Here you go
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Iwaizumi frowned slightly. "Serve?"
He looked puzzled. "Just now, his serve was pretty ordinary. I don't see what's so powerful about it."
"Hey, hey! That's why I say you're still young!" Oikawa said with a smirk, standing beside him. "What you see is what others want you to see. Think about it—if he can match Ushijima in spikes, do you really think his serve is only at that level?"
Iwaizumi hesitated, processing Oikawa's words. "This..."
It did make sense. What they had seen so far might just be what Akira wanted them to see.
Oikawa chuckled and pointed toward the court. "Watch closely. It's coming soon."
After Karasuno's last point, the serve shifted to their side.
With the change in service, the rotation also shifted, bringing Akira to the back row for his serve.
Some spectators murmured anxiously. Up until now, Akira hadn't shown any particularly strong serving ability.
And with him moving to the back row, Karasuno's offensive and defensive power could take a hit.
Would they really be able to handle Shiratorizawa?
But those familiar with Akira knew better.
He wouldn't let the game drag on that long.
Akira stepped up to the service line, gripping the ball. But this time, he didn't stop at the usual spot.
Instead, he took a few extra steps back, positioning himself farther from the court.
Shiratorizawa's players exchanged wary glances, frowning. This... they had never seen him serve like this before.
Throughout the match, Akira had only used a basic overhand serve. But now, at this critical match point, he was suddenly switching it up?
This was bad news.
Because facing the unknown always carried a high risk of failure.
Especially an unknown technique from someone like Akira.
If he dared to use this now, it meant he had been holding it back for a reason. And that reason was likely that this serve was a weapon.
Just how strong was this hidden serve?
The referee's whistle blew.
Akira moved instantly—run, toss!
The ball floated into the air in a perfect arc, seemingly unaffected by spin. Then, he leaped and struck it cleanly with his palm.
Not a power jump serve.
Not a hybrid float.
A pure, straight jump float serve aimed at the back row of Shiratorizawa!
At first glance, it seemed like it might go out. But no one on Shiratorizawa dared to take that risk.
In the back row, Kawanishi stepped forward, preparing to receive it.
Jump float serves weren't uncommon. If received properly, they weren't too difficult to handle.
He adjusted his posture, arms low, ready to absorb the impact.
But—
The ball didn't fall as expected.
It continued to drift.
At the last second, the trajectory shifted, veering left. The ball zipped past Kawanishi's shoulder before dropping sharply onto the boundary line!
Silence.
The entire stadium seemed to hold its breath.
"That..." Mitsuda muttered from the stands.
Heiji let out a low whistle. "Typical Akira. Just when you think you've seen everything, he pulls out something new."
"Yeah." Mitsuda scratched his head. "You'd think he could just play normally for once. But then again, if he did, that'd be even weirder."
The scoreboard changed.
Karasuno had taken the lead. Match point!
If they could score one more point, they would win. And with that, they would secure their place in Nationals.
The tension in the gym was suffocating. The audience held their breath, afraid to disturb the moment.
Akira, unfazed, took his position again. Every step he took toward the service line echoed through the silent arena.
Shiratorizawa's players were on edge, watching him intently. His last serve had been bizarre, unlike anything they had prepared for.
And now...
What would he do next?
The whistle blew again.
He waited
Everyone on venue is on edge at last 2 seconds
Run,
toss!
Bang!
Powerful Jump Server
BOOM
But this time, it was completely different.
No floating, no drift.
Only speed.
Pure, raw speed.
Like a white-hot bullet streaking through the air, cutting through the court before Shiratorizawa could react.
Bang!
Shirabu barely had time to move before the ball slammed against his chest, ricocheting high into the air.
The gym erupted into chaos.
"Run for it!" Goshiki shouted.
Kawanishi and Goshiki dove, desperate to keep the ball in play. Their feet pounded the court, echoing like thunder in the silent arena.
Snap, snap, snap—
They leaped—
Too late.
Bang!
The ball struck the floor.
The whistle blew.
Karasuno's point!
Karasuno wins!!
For a split second, the entire gym was frozen in shock.
Then—
The Karasuno bench exploded into cheers. Hinata leaped onto Kageyama, Yamaguchi practically tackled Tsukishima, and the rest of the team rushed onto the court.
They had done it.
They had defeated Shiratorizawa.
They were going to Nationals!
On the other side of the net, Shiratorizawa's players stood still, staring at the ball that had just ended their run.
Ushijima exhaled slowly, a small, almost imperceptible smile appearing on his face.
"Impressive," he murmured. "That number 7... Akira."
He turned to his teammates, nodding toward them.
"We'll be back."
Karasuno had won today.
But the battle wasn't over.