As the referee's whistle signaled the start, both teams, having switched sides, stepped onto the battlefield once again.
The difference this time: Aoba Johsai's Oikawa Tooru would serve to start the match.
By placing their strongest offensive weapon at the opening, Aoba Johsai gave a subtle sense of all-or-nothing in this strategic shift.
Karasuno coach Ukai Keishin furrowed his brow as Oikawa took the service area at the very beginning.
'Back row… Sawamura, Nishinoya, and Sugawara.'
'After Kageyama's exit, he's already targeting Sugawara?'
'This player's execution of the "setter-control mindset" is terrifyingly unwavering.'
Sure enough, just as Ukai had anticipated, Oikawa's early signs of violent power serving appeared immediately.
The very first ball of the second set targeted Sugawara, who had stepped in for Kageyama, led a small scoring streak, but still carried inherent weaknesses.
Oikawa's upper face remained calm but serious, while the lower half of his face twisted into a grim, predatory smile. At this moment, he aimed his three-year-honed weapon at a fellow third-year silver-haired setter.
After the referee gave the signal and blew the eight-second whistle, Oikawa inhaled deeply… and slowly exhaled.
It was as if he were blowing away the failures of the previous match.
Then, suddenly, he sucked in another breath, holding it tightly… and tossed the ball.
Bending low, he prepared his body to explode upward.
Two rapid steps built momentum, flowing into a final leap, converting forward speed into vertical height.
His upper body twisted slightly to the right in mid-air, so that the rotation of his hips could add force to the serve's strike.
Every subtle addition of power now could be the final straw that would crush Sugawara.
There was no room for negligence.
Unlike Kunimi, Oikawa always gave his all, whether in training or matches.
Every minute detail was executed to perfection, even if human limitations meant precision could never be flawless. Muscle memory carried him to the extreme.
The instant the ball met his palm, years of serving practice, spiking, ball control, and strength training converged, empowering a serve stronger than any before.
Unconsciously, the entire gym turned its attention to Oikawa's serve.
From every angle of the stands, the crowd could see the ball tear through the air with a visible whoosh, as though drawn straight from a manga panel.
The ball was struck squarely above its center with brutal precision.
Under the spotlight, the volleyball vanished from sight.
When it reappeared, it was already rolling behind Sugawara.
No… there had been a sound.
A massive BOOM.
It happened so fast that even Sugawara couldn't distinguish between the sound of Oikawa hitting the ball and the impact of it striking the floor.
Sugawara's body froze as he turned, staring at the ball that had stopped rolling. A sense of helplessness, akin to facing Guren's ferocious spikes, crept over him.
'What's the difference between this serve and an attack spike? It's even faster?'
'Daichi and Yuu… they're defending against serves like this?'
'Daichi didn't even make a sound just now… was it too fast to react?'
These three burning questions cycled endlessly in Sugawara's mind, shaking the conviction of the most steadfast third-year player.
Sawamura Daichi and Nishinoya Yuu also turned, still unnerved by the ball that had flown at Sugawara at impossible speed, bombing his side of the court.
'Not good… he really nailed it… this missile of a serve…'
Though Daichi rushed to Sugawara's side to offer support, even he knew that if the ball had been aimed at him, he wouldn't have been able to react.
Nishinoya, however, felt like he was staring at the goddess he had been longing for.
'I want to receive it!'
'Let me receive it!'
'Come at me! Serve it to me!'
His fiery desire to receive the ball radiated from Karasuno's court to Aoba Johsai's side.
"What's going on with this guy?"
Iwaizumi Hajime watched Nishinoya's determination ignite and felt as though he had stepped into a shonen manga.
"Seeing the opponent's strength, his first reaction is excitement and anticipation."
Oikawa, the one usually making flashy reactions for his own charm, remained unusually calm.
He simply caught the volleyball handed to him by a staff member, feeling the familiar, almost sacred touch in his palm.
Eyes sharp, expression fierce, he muttered,
"Another one."
In the stands, murmurs spread.
"Feels even faster than before!"
"He must've mastered those previous out-of-bounds monster serves!"
"A monster, right?"
"Absolutely monster-level."
Not only ordinary spectators were impressed.
The suited gentleman's eyes, previously squinting, now widened in shock.
"Damn…!"
"Miyagi prefecture producing four national youth team-level players in a single match?!"
"This is insane!"
To the old national player, Oikawa's serve had entered the realm of national youth team quality. Even if not the absolute best, it was the top tier of elite players.
The floral shirt man, meanwhile, sat straighter, no longer as casual, adjusting his shirt slightly, now studying Oikawa with serious scrutiny.
"This guy… even stronger than I imagined."
"If it weren't for Ushijima, he might already be on the national team."
Even without crossing that metaphorical "sea," the Conqueror had caught the eyes of volleyball insiders. His strength needed no further introduction.
The crowd could marvel safely, but Karasuno's back row had to think. They had to figure out how to handle the next serve.
Quick glances were exchanged between Nishinoya and Daichi.
After Daichi nodded, Nishinoya shifted slightly toward Sugawara's side.
They tried to expand their reception range to support Sugawara.
But Oikawa's serve had reached a ceiling-level mastery, akin to Guren's spikes. Small adjustments or clever tricks were no match for such a hardened weapon.
Like facing Guren's spikes, if your reception isn't at the proper level, no external help can intervene.
Now, Sugawara's mindset would be truly tested.
If he faltered, falling into a mental state reminiscent of when Ushijima crushed opponents in junior high, Oikawa could serve relentlessly, relentlessly until the match was over.
However…
Karasuno's roster was strong enough.
Even before the referee blew the eight-second serve whistle, Ukai signaled a substitution.
Everyone expected Sugawara to be replaced by Kageyama.
But stepping in was Hoshino Katsuri, the previously non-starting libero from Yukigaoka, the defensive cornerstone of a national semi-finalist team.