Just as Oikawa Tooru had predicted,
The raw difference in strength between Aoba Johsai and Nekoma was ultimately too much to ignore. Nekoma's clever strategy of exploiting Aoba Johsai's instinctual habit of using delay timing in both offense and defense was only effective for a few rallies before being dismantled.
After all, delay timing had always been Aoba Johsai's specialty. While habits weren't easy to change, adjusting the timing of attacks and blocks wasn't exactly difficult for them either.
And during those few rallies when Nekoma had the upper hand, the point gap never widened much.
Because up to that point, Nekoma still hadn't found a way to stop Akashi Asuka's explosive offense.
Or rather, to be more accurate, it wasn't that Nekoma couldn't come up with counter-strategies, Kenma Kozume had done that. The real problem was that none of Nekoma's players could execute them to the level required.
In volleyball, having a "brain" on the court was undoubtedly crucial.
But no sport can rely on brains alone.
Even though Kenma was able to read and predict Akashi's attack routes multiple times in the second half of the match, not a single Nekoma player could face his spike head-on and stop that cannon of a shot.
In the end, Aoba Johsai took the first set with a score of 25–20.
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Set Two.
As the second set began, Nekoma immediately substituted in their Russian first-year, Lev Haiba.
Standing at 196 cm, Lev's appearance on the court clearly caught Aoba Johsai off guard. Despite the original manga's consistent message that "volleyball isn't all about height," no one could deny how big of an advantage it really was.
At 196 cm, Lev's blocking reach was obviously impressive. But it also meant he had a significantly high contact point when spiking.
And with his mixed heritage, Lev's athleticism was nothing to scoff at either. In the original story, it only took him two rallies to successfully read and block Karasuno's [Monster Quick] after seeing it for the first time.
So yes, Lev Haiba's debut was a legitimate problem for Aoba Johsai.
Until,
BOOM!!!
[OOOOHHHHHHHH~~~!!!]
["A devastating power spike from Akashi Asuka smashes right through the first-year Lev Haiba's block! As expected from Aoba Johsai's ace, even a 196 cm giant can't stop him!"]
Akashi's spikes had begun to take on an almost unreasonable level of force. No matter who stood in his way, he could usually blast through with a single hit.
If one direct spike didn't work?
Then he'd just add another, this time down the line or at a sharper angle.
"Waaah~ Akashi-chan, you're so mean to the newbie! He's just a first-year, you know? Aren't you crushing his confidence just a bit too harshly?" Oikawa teased with a dramatic sigh.
Akashi blinked and glanced over at him. "...But I'm a first-year too."
Oh crap.
He'd almost forgotten.
Maybe it was because Akashi had been so dominant lately, not just his teammates, but even the announcers, the spectators, and pretty much everyone watching had subconsciously started treating him like a third-year veteran.
And as time went on…
That little mental label of "first-year" had vanished completely. People had just started assuming Akashi was an upperclassman.
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While Aoba Johsai exchanged banter, on the other side of the net, Lev Haiba was staring in stunned silence at his reddened forearm.
"Yo! Lev, so, have you felt what a real powerhouse is like now?" Kuroo Tetsurou walked up to him, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips.
Even though their rookie had just been wrecked by the opponent's ace, the players on Nekoma didn't see it as entirely a bad thing.
Thanks to his height and athletic ability, Lev Haiba had entered the team with a very high starting point, even if his technique was still raw. Frankly, there was barely anyone on Nekoma who could outplay him one-on-one.
Partly because Nekoma players weren't the "duel you head-on" type,
And partly because his height gave him a massive advantage at the net.
So even though he'd barely integrated into the team, Lev still carried a certain arrogance, a distance that set him apart from the rest.
Which was why the coaches and players alike had actually been hoping someone would come along and thoroughly humble him. A good, hard wake-up call that there was always someone better.
Back during summer training, Kotaro Bokuto from Fukurodani had done something similar, but Bokuto's true strength wasn't easy to display during scrimmages. Besides, Bokuto hadn't beaten Lev from the front head-on. Even his highest spikes still couldn't escape Lev's blocking range.
But this time,
Akashi Asuka's full-power spike had made its point, loud and clear.
Sure enough,
Lev blinked, then grinned excitedly, unable to suppress the thrill in his voice.
"You're absolutely right, Kuroo-senpai... There really are monsters in this national tournament!"
"Glad you finally get it. Oh, and let me tell you one more thing, that #8 on the other team? He's your age. First-year. Just like you. So take a good look at what a real monster looks like, you cocky brat!"
"Same age...?" Lev's eyes lit up. "Then I swear, I'll beat him someday."
Kuroo had intended to humble him a bit, not motivate him even more... but hey, at least he was fired up now.
And that wasn't a bad thing.
He thought about saying something snarky to bring Lev back down to earth, but held back. After all, the odds of this kid actually surpassing Akashi Asuka were... well, astronomically slim.
But hey, he's young.
He needs the pressure.
Because there's no way you're gonna improve just by messing around, right?
No way you're gonna win a championship just by coasting through a few matches, right?
...Right?
Surely nobody actually thinks that way.
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"Yoshhh~~! I'm gonna block him next time for sure!"
Lev Haiba roared back into the game with fiery determination.
And interestingly, Nekoma seemed to double down on their plan, assigning Lev to mark Akashi directly.
That's all he did.
All game long, just keep your eyes on Akashi and block him.
And surprisingly, it kind of worked.
Having a 196 cm blocker constantly shadowing him did reduce Akashi's scoring efficiency a little.
But it didn't make Nekoma's offense any stronger.
The second set became a defense-heavy brawl, with both teams grinding point for point.
But thanks to their steadier overall performance, Aoba Johsai gradually pulled ahead and won the second set, 25–22.
Nekoma's journey ended in the quarterfinals.
And Aoba Johsai advanced to Round 5.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria