Bang!!
Subaru Hondo executed a jump serve from the sideline—aimed straight at Akira's position!
Smack!
Akira received it cleanly and sent the ball toward Tobio Kageyama!
At the net, Karasuno's front row immediately began to set up an attack!
At this stage in the match, everyone had a clear understanding of the opposing players' characteristics and strengths.
And for the players of Karasuno...
When launching an attack, it was best to avoid the block zone guarded by the opposing [Twin Towers]!
It was always easier to score against the others.
But those two tall, powerful, and experienced middle blockers on Mujinazaka's side were a different story!
Their blocking ability ranked among the strongest on the team!
If a spike went straight into their zone, there was a high chance it would be shut down.
How to avoid that block—this was Kageyama's problem to solve.
But Mujinazaka had changed tactics completely!
They had shifted from their hard-block strategy last set to a soft block this time!
Especially when Akira was rotating to the back row!
They no longer aimed to block Karasuno's front-row attacks outright—instead, they aimed to deflect the ball with touches, converting Karasuno's offense into Mujinazaka's counterattack!
By doing this, they transformed Karasuno's attack into their own opportunity to strike back!
And each of these hard-won chances—they aimed their counterattacks straight at Akira!
They weren't just aiming to win this set; their real goal was to exhaust Akira's stamina to the maximum!!
...
Bang!
Wakatsu Kiryū's spike was dug cleanly by Yū Nishinoya, who was positioned right beside Akira!
Immediately after, Karasuno launched a counterattack!
This time, Shōyō Hinata used a clever run to dodge Mujinazaka's block, executing a quick behind-the-set spike from Kageyama!
Karasuno scores!
"No need to do that, Nishinoya-senpai!"
During the break before the serve, Akira turned to Nishinoya with a playful grin.
"If I receive more attacks, they'll be more convinced I'm running out of stamina."
"Haha!"
Nishinoya scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"The ball was right next to me—I couldn't help going for it!"
"Besides, aren't we all supposed to scramble for balls near you to make it more believable?"
"Oh?"
Akira blinked.
Seeing the look on his face, Nishinoya added,
"No team would just sit back and let their ace get worn down by the opponent!"
"So us reacting that way—it's totally normal!"
"Hmm…"
"Is that so?"
Akira rubbed his chin, staring thoughtfully across the net.
He hadn't considered that before.
So if he overacted, it might actually backfire?
With that in mind, he quietly shelved the dramatic panting and pale expressions he'd planned for later.
He'd save those for the final stretch of the game.
By then, it wouldn't raise any red flags with Mujinazaka.
Bang!
Ryūnosuke Tanaka's serve landed deep in Mujinazaka's back row, and Haruma Bishin picked it up cleanly!
Michiru Usuri quickly stepped up and set to the front!
This time, the target—
A mid-range quick attack!
They aimed the spike right into the zone beside Akira!
To receive that type of attack, Akira would have to cover a large distance in a short time!
Which was exactly what Mujinazaka wanted—for Akira to burn even more energy!
But just as Naoharu Ezota leapt up for the spike—Karasuno's blockers were already in motion!
As a seasoned middle blocker, Ezota had a knack for finding angles past the block!
He assumed this one would be no different—that he could get around it again...
Smack!!
But his spike was stuffed clean by Kei Tsukishima!!
Creak!!
Karasuno scores!!
...
"The rest of Karasuno is really stepping up now."
In Inarizaki's section, Osamu Miya watched the court with interest.
"Mujinazaka's tactics might not be as foolproof as they hoped."
"Not only that…"
Shinsuke Kita chimed in:
"They're not even focused on scoring anymore—it's honestly reckless."
"If they drop this set too…"
"They'll have no room for error going forward!"
"Do they really believe they can win two sets back-to-back after this?"
"I doubt it…"
Atsumu added calmly:
"If this were a standard match, they'd know the odds are against them."
"Akira's spikes are too difficult to deal with."
"I think everyone here understands just how unstoppable they are…"
At his words, the other members of Inarizaki exchanged glances and nodded in agreement.
"So Mujinazaka is just going all in. It's a desperate gamble."
"If they can drain Akira's stamina completely, maybe they can fight Karasuno on even footing."
"At the very least... they'd no longer have to face Akira's terrifying spikes."
"But if the gamble fails…"
Atsumu Miya said hesitantly from the side.
"Then they're done for."
"They won't get another shot after this."
Kita spoke bluntly:
"Even if they do drain most of Akira's stamina…"
"If he's still strong enough to serve and score a dozen points in the third set…"
He looked around at the others.
"Do you really think Mujinazaka can recover from that?"
"..."
The Inarizaki players fell silent, unsure how to respond.
...
Bang!
Kiryū's spike was received cleanly by Akira and sent up to Karasuno's front row!
But as they transitioned to attack, the ball was shut down by Mujinazaka's front row blocker!
Point to Mujinazaka!
But it wasn't good news for them.
Because after just one more Karasuno point...
Akira would rotate back into the front row!!
Once that happened, their entire targeting strategy would lose its edge.
Realizing this, everyone on Mujinazaka exchanged grim looks.
Even though they'd repeatedly attacked Akira, no one felt secure.
Everyone on Mujinazaka knew—if they lost this set, their margin for error would vanish completely.
So now, only one thought filled their minds:
Exhaust him.
Again and again—drain everything!
Layer after layer of insurance for the battles ahead.