"Aiyaa, what a troublesome opponent this is!"
In Aoba Johsai's bench area, Nobuteru Irihata couldn't help but rub his chin and mutter as he watched Fukurodani's morale surge after being reignited by Kotaro Bokuto's energy.
"The teams in the Nationals really are something else, each one trickier than the last! Even now, they're still bursting with spirit… it's honestly beyond reason!"
"But…"
He paused slightly, then added to himself, "Passion alone won't be enough to solve the problem they're about to face."
────────── ✦ ──────────
Thanks to Kotaro Bokuto's encouragement, Fukurodani's libero finally stabilized his mental state.
Meanwhile, after scoring three consecutive points, Akashi Asuka's rhythm began to cool off. His fourth serve lacked its usual precision. The ball crossed the net, but this time, the libero from Fukurodani managed to receive it.
"Akaashi, send it to me!"
Even from the back row, Kotaro Bokuto didn't hesitate to call for the ball. As it arced toward him, Aoba Johsai's front-row blockers responded quickly.
Kindaichi and Matsukawa were the fastest, sliding into position in front of Bokuto in an instant to form a double block.
But Bokuto didn't flinch in the face of four towering arms. He swung confidently and sent the ball down the sideline in a sharp angle.
Smack!
Thump!
The first sound came from Bokuto's hit, the second from the ball grazing the block. Matsukawa managed to get a touch on it, but only with the side of his forearm. As a result, the ball ricocheted off the block and flew out of bounds.
18:17.
Fukurodani clawed back a point.
However, despite the point, aside from Bokuto who cheered without a care, everyone else on Fukurodani's side looked noticeably tense.
Something was wrong.
As Bokuto's "owl handler–" Keiji Akaashi arguably understood him better than anyone else on the team.
That last attack wasn't meant to be a strategic tool shot, it was clearly a straightforward attempt to score by avoiding the block with a cross shot.
But… Bokuto miscalculated.
Ordinarily, a minor hitting error wouldn't be a big deal. Even pro players don't score cleanly every time. A point is still a point.
But for Kotaro Bokuto, especially in this high-tension moment, that kind of mistake shouldn't happen.
Everyone in Fukurodani knew just how dominant Bokuto was when he was in the zone. That should've been an easy score.
So the only possible explanation… was that Bokuto's rhythm had cooled off.
"Damn... Was it because of those consecutive serves?" Akaashi realized.
At first, he thought Aoba Johsai brought in their blonde #16 simply to disrupt Fukurodani's rhythm and confidence with powerful, back-to-back serves.
But now it seemed there was another purpose: to freeze Bokuto out and throw off his rhythm.
Thinking back, due to both teams winning and losing points through serves, they'd gone five or six rotations without a proper offensive rally.
During that stretch, Bokuto had only served once and received one ball, and hadn't spiked at all.
Sure, Bokuto's fiery personality meant he could maintain high energy as long as the match was intense. But without touches, even someone like him was bound to cool down just a bit.
And even just a bit, in this match, could spell disaster for Fukurodani.
Realization struck Akaashi like a bolt.
"This is bad. Really bad."
────────── ✦ ──────────
[Fukurodani scores again!]
[The "Ace" Kotaro Bokuto lives up to his name! With a brilliant line shot, he once again broke through Aoba Johsai's double block, keeping Fukurodani within reach.]
[However, the danger hasn't passed, if Aoba Johsai scores the next point, they will officially reach set point.]
[And if Fukurodani drops this set, it means elimination from the Nationals tournament…]
Score: 23–23.
On paper, it looked tied. But Aoba Johsai still held a critical offensive advantage.
In this situation, that one extra attack opportunity could be a fatal blow to Fukurodani.
The players were all panting. Bokuto, though still powerful, was no longer in his explosive state. He could barely keep up with the score, let alone dominate like he did in the second set.
As a result, the pressure on the rest of Fukurodani increased sharply.
Fukurodani served again.
The ball was received by Aoba Johsai's libero, passed to Oikawa, who quickly set it to Akashi Asuka.
Fukurodani had already begun adapting to Akashi's attacks, and this time, even though the play was fast, they managed to form a solid double block.
But the moment Akashi spiked the ball, the two blockers could only watch as it curved oddly mid-air, brushing past their arms and landing cleanly behind them.
"Damn it!"
The blockers were filled with frustration, if only they had another arm to reach it.
Boom!
The ball hit the court with a deep, resounding thud.
24:23.
Aoba Johsai reached the set point.
BEEP!
Right then, the sharp whistle of the referee blew. Fukurodani's coach finally used the team's final timeout of the set.
[What a play!]
[Aoba Johsai scores again!]
[And once again, it's Akashi Asuka, their "Ace." This is his 11th point of the set alone!]
[It's hard to believe this is his first time at Nationals, and even harder to believe he's only a first-year!]
[With that point, Aoba Johsai reaches set point. The question now is, can Fukurodani come back to tie the game and stage a comeback victory?]
[We'll find out, after the break!]
────────── ✦ ──────────
Note: Yes, high school volleyball matches in Japan really do have commercial breaks on TV!
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 562+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 333
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 279
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 97
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 176
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 158
Playing Genshin Impact in Danmachi (Danmachi x Genshin Impact) — Up to 88