Haikyuu : The Unstoppable Force

With the end of the timeout, everyone in Aoba Johsai returned to the court.

"Come on!"

"Let's go, Aoba Johsai!"

The voices of Aoba Johsai's cheerleaders rang out through the stands.

The referee's whistle blew.

The serve was still on Karasuno's side.

Seeing the fierce determination on the faces of Aoba Johsai's players, Yamaguchi's eyes widened as he warned,

"Everyone, be careful! Aoba Johsai is going to launch a reckless attack on us!"

"What?"

Hearing this, the Karasuno players were taken aback.

"Don't worry too much," Akira reassured them, his expression calm. "They're like a trapped beast right now."

"But when I rotate to the back row, you all must remember one thing!" he continued. "Even if we let them get a few spikes through, we absolutely cannot let Oikawa score with his dump set!"

"Got it!"

Kageyama's face hardened. "I'll keep an eye on him!"

"Actually, there's no need to panic too much," Akira added. "Aoba Johsai's counterattack is a last resort. They've already stepped into a desperate situation. This match... we're going to win!"

One more rotation, and Akira would be in the back row. At that point, his teammates' performance would become crucial.

Meanwhile, Aoba Johsai had completely changed their approach!

Attack! Attack! Attack again!

"Oh no! Aoba Johsai is desperate now!"

"Their usual style is completely out of control! There's no structure at all!"

"Do they really think they can beat Karasuno with this chaotic play?"

In the audience, several older volleyball fans shook their heads.

"Well, it's not like they have any other options. If they keep playing normally, they won't stand a chance."

"Even so, they can't win like this!"

"Karasuno is already an attacking powerhouse! And now Aoba Johsai wants to challenge them head-on? That's a guaranteed loss!"

"But they have no choice. They're already in a desperate situation. They have to fight back with everything they've got!"

"Yeah, if we were under this much pressure, we'd probably be in chaos too."

Even the audience could see how overwhelming Akira's attack was.

Just by spiking, he forced the opponent to shift their blockers elsewhere. That kind of dominance could be bragged about for a lifetime.

With Aoba Johsai's change in strategy, the game entered a stalemate.

After a few more rotations, Akira was finally sent to the back row.

Aoba Johsai's players collectively breathed a sigh of relief.

The pressure he brought was too much.

Anyone who had faced him firsthand would understand.

His spikes were relentless.

Blocking him was useless and often backfired!

To counter this, Aoba Johsai had decided to abandon blocking altogether and focus entirely on defense.

But the moment they dropped their blockers, Karasuno switched up their tactics.

More sets, more fast attacks from different players!

Aoba Johsai didn't know whether to step forward or step back.

And Akira's spikes had an odd effect—they bounced unpredictably off arms, making clean receptions almost impossible!

By this point, Aoba Johsai's mentality was beginning to crack.

Such a terrifying opponent!

Even when they tried to target his weaknesses, he adapted instantly.

They suspected that even if they figured out how to receive his strange spinning spikes…

Akira would just invent a new spike they couldn't handle.

Playing against someone like this was pure despair.

Finally, after their coach called a timeout, Aoba Johsai adjusted their approach.

Since they couldn't defend against him properly, they decided to stop trying!

If they could receive the ball, they would. If not, they wouldn't waste energy on it.

Instead, they focused everything on attacking!

Just when they thought they had escaped the torment of Akira's offense…

They realized he was still their biggest nightmare.

His blocking was an insurmountable wall!

Aoba Johsai had played against Date Tech before.

But facing Akira's blocks gave them a new appreciation for what it meant to be shut down.

If not for the slightly weaker blocking skills of the other two front-row players, the title of "Iron Wall" might have been stolen from Date Tech.

Even Oikawa's clever dump sets were stopped again and again!

Aoba Johsai's players started to feel it.

Their leader, their ace, Oikawa, was beginning to lose his composure.

Mistakes that he normally wouldn't make started slipping in.

Strong attacks, impenetrable blocking…

As long as Akira was in the front row, Aoba Johsai had no way to score reliably.

But finally, with the next rotation…

Akira was sent to the back row!

Just as Coach Irihata had said!

Now was Aoba Johsai's chance to recover points!

Oikawa exhaled deeply when he saw Akira switch positions.

When Akira had been at the net, Oikawa's dump sets had been completely shut down.

No matter how sneaky his feints were, Akira read them all.

It completely disrupted their usual rhythm.

Even when their coach told them to go all out, Oikawa had tried dump sets multiple times…

And every single one had been stopped.

Now, finally, Akira was out of the way.

But what Oikawa didn't know was…

Akira had given instructions before moving to the back row.

The three players in the front row kept subtly glancing at Oikawa.

Watching his every move.

The whistle blew.

Karasuno's serve.

Akira sent a simple, controlled serve over the net.

Right now, this wasn't a life-or-death moment, so he wanted more rally experience. It would benefit both himself and the team.

Smack!

His serve was successfully received by Aoba Johsai.

Swish!

A steady pass flew toward Oikawa.

His instincts kicked in as he glanced at Karasuno's formation. The three front-row players were completely focused on his attackers!

Golden opportunity!!

This was the perfect chance for a dump set!

Oikawa's heart pounded with excitement.

His years of experience took over, and mid-air, he subtly adjusted his grip.

Dump!!

But what he never expected was…

At the exact moment he changed his grip…

The three Karasuno blockers jumped in unison!!

"What!!"

Oikawa's eyes widened in shock.

"How did they know I was going for a dump set?!"

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Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones