When Akashi Asuka stepped up to the serving position, his front-row teammates, Iwaizumi Hajime, Matsukawa Issei, and Kindaichi Yutaro, all instinctively covered the back of their heads and backed away toward the edge of the court.
You might not believe it, but ever since Akashi's 2v2 match against Iwaizumi, the teammates of Aoba Johsai feared Akashi's serve even more than their opponents did.
His newly evolved Power Jump Serve had firmly established itself as the most devastating in the entire prefecture.
So now, if you get hit by anyone else's serve, the back of your head might just sting a little. But if it's Akashi's serve? You probably wouldn't even feel the pain at all...
Aoba Johsai's reaction left the Ōmisaki players completely baffled, until they finally understood.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Akashi casually bounced the volleyball a few times. Since the game balls were mostly new, they looked great but didn't feel great on the hand.
"First serve, let's start with about 80% power." he said.
Finding the feel wasn't perfect, so he decided to dial back a little on the first serve to get a sense of the ball.
He tossed the ball lightly, took his run-up, jumped, and struck...
Bam!
A sharp, clear smack echoed through the gym as the ball screamed over the net, heading straight for the Ōmisaki's backcourt attacker. With a dull thud, the ball hit him square in the chest and knocked him to the floor.
The volleyball bounced off and hit the ground with a doot doot doot sound.
For a moment, the players of Ōmisaki were stunned.
So were the players of Aoba Johsai.
But their reasons were different.
The Ōmisaki players thought, "Is this cannon really called a serve?"
Meanwhile, the Aoba Johsai players thought, "Why is Akashi's serve so weak today? Is he feeling unwell?"
Everyone at Aoba Johsai was used to Akashi's serves that seemed aimed at "killing" the opponent. So seeing him tone it down a bit threw them off.
But for Ōmisaki, it was their first time seeing Akashi serve. Even at 80% power, his serve still had the impact of the national junior high tournament level.
Those who had participated in the newcomer tournament surely remembered how powerful that serve was.
"Whoa, what was that? Such a powerful serve!"
"Who exactly is that Aoba Johsai number 8?"
"Damn, that 'monster' is terrifyingly strong even in high school."
Murmurs and whispers rippled through the audience seats.
Akashi barely paid attention, fully focused on the volleyball, preparing for the second serve.
"Watch out! The second serve's coming, " warned one Ōmisaki player.
Thud!
Before he finished speaking, a blur of yellow and blue shot past him. When he looked back, the ball had already bounced off the floor and slammed against the wall several meters behind him.
In an instant, all Ōmisaki players froze.
"Is the power... increasing again?"
Several of them thought this, though it was more a statement than a question.
"No way. The serve can still get stronger? Is this guy a monster?" The morale of the Ōmisaki team plummeted visibly.
Even Iwaizumi's five-point streak earlier hadn't shaken Ōmisaki this much.
Beep!!!
Ōmisaki's coach called an urgent timeout.
During the break, Aoba Johsai's players went to the rest area, intending to drink water, but none of them felt thirsty.
Makes sense.
So far in the match, aside from a single return from Wataru Shinji on Ōmisaki's serve, all the points had come from Iwaizumi and Akashi. Everyone else on the court so far had basically been a placeholder.
Matsukawa set down his unopened water cup and complained, "Seriously, thank goodness Akashi joined Aoba Johsai. Otherwise, just thinking about facing that guy in a match makes my body tremble uncontrollably."
At that, someone protested, and Iwaizumi chimed in, "Hey, hey, Matsukawa! Don't forget I scored five points in a row with my serves too. Even if Akashi really is our toughest opponent, I'm not necessarily going to lose."
Matsukawa patted Iwaizumi's shoulder and sighed, "Iwaizumi, face reality. People just can't be compared directly, serves included. You scored five straight, but they didn't call a timeout. Akashi's served only twice, and their morale's already about to crumble. Think about that."
Iwaizumi was speechless.
Though both scored points from serves, "missing the serve" and "receiving the serve but failing to block it" are totally different.
Especially the latter.
It leaves a huge psychological scar on a player, something Shuu Yagami knew all too well.
Shuu Yagami: Are you being polite here?
"By the way, Akashi, are you feeling okay? The two serves you just made didn't seem like your full strength."
Akashi shook his head, "No, it's just that I'm not used to these new balls here."
Everyone suddenly understood. These new balls don't affect spikes much but really change the feel of serving.
Not long after, the timeout ended.
Whatever the Ōmisaki coach said or did during the break, the team that was already on the verge of collapse suddenly regained their fighting spirit as they returned to the court.
"Wow, this team's got some serious grit." Iwaizumi remarked, surprised.
In fact, they'd already noticed something: normally, when a player scores five straight points, the opponent's morale collapses. But Ōmisaki hadn't even called a timeout until now.
"Too bad their grit doesn't quite make up for their lack of skill."
Thud!
Iwaizumi thought this as he heard a terrifying explosion louder than any before. In the next moment, a volleyball, accompanied by a roaring wind, slammed into Ōmisaki's court.
In an instant, the temporarily revived Ōmisaki players' expressions froze once more.
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(End of Chapter)
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