[He blocked it… He really blocked it!]
[Aoba Johsai's Akashi Asuka has successfully blocked Wakatsu Kiryu's devastating spike on match point! The referee has blown the whistle, ]
[The second set is officially over!]
[Score: 26–24.]
[The overall match score is now tied at one set apiece. It seems the upcoming third set will be the true decider!]
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With the second set concluded, both teams returned to the bench. But just before stepping off the court, Wakatsu Kiryu paused and looked back intently toward Akashi Asuka.
That last block had completely caught him off guard.
Not because it was blocked, but because Akashi Asuka had been the one to block it.
He wasn't alone in his confusion. Even Aoba Johsai's own players couldn't understand how Akashi, who had just been on the right wing, suddenly appeared on the left to make the play.
Yet none of them asked. It wasn't for lack of curiosity, but because, quite simply, they were all far too exhausted to muster the energy for questions.
Back on the bench, the Aoba Johsai players rushed to recover as much stamina as possible.
Only two people looked notably different from the rest, one of them being Oikawa Tooru.
Despite maintaining flawless focus and precision on court, Oikawa now found his hands trembling uncontrollably.
As a setter, he understood exactly what this meant: his body had reached its limit.
It wasn't just physical fatigue. It was mental overdrive, his brain had worked so hard directing plays that it had temporarily lost full control over his body.
"Seriously? I didn't even realize how much I was thinking through that second set…"
Being a setter demanded immense mental stamina, but never before had Oikawa sustained this level of concentration for an entire set.
It was a first for him, but understandable, given the pressure of the Nationals and the overwhelming threat posed by Mujinazaka.
Hajime Iwaizumi was the first to notice something was off.
"Hey, Oikawa… you good?"
Oikawa quickly hid his trembling hands behind his back and gave a casual smile.
"I'm fine."
Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes. Oikawa's expression looked normal, but after years together, he knew better. Something was definitely wrong.
In any regular season match, Iwaizumi would've already dragged him to the coach for a checkup.
But this… this might be their one and only shot at Nationals. So he simply pressed his lips together and said,
"Don't overdo it."
"Relax, Iwa-chan–" Oikawa replied with a grin. "I fully plan to make it to the next round."
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The other person who stood out from the rest was Akashi Asuka.
While most players were either huddled in discussion or catching their breath, Akashi stood alone in a corner with a water cup in hand, staring off into space, completely motionless for nearly a full minute.
A few players wanted to call him over to join the strategy talk, but they were stopped by coach Ryuhei Sanashita.
"Leave him be. He's… searching for the switch."
His words puzzled the team. But since the current strategy discussion wasn't all that urgent, they let Akashi be.
Oikawa, meanwhile, sat watching Akashi from afar, his gaze flickering uncertainly, as if lost in deep thought.
────────── ✦ ──────────
Before long, the referee's whistle signaled the start of the final set.
After spacing out for so long, Akashi now stood with his aura completely retracted, so calm, so quiet, it was hard to believe he'd been the key player in the previous clutch moment. If not for the fact that he was still moving, one might have thought his spirit had left his body entirely.
With the third set underway, coach Irihata Nobuteru made a bold move right out of the gate, he subbed out Hajime Iwaizumi and put Kyotani Kentarou in the starting rotation.
It was a huge gamble.
Serving, after all, was one of the riskiest elements in volleyball. A successful serve could lead to a point, but one mistake, and the server all but handed that point to the opponent.
Wham!
Kyotani launched Aoba Johsai's first serve of the third set… and it hit the net.
0:1.
Aoba Johsai dropped the opening point.
Then came Mujinazaka's turn to serve. It was a jump serve, not especially powerful, nor aimed at a tricky angle.
Yet somehow… they still scored.
Not because the serve was brilliant, but because Aoba Johsai's receivers simply failed to react in time.
Or rather, Watari Shinji mentally recognized the ball, but his body couldn't keep up.
He was just too exhausted.
The Nationals were a whole different beast compared to regular matches. Normally, the team could play three full sets and still have energy left in the tank.
But the sheer intensity and mental strain of Nationals drained stamina far faster than they were used to.
Even Mujinazaka's players, now panting from fatigue, were feeling it. The only difference was, thanks to superior conditioning and prior experience at this level, they still looked sharp, almost unchanged from the first two sets.
When Mujinazaka served again, Watari Shinji forced himself to focus, and just barely managed to dig the ball up.
Aoba Johsai looked to counterattack, but then… disaster struck.
Oikawa couldn't make the set.
Or more accurately, he did make it. He jumped and got the ball up… but the pass lacked strength. And the moment he landed, he collapsed.
Tweet~~!
The sudden fall sent shockwaves through the court. The referee immediately blew the whistle.
Players from both teams rushed to his side.
Oikawa sat on the floor, still conscious, but trembling. When his teammates helped him up, they realized his hands wouldn't stop shaking.
"Sorry–" Oikawa forced a weak smile. "That was my bad. I'll get back up now."
He managed to stand… but when he bent down to pick up the ball, his body wobbled, and he collapsed again.
"Weird… What's going on? Sorry, I'll be fine soon, I just need to, "
"Enough."
Akashi Asuka stepped forward, cutting him off mid-sentence.
His voice was cold and calm.
"Sit down and rest. Right now, you're no longer a strength to this team."
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