“W-Wait~~~ what the hell was that?”
“A serve?”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me. You’re calling something like a freaking artillery shell a serve?”
…
The crowd stared with their eyes wide open, shock written all over their faces.
If they had had a choice, the players watching from the sidelines at Aoba Johsai would rather not have called that thing a ‘Serve’ at all.
But reality could not be changed.
No matter how unbelievable it seemed, once the referee had blown the whistle and awarded the point, they had no choice but to accept it.
“That damn first-year… Why wasn’t he in this kind of form when we played Shiratorizawa?” Oikawa curled his lips and muttered unhappily under his breath.
Inside the court, Iwaizumi and Shigeru Yahaba were equally stunned.
They already knew Asuto’s serves were powerful, but that last one felt completely different.
No—more accurately, Yahaba actually found it somewhat familiar.
Because that serve awakened the memory of the very first time he had seen Asuto serve.
It was no longer a Serve meant merely to score points.
It was as though Asuto wanted to destroy not just the opponents’ defense but the opponents themselves.
…
“Big bro, there’s really no need to treat the upperclassmen like this, right? Why did you have to enter the Zone now of all times?” Mishita Ryuhei cried inwardly.
He suddenly had a bad feeling that once this match ended, both he and Asuto would earn the wrath of every player in Aoba Johsai.
Especially those close to Iwaizumi and Shigeru Yahaba.
Of course, Asuto couldn’t hear Ryuhei’s thoughts.
In fact, even if Mishita Ryuhei shouted out loud right now, Asuto probably still wouldn’t hear him.
Asuto had once again entered the ‘Zone State’.
This was already the third time he had entered that state.
The first time was during the match against Yamabuki Industrial Junior High. Asuto had entered this state for the first time back then, albeit briefly, as it lasted for just a few serves before fading away.
The second time was during the opening match of the Junior High Nationals. At that time, all the other Sengoku Junior High players were overwhelmed by the arena’s atmosphere. It was precisely then that Asuto entered the Zone. Relying solely on himself, he crushed the opposing team in less than a set.
And now came the third time…
BOOM!
The sound was like a thunderclap exploding beneath a clear sky.
Asuto’s second serve arrived in an instant.
This time, Iwaizumi and Shigeru Yahaba focused every ounce of their concentration, finally managing to track the volleyball’s trajectory.
And then…
There was no “then.”
The ball slammed into the floor, compressed by the impact, and then rebounded high into the air before crashing into the wall.
2:0.
Iwaizumi and Shigeru Yahaba froze.
Only now did the two finally realize just how bad the situation had become.
Due to the limited number of players in a 2v2 match, the team’s defensive coverage was naturally weaker than usual.
Even under ordinary circumstances, having only two people receive Asuto’s terrifying serves was pushing it.
But now, Asuto was in peak condition.
In this situation, not only was receiving the ball impossible, but even touching the serve had become difficult.
BOOM!
While the two players were still stunned, Asuto launched the third serve mercilessly.
The instant his palm struck the volleyball, the part that touched his hand visibly caved inwards.
At that moment, it felt as though Asuto wasn’t hitting a hard volleyball but a soft, elastic mass of cotton instead.
An invisible white shockwave burst outwards.
The volleyball shot from his palm and flew straight past the block, smashing into the court once again without any obstruction whatsoever.
3:0.
Three consecutive service aces.
The entire court fell completely silent at this moment.
Even first-years Kindaichi and Akira Kunimi thought Asuto was being a bit excessive.
How could someone bully their seniors like this?
It was downright inhuman.
Sensing the gazes of the surrounding players, Ryuhei Mishita trembled with fear.
He felt that if the match continued like this, he and Asuto might not be able to stay here afterwards.
But there was nothing he could do!
Asuto was terrifying in this state, not only to his opponents but to his teammates too.
During the first match of the Junior High Nationals, Mishita Ryuhei had been the first person to regain his senses after the game ended.
He would never forget the look in his opponents’ eyes back then.
It was not just disappointment at losing a match.
It was fear.
The kind of despair and terror that humans instinctively feel when facing something that is far beyond their level.
BOOM!
At last, Asuto unleashed his fourth serve.
The placement of this serve was excellent.
Of course, that was only from Shigeru Yahaba’s perspective, as the ball flew straight towards him without deviating at all.
Yahaba quickly assumed a receiving posture, and the next instant the volleyball slammed directly into his arms.
Immediately afterwards, he felt a force far greater than any serve he had experienced before.
This sudden increase in power caused a drastic change in his expression. He hurriedly shifted his center of gravity backwards and downwards, trying to dissipate the force contained within the ball.
However, even after crouching all the way down, he failed to absorb the full impact.
Instead, his center of gravity had shifted too far backwards, and with just a tiny push from the momentum of the volleyball…
Thud!
Shigeru Yahaba fell flat on his backside onto the floor.
At the same time, the volleyball shot high into the air, flew over the block, and landed directly out of bounds.
At first glance, it looked as though Yahaba had been knocked over by the serve itself.
4:0.
Sitting on the floor, Yahaba stared at Asuto from across the court, his pupils trembling violently.
“Yahaba, are you OK?” Iwaizumi reached out a hand towards him.
“I’m fine… But be careful, Iwaizumi. There’s something wrong with Asuto. His serve seems to have evolved again.”
Yahaba came to his senses, grabbed Iwaizumi’s hand, stood up, and warned him.
Iwaizumi froze for a moment, not understanding Yahaba’s words at first.
‘What did he mean by ‘evolved again’?’
‘Did he just mean improvement?’
If so, then there was no need to point it out. After all, judging from the current score alone, it was obvious that Asuto’s condition today was far better than during any of his previous matches.
But it did not take long before Iwaizumi understood Yahaba’s words.
The moment Asuto served for the fifth time, Iwaizumi finally managed to see and track the ball’s trajectory.
Throwing himself into a dive, he just about managed to receive it.
However, the moment his arms touched the volleyball… his entire arm was blown away.
It felt as though he had been hit by a giant iron ball. The strength of a single arm could not withstand the impact of such a powerful serve.
The ball knocked Iwaizumi’s arm aside before changing trajectory and flying out of bounds.
Only then did Iwaizumi finally understand what Yahaba meant by ‘evolved.’
Compared to before, Asuto’s current serves could no longer be described as mere improvements.
Because this was no longer simply a matter of serving skill.
Asuto’s overall physical power had undergone another massive transformation.
The volleyball hit the floor.
The whistle sounded.
Score:
5:0.
…
(End of Chapter)