Oikawa Tooru felt a headache coming on.
At that moment, he seriously suspected that their coach had fallen for someone new and forgotten about him. If the man still had even a shred of conscience left, there was no way he would have put together such a lineup for the newcomers.
Bang!
Iwaizumi Hajime slammed another rebound shot, the ball hitting Kindaichi’s arm before bouncing back above the White Team’s court and initiating the third setup of the fourth rally.
After receiving the ball, Oikawa calmly organized the offense once more.
Following a simple screen, the volleyball was set high above Iwaizumi once more. But just as he leapt into the air, a massive shadow rose suddenly on the other side of the block.
Six arms in total.
Even the shortest jumper among them, Akira Kunimi, could completely block Iwaizumi’s spike.
Asuto’s blocking was powerful, and neither Kindaichi nor Akira Kunimi were weak either. After all, in the original story, they had both already entered Aoba Johsai’s starting lineup as first-years.
One must know that Aoba Johsai didn’t lack substitute players. In fact, their third-year substitutes alone were enough to form a second-string team.
Yet despite that, these two still managed to become starters in their first year. This spoke volumes about their ability.
When Asuto, Kindaichi, and Akira Kunimi blocked together, the pressure they created was no less imposing than that of the White Team’s blocking defense. In terms of height, they even had the advantage.
“Don’t get so cocky, you first-year brats.”
Although Red Team’s blocking defense was formidable, it still wasn’t enough to crush the spirit of the team’s vice-captain, Iwaizumi Hajime.
Suspended in mid-air and facing a wall-like defense, Iwaizumi still managed to find a tiny opening between Akira Kunimi’s hands. He swung his arm down fiercely…
Bang!
The volleyball struck an arm, but it wasn’t Akira Kunimi’s.
At the crucial moment, Asuto reached diagonally across to fill the gap in Akira Kunimi’s block.
The volleyball rebounded onto the floor behind Iwaizumi with a dull thud.
This time, Hajime’s expression finally froze for a moment.
But in the very next second…
“Beeep!”
The referee’s whistle sounded, and, at the same time, he pointed one arm towards the White Team.
Block out. Point for White Team:
3:1.
“Tch, guess our luck isn’t too good today.”
Asuto clicked his tongue.
In truth, it wasn’t entirely a matter of luck. Although Asuto had managed to react in time, it was impossible to control one’s posture perfectly in midair. Being able to block the ball at all was risky enough; it was normal for the ball to go out of bounds.
Nevertheless, at moments like this, blaming it on ‘bad luck’ also put psychological pressure on the opponent.
Shinji Watari said, “It’s fine; we’ll do better next time.”
Akira Kunimi said, “Sorry, that was my fault. I won’t leave another opening on the next ball.”
Mishita Ryuhei said, “Don’t worry about it, we’re still in the lead!”
Asuto: “…”
‘Good grief!’
‘You guys really are wonderful teammates.’
‘I said that for the opponents to hear, so why are you taking it so seriously yourselves?’
…
“Lucky, lucky! Iwaizumi-chan, nice one! Let’s take another point!”
The White Team were encouraging each other as well. Iwaizumi still looked full of fighting spirit as he cheered on his teammates.
However, Oikawa sensed that something was amiss.
Although Iwaizumi’s score in this welcome match wasn’t low, he had failed to secure several key points.
If he were just an average wing spiker, it wouldn’t have been a big deal. However, Iwaizumi had always held himself to the standards of an Ace Spiker.
And because of that, even someone with Iwaizumi’s mentality had inevitably been affected by several consecutive setbacks.
This was especially true given the stark contrast of the opposing team.
Oikawa understood this feeling better than anyone.
“Back then, you were the one who pulled me out of the abyss. So this time, it’s my turn.” Oikawa murmured softly to himself.
······
“Beeep!”
The referee blew the whistle to signal the serve.
Possession of the ball returned to the White Team. After rotating positions, Takahiro Hanamaki moved to the back row while Oikawa moved to the front.
Despite being a Setter, Oikawa exerted as much pressure at the net as anyone else. He was the textbook definition of an all-round player.
Completely shutting down Asuto’s spikes head-on was extremely difficult.
This was because, although the current Asuto still couldn’t compare to the nation’s top-ranked aces, he already had remarkable height, strength, and offensive techniques.
Even with Aoba Johsai’s starting defense, it was basically impossible to stop Asuto from scoring unless they formed a triple block.
However, being unable to block his spikes outright didn’t mean there weren’t other ways to defend against him.
Clearly… Oikawa was an expert in this kind of tactical defense.
Soft blocks, tactical blocks, single blocks that sealed off attack lanes, and coordinated back-row defense working together with the block…
The variety of blocking techniques was dazzling to watch.
Under this style of defense, not only did Asuto’s scoring efficiency plummet, but the number of exchanges required for every point gradually increased without anyone noticing.
In the blink of an eye… the score reached 21:20.
Finally, the difference in basic physical conditioning between the Red and White Teams became apparent.
After playing for well over an hour, all of the Red Team players except Asuto and Shinji Watari were panting heavily.
Meanwhile, every member of the White Team had merely broken into a slight sweat.
At that moment, it was Oikawa’s turn to serve again.
Shinji Watari said, “Something feels different about Oikawa now compared to before.”
Asuto replied, “Maybe he got fired up by something.”
Although he didn’t know exactly what had happened, Asuto could sense the changes in Oikawa Tooru over this period.
To put it simply, the old Oikawa had always been serious, but only serious.
Now, however, Oikawa was not only serious during matches; it also felt as though he had gained a new driving force.
Momentum was a mysterious thing.
You can’t see or touch it, but in an official match between two roughly equal teams, the side with stronger momentum can sometimes completely overwhelm the other.
And when an individual’s aura became powerful enough, it could affect the entire opposing team.
For example… The current Oikawa Tooru.
Bang!
From behind White Team’s baseline, Oikawa suddenly unleashed a serve.
The volleyball traced an arc through the air before instantly crashing onto the floor of the Red Team’s backcourt.
From beginning to end… Neither Akira Kunimi nor Shinji Watari in the back row managed to react at all.
“So fast!”
It was only after the referee had announced the point that Shinji Watari finally came to his senses. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the opposite side of the court.
Meanwhile, Oikawa had already caught the volleyball and walked back to the baseline.
His glittering gaze swept across the court, and his entire body radiated an aggressive aura.
“One more time!”
(End of Chapter)