The calls of his teammates echoed in his ears. Asahi's chest tightened. For so long, at the critical moment, he had stepped back. He had carried that weight all this time. But now, he couldn't run anymore.
Sugawara planted himself under the falling ball, ready to set. His mind spun. 'What should I do? If I send it to Asahi and he gets blocked again…'
"Here!" Shimada raised his hands, calling for the ball.
Sugawara clenched his teeth. 'At least if I set to Shimada, we can make a stable attack…'
But then-
"Sugawara!!"
Asahi's voice tore across the court, raw and desperate.
"Toss it to me! Trust me! I'll score!"
Sugawara froze. For a moment, the timid, hesitant ace of before was gone. Standing there was the Asahi who had once carried Karasuno on his back.
Sugawara's hands shifted. The ball left his fingertips, perfectly placed.
The set hung at the right height, close enough to the net. It was Asahi's favorite toss.
"Don't hold back!" Tsukishima shouted, stepping next to Jin and Hinata. "I'm in too, triple block!"
Jin grinned. "Heh, like we'd let him through easy. Anything less would be pointless."
The three blockers jumped together, arms stretched high.
But Asahi's eyes were clear, sharper than they'd been in a long time. He roared and swung, aiming right between Jin and Hinata's arms.
*Bang!*
The ball smashed past, ripping into the floorboards. The block broke, Hinata's arms stung, and Jin had to brace his body from the impact.
*Ding!*
"Main Quest updated: Second Chapter!"
The former ace of Karasuno has successfully returned! Defeat the Ace!
"Nice shot!"
The team on the sidelines exploded in cheers. Their ace was back.
"It's insane… he broken through three blockers!" Hinata gasped, but his eyes were shining. "So strong… that's the ace of Karasuno!"
Far from discouraged, Hinata was bouncing with excitement. This was what he wanted, to see what a real ace looked like, to chase after it.
Jin flexed his hand where the ball had smacked past. It still stung. He licked his lips, eyes gleaming. "Heh. Perfect. Just came back, huh? Guess I'll crush him next."
Asahi returned to his side, chest rising hard. He wanted to thank Jin for pushing him forward earlier, but when he met Jin's fiery eyes, he knew, this was no time to relax.
Sugawara patted his shoulder quietly. "Don't drop it now."
Asahi nodded firmly.
Meanwhile, Jin strolled past Kageyama, lowering his voice. "Oi, Kageyama. When we run the quick… can you double the speed for me?"
Kageyama froze. Normally, Jin teased him with "King" every chance he got. But now? He was dead serious.
"Double… the speed?" Kageyama repeated. His mind flashed back to the monster quick with Hinata. Faster than that? It was insane.
But when he looked into Jin's eyes, sharp like a hunting beast, he felt it. Jin wasn't joking.
"The setter's job is to put the ball where the spiker needs it," Kageyama said stiffly. "If I force it that fast, I'll mess it up. I've never done that in training."
"If it's you, it'll work," Jin said simply. "I believe in you."
Kageyama's chest tightened. He scowled, trying to hide it. "Tch. Fine. I'll try. But if you miss it, don't blame me."