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Sengoku got off to a bad start.
However, it was the rest of the team who felt the most nervous, not Asuto, whose spike had just been blocked.
Pass the ball to Asuto, then score.
After three consecutive rounds, this had become more than just a tactic; it had practically become an ingrained habit for everyone. And now that this ‘natural habit’ had suddenly been broken, it was their own teammates who found it hardest to believe.
For a moment, the atmosphere on Sengoku’s side grew heavier and more tense.
Off the court, Shimokawa Mitsuto’s brows were already tightly furrowed. Although he had long anticipated that Sengoku’s weakness of having ‘only a spearhead’ would eventually be exposed against strong teams, he still hadn’t expected their morale to collapse this quickly.
‘Was it still too much of a stretch after all?’ Shimokawa Mitsuto thought to himself.
If the Prefectural Athletic Meet were compared to a game, then this Sengoku team would consist of one veteran player, Asuto, and five complete beginners.
Under Asuto’s leadership, the other players should have gradually gained experience, leveling up step by step from minor enemies to elite foes and finally to the ultimate boss.
But now, aside from Asuto, the others hadn’t even filled their first experience bar.
Yet the final boss had already appeared.
“Sorry, that one’s on me.”
Asuto stepped forward and clapped his hands to draw everyone’s attention away from the match and onto himself.
“Everyone, don’t be so tense. Relax a bit. If you don’t know what to do with the next ball, just leave it to me.”
“And Mishita, please set it higher next time.”
“O-Okay…”
· · ·
Beep!
The whistle sounded again.
Kitagawa Daiichi continued serving. After the ball crossed the net, Kurata Mao managed to receive it. This time, the pass angle was slightly better, landing right above the setter.
Mishita Ryuhei’s eyes were fixed on the ball. His mind was in complete chaos; he had no idea what to do.
The only thing he could remember was what Asuto had just said:
“Set it higher.”
Whoosh!
In the next instant, Mishita exerted force through all ten fingers. With a soft whistling sound, the volleyball shot high into the air.
“Not good!”
Mishita Ryuhei’s expression changed drastically. He didn’t even need to look; he knew instantly that he had hit it far too high.
The ball arced into the air at an exaggerated height.
This time, it stunned not only his own teammates but even the blockers from Kitagawa Daiichi.
Looking up at the ball, Asuto sighed inwardly.
As expected, he wasn’t someone who could easily influence others’ state of mind.
Even though his words had briefly eased his teammates’ tension, they were still moving stiffly, especially Mishita Ryuhei.
Others might not have noticed, but as the setter, Mishita knew full well: The reason Asuto had been blocked on the first play wasn’t his fault at all.
It was because his set had been too low.
Although Asuto had taken the blame for him earlier, Mishita couldn’t get over that mental hurdle.
The more nervous he became, the more likely he was to make mistakes.
“But this is enough. Even if it’s a bad set, as long as it has height, that’s enough.”
Fixing his gaze on the ball high above, Asuto slowed his approach slightly.
Only when he reached the net did he suddenly explode upwards into his jump.
Thud!
The sound of his shoes striking the floor seemed to echo deep within everyone’s hearts.
Yutaro Kindaichi, Akira Kunimi, and Kageyama Tobio were already in position at the net. After all, with such a high set, the opponent was practically announcing that they would spike from this direction.
The moment Asuto leapt into the air, the three of them jumped in perfect sync. Six arms instantly formed a solid wall.
But in the very next second, their expressions changed drastically.
The figure on the opposite side… rose straight past their defense.
His body kept ascending higher and higher until, in the end, the only thing reflected in their pupils was his chin.
Bang!
With an explosive sound, the volleyball flew over Akira Kunimi’s fingertips, landed in Kitagawa Daiichi’s backcourt, and hit the floor with a thud.
The court fell into sudden silence.
A few seconds later, the audience in the stands on the second floor erupted into a shocked exclamation.
“Unbelievable!”
“Who exactly is Sengoku’s number one? He jumped so high!”
“That jump just now… wasn’t it close to 335 cm? Is he really a junior high school student?!”
· · · · ·
“Damn it… It wasn’t very clear in the footage before, but now that we’re facing him directly, his jump is ridiculously high!” On Kitagawa Daiichi’s side, Yutaro Kindaichi, the player over 185 cm tall with the ‘chive-head’ haircut, wiped his sweat and spoke with clear frustration on his face.
“It’s not just his height. His spiking strength and technique are extraordinary too. In terms of spiking alone, there probably aren’t many in the entire prefecture who can compare to him.”
Although Akira Kunimi looked somewhat lazy, his gaze was sharp.
He had seen it clearly just now… That guy had deliberately aimed his spike above his head. Of all the blockers, he had jumped the lowest. Otherwise, if it had been Kindaichi instead, even with such a high jump, it wouldn’t have been possible to completely clear the block.
“Hey, Kunimi! You were slacking off on your jump again just now, weren’t you?”
While the two were talking, Kageyama Tobio suddenly rushed over, grabbed Kunimi by the collar, and angrily confronted him.
“Hah?”
“That block just now… that definitely wasn’t your maximum jump height…”
“Hey! Kageyama, that’s enough. We’re still in the middle of a match. Whatever it is, talk about it after the game.” Seeing that the conflict was about to escalate, Kindaichi quickly stepped in and skillfully separated the two players.
The rest of the team remained calm.
Although they came forward to mediate, too, they didn’t seem to take the conflict seriously at all.
· · · · ·
Meanwhile,
On the court across the net… Even though Asuto had just scored a point, none of his teammates rushed forward to celebrate.
They were completely stunned, too.
As players, they knew better than anyone that…
At least in last week’s matches, Asuto had already been jumping high, but it was nowhere near as impressive as his last leap.
“So strong…”
Omae Masato stared at the figure at the net, which now seemed even taller than before, and murmured, “This guy… he’s really starting to look like a true Ace.”
(End of Chapter)
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