Shiratorizawa was caught in a dilemma.
As the team that had faced Oikawa Tōru the most within Miyagi Prefecture, they were well-acquainted with his style. Their ace, Ushijima Wakatoshi, had always harboured a special desire to outdo him.
Oikawa Tōru was known for his dual-type serves, but in truth, his powerful jump serves far outclassed his float serves.
Even when he practised float serves as a subconscious habit, he would typically rely on his stronger jump serve during matches.
Shiratorizawa had factored this in, opting to move their defence further back. They believed they could handle even a sudden float serve from Oikawa.
But who could have anticipated this outcome?!
"Let's defend normally," Ōhira Reon instructed, taking charge of the defensive formation as usual. "Against serves like Oikawa Tōru's, retreating won't work. Get the ball before it changes trajectory."
Shiratorizawa's players stepped forward to their original positions.
Oikawa observed Shiratorizawa's movements with amusement. For him, there was nothing to fear now.
He tossed the ball, took a running start, and leapt. Each motion was seamless, like a flowing masterpiece of art and rhythm. It was mesmerizing to watch.
In mid-air, Oikawa's right arm was drawn back like a taut bow brimming with power. As his wrist snapped downward at the moment of contact, his strength and precision merged perfectly, imparting a fierce spin and trajectory to the ball.
"Move back!" Ushijima Wakatoshi shouted. That form—it was no float serve!
A smile tugged at Oikawa's lips. His timing was impeccable, striking the ball at the ideal point of descent. With a sudden surge of energy, the volleyball became a blur as it rocketed toward Shiratorizawa's backcourt with astounding speed and an unpredictable curve.
Oikawa landed cleanly, his movement sharp and precise, devoid of any unnecessary motion.
The ball dropped between Shirabu Kenjirō and Goshiki Tsutomu, neither of whom reacted in time. They didn't even move a step.
[Aoba Johsai 4 – 0 Shiratorizawa]
The arena fell silent for a moment.
Aoba Johsai's cheering section was the first to erupt, their fervent support reverberating through the venue.
"Let's go, let's go, Aoba Johsai!"
"Victory! Victory! Aoba Johsai!"
"Conquer the court! Conquer the court!"
The four Karasuno first-years watching from the stands were dumbstruck.
This—this was Shiratorizawa!
Shiratorizawa, the team that had crushed Karasuno 2–0 in the qualifiers, shattering the third-year's dreams of playing on the national stage!
"When…when will I ever surpass Oikawa-senpai?" Kageyama Tobio murmured, his voice tinged with doubt.
As a fellow prodigy setter, a momentary confusion clouded Kageyama's mind. It felt as though Oikawa was moving further and further away from him, into a realm he couldn't reach.
"What are you saying…?" Hinata Shōyō's gaze sharpened. His voice was soft, but Kageyama heard it clearly.
Before Kageyama could respond, Hinata grabbed his collar.
"If you're scared, then I'll be the one to beat them. No matter how long it takes! I'll defeat you, the Great King, and Taichi!" Hinata yelled.
His outburst startled the people sitting nearby, drawing confused glances.
"Sorry, sorry, nothing to see here!" Yamaguchi Tadashi quickly apologized with a sheepish smile.
"You idiot," Tsukishima Kei muttered, pulling the two apart and trying to calm the situation.
Kageyama froze for a moment before grabbing Hinata's collar in return. "What did you say? You're a hundred years too early to beat me!!"
"Hey, King and Shorty, if you don't stop now, security's going to throw us out," Tsukishima warned, gesturing toward a security guard glancing their way from the aisle.
"Hmph!" Both of them reluctantly let go but continued to glare at each other in defiance.
On the court, Shiratorizawa's coach, Washijō Tanji, called for a timeout to stabilize his team. But it was clear to everyone—Oikawa was on fire.
Even after Kaedehara Taichi returned to the court in the fourth set, Oikawa didn't make him the sole focus of their attack.
The first spike from Iwaizumi Hajime felt like a clarion call. Oikawa primarily used Taichi as a decoy, while Kyōtani Kentarō, Kunimi Akira, and Kindaichi Yūtarō flourished with diverse offensive plays.
Shiratorizawa's offence didn't falter either, but the scores continued to trade back and forth. Unable to string consecutive points together, they found no opportunity to close the gap.
The scoreboard read [Aoba Johsai 18 – 14 Shiratorizawa] when Shiratorizawa called for a substitution—Semi Eita IN, Kawanishi Taichi OUT.
Semi wasn't just brought in as a clutch server but also to form a dual-setter system alongside Shirabu Kenjirō.
With Goshiki and Tendō Satori in the front row and Ushijima in the back, Shiratorizawa now fielded their strongest offensive lineup—a last-ditch effort to turn the tide.
Semi sent a well-placed float serve. Watari Shinji stepped forward to receive it, and Oikawa quickly moved into position to set the ball to the left.
Kyōtani's spike was blocked by Tendō along the cross-court angle, forcing him to hit a sharp line shot.
Semi made a perfect dig, and Shirabu sent the ball high to the right side.
Ushijima leapt, his form as steady and powerful as ever, completely unaffected by the pressure of the moment.
Aoba Johsai's front-row blockers were at their weakest, with neither Kunimi Akira nor Iwaizumi Hajime managing to stop Ushijima Wakatoshi's monstrous spike.
The volleyball hurtled towards the floor, its trajectory sure and unstoppable. But just before it could land, a hand shot out between the ball and the ground.
The ball ricocheted high off Kaedehara Taichi's palm.
"Save it!" Taichi yelled, ignoring the searing pain in his hand as he scrambled to his feet.
Oikawa Tōru darted toward the sideline, his sharp eyes communicating everything he needed without a word. From the far corner of the court, he sent an incredible long-distance set soaring to the right wing near the net.
Iwaizumi leaped into position.
But Ushijima touched it cleanly.
"Damn it!" Iwaizumi cursed, frustrated.
"Give me the ball!" Ushijima demanded, his voice cutting through the court.
Shirabu Kenjirō recovered the ball, passing it to Semi Eita, who set up a high, perfect toss to the right side.
Ushijima's second attack was imminent.
The powerhouse ace launched himself from the back row, his left arm swinging back with devastating force.
"Here goes nothing!" Kunimi, unable to adjust his stance, shut his eyes and leapt in front of Ushijima in a desperate solo block.
The spike bypassed Kunimi entirely, screaming toward the floor.
A figure appeared in the nick of time, intercepting the ball before it hit the court.
"Heh, gotcha!" Taichi grinned, even as his arms shook from the impact of the powerful hit.
The ball flew high, allowing Oikawa to position himself beneath it.
"Set it to me!" Taichi shouted, undeterred by the redness spreading across his forearms. Leaping from the back row, he rocketed toward the ball.
This time, Shiratorizawa's Tendo Satori was the only blocker who could keep up, scrambling to intercept Taichi.
Taichi unleashed a fierce spike that sliced through Tendo's right side, heading straight for the edge of Shiratorizawa's right-side line.
Ushijima appeared again, tracking the ball and raising his arms for a perfect dig.
The ball deflected awkwardly off Ushijima's left arm and flew out of bounds.
[Aoba Johsai 19 – 14 Shiratorizawa]
For a brief moment, silence overtook the gymnasium.
Ushijima stared at his arm, his usually stoic expression betraying a flicker of disbelief. Across the court, Kaedehara Taichi raised his left hand in a triumphant wave.
The irony wasn't lost on Ushijima—the left-handed ace had been outplayed by a left-handed spike.
But the true key to the play was Taichi's unbelievable save of Ushijima's initial attack.
From the very first set, Taichi had been preparing for this moment, adapting his positioning and resilience to counter Ushijima's signature spikes.
"You think a Hawaiian secret training camp comes cheap?" Taichi boasted proudly, puffing out his chest at the astonished looks from his teammates.
Shiratorizawa's final attempt to regain momentum failed, and the match devolved into a gruelling tug-of-war. Despite the fierce back-and-forth, Aoba Johsai's initial lead remained unshaken, with the team firmly in control.
In the end, after a hard-fought battle, Aoba Johsai secured victory.
[Aoba Johsai 25 – 21 Shiratorizawa]
Shiratorizawa had been unable to push the game into a deciding fifth set.
As the final whistle echoed through the arena, signalling the end of the fourth set, the Miyagi Prefecture Spring High Representative Tournament came to a dramatic close.
The winner: Aoba Johsai!
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