“Th-They stopped it!”
“OHHHHHH~~~ Aoba Johsai has finally shut down Ushijima Wakatoshi’s attack!”
…
After a brief, breathless moment of silence… The entire arena suddenly erupted into a deafening roar of cheers.
After four and a half grueling sets of endless battling, Asuto had finally managed to read the exact trajectory of Ushijima Wakatoshi’s spike.
The two players landed back on the hardwood at the exact same time.
Staring at the composed, utterly restrained Asuto, Ushijima was momentarily stunned. Then, a foreign feeling he had never experienced before slowly welled up from deep within his chest…
13:13.
Aoba Johsai had tied the score.
“Nice job, Asuto!”
“Great block! You really are a monster, you know that?!”
The Aoba Johsai players immediately swarmed Asuto, shouting excitedly as they celebrated the play.
It was only a single point.
But the psychological significance of that point was completely different from any they had scored before.
Not only had it dragged Aoba Johsai back from the edge of the cliff, but it was also the very first point they had truly taken directly from Ushijima Wakatoshi.
Every member of Aoba Johsai roared at the top of their lungs, venting the suffocating emotions that had been building inside them all day.
However, their excitement did not last long.
BOOM!
A powerful spike pierced straight through Aoba Johsai’s desperate triple block and slammed into the floor with a heavy, resonating crash.
The expressions of the Aoba Johsai players instantly froze once more.
For a moment, not just the court but even the surrounding stands seemed to fall deathly silent.
Everyone stared at the deep mark left on the floor by the volleyball, and then at Ushijima Wakatoshi, whose court presence seemed to be growing even more overwhelming.
Their throats involuntarily went dry.
Gulp.
“No way… At a time like this, he can still unleash a spike that powerful?”
“A national-level Ace… Ushijima Wakatoshi truly lives up to his reputation!”
“He’s practically beyond human!”
Whether they were Aoba Johsai players on the court, bench warmers, or spectators in the stands, everyone wore expressions of pure disbelief.
No one had expected that after the match had progressed this far, the power behind Ushijima’s spikes wouldn’t just hold steady, but it would actually grow even stronger.
“Hey, Ushijima San, you…”
Even Shiratorizawa’s own players were visibly shaken.
Shirabu Kenjirō walked over to Ushijima in surprise, about to speak, but before he could finish his sentence, he suddenly noticed an expression on Ushijima’s face that had never appeared before.
He looked happy.
Or rather…
Excited.
Looking down at his own hand, Ushijima curled his lips into a slight, rare smile.
“Yeah. How should I put it?”
“Using the words Tendō likes to say…”
“I guess…”
“I’m getting fired up.”
…
13:14.
The match had officially entered Shiratorizawa’s match point.
Aoba Johsai was once again standing at the very edge of a cliff and at this crucial moment, the rotation dictated that it just so happened to be Ushijima Wakatoshi’s turn to serve.
Even the spectators outside the court couldn’t help but sweat for Aoba Johsai.
Exhaustion and crushing pressure had made even moving their feet feel incredibly difficult for Aoba Johsai’s players.
The urge to just give up kept surfacing in their minds, but the instant the heavy sound of the serve echoed through the court, everyone’s spirits jolted awake.
BANG!
The volleyball shot across the court with tremendous force and fierce, heavy spin.
It traced a sharp arc through the air before plunging rapidly toward Aoba Johsai’s side.
“Damn it, what a gutsy serve!”
Seeing the ball about to hit the floor, Oikawa cursed under his breath and charged forward without a second thought.
His entire body launched into a desperate dive.
CRASH!!!
His flying body slammed violently into the barrier outside the court boundaries.
The dangerous play drew shocked cries from the crowd.
But… The ball was saved.
Watari Shinji decisively jumped up from the back row and sent a clean recovery ball toward Asuto.
“You’re not scoring.”
A towering triple block rose instantly in Shiratorizawa’s front court.
The massive wall completely enveloped Asuto, leaving seemingly no opening to break through. The sight immediately caused another wave of alarm among Aoba Johsai’s anxious supporters.
Yet through it all, Asuto’s expression remained dead calm.
Suspended in midair, his eyes, still as stagnant water, briefly swept across the defenders in front of him.
The next second…
THUD!
Under the disbelieving gazes of Shiratorizawa’s three blockers, the volleyball slammed into the court at an angle that was almost perfectly perpendicular to the floor.
It struck the ground just inside the line, nearly touching the center mark.
“S-S-S-Super Vertical Spike!”
“You’ve got to be kidding me! At a time like this, he can still hit a ball like that?!”
ROAR!
Asuto’s impossible spike completely ignited the stands.
At that moment, the spectators looked at Asuto as if they were witnessing a god on the court.
Vertical spikes were rare in actual matches, but not entirely impossible.
However, a vertical spike pulled off against a fully formed triple block?
That was something none of them had ever seen before.
14:14
Aoba Johsai had equalized the score once again.
They regained the right to serve, and this time, the rotation brought Asuto straight to the service line.
Seeing this, the previously noisy crowd quickly fell dead silent.
Everyone’s eyes focused solely on Asuto.
Even the players of Shiratorizawa were wondering:
How would he serve this ball?
Would he gamble everything on a powerful Jump Serve and try to score directly?
Or would he play it safe and send over a more ordinary, controlled serve?
THUD!
The next second… A Jump Serve even more ferocious than any of his previous attempts crashed heavily onto the floor of Shiratorizawa’s backcourt.
At that moment, everyone understood Asuto’s definitive answer.
And once again, the entire arena fell into complete silence.
…
Three seconds later…
“AAAAAHHHH~~~ What was that just now? A serve?!”
“That impact sound was insane!”
“What is wrong with these two monsters? This is already the fifth set! Why are their hits still this powerful?!”
The spectators were beyond excited.
It was simply spectacular high-school volleyball.
However, compared to the crowd’s exploding excitement, the mood within Shiratorizawa was far less pleasant.
Not to mention the players on the court, who were staring with widened, shocked eyes. The moment Asuto launched that serve, Shiratorizawa’s assistant coach shot straight to his feet.
“Coach!”
“I saw it.”
Coach Washijō Tanji’s hawk-like eyes remained locked firmly on Asuto.
He had to admit that, for the first time, even he was having trouble remaining seated in his chair, but it wasn’t because Shiratorizawa had momentarily fallen behind.
Rather, from that single serve, Washijō had seen something far more important than the current score.
Something every true Ace must possess.
…
15:14
The Aoba Johsai players had gone completely crazy.
They swarmed Asuto, shouting at the top of their lungs in celebration.
Even Oikawa was no exception.
After all this time, he had finally glimpsed a real possibility… A tangible chance to defeat Shiratorizawa.
“One more point!”
“One more point!”
“One more point!”
…
The cheering squad in the stands shouted in unison, doing everything they could to encourage Asuto.
At this moment… The crushing weight of the pressure had officially shifted onto Shiratorizawa.
“Just one more point. We absolutely cannot lose.”
BOOM!
Like a bolt of thunder splitting a clear sky, a serve carrying even greater momentum than the previous one shot toward Shiratorizawa’s libero, Yamagata Hayato, like a heavy cannon shell.
Faced with the incoming serve, Yamagata instinctively recalled the image of Goshiki Tsutomu’s fractured nose from earlier in the match.
For a brief, terrifying instant… He actually wanted to run away.
But it was only for an instant.
The fierce determination quickly returned to his eyes.
“A king never runs away.”
PAK!
The volleyball struck his forearms solidly and rebounded back into the air.
Shirabu Kenjirō set the ball cleanly, and Ushijima Wakatoshi took possession.
Launching his attack all the way from the back row, Ushijima faced Aoba Johsai’s formidable block head-on and unleashed a devastating deep cross-court spike, sending the ball dead into the extreme far corner of Aoba Johsai’s backcourt.
15:15
Shiratorizawa tied the score once more.
The clutch point greatly boosted Shiratorizawa’s morale.
As for Aoba Johsai, they felt somewhat disappointed… But not entirely crushed.
Overall, while the outcome wasn’t exactly what they had hoped for, it also wasn’t beyond their expectations. After all, they had gradually become accustomed to Ushijima Wakatoshi’s absurd, unrelenting level of power.
Soon afterward, the two teams once again fell into a fierce, exhausting deadlock.
…
Rally 31
Aoba Johsai gained the offensive opportunity.
After receiving the first pass, Oikawa suddenly realized he couldn’t find a suitable attacker to set to.
Although three hitters were available at the net… Kindaichi Yūtarō, Kunimi Akira, and Hanamaki Takahiro, all three were nearly out of stamina.
It was incredibly difficult for any of them to produce a truly decisive attack.
Just as Oikawa hesitated… A figure suddenly leaped up from deep in the backcourt.
Like an eagle spreading its wings, the player completely blocked out the stadium lights above Oikawa’s head.
Almost instinctively, Oikawa tossed the ball in that direction.
BANG!
A super straight-line shot carrying a subtle, wicked curve bypassed Shiratorizawa’s triple block and landed right on the boundary line.
16:15
Aoba Johsai took the lead again.
Oikawa blinked. He stared blankly at Asuto before suddenly blurting out: “That brat is way too damn cool!”
…
Rally 32
Aoba Johsai served.
Shiratorizawa received the serve.
Ushijima Wakatoshi blasted through Aoba Johsai’s block with overwhelming force and tied the score through sheer, unadulterated power.
16:16
…
Rally 33
Shiratorizawa served.
Aoba Johsai gained possession of the balla receiving it.
Without hesitation, Oikawa set the ball to Asuto at the highest possible contact point.
Asuto responded with a fierce overhand spike, reclaiming the lead.
17:16
…
Rally 34
Ushijima Wakatoshi unleashed a miraculous, super sharp cross-court spike… a shot so acute it seemed almost structurally impossible.
…
Rally 35
The battle continued.
Asuto answered with a deep cross-court spike that tore straight across the length of the court.
…
At this point, the match had completely devolved into a direct duel between Asuto and Ushijima Wakatoshi.
The two aces continuously unleashed spikes of astonishing, elite difficulty.
No matter what kind of defensive formations their opponents set up, they all proved entirely meaningless.
Gasps and exclamations rang out endlessly from the packed stands.
Even the members of Shiratorizawa stared at Asuto in absolute shock.
In fact, compared to the spectators, they found it even harder to believe.
Never in their wildest dreams had they imagined that someone could match Ushijima Wakatoshi blow for blow on offense.
True, this was the final stage of the match, and Ushijima’s attacking power was no longer at its absolute peak.
But no matter what… That was still Ushijima Wakatoshi.
After six consecutive rallies of direct, punishing offensive exchanges, the score had climbed to:
21:20.
It was an astonishing, exhausting scoreline.
After all, the fifth set was only supposed to be played to fifteen points.
Yet the two teams had pushed it deep into extra points, which was already a testament to just how fierce this battle had become.
…
Rally 42
Aoba Johsai had the serve.
The rotation had brought the ball straight to Oikawa.
If possible, Oikawa would have loved to end the match right here with one final, devastating Jump Serve.
Unfortunately, that simply wasn’t realistic anymore.
His legs no longer had the strength required to jump that high.
And it wasn’t just him.
Even physical monsters like Ushijima Wakatoshi and Asuto had seen the raw power of their serves decline as the match wore on.
Looking around at his teammates, whose exhausted bodies swayed as if they might collapse at any moment, Oikawa squeezed every last bit of mental energy from his mind.
“I have to find a way to break this deadlock…”
His eyes swept across the positions and physical conditions of every single player on both sides of the court.
Then… A brilliant spark of inspiration suddenly flashed through his mind.
Oikawa quickly gathered his teammates together in a tight huddle.
After a brief, whispered discussion, everyone returned to their positions.
“Be careful… Don’t fall for their tricks.”
Seeing Oikawa’s unusual actions, the Shiratorizawa players immediately became alert.
Tweet!
The referee’s whistle sounded and Oikawa served a standard overhand serve from a standing position.
The serve wasn’t particularly powerful.
But its target was completely clear… It was headed directly toward Ushijima Wakatoshi.
Seeing the ball’s trajectory, Shiratorizawa assumed Oikawa was trying to force Ushijima into making the receive, thereby disrupting his attacking rhythm.
One of their players immediately rushed over and took the reception in Ushijima’s place.
“As if we’d let you interfere with Ushijima’s offense.”
With the first touch cleanly handled, Ushijima decisively began his approach run.
The ball rose perfectly into the air.
He swung.
At the exact same moment… A single figure suddenly appeared above the net block.
Asuto.
The moment Ushijima saw him, his spike hesitated ever so slightly.
Clearly, the memory of having his attack blocked clean earlier had left a trace of doubt in his mind.
But it was only for an instant.
Ushijima immediately altered his attack midair.
Instead of hitting cross-court, he switched to a straight shot and smashed the ball down.
PAK!
The ball was dug up cleanly.
Watching the volleyball soar back into the air, the pupils of every Shiratorizawa player contracted in horror.
Then, as Asuto moved out of the way, Ushijima finally saw what lay behind him…
In Aoba Johsai’s backcourt stood Oikawa, wearing a smug, triumphant grin.
Only then did Shiratorizawa realize the truth. The block Aoba Johsai had set up consisted of only one person:
Asuto.
The other five players weren’t blocking at the net at all.
Every single one of them had been positioned deep in the backcourt, fully prepared to receive.
“We’ve been tricked!”
Oikawa had cleverly exploited the tiny psychological shadow left behind by Asuto’s earlier block and that momentary hesitation had successfully induced Ushijima to change his attack direction right into their trap.
A sense of dread instantly spread through Shiratorizawa.
“Damn it! Block him!” The Shiratorizawa players roared and charged desperately toward Asuto’s position.
But at that exact moment, Oikawa suddenly shouted: “Iwa-chan! It’s yours!”
The Shiratorizawa defenders were startled.
Instinctively, they turned their attention toward Iwaizumi Hajime. Yet what they saw left them completely stunned.
Iwaizumi had run up near the block… But he hadn’t jumped at all.
Only then did Shiratorizawa realize… They had been fooled a second time.
But by then… It was already too late.
Although Oikawa’s shout had delayed Shiratorizawa’s defenders for only a split second… A split second was more than enough to decide victory and defeat.
Asuto soared into the air completely unchecked.
Facing the hands that had finally entered the very edge of his vision, he swung his right arm with everything he had left.
BANG!
THUD!
The volleyball crashed violently into the floor.
“BEEEEEEP~~~~”
The long, final whistle echoed throughout the quiet arena.
Aoba Johsai had won.
(End of Chapter)