After the score turned to 5–3, Aoba Johsai didn't pause for even a second. They picked up the volleyball and immediately launched into the next rally.
Thanks to Oikawa Tooru's prediction in the last play, they managed to help Akashi Asuka hold onto his service round. That meant Akashi would be serving again this round.
For Kamomedai High, that was nothing short of a nightmare.
If they had the choice, they'd have gladly given up a point just to skip Akashi's serve.
(Aoba Johsai: Honestly? We feel the same way.)
Akashi Asuka's serve had reached a level where one man's serve made both teams nervous.
BOOM!!!
As both teams shared this silent, mutual dread, Akashi launched a banana jump serve that whipped through the air, skimming the foul pole so closely it flirted with the edge of a violation. It carved a beautiful arc across the court...
…before crashing down right at the outer corner of Kamomedai High's backline.
"Hiss~"
That serve wasn't just shocking for Kamomedai's players, even the spectators in the stands, including those from Itachiyama, Inarizaki, and Fukurodani, couldn't help but gasp sharply.
Kotaro Bokuto clutched his jaw, overwhelmed by sympathetic pain. Sweat trickled down his back as he exclaimed, "Terrifying! That's terrifying! What kind of demonic serve was that?!"
The crowd had experienced Akashi's serving firsthand. It was fast, powerful, sometimes spinning, every single one a threat.
The only downside? He couldn't precisely control where the ball would land.
But even that "flaw" was torture for his opponents.
When luck was on their side, Akashi's serve might land right on the libero, increasing the chances of a successful reception.
But when luck turned bad… the result was nightmarish.
Just like that last serve—
—a banana ball to the far corner of the backline, hugging the sideline.
A serve like that wasn't just difficult, it was the kind of "hopeless ball" you only heard about in legends. One that not even the server could plan, much less the receiver.
Even Motoya Komori, the nation's top libero, mentally replayed the scenario from the receiver's perspective, and came to one conclusion:
There's no saving that.
"Looks like Kamomedai's luck just ran dry," Miya Atsumu said, leaning back in his seat.
As a serving specialist himself, he knew full well how much luck was involved in that last shot.
And while that kind of luck might not mean much in the hands of just anyone, when Akashi Asuka was the one serving, it spelled disaster.
6–3.
As the spectators had predicted, that serve left Kamomedai a bit dazed.
Luck or not, that kind of serve was a devastating blow to team morale.
But Aoba Johsai showed no mercy. After securing another point, Akashi immediately launched his third serve without hesitation.
Unfortunately, that one flew out of bounds.
6–4.
Now it was Kamomedai's turn to serve.
The ball sailed over the net and was smoothly received by Watari Shinji. Oikawa Tooru immediately called for a quick attack.
BOOM!
He and Akashi executed a lightning-quick fast attack, instantly reclaiming the point they had just lost.
7–4.
Kamomedai then responded with their own offensive.
Once again, they used the same tactic. Even though Oikawa had read the connection between Korai Hoshiumi and Aikichi Suwa last time, it didn't mean they had cracked the strategy.
7–5.
But once again, Aoba Johsai took the next point back...
────────── ✦ ──────────
"Hmm? That's odd. Doesn't Aoba Johsai plan to shut down that combo between Kamomedai's ace and their setter?" Kotaro Bokuto blinked at the court, puzzled as the two teams resumed their back-and-forth scoring battle.
After all,
If a move like Kamomedai's wasn't quickly countered, it practically guaranteed them a stable point-scoring setup!
And unless Aoba Johsai played a perfect offense from here on out, they risked getting overturned.
"No," said Akaashi Keiji, eyes sharp as he stared at the court. "They've already started breaking it."
"Eh? Where? Where?!" Bokuto twisted left and right like an owl, scanning the court in confusion.
Akaashi finally couldn't take it anymore and gave him a classic karate chop to the head. "Quiet. Don't distract others watching the match."
Bokuto instantly deflated.
Though owl-like in spirit, Bokuto had met his match in the owl-whisperer himself: Akaashi Keiji.
"Look at the match timer," Akaashi eventually said, perhaps feeling a bit sorry for the sulking owl.
Bokuto turned his head toward the timer, and immediately perked up again. Even the two little tufts of hair atop his head suddenly sprang back to life.
"Whoa~~ that's short. No, wait, it's fast! Why is this match moving so fast?!"
The scoreboard already read 18–16, yet from the moment Akashi launched that first serve, it had only been 12 minutes.
In a best-of-five match, there are typically two technical timeouts per set, at 8 points and 16 points.
That's why a normal best-of-three set usually takes around 22–25 minutes. For a five-set match, that stretches to 25–28 minutes per set.
Under normal conditions, at the 12-minute mark, the score should still be hovering around 12 or 13 points.
"What the heck is going on here?"
"You seriously have to ask?" Atsumu scoffed from the side. "Who else in Aoba Johsai could pull something like this off besides that sneaky setter?"
"It's simple, faster-paced games burn stamina faster. Especially when that pace is sustained, players start running out of oxygen. That affects not just their bodies, but their brains. Thought processes slow down, and before long, instinct starts calling the shots."
"Of course," Atsumu smirked, "Kamomedai's seasoned coach probably noticed too, but knowing doesn't change a thing. That breakneck tempo was orchestrated from the very start by that guy from Aoba Johsai."
"It's an open scheme. But Kamomedai had no choice but to take the bait."
With a sly chuckle, Atsumu leaned forward and whispered, "What a beautiful piece of strategy. That guy's just like me..."
=============
Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria