Haikyuu : The Unstoppable Force

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"Oh? Is that main Spiker named Akira standing in the front row in the initial round?" Coach Irihata looked at the situation on the field and rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"I kind of understand what Karasuno is thinking..."

"It's really cruel!"

"Oh?" Hearing this, Mizoguchi Sadayuki's eyes widened as he carefully stared at the situation on the court.

However, he couldn't see anything unusual.

"Haha! Mizoguchi, you'll figure it out by watching." Coach Irihata patted him on the shoulder with a smile.

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In the first set, it was Date Tech who served.

Thwack!

Date Tech's sharp jump serve was eye-catching, but it was easily received by Nishinoya in the back row.

It was clear his receiving skills had improved significantly.

"Kageyama!"

Taking a few steps back, Akira smiled and called for Kageyama to set the ball!

Without hesitation, Kageyama understood Akira's intent and sent a high ball in front of the net!

Although the ball trajectory was high, it was clear that the final drop point was low near the net—a perfect position for a typical attacker!

"A predictable set!"

The Date Tech coach, Oiwake, pumped his fist in excitement.

"The first ball blatantly exposes their target!"

"And it's a first-year rookie attacking?!"

"Exactly!" The team manager, Mai, added enthusiastically.

"A ball like this—Aone can easily stop it!"

"In the face of Date Tech's Iron Wall, Karasuno dares to challenge? How arrogant!"

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Meanwhile, Mizoguchi Sadayuki outside the court muttered nervously, "Kageyama's pass seems off!"

"Isn't Akira best known for his towering, impossible-to-block spikes?"

"That's Karasuno's weapon against Date Tech's blocks!"

"This could go badly!"

But Coach Irihata just smiled knowingly. "Keep watching," he said.

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Creaaak!

The squeak of sneakers echoed on the court.

Without unnecessary movements, Akira began his approach the moment Kageyama sent the ball.

Seeing Akira in action, Date Tech's front row—comprising Aone, Futakuchi, and Yasushi Kamasaki—moved immediately to block him.

Their tall frames moved with incredible speed, preparing to jump and create their Iron Wall!

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As Akira jumped, the Date Tech trio rose simultaneously, forming an impenetrable barrier.

The Iron Wall of Date Tech was indeed a sight to behold—high, wide, and seemingly unbreakable.

Every possible angle for Akira's spike was completely sealed.

An airtight wall stood before him, not a ray of sunlight breaking through.

Watching this, Coach Irihata shook his head slightly and murmured to himself, "An Iron Wall… depends on who it's facing."

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Despite the intimidating wall, Akira smiled slightly.

Pulling his arms back like a drawn bow, he prepared to unleash his attack.

Boom!

There were no flashy tricks. The ball shot straight toward Aone's blocking arms like a meteor crashing to Earth!

The volleyball tore through the air with a sharp hiss.

The impact was so immense that Aone's arms were blasted aside!

An Unstoppable Force!

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The power of the spike flipped Aone's strong frame backward, sending him crashing to the ground!

The ball struck the wooden floor with such force it deformed momentarily before rebounding high and flying into the crowd!

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Silence.

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Then, the realization hit.

Oiwake leapt from his seat in shock.

"Impossible...!"

"No way!!"

"How could this happen?!"

Mai, standing beside him, pinched her own thigh in disbelief.

"This can't be real..."

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Tweet!

The referee's whistle blew, breaking the stunned silence.

Karasuno wins the first point!

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"Aone!"

"Aone, are you okay?!"

Finally regaining their composure, the Date Tech players rushed to check on Aone. Concern etched their faces, but an undercurrent of unease lingered in their eyes.

That spike...

What in the world was it?!

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"This..." Mizoguchi looked at the situation on the court, dumbfounded. Recalling what he had just said, his face turned slightly red. Immediately, he turned to Coach Irihata on the sidelines and said admiringly, "Coach Irihata, you must have foreseen this situation!" "It seems I still have much to learn!"

"Ahem!" Irihata coughed lightly, concealing the shock in his eyes. "It's okay, Mizoguchi. Recognizing that you still have room to grow shows you're already good enough!" "Don't be too hard on yourself."

In truth, Coach Irihata had initially understood Karasuno's tactical plan. However, he hadn't anticipated that when executed by Akira, the effect would be so devastating! Date Tech's famed Iron Wall looked like paper before him!

"Is this really the Date Tech known as the Iron Wall?" Disappointed murmurs echoed from the audience.

"It looks like that!"

"How did he manage to spike through so easily?"

Several seasoned volleyball fans from the Miyagi Arena shook their heads in disbelief.

"I don't think Date Tech is weak—it's that he is way too strong!"

"Exactly! They're a top-tier team with the Iron Wall title for a reason!"

"That kid could probably break through a professional player's block. It's no surprise he's doing this here!"

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Meanwhile, Aone on the court slowly stood up.

"I just lost my footing and fell. No injuries."

Hearing this, Date Tech's players sighed in relief. On the other side of the net, Akira also let out a breath of relief. If his first spike had injured an opponent, it would have been troublesome.

In truth, Date Tech's Iron Wall wasn't as formidable as Akira had imagined. He hadn't even used his full strength and still broke through the blockers in the front row with ease.

Now, the Date Tech players stared at Akira across the net like they were seeing a monster.

But the referee's whistle quickly brought them back to reality. The game resumed!

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Karasuno's serve fell to Hinata, who easily sent it back.

Date Tech countered with a spike, but Karasuno's blockers deflected it. Nishinoya quickly picked up the ball in the back row. Without hesitation, Kageyama set the ball for Akira once more.

"Not again!!"

The three front-row blockers from Date Tech tightened their defenses.

"That last spike... it had to be a fluke, right?"

They had faced Ushijima Wakatoshi from Shiratorizawa before. While they'd struggled against his spikes, it had never felt this hopeless.

This opponent seemed indifferent to their efforts, as if thinking, Block or not, I'll always score!

The Date Tech blockers had no time to strategize further. Seeing Akira leap, they gritted their teeth and jumped together!

"This time, we'll stop him!"

Boom!

But the reality was harsh. The difference in skill was too vast to overcome through sheer effort.

The sound of the volleyball hitting the court echoed again.

The same outcome. The Iron Wall was breached once more!

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"Ah!"

"This is brutal!"

Some spectators sighed in pity. Yet, the excitement in their eyes betrayed their true feelings—they were loving every second of this display of skill.

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The whistle blew again. This time, Date Tech called a timeout.

Despite the score only being 2-0, for a team known for its blocking prowess, the psychological blow was immense.

On the sidelines, Coach Oiwake looked at his dejected players. Even Moniwa, their usually optimistic captain, was silent.

The coach sighed. With just two points, it was clear they were being outclassed.

One point could be a coincidence. But after witnessing Karasuno's confidence and Akira's power, Oiwake realized the truth: their Iron Wall was no match for Akira's spikes.

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"Just a first-year…" he muttered to himself.

Breaking the silence, he cleared his throat and addressed his players firmly.

"We've faced opponents much stronger than Karasuno before!"

"Are you really going to let just two points shake you?"

"That kid's spikes might be powerful, but they're physically draining! How many more can he pull off before wearing himself out?"

"So don't give up! Keep your heads up!"

"When he rotates to the back row, we'll take the chance to fight back!"

"We're still the Iron Wall!"

"The impenetrable Iron Wall!"

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Encouraged by his words, the Date Tech players began to recover their confidence.

"Coach is right!"

Moniwa stepped forward, rallying his team.

"We can't let a minor setback stop us!"

"Even if we can't stop him this time, there will be another chance!"

"The Iron Wall isn't just a barrier—it's a symbol of our unyielding spirit!"

"Yeah!"

The players' eyes lit up with determination.

If we can't block him now, we'll block him later!

Once his stamina runs out, we'll turn the tide!

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"Good!" Oiwake said with satisfaction.

"Let's get back out there!"

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