???

  What was that move?

  Was that really Ushijima Wakatoshi?

  A soft tip was ohing—Aoba Johsai could uand that. After all, it was a valid form of attack.

  But who would have thought that Ushijima would actively avoid a blod set up a pass instead?

  Tendō Satori, brimming with excitement, ran up to high-five Ushijima. Though Ushijima remaioic, he still raised his hands to cooperate.

  "Wakatoshi, you and I are the most synized pair ever!" Tendō decred, grinning from ear to ear.

  "Hmm. Though my synergy with Shirabu is also—"

  Before Ushijima could finish, Tendō had already bounded back to his position, practically skipping.

  Shiratorizawa's teamwork was steadily improving. Their pyers were already individually exceptional, and their growing familiarity with one another only added to their cohesion. While their earlier strategy had revolved around fully supp their ace, they were now beginning to incorporate more intricate pys.

  With a string of secutive points, Shiratorizawa had tied the game in the closing stages of the set. Momentum seemed to be shifting in their favour.

  Shirabu Kenjirō stepped up to serve. Despite the high stakes, he remained remarkably posed.

  The ball was aimed deep in Aoba Johsai's back-left court. Iwaizumi Hajime decisively stepped forward and received it with precision.

  Oikawa Tōru moved into positioing the ball toward the middle. Kaedehara Taichi jumped.

  "Triple block!" Tendō, Ushijima, and ōhira Reon all leapt to meet him at the .

  Shiratorizawa had been Taichi's growing exhaustion—they inteo pletely ralize Aoba Johsai's ace.

  Smack!

  Uo find an aaichi resorted to a geip, pg the ball behind the blockers.

  Goshiki Tsutomu was quick to follow, diving to save the ball.

  Shirabu stepped iing it high. Ushijima, having already nded, immediately backed off to gain a running start before taking flight.

  "Double block!" Kindaichi Yūtarō and Oikawa jumped to challenge him at the . Meanwhile, Taichi, uo recover in time, fell back to the rear.

  —Boom!!!—

  Ushijima, still brimming with stamina, smashed the ball with overwhelming force. It ricocheted off Kindaichi's arm and soared into the stands.

  [Aoba Johsai 22 – 23 Shiratorizawa]

  Shiratorizawa had taken the lead! With three secutive points, Aoba Johsai's situation had bee precarious.

  "Don't let it get to you!" Iwaizumi shouted, his voice steady and anding. "Focus on the point! Stay calm!"

  Iwaizumi was undoubtedly Aoba Johsai's most posed pyer at this moment. He believed that they had faced tougher situations before.

  Now was the time to showcase Aoba Johsai's grit.

  Shirabu sent his fourth serve hurtling over.

  Once again, Iwaizumi received it, allowing Oikawa to position himself uhe ball.

  Kaedehara Taichi sprio the far-left side of the court. Though his pace had visibly slowed due to fatigue, Tendō remained glued to him.

  In this state, purely relying on physical as won't fool Tendō anymore, Taichi thought to himself.

  Yet, he resolved to put everything into every jump!

  As Taichi leapt on the left, Oikawa's set followed closely.

  "You still dare to send it to him?" Tendō marvelled at Oikawa's audacity.

  In mid-air, Taichi swung his arm with all his might.

  Swing and miss?

  No—Kunimi Akira was right behind him! Aoba Johsai had executed a staggered attack!

  Smack!

  Pop!

  Shirabu read the py perfectly, receiving Kunimi's back-row attack. Goshiki then soared up from the back, delivering a sharp waist-level spike.

  A lightning-fast terattack!

  Pop!

  Watari Shinji lunged forward, managing a diving save.

  "Give it to me!!!"

  Kaedehara Taichi began his run along the left sideliarting his approach from the baseline. With a single explosive step ihe three-meter line, his legs geed tremendous power, ung him into the air.

  "Triple block!" Shiratorizawa's front three rose to meet him at the once more.

  Tendō's eyes widened in shock.

  Oikawa's set erfectly timed, and Taichi's strike point was above the triple block!

  "This is the final stretch!"

  These guys are insane! Tendō thought. That first-year who jumps like his life depends on it, and that setter who dares to make such risky decisions—they're both out of their minds!

  —Boom!—

  A thunderous spike uhe ball straight into Shiratorizawa's backcourt.

  But—

  Tendō Satori's lips curled into a peculiar smile.

  "We've given you hest priority..."

  Shirabu Kenjirō appeared precisely at the ball's trajectory, his hands sinking to absorb the impact.

  Smack!

  The volleyball struck his hands but ricocheted out of bounds.

  [Aoba Johsai 23 – 23 Shiratorizawa]

  "My bad~" Kaedehara Taichi's eyes gleamed as he gave a slightly uling grin. "I knew he'd be there."

  Switg to his left hand for the final strike wasn't just a gamble—it was because he'd spotted Shirabu moving forward.

  It wasn't enough to simply receive the ball; they had to ralize it pletely.

  Both teams gave everything in the relentless rallies, but Aoba Johsai ultimately secured this crucial point. The match dynamics shifted yet again, and the tension on the crew increasingly palpable.

  It was at this decisive moment that Oikawa Tōru stepped up to the service line.

  Memories of their fateful prefectural final against Shiratorizawa fshed in his mind. At that time, Aoba Johsai had also faced Ushijima Wakatoshi's brutal serves during the endgame.

  To Oikawa, it felt like destiny was giving him the ce to flip the script.

  Calming his breathing, Oikawa exhaled slowly, loosening the tension in his tightly wound muscles.

  With a geoss, the ball arced into the air. Oikawa began his measured steps, leaping as the ball desded. His body arched perfectly, his arm whipping through in a powerful motion.

  The moment his palm struck the ball, it fttened slightly, then shot forward like a bolt of lightning.

  BOOM!

  Shirabu and Goshiki barely had time to shift their positions before the ball smmed down on Shiratorizawa's baseline.

  A no-touch ace!

  Aoba Johsai cimed the first set point.

  [Aoba Johsai 24 – 23 Shiratorizawa]

  In mere mihe tide had turned once more.

  The spectators held their breath, enraptured by the nail-biting showdown. Matches like this were a rare sight, even oional stage.

  Oikawa stood poised on the service lihe sed set could end at any moment.

  Shiratorizayers retreated slightly, brag for what could be the final ball.

  BOOM!

  Even notig Shiratorizawa's defensive adjustment, Oikawa didn't opt for a safer float serve. At this moment, he trusted his most reliable on above all else.

  SMACK!

  Goshiki was blown backwards by the sheer force of the serve, tumbling over as the ball arced high into the air.

  They'd received it!

  "Give it to me!" Ushijima's voied as he charged forward. He was determio recim the point ahe set alive.

  Shirabu stepped iing the ball high in front of the .

  Ushijima began his approach from the back row, his intense gaze log onto Kaedehara Taichi across the .

  "Bring it on!"

  Ushijima soared, fully extending his frame, while Taichi met him midair.

  The unstoppable spike of the reigning king faced the unyielding resolve of the rising sun.

  Taichi's arms stretched diagonally, fingers spyed tightly, every muscle in his body coiled and pressed downward with unwavering vi.

  —BOOM!

  SMACK!—

  The volleyball smmed into Kaedehara Taichi's arms but was deflected straight bato Shiratorizawa's court with eveer force.

  No one could have predicted it—Ushijima Wakatoshi, the invincible ace, had been blocked in a one-on-one showdown!

  [Aoba Johsai 25 – 23 Shiratorizawa]

  "Ushijima-senpai, your time to graduate has e," Taichi remarked, his tone as calm as Ushijima's ever had been. "Look around you...Miyagi has already ed her new King."

  The Shiratorizayers stood stunned, still reeling from the sudden shift in momentum.

  Their gazes fell upon Kaedehara Taichi, whose expression remained posed, much like Ushijima's had been two years prior when Aoba Johsai first faced him.

  "Tweet!—" A long whistle echoed across the court.

  The sed set was over.

  Winner: Aoba Johsai!

  Fittingly, with Kaedehara Taichi's final block against Ushijima, his personal tally for the set also reached eighteen points—the same as Ushijima's.

  _________

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