Haikyuu : The Unstoppable Force

"Huh? You?"

Akira's words immediately got everyone's attention.

"It's not that we don't trust you," said Mitsuda Musashi, choosing his words carefully.

"It's just that Arai, he's truly very Powerful!"

"Everyone has seen Arai's strength," another player added. "They feel they have no chance of winning against him."

Akira shook his head, addressing the group in front of him.

"It's not polite to say this, but..." Akira paused.

"If you're scared before even fighting, you've already lost!"

He continued, "Then it can only be me, who doesn't know Arai's strength, to deal with him!"

Hearing Akira's words, the others suddenly woke up.

"I..."

The first to react was Mitsuda Musashi, who blushed and bowed deeply to Akira.

"I've been playing for more than ten years, and I can't believe I've forgotten this basic truth!"

He raised his voice.

"Gentlemen, no matter how strong the opponent is, we can't be afraid before we fight!"

The atmosphere changed.

Another player added, "After all these years of being a professional volleyball player, have I lost the passion I started with?"

"No matter how strong the opponent is, you can't be timid before fighting!"

"That's right! We must win this round!"

The energy in the group shifted from fear to fighting spirit.

From the side, Oikawa Toru glanced at Akira, slightly surprised.

"I can't believe this kid has such a way with words," he muttered.

"A few words, and he's got these experienced players fired up."

In truth, this wasn't about tricking them.

Akira had always been good at motivating others, a skill he'd practiced since junior high. His sharp mind allowed him to understand people's feelings and what makes them tick.

It was also what made Oikawa Toru a top setter and a great captain for Aoba Johsai—his ability to use this same skill effectively.

The whistle blew!

The organizers had assigned an experienced referee with gray hair for the match, giving off an air of authority.

With the whistle's sound, players took their positions.

It was clear that this match had attracted some of the best players from Miyagi Prefecture.

Besides Akira, Oikawa Toru, and Arai, almost all participants were active professional players.

While the professionals were either in the top or high-level leagues, Akira had climbed from the lowest league to a mid-level league purely through victories.

Spectators buzzed with excitement.

"The game's about to start! Glad I made it in time!"

"Look at that lineup! That high school kid is facing Arai!"

"New players are often fearless! He probably has no idea how strong Arai really is."

"Right! He likely won't even be able to touch Arai's spike!"

On the opposite side, Arai noticed the high school student facing him and paused for a moment.

Then he looked away indifferently.

To him, this was just a casual game he'd decided to join on a whim.

It didn't matter who the opponent was—they wouldn't beat him.

The whistle blew again!

The match began!

The other team had the first serve, meaning if Akira's side could receive it, they'd get the first chance to attack.

Oikawa Toru, the setter, glanced at the two front-row attackers.

On one side was Akira, the high school student. Although he'd seen Akira's skill before, it was in a high school match.

This was a much higher level of competition. Could Akira keep up?

On the other side was the veteran professional ace, Mitsuda Musashi, a top scorer for his team, which had won many championships.

"Our team isn't as strong as theirs on paper," Oikawa muttered.

"So, we need to dominate the first point!"

The opponent's powerful serve was fast, but the libero in the back row effortlessly received it, passing the ball perfectly to Oikawa Toru.

Both teams were clearly filled with skilled players. Even powerful serves seemed easy for them to handle.

Now it was Oikawa's turn to set.

He glanced at his options.

"Playing it safe is an option..."

"But sometimes, playing safe isn't enough to win!"

A grin spread across Oikawa's face.

"Akira, let's see what you've truly got!"

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Seeing the direction of Oikawa's Set, everyone watching from outside the court was stunned.

"What? He's not teaming up with Mitsuda Musashi for a quick attack?"

"Does he really expect to score by setting to such an inexperienced high school player?"

"Look out! It's heading to the net!"

The opponent's skill level truly matched that of top professional players. After a brief moment of shock, the three blockers in the front row on the opposing team rushed to intercept Akira with lightning speed.

Block!

Oikawa, having observed Akira's training matches, knew Akira's spike height was much higher than most high school players. However, against professionals, even an impressive height might not stand out.

But Akira's leap defied expectations, leaving everyone in the arena astonished.

"What just happened with that high schooler?"

"He jumped as high as the three pros across from him!"

"No, he's even slightly higher!"

"I've seen him compete before—his jump height was never this extraordinary!"

"Could it be... he's been holding back in all his previous matches?"

"What? You're kidding! From the E-class victory to the A-class promotion match, wasn't that enough to push him to his limit?"

The three blockers facing Akira were equally shocked, but there was no time to make adjustments. All three extended their arms as much as possible, desperate to stop Akira's spike.

Akira, however, had already spotted the gap between their hands.

Wham!

A clean, direct spike.

Whistle!

Point scored!

As the ball hit the court, the trio of blockers, led by Arai, exchanged incredulous glances with one another.

"Are there more monster-level high school players showing up recently?" Arai muttered.

That spike wasn't just high—it was powerful enough to rival professionals. The rest of the team, who had initially underestimated Akira, started to rethink their assumptions.

Until now, they considered Akira just another high schooler, thinking it unlikely for another Ushijima Wakatoshi to emerge from Miyagi Prefecture.

But Akira's spike shattered those doubts. His attack was easily on par with Ushijima's.

This was the consensus among everyone present.

On Akira's side of the court, Mitsuda Musashi and the others were equally dumbfounded.

Their strategy to send Akira against Arai was more of a desperate gamble move, hoping for a miracle. Deep down, they thought the odds were nearly zero.

Yet, Akira's explosive spike revealed his immense potential.

"Today's high school players really are something else," Mitsuda Musashi muttered.

"Damn it, this guy totally stole the spotlight!" Oikawa complained, his tone filled with mock jealousy. "If I'd known this would happen, I wouldn't have set it to him!"

"All right! Focus up!" Arai clapped his hands to snap his team out of their stupor. "It's just one point. Let's get the next one!"

Known for his resilience, Arai quickly rallied his teammates. His words brought them back from their initial shock.

Game continued

Now it was Akira's turn to serve. His teammates were on alert—this time, they anticipated the opponent's counterattack.

Slam!

The serve began. A wobbling floater sailed toward the edge of the opponent's court. At first glance, it looked like it would go out of bounds. But experienced players knew better—a floater like this often dipped sharply at the last moment.

The opponent's libero anticipated the movement perfectly, sliding into position and lifting the ball with precision.

The opposing setter didn't hesitate, sending the ball to Arai, who was poised to attack.

Despite his age, Arai moved with the energy of a younger player. His powerful approach and leap were a testament to his experience.

Bang!

Arai's spike crashed into Mitsuda Musashi's blocking arms, pushing him backward. The ball rebounded high into the air, giving Akira's team libero enough time to react and save it.

"Got it!" the libero shouted, expertly guiding the ball toward Oikawa.

As Oikawa prepared for the next set, Akira, Mitsuda Musashi, and two back-row attackers surged forward in unison.

A coordinated, synchronous multi-player attack!

The blockers on the opposing side zeroed in on Oikawa, ready to anticipate his pass. But Oikawa's smirk widened mischievously.

"Now, who should I pass it to?"

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