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“So high!”
This was the first thought that came to the minds of the players from Shinkongji Private when they saw Asuto leap into the air.
“How are we supposed to block that?!”
That was their second thought, which immediately followed the first.
Inside the resting area, the coach from Shinkongji Private School watched Asuto jump vertically, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
Deep within his mind, another figure surfaced uncontrollably.
It was a memory from two years ago.
Back then, Shinkongji Private had practically been in a state of despair.
No, not just them.
It was true for every junior high school volleyball club in Miyagi Prefecture.
Because during that time, Miyagi had produced a true “National-Level Ace.”
Absolute height.
Absolute power.
He was a super player who, single-handedly, crushed every junior high volleyball team in Miyagi, including Kitagawa Daiichi, and charged into the Nationals with utterly unmatched dominance.
“The Monster Child… Ushijima Wakatoshi. Could Miyagi Prefecture really be about to produce another ‘monster’?”
Shinkongji Private’s coach slowly exhaled and muttered quietly.
…
Bang!
The sound of the volleyball striking the court echoed across the arena.
It was a terrifying spike reach, approaching 340 centimeters.
Given Asuto’s current jumping ability and Mishita Ryuhei’s ability to provide a proper set, there were basically no blockers left in Miyagi Prefecture capable of completely shutting down his spikes head-on.
As the referee’s whistle sounded, the two middle blockers from Shinkongji Private froze on the spot.
Lowering their heads to stare at their fingers, their expressions turned slightly blank.
If they hadn’t seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed that one day an attacker could spike directly over the top of their block and score above their heads.
“Wh… what was that just now?!”
“An over-the-block spike?!”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. Can a junior high student really jump that high?’
“By the way, who even is that guy? Why have we never heard of him before?”
······
Asuto’s first spike shocked his opponents and the spectators alike.
There weren’t many people seated in the second-floor stands at that time.
However, those who came to watch matches at this time usually knew at least a little about volleyball.
And precisely because of that, they could appreciate even more clearly what Asuto’s jump truly represented.
Score: 1:0.
After Asuto scored, Shinkongji Private’s star player, Udagawa Nishiwa, stared deeply at him.
The match continued.
Sengoku Junior High retained serve, with Oda Miki serving once again.
After the volleyball landed in the opponents’ court, their libero easily received it.
As expected, the setter then sent the ball to Udagawa for the attack.
Bang!
Smack!
This time, the spike failed to clear the block completely.
Kazama Jūjirō brushed the ball with his fingertips, sending it flying high into the backcourt sky of Sengoku Junior High.
“One touch!” Kazama Jūjirō shouted.
“Leave it to me!” Kurata Mao spread his arms in a signal before steadily passing the ball to the setter.
Mishita Ryuhei set the ball towards Asuto once again.
However, this set wasn’t as perfect as the first.
The height and timing were slightly off, causing the ball to drop below the defensive height of the opposing blockers by the time Asuto jumped.
“Don’t think you can break through us that easily every single time!”
That was the message conveyed by the determined eyes of the two blockers from Shinkongji Private.
But in the very next instant… accompanied by the explosive sound of a spike… the two blockers only saw a blur flash before their eyes.
By the time they reacted, the volleyball had already pierced the block and slammed onto the floor behind them.
It was a cross-court spike.
And not just any cross-court spike… it was a nearly perfect one.
Its power, speed, and placement had flawlessly evaded both the blockers and the backcourt defense.
Score: 2:0.
“OOOOOOHHHHHH… NICE!”
“That was incredible, Asuto!”
The members of Sengoku Junior High rushed towards Asuto wildly and piled onto him in celebration.
In complete contrast, the players of Shinkongji Private were already drenched in sweat.
Even though the match had only just begun and only two rallies had been played, they felt as though an enormous mountain was pressing down on their backs, making it almost impossible to breathe.
Asuto’s presence was especially overwhelming.
His figure had rapidly transformed into a looming shadow that seemed ready to swallow them whole.
Five minutes into the match…
The score reached 7:3.
On Shinkongji Private’s side of the court, every player was gasping for breath heavily.
Their shirts were already soaked with sweat.
Some braced their hands against their knees while others stood with their hands on their waists, looking exhausted.
Rather than looking like players who had just started a match, they looked like athletes who had already played three full sets and were approaching match point.
“Hey, hey! Isn’t something seriously wrong with Shinkongji Private?”
“What’s going on here? Aren’t they supposed to be a seeded team?’
“What exactly is up with Sengoku Junior High’s Number 1? Isn’t he ridiculously overpowered?!”
……
Without anyone noticing, more and more spectators gathered around the court where Sengoku Junior High and Shinkongji Private were playing.
The surrounding discussions gradually became louder and noisier.
In the rest area, the coach of Shinkongji Private School was frowning deeply as he tried desperately to think of a countermeasure.
Unfortunately, even after thinking for a long time, he still couldn’t come up with a good solution.
The problem was that they simply knew too little about Sengoku Junior High.
As a seeded team, Shinkongji Private had many potential opponents in the qualifiers.
But among them, Sengoku Junior High… a team whose best result so far had been a mere Top 16 finish at the Prefectural Athletic Meet was obviously not considered important enough to warrant serious attention.
Nevertheless, to be safe, Shinkongji Private had done some research on Sengoku Junior High before the match.
However, according to all the information they had gathered, no matter how they analyzed it, the game should not have turned out like this.
Shinkongji Private’s coach was currently debating whether to call a timeout to let his players calm down.
When suddenly, a burst of shocked cries erupted from the surrounding stands.
The coach instinctively looked up towards the court, and the expression on his face changed drastically.
……
Time rewound slightly to thirty seconds earlier.
When the score reached 7–3 in favor of Sengoku Junior High, the team rotated positions.
Asuto was due to serve next.
As Asuto walked behind the baseline holding the volleyball…
Mishita Ryuhei, Oda Miki, and the second-year substitute blocker who had replaced Kurata Mao in the front row silently covered the backs of their heads while simultaneously and tacitly moving away from the center of the court.
Initially, the Shinkongji Private players were perplexed by the trio’s actions.
They couldn’t understand what kind of ‘scheme’ the other side was trying to pull this time.
But in the very next instant, an explosive sound rang out as the ball was struck.
Already distracted for various reasons, the Shinkongji Private players hadn’t even managed to react before they saw a blur streak across their vision with a whoosh.
Then… it struck their libero squarely in the face.
(End of Chapter)
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