Standing directly across from the 186 cm tall Azumane Asahi were:
Issei Matsukawa (187 cm) and Takahiro Hanamaki (184 cm).
Before Asuto and Kindaichi joined Aoba Johsai, Matsukawa and Hanamaki were the backbone of the team’s blocking defence.
After suto and Kindaichi joined…
Matsukawa and Hanamaki still remained the backbone of Aoba Johsai’s blocking defence.
The reason was simple:
They were tall.
Aoba Johsai’s current lineup was highly unusual.
This was especially apparent after Shinji Watari moved to the front row and was temporarily substituted out; the heights of the players currently on court were remarkable.
The six starters measured:
189 cm
187 cm
185 cm
184 cm
184 cm
179 cm
…
…
…
Admittedly, the last height looked slightly out of place among the others.
Overall, however, Aoba Johsai’s starting lineup was one of the tallest in the nation.
More importantly, all six starters had highly developed blocking and spiking skills.
This was because the spikers and middle blockers naturally specialized in attacking and blocking, while Oikawa, despite being a setter, was an all-round player.
Consequently, aside from the setter, the team’s core, the positional boundaries of the other five players had become heavily blurred.
This was especially true when it came to blocking.
For Aoba Johsai, practically any player rotating into the front row could form a towering wall.
Just like now.
Even though Matsukawa and Hanamaki had gradually become secondary blockers after Asuto and Kindaichi joined the team, the two of them were still capable of shutting down Karasuno’s ace.
The referee blew the whistle.
The scoreboard flipped again:
10–3.
That block was like adding another massive boulder to Karasuno’s already overwhelming burden.
At the same time, both Karasuno and the spectators realized something:
Compared to Aoba Johsai’s formidable serving power, their blocking might actually pose an even greater challenge to Karasuno.
“What’s going on? Didn’t Karasuno beat Date Tech yesterday? Why do they look so weak today?”
“Idiot. It’s not that Karasuno is weak. Their opponents are just too strong.”
“KYAAAAAAAH~ Oikawa-senpai!”
…
The girls cheering wildly for Oikawa from the stands was an especially frustrating sight in the gymnasium.
Watching them scream and wave support banners, not only did Karasuno’s players want to hit Oikawa with a stick… Even Aoba Johsai’s own teammates felt the same way.
Unfortunately, they were in the middle of a match, so attacking him wasn’t an option.
Asuto continued serving.
This time, however, he failed.
His hand slipped, and the volleyball sailed directly out of bounds.
10–4.
This error effectively handed Karasuno an extra life.
After regaining the serve, libero Nishinoya Yuu returned to the back row.
With Nishinoya anchoring the defense, Karasuno’s backcourt stability immediately improved.
Meanwhile, Aoba Johsai’s offense weakened slightly as Akashi rotated into the back row.
Consequently, the next few rallies became a battle of offense versus defense.
10–5.
11–5.
11–6.
12–6.
…
“I see. So you changed all your signals at the last minute before today’s match?”
The speaker was Oikawa.
He smiled as he looked across the net.
“Was it that handsome guy with the sharp eyes who just got subbed out that warned you?”
After using the Freak Quick Attack to score against Kindaichi once again, Oikawa finally confirmed his suspicions.
Before this match began, he had studied recordings of Karasuno’s previous games specifically.
In those matches, Hinata Shoyo would always shout before attacking.
Having analyzed the footage, Oikawa had concluded that phrases such as ‘Pass it here!’ and ‘Give it to me!’ were the verbal signals used for the Freak Quick Attack.
However, during today’s match, Hinata hadn’t shouted those words once.
At first, Oikawa thought his deduction was wrong.
But after Oda Miki entered the game, he came to a different conclusion through observation.
His guess hadn’t been wrong.
It seemed that someone had anticipated his deduction ahead of time.
Kageyama Tobio’s expression changed slightly.
The truth was exactly as Oikawa had guessed. The team’s signals had indeed been changed overnight.
The person who suggested it had been Oda Miki.
However, there was one thing Oikawa had got wrong. Oda hadn’t anticipated Oikawa specifically.
At this point, he didn’t know him well enough to do that.
The real reason was much simpler.
He was just being cautious.
Recently, Oda had been reading a very interesting novel.
Although the protagonist’s personality was rather strange, many of his actions made sense.
Consequently, Oda had been quite influenced by the book lately.
BAM!
SMACK!
Following two exchanges of offense and defense, Oikawa and Kindaichi successfully blocked Tanaka’s spike.
Aoba Johsai scored again:
13–7.
Aoba Johsai regained the serve.
And, at long last, Asuto rotated back into the front row.
The moment he returned to the front court, Karasuno immediately felt a wave of pressure bearing down on them.
Even breathing seemed a little heavier.
“There’s no need to be so nervous.” Asuto smiled as he spoke.
“I’m not some kind of demon.”
At that moment, Aoba Johsai’s back-row player served the ball across the net.
It landed steadily in Karasuno’s back court, where the libero received it cleanly and passed it to Kageyama.
Whoosh!
Without hesitating, Kageyama sent out another Freak Quick Attack.
The volleyball practically traveled in a straight line.
In an instant, it crossed more than half the court and arrived precisely in front of Hinata Shoyo, who had already jumped and closed his eyes, ready to swing.
“Oh! What a fast set.”
Asuto watched the ball’s flight.
“Though after seeing it so many times, I’ve finally got the timing down.”
The instant the ball approached Hinata’s hitting point… Asuto moved.
With his 185-centimeter frame and exceptionally long legs, he practically covered the distance in a single stride.
Then, at the exact moment Hinata swung his arm, Akashi appeared directly in front of him.
BAM!
SMACK!
Two crisp impacts rang out simultaneously.
Perhaps because the sound of the ball hitting the floor seemed wrong, Hinata slowly opened his eyes while still in midair.
The next moment… The calm face of Asuto filled his vision.
Tap.
Hinata landed.
At the same time, the referee’s whistle signaling a point echoed through the gym.
Still dazed, Hinata turned toward the scoreboard.
The numbers had changed again.
14–7.
In that instant, Hinata Shoyo’s mind went completely blank.
(End of Chapter)