Right wing!!
Akira shouted.
Just as Wakatsu Kiryū moved into the front row for his first attack, Michiru Usuri set the ball to him!
And Kiryū's approach looked especially fierce.
The bulging muscles across his frame seemed to radiate terrifying strength.
Boom!
A thunderous spike carrying brutal force smashed right past the edge of Karasuno's three-man block and pounded into the court.
Mujinazaka reclaimed a point!
...
"Boom! Kiryū's spike is terrifying!"
Morisuke Yaku couldn't help but exclaim from the stands.
"Yeah!"
Tetsurō Kuroo added beside him:
"I heard Mujinazaka puts a lot of emphasis on physical conditioning."
"And his spiking technique isn't quite like anyone else's."
"That's right!"
At that, Taketora Yamamoto said excitedly:
"I read about it in a magazine!"
"Kiryū focuses on channeling the full weight of his dominant arm during the spike!"
"He's the kind of player who prioritizes raw power above everything!"
"Instead of fine-tuned control over ball placement, he just goes for pure explosive force!"
"Extreme power type…"
Yaku sighed slightly.
"That's going to be rough for Karasuno's back row to handle…"
As a libero, Yaku knew full well—
Power hitters' spikes are among the toughest to defend against.
First, their speed is brutal!
The ball travels so fast it leaves the receiver with barely any time to react.
Second, the sheer force behind the ball…
When it hits an arm at that velocity, it can easily jar it off-angle, sending the ball flying wildly!
...
Smack!
Subaru Hondo's serve from the back row was received cleanly by Yū Nishinoya!
Karasuno's attack kicked into motion once again.
Bang!
Ryūnosuke Tanaka and Akira darted down opposite lanes of the court.
Mujinazaka's blockers split their focus.
They concentrated most of their wall on Tanaka's flank and Kageyama's potential quick attack.
But their attention on Akira's side was minimal.
So naturally, Tobio Kageyama set the ball to Akira.
The moment he did, Mujinazaka's back row tensed.
In the previous rallies, they'd tried—and failed—to even touch his spike.
Akira's powerful spike had rendered their defense useless.
So this time…
The defenders were locked in on his every movement.
Their eyes tracked him as he prepared his spike.
But they subconsciously overlooked the space right in front of the net.
Smack!
Akira struck!
But the ball wasn't as fast or heavy as they'd expected.
Just before his palm made contact, his swing slowed dramatically—then gently tapped the underside of the ball.
A tip shot!
Damn it!!
That thought flashed through every player on Mujinazaka.
They had considered everything… except a tip!
They scrambled to dive toward the falling ball.
But Akira wouldn't have dared to go for a tip unless he was confident it would land!
So, under their desperate gazes, the ball drifted softly down to the floor.
Squeak!
Karasuno scored!!
...
"Mujinazaka's in a tough spot now…"
Atsumu Miya watched from the Inarizaki section with a hint of amusement.
Moments ago, they'd all seen Mujinazaka's strategy clearly—
They wanted to force Akira into frequent attacks to wear him out.
But that tip just now… really put them in a bind.
Because if they don't commit blockers to his side, more tip shots like that could follow.
And unlike those monstrous spikes, tips don't use much energy at all!
If Akira starts relying on them, their plan to wear him down physically would fall apart!
"Yeah…"
Shinsuke Kita nodded beside him.
His understanding of the game was as sharp as ever.
"Plus, the more Mujinazaka lets Akira join in the offense, the faster Karasuno will rack up points."
"The quicker the game ends."
"And the less stamina Akira ends up using overall."
"It's all about the balance—managing his energy against the number of sets played. Not sure if they've accounted for that yet…"
...
On the court, it seemed the Mujinazaka players had caught on.
Now, a different question loomed over them.
Where exactly should they focus their block?
If they kept concentrating on Karasuno's other front-row threats, Akira would have even more room to act.
And without a proper front-row barrier…
Their back row would have no chance at even touching his spikes!
They had two goals coming into this match:
One was to wear Akira out physically.
The other was to analyze his mysterious spinning spike.
But if things continued this way, and they couldn't even touch the ball—
How could they study it?
What a mess…
"The block…"
Usuri gritted his teeth and forced the words out.
"Still needs to be on Akira!"
He understood the dilemma.
Exhausting Akira's stamina would have to be a longer-term effort.
After all, today's final was a best-of-five.
They couldn't drain him in a single set—that was just unrealistic.
Right now, the priority was stopping their own collapse!
Only by having the back row make contact with Akira's spikes could they even begin to analyze and form a counterstrategy.
Otherwise, they'd end up just like Inarizaki yesterday…
They didn't figure out how to deal with Akira's bizarre spin spike until the game was already lost.
By then, it was far too late.
With that painful lesson still fresh, Mujinazaka wouldn't dare ignore the threat of Akira's signature move.
They had to find a counter—and fast.
In the early stages of this match, they needed to stop Akira from scoring so freely.
Only then could they stretch the game longer…
And drain more of his stamina!