The whistle blew, signaling the continuation of the match. Karasuno remained in possession, with Hinata stepping up for another serve. Aoba Johsai's players stood tense, beads of sweat dripping down their faces. They still hadn't managed to properly receive Hinata's Cannon Shot serves, and the pressure was suffocating.
Hinata tossed the ball into the air, his expression focused. He took a deep breath, swung his arm, and struck the ball with sheer power.
[Serve: Cannon Shot]
The ball rocketed past the net, its trajectory slightly curving at the last second. Watari, Aoba Johsai's libero, planted his feet and raised his arms, but the force of the serve sent the ball ricocheting off his forearms and out of bounds.
"Service ace!" the referee announced.
The scoreboard now read 9-0.
"Are you serious?! We still can't receive that?!" Yahaba shouted in frustration.
Oikawa, however, remained composed, deep in thought. "No, this isn't just any serve. It's beyond high school level," he muttered, watching Hinata closely. "It's on a professional level."
Hinata prepared to serve again. The tension in the gym was palpable as he tossed the ball high.
Boom!
Another Cannon Shot tore through the air. Watari dove desperately, arms stretched out, and just barely managed to keep the ball in play. It deflected off him and flew toward Oikawa.
"This is it!" Oikawa called, rushing to the net. Instead of setting, he swiftly tipped the ball over in a dump shot.
Hinata, Kageyama, and Daichi all lunged for it, but the ball landed just inside the court.
"Point, Aoba Johsai!"
Aoba Johsai's bench erupted in cheers. They had finally broken Hinata's devastating serve streak. The scoreboard changed: 10-1.
Oikawa smirked. "Finally."
Now, it was their turn to attack.
Oikawa took the ball for the serve, his sharp eyes scanning Karasuno's formation. He smirked as he targeted the weaker spots—Ennoshita and Tanaka.
He tossed the ball high and slammed it down with pinpoint precision. The ball veered straight toward Ennoshita, who struggled to adjust in time.
"Ennoshita, watch out!" Daichi called.
The ball dipped sharply, and Ennoshita barely got his arms under it. The ball wobbled and floated awkwardly towards Kageyama, who had to scramble to get under it. He managed to push it toward Tanaka, but the setup was far from perfect. Tanaka had no choice but to send the ball over in a free ball.
Oikawa's eyes gleamed. "Now, crush them!"
He quickly set the ball up high for Iwaizumi.
Iwaizumi charged in and jumped, arm swinging back before launching the ball with a powerful spike.
Tanaka and Tsukishima jumped to block, but the ball ricocheted off Tanaka's fingers and sailed out of bounds.
"Point, Aoba Johsai!"
"10-2!"
"They're aiming for our weak spots," Sugawara noted. "They're not playing recklessly—they're targeting our weaker defense."
Oikawa continued to exploit this, serving aggressively toward Tanaka and Ennoshita. Despite their best efforts, Aoba Johsai managed to chip away at the score. Another fast attack from Iwaizumi slipped through Karasuno's block, and Tanaka barely got his hands on the ball before it deflected away.
"10-3!"
Oikawa smirked. "Keep going!"
Another serve, another strategic attack. This time, Yahaba's quick set to Kyotani allowed him to blast past the block. Daichi barely managed to keep it in play, but Karasuno's counterattack was weak. Aoba Johsai quickly turned it into another point.
"10-4!"
"They're catching up!" Yamaguchi muttered.
Another play. Oikawa targeted Tanaka again, forcing an awkward receive. The ball floated toward the net, and Aoba Johsai capitalized, with Kyotani smashing it past Tsukishima's fingers for another score.
"10-5!"
Karasuno gritted their teeth. Their lead was slipping.
Daichi clapped his hands together. "Alright, enough! Don't let them dictate the pace. We take back control, now!"
Karasuno's determination reignited as the serve rotated back to them. Kageyama took position.
Now that Hinata was in the back row, their attack wasn't as strong at the net, but that didn't mean they were out of options.
Kageyama's serve zipped over the net, and Aoba Johsai managed a clean receive. Oikawa quickly set the ball for Iwaizumi.
"Not this time!" Daichi shouted.
Daichi and Tsukishima positioned themselves perfectly, forming a solid defensive line. Iwaizumi spiked with full force, but Daichi was there, absorbing the impact and keeping the ball in play.
The ball floated toward Kageyama, and he smirked. "You ready, Hinata?"
Hinata grinned. "Always."
From the back row, Hinata took off running. Kageyama set the ball beautifully, and Hinata leaped, soaring from beyond the three-meter line.
[Back Attack: On the Line]
With an explosive spike, the ball shot down the sideline, untouched.
The crowd gasped in awe.
"Point, Karasuno! 11-5!"
Hinata wasn't done. He continued launching powerful back-row attacks, overwhelming Aoba Johsai's defenses. Even with Oikawa's best efforts, they couldn't completely shut him down.
Karasuno held strong, with Daichi and Nishinoya leading the defense. Aoba Johsai struggled to break through their airtight formation. Meanwhile, Kageyama kept setting up Hinata for devastating back-row attacks, extending their lead further and further.
The scoreboard flashed: 25-11.
"The set and match go to Karasuno!" the referee declared.
The gym erupted into cheers. Karasuno had dominated Aoba Johsai, leaving the court in stunned silence.
Aoba Johsai's players stood frozen, unable to comprehend the overwhelming gap. Oikawa clenched his fists, his mind racing. No matter how he looked at it, he had never been outplayed like this before.
As the teams shook hands, Hinata grinned at Oikawa. "That was fun."
Oikawa stared at him, his competitive spirit burning. "You really are something else, aren't you?. But know this! I'm not losing next time" he muttered under his breath.
But deep inside, he couldn't deny it.
What kind of monster had he just faced?