Chapter 54 : Match (1)

The champion team of the junior high school league?

Still MVP!!

Hearing this, Seiji Okugaku said in shock:

"In previous years, shouldn't all of these players go to Shiratorizawa? Why did he come to a school like Karasuno?"

"I don't know!" Yuto Kamichi shook his head and said. "I specifically looked into it later and heard that Shiratorizawa actively recruited him, but he refused!"

"Huh?" Seiji Okugaku turned his head, glancing at Akira on the other side of the net with confusion. "Can anyone really refuse an offer from a powerhouse like Shiratorizawa? That's incredible."

"If I had passed Shiratorizawa's exam, I definitely wouldn't be at Jozenji right now!"

Yuto Kamichi smirked slightly and said, "Maybe some people just have that kind of confidence. Wherever they go, that team will rise to the top."

"Hey! Seiji, what are you two whispering about over there?"

"Hurry up and finish warming up!"

Terushima Yuuji's loud voice snapped them back into reality.

"Right, what are we even thinking about?" Okugaku sighed. "Either way, we're graduating soon."

Yuto Kamichi nodded. "For now, let's just take care of the underclassmen."

Chirping!

Warm-ups were over.

"Line up!"

After the referee confirmed the starting lineups, the match began!

Unlike Karasuno's intense and focused formation, Jozenji's side had occasional bursts of laughter coming from their players, particularly Terushima.

Seiji Okugaku gritted his teeth. No matter how many times he told them to focus, they always ended up goofing around again. It was as if they were born with zero self-control.

The first serve of the game went to Jozenji.

"Terushima! Serve properly!"

"No problem!"

Terushima's jump serve had a unique, almost unpredictable movement.

But Tanaka received it perfectly in the back row!

Kageyama was already in position. Without hesitation, he set the ball up for Akira.

From the qualifiers to the current semifinals, whenever Akira spiked the first ball of the match, he had never failed to score.

Momentum was everything.

Akira's spike could both fire up Karasuno's energy and weaken their opponent's morale.

"Here it comes!"

Yuto Kamichi's pupils shrank. "Watch him!"

Three blockers from Jozenji moved to intercept Akira's attack.

Jump!

Block!

Akira soared up at the same time.

Spike!

Smack!

The ball slammed through the gap between the blockers!

The libero in the back row barely reacted before the ball crashed into the floor.

"That ball... actually went through the block?" Libero Toyoshin looked at the impact spot in disbelief.

Usually, blockers take care of either straight shots or cross-court spikes, while back-row defenders cover the remaining areas. But Akira's spike...

It was like he ignored the entire blocking system and punched straight through.

Toyoshin gulped. If that wasn't just a fluke, then...

He didn't dare finish the thought.

"Damn it!"

Iizaka rubbed his arm, feeling the lingering sting. "Did you feel that just now, Seiji?"

"Yeah."

"It felt like, even if I had blocked it head-on, it still would've gone through. Like getting hit by a truck."

Seiji Okugaku nodded grimly. The spike had grazed both his and Iizaka's arms, yet it had still maintained its speed, crashing into the floor before anyone in the back row could react.

"Don't overthink it," Okugaku said. "Let's play a few more points and see what happens."

He couldn't afford to make premature judgments—it could lead to critical miscalculations.

Chirping!

The game resumed.

This time, it was Karasuno's serve.

Smack!

Toyoshin successfully received the serve.

As the ball flew toward the setter, Okugaku instinctively glanced at Yuto Kamichi.

Three years of playing together had forged a strong connection between them.

As Jozenji's ace, Kamichi often handled the most crucial attacks.

Here it comes!

Akira's eyes narrowed.

That feeling of tension tightened in his gut.

He had watched Kamichi closely in the previous matches. His spikes were powerful—strong enough to repeatedly overpower Date Tech's iron wall of blockers.

Kamichi didn't hesitate.

His approach was flawless.

He jumped.

And so did Karasuno's blockers—Akira, Tsukishima, and Tanaka—all going up at the same time.

Kamichi was fearless.

Even against a triple block, he swung his arm confidently.

But just before his hand made contact with the ball—

He changed his form!

Instead of a spike, he lightly brushed the ball, sending it over the block in a soft drop shot!

The ball barely cleared Akira's fingertips before falling straight down behind him.

"Crap!"

From the sidelines, Coach Ukai stood up, his face tense. "A tip shot!"

And then—

Bang!

A foot suddenly appeared under the ball.

With an upside-down bicycle kick, Akira sent the ball flying back into play!

The entire stadium fell into stunned silence.

Then, chaos erupted.

The crowd gasped, Jozenji's players froze in shock, and even Karasuno's bench reacted with disbelief.

"Wha—!?"

"A kick save?!"

"That was insane!!"

Kageyama immediately chased after the ball. "Cover it!!"

Hinata, fully fired up, darted to the net, shouting, "Set it to me!"

The play continued, Karasuno refusing to back down.

For the first time, the confident, free-spirited Jozenji players felt the pressure.

This wasn't just any team.

This was Karasuno.

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GIVE ME POWER STONES