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"The Birth of the Serene King" (Japanese:
Overview[]
Inarizaki reaches match point at 24-22, leaving Karasuno in a state of peril. Tanaka pulls off a severely close straight, sending the audience into applause; however, Karasuno's battle is still not over yet. Pressure starts to build as it's Kageyama's turn to serve.
Plot[]
Inarizaki is the first to reach match point, with a score of 24-22. Karasuno begins to feel the pressure that if they can't score the next two consecutive points, they won't win. Aran performs a powerful serve, which Asahi manages to receive, but unfortunately, their formation is broken. Kageyama manages to set the ball up to Tanaka, but sadly, his spike is blocked by Inarizaki. However, Nishinoya manages to miraculously save the ball, sending it up to Kageyama. Kageyama and Hinata perform a quick, but Aran manages to save it. They get the ball back over the net to Karasuno.
It then flashes back to earlier that game, when Tanaka had approached Kageyama and requested for him not to set the ball to him as frequently, seeing as he'd been getting targeted by Inarizaki's blockers. Kageyama denied Tanaka's wishes, reminding him that his attacks are essential. Tanaka reflects positively on it, taking it as a compliment, knowing that Kageyama wasn't the type of person to say that just to cheer him up.
Kageyama then begins to analyze Tanaka. He states that Tanaka's condition since the end of the first match has not been bad, and that up until now, even when it felt like he was going to get overwhelmed by the momentum, he'd kept his cool, and that, his crosses had been incredible. Kageyama sets the ball to Tanaka once again, who spikes it right along the line, sending the crowd into applause for his amazing straight.
It then cuts to Oikawa, who is watching the match on his smartphone as he goes for a walk. Seeing Karasuno's amazing play frustrates him, causing him to let out a yell as he begins to run, startling a few passersby.
While Karasuno is now only one point behind Inarizaki, they still need to score the next point in order for them to stay in the game, as Inarizaki is still at set point. The atmosphere grows tense, and it's Kageyama's turn to serve once more.