Taichi stared at Tōru Oikawa in disbelief.
He vaguely recalled the system mentioning this term before, but he hadn't expected the first person to activate it in front of him to be Oikawa.
No wonder Oikawa's condition not only didn't dip after the team boost expired but seemed to improve instead.
A serve at 99 and a set at 98—Taichi's heart raced with excitement. Most crucially, Oikawa's service turn wasn't over yet!
Oikawa served his third ball!
Wakatoshi Ushijima received it, but the ball rebounded sharply into Aoba Johsai's court.
The timer on Taichi's "experience card" was ticking away rapidly. Even in the back row, he had to attack! Without worrying about the ball's trajectory, he sprinted forward, leapt, and executed a perfect hitting motion in mid-air.
The next second, the ball—precisely delivered by Oikawa from afar—was right in front of his palm, perfectly aligned.
Taichi's spike scored!
[Aoba Johsai 17 – 16 Shiratorizawa]
Aoba Johsai had taken the lead!
"Woohoo! Taichi, that was awesome!" Yūtarō Kindaichi shouted in excitement.
Hajime Iwaizumi clenched his fist. There was hope—they could win this set!
As the match heated up, more and more Shiratorizawa students heard the buzz and flocked over from their respective clubs.
The moment they stepped into the gymnasium, they were stunned by the scene before them: the scoreboard prominently displayed Aoba Johsai in the lead—a stark contrast to the dominant performance they had anticipated from Shiratorizawa.
"What's going on? How is Aoba Johsai ahead?" a boy who had just found his seat turned to ask a nearby student who had clearly been watching for some time. His voice was filled with curiosity and confusion.
The student's eyes sparkled with excitement as he recounted the recent highlights. "Oh, you just missed the best part! This match has been insane—everyone's playing out of their minds. Just now, Aoba Johsai's setter and middle blocker pulled off a seamless back-row attack. That spike? It was like something out of a movie!"
Several other students nearby chimed in, adding their own observations. "At one point, Ushijima-senpai was crushing them. We had a five-point lead! But then Aoba Johsai's setter and that first-year middle blocker started turning it around. Their momentum is unreal."
The newcomers listened in stunned silence. What they thought would be a one-sided match had turned into a thrilling, unpredictable showdown. Adjusting their expectations, they quickly joined the spectators, and the gymnasium grew even more intense with excitement and tension.
On the sidelines, Coach Washijō stood up, debating whether to use his team's last timeout for this set.
But Ushijima shook his head from the court. The match hadn't reached its climax yet; now wasn't the right time for a timeout.
More importantly, as he watched Taichi and Oikawa's performances, Ushijima felt an inexplicable thrill—a strange but familiar sensation, like when he faced fierce opponents on last year's national stage.
He realized this feeling meant only one thing: his body acknowledged the opponents in front of him as formidable adversaries.
[Ding! Ushijima Wakatoshi has entered Burst Mode.]
[Ushijima Wakatoshi (Burst Mode): Overall Ability Rating: 96
Height: 189.5 cm | Power: 100 | Jump: 92 | Stamina: 100 | Speed: 92
Technique: Serve: 98 | Receive: 94 | Set: 90 | Spike: 100]
Three max stats?! Hearing the system notification, Taichi nearly cursed out loud.
Oikawa had barely gotten two points into his peak state, and Ushijima had already caught up…
It wasn't fair. Taichi couldn't help but imagine checking Ushijima's family register (though he knew Japan didn't use such things). How could someone like him still be a high schooler?
Aoba Johsai's serve. Oikawa delivered his fourth—a float serve!
Even at his peak, Oikawa didn't rely solely on power. This sudden change in style caught Shiratorizawa completely off guard.
Ushijima dove forward to save the ball, deflecting it toward the left side.
"Iwaizumi! Block him!"
Tendō Satori's spike was met with a solid block from Hajime Iwaizumi, sending the ball ricocheting back. Reon Ōhira dove and saved the ball with a desperate lunge.
"Give it to me!" To everyone's surprise, Wakatoshi Ushijima shouted for the ball.
Shirabu set the ball high into the air, giving the game a brief, tension-filled pause.
Ushijima took a step forward, planted his left foot forcefully on the ground, and launched himself into the air.
Ushijima's spike was received by Tōru Oikawa, but the force sent the ball hurtling toward the back wall of Aoba Johsai's court.
Damn it! The thought barely crossed Oikawa's mind when a figure zipped past his vision with lightning speed.
Taichi Kaedehara darted under the ball just in time. As he neared the wall, he jumped off one leg, planting the other foot against the wall for leverage, and smacked the ball back into play with both hands.
"Woooah…" The stands erupted in gasps. The newcomers finally understood why someone had likened the match to a movie full of special effects.
Takahiro Hanamaki intercepted Taichi's miraculous save, sending the ball back over the net.
"Free ball!" Taichi Kawanishi shouted, easily passing the ball to Shirabu Kenjirō.
Shirabu glanced toward Ushijima, who was already poised for a spike. His composure was admirable, almost unnerving. This is the focus of an ace, Shirabu thought to himself.
Aoba Johsai's players braced themselves. It was obvious to everyone—Ushijima Wakatoshi was like a raging beast at this moment.
Ushijima leapt, but instead of spiking to him, Shirabu sent the ball to the left. Iwaizumi reacted a split second too late, and Tendō Satori capitalized, scoring with a clean spike.
[Aoba Johsai 17 – 17 Shiratorizawa]
Tendō turned toward Aoba Johsai's vice-captain, Iwaizumi, wiggling both index fingers with a cheeky grin.
"Ahhh, see? Shiratorizawa's offense isn't all about Wakatoshi."
He then spun back toward his own ace, flashing a mischievous smile. "Sorry about stealing your thunder there."
"It's fine," Ushijima replied with his usual stoic sincerity.
Shirabu let out a small sigh of relief. For a moment, he had nearly passed the ball to Ushijima, but his instincts told him that Tendō would have an easier time scoring at the net. Fortunately, his judgment had been correct.
Shiratorizawa's serve. Yūtarō Kindaichi received it cleanly.
Taichi Kaedehara sprang into action again, dashing forward. But after just two steps, he felt an unusual heaviness take over his body.
[Ding! The Player Experience Card's duration has expired.]
Taichi's balance faltered as his legs wobbled beneath him. Under the astonished eyes of players and spectators alike, he dramatically stumbled forward, landing flat on his face.
Sliding across the polished wooden court in an awkward sprawl, Taichi left a faint streak behind him.
Lying prone, his cheeks burned with embarrassment as he silently cursed the system. He buried his face in his arms, completely red from both the exertion and humiliation.
"HAHAHAHA!" The spectators on the sidelines burst into laughter.
Oikawa's set went untouched, falling to the ground, but no one seemed to mind. Aoba Johsai's players quickly surrounded Kaedehara.
While the fall itself wasn't too concerning, the team grew worried as Taichi remained on the floor, unmoving.
The dramatic dive earlier might have caused him to sprain his ankle, and if that were the case, it would complicate matters significantly.
[T/N] - If you guys want to read 50 Chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on my . Trust me, it's awesome!
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