Thud!
The volleyball slammed into the ground with force.
The referee's whistle blew sharply, and the scoreboard flipped once more.
15:10.
Akashi Asuka descended from the air, the aura radiating from his body growing more and more terrifying.
"Whoa~~ That's scary!"
Surprisingly, this exclamation didn't come from Karasuno or the audience, but from Yahaba Shigeru, standing courtside on Aoba Johsai's side.
And for once, no one rebuked him for it. Even the players on his own team could clearly feel the destructive and violent aura emanating from Akashi Asuka.
"Huh~~ So this is what he looks like from a bystander's point of view when he enters that state! Yeah, it's honestly kind of terrifying," said Takamiya Ryuhei, stroking his chin.
He used to be the one who activated Asuka's Savage Nature, and maybe because he was the trigger, he never quite felt its full impact before.
But now, seeing it from the sidelines, there was no denying it, Asuka was like a wild beast in the middle of a hunt, radiating a primal bloodlust. Worse yet, that pressure wasn't just aimed at the opponent, it engulfed everyone, friend or foe.
"Even though I expected this day would come… now that it's actually happening, I can't help feeling a bit complicated," Takamiya muttered, rubbing his nose.
He used to be the only one who could draw out Akashi's true power… but now, with Oikawa involved too, he couldn't shake off the weird feeling of 'watching your boyfriend get stolen, and right in front of your face.'
────────── ✦ ──────────
"Damn it… Damn it, damn it… Why? Why can't we block him!?"
"He's so strong! Just too strong!"
"And I'm jealous too… Jealous of Akashi's height. But envy won't win us the match. We have to win, no matter what!"
"We absolutely cannot lose!"
"I want to go to Nationals. I want to play more matches. I want to face more powerful opponents…"
Karasuno was on the brink of collapse. But the closer they got to the edge, the more fiercely Hinata Shoyo's spirit burned.
His focus reached an almost superhuman level. Not only were his thoughts operating at their peak, but even his field awareness had grown immensely.
At that moment, Hinata felt something strange, as if even while standing still, he could see the entire court, front, back, left, and right, with perfect clarity.
In that surreal clarity, a faint glow seemed to flicker in the depths of his eyes.
────────── ✦ ──────────
Aoba Johsai began their next offensive. After a brief setup, Oikawa passed the ball straight to Akashi Asuka for the kill.
Akashi soared through the air like an eagle, and Karasuno's front line, Azumane Asahi and Tsukishima Kei, immediately formed a double block, cutting off all direct paths.
On the side, Sawamura Daichi and Nishinoya Yuu were quietly adjusting their positions…
But before they could react,
BOOM!
A thunderous crack tore through the air, and in a flash, a spike shot straight through the block and slammed onto the sideline.
"Damn! That's 16:10!"
Akashi's dominance was overwhelming, and the fourth set slipped further out of Karasuno's grasp.
"C'mon! Just a little more! Just hold on a bit more!"
Despite the odds, Hinata refused to give up. His eyes locked onto the court with burning determination.
Then it came again, another quick set from Oikawa to Akashi.
This time…
Hinata's eyes lit up with incredible intensity. "Got you. That's the spot."
In a blink,
Hinata vanished.
No windup, no warning. Even Akashi was startled. It was as if Hinata had teleported, appearing right in front of Akashi's spike, at the exact landing point.
It was a perfect read. As if he'd seen the future.
Akashi couldn't change the angle in time. He gritted his teeth and went all-in, unleashing a full-powered meteor spike.
BOOM!
As expected, the ball roared past Tsukishima's block, but just before it hit the floor, it slammed straight into Hinata.
WHAM!
The volleyball shot back into the air. For the first time in the entire finals, Akashi's full-power spike had been successfully received head-on.
Every player froze in shock, eyes wide.
Hinata, this so-called "rookie", had just received Akashi Asuka's spike, clean and direct.
Even Kageyama Tobio was speechless. He never imagined he'd ever say something like this to Hinata:
"Nice receive, Hi—"
But before he could finish, his voice caught.
Because in his line of sight, Hinata's face was suddenly covered in blood, and he collapsed backwards onto the floor.
"HINATA!!"
BEEEEEP!!!
The referee's whistle blew frantically as players and coaches rushed onto the court.
Hinata lay on the ground, blood gushing from his nose like a fountain.
"Hey, Hinata! Are you okay?!"
"Wake up! Can you hear me?!"
Even Aoba Johsai's players were stunned by the sight.
This guy…
Was he insane?
He actually took Akashi's spike straight to the face, from the three-meter line, and didn't even flinch?
The medical team arrived quickly. After a preliminary exam, they confirmed Hinata had a nasal fracture. Whether there were additional head injuries still needed more scans.
But one thing was clear: Hinata Shoyo would not be returning to the match.
────────── ✦ ──────────
"No, I want to keep playing!"
Even with blood still running from his nose, Hinata's voice was firm.
But Coach Ukai didn't budge.
As a coach, his responsibility was first and foremost the player's safety. Winning came second.
If it were just a minor injury, maybe.
But based on the sheer power of Akashi's spike, Hinata's injury could legally be classified as actual bodily harm.
There was no way Ukai would let him back on.
No matter how much Hinata pleaded, in the end, he was carried off the court on a stretcher.
And that, ultimately, was the last straw for Karasuno.
────────── ✦ ──────────
Eight minutes later…
With one final, prolonged whistle from the referee, the fourth set came to an end.
25:18.
Aoba Johsai had won the fourth set, and with it, the entire qualifier finals.
"YEAHHHHHHHH!!"
The players of Aoba Johsai stormed the court, cheering at the top of their lungs.
In contrast, the players of Karasuno stood frozen as the whistle blew. In that instant, all color seemed to drain from their world.
For the third-years, Sawamura Daichi, Azumane Asahi, Sugawara Koushi, this match's end marked the close of their high school volleyball careers.
Their eyes were blank as they stared up at the ceiling lights, usually so bright and blinding, now dim and blurry.
"Ah… it's really over, huh. This is so frustrating…"
=============
Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria