"So high!"
This was the first thought that flashed through the minds of the Kujira Temple players when they saw Akashi leap.
"How can we possibly block that?"
This was the second thought that immediately followed.
In the resting area, the Kujira Temple Middle School coach's pupils suddenly constricted upon seeing Akashi's jump. Deep within his mind, another figure surfaced almost involuntarily.
That memory was two years old.
That period was almost an age of despair for Kujira Temple... no, for the entire Middle School volleyball scene in Miyagi Prefecture.
Because during that time, a true "National-level Ace" player emerged in Miyagi Prefecture.
Absolute height, absolute power.
A super player who, by his own strength alone, crushed all the middle school volleyball teams in Miyagi, including Kitagawa Daiichi, and advanced to Nationals with an irresistible force.
"The Monster Child, Ushijima Wakatoshi. Is another 'monster' emerging in Miyagi Prefecture?" the Kujira Temple coach sighed deeply, speaking in a low voice.
...
THWACK!
The sound of the volleyball hitting the floor echoed across the court.
With a terrifying maximum reach nearing 340 \text{ cm}, given Akashi's current jumping ability, as long as Mishita Ryuhei could execute a suitable set, there was practically no blocker in the entire Miyagi Prefecture who could directly stop his spike.
As the referee's whistle blew, the two Kujira Temple Middle Blockers froze in place.
They looked down at their fingers, their expressions slightly dazed.
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed that an attacker could leap clean over the top of their block, successfully spiking a point directly over their heads.
"Wow! What was that?"
"A sky spike?"
"Are you kidding me? Can a middle schooler really jump that high?"
"By the way, who is that guy? Why have I never heard of such a player before?"
...
Akashi's first spike not only shocked the opponent but also stunned the audience.
There weren't many people in the second-floor spectator area right now, but those who came to watch during this time generally understood a bit about volleyball. Precisely because of this, they better understood the sheer implication of Akashi's jump.
The score was 1:0.
After Akashi scored his point, Kujira Temple's ace, Utagawa Tenkawa, gave him a deep, scrutinizing look.
The game continued.
Senkoku retained the serve, delivered by Ota Miki.
The ball landed smoothly in the opponent's court, was easily received by the Libero, and the setter proceeded to set the ball to their ace, Utagawa, for the attack.
BANG!
SLAP!
This time, the attack failed to clear the block completely. Kazama Juujirou's fingertips clipped the ball, sending it high into the air above Senkoku's backcourt.
"One touch!"
Kazama Juujirou shouted the warning.
"No problem, I've got it."
Kurata Cat signaled with open hands, then passed the ball steadily to the setter. Mishita Ryuhei, in turn, set the ball back to Akashi. However, this set wasn't as perfect as the first.
The height and timing were slightly off, causing the ball to drop below the opposing blockers' reach by the time Akashi jumped.
"Don't think you can break through us so easily every time!"
The resolute expressions of the two Kujira Temple blockers seemed to convey this message.
But in the very next second, accompanied by the sound of the ball being spiked, the two opponents only saw a streak of the ball flash past their eyes. By the time they reacted, the volleyball had already pierced the block and smashed directly onto the floor behind them.
It was a diagonal spike.
And a perfect one at that.
The power, speed, and placement all perfectly evaded the block and the backcourt defense.
The score was 2:0.
"Ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh... Great hit!"
"That was amazing, Akashi!"
The members of the Senkoku team rushed to swarm Akashi, stacking themselves on top of him in celebration.
In contrast, the Kujira Temple players were drenched in sweat. Despite only two points being played, they felt as if a massive mountain was pressing down on their backs, almost suffocating them.
Akashi's figure, in particular, quickly transformed into a shadowy presence, seemingly ready to swallow them whole.
Five minutes into the match, the score reached 7:3.
All the players on the Kujira Temple side were panting heavily, sweat soaking their jerseys. They supported their knees or placed their hands on their hips, looking utterly exhausted, less like they were just starting the match and more like they were approaching match point after three full sets.
"Hey, hey, is Kujira Temple in trouble?"
"What is going on? Isn't Kujira Temple a seeded team?"
"What's the deal with Senkoku's number one? He's outrageously strong!"
...
Unbeknownst to them, the crowd around the Senkoku vs. Kujira Temple court grew larger and larger, and the chatter became increasingly loud.
In the resting area, the Kujira Temple coach's brow was furrowed as he desperately racked his brain for a countermeasure.
Unfortunately, after much deliberation, he found no good ideas.
They simply knew too little about Senkoku.
As a seeded team, Kujira Temple had researched many opponents in the qualifiers, but that list naturally didn't include Senkoku, whose best historical performance was only the top 16 in the Prefectural tournament.
The coach had indeed done a minimal study on Senkoku beforehand as a precaution, but based on the information they found, the match should not have turned out like this.
The Kujira Temple coach was considering calling a timeout to allow his players to relax slightly...
Just then, a burst of shouts erupted from the stands around the court. The Kujira Temple coach subconsciously looked up at the court, and his face instantly changed color.
...
Rewind to thirty seconds earlier.
When the score reached 7:3, the rotation brought Akashi to the serving position.
When Akashi took the volleyball to the end line, the three front-row players—Mishita Ryuhei, Ota Miki, and a second-year blocking substitute who replaced Kurata Cat—silently covered the back of their heads and cooperatively cleared the center of the block.
At first, the Kujira Temple players were confused by the trio's actions, unable to figure out what new 'ploy' the opponent was up to.
But in the next moment, a startling sound of the ball being struck suddenly exploded. The Kujira Temple players, whose attention was already scattered due to various factors, hadn't even reacted when they saw a blur of the ball zip past their eyes.
Then... it hit their Libero directly in the face.