BEEP!
The referee blew the serving whistle.
Hearing the signal, both Senkoku and Yamarashi Industrial immediately snapped into game mode.
While the addition of Nishimori Tomohiko could strengthen Senkoku's core offensive ability, the absence of Ota Miki meant that Senkoku's backcourt defensive strength was significantly reduced.
After all, while Nishimori Tomohiko performed well in practice, he was still an underclassman with less training time than the third-years, and his fundamental skills lagged considerably.
Therefore, the vigilance of both teams was currently at its peak.
It was in this tense atmosphere that Akashi, standing in the backcourt, finally moved.
Toss.
Approach.
Jump.
Arm swing.
Hit.
Score.
All steps were executed flawlessly and in one breath.
When Akashi landed from the air, the positions of the players on both teams hadn't shifted an inch.
"Huh???"
It wasn't until the referee blew the scoring whistle that the Senkoku players, let alone Yamarashi, seemed to snap back to reality.
Did I lose focus?
A Yamarashi Industrial player suspected he might have zoned out.
At this moment, Akashi was already preparing to serve the second ball. When the serving whistle sounded, all the Yamarashi Industrial players focused intensely, their eyes glued to Akashi across the court.
They watched as he executed the steps of tossing, approaching, jumping, arm swinging, and hitting...
And then, he scored again.
21:23.
"Huh???"
"What just happened with that serve?"
The Yamarashi Industrial players were stunned again. This time, they definitely saw the ball, yet their bodies failed to react in time. It wasn't until the volleyball flew past them that their bodies belatedly started to move.
What kind of serve is this?
A storm raged in the minds of the Yamarashi Industrial players.
They looked up at the opposite court, just in time to see Akashi retrieving the ball and returning to the end line to serve the third ball.
At this moment, Akashi's eyes were deep and calm. His eyes seemed to be focused on the volleyball, yet there was nothing in the depths of his pupils. Meanwhile, in Akashi's deep mind, everything in his line of sight was clearly displayed.
The third serve.
Akashi slowly tossed the volleyball, then began his approach, jump...
Every motion was seamless and natural. He didn't need to worry about controlling the height, spin, or angle of the ball flying in the air; Akashi only needed to do one thing: swing his arm with full power.
BAM!
This time, the Yamarashi Industrial players finally heard the sound of the serve.
But it terrified them.
The sound was like a clap of thunder; they had never heard such a loud hit in a match before.
The howling of the volleyball in flight sounded less like a small rubber ball and more like a heavy cannonball. It arced over the block and smashed heavily onto the floor.
21:24.
With three consecutive serves, the game quickly reached set point for Senkoku.
This turn of events was completely unexpected. The audience outside the court was now utterly electrified, with continuous sounds of gasps and astonished cries.
The Yamarashi coach's eyes were wide, and he kept nervously tapping his foot. He could see that Akashi had entered some kind of State, but he had no good solution, as Yamarashi had already used all their timeouts earlier.
The commotion outside the court did not affect Akashi, or perhaps he simply couldn't hear it at all in his current concentration.
Match Point
After scoring, Akashi did not pause, immediately sending out the fourth ball.
The powerful jump serves of Akashi and Kageyama Tobio were already considered a level of attack above their middle school peers. Especially since Akashi had unexpectedly entered this "Clear and Still Water" state, it allowed him to unleash his full power with every serve.
BAM!
The explosive sound of the hit rang out again.
The fourth serve, carrying unparalleled power and speed, shot directly toward the direction where the Yamarashi Libero was positioned.
The inability to control the landing spot was an unavoidable flaw of the Jump Serve. However, with the speed and power of this ball, even though the Yamarashi Libero stared at the incoming ball, his feet seemed sealed to the floor, completely unable to move.
"Damn it, move, move, move..."
As the volleyball got closer and closer, the Yamarashi Libero's mind screamed with frustrated defiance.
But it was useless. The Yamarashi Libero wasn't literally sealed in place; it was simply that the speed of the volleyball exceeded his human reaction time.
In the blink of an eye, the volleyball was already above the Yamarashi Libero's head. Just as the ball was about to pass him and land on the floor, the Yamarashi Libero suddenly performed a movement that no one had anticipated.
THUD!
The Yamarashi Libero suddenly straightened his body, meeting the ball head-on with his forehead.
This action shocked not only his teammates but also his opponents.
The Senkoku players were momentarily stunned by the sight, but when they saw the ball deflect high and fly back into their own court, they instantly snapped back to attention.
"No problem, it's our chance ball! I'll take the first pass—"
Before Kurata Cat could finish the word "pass," a massive shadow suddenly loomed in his vision. In full view of everyone, Akashi leaped directly from the back row and spiked the returning ball with a forceful slap.
BAM!
A back-row spike after a receive.
The volleyball, which had only been in the Senkoku court for less than two seconds, landed once more on the Yamarashi Industrial floor.
"Beep... Beep-Beep-Beep-Beep-Beep..."
The referee's whistle echoed across the court, and the number on the scoreboard flipped over once more.
21:25.
The first set was over!
...
The Yamarashi Industrial players stood on the court, listening to the final whistle, their eyes glazed over.
Even now, they couldn't believe it. The game they had desperately fought for an entire set was suddenly over in less than a minute.
On the other side, the Senkoku players silently left the court, also refraining from celebrating the set victory.
Their feelings were actually similar to those of the Yamarashi players. Akashi's outburst in the final minute was too sudden, brief, and incredibly rapid.
More importantly, even as teammates, the Senkoku players felt somewhat overwhelmed.
"Monster-like power."
This was likely the shared feeling of both Yamarashi Industrial and Senkoku players toward Akashi at this moment.
The players on both teams wrestled with their own complex emotions. Only Nishimori Tomohiko felt utterly bewildered.
"What did I even get substituted in for?"