity depends on its shortest plank.
And those tiny gaps?
They might just become the deciding factor in this game...