Akashi's Serve Continues
BEEP!
A loud, short whistle echoed throughout the arena.
However, at this moment, all the Karasuno players completely missed the sound of the whistle. Only the image of Akashi Asuka's last serve kept flashing in their minds.
Takeda Ittetsu's throat was dry, and he asked with difficulty: "What... was that?"
...
Karasuno immediately called a time-out.
When the players returned to the bench, many were still dazed. Coach Ukai Keishin had beads of cold sweat on his forehead: "Oda, is that the serve you mentioned that he can't control the landing spot of?"
"Yes, it is!" Oda Miki nodded.
"Are you kidding me? Against that kind of power, an inability to control the landing spot hardly counts as a flaw!"
"Ah, well, his serve in Junior High was strong, but not to this extent. It's likely that Akashi's serve has improved again recently," Oda Miki scratched his head.
"This is trouble!"
Ukai Keishin frowned deeply.
It was already difficult enough for Karasuno to deal with Oikawa Tōru's high-speed serves, and now a heavy cannon server who is in no way inferior to Oikawa Tōru has emerged.
This was absolutely the worst news possible for Karasuno.
And what was even trickier was that Karasuno currently didn't have a single player who specialized in serve reception in the back court. Due to the current rotation, the players most skilled at receiving—Nishinoya Yū and Sawamura Daichi—had rotated to the front court.
The Libero, Nishinoya Yū, was substituted out for Middle Blocker Tsukishima Kei in the front row.
While Tanaka and Kageyama in the back court had good fundamentals, their serve reception skills were only just passable.
As for Hinata Shōyō, there was no need to say more.
"Oda, are you confident you can receive Seijoh's Number 8's serve?"
"Huh?"
Oda Miki was stunned. He couldn't understand why this fire had suddenly fallen on him when he only came to offer advice.
He was different from Sugawara Kōshi.
As a third-year, Sugawara Kōshi wanted to play but couldn't get on the court.
But Oda Miki felt perfectly fine standing on the bench for three consecutive years.
However, looking at the expressions of the people around him, Oda Miki scratched his hair in distress and said: "I can try, but I don't guarantee success."
"That's enough."
Ukai Keishin's purpose in substituting Oda Miki onto the court, besides strengthening the backcourt defense, was to take Hinata Shōyō off.
...
"Oh? A substitution? Another unfamiliar face!" When the Seijoh players returned to the court, Oikawa Tōru instantly spotted Oda Miki replacing Hinata.
"He's Akashi's former teammate. In Junior High, he was the Opposite Hitter for Sengoku Junior High," Kindaichi recognized Oda Miki and offered a comment.
"So he's Akashi-chan's teammate!"
Oikawa Tōru turned his head to look at Akashi Asuka outside the baseline, only to find that Akashi's eyes were completely calm, as if he hadn't even noticed the substitution on the opposite side.
What incredible focus!
Oikawa Tōru was secretly surprised. At this moment, the Seijoh front court players, recognizing the drill, already wisely covered their heads and began clearing the space for Akashi.
THUD!
A moment later.
With an explosive sound, Akashi's second serve shot out violently, charging like a cannonball into Karasuno's back court, dropping straight toward Tanaka's position.
PA!
Tanaka reached out to receive the ball, but the moment he touched it, the volleyball deflected and flew off to some unknown place.
"Tch! Dammit..."
Tanaka Ryūnosuke clicked his tongue in frustration, cursing himself.
9:3.
The point difference further widened.
Gradually, feelings of anxiety, frustration, and unease began to spread within the Karasuno team...
...
"One more ball!"
"Serve a good one, Akashi!"
"Finish them off with this ball!"
The Seijoh players encouraged Akashi. Akashi didn't hold back and sent the third serve with a surge of momentum.
THUD!
Still that soft, cotton-like contact feel, still that thunderous contact sound. The moment the volleyball flew from Akashi's hand, it whistled and dropped into the Karasuno court area.
And the direction this ball dropped was still Tanaka Ryūnosuke's position...
"Tanaka-senpai, get out of the way!"
The unpredictable trajectory of the volleyball in the air caused the receiver, Tanaka Ryūnosuke, to hesitate for a moment. And in that moment of hesitation, the volleyball was already right in front of him.
Just as Tanaka Ryūnosuke was about to risk receiving the ball, a shout suddenly came from the side, causing Tanaka to instinctively move aside.
BAM!
The figure, diving forward, received the volleyball back into the air with a thump, but to ensure the force was neutralized, he tumbled backward several times as if he had been sent flying.
"Wow~ Can he even receive a ball like that?" Oikawa Tōru was filled with astonishment.
"That wasn't a 'receive.' To be precise, he 'predicted' the landing spot of the volleyball," Akashi Asuka returned from the baseline and added.
"Predicted? But I thought you yourself can't control the landing spot of your serve!" Iwaizumi Hajime said.
"That's true, but there are always some exceptional people in this world, aren't there? Oda has a wide range of vision, so sometimes he can process my hitting motion, calculate it in his brain, and instantly predict the ball's final landing spot... although the success rate is often less than 30%."
"Eh? So there are players like that? That means your former teammate, Akashi-chan, is really impressive! Hmm~~ And he seems to have good luck too," Oikawa Tōru genuinely praised.
Iwaizumi Hajime: "({〝▼皿▼})"
It's getting stiff, my fist is getting stiff.
Iwaizumi Hajime: "You two are done. He's our opponent now. Focus during the match."
...
"Nice receive, Oda!"
On the other side, after Oda Miki received the ball, the Karasuno players were equally excited. Kageyama Tobio quickly took position, assuming his responsibility as Setter.
A perfectly executed back row quick set sent the volleyball flying quickly right in front of the Wing Spiker, Azumane Asahi.
Another quick attack.
In the previous match, with the help of Kageyama Tobio and Hinata Shōyō, the fifth-year-looking Spiker with a maidenly heart—Azumane Asahi—finally broke through Date Tech High School's iron wall and regained his confidence.
So when the volleyball came before him again, Azumane Asahi decisively jumped, putting all his strength into it, and confidently delivered a heavy spike.
BAM!
SLAP!
Accompanied by two nearly simultaneous collision sounds, the volleyball that had just been spiked suddenly appeared on the floor behind Azumane Asahi.
And across the net, a high wall, eerily similar to Date Tech High School's block, caused Azumane Asahi's eyes to suddenly freeze...
...