Just as Sugawara Koushi was preparing to seize this moment, his morale soaring after two consecutive god-level saves, ready to sound the counterattack against the first-years,
The pass that had been narrowly saved by Sawamura Daichi wasn't as high-quality as previous ones. In the instant the ball left his hands, Sugawara's set options were already severely limited.
No, I need to think of a way to break through, fast.
If I don't take this chance, we might not get another opportunity to turn the match around.
His brain spun frantically, and his feet had already begun running in a mad sprint.
I can't stop. I can't stop.
No matter what, thinking or running, I can't stop.
Come on, come on, come on!
Make the contribution you're supposed to make for the team.
Sugawara's mind drove his body to push faster, to deliver the pass as quickly and accurately as possible.
When he finally saw the trajectory of the ball, realization hit.
The ball is going to hit the wall. At my speed, I won't have time to spin and pass before it bounces.
Right now… I don't want to think about anything else.
I have to pass this ball as best as I possibly can!
With a grit of his teeth, Sugawara abandoned all thoughts of the consequences.
Charging forward without hesitation, just before the ball was about to slam into the wall, he jumped with the momentum of his approach.
In midair, he barely managed to spin around, catching the volleyball that was moments from smashing the wall. His gaze locked intensely on his team's ace and their preferred set location.
He sent out what was possibly the most precise long pass he had ever delivered in his life.
The volleyball traced a perfect arc through the air, slightly higher and further from the net than usual according to Sugawara's intent.
But his own back slammed into the wall with enormous force. No mitigation. No dodging. Just impact.
He hadn't cared at all about the collision, committing his entire being to the pass.
The force of the impact struck his back, sending him reeling backward. Half the force drove straight into his frail body, leaving him gasping, the air violently expelled from his lungs instinctively to absorb some of the blow.
The shock reverberated through his organs, and as he landed against the wall, he collapsed to his knees, barely able to support himself with his arms.
"Asahi!!"
Coach Kobu was about to call a timeout, but Karasuno's Ukai Keishin stopped him.
At the moment of contact, the two adults' eyes had already absorbed all the information.
We have to pause!
You'd be erasing his effort otherwise.
===========
Watching Sugawara send out the ball with all his strength, Azumane Asahi's mind raced through the past two years, the sacrifices, the desperate efforts, the risks taken alongside the other seniors who had now reached their third year.
The attacker can spike because the setter passes.
The setter can pass because the first pass has been fought for with all their might.
Nishinoya's two-centimeter hand fortress, Sawamura's diving saves.
Everyone on the court is doing exactly what they should be doing.
Then I also have to give everything I can.
Still, Azumane's naturally cautious heart made him hesitate.
Even if I fail?
Yet seeing his teammates' dedication, he resolved, I must fight until the last moment.
Watching Sugawara pass this ball with every ounce of his effort, Azumane poured all his strength into his spike.
He took a few steps back to gain enough runway, fueled by a trace of anger.
Swinging his arms, he launched himself into the air at the peak of his jump.
Fueled by rage, his strength surged to 120%. Adrenaline activated every muscle as he drove toward the three blockers, unleashing possibly the most powerful spike of his volleyball life.
No precise aim, just raw, overwhelming power.
BOOM!
The ball slammed into Yudai Hyakuzawa and Tsukishima Kei's arms.
For a moment, time seemed to slow, the ball and the two attackers suspended in a slow-motion tableau.
The volleyball, distorted from the sheer force, burst through the trap the duo had laid.
What the hell… is this the strength a high schooler should have?!
For the first time, Hyakuzawa experienced being blasted backward by a spike.
Kei, though knocked aside, remained airborne, controlling his balance. His fighting spirit reached its peak. The fury in his eyes could no longer be restrained, roaring across the court like a typhoon sweeping the sea.
I will destroy them.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria