Veterans 0:2 First-Years
Yudai Hyakuzawa's towering spikes and Ichinose Guren's powerful serves had sounded the first-year team's charge.
The inexperienced freshmen, brimming with the courage of the newly born, undaunted by the senior and already graduated players, rushed forward to claim the starting positions.
Facing Ichinose Guren's first serve, the veteran team had only a brief moment of communication. Shimada Makoto quickly retreated to the sideline, taking a stance that clearly said:
"I absolutely will not receive this ball."
Relying on experience and a stronger sense of coordination than the first-years, Shimada quickly realized, after exchanging signals with back-row players Nishinoya Yuu and Sawamura Daichi:
Rather than risking his mediocre defense against Guren's powerful jump serve and losing the point, it was better to let the confident, never-give-up juniors take on the pressure of reception.
His only job: stand aside, giving a clear signal that he would not intercept, so Daichi could receive without worry of colliding.
"Whoa."
"Quick reaction."
"As expected of experienced seniors."
"Let's try this ball."
Though he spoke casually, his hands never paused.
Once again, Ichinose Guren displayed his almost unparalleled high school-level acceleration.
If Hinata Shoyo's speed was akin to a supercar among high school students, Guren was an F1 race car.
Another firework exploded over the first-years' heads.
"Let's see if you can receive this!"
The ball carried Guren's friendly challenge to the veterans.
With the rhythm badge and heavy hitter badge activated, Guren's powerful serve hurtled toward the center of the backcourt. But Daichi invoked his signature summoning:
"Nishinoya!"
At the call, Nishinoya Yuu leapt as if transported from another dimension, a super hero emerging from a portal. Combining innate ball sense with a body honed through bruising training, he reached Guren's jump serve in the final moment.
BAM.
The ball soared into the air.
All eyes followed it, every single person, including Guren himself, who smiled innocently as he watched Nishinoya complete the reception.
Excellent!
For Hoshino Katsuri, the reception succeeded because he had continuously practiced receiving Guren's serves, becoming intimately familiar with the movement.
He had been "bombarded" by the high-speed serving machine all holiday, and the reaction to such fast serves was now almost muscle memory.
Yet precisely because he knew Guren's serve so well, Hoshino was acutely aware that even after repeated training, he couldn't guarantee every serve could be received.
This genius libero, facing Guren's serve for the first time, had still managed to successfully intercept a ball aimed at a point-blank score.
Nishinoya even grumbled that he hadn't fully received it, missing a perfect pass to the setter.
Hoshino couldn't help thinking:
Why am I suddenly starting to dislike geniuses?
The pace of the match, however, left no time for complaints, he silently cursed in his head and dove back into defense.
"Really fortunate that the first-year libero could receive it. That serve wasn't ordinary."
"Yeah, it's been a while since I've seen a jump serve of this level. That freshman's really skilled."
University seniors Uchizawa Eiki and Mori Yuki watched with interest, occasionally exclaiming their amazement at the back-row defense.
Unlike the relaxed alumni spectators, Sugawara Koushi's nerves were taut. His mind raced, planning the next attack.
We can't rely on the ace's spikes like before if reception isn't perfect.
We need tactical quick attacks to relieve the pressure on the ace.
Sugawara signaled Yudai Hyakuzawa and Azumane Asahi to spread out, then decisively jumped to draw one blocker's attention.
By threatening the setter's attack, he tore open the exaggerated first-year block, giving his front-row attackers more comfortable spiking zones.
Yet he only distracted Hyakuzawa; the other two mobile attackers, Tsukishima Kei and Ichinose Guren, ignored Sugawara's move.
From their perspective, the 175 cm Sugawara, with ordinary athleticism, could never break through Hyakuzawa's two-meter wall.
They focused on individual marking, pursuing and blocking the remaining two attackers themselves.
In a split-second glance with Hyakuzawa, Sugawara seemed to intuit the short-haired veteran's intention.
Without hesitation, he decided not to rely solely on the ace's spikes. Even if the attack failed, it would signal he could pass to others.
A tactical A-style quick attack was sent to Hyakuzawa. Short, fast, and flat.
Tsukishima, still not fully in rhythm, couldn't keep up, and his delayed step even blocked Ichinose's attack line.
The result: only 0.5 blockers faced the attack, a lone, inexperienced defense against a highly skilled middle blocker.
With an easy arm extension, Hyakuzawa spiked the ball over Tsukishima's single-hand block. The light thud as it hit the floor was a slap, not injurious, but deeply humiliating.
It landed squarely on Tsukishima's pride.
Veterans 1:2 First-Years
The prideful boy clenched his jaw, feeling every sinew.
Glancing at Sugawara's solemn eyes, Tsukishima understood, this normally gentle, kind senior wasn't playing around.
He was serious.
Understanding his intent, Tsukishima didn't protest. He stepped aside, silently preparing for the next exchange.
Yamaguchi Tadashi, knowing Tsukishima well, watched with some worry. He couldn't read his idol's thoughts, but he knew Tsukishima was aware he had just blocked Ichinose's spike.
Even without a word from Ichinose, the perceptive boy understood.
Done. Sleep now, friends.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria