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Day two of the Prefectural Athletics Meeting.
It was the match between Sengoku and Aota Private Junior High School.
This school was clearly a level above Yuishi, especially in terms of defensive stability, which far surpassed Yuishi’s.
Consequently, the tactics employed against Yuishi yesterday were ineffective today. Even Akashi Asuto would find it difficult to break through a three-man block.
In this match, therefore, Sengoku began employing strategies such as movement, pulling the defense apart, and multi-player attacks to disperse the opponent’s defense.
After all, Asuto’s offensive power was undeniable.
While he found it hard to break through a coordinated three-man, high-level block, it also meant that, unless such a block was formed, other forms of defense could hardly stop him effectively.
Beep!
Twenty-five minutes into the match.
The score was 22:19.
The match was much tighter than the previous game.
On Sengoku Junior High School’s side, Asuto made a serving error. After the opponents took possession, they called a timeout.
· · · · ·
“Damn it! Who exactly is that guy? Why have we never heard of him before?” Aota’s libero took a sip of water as he looked towards the Sengoku team with clearly frustration on his face.
As a libero, he had received the most spikes from Asuto in this match.
Not only were his spikes sharply angled, they were also incredibly powerful and unbelievably fast. Almost every time the ball cleared the block, the ball had already hit the ground before his body could even react to what his eyes saw.
And even when he occasionally predicted the ball’s trajectory, the sheer power contained in it made it nearly impossible to absorb the force behind it. The moment the ball touched his arms, he felt them being knocked aside, and then the ball would fly off somewhere unknown.
“Indeed. That outside hitter, no, that ace spiker, his spike technique and power are probably already among the best in the prefecture. But it’s strange… I’ve never heard of his name before. Sengoku Junior High School wasn’t particularly well-known in the past either,” Aota’s setter said with a thoughtful expression on his face.
“Coach, have you ever heard the name Asuto?” Someone asked.
Aota’s volleyball coach narrowed his eyes towards Sengoku’s side, then nodded slightly.
“I think I’ve heard it mentioned somewhere before. But at that time, his spike power seemed only decent, and nothing else really stood out.”
“Hah? That kind of power is way beyond just ‘decent,’ isn’t it?!” The Aota libero glanced at his reddened arms and complained.
“Hmm… His strength does look astonishing now. But since he didn’t attract attention before, it’s likely he’s had some kind of breakthrough to reach this level recently.”
After a moment of thought, the coach continued.
“Forget about that for now. Spike power can improve rapidly with training, but receiving is a fundamental skill that takes time to perfect. If his fundamentals are weak, then this is our chance; he’s currently in the back row, so from now on, direct all attacks at him.”
“Yes!” The Aota players responded in unison.
· · ·
The match resumed.
Aota had possession.
After receiving the ball, Aota’s opposite hitter stepped up to serve. With a simple overhand serve, the volleyball flew straight towards Asuto.
Off the court, Coach Shimokawa’s eyes flashed.
“So it’s been exposed already…”
Shimokawa Mitsuto sighed inwardly. As the volleyball club’s coach, he naturally understood his team better than anyone else.
There was no doubt about it.
With Asuto’s strength reaching new heights, Sengoku Junior High School’s offensive power had already entered the top tier of the prefecture.
But, in other words… Aside from offense, they had almost nothing.
Compared to truly strong teams, there was still a massive gap, whether it was team coordination or the individual skills of the other members.
Put simply:
Asuto’s offensive ability was completely disconnected from the rest of the team.
The current Sengoku Junior High School team was like a spear with only its tip. Against weaker teams, that alone might be enough to pierce through everything, but against stronger opponents, the lack of a shaft would be glaringly obvious.
“However…”
At this thought, Coach Shimokawa suddenly curled his lips into a strange smile.
“Aota… even if it’s just a spear tip, are you really sure you can handle it?’
…
Bang!
The volleyball struck Asuto’s wrist and bounced high into the air. Although the direction was slightly off, it remained within the court.
Asuto’s receiving ability had now almost reached a passing level. While this was not quite enough for a proper first touch, dealing with a harmless serve and keeping the ball in play was no longer a big problem for him.
“It’s fine, leave it to me!”
Setter Mishita Ryuhei shouted, quickly adjusting his steps and moving under the ball.
Just as he was wondering who to set up for the attack, a calm, magnetic, and resolute voice suddenly came from the back court.
“Set it to me.”
Even without turning to look, Mishita Ryuhei knew exactly who it was.
Although that voice didn’t often speak during matches, almost every time it did, Sengoku gained a point. So, the moment that highly recognizable voice reached his ears, Ryuhei’s body reacted faster than his mind.
His fingers pushed lightly upwards.
The set wasn’t fast, but it carried great height, floating towards the backcourt.
The next second, a tall, powerfully built figure leapt high into the air, swinging his arm down with force.
BOOM!
The explosive sound of the spike echoed across the court.
Onlookers watched as the ball arced from the backcourt, soaring over the block and brushing past the fingertips of Aota’s blockers, before slamming into the ground and bouncing high.
For a moment, the entire venue fell silent.
Then, a few seconds later, a wave of even louder cheers erupted from outside the court.
“Wooooahhhh~!”
“A back-row attack!”
“Is that really a technique a junior high student can master?”
· · · · ·
This powerful back-row spike instantly ignited the atmosphere.
As it wasn’t the opening day, there weren’t many spectators. The second-floor stands were sparsely populated, and the atmosphere was rather quiet. But Asuto’s back-row attack suddenly brought the entire venue to life.
After all, even casual spectators could feel the sheer violence of a powerful spike from an outside hitter… an ace.
In stark contrast, however, Aota’s players had fallen completely silent.
(End of Chapter)
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