Haikyuu : The Unstoppable Force

Some teams, when facing stronger opponents, rely on unorthodox strategies and unpredictable tactics to catch their rivals off guard and secure a surprise victory.

If Akira hadn't joined Karasuno, then Karasuno—who relied on Hinata and Kageyama's freak quick attack—would have been one such team!

But now, Jozenji plays in an entirely different style.

They rely on skill.

Such a team, when facing weaker opponents, will win consistently.

Few teams can overturn them because their style is grounded and steady.

But when their opponent is stronger than them…

That very steadiness becomes a weakness.

Because steadiness means minimal fluctuations in performance.

And when their peak performance still falls below their opponent's strength… failure is inevitable.

Right now, Jozenji is being completely dominated by Karasuno.

"How could this be…?"

"Aren't the players in good form today?"

"This doesn't make sense! What's happening?"

"Is Karasuno really that strong?"

...

Listening to the murmurs of the audience around them, Shimada and his friends exchanged knowing smiles.

"You three shouldn't get too happy just yet! Don't assume Jozenji will lose so easily!"

At that moment, a Jozenji supporter sitting nearby spoke up.

Although his face looked a little pale, he still turned toward Shimada and his friends with determination.

"Just wait! Jozenji still has plenty of fight left!"

...

But regardless of how Jozenji's fans felt, the match continued moving in the worst possible direction for them.

With Akira rotating to the back row, Karasuno unleashed Hinata and Kageyama's freak quick attack combined with Hinata's decoy strategy.

While teams can adjust to Hinata's quick attack…

That takes time.

And so far, the only person who has successfully stopped that quick attack on the first try is Akira!

But before Jozenji's blockers could even react, Hinata rotated to the back row.

And Akira—Karasuno's other ace attacker—rotated back to the front.

Now, two completely different offensive styles alternated.

One—a guerrilla-like strategy focused on avoiding the blockers and scoring from unexpected angles.

The other—a direct, overwhelming attack, striking with the sheer force of raw power.

No matter how strong a blocker is, if they stand in Akira's way, he will break through.

Jozenji's players were being subjected to both forms of attack in turns.

Just as they adjusted to one… the other would strike.

With that relentless pressure, the score continued to widen, and Jozenji's players began to lose their mental edge.

Tweet!

The referee's whistle echoed as Seiji Okutake glanced at the scoreboard.

"We're… at match point already?"

He clenched his teeth, his palms damp with sweat.

Staring across the net, he felt a moment of despair.

"Hey!"

"Seiji-senpai! What are you spacing out for?!"

A hand landed on his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He turned to see Terushima Yuuji standing beside him, grinning confidently.

"Didn't we say it?"

"This year, we'll defeat Shiratorizawa and go to Nationals!"

"We can't fall here!"

"So don't you dare give up now!"

"Tch! Who said I was giving up?"

Seiji shoved Terushima's hand away, annoyed.

"The next ball is coming to you! Don't mess it up!"

"Haha! No problem!"

As Terushima turned away, Seiji found himself momentarily dazed.

"…Maybe these second-years have the right idea."

"Playing freely, doing whatever feels right, making it impossible for the opponent to predict…"

...

Tweet!

A sharp whistle interrupted his thoughts.

No matter what, the match must go on.

But against Karasuno's relentless offense, Jozenji's defense struggled to hold up.

The first set ended in a landslide.

Meanwhile, at another court nearby…

"Shiratorizawa!"

"Shiratorizawa!"

Deafening cheers filled the air.

And on the scoreboard…

Shiratorizawa 25 - 16 Kutani Minami

Shiratorizawa had swiftly taken the first set.

"We expected this… but seeing it happen still stings," Nakajima muttered bitterly from Kutani Minami's bench.

"For the next set, we fight back!"

"We're not just going to roll over!"

"Even if we lose, we won't make it easy for them!"

"Yeah!"

...

"Is this really our semifinal opponent?"

"This is boring."

In the stands, an older man yawned as he watched the match.

A younger spectator beside him nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, and Kutani Minami is supposed to be one of the strongest schools in the prefecture! Making the top four isn't easy."

"But against Shiratorizawa, they don't stand a chance."

Scratching his head, the older man glanced at the Shiratorizawa players.

"I guess that just shows how strong Shiratorizawa is. They even made the Top 8 in Nationals last year."

"Yeah… Hopefully, Aoba Johsai can last a little longer against them this year."

"…Huh?"

Everyone turned to him, their expressions filled with disbelief.

"Dude, you're way behind the times. Aoba Johsai didn't even make it out of the group stage this year."

The older man's face twisted in shock.

"What?!"

"Other than Shiratorizawa, who could possibly beat Aoba Johsai? They always make the finals!"

"In their group… who could knock Aoba Johsai out?"

"Was it Date Tech?"

The younger fan sighed, exasperated.

"Date Tech got eliminated before Aoba Johsai!"

"Uncle, have you even been watching the tournament?"