Haikyuu: Rise of Sengoku

"Huff, huff…"

Heavy breaths echoed repeatedly across the white team's court, and an inexplicable tension weighed down the atmosphere, making every breath feel labored.

Beads of sweat, the size of beans, trickled down from Iwaizumi's jaw and the others'. Only by tilting their heads back at a 45-degree angle could they barely keep the sweat from dripping into their eyes.

Nobuteru Irihata, standing off the court with his chin resting on his hand, commented, "That last spike really shook the white team. It was scored during their full-on defense, and even though everyone knows that kind of 'miracle shot' isn't something you can repeat, moments like that hit morale the hardest."

In matches like this, when the opposing team's defense seems impenetrable but they still score with a powerful kill, it plants a seed of doubt: If even their strongest defense can't stop the other team, how can the ordinary defense matter?

That doubt can crush a team's spirit.

Honestly, Irihata hadn't expected the game to get this intense.

Though he anticipated that Akashi Asuka would shine before the match started, he never imagined the team could demonstrate such overwhelming strength.

What was even more surprising was the incredible talent among the other freshmen who joined this year.

While Yūtarō Kindaichi and Akira Kunimi still showed some technical roughness, their height was undeniable, comparable even to high school seniors. Their towering presence gave the new team a blocking power rivaling the veterans'.

As the setter, Ryuhei Sanashita wasn't the most synchronized with the team, but he had an extraordinary connection with Akashi Asuka.

And Asuka himself had been a star ace back in Junior High.

Put it all together...

The freshmen's offense rivaled, if not surpassed, the veterans'.

Even though Aoba Johsai High is ranked among the county's top four, they're not a particularly attack-heavy team. While Tooru Oikawa is an aggressive setter, Aoba's real strength lies in their tactical teamwork and balanced individual skills.

If the full-strength Aoba squad had been on the court, the freshmen wouldn't stand a chance, not because Aoba's offense would be stronger, but because their defense and coordination would be flawless.

The catch was, before the match began, Irihata had deliberately assigned Aoba's strongest libero to the freshmen.

The original idea was just to give the new team a bit of strength so they wouldn't get completely crushed. But unexpectedly, that decision ended up being the final straw that broke the white team.

Here's how the teams matched up now:

Offense: The red team has a slight edge.

Blocking and defense: Red and white are evenly matched.

Tactical teamwork: White team dominates.

Backcourt defense: With the main libero moving from white to red, the red team now holds the advantage.

Thinking this over, Irihata couldn't help but crack a bitter smile, unsure whether to feel pleased or worried.

Logically speaking, he should be happy, after all, this is just the freshmen welcome match. Once it's over, Akashi and the others will officially join Aoba's volleyball team. So the brighter the newcomers perform, the better it is for the club.

But that's also where the problem lies, since they're fresh recruits, if they beat the veterans on their very first day, it's hard not to worry that some of the newcomers might develop an unhealthy attitude...

Irihata muttered: "Ah, man! Coaching this team isn't as easy as it looks!"

…

Just as Irihata predicted, the white team's morale was nearing rock bottom.

In the minds of players like Hanamaki Takahiro, Matsukawa Issei, and Yahaba Shigeru, the impossible spike they had just witnessed kept replaying uncontrollably.

That spike, executed from outside the court with a perfect arc that hugged the sideline and scored, such a shot is rare even in regular spike drills, let alone official matches. Yet here they were, conceding points to such an unbelievable hit despite their strong blocking.

There was no way they could avoid feeling deflated.

Tooru Oikawa, hands on his hips in the backcourt, recalled the ball's trajectory. Then, the image of the spiker slowly shifted, from Akashi to a taller, more imposing figure.

Gradually, the two images began to overlap...

Oikawa clenched his fists, his gaze darkening. Just then, a voice whispered sharply in his ear:

"Hey! Idiot Oikawa, if you start thinking about Ushiwaka during the match, I swear I'll punch you!"

Oikawa jolted awake. He turned stiffly to find Iwaizumi standing right there, fists clenched and stern.

"Uh, Oi, Iwaizumi, are you like my conscience or something?"

Iwaizumi sneered, "Hmph! Your thoughts are written all over your face... Listen, dummy Oikawa, these guys aren't Ushiwaka. And if you can't even beat these freshmen, you have no right to take on Ushiwaka."

Oikawa paused, then his gloomy expression faded, replaced by his usual easygoing smile.

"True enough, Iwaizumi. If we can't handle these cocky freshmen, forget Ushiwaka, we might lose all respect from our seniors soon enough!"

"Well then, Iwaizumi, you ready?"

"Is that even a question, dumbass Oikawa? Let's teach these newbies how to respect their seniors properly!"

At the sidelines, Irihata and the assistant coach exchanged glances and chuckled.

"Looks like our 'aces' aren't about to back down."

The referee's whistle blew. The red team served again.

A simple overhand serve flew over the net, received steadily by Yahaba Shigeru, who passed it to Oikawa. With barely a pause, Oikawa sent a fast, straight set to the already airborne Iwaizumi.

"Don't underestimate your seniors, you first-years! These past two years haven't been wasted!"

With a sudden "flat fast" set from Oikawa, completely bypassing Kindaichi's defense range, Iwaizumi faced an open court and roared internally as he swung hard.

Bang!

Thud!

Two sharp sounds echoed simultaneously as time seemed to freeze.

Suspended mid-air, Iwaizumi's pupils contracted sharply. Behind him, the volleyball bounced high off the court.

Landing, Iwaizumi opened his fiercely focused eyes to see, on the other side of the net, Akashi Asuka's tall figure looming like a mountain, casting a shadow over him.

With calm eyes, Akashi looked down and said softly:

"Senpai Iwaizumi, what you said earlier was right, I'm not Ushijima. Because Ushijima-senpai never participates in defense during matches... but I do."

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