When Akashi Asuka walked to the position 1 serving spot with the volleyball, Iwaizumi Hajime, Matsukawa Issei, and Kindaichi Yūtarō, who were in the front row, all instinctively covered the back of their heads and retreated far to the court's sidelines.
It may be hard to believe, but ever since Akashi's 2\text{v}2 match with Iwaizumi ended, the Seijoh players, as his teammates, are far more terrified of Akashi's serve than any opponent.
The [Powerful Jump Serve], after its latest evolution, is now solidly ranked first in the prefecture for sheer destructive power.
If a normal person's serve hits the back of your head, it hurts a lot. But if Akashi's serve hits you, you probably won't feel any pain...
The reaction of the Seijoh players left the Omisaki High players slightly confused.
But soon, they understood.
BAM! BAM! BAM!...
Akashi casually bounced the volleyball a few times. Since the match ball was mostly new, new balls, while visually appealing, don't feel great to handle.
"For the first serve, I'll use 80\% power!"
After a few bounces, Akashi found the ball's texture wasn't very good, so to play it safe, he decided to reduce the power slightly on the first serve to get a feel for it.
Gently tossing the volleyball, Akashi took his approach, jumped, and struck the ball...
BAM!
A reasonably loud contact sound echoed. The volleyball whistled over the net and crashed into the Opposite Hitter in the Omisaki backcourt. There was a dull thud, and the ball hit the Omisaki hitter squarely in the chest, knocking him down to the floor instantly.
The volleyball rebounded, landed on the ground, and bounced with a thump, thump, thump sound...
Immediately, the Omisaki High players froze.
The Aoba Johsai High players also froze.
However, the reason the Omisaki players were stunned was because: "Can something like a cannonball even be called a serve?"
The reason the Seijoh players were stunned, however, was: "Why is this serve so weak today? Is Akashi-kun feeling unwell?"
The Seijoh players were so accustomed to Akashi's usual serves—those that seemed intent on "murder"—that when Akashi suddenly lowered the power, they felt uncomfortable.
But the Omisaki High players were seeing Akashi's serve for the first time. Given Akashi's current strength, even at 80\% power, it was at least at the level of his serves during the Junior High National Tournament.
The senior Seijoh players who participated in the welcome match certainly understood the sheer power of Akashi's serve at that stage.
"Whoa~~ What was that just now? What a powerful serve."
"Who exactly is that number 8 from Seijoh?"
"Tsk! That damned 'Monster' is still terrifyingly strong, even in high school."
...
A murmur of discussion arose from the spectators.
Akashi didn't pay much attention. His focus was entirely on the volleyball as he prepared to launch the second serve.
The Omisaki High players saw Akashi's preparation and shouted loudly, "Watch out, the second ball is coming..."
CRACK!
Before the Omisaki player who issued the warning could finish his sentence, a yellow-and-blue streak suddenly whizzed past him. By the time he reacted, he saw the volleyball had already landed, bounced, and struck the wall several meters behind.
Instantly, the expressions of all the Omisaki High players froze.
"The power... increased again?"
This was the internal thought of several Omisaki players. Although phrased as a question, it was, in reality, an affirmation.
"You've got to be kidding! The power of that serve can still increase? Is this guy a monster?" The minds of the Omisaki High players were battered, and the team's morale dropped visibly by a large margin.
This was something Oikawa Tōru couldn't even achieve, despite his five consecutive points earlier.
BEEP!!!
The Omisaki High coach immediately called a time-out.
The Coach's Speech
During the time-out, the Seijoh players returned to the rest area. They had intended to grab a drink, but found they weren't thirsty at all.
Which made sense.
After all, up to this point in the match, it seemed that aside from one reception by Watari Shinji during Omisaki's serve, all the remaining points were scored by Oikawa Tōru and Akashi. The other players' roles on the court so far were virtually equivalent to boundary markers.
Matsukawa Issei put down his unopened water bottle and quipped, "Seriously, thank goodness Akashi joined Seijoh. Otherwise, just thinking about having to play against this guy in the future makes my body tremble uncontrollably."
Upon hearing this, someone was immediately displeased. Oikawa Tōru interjected, "Hey, hey, hey~ Matsukawa-chan, don't forget I also scored five points with my serve just now. Even if Akashi-chan were our opponent, I wouldn't necessarily lose."
Matsukawa Issei heard this, patted Oikawa Tōru's shoulder, and sighed, "Ah! Oikawa, just accept it! You have to understand that not all people are created equal, and the same goes for serves. You scored five consecutive points but didn't force a time-out from the opponent. But Akashi only served twice, and the opponent's morale is already on the verge of collapsing. Think about that carefully yourself!"
Oikawa Tōru: "..."
Even though both scenarios resulted in service aces, being "unable to receive the serve" and "receiving the serve but being unable to handle it" are two entirely different concepts.
Especially the latter.
The psychological impact on a player is absolutely enormous. Yahaba Shigeru had firsthand experience with this.
Yahaba Shigeru: Are you being polite?
"Speaking of which, Akashi, are you not feeling well today? I noticed your last two serves weren't at maximum power."
Akashi shook his head: "No, I'm just not used to the new ball here."
Everyone realized: "I see. It's true that while new balls don't affect spiking, they can significantly impact the feel of a serve."
Soon after, the time-out ended.
Whatever the Omisaki High coach had done, the Omisaki players, whose morale had been near collapse, somehow returned to the court with renewed spirit.
"Huh? This team has remarkable willpower!" Oikawa Tōru felt slightly surprised.
In fact, they had noticed this earlier. Normally, when a team concedes five consecutive points to Oikawa Tōru, their morale would typically crumble, yet Omisaki High hadn't even called a time-out then.
"It's just a shame. The willpower is decent, but the skill is still lacking."
CRACK!
Oikawa Tōru sighed inwardly. At the exact same moment, a terrifying explosive sound, far exceeding all previous contacts, erupted. The next second, a volleyball, carrying a fierce wind and a whistle, slammed onto the Omisaki High court boundary.
Instantly, the expressions of the Omisaki High players, whose morale had just barely recovered, froze once again.
...