Looking at his team's still-low momentum, Coach Taro Omi on the sidelines couldn't help but sigh.
"Okay!"
"It's just two points in a row!!"
"Haven't there been times when the opponents scored consecutively before?"
"Why do you all look so dejected this time?"
"As long as we get through Akira's serve, he won't be able to play to his full strength from the back row!"
"At that point, we'll still have the advantage!!"
"Let's go, everyone!!"
"Yes!!"
After hearing his words, a glimmer of hope returned to the eyes of everyone on Inarizaki High's team.
"Keep it up, everyone!"
"Yes!"
...
Everyone who returned to the court reset their mentality!
No matter how powerful Akira's serve was, as long as they could touch the ball—even just a lucky dig—they would have overcome this hurdle!
And afterward, it would be their chance to catch up!
"Let's go!"
They were also pumping themselves up!!
On the opposite side of the net, Akira had already walked back to the service area.
Time to keep serving.
Seeing his movement, everyone on Inarizaki instinctively took a few steps back in unison!
They understood that this kind of powerful jump serve usually wouldn't land too far in the front!
And as long as the six of them were packed tightly in the backcourt, even if Akira's serve had a wicked spin, it shouldn't be able to avoid hitting one of their defenders, right??
This was their chance!!
As long as they could touch his serve, then they had a shot at receiving it!!
If it didn't work once, then they'd try a second or third time!
As long as they kept trying, eventually they'd succeed!
Thinking this way, the terrifying serve from before didn't seem quite so impossible!!
As these thoughts swirled, every Inarizaki player stared intently at Akira across the net.
And outside the court on their side, the drumbeats from Inarizaki's cheer squad continued to thunder!
But with that last serve, they had seen that Akira wasn't just unaffected—he was getting stronger!
His second serve was even more intense than the first!!
So what was the point of their interference??
Was it completely useless?
Had it just been ignored?
They couldn't accept that!
So this time, they drummed harder!!
Mess up!!
How are you still not messing up???
In their hearts, they screamed hysterically!!
Why??
Are you really not affected at all??
Is someone this focused and strong even real??
No way!!
It Happens only When pigs fly!!!
Just—send it out of bounds already!!
But in the face of their almost feral gazes, in the face of this war drum that thundered like a battlefield,
Akira, who was preparing to serve, remained utterly indifferent.
He didn't even glance at them.
Creak!
At the referee's whistle, his serve began again!
Still terrifying—ball tossed, leap taken!
Every inch of his preparation held a strange, almost poetic beauty.
If you could ignore the furious drumbeats behind him and only watch the scene of him running and leaping,
You might think you were watching a trained warrior performing a dance.
Across from him, everyone on Inarizaki watched with expressions full of hope!
Come on!
Come this way!!
Land in front of me!!
Then…
Let me dig it!!
At this point, they didn't even mind if the ball made it back to Karasuno's side of the court!
As long as they didn't lose another point right away!
As long as… they could just break Akira's momentum!
But as Akira's arm swept through the air—
They were crushed by despair once more!!
In the front row stood Aran Ojiro, Ren Ōmimi, and Atsumu Miya.
All three of them had backed up several steps in preparation for Akira's serve!
But now, the ball Akira smashed went straight for the three of them!!
Boom!!
The three stared in disbelief as the ball dropped right in front of them—well within the three-meter line!!
How… could this happen??
How can a jump serve like that land there??
A serve landing inside the three-meter line…
Isn't that usually only possible if it hits the net??
But regardless of how much disbelief they felt, the referee blew the whistle at the sideline!
Karasuno scores again!!
"Did that land inside the three-meter line??"
"I couldn't see clearly!"
Kōtarō Bokuto said with excitement:
"That's the first time I've seen a serve like that!"
"I really want to try receiving it!!"
"That kind of ball…"
Keiji Akaashi muttered on the side:
"Who could even receive that?"
Kenma pouted beside him and added:
"I feel like if you tried to receive that, your arm would break!!"
"I wouldn't dare touch that kind of serve!"
...
And when Akira scored again with his serve, the drumbeats from Inarizaki's cheer squad abruptly stopped!
In the audience on the other side, Saeko Tanaka clenched her fists with excitement.
"YES!!"
"Took long enough!"
"Let those shameless jerks see for themselves!! That kind of cheap trick doesn't work!!"
...
Just as they were all fired up, on the opposite side of the court, Akira stepped into the service area once again.
Preparing to serve.