The Naivety of Luck
Iwaizumi Hajime was momentarily stunned, but his instincts kicked in. He reacted instantly, reaching out to save the ball that had barely been kept alive, sending it back into the air for Oikawa Tōru to redirect into the Karasuno court.
THUD.
The sudden, ruthless counterattack left the Karasuno players frozen. They could only watch, paralyzed, as the ball struck the hardwood on their side of the net.
At that moment, Akashi Asuka, who had tumbled to the floor to make the initial save, finally stood up. He cast a flat, indifferent glance at the Karasuno players across the net.
"If you intend to rely on luck to score points every time," he said coolly, "then you are being incredibly naive."
The flicker of hope on Yamaguchi Tadashi's face vanished instantly. The slight relief the other Karasuno players had felt moments ago turned into a cold, rigid weight once more.
21:15.
Yamaguchi left the court in a lonely silence, replaced by Hinata Shōyō. A heavy, almost desperate pressure settled onto the shoulders of the Karasuno players. To make matters worse, the rotation brought Oikawa back to the service line.
"Dammit, why does it have to be now?" Coach Ukai Keishin muttered from the sidelines, his frustration nearly boiling over into a curse.
BAM!
Oikawa Tōru showed no mercy. As the match neared its conclusion, his focus only sharpened. The volleyball screamed through the air, but Nishinoya Yū managed to get under it. As the match dragged on, Nishinoya had gradually adapted to the serving rhythms of both Oikawa and Akashi; his success rate was climbing.
However, despite the receive, the ball reflected directly back toward the Seijoh side. Oikawa, having just served, wasn't yet in position to set. In a flash, Seijoh's libero, Watari Shinji, sprinted from the backcourt to the front. Without waiting for a formal transition, he executed a direct set to Akashi Asuka.
THUMP!
A sudden, parallel quick attack. It was a surgical strike that earned Seijoh another point.
22:15.
Nishinoya managed to stabilize the next of Oikawa's serves. This time, the receive was perfect. Kageyama Tobio coordinated a "delayed-trigger" attack with Tanaka Ryūnosuke, successfully clawing back a point for Karasuno.
22:16.
Karasuno served next, handing the offensive momentum back to Seijoh. The ball found its way to Akashi Asuka once more. Karasuno deployed a double block, but Akashi ignored it, hammering a straight shot that kissed the sideline with surgical precision.
He reclaimed the point as if it were a simple formality.
23:16.
The rotation shifted. Akashi Asuka moved to position 1. As he stepped into the service zone, the Karasuno players felt a physical weight press down on their shoulders.
Akashi didn't waste time. He tossed the ball with a practiced grace and unleashed a jump serve with everything he had.
BOOM.
The volleyball whistled over the net, catching the backcourt corner with such perfection that it seemed intentional. Ace.
24:16.
The match had reached Match Point for Seijoh.
The King and the Monster
Damn it... is there really no way out of this?
Even Kageyama Tobio was beginning to feel the creeping shadows of despair. As much as he hated to admit it, the gap between the current Karasuno and Seijoh was a vast chasm. It wasn't just a difference between individual players; it was a fundamental disparity in physical conditioning, technical mastery, and tactical cohesion. They were at least two or three tiers apart.
Most daunting of all was the duo of Oikawa Tōru and Akashi Asuka. One was the senior Kageyama had struggled to surpass since middle school; the other was the old rival who had already tasted victory over him.
Dealing with either one was a nightmare. Seeing them join forces on the same team was enough to make anyone's skin crawl.
But... Kageyama did not want to lose. There was no logic to it, only a visceral refusal to surrender. And he wasn't alone.
He looked over at Hinata Shōyō. Unbelievably, Hinata seemed completely unaware that they were standing on the edge of a cliff. His eyes were locked onto Akashi Asuka across the net, sharp and predatory—the eyes of a crow sensing a kill.
What shocked Kageyama even more was that, despite being one point away from defeat, Hinata Shōyō was smiling.
There it is again... Kageyama thought. Where does this insane level of focus come from when he's backed into a corner?
The situation was dire. One more step back meant falling into the abyss. Most people, no matter how strong their mental game, would be shaken. But Hinata acted as if the cliff behind him didn't exist. Even at the brink, his world contained nothing but the volleyball.
BAM!
Akashi's second serve arrived like a thunderclap. The sheer power of the strike caused the ball to warp slightly in the air, its trajectory shifting unpredictably due to air resistance.
Against such a volatile path, even Nishinoya struggled to judge the landing spot instantly.
But then, a small blur of orange lunged forward. With a sharp CRACK, Akashi's monstrous serve was received perfectly.
"SET IT TO ME!!"
Almost before he had finished the receive, Hinata scrambled to his feet. He moved with a horizontal speed that defied belief, reaching the edge of the court and launching himself into the air.
Kageyama, acting on pure instinct, fired the set.
No—that wasn't quite right. It was as if Kageyama's set was being pulled toward Hinata's hand by some invisible force. In that moment, the setter wasn't the one in control; it was the flying figure of Hinata Shōyō.
BANG!
The ball was spiked over the net.
The attack was so fast that even Watari Shinji couldn't react. He was still reeling from the shock of the "perfect receive" on Akashi's serve when the ball was already crossing back into Seijoh's territory.
By the time he moved, it was too late.
However, someone else had already anticipated the play. As if he had predicted the exact angle of Hinata's spike, Akashi Asuka was already crouched in position, waiting.
PA!
The ball was dug, soaring back into the sky.
"Nice save, Akashi-chan~!" Oikawa began, ready to praise the dig. But before he could finish, Akashi's voice cut through the air.
"Give it to me."
It was calm, dominant, and utterly non-negotiable. It was the first time since their partnership began that Oikawa had heard Akashi use such a tone, and his body obeyed the command instinctively.
A high, arching set rose above Akashi. He took off from the backcourt.
Across the net, Hinata, Kageyama, and Tanaka rose together, forming a triple block. Though they weren't the tallest, their combined effort felt like a "Iron Wall." Facing this defense, Akashi's expression remained stony. He took a deep, sharp breath in mid-air, his chest and shoulder muscles bulging with sudden tension.
BAM!
Using every ounce of his formidable strength, Akashi Asuka swung his arm like a guillotine.
In a single, violent instant, the human wall before him shattered.