The match started poorly for Sengoku.
But surprisingly, the one most rattled wasn't Akashi Asuka, whose spike had just been blocked, it was the rest of the team.
Passing the ball to Akashi Asuka and scoring, it wasn't just a strategy anymore. After three consecutive rounds of victories, it had become second nature, almost a habit that no one questioned.
So when that "natural habit" was suddenly broken, the first ones to struggle with disbelief weren't the opponents, but his own teammates.
In an instant, the atmosphere on Sengoku's side turned heavy and tense.
On the sidelines, Coach Shimokawa Mitsuto frowned deeply, the lines on his forehead forming the character "川." He had anticipated that their team's flaw, relying solely on their spearhead, would eventually be exposed against a strong opponent. But even he hadn't expected morale to collapse this quickly.
"Were we really pushing it too far?" Shimokawa wondered silently.
If the prefectural tournament were a video game, Sengoku's team would be a party made up of one seasoned veteran, Akashi Asuka, and five complete newbies.
Ideally, the team was supposed to grow together, slowly gaining experience, leveling up bit by bit, from beginner enemies to mid-bosses, and finally the endgame boss.
But right now, except for Akashi Asuka, not only had the others failed to level up, they hadn't even filled their first experience bar. And yet, the final boss had already appeared.
"Sorry. That one's on me."
Akashi stepped forward, clapping his hands to break the team's tension and pull their focus back to him.
"Relax, everyone. If you're not sure what to do with the next ball, just leave it to me."
He turned to their setter. "Sanashita, next one, set it higher, please."
"R-Right… Got it."
…
Tweet!
The whistle blew again.
Kitagawa served. The ball soared over the net and was cleanly received by Neko Kurata. This time, the pass was decent, right above the setter's head.
Ryuhei Sanashita locked his eyes on the ball. His mind was almost blank, unsure of what to do. The only thing he could remember was what Akashi had just said: "Set it high."
Whoosh!
With a sudden surge of energy in his fingertips, Sanashita launched the ball skyward.
"Too high!" he blurted out in panic.
He didn't need to look, he already knew he'd overdone it.
The ball arced dramatically into the air, so exaggerated in height that even Kitagawa's blockers seemed stunned for a moment.
Akashi looked up, watching the ball soar. He sighed internally.
Yeah, I'm just not that kind of guy. I can't shift the whole team's mindset on my own.
Even though he'd momentarily eased the tension with his words, his teammates were still clearly stiff. Especially Sanashita.
Others might not have noticed, but Sanashita himself knew it well: Akashi had been blocked earlier not because of his own mistake, but because the set had been too low.
Akashi had taken the blame for him, but that only made it harder for Sanashita to forgive himself.
And the more nervous he got, the more mistakes he made.
Still, this is enough. Even if it was a bad set, if it has the height, it's enough.
Akashi adjusted his approach, slowed slightly, then suddenly exploded into motion near the net.
Thud!
The sound of his shoes slamming against the court echoed deep into everyone's chest.
On the other side of the net, Yūtarō Kindaichi, Akira Kunimi, and Tobio Kageyama were already in position for the block. The absurdly high toss had made it obvious: a spike was coming from that direction.
So as Akashi leapt, the three blockers jumped in perfect sync. Six arms formed a wall in front of him.
But a moment later, their expressions changed dramatically.
The figure before them didn't just leap, he soared right over their wall. As his body continued to rise, the only thing they could see reflected in their eyes… was his chin.
Boom!
The spike blasted over Kunimi's fingertips and slammed into Kitagawa's back court, thudding hard against the floor.
For a moment, silence.
Then, several seconds later, the bleachers on the second floor erupted with gasps and cheering.
"That was insane!"
"Who is that number one from Sengoku? That jump was ridiculous!"
"Wasn't that nearly 335cm? There's no way he's a Junior Higher…"
…
"Tch. I couldn't really tell from the footage, but seeing it up close… that guy's jump is insane." muttered Yūtarō Kindaichi, wiping sweat from his brow. At over 185 cm with a signature bowl-cut hairstyle, even he looked shaken.
"It's not just the height. That guy's power and technique are elite. When it comes to spiking, there might not be anyone in the whole prefecture who can compare." said Akira Kunimi, voice calm but eyes sharp.
He'd seen it clearly, Akashi had targeted him. Kunimi had jumped the lowest among the three of them. If it had been Kindaichiichi instead, even Akashi wouldn't have cleared the block entirely.
"Hey, Kunimi! You slacked off on that block, didn't you!?"
Suddenly, Tobio Kageyama stormed over and grabbed Kunimi by the collar, fury in his eyes.
"Huh?"
"That block, there's no way that was your max jump!"
"Hey! Kageyama, cool it! We're still in the middle of a match, save it for later!"
Kindaichiichi quickly jumped in, expertly prying the two apart before things escalated.
The rest of the team looked unfazed. They stepped in to calm things down, but it was clear no one was really worried about the argument.
…
Meanwhile, on the other side of the net, even though Akashi had just scored, his teammates didn't rush up to celebrate.
They were all frozen.
As players, they knew better than anyone: last week, Akashi had impressive jumps, sure, but nothing like this. Nothing as explosive and commanding as that leap just now.
"He's amazing…"
Oomae Masato stared at Akashi's tall frame by the net and whispered, "He's really starting to feel like a true 'ace.'"
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