High School Plans
"What about you guys?"
Omae Masato brushed the bits of grass from his hair and turned his head.
"Hmm~~~ I don't plan on joining any club activities in high school," came Kurata's voice. "After the entrance exams, I'll first try to test into Shiratorizawa Academy. If I can't make it, then I'll choose between Aoba Johsai, Ou High, or Hakuikan."
The high schools Kurata named were all well-known academic schools in Miyagi Prefecture.
Furthermore, these schools allowed students to skip club activities and focus entirely on preparing for university entrance exams.
Clearly, Kurata had done his homework in this regard.
"Originally, my plan was to join the Shogi club in high school, but recently, I feel like I've found a bit of enjoyment in volleyball, so..."
At this point, Ota Miki stretched a hand toward the sky and said, "If we successfully make it to the National Tournament, perhaps I'll continue playing even after entering high school."
"What about you two?"
Ota Miki looked at Akashi and Mishita Ryuhei.
Akashi opened his mouth, ready to say something, but Omae Masato suddenly interrupted, "Alright, Akashi, you bastard don't need to say anything. Whatever you do in the future, you'll probably succeed, so don't bring it up and depress the rest of us."
Considering Akashi's increasingly terrifying volleyball skill, combined with his culture score, which consistently ranked in the top three of his entire grade in recent monthly exams, the other volleyball club members all nodded in agreement with Omae Masato's sentiment.
Seriously, this is ridiculous!
In fifteen years of life, they had never met such a monstrous person.
This year had certainly been an eye-opener for them.
Mishita Ryuhei said, "Me? Barring any unforeseen circumstances, I'll probably focus on academics in high school too. As for club activities, I haven't decided yet..."
"It sounds like the probability of us meeting on the same court in high school is pretty slim then!"
Omae Masato suddenly turned to Akashi and said loudly, "Did you hear that, Akashi? This is our last chance to fight together. So, you absolutely have to win tomorrow's match!"
"At least let us accompany you a little further in the National Tournament. That way, if you become famous later, we'll have something to brag about to our kids."
Akashi: "Uh~~~ If I'm not mistaken, volleyball is a team sport, right?"
"Shut up!"
Omae Masato glared at him and said, "Do you really think we're still those clueless middle schoolers? We know our own limits perfectly well. So, in tomorrow's final, you have to win, even if you run your legs ragged, got it?"
Akashi: "..."
"Well, you guys are certainly my good teammates," Akashi rolled his eyes, then continued, "But don't worry. We will win tomorrow's match. Definitely!"
...
The Showdown
Saturday arrived!
The National Qualifiers Final officially began.
Over the past week, Senkoku had watched dozens of video tapes and had essentially figured out the general situation of Kōsen Academy.
Overall, Kōsen Academy was a team with very strong overall skill. They didn't have any 'genius' or 'naturally gifted' players in this generation.
However, the foundation and tradition of a powerhouse school were enough to enable them to maximize the potential of their ordinary students through rigorous training.
In the original story, Kōsen Academy's ability to put pressure on Kitagawa Daiichi in the first set was proof enough of their strength.
Furthermore, while Kōsen Academy's players might not be 'naturally gifted,' they were definitely not 'ordinary students.' After all, they had two blockers who had reached an astonishing height of 188 \text{ cm}.
"Has everyone heard clearly? Remember, our opponents aren't as terrifying as you might think. Although they defeated Kitagawa Daiichi, you've all seen the video. Kitagawa Daiichi had internal issues; otherwise, the outcome of that match was uncertain."
"Senkoku's 'Ace' has a powerful offense, but our blocking is also strong. As long as we can limit him, victory is certainly within our grasp," the Kōsen Academy coach announced loudly before the match.
"Understood!"
...
The two teams took the court simultaneously.
After exchanging greetings and bows, the match officially began.
The final had more spectators, and behind both the Senkoku and Kitagawa Daiichi teams, there were entire sections of band players and a large number of students cheering them on.
This was a unique aspect of Japanese culture.
BEEP!
The referee's whistle sounded.
Kōsen Academy did not have a player like Kageyama Tobio who could trade serving threats with Akashi.
Their defense relied mainly on their blocking. While their backcourt was also excellent, it was, at most, on par with Kitagawa Daiichi.
Therefore, for the very first serve of the match, Shimokawa Sando chose to have Akashi start the rally.
Seeing Akashi walk up to Position 1, the Kōsen players on the court and the Kōsen coach on the sidelines instantly became solemn.
Although the Kōsen coach claimed the 'opponent wasn't scary,' in reality, he was well aware of Akashi's true abilities.
Without exaggeration, the person they were facing was essentially another 'Monster-Boy' Ushijima Wakatoshi.
The music of the band's support rang out from the stands.
"Tap!"
"Tap!"
"Tap!"
Akashi gently bounced the ball a few times, briefly closed his eyes, exhaled a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes, the opposing Kōsen players suddenly felt an inexplicable chill well up in their hearts.
The other Senkoku players silently covered the backs of their heads and moved to the sides, creating space...
The Kōsen Academy captain stood in the backcourt, his eyes fixed on Akashi across the net. He shouted a loud warning: "Watch out, the ball is coming..."
THUD!
Before he could finish his sentence, a muffled sound suddenly came from right beneath his feet. The Kōsen captain froze on the spot. Before he could react, the referee's whistle had already sounded.
BEEP!
Senkoku scored on the serve.
1:0.
The Kōsen captain's pupils instantly widened. He rigidly turned his head and saw, with a start, that the volleyball had somehow flown behind him.
"What... was that?"
"Are you kidding? Was that a serve?"
The Kōsen players suddenly felt a dryness in their throats. Although this was their first time personally facing Akashi's serve, they were certain that this serve, in both power and speed, was far stronger than what they had seen on the video tapes.
The Kōsen captain looked up at Akashi across the net, only to find Akashi's gaze deep and focused, the entirety of his being exuding a calmness that was deeply unsettling...