Just as Mitsuda's words fell, the situation on the court changed again!
Bang!
A spike slammed into the receiver!
But after he picked up the ball, it spun unpredictably and flew toward the back of Wakatoshi Ushijima!
Not far from him!
There was no one better suited to receive this ball than Ushijima himself!
Syllable!
In desperation, Ushijima could only grit his teeth and pad the ball to the front row to assist his teammates in attacking!
But because he was involved in the second touch—
Ushijima would not be able to participate in this attack!
"This..."
Both Kunimura and Heiji Yoshino in the audience were dumbfounded.
"If it's a well-balanced team, it doesn't matter who attacks!"
"But Shiratorizawa is different!"
"Their strongest trump card, Ushijima Wakatoshi, is the spearhead of the team's attack!"
"Once Ushijima can't participate in the attack, Shiratorizawa's offensive power will drop significantly!"
"The consequences of this... I don't even need to say!"
Yoshino and Kunimura looked at each other, both realizing the terrifying implications.
Heiji Yoshino stumbled over his words:
"Only someone who can control the landing point of the ball so precisely could do this!"
"It's like using the opposing receiver as a trampoline, sending the ball exactly where they want it!"
"If it were anyone else, this would be impossible!"
Bang!
The game continued.
With this strategy in play, Washijo Tanji quickly discovered its flaws!
Especially Akira's ability to control the ball's trajectory at will—it was almost like a cheat ability.
But there was no immediate way to counter it.
After all, Akira could alter the spin of the ball at will, while the receivers couldn't suddenly change their reception technique and habits.
If they forced a change, it wouldn't just be a matter of unpredictable ball movement—
It could make receiving impossible altogether!
...
Bang!
Shiratorizawa's spike was received cleanly by Daichi Sawamura in the back row!
Sugawara jumped!
Without hesitation, he set the ball directly to Akira, who was already sprinting into position!
Bang!
Facing Shiratorizawa's tight straight-ball block,
Akira responded with a sharp cross shot, slicing past every single defender!
Straight to the floor!
Since Shiratorizawa had changed tactics, Akira had shifted his focus from exhausting their setter to scoring directly.
And the third-years—Daichi, Sugawara, and Asahi—were rock solid.
Their attacks might not be as unpredictable as Kageyama and Hinata's quicks,
but their defense was outstanding.
With Akira holding the front-row block, scoring against Karasuno became even harder for Shiratorizawa.
But they refused to back down.
The third set—
Their last hope!
Syllable!
Another serve!
Even against the towering wall in front of him,
Ushijima caught the faint light of an opening in the dark sky.
He landed a powerful spike—
Score!
That's what it means to be an ace!
Even when the team is on the brink, the ace must rise above!
But now, his stamina was nearly depleted.
Ushijima panted heavily, sweat dripping from his forehead into his eyes, almost blinding him.
His hair was soaked, clinging to his face.
Throughout the match, Ushijima had launched the most attacks for his team.
Even when Akira rotated to the back row, Karasuno still had Kageyama and Hinata's quick attack to handle the offensive pressure.
But when Ushijima was in the back row, he had to shoulder the burden of back-row attacks, which demanded even more energy.
Because, against Karasuno's defense—
Not just anyone could score.
Especially with Akira leading the net defense, the difficulty increased drastically.
So, as the ace, Ushijima bore the responsibility of scoring.
No matter how exhausted he was—
He had to attack.
He had to score.
That's the very existence of an ace!
Looking at the scoreboard—
Both teams had passed 20 points,
but Shiratorizawa was still behind...
"Eita!"
"Next ball—set it to me!"
Ushijima planted his hands on his knees, straightened up, and called out loudly.
His voice rang through the court.
Everyone on Shiratorizawa turned their heads toward him, shocked.
At that moment—
Ushijima's presence was immense.
It felt like he was holding up the entire world.
Even with all eyes on him, his focus never wavered.
His eyes stayed locked on Karasuno's formation, already analyzing his next attack.
"Yes!"
Semi Eita gritted his teeth and nodded determinedly.
"Damn it... It's my fault. I can't fool Karasuno's blockers, and now our ace has to take on this entire burden alone..."
Semi Eita clenched his fists in frustration.
Not just him—
Everyone on Shiratorizawa felt the same guilt.
But they also knew—
At this point, the only thing they could do was trust their ace completely!
They had to keep the ball in play for him—
Feed him every opportunity to attack!
As long as Ushijima was still standing on that court—
There was still hope for victory!
Syllable!
Akira's spike flew again, but just before it touched the ground—
Semi Eita dove, barely saving it!
The second setter took the first touch!
"Please!"
Semi Eita, hands planted firmly on the court, lifted his head and shouted.
"Ushijima!"
Tendou Satori sprinted forward, getting into position, and sent a perfect set to the ace!
Boom!
That powerful approach—
That unwavering will—
Told the world that he was still standing!
Bang!
A devastating spike—
Point for Shiratorizawa!
But in the next rally—
Karasuno struck back, recovering the point instantly!
The scores remained locked in a tight battle—
Neither side giving an inch!
The game raged on,
And the question remained—
Who would break first?