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Second day of the prefectural tournament.
Sengoku Middle versus Aota Private Middle School.
This school was clearly a tier above Haishi. Especially their defensive stability, which far exceeded Haishi's.
So yesterday's tactics against Haishi wouldn't work today.
Even Akashi Asuka would struggle to break through a triple block from them.
For this match...
Sengoku began using movement, stretching the court, and multi-attacker plays to scatter the opponent's defense.
No matter what, Akashi Asuka's offensive power was undeniable.
Triple high-level blocks could stop him. But that also meant unless they committed three blockers, no other defense could effectively hinder Akashi Asuka.
TWEET!
Twenty-five minutes into the match.
Score: 22 to 19.
This game was much tighter than the last one.
After Akashi Asuka made a serving error and Aota gained possession, they called a timeout.
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"Damn it. Who the hell is that guy? Never heard of him before." Aota's libero took a sip of water and glared toward Sengoku's side, frustration plain on his face.
As libero, he'd received Akashi Asuka's spikes more than anyone else today.
That guy's spikes weren't just sharp-angled. They were shockingly powerful and blazing fast. Often the ball would clear the block before his eyes could even track it, slamming into the floor before his body reacted.
And even when he predicted the landing spot, the sheer force on the ball made it nearly impossible to absorb cleanly. The moment it touched his arms, they'd twist sideways uncontrollably and the ball would vanish somewhere behind him.
"True. Their main spiker's technique and power are probably top-tier in the prefecture. But it's weird... We've never heard his name before. Hell, even Sengoku Middle School wasn't exactly famous." Aota's setter pondered aloud.
"Coach, have you heard of Akashi Asuka?" someone asked.
Aota's volleyball coach squinted toward Sengoku's bench, then gave a slight nod. "I think I heard the name once somewhere. But back then, only his spiking power was decent. Nothing else stood out."
"Huh? This kind of power is just 'decent'?"
Aota's libero glanced at his already red arms and couldn't help but complain.
"Hmm. His current power is indeed impressive. But since he never caught attention before, he probably made some recent breakthrough to reach this level."
The coach continued thinking. "Never mind that for now. Spiking might improve quickly with training, but fundamentals like receiving take time to polish. Their fundamentals are weak. Perfect timing—Akashi's rotated to the back row now. For the rest of the match, aim every attack at him."
Aota's team shouted in unison: "Yes!"
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Play resumed.
Aota had possession.
Their opposite hitter served—a simple jump serve sent the ball flying straight toward Akashi Asuka.
Outside the court, Coach Shimokawa Santo's eyes flickered.
"Exposed already..."
Shimokawa Santo sighed inwardly. As Sengoku's coach, he knew his team's weaknesses better than anyone.
Without question...
With Akashi Asuka's power breakthrough, Sengoku's offense had jumped to prefecture-level elite.
But put another way: aside from attack, they had nothing.
Team coordination. Individual skills of other members. Compared to real strong teams, the gap was massive.
Simply put...
Akashi Asuka's overwhelming offense had completely outpaced the rest of the team.
Sengoku Middle School was like a spear with only a tip. Against weak teams, that tip alone could pierce anything. But once opponents grew stronger, the lack of a shaft would become glaringly obvious.
"Though..."
Shimokawa's lips suddenly curled into a faint, eerie smile. "Aota... even a spear with only a tip. Do you really think you can handle it?"
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THWACK!
The ball touched Akashi Asuka's wrists and bounced high. The direction was slightly off, but it stayed in bounds.
His receiving, technically "digging", had nearly reached passing level.
He still couldn't deliver excellent first touches, but against a harmless serve like this, simply keeping it in play wasn't too difficult for him.
"No problem. I've got it."
Setter Mishita Ryuhei shouted, quickly moving under the ball.
As he considered who to set for the attack...
A firm, magnetic voice suddenly rang out from the backcourt.
"Give it to me."
Mishita didn't even need to look. He knew who spoke. During matches, that voice rarely spoke—but nearly every time it did, Sengoku scored a point.
So when those distinctive words reached Mishita's ears, his body reacted faster than his brain.
Fingertips brushed the ball lightly.
A slow but high arc floated toward the backcourt.
Next second...
A tall, powerful figure launched skyward and swung down violently.
BOOM!
A thunderous spike echoed through the gym.
Everyone nearby watched as the ball arced from the backcourt, cleared the net, sailed past Aota's blockers' fingertips, and slammed into the floor before bouncing high.
The arena fell dead silent.
For several seconds...
Then the stands erupted in even louder cheers.
"OHHHHHH~~~"
"Back-row attack!"
"No way! Can middle schoolers really pull that off?"
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That single back-row spike instantly ignited the crowd.
Since today wasn't the opening ceremony, few spectators had come. The upper stands were sparsely filled, and the atmosphere had been rather dull.
But after Akashi Asuka's back-row kill, the venue suddenly buzzed with energy.
After all, even casual viewers could feel the raw violence in a main spiker's powerful spike.
And contrasting sharply with the lively stands...
Aota's entire team stood in complete silence.
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(End of Chapter)