The block just now left everyone stunned. When Hinata jumped, Jin had still been standing near the back row, yet somehow, he had move, chased forward, and timed the block perfectly. The speed and reaction were unreal.
"…Amazing," Tsukishima muttered, breaking the silence.
"Monster… are you a monster?" Daichi exclaimed.
Sugawara wiped the sweat on his forehead. "Normal people can't react like that. Even if they did, their body wouldn't keep up."
'Intuition'. The most terrifying ability of a blocker.
Compared to Tsukishima's careful, selective blocks, Jin had something different, raw athletic intuition. Against a wild runner like Hinata, no amount of "selective blocking" could keep up with that speed.
Jin grabbed the ball with one hand, strode to the service line, and shouted, "I want to be the ace. So I'll take control of this match!"
His presence pressed down like a weight. For the first time, Kageyama, the genius who had never feared anyone on court, felt a chill deep in his chest.
Oikawa had crushed him with overwhelming skill and control. But Jin's pressure was different. His was born entirely from 'pure strength'.
Jin tossed the ball high, this time with a sharper angle and faster spin than before. The seniors on the sideline noticed instantly.
*BOOM!*
The serve exploded into the backcourt before anyone could react.
"The power's even higher now… scary!" Hinata gasped. If he had tried to receive that one, he might have been blown away.
It was still a jump serve, but Jin's hit was closer to the power of his spike, much heavier than Kageyama's serve.
"Out of bounds." Sugawara called, surprised. Just by a few centimeters.
"Damn it!" Jin covered his face in frustration. "If that had landed, I could've racked up seven, eight points easy!"
"Don't worry, it was close," Yamaguchi encouraged.
Tsukishima adjusted his glasses, studying Jin closely. His serves, his receives, his blocks, each one was already far above average. 'What about his attack?' That was what Tsukishima wanted to see most.
He stepped closer. "Jin, I'll set for you next. What kind of ball do you want?"
Jin grinned. "Put it where nobody is. Time to show my greatest weapon."
Tsukishima raised an eyebrow. In three-on-three, defense was tight the 'no one's spot' didn't really exist. But Jin's confidence was sharp, almost contagious.
"Fine. Don't complain if you miss," Tsukishima said coolly.
Hinata meanwhile, carried the ball nervously to the service line. Even after hours of practice, he still felt jittery. :Steady… just get it over the net…'
He tossed the ball, hit it weakly, and it barely rolled over the tape, dropping into Jin's side.
Yamaguchi scrambled and bumped it high. Tsukishima shifted back, ready for the set. It wasn't a good position for a second touch, and Yamaguchi was still on the ground. That left only one option: Jin, waiting on the left.
Tanaka and Kageyama locked onto him. 'If the set goes there, we'll stop him for sure.'
But Tsukishima smirked and flicked the ball instead, to the 'far right corner'.
Kageyama froze. "Huh? To the right? But there's no one in there, did he mess up?"
Jin sighed dramatically. "Really, you didn't need to push it that far. Guess I'll have to cover it myself."
Then he exploded into motion.
"So fast!" Daichi shouted from the sideline.
In the blink of an eye, Jin had sprinted across the net, launching upward from the right side just as the ball reached its peak.
Kageyama and Tanaka barely made it halfway across before-
*SMASH!*
Jin's spike tore down at full force, hitting the floor before the blockers could react.
...
"Speed." Tsukishima murmured, watching him land. "That guy's greatest weapon is pure speed."