The first set began like a collision between a fast train and a mountain of granite. Kageyama and Hinata's speed was our best weapon, but Datekogyo was not easily impressed. Their "Read Blocking" was a perfect machine, they didn't jump on feints, they waited to see the ball leave the setter's hands.
The impact against my hands was so strong that I felt my wrist bones vibrate up to my shoulders. It wasn't a normal spike; it felt like being hit by a block of marble. The ball overwhelmed us, bouncing off my fingers and flying out of bounds.
Karasuno 3 | 5 Datekogyo
"Damn it..." I cursed, rubbing my tingling right hand. "Don't give up! It's only two points!" Daichi yelled, but the atmosphere had already changed.
Karasuno 6 | 8 Datekogyo
Datekogyo began to tighten their defense. Kageyama sent the ball to Asahi. The Ace jumped, putting all his weight into his right arm. In front of him, Aone and Futakuchi rose like a single slab of concrete.
CLANG!
The wall blocked the attack with incredible violence. The ball flew back toward our side at double speed. It looked over, but Nishinoya dove forward, hitting the ball with his knuckles just millimeters from the floor. "It's not down yet! Cover it!"
The ball stayed alive. Kageyama set it to Asahi again, giving him a chance for revenge. Asahi hit it again, this time trying for a "wipe" off the block, but Aone moved his arms in mid-air, intercepting the path. "One touch!" the green giants shouted.
Karasuno 9 | 12 Datekogyo
Asahi was struggling; sweat dripped into his eyes and his breath was short. Every attack hit those massive hands. But Karasuno stayed in the game. When Datekogyo counter-attacked with their powerful "pipe" play, Daichi stayed on the back line, receiving balls that felt like bullets with impressive stability.
"Nice receive, Captain!" I yelled as I prepared to run.
Karasuno 15 | 14 Datekogyo
We used Daichi's stability to unleash Hinata. While Aone was obsessed with blocking Asahi, Kageyama sent a low ball across the net for number ten. ZUP! The ball hit the floor before the wall could even jump. It was a war of nerves: Asahi drew the fire, and Hinata struck from the shadows.
Our turn to attack. Clean receive by Nishinoya. Kageyama looked toward Hinata. It was time for our secret weapon: the freak quick.
Hinata dashed like lightning, crossing the court in a heartbeat. He jumped into the blind spot. Kageyama sent the ball exactly to his hand. Aone, who was on the other side of the court, took a crossover step. Along with Futakuchi, he rose in front of Hinata. But they were too slow.
CLANG!
The sound was metallic and sharp. The ball hit the floor. The first set was going better than expected. Kageyama and Hinata's "freak quick" was working like a drill on a sheet of ice: every hit opened a crack. Aone and Futakuchi were always a moment late, their giant arms hitting only air.
"One more!" Hinata yelled, excited by his attacks. But I felt the air changing. Aone wasn't frustrated; he was in "learning mode." Every time Hinata scored, the Datekogyo middle blocker didn't curse. He just stared at the point of impact, recalibrating his reflexes.
Another receive by Nishinoya. Activation.
The world turned red. Aone's movements became a series of vectors and muscle signals. I saw that his center of gravity was shifted slightly to the right, ready to jump on Hinata again.
"Kageyama, set it to me!" I yelled as I started my approach. I ran to the net. This time, the Sharingan showed me the weak point: Aone's left arm was a millimeter lower than his right due to a micro-delay.
I jumped. BAM! Kageyama sent me a fast, tight set. "Perfect," I thought as I calculated the path.
[SHARINGAN CONSUMPTION: 8 SECONDS USED]
In the air, I saw the wall rise. It was huge. But thanks to my "Pre-Reading," I saw the gap between Aone and his teammate's hands. Instead of hitting with full power, I snapped my wrist at the last second, aiming exactly for that crack.
SMASH!
The ball passed through the wall and hit the Datekogyo floor with a sharp thud. "YES!" I yelled as I landed.
Aone stayed on the ground, looking at his hands with a confused expression. It was the first time anyone had passed through his wall like that all set. He turned to look at me, and this time, his eyes showed a silent challenge.
But as I celebrated, I felt a sharp pain behind my left eye.
[WARNING: Neural load increasing. Time remaining: 42 seconds.]
"Nice hit, Kazuki," Daichi said, patting my shoulder. "But look at their faces. They didn't take that well." Indeed, Datekogyo had lost its arrogance. The cheers from their fans had stopped.
Karasuno 18 | 14 Datekogyo
The lead was solid, but fatigue was setting in. My wrists were still sore from the block I made on Aone at the start. Coach Ukai signaled from the bench for me to stay calm.
It was my turn to block with Tsukishima. Futakuchi was in front of us. The Datekogyo setter, Moniwa, sent a quick set. I moved by instinct, jumping with arms extended. PAM! The ball hit my fingers. "One touch!" Nishinoya recovered the ball. "Kageyama, yours!"
Kageyama set to Asahi. Karasuno's Ace jumped, but the Datekogyo wall had already reformed.
CLANG!
The ball came back like a stone. Nishinoya saved it again with his fist, but the ball flew high and messy.
Karasuno 16 | 20 Datekogyo
The scoreboard felt like a death sentence. The second set was slipping away; the Iron Wall had adapted to our speed. Every spike bounced back as if hitting a mountain. Asahi was on his knees, out of breath, while Hinata looked at Aone with respect and fear. I knew if I didn't act now, there wouldn't be a third set. My hands were shaking from neural fatigue, but I had no choice.
Activation.
[AUTONOMY USED: 16 SECONDS]
The world exploded into painful clarity. I wasn't just looking at the ball; I was mapping the entire court. I saw Futakuchi prepare his hit; I saw the tension in his shoulder indicating a sharp diagonal. "Noya, left! Daichi, stay short!" I yelled. Futakuchi's spike exploded toward the ground, but Nishinoya was already there, perfectly positioned.
We didn't stop. Datekogyo attacked three times in a row, but each time my voice cut through the noise, calling the landing point before the ball even crossed the net. I felt the blood pulsing in my temples.
It's time. I felt that if we didn't end this rally, our morale would break. Activation.
[AUTONOMY USED: 21 SECONDS]
My pupils spun. The world became a diagram of forces. I saw Nishinoya's messy pass. I saw Kageyama ready to recover it. But mostly, I saw Aone's position: he was expecting another quick from Hinata. "Kageyama! Back!" I screamed, pointing to the wing.
Kageyama trusted my cry. He sent a long, high set to Tanaka. Aone, caught by surprise, tried to change direction, but his 90kg of muscle couldn't match my prediction. Tanaka hit the ball cleanly. SMASH!
Karasuno 19 | 21 Datekogyo
I landed with a ringing in my ears. Only four seconds, but the neural feedback felt like a shock of bitter coffee. "Great call, Kazuki!" Tanaka said, hitting my shoulder so hard I almost hit the net.
The set moved toward the end. Datekogyo tried to recover with Aone's raw strength. At 22 | 20, the eyebrow-less giant blasted a spike between me and Tsukishima like lightning. BOOM. Neither of us had time to react.
But our lead was too large. Kageyama decided to end it. One last deadly serve put their libero in trouble, followed by a quick from Hinata that left Aone on the ground, reaching out in vain.
First Set Result: Karasuno 25 | 21 Datekogyo
The referee's whistle marked the end of the first set. We went back to the bench to the applause of our fans. Hinata was jumping, but Asahi was covered in sweat and looked tense. He knew the "Iron Wall" hadn't fallen yet; it was just preparing for round two.
I sighed, sitting on the bench and feeling my leg muscles vibrate. Ukai gathered us in a circle. "Great job. But don't relax just because you won a set. The second set will be harder."
I looked toward the other side. Aone was standing there, motionless. He was drinking water while staring at our bench. His eyes met mine. There was no anger, only a silent promise.
The second set won't be so easy.