Quick Time Out
Kōsen Academy immediately called a timeout.
They clearly intended to use the same tactic as Kitagawa Daiichi did previously: employing successive timeouts to disrupt Akashi's serving rhythm.
...
"No way! Did they call a timeout already on the very first point?"
"Are timeouts common in volleyball?"
"How could that be? This is Kōsen Academy's strategy to deal with the Senkoku Ace. Kitagawa Daiichi used the same method before. Because the Senkoku Ace's serve is too terrifying, they have to use a timeout to break his concentration."
Kōsen Academy calling a timeout right away not only surprised many of the surrounding spectators, but also left the Senkoku cheering squad utterly confused.
However, as they listened to the discussions around them, their eyes gradually began to show astonishment.
We're really that strong?
The cheering squad this time included not only students but also several school teachers who came to help maintain order, including Tanno Sae, the homeroom teacher for Akashi and Omae Masato.
She, too, was astonished. Although she had heard from Shimokawa Sando during the summer camp that Akashi's current offensive level was already top-tier in the prefecture.
She never imagined that Akashi's strength was enough to force an opponent to intentionally waste timeouts just to contain him.
It didn't take long.
The timeout ended, and the match resumed.
The Kōsen captain walked onto the court, but when he looked across the net at Akashi, he suddenly realized that the chill he had felt earlier still hadn't faded.
Akashi took the ball to Position 1, tapping it a few times to gauge his current physical state.
Surprisingly, Akashi's condition today seemed quite good. Even after a timeout, his focus while serving was still sharp. Although he hadn't entered the 'Mirror-Like Stillness' state as before, from the moment he tossed the ball, he had a premonition that he could score this point.
"BAM!"
Akashi leaped high, swinging his arm suddenly at the volleyball descending from the sky. With a roar, the volleyball whistled over the net and plummeted towards the Kōsen side of the court.
...
"Damn it, that speed is incredible!"
The Kōsen captain/opposite hitter watched helplessly as the volleyball dropped toward his position. Yet, for some reason, his body felt welded to the spot. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move.
In the end, he could only watch the volleyball smash onto the floor with a loud "THUD".
BEEP!
2:0.
"WAAOOO~~"
"WOO-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOO..."
"Go, Senkoku, Go!"
Instantly, the entire Senkoku side, both on the court and in the stands, erupted in fervent cheers.
The organized music from the music department echoed through the gymnasium, adding to Senkoku's powerful momentum.
In the rest area, the Kōsen coach's face turned green.
What the hell!
Against Kitagawa Daiichi, the moment the Kitagawa coach called a timeout, your Ace's serve cooled down.
Why is it useless now that you're playing us?
Did Senkoku suddenly become hypocritical?
Third ball.
Akashi, using his still-focused concentration, served another incredibly powerful jump serve. The instant his palm struck the ball, Akashi distinctly felt the soft sensation of the ball's surface being compressed and dented.
SMACK!
This ball flew directly towards the Kōsen Libero's front.
The Kōsen Libero reacted quickly and connected with the ball, but he simply couldn't absorb the immense force. The volleyball rebounded and flew straight up to the second floor of the stands.
3:0.
The Kōsen coach's face was livid.
Furthermore, with these three points scored by Akashi's serves, the entire atmosphere, both within the team and among their cheering squad in the stands, plummeted.
The Breakdown (Again)
"Uh... did we put too much pressure on Akashi yesterday?"
These three serves not only bewildered Kōsen Academy, but even Akashi's teammates, like Omae Masato, were somewhat stunned.
Akashi scoring consecutive points with his jump serve wasn't unprecedented. But the opponents he faced back then couldn't be compared to the current opponent.
After all, this was the Qualifiers Final.
While Kōsen Academy hadn't participated in the National Tournament many times in the past few years, their strength was undeniably at the National level.
"Is that a bad thing?" Kazama Juujirou asked, confused.
"It's not bad, no, it's just... I feel a little sorry for Kōsen Academy."
BAM!
While Omae Masato and Kazama Juujirou chatted, another thunder-like hitting sound rang out from above.
Hearing this familiar commotion, every Senkoku player's mind simultaneously conjured a single thought:
"We scored again!"
THUD!
The volleyball landed.
The referee blew his whistle.
The score entered 4:0.
"BEEP!!!"
Finally, the Kōsen coach couldn't hold back. He stood up and used his second timeout.
...
"No way! They already used both their timeouts?"
"I thought Kōsen Academy was a volleyball powerhouse!"
"This is terrifying. These middle schoolers..."
The progression of this final completely exceeded the expectations of every spectator and reporter who came to watch.
Everyone had anticipated this year's final to be a fierce battle between an established powerhouse and a dark horse contender, but no one expected Kōsen to have already used both their timeouts right after the match began.
"Our opponents are in good form, but don't lose heart! The match has just started. A final isn't won until five sets are played. The victory won't go to whoever leads temporarily, but to the team that can persevere until the very end and earn the right to advance to Nationals..."
To salvage the team's morale, the Kōsen coach frantically began to pump 'inspirational talk' into his players.
Meanwhile, on the other side:
Senkoku's Shimokawa Sando was desperately trying to calm his players down.
"You must remain calm. Don't get careless! Although we have a temporary lead, Kōsen is not an easy opponent to deal with. Next, we must stabilize our advantage and steadily secure this first set, understood?"
"Yes!"
...
After the coaches of both teams used their methods to stabilize their players' emotions, the match continued.
By utilizing two consecutive timeouts, the Kōsen coach finally managed to cool down Akashi's hot streak. On the fifth serve after the match began, Akashi faulted the serve out of bounds, ending his serving run.
The score reached 4:1.
This slightly boosted Kōsen's morale.
However, on the very next point, Kōsen's serve gave Senkoku an offensive opportunity. Akashi jumped from the backcourt, faced the opposing 188 \text{ cm} double block, and hit a boundary-line hugging straight shot.
The slight morale boost Kōsen Academy had just gained was instantly shattered by a fresh blow to the head...