"I have to block a few of his spikes, his height is taunting me!"
Akashi Asuka looked like a yakuza in full rage, snarling with frustration.
Meanwhile, the coach of Sengoku Junior High, Mitsuto Shimokawa, stroked his chin and addressed the team.
"Thanks to their first-round matchup against Kitagawa Daiichi, I managed to get several match recordings from friends. We have some intel on the opponents."
"That tall guy, Yudai Hyakuzawa, his spikes and blocks are among the most powerful in Junior High nationwide."
Seeing the fear and stubborn expressions on his players' faces, Shimokawa added a warning:
"But the real threat is their ace, Ichinose Guren. He's the biggest offensive problem we'll face."
"His absurd jumping height and unpredictable spike speed allow him to bypass most blocks in Junior High matches."
"You can only attempt floor defense against him, and trying a soft-style block still risks giving up a vertical spike."
"So, we can manage Yudai Hyakuzawa to some extent, but Ichinose Guren…"
He glanced at his libero, Kurata Neko, and opposite, Oda Miki.
"…the responsibility to limit him falls to you two."
A chill ran from their feet to their heads.
"We'll do our best!"
Suppressing the ominous feeling in their hearts, they bowed politely to the coach. Outwardly calm, inwardly they feared they might get "wiped out."
"I'm not a block with no presence! I'll stop him!"
Akashi raised his fists and rolled up his sleeves, flexing his muscles as he threatened them.
"If you show that subtly calm but actually tense expression again, I'll beat you up!"
The duo shivered, though this time it was less ominous, just a warning, not a premonition of doom.
Because premonitions are just feelings. But if they worried about things not yet happened, Akashi would really hit them. Sengoku Junior High's top delinquent was not called that for nothing.
The two bowed again, this time with utmost respect, leaving Mitsuto Shimokawa helpless.
He had already noticed this two years ago and never understood why they respected Akashi so much.
Their answer was simple:
"To be honest, teacher, if we anger you, maybe you'd contact our parents or something. But if we anger Akashi, he'd really block us every day and beat us up."
Akashi, however, treated the coach far better than classmates, sometimes asking him for volleyball advice, showing respect without disrupting team cohesion.
With Akashi's intimidating aura, the Sengoku players actually relaxed, their tension about facing a nearly two-meter giant easing.
"Line up!"
The referee's whistle blew, and both teams lined up with their coaches, bowing. Akashi's face displayed the expression I don't want to bow to these guys, but two years ago, he had learned the hard way to respect match etiquette: failing to do so got him warnings, bench time, and penalties from the referee.
From then on, he bowed and shook hands seriously before and after every match, because volleyball was one thing he took seriously and refused to compromise on.
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Yukigaoka Junior High lineup:
Front row: Suzuki, Yudai Hyakuzawa, Mori
Back row: Hinata Shoyo, Hoshino Katsuri, Ichinose Guren
Once again, the lineup starts with Ichinose Guren serving, forming a highly offensive formation.
The three tallest players are arranged with one player in between each, ensuring that both attack and block always maintain a height advantage.
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