Hank was continuing to transform.
He was transforming in the middle of the match!
"This guy has already become a little impossible to understand."
"Even if we can figure out which hand he'll use to attack next, there's no way to keep up with his speed."
Tendō was already feeling a faint pressure. Right now, the pressure Hank was putting on their entire team had already surpassed the combined pressure from every other player on Aoba Johsai. It was unbelievable. From this opponent of the same age standing before him, he could see a certain aura.
It was the aura of a leader.
As long as he remained standing on the court, the teammates beside him would support his attacks unconditionally. It was simply an unbelievable ability!
Bang!
A muffled sound rang out as the ball was received. Shiratorizawa's back-row libero quickly dug Hank's spike. This was only the second time in the entire match that he had managed to receive one of Hank's spikes, while Hank alone had already scored almost eleven points. It was enough to show that Aoba Johsai's offense was now relying entirely on Hank.
As long as they could stop Hank, they would be able to endure this match!
Thinking this, Wakatoshi Ushijima stepped forward. As he leaned his body forward, he moved through his familiar approach, jumped, extended his hand, and slammed the ball hard toward Aoba Johsai's court.
However, at that very moment, Iwaizumi stepped forward once again.
With everything he had, he blocked that ball. But when he landed, he unfortunately twisted his ankle. His cry of pain echoed across the entire court.
"Damn it!"
Iwaizumi's face turned somewhat pale. He had already fought Shiratorizawa through three full sets, and his body was almost at its limit. But when the team needed him, he had still stepped forward without hesitation. It was clear just how much he longed for victory.
As long as they could win and claim the ticket to Spring High, he was willing to pay any price.
But now, he had fallen early. If they ended up losing the match, then he would be the team's traitor, the culprit responsible for their final defeat!
"Iwa-chan!"
Oikawa looked at Iwaizumi, who had collapsed beside him, and unwillingness flashed through his eyes. Aoba Johsai had always used Hank as its core, while Iwaizumi served as another attacker. With those two heavy cannons, Aoba Johsai's offensive power was not inferior to anyone's.
But now, an accident had happened. Iwaizumi had twisted his ankle. He probably had no way of returning to the court for the rest of the match.
Were they really going to stop here!?
"Damn it, what are we supposed to do now!? Aoba Johsai already needed a lot of attacking power to make up for the fact that they couldn't hold on defensively. But now… Iwaizumi definitely can't go back on court."
"Are we really going to stop here!?"
The cheers from Aoba Johsai's club suddenly stopped at that moment. They stared at Iwaizumi on the court, clutching his ankle, and were completely at a loss. The flow of the match was very likely about to change, and Shiratorizawa would not let this chance slip by.
Their overall strength had already been weaker than their opponent's. Now, with Iwaizumi leaving the court, there would definitely be a cliff-like drop in their performance.
After Hank's previous spike had landed inside Shiratorizawa's three-meter line and scored, Coach Irihata urgently substituted Iwaizumi out. The one who replaced him was Kyotani.
At that moment, Iwaizumi, who had been standing on the court, silently lowered his head. Tears fell from his eyes.
He was unwilling to accept this.
He could not fall here.
However, as he was leaving, Oikawa stepped forward and forcefully patted him on the back. His eyes were filled with determination.
The match still had to continue. Even if they won this set, they would still have to fight Shiratorizawa through one more set!
(End of Chapter)
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