In this set, Karasuno got the first serve!
And the first to serve was Shōyō Hinata!
Whack!
His serve flew straight toward setter Atsumu Miya!
At that moment, the back-row wing spiker had already left his position, rushing forward!
The ball was about to drop!
But Shinsuke Kita, standing in front of Atsumu, stepped back cleverly and picked up Hinata's serve with ease!
Atsumu Miya, as if expecting it all along, jumped directly in the front row!
Set!
Whack!
Rintarō Suna used his wide attack range to bypass Karasuno's block and score the point!
Screech!
Point to Inarizaki!
The serve now shifted to their side!
Serve by Atsumu Miya!
This time, he used a jump serve—something he hadn't used much in the previous set!
On Karasuno's side, the ball was picked up by Asahi Azumane!
Then—Kageyama Tobio jumped right in front of the net!
Everyone in Inarizaki's front row focused only on the movements of the other two attackers, especially locking their attention on Akira!
But just as the ball reached Kageyama...
Whack!
An unexpected setter dump attack came out of nowhere!
It was Karasuno's first quick strike of the set!
Kageyama actually dared to pull this off!
But credit where it's due—it was incredibly effective!
Inarizaki, who had focused all their attention on Akira and the others, never saw it coming!
They were too far from the ball's landing point!
They could only watch as it dropped steadily into the court...
Then—Shinsuke Kita suddenly dove and saved it with a jump!
"Don't freeze up!!"
He said in his usual flat tone, not even looking back as he called out to his teammates.
"Yes!"
Snapping out of it, Atsumu Miya rushed to the ball's landing spot!
Swish!
He delivered a precise set to Osamu Miya on the flank!
Whack!
A successful spike! Another point!
...
"I feel like Inarizaki's momentum completely changed once their captain came on the court."
Tetsurō Kuroo, watching from the stands, couldn't help but comment.
"Yeah," Morisuke Yaku said, resting his chin on his hand.
"Though Inarizaki was already strong, they had this unpredictable vibe to them."
"Their second-year starters seem a little... impulsive."
"But once that number one came on, everyone settled down instantly."
"I have to say—regardless of his technical level, that guy must be incredibly strong mentally."
...
"Haha! Looks like putting Shinsuke in was the right call!"
Inarizaki head coach Norimune Kurosu smiled as he spoke to his assistant, Taro Omi, on the bench.
"Those brats are all fired up now!"
"Absolutely," Omi replied with a grin.
"Shinsuke just has that kind of presence."
"It's not that he's more skilled than the others, but..."
"He never makes mistakes. He's completely unfazed by pressure."
...
Back on the court, Karasuno had just won a point thanks to Akira's powerful spike!
Even with Shinsuke Kita now in play, Inarizaki still couldn't stop that hit!
However, during the last exchange, Michinari Akagi had nearly received it!
He had a gut feeling—if he faced it a few more times, he could finally land the receive!
Once he figured out the strange spin on Akira's spikes, those attacks would no longer be a threat!
If they could shut down Akira, Karasuno would lose its offensive spearhead!
And once they adjusted to Karasuno's weird quick attacks...
Victory would be within reach!!
...
"Where?? Where is it??"
"Where's that serve??"
Just as the match was heating up, several men in business suits came rushing in through the rear entrance of the stadium.
Leading the group were Hibiki Tabuki (Fuki Hibarida) and Kōtarō Hayashi, both former pro players.
"What??"
"The first set's already over??"
Hibiki Tabuki looked stunned after hearing from a nearby staff member.
"That fast??"
Hayashi winced beside him.
"I can't believe we missed it just because of that stupid meeting!"
"I heard Akira used that serve to get twelve points in a row against Inarizaki!"
"We actually missed it!!"
The two made their way to the stands, watching the court with helpless expressions.
"Man…"
"I hope he uses it again," Tabuki muttered.
"If Akira doesn't pull it out again, we'll have to settle for watching the replay later."
"But no matter what, the video just isn't the same…"
"You lose the atmosphere."
He sighed.
"There's no helping it."
Hayashi shrugged.
"The match has already started."
"If only we'd known sooner!"
Suddenly, Tabuki slapped his forehead as if remembering something.
"That's right! Arai told me about this guy!!"
"He said a high schooler with a crazy jump serve scored three points in a row off a group of pros in a practice match!!"
"At the time, I just laughed and said he was slacking off!"
"You're saying…"
Hayashi raised an eyebrow.
"That high schooler was Akira??"