You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395
“Clang-clang-clang······”
The volleyball flew high into the air and crashed loudly into the second-floor railing, startling a nearby couple who were enjoying some quality time together.
“Ow, that hurts!”
Kindaichi shook his arm. The spot where the ball had hit him was already bright red.
“What kind of ‘monster’ is this guy, exactly?”
Tweet!
The referee blew his whistle and the numbers on the scoreboard changed to 1:1.
“Tch~”
Kageyama Tobio clicked his tongue, his expression growing even more irritated as he said bluntly: “Hey, Kindaichi, what are you doing? Your block formation needs to be stronger. Don’t let the opponent’s spike break through so easily.”
“Hah?”
The moment Kindaichi heard Kageyama’s tone, an angry vein bulged on his forehead. Just as he was about to step forward and argue with Kageyama, Akira Kunimi suddenly stepped in to stop him.
“Calm down. We’re still in the middle of the match. Whatever it is, talk about it after the game.”
Kindaichi suppressed his anger and returned to his position in frustration.
The match continued.
Sengoku Junior High served, and Kitagawa Daiichi received steadily. Immediately afterwards, Kageyama quickly sent out a fast flat set, coordinating with Kindaichi to successfully reclaim the point: 1:2.
1:2.
Then came the next rally.
Following Kitagawa Daiichi’s serve, the libero from Sengoku Junior High received the ball, and Mishita Ryuhei delivered an almost perfect toss.
Akashi Asuto took his approach and jumped. This time, his contact point nearly reached its peak.
Kindaichi, who was responsible for blocking Asuto, stood directly in front of him and could only watch helplessly as Asuto’s head rose above his line of sight. The actual hitting point was at least an entire hand higher than the top of the block.
Bang!
A heavy, explosive spike blasted over the top of the block and thundered into the floor.
“Whoa~~”
“What an insanely high Spike!”
“By the way, Kitagawa Daiichi’s blockers all seem to be over 185 centimeters tall, right?! And he can still hit Overhand Spikes against them? Just how high can Sengoku Junior High’s ace jump?!”
······
That Spike instantly triggered a wave of shocked exclamations from the second-floor audience.
Even the reporters mingling with the crowd were taken aback.
This was the first time they had watched Asuto play in person. Although they had previously heard rumors that a dark horse had appeared in the Miyagi Prefecture middle school division this year, they had not paid much attention at the time.
After all, reporters were not looking for mere ‘dark horses.’
They wanted true “star-level” players and teams that could make people’s eyes shine.
And now, it seemed they had truly found one.
“Damn it! Even when I watched the recordings before, I could tell that this guy jumped really high. But now that I’m seeing it in person, I realise it’s not just high… it’s absurdly high.’
Kindaichi wiped the sweat from his chin as he spoke.
“Yeah. Compared to the Prefectural Athletic Meet earlier this year, his maximum reach has probably increased by around five centimeters.” Kunimi walked over as he replied.
The score was tied once again:
2:2.
Both Sengoku Junior High and Kitagawa Daiichi were fundamentally offensive teams.
There was no need to elaborate on Sengoku Junior High’s side. Built around Asuto as its core strength, they resembled an unstoppable spear. Ever since the preliminaries began, as long as Asuto was on the court, they had never encountered a defense they could not pierce.
As for Kitagawa Daiichi, although the team was centered around Kageyama Tobio as its core setter, Kageyama himself was also extremely attack-oriented.
If Sengoku Junior High were a spear, then Kitagawa Daiichi was like a deadly trap.
Both teams could hunt beasts… the only difference was in the methods they used.
The fifth rally began.
Kazama Jujirō of Sengoku Junior High stepped up to serve.
Once the volleyball had crossed the net, Kitagawa Daiichi once again centered their offense around Kageyama Tobio’s setting. They executed a perfectly coordinated combination play, bringing the score to 2:3.
The moment the score reached this point, the atmosphere on both teams changed suddenly.
This was because the next serve belonged to Kageyama Tobio.
By this point, both teams had realized that ordinary serves were practically meaningless against opponents of this caliber. At best, a normal serve merely handed the other side an opportunity to attack.
Therefore, if either team wanted to increase their lead, the key would lie with Kageyama and Asuto… two players whose serving ability had completely surpassed the level expected of a middle school team.
Kageyama walked to the baseline, holding the volleyball in both hands as he slowly exhaled.
The next second…
The impatience, gloominess, and heaviness that had filled his face disappeared completely. In his sharp eyes, only pure concentration on the ball remained.
“Hm? Everyone, focus up. The real monster is coming.”
Truth be told, Mishita Ryuhei didn’t even need to warn them. The moment Kageyama reached the baseline with the ball, the three players in Sengoku Junior High’s back court could already feel the oppressive pressure of a powerful enemy bearing down on them.
Kageyama gently tossed the volleyball into the air.
Approach.
Jump.
Swing.
BANG!
A heavy, explosive sound rang out in the court.
The volleyball instantly pierced the court like an arrow, hitting the far corner of Sengoku Junior High’s defensive baseline with precision.
Throughout this, Kurata Mao and the others in the back court were barely able to react at all.
“Nice ball!”
“Beautifully done!”
Kitagawa Daiichi’s players cheered in celebration, while Sengoku Junior High’s atmosphere became unusually heavy.
Ever since the preliminaries began, Sengoku Junior High had advanced almost effortlessly to reach this stage. Now, they were only one step away from the finals, competing for Miyagi Prefecture’s sole place at the Nationals.
Results like these inevitably caused everyone to become somewhat carried away.
However, Kageyama’s just now was like a brutal slap across their faces, instantly dragging them back from fantasy to reality.
It was similar to how Yamabuki Industrial had crumbled earlier after Asuto scored four consecutive points with his serves towards the end of the set.
In situations like this…
The consecutive points themselves were not the most important thing.
What was truly terrifying was the method used to score them.
When they saw Kageyama’s serve, the players from Sengoku Junior High saw the shadow of Asuto standing opposite them.
While perhaps inferior to Asuto’s in terms of speed and raw power, the placement of the ball allowed them to witness Kageyama’s terrifying precision in ball control, along with his ability to completely see through the weaknesses in Sengoku Junior High’s defense.
Without question…
This was absolutely not a level that a middle school student should possess.
Even among high school players, very few could produce a serve like that.
Due to Asuto’s presence, Sengoku Junior High had become accustomed to the existence of ‘monsters’.
However, when such a ‘genius’ became their opponent, it still caused an uncontrollable chill to rise from the depths of their hearts.
“Don’t panic. Calmly receive this ball. As long as we regain serve, the next one will be ours.”
Seeing Kageyama Tobio step behind the baseline once more, Mishita Ryuhei spoke steadily.
Hearing those words, everyone’s spirits lifted immediately.
‘That’s right.’
‘If they could reclaim the serve, the next turn would be theirs.’
The other side might have a genius…
But they also had a ‘monster’ of their own.
(End of Chapter)
You can read ahead up to 30 chapters on my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darkshadow6395