With the landing of this ball, the entire audience erupted in an uproar!
"This..."
"What a powerful spike!"
"Shiratorizawa actually lost to Karasuno in the first set! Am I dreaming?"
"This is Shiratorizawa! One of the strongest schools! In all of Miyagi Prefecture, only Aoba Johsai has ever managed to take a set from them, and even then, only once or twice!"
"Shiratorizawa... losing? Is that even possible?"
"Just what kind of team is Karasuno, and how are they strong enough to challenge Shiratorizawa? Why have I never heard of them being this powerful before?"
"Especially that No. 7—Akira! His performance is on par with Ushijima!"
"Could he actually be one of the top three aces in the country? That sounds impossible!"
"Shiratorizawa will definitely come back in the next set! After all, Ushijima only gets stronger the more he plays!"
—
The audience buzzed with excitement, but on the court, Shiratorizawa's players stood in silence.
Coach Washijo's eyes scanned the team, but no one dared meet his gaze.
"Do you have anything to say?" he finally spoke.
Silence.
Then, Washijo suddenly raised his voice. "It's just one set! The match isn't over yet!"
His sharp eyes swept across his players. "Are you all scared?"
Hearing his words, everyone snapped to attention.
"No!" they responded in unison.
"The next set... we will win!" Goshiki clenched his fists, his voice filled with determination.
Washijo turned his attention to Ushijima. "What about you, Ushijima?"
Ushijima's deep voice rang out, firm and unwavering. "I won't lose to him again."
Seeing Ushijima's unwavering resolve, Washijo nodded in approval.
—
"Wow! That back-row attack just now was insane!"
Kunimura Naoto's voice was filled with excitement.
"I swear, even from the stands, I felt the wind from that spike!"
"I wish I could experience a spike like that firsthand!"
Mitsuda and Naoto exchanged glances.
Naoto might have been exaggerating, but they understood his sentiment. Even from the stands, they had felt the sheer power behind Akira's spike.
They couldn't help but wonder:
Could we even receive a spike like that?
—
Not far from them, a man sat alone, looking completely out of place.
Despite the summer heat, he was bundled up in a heavy brown coat, a black cap pulled low over his face, dark sunglasses covering his eyes, and a mask concealing the rest of his face.
His attire starkly contrasted with the crowd around him, who were dressed in light summer clothes.
"Oi, Oikawa! Never thought I'd actually find you here!"
A hand clapped down heavily on his shoulder.
"Huh?" came a muffled, hoarse voice from behind the mask.
"This guy..." The newcomer frowned. "Are you seriously pretending I got the wrong person?"
Oikawa stiffened.
"Iwa-chan?!" he hissed, turning in his seat.
Iwaizumi Hajime, Aoba Johsai's vice-captain, sat down beside him, ignoring Oikawa's struggles as he yanked off his cap.
"No! Stop it!" Oikawa protested.
But it was too late.
Iwaizumi pulled away Oikawa's disguise, revealing his familiar smirk. Oikawa pouted in frustration.
"Geez! I covered up so well, and you still found me?"
Sweating from the heat, he quickly stripped off his excessive layers.
"Ugh! I'm dying in this!"
Iwaizumi snorted. "The stench of your arrogance is impossible to miss."
"Hey, hey! That's just mean, Iwa-chan!"
Iwaizumi eyed him with irritation. "Didn't you say you weren't coming to watch today?"
Oikawa's smirk widened. "Well, you see, no matter who wins today, I get to be entertained!"
Iwaizumi sighed. "You're such a jerk, Oikawa."
"What, am I wrong? The look on Ushiwaka's face when they lost the first set—priceless!"
"Wait—Shiratorizawa actually lost the first set?!" Iwaizumi's eyes widened. He had arrived late and missed it.
Oikawa grimaced. "Ugh. That first-year from Karasuno is really annoying."
"Akira?" Iwaizumi guessed.
Oikawa clicked his tongue. "If it weren't for him, Shiratorizawa would've closed out the set easily."
Iwaizumi nodded. "If we face Karasuno again in Spring High, we have to find a way to shut him down."
"Exactly!" Oikawa agreed.
"Both Karasuno and Shiratorizawa could be our opponents in Spring High. We should analyze them now."
—
"Hey, hey! Who would've thought?!"
"Ushiwaka actually struggled against Akira!"
Before the match, the crowd had been divided.
Some believed that Ushijima, with his national-level experience, would be unstoppable. After all, he was a third-year, far more seasoned than Karasuno's first-year wildcard.
Others, however, had watched Akira dominate previous matches and knew his talent was no joke.
They had argued fiercely before the game, some even placing private bets on the outcome.
And now, Karasuno had actually taken the first set off of Miyagi's undisputed champions.
Akira had completely stolen the spotlight.
His supporters in the crowd were ecstatic.
"Hah! What did I tell you?!" A loud man in the stands laughed, standing triumphantly. "Akira is the strongest ace among high schoolers in Miyagi right now!!"
He wore an orange headband with "Akira" printed on it, while the group sitting beside him sported purple headbands with "Ushijima" written on them.
They glared at him in frustration, unable to argue.
"You're getting cocky," one of them grumbled. "Karasuno only won one set. Don't act like they've won the whole match."
The man smirked. "Heh! Talk to me when they win a set back!"
With that, he sat down just as the second set was about to begin.
The tension in the air was electric.
The match wasn't over yet.