Akashi Asuka's blocking is very strong.
Among his six basic techniques, blocking has always had data second only to spiking.
Akashi Asuka didn't display much of his blocking skill in the first set. Firstly, as Oikawa Toru suspected, it was to deliver a fatal blow at a crucial moment.
Secondly, it was because Akashi Asuka didn't want the opponents to adapt to his blocking tempo too quickly.
A match is a continuous process of adaptation. No matter how incredible or unreasonable your serve or offense is, once the opponent adapts to your rhythm, the threat of even the strongest attack or defense will slowly diminish.
Conversely, when a 'new skill' is first revealed, that is often when its threat is greatest.
Therefore...
BAM!
DONG!
A powerful spike hit Akashi Asuka's arms with a bang, rebounding onto the floor behind Iwaizumi Hajime.
2:0.
The Red Team scored another point.
After landing, Akashi Asuka looked at Oikawa Toru with a face full of surprise, saying: "No way! No way! Oikawa-senpai, you didn't seriously think I was going to defend Hanamaki-senpai, did you?"
In the first point of the set, Akashi Asuka used [Tactical Taunt] on Hanamaki Takahiro, making Hanamaki Takahiro appear very angry.
Sensing this, Oikawa Toru immediately understood that Akashi Asuka was using reverse psychology. So, he decided to turn the tables, intentionally using Hanamaki Takahiro as a decoy during the second attack and passing the ball to Iwaizumi Hajime instead.
But Oikawa Toru overlooked one key issue.
That is, Akashi Asuka is a very self-aware person.
All along, Akashi Asuka's self-positioning in a match has been that of a peerless general, not a strategist or advisor.
Akashi Asuka has occasionally used strategies like [Tactical Taunt] since his past life, but he has never relied on them to achieve a specific goal, because he knows very well he is not an intellectually gifted genius whose plans are 'infallible.'
His purpose in using [Tactical Taunt] is singular: purely to mess with the opponent's mindset.
Though blunt, this straightforward little tactic is often quite effective.
However, even Akashi Asuka himself didn't expect his [Tactical Taunt] to have this kind of effect one day. It was quite unexpected.
"I've lived long enough to see everything. I barely trust my own reverse psychology, but the enemy is deeply convinced. Interesting, very interesting," Akashi Asuka mumbled, shaking his head as he turned around.
Oikawa Toru: " "
Hearing his words, Oikawa Toru instantly took a deep breath.
This situation was a classic case of the clever being outsmarted by their own cleverness.
Setters are notoriously dirty-minded—that much is beyond doubt... Mishita Ryuhei-senpai excluded.
Mishita Ryuhei: "??? Are you praising me or insulting me?"
Oikawa Toru is even a standout among setters. So, when he saw Akashi Asuka's blocking skill at the end of the first set, he already anticipated that the Red Team would concentrate their efforts on blocking in the second set, which is why Oikawa Toru also reinforced the frontcourt block.
But perhaps it was that final block in the first set that led Oikawa Toru to make a slightly incorrect judgment about Akashi Asuka's cunning.
Oikawa Toru thought Akashi Asuka's intensified frontcourt blocking in the second set was part of some 'conspiracy.'
In reality, Akashi Asuka arranged it this way simply to force the White Team into a head-on clash, aiming to decide the match in one set.
As for conspiracies?
If you were to open the chests of the five Red Team members, the amount of trickery you'd find dug out of all five hearts wouldn't be as much as Oikawa Toru had alone.
...
The Double-Agent
The Red Team scored two consecutive points at the start, so the serving right remained with Mishita Ryuhei-senpai.
Mishita Ryuhei-senpai felt exasperated. He never imagined that his terrible serving skill would actually get a chance to serve three balls in a row in one set.
The volleyball was hit over the net.
The White Team received the ball and began their third attack organization.
Akashi Asuka stood at the net, his eyes locked on the ball in the air. He did not relax his vigilance due to the two consecutive points. On the contrary, Akashi Asuka knew that this was when the opponent's threat would be greatest.
Iwaizumi Hajime-senpai, Hanamaki Takahiro-senpai, and Matsukawa Issei-senpai—three spikers—moved simultaneously.
Their near-identical movements made it impossible for Akashi Asuka to tell who the next set would go to, so he had to concentrate all his attention to...
SMACK!
A soft sound.
Without any warning, Oikawa Toru suddenly executed a 'Setter Attack.'
All three Red Team blockers, including Akashi Asuka, failed to anticipate this move. They could only stare wide-eyed as the volleyball sped past the block and rapidly fell to the floor...
But in the nick of time, a figure suddenly sprang from the backcourt, and with a BAM, received the volleyball back into the air.
It was none other than Watari Shinji-senpai.
Oikawa Toru tricked his opponents, Akashi Asuka and the others, but he failed to trick his good teammate, Watari Shinji-senpai.
As Seijoh's main Libero, a good teammate Oikawa Toru had trusted completely half an hour ago, Watari Shinji-senpai unhesitatingly stabbed the White Team in the back at this crucial moment.
This backstab was so vicious that even Coach Irihata Nobuteru on the sidelines slapped his forehead, unable to watch.
Too vicious.
That serve receive, in terms of timing and coordination, was a perfect response to Oikawa Toru's attack, yet it was successfully received. It was likely that Watari Shinji-senpai hadn't performed this well even in a formal match.
The critical point was that after successfully receiving the ball, Watari Shinji-senpai was grinning mischievously, showing almost all his teeth.
The volleyball flew high.
Mishita Ryuhei-senpai decisively set a high ball to Akashi Asuka. The three White Team front-row blockers quickly positioned themselves. Akashi Asuka leaped into the air, and the three opponents could only watch wide-eyed as Akashi Asuka's chin rose above their foreheads.
BAM!
The timing of this set was perfect, landing exactly at Akashi Asuka's peak 341 { cm} hitting point.
Thus, Iwaizumi Hajime-senpai, the shortest among the blockers, could only watch as Akashi Asuka spiked over him. The ball sailed over his fingertips and landed for a point.
Without a doubt, this was a spike that was highly damaging and even more insulting to Iwaizumi Hajime-senpai.
3:0.
At this point, even Oikawa Toru-senpai and Iwaizumi Hajime-senpai felt their composure wavering slightly.
They wouldn't fear the opponent, no matter how strong.
But how were they supposed to deal with an internal mole on the other team?
No matter how tricky Oikawa Toru-senpai's tactics were, he couldn't possibly deceive both the opponent and his teammate simultaneously!
Furthermore, this internal mole was playing exceptionally well today.
Oikawa Toru-senpai's lips twitched a few times. He turned his head to look at Irihata Nobuteru in the resting area, hoping his coach would provide a reasonable explanation.
But at that moment, Irihata Nobuteru-sensei happened to be thirsty, so he decided to go get a cup of water first.
...