Haikyuu: Nah, I'd Adapt!

"Another service ace…"

The words echoed silently in the minds of Karasuno's players as they stared at the ball, now motionless on the floor outside the court.

It felt unreal—like a dream they couldn't wake from.

Tsuna's serve was on a different level, each one as unbelievable as the last. How could someone with a name they'd never even heard before wield such overwhelming power?

They knew he was from Tokyo, a region full of strong volleyball teams.

But from what little they'd heard, Tsuna didn't come from a famous school with powerhouse volleyball team. The only detail that stood out was that he had attended an international school—one known for being exclusive to elites.

Beyond that, there was no explanation for his extraordinary skills.

Karasuno's players were frozen in their spots, their gazes fixed on Tsuna. Sweat dripped down their foreheads. They couldn't hide disbelief on their faces as they struggled to process all of this.

'That serve… it's unreal,' Nishinoya thought, his trembling eyes fixed on the opposite side of the court.

Specifically, on Aoba Johsai's libero, standing out in his contrasting jersey.

Nishinoya clenched his fists tightly, his heart pounding in his chest. As a libero, he prided himself on his ability to receive even the most brutal attacks, but Tsuna's serves…

They were a different beast entirely.

A tiny voice in the back of his mind whispered doubts he hated to hear.

'Could I even receive that?'

He hated the thought. He hated the tiny shred of relief that washed over him because Tsuna was on their side. Yet, a strange part of him—a small but stubborn part—wondered what it would feel like to stand on the other side of the court and try to stop something so unstoppable.

But with each passing point, that part of him faded. It was impossible to deny.

Tsuna's serve was terrifying, even to someone like him.

Similarly to Nishinoya, the others in Karasuno was fighting their own demons in their minds. Their mind raced even faster as they sweat more. Their stamina was still plenty since matches with Tsuna didn't consume much of their energy beside for their setter, Suga.

But the mental it took on them was immense.

And the more they sank into their dark thoughts...

Smack!

A sharp slap echoed through the stadium. It was so loud Karasuno players snapped out of their thoughts before looking toward the source.

Aoba Johsai's setter, Oikawa, was standing frozen, his head tilted slightly from the impact. They all saw both of his cheeks were turning red. One from Tsuna's serve, another from...

...Iwaizumi, his own teammate's slap!

"...What?"

"Are they... fighting?"

They murmured in disbelief.

However, Iwaizumi wasn't done yet.

With a determined glare, Iwaizumi raised both hands and slapped his own cheeks with just as much force.

"W-wha...?"

The sound rang out again, louder this time.

"It's not fucking over yet, you fool!" he roared so hard his veins popping out of his neck.

Oikawa blinked his eyes, he was completely startled but Iwaizumi's sudden outburst.

"Look at the scoreboard, it's 21 to 9! Huh? Fuck. Turning this around? It's ridiculous! That guy—" he jabbed a finger toward Karasuno's side of the court, toward Tsuna, "—that motherfucker is a monster. Winning this shit? Who are we kidding?!"

Silence fell over the court. 

"Iwa—" Oikawa started, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Iwaizumi!"

"Let him be," Irihata interrupted quietly, stopping Mizoguchi from stepping forward.

The head coach's calm gaze remained fixed on Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi's shoulders trembled as he clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His teeth ground together as he lowered his head.

Then, slowly, he lifted his head, tears shimmering in his eyes.

"Fuck... I know it for sure," he said, his voice cracking under the strain.

The raw emotion in his tone made his teammates freeze in place. "I know how this ends. I know we might lose. No, we would. But we've lost before, no? It's frustrating every single time. But what's the difference now? What makes this loss different?"

"Iwa...chan?"

Oikawa stared at him, wide-eyed, unable to respond.

"We might lose the game," Iwaizumi continued to mumble out loud.

He wiped the tears from his eyes with the back of his hand and looked directly into Oikawa's gaze and added, "But we can't lose ourselves."

"...!"

The intensity in his words struck like a thunderclap. His determination sparked something within not just Aoba Johsai's players who were about to plunge into the darkness.

It sparked the determination within Karasuno's players on the other side too as they all went quite with their throats tightening. Words totally got stuck in their mouths, unable to form.

Smack!

A loud smack was heard, this time from within their ranks as everyone turned to look at Daichi who had his cheeks turning red with his own hands as he took a deep breath before speaking, "He's right, it's not over yet. We can't grow complacent, just do what can in this moment is what we need to do. Let's go, Karasuno..."

"It seems like... Iwaizumi's determination also brought back Karasuno's state of mind to where it should be..."

Irihata quitely thought as both him and Mizoguchi slowly sat back into their bench. He looked over at his team as they went back to their position and relaxed their forms. 

"Good," Irihata smiled. "That's how you should be playing volleyball!"

Their form was a lot firmer than before. And this alone made Irihata was relieved.

Oikawa fists loosened as he let out a deep breath. His eyes now burned with resolve as he spoke, "Iwa-chan's right..."

"Let's not lose ourselves..." Aoba Johsai's setter mumbled as he then turned to Oikawa and suddenly joked, "Though, I wasn't expecting Iwa-chan to actually cry for us..."

"Oh piss off, Oikawa. I did it for myself you dumbfuck."

"It's okay Iwa-chan, I understand. Fuck winning, let's go crying!"

"...You son of a bitch."

Iwaizumi's cheeks got red in embarassement which brought chuckle among the team members which completely settling away the gloomy atmosphere they'd been having the whole time. The referee even had to step in and called them out for being too loud which made Mizoguchi screamed at them from the bench, scolding them.

"These fools..."

"Seems like they're enjoying this."

"Are you telling me they're masochistic?"

Karasuno players also joked among themselves as they positioned them back. Their form was a lot more relaxed compared with their tensed body a while back.

"Hmm, they're impressive..."

The ball was rolled back to Tsuna, who held it with one hand while looking at Seijo in silence.

A heavy tension settled over the court as the players took their positions. Every movement was sharper, every breath slower.

The game was brought to a new level! 

The crowd could feel it—the shift in the air. The determination bubbling from Aoba Johsai's players brought forth tremendous energy as the crowd's cheers erupted.

It was deafening.

Whistle~!

Iwaizumi stood ready with his gaze locked on Tsuna as the Karasuno #9 held the ball with calmly. His fists clenched as he shouted,"We fight! No matter what the scoreboard says, we fight until the very end. We don't stop, we don't surrender, and we don't lose ourselves!"

"Let's go. We can't lose ourselves here," Beside him, Oikawa's lips twitched into a faint smile. He adjusted his stance, shaking out his arms to relax his muscles. His sharp eyes fixed on Tsuna.

"Seijoh! Seijoh! Let's go!"

The chants from the crowd grew louder.

The echoes of their determination spread like wildfire. Aoba Johsai's players stood resolute, their collective spirit burning bright.

The attention was on Karasuno #9, yet the energy was against him. But he remained unmoved. The noise, the cheers, the tension—they barely registered in his mind.

He tossed the ball into the air and leapt. It was nothing impressive as everyone was still cheering. In fact, it appeared simple in their eyes.

"...."

Tsuna's figure soared with precision, his form perfect. His arm swung down, connecting with the ball in a movement so sharp it seemed to slice through the atmosphere.

Bang!

The sound of his serve was like a gunshot, cutting through the noise of the crowd. The ball streaked across the court, a blur of power and speed.

Oikawa's eyes widened.

"....!"

Before he realized, the ball slammed into the floor with a sharp thud, then bounced high and out of the court.

"....."

Silence.

The roaring crowd, the determined shouts of Aoba Johsai—all of it disappeared in an instant.

For a moment, no one moved.

Aoba Johsai's players stood frozen. The crowd, too stunned to process, fell into an eerie stillness.

Tsuna landed softly. He felt everyone's eyes on him. And just like that, the overwhelming energy of the gym vanished into thin air.

The energy that was pressing on him earlier was nowhere to be felt.

"Referee-san, are you not gonna blow the whistle?"

His voice broke the silence like a sharp crack. The referee blinked, startled, as though just waking up from a trance.

"...Ah, right," the referee mumbled before raising his hand.

Whistle!

The piercing sound of the whistle seemed to snap the crowd back to life. Roars erupted, louder than ever, but this time, the cheers weren't against Tsuna—they were for him.

"Goddammit... does that not even move you at all?" 

Iwaizumi felt every hair on his body stand on end. Goosebumps prickled his skin as he watched Tsuna.

Their cries, their desperation, the energy they'd poured into it—all crumbled in an instant.

Like swatting away a fly. That was how effortless it looked. And yet, it died anyway.

That single serve had completely shattered everything they'd fought to rebuild.

His fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms. Frustration bubbled in his chest, but no matter how angry he was, he couldn't ignore the fear creeping in.

He gritted his teeth, "...You fucking coldhearted monster."