The Old Fox
"That old fox, he's really giving me trouble!"
Shimokawa Sando gazed at the smiling Yamarashi Industrial coach in the distance and clicked his tongue. "However... if they think I can be dealt with this easily, they must have underestimated me."
The match on the volleyball court was intense.
Although Yamarashi Industrial lacked top-tier players, every one of them possessed a good level of skill. They might not be able to execute the powerful jump serves of Akashi or Kageyama Tobio, but every player could deliver a normal serve with medium speed and accurate placement.
The opponent had completely locked onto Mishita Ryuhei, and Senkoku couldn't have someone cover the first pass for Mishita Ryuhei every time, as rashly abandoning a defensive position could easily disrupt the entire formation.
That would likely play right into the enemy's hands.
The two sides traded points back and forth.
The score quickly surpassed the 20-point mark.
20:21.
Yamarashi Industrial held a temporary lead.
Yamarashi Industrial again aimed their serve at Mishita Ryuhei. Perhaps due to the game approaching set point, Kurata Cat panicked and suddenly rushed out at the last moment to forcibly receive the ball, which was already almost certain to be Mishita Ryuhei's save.
The result was a poor pass that completely missed Mishita Ryuhei's setting range.
"Oh no!"
Seeing this, the expressions of the Senkoku players instantly changed.
Such a pass was undoubtedly the most difficult ball to deal with on the court. The pass height was insufficient, and it was outside the main setter's range. In this situation, the other players on the team had no capacity to set, only managing to save the ball with an underhand pass.
But a rescued ball like that, lacking control over height, angle, and timing, makes organizing an effective attack nearly impossible.
Ota Miki, temporarily filling in as the setter, looked upset. His mind raced for a moment, but he couldn't find a good solution.
Just then, a calm voice came from the front row.
"Give me a high ball!"
"I'm counting on you, Akashi."
After realizing the speaker was Akashi, Ota Miki decisively lofted a high ball.
This ball—
Apart from decent height, it was riddled with flaws in position, angle, and timing.
"Block him!"
Even before Akashi was in position, the opposing triple block had already formed ahead of time. The Yamarashi Industrial players and Akashi jumped simultaneously. It was a perfect triple block; every path, both straight and diagonal, was sealed.
Attempting a full-power spike would most likely be blocked.
The unfavorable situation was so obvious that anyone with basic volleyball knowledge could see it...
Mid-air, Akashi looked at the six arms obscuring the ceiling lights, yet suddenly felt his consciousness slow down. His mind was exceptionally calm, like still water.
Although the time spent in the air was only a brief instant, in that moment, Akashi's vision clearly perceived the height of the three opposing arms, their facial expressions, and even the positions and movements of the other players behind them.
Then, he found it.
Within this seemingly perfect block, he found a tiny gap that wasn't exactly a flaw.
THWACK!
In the next moment, Akashi swung his arm decisively. The palm, backed by over 80 Arm Strength and nearing 80 Core Strength, seemed to squeeze the entire volleyball out of shape.
The instant his palm connected with the ball, the volleyball seemed to momentarily hover for a millisecond, then whooshed out at an almost imperceptible speed, passing through the block at an incredible angle, landing perfectly along the sideline.
When the ball hit the floor, the three blockers facing Akashi seemed to freeze, as if they still hadn't registered that the ball had been spiked past them.
BEEP!
The whistle sounded.
The hearts of both teams' players jumped simultaneously. They all turned to the line judge. Only when the referee powerfully pointed the flag toward the ground did the Senkoku players suddenly erupt in cheers.
"Are you serious? He spiked that ball out?"
Compared to Senkoku's excitement, the Yamarashi Industrial players were close to having an existential crisis.
Especially the Yamarashi blockers, whose eyes, fixed on Akashi, no longer looked at him as a normal human being.
"A monster?"
"Did that ball curve in the air?"
"He scored off a pass like that?"
Yamarashi Industrial's morale was clearly starting to crumble.
This time, the Yamarashi Industrial coach on the sideline couldn't give instructions either, as he was still immersed in the memory of that spike.
After a while, the Yamarashi coach gave a wry smile: "He really is a monster!"
Compared to the players on the court, the Yamarashi coach, who was positioned off-court and directly facing Akashi's spike, saw it even more clearly. That block was nearly perfect.
Normally, there would be no spiking angle against such a block; both the diagonal and baseline straight paths were completely sealed.
Yet, Akashi had forcefully used his own skill to bypass the block with a seemingly curving spike from the side, successfully scoring a point.
A ball like that was completely outside the realm of conventional tactics in a match.
21:21.
With that point, the score between Yamarashi and Senkoku was tied again.
After Senkoku gained the serve, the rotation naturally brought Akashi back to the number one (serving) position.
"Finish it in one ball!"
Seeing Akashi preparing to serve, the Yamarashi Industrial players immediately perked up.
This was because while Akashi's serve seemed detrimental to Yamarashi Industrial, it also meant Akashi would return to the backcourt for this rotation.
Akashi in the backcourt, without Mishita Ryuhei's set, was essentially unable to participate in the offense.
If Yamarashi could hold off the opponent during this service rotation, the opportunity would shift back to them.
Yamarashi's thinking was sound.
Unfortunately, the problems they could foresee, Shimokawa Sando could also foresee. So, just before Akashi's serve, Shimokawa Sando suddenly decided to make a substitution.
Nishimori Tomohiko was substituted in for Ota Miki.
This substitution clearly confused Yamarashi Industrial, as they had no impression of Nishimori Tomohiko.
The Senkoku players, however, vaguely guessed the coach's intention.
After Nishimori Tomohiko stepped onto the court, he first greeted his teammates, then excitedly rushed over to Akashi, saying with enthusiasm:
"Akashi-senpai, I promise to set the best ball for you!"
Akashi's eyes were slightly lowered, and he didn't respond. It wasn't that he was being arrogant. It was because he was currently immersed in that "Clear and Still Water" state, and all his focus and attention were completely concentrated on himself and the volleyball.
Mishita Ryuhei, standing nearby, shot Nishimori Tomohiko a sidelong glance: "The best set? Young man, you're quite cocky!"
...