"No need to rush. That state the opposing number one was in cannot be maintained indefinitely. As soon as that state fades, we will proceed with our original strategy for the second set," the Yamarashi coach declared.
However, the group of Yamarashi players before him remained silent, heads bowed, clearly lacking morale.
The Yamarashi coach sighed inwardly.
He knew his words sounded hollow. After all, what Yamarashi was facing wasn't merely losing the first set after the opponent scored four consecutive points.
It was losing the first set after the opponent scored four consecutive points with zero chance of retaliation.
There was a fundamental difference between the two.
Simply put, the version of Akashi in that final state had planted a seed of 'invincibility' in the minds of the Yamarashi players.
If they couldn't break this entrenched perception, then even if Akashi's state declined in the next set, Yamarashi's players would still struggle to fully exert their offensive or defensive capabilities when facing him.
"SMACK!"
The Yamarashi captain suddenly slapped his own face hard twice, leaving two red palm prints, startling everyone.
"Captain, what... are you doing?"
"Nothing, just making myself sober up. Alright, Coach is right. The match isn't over. If we're going to be disappointed or sad, we'll do it after the match is over."
"Besides, I refuse to believe that the opposing number one can maintain that serving touch until the end of the match. If that were truly the case, then even if we lose this game, I'd accept it."
The Yamarashi players paused, then broke into smiles.
"Haha ha... that's right. If the opposing 'Ace' really is that much of a monster, then losing this game is worth it. Maybe we'll have bragging rights to tell our grandkids later!"
"Hahaha, Yamashita, you're overthinking it. You don't even have a girlfriend yet, where are the grandkids coming from?"
"PFFT HAHA HA~~~"
After the laughter subsided, the atmosphere in the Yamarashi team visibly lightened.
The Yamarashi coach quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
What a dependable captain!
"By the way, Coach, I have another question about that new player, number nine. Although he didn't do much at the end of the first set, I don't think Senkoku's coach would just substitute him in randomly, so I'm a little worried..."
Before the Yamarashi captain could finish, the coach interrupted: "Regarding that, you don't need to worry too much. Based on my observation, that number nine is likely Senkoku's substitute setter."
"A substitute setter? So, Senkoku intends to run a 'two-setter' strategy?"
"That's not wrong, but the reason I told you not to worry is precisely this: the opposing number one is indeed a true 'monster,' but because of that, an ordinary setter struggles to unleash his full power."
"You should have seen it earlier; even the starting setter, who has the best synergy with the 'Ace,' could only just barely manage to execute a suitable set."
"Therefore, even if this newly substituted player can organize an attack, it will be extremely difficult for him to bring out the 'Ace's' full potential."
"Unless..."
Unless that number one can still, with an imperfect set, hard-spike a 'Mother-of-all-Ridiculous' curveball while fighting through a triple block.
The Yamarashi coach didn't voice the second half of his thought, but if that were to happen, they would simply have to concede.
...
"The opponent hasn't given up, so we can't be careless. We'll go all out right from the start of the second set. Understood?"
After hearing the laughter coming from Yamarashi's side, the expressions of the Senkoku players in the rest area also grew serious. This wasn't their first competition, and they knew what it meant for a team to laugh aloud when facing adversity.
The players from both teams returned to the court.
Yamarashi, sticking to their original plan, targeted Mishita Ryuhei with the very first serve of the second set.
The Setter Gap
Was Yamarashi's plan flawed?
No, it wasn't.
Or rather, under normal circumstances, their plan was sound.
The setter position is highly reliant on synergy between teammates. In daily training, the starting setter naturally plays more with the core players, leading to better teamwork.
Therefore, by restricting Mishita Ryuhei, the sets from Nishimori Tomohiko, the substitute setter, would inevitably contain flaws in timing or precision.
This theory was not incorrect.
But Yamarashi miscalculated one thing: as the 'Ace,' Akashi's performance was distinctly different from others not only in matches but also in daily training.
His incredible stamina and the physical protection provided by the system allowed Akashi to easily play 2 \text{ vs } 1 every day.
So, while Nishimori Tomohiko might lack synergy with the other core players, his understanding of Akashi's physical capabilities was no less than that of Mishita Ryuhei, the 'legitimate' setter.
Mishita Ryuhei received the first serve and passed it reliably to Nishimori Tomohiko. Nishimori Tomohiko took the ball and, without hesitation, tossed a high ball to Akashi that was excellent in both angle and timing.
BAM!
The 'Clear and Still Water' state had vanished; Akashi clearly felt his focus begin to dissipate. But even so, with Nishimori Tomohiko's precise set, his spike remained astonishingly powerful.
"YES!"
Nishimori Tomohiko punched the air, looking incredibly excited.
This was his first time setting for Akashi in a formal match. Although he had been substituted in before, those instances were mainly to gain experience, and the offensive focus had been on Omae Masato and Kazama Juujirou.
However, the Yamarashi players across the net were not feeling good.
Nishimori Tomohiko's decisive set gave them a slight sense of foreboding.
The score was 1:0.
The serve rotated to Mishita Ryuhei.
The Yamarashi Opposite Hitter received the ball, and the setter quickly organized a quick attack. However, the direction of this quick attack was very close to Akashi. Although Akashi was in the back-row block, he used his superior physical prowess to launch late but arrive first, directly blocking the second ball.
The score was 2:0.
Mishita Ryuhei continued with the third serve.
Yamarashi received the ball and organized an attack. This time, the attack bypassed Akashi, but Kazama Juujirou's block touched the ball. The volleyball flew high, becoming a chance ball for Senkoku.
Mishita Ryuhei received the ball and, without any attempt at deception, set it directly to Akashi.
BAM!
The ferocious spike completely overwhelmed Yamarashi's double block. The volleyball pushed past the blockers' arms and flew far out of bounds.
The score was 3:0.
Seeing this, the Yamarashi coach could no longer sit still. He quickly rose to his feet and called a timeout.
"BEEP... BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP..."