[It’s a point!]
[Aoba Johsai’s first-year Ace, Akashi Asuto, comes through again! At this critical moment, his cannon-like serve ties the score for Aoba Johsai!]
[Three different Aoba Johsai players have unleashed heavy jump serves in succession! What an incredible display!]
The commentator’s excitement continued to build, and the crowd responded in kind. The Aoba Johsai supporters, in particular, erupted into wave after wave of cheers.
Meanwhile, Fukurodani’s libero looked anything but happy. One of his teammates noticed and asked, “Komi, what’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. Their serve just… changed a little.”
“Changed?”
“Yeah. I think he added a bit of spin to it. It’s not a big problem, though. I’ll get used to it soon enough.”
Komi didn’t elaborate. For one thing, talking up the opponent too much at a time like this would only hurt the team’s morale. And honestly, he did believe he could adapt to Asuto’s new serve fairly quickly.
After all, Asuto hadn’t created an entirely new serve. He’d simply added a bit of spin to his original Power Jump Serve. It was only because the original serve was already so overwhelmingly powerful that even such a small adjustment made an enormous difference.
Komi was confident he could adjust. The only question was… would it take two serves? Or three?
As those thoughts flashed through his mind, Asuto calmly walked back to the service line with the ball, preparing for his second serve.
Komi steadied himself. His breathing slowed. His concentration sharpened as his eyes locked firmly onto Asuto.
The next instant…
BOOM!
With a thunderous crack, the slightly distorted volleyball screamed toward Fukurodani’s court.
This time, because he had been fully focused, Komi successfully tracked its flight. But the moment his arms met the ball, the expression on his face changed completely.
‘Damn it… It’s the regular Power Jump Serve!’
Bang!
The volleyball exploded off his hands and shot more than ten meters into the air before slowly drifting all the way into the hands of a spectator in the second-floor stands.
For a brief moment, the entire section behind Fukurodani’s court fell silent.
Tweet!
The referee blew the whistle.
[17:16.]
[Another point! Consecutive Service Ace!]
[Aoba Johsai’s Ace, Akashi Asuto, does it again! His cannon-like Power Jump Serve has completely turned the match around, putting Aoba Johsai back in the lead!]
“That’s incredible!”
“What’s with Aoba Johsai? Can all of their players hit serves like that?”
“That serve sent the ball flying so high after the receive…”
“AAAAAHHHH! Asuto-kun!”
The crowd buzzed with excitement. Aoba Johsai’s cheering section enthusiastically chanted Asuto’s name, while the school band played Aoba Johsai’s fight song at full volume. For a moment, the momentum belonged entirely to Aoba Johsai.
On the other side of the net, Fukurodani’s libero, Haruki Komi, was drenched in sweat. Drop after drop rolled down his chin and splashed onto the floor. The pressure bearing down on him had become so overwhelming that it was almost hard to breathe.
Receiving a Power Jump Serve and receiving a spinning serve required two completely different techniques. Just now, Haruki Komi had been so focused on the added spin that he’d almost forgotten the greater threat, the sheer power of Asuto’s original jump serve.
If Asuto only used the spinning version, Komi figured he would need just two or three serves to adjust. But if Asuto mixed both serves together, then the time he’d need to adapt would at least double.
And by the time he finally figured them out… would it even matter anymore?
For the first time, Komi began to panic.
At that moment, Asuto’s third serve came flying in. Because his thoughts were in disarray, Komi didn’t even react immediately. By the time he snapped back to his senses, the volleyball was already right in front of him.
It was too late to recover. He could only watch in despair as the ball sped past his right side.
But at that critical moment, a figure suddenly burst forward. Like a swordfish cutting through the water, he shot underneath the ball.
Smack!
The volleyball barely popped back into the air, though it flew off at a terrible angle.
That finally jolted Komi back to his senses. He threw himself into a dive and kept the ball alive, and Keiji Akaashi barely managed to send a free ball back over to Aoba Johsai.
But that was practically handing Aoba Johsai a free attack. With Fukurodani’s formation still in disarray after the desperate save, Oikawa Tooru immediately called for a quick attack. The fast combination with Kindaichi scored cleanly.
“18:16.”
[Aoba Johsai scores again!]
[Ace Akashi Asuto’s hot streak continues! His powerful serve completely disrupted Fukurodani’s formation, and Setter Oikawa Tooru immediately linked up with Kindaichi for a quick attack to score another point!]
[A huge comeback from Aoba Johsai! Fukurodani is in serious trouble!]
“Don’t be afraid, Komi!”
The player who had made that last-second save was Bokuto. Even with the team in such a difficult position, Bokuto’s energy and fighting spirit showed no sign of wavering.
“Hehehe… Komi. I’m right behind you. So don’t worry about making the perfect pass. Just get the ball back into the air. No matter what kind of set it turns into… I’ll put it away. Leading the team to victory… that’s the Ace’s job!”
Standing proudly with his hands on his hips, Bokuto flashed his usual bright, confident grin.
His confidence spread through the team almost instantly. In just a few seconds, even the players on Aoba Johsai’s bench could feel the atmosphere on Fukurodani’s side completely change. It was as if all the pressure weighing them down had suddenly disappeared. Everyone looked lighter. More relaxed.
On the sidelines, Fukurodani’s coach smiled at the sight.
“Bokuto may have more than his fair share of flaws off the court… but he has a strength that very few players possess. The most important one is that he never loses heart just because his opponent is strong. And whenever the team falls behind, that quality inspires everyone around him and gives the team new life.
“That alone… is enough to make Bokuto Kotaro a truly outstanding Ace. No matter how many weaknesses he has, as long as he possesses that one strength… he’s destined to become a great player.”
(End Of This Chapter)