It was only then that Sawamura Daichi realized: this time, Oikawa Tooru's target was him.
Even though Oikawa might have aimed for surprise, deep down, Sawamura sensed something else.
It wasn't just the element of surprise.
Without the rigorous training camp behind him, Sawamura's reception skills were still a step below his Spring High self.
And it was precisely this gap that Oikawa noticed, marking him as the focal target.
Aoba Johsai 3:0
4:0
5:0
It wasn't until the sixth serve that Sawamura finally managed to receive Oikawa's ball, and Karasuno could begin their first meaningful offensive in the second set.
Without an established setter, there were no extra patterns to rely on. At this moment, Yudai Hyakuzawa and Ichinose Guren had to continue their high-flying duo connection.
When Guren leaped high and scanned the court mid-air, he suddenly realized something.
Aoba Johsai's Yutaro Kindaichi, Matsukawa Issei, and Iwaizumi Hajime were tall enough to block his straight-line spike.
'No!'
Guren's incredible hang time gave him a fraction of a buffer.
'My jump hasn't gotten shorter, and they haven't suddenly grown taller…'
'That leaves only one explanation.'
Estimating the distance between the three blockers and the net, Guren noticed they had leapt from more than half a meter back from the net.
Because his spike traveled from high to low, the combination of their height and this distance formed a block high enough to intercept him.
'In that case… vertical spike!'
Guren's eyes shifted from focused to murderous.
'Do they think they can fool me?'
His violent swing turned downward instead of forward, folding the volleyball 180 degrees in midair at the moment of contact.
But…
"BOOM!"
The ball hit the court with a muffled thud, Guren's spike didn't land cleanly this time.
Watari Shinji personally received the vertical spike!
Not only did a sly smile appear at the corner of Oikawa's mouth, but the rest of Aoba Johsai's five players mirrored the same grin.
Even Guren's face betrayed a hint of shock.
Those on the outside could see it clearly.
Compared to Guren, perched at the net,
the coaches, Keishin Ukai, Takeda Ittetsu, and Kiyoko Shimizu, the other half of Karasuno's court, and even the spectators, all shared the same thought:
'Aoba Johsai is really taking things to the extreme.'
After a brief moment of astonishment, the suited man erupted into laughter, wildly out of sync with his formal attire.
"Ha ha ha ha ha!"
"This guy!!"
"Too much like you, isn't he?"
The floral shirt man smiled as well.
"Eh, not bad… but in terms of style, still a notch below me back in the day."
They watched intently.
While Guren attacked from midcourt, aside from the half-meter block from the three players, Oikawa Tooru and Hanamaki Takahiro guarded the possible diagonal spike lanes.
Meanwhile, Aoba Johsai's libero, Watari Shinji, had already positioned himself at the front, waiting for Guren's vertical spike.
Even so, this defensive setup was chaotic at best.
Watari's height was around 1.7 meters. Even lowering his center of gravity, he'd reach at most 1.1 meters.
Guren's contact point ranged from 3.5 to 3.6 meters. The two-meter reaction distance made it impossible to swing at full force, but even with this short space, the ball speed was terrifying.
Moreover, regardless of whether he could reach it, Watari was extremely vulnerable to being smashed.
That's why everyone thought Aoba Johsai was recklessly improvising.
But in the end, the result was perfect: Aoba Johsai successfully received Guren's spike for the first time.
Seizing the momentum, Oikawa commanded the team's movements, flowing to the front row. Reading the defense, he decisively sent a quick attack toward Yutaro Kindaichi.
Shoyo Hinata executed it flawlessly, scoring again.
"Great shot!"
"Beautiful spike!"
Aoba Johsai's celebration outshone even the previous five-point streak they had from Oikawa's serve.
They knew full well that the first set had slipped away largely because Guren's spikes had left them powerless.
This time, while it didn't guarantee every spike could be received, it at least proved they now had a way to counter Guren's attacks.
They wouldn't be mere spectators again, helplessly watching Guren rack up points.
"Hmph."
Guren, who had been brimming with murderous intent, paused briefly, then smiled.
"Now this is getting interesting."
"Aoba Johsai, Oikawa. Let's clash!"
At those words, Guren's hunting instinct for strong opponents flared without restraint.
At this moment, the entire court transformed into a primal, bloody arena.
When the referee blew the final whistle, only one team would walk away standing.