Back on the court, Suna leaned his body and launched an unpredictable smash from the front row!
But on the other side of the net—
Akira, who had jumped from the net, also swung his arm!!
He had actually predicted Suna shot placement in advance!!
Block!
Suna overwhelming attack was stopped by Akira!!
This wasn't the first time either!
In the recent rally, Akira had anticipated Suna Spiking angles multiple times!!
Sometimes he succeeded, sometimes he failed.
But as the match progressed, his success rate in predicting improved steadily!!
By now, Suna felt a faint sense of unease whenever he attacked.
It was as if every move he made had been completely read!!
Whistle!
The referee's whistle blew!
Karasuno, who just scored, serves!
Whistle!
Tsukishima's serve was clever, landing directly in the gap between the two defenders in the back row!!
But Inarizaki's back row was calm; Akagi shouted,
"I've got it!"
He moved quickly and passed the ball steadily towards Atsumu!
At that moment, Osamu glanced towards Ginjima!
No words were needed!
The two seemed to share a telepathic understanding!
Osamu immediately started sprinting in the front row!!
Along with him, Suna and Ginjima also moved together!
"This kind of movement..."
Outside the court, Hoshiumi rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
"Why does this feel so familiar?!"
When Osamu reached the gap in Karasuno's block, he leapt without hesitation despite Atsumu's pass!
This Position
Just when everyone thought their coordination might fail, Atsumu on the opposite side sent a precise set!!
This Timing
This Angle
Whish!
Where he aimed...
It's Perfection
Was the palm of Osamu's spike!!
Boom!
Before anyone could react, Osamu Spiked the ball successfully!
Inarizaki scores!!
"Wow!"
"The Miya brothers actually copied the Super quick attack combination of Hinata and Kageyama from Karasuno!"
"They used it for the first time at such a critical moment to help Inarizaki tie the score!"
The excited commentary rang out from outside the gym!
What Osamu and Atsumu had just executed was the running-position quick attack of Hinata and Kageyama!
"What audacity!"
Kuroo was also a little stunned.
Remember, Inarizaki was trailing by one point to Karasuno!!
If their coordination had failed, it would've cost them the point...
And likely the match!!
Yet, they dared to try out this tactic, temporarily learned from their opponents!!
A play they had never used before!
Respect was due.
"Your sets are disgusting!"
Osamu, who had just smashed the ball, glanced sideways at Atsumu with a hint of disgust.
Everyone understood what he meant.
That feeling when the set is fed so precisely into your hands...
It's like someone spoon-feeding you, but you're still eating yourself!
And...
It lands right in your throat and eyes without any chewing!
Naturally, Osamu felt a little disgusted.
"Hey, hey!"
Atsumu selectively ignored Osamu's complaint and smiled proudly.
"Although my sets still lack precision, I really gave it my all!"
...
Whistle!
After scoring, Inarizaki rotated positions again!
This time, Shinsuke Kita came to the front row!
Everyone at Karasuno sensed an opportunity!
Though Inarizaki's captain was reliable on the court, his raw power was somewhat lacking!
Especially in the front row, where his height—175 cm—is average among normal players.
But among Inarizaki's giants, it seemed insufficient.
With him in the front row, Inarizaki's attacking strength was somewhat reduced!
At that moment, the referee's whistle sounded again from outside!
Inarizaki requested a substitution!!
No. 4 Aran Ojiro replaced No. 1 Shinsuke Kita!!
It seemed the Black Whiskered Coach had noticed this!
To bolster their front-row scoring, Ojiro, just subbed off for rest, was put back in!!
"Come on!"
Kita didn't say anything but simply patted Ojiro's shoulder as he passed by.
For him, watching the game from the bench was routine.
...
Whistle!
Inarizaki's side served by Ginjima!
Now, the scores of Karasuno and Inarizaki were tied at 30!!
In this intense match, both teams had unleashed their full strength!
But Inarizaki dared not let the game drag on!!
Because...
If Karasuno rotated a few more times, it would soon be Akira's turn to serve!!
They dared not gamble on the possibility that Akira wouldn't unleash his powerful jump serve!
Though many had speculated he held back due to stamina issues...
But now, Karasuno had a point in hand!
If they won this rally, Karasuno would take the match!!
If Akira proved too strong and finished off the rally...
There'd be no denying their suffering!!
Moreover, Akira showed no signs of fatigue at all!
In the previous plays, he kept up relentless attacks to close the gap!!
So... Inarizaki was pushed to the brink!
Behind them was a cliff!!
They had to win this rally before Akira served!
Otherwise...
They were likely headed for a crushing defeat!!