A high ball soared over the net. The blockers from Mujizaka High jumped up instantly to defend, but in the next moment, Keisuke Unnan could only stare wide-eyed as a tall figure leapt directly in front of him. That figure rose and rose, so high that even when Unnan tilted his head all the way back, all he could see was the man's chin before he finally reached the peak.
Boom!
The ball blasted over the very tips of Unnan's fingers and slammed hard into Mujizaka's court.
2:4.
[Ooooooohhh!]
[Once again, Aoba Johsai's first-year ace, Akashi Asuka, scores! Despite the absence of their starting setter, Akashi fully embodies the role of a true ace, scoring with a powerful spike that soared above even Mujizaka's formidable block!]
If the commentators were excited, Keisuke Unnan was simply stunned.
This doesn't make sense.
The opposing team had just lost their main setter. Yet somehow, the number 8 on the opposite side, their so-called ace, was performing even better than before.
The rest of Aoba Johsai's players also stared wide-eyed, all except for Ryuhei Sanashita. No one else could understand what was happening with Akashi Asuka.
They could only vaguely sense one thing, Akashi felt like the same unstoppable force he was when he'd first joined the team.
────────── ✦ ──────────
"Why...?" Oikawa Tooru, seated off-court, had the same dazed look in his eyes. He couldn't understand what he was seeing. He could tell clearly that the set from Sanashita had been nothing special, aside from getting the height just right, everything else about the toss was average.
So why?
Why did Akashi look like he was thriving under that kind of toss?
At that moment, Coach Nobuteru Irihata spoke again.
"You're wondering, right? Even though your tosses are more precise, why is it that Sanashita can draw out more from Akashi?"
Oikawa remained silent for a moment. Then he asked quietly, "Coach… are you saying you predicted this?"
Irihata shook his head. "...No."
In truth, Irihata had only chosen to sub in Sanashita because, compared to second-year Yajibe Shuu, he had more chemistry with Akashi, and had experience playing in the nationals.
His logic was simple: against an opponent like Mujizaka, the rest of the team might as well be dead weight. Their only hope of winning rested entirely on Akashi Asuka's shoulders.
But even he hadn't expected this kind of chemical reaction once Akashi and Sanashita reunited.
After a moment's thought, Irihata realized, it wasn't that Sanashita was exceptional.
It was that Oikawa had never been able to fully unleash Akashi Asuka's power from the beginning.
"Oikawa, you work hard. You've got talent. No matter who your teammate is, you're able to quickly understand their quirks and bring out 100% of their potential with your sets.
"But tell me, even after working with Akashi for so long, why haven't you been able to do the same for him?"
Oikawa replied instinctively, "Well… Akashi-chan isn't like other players. He's a genius. Geniuses are always harder to sync with, right?"
"Wrong." Irihata gave him a long, thoughtful look. He, too, had once believed that Akashi's overwhelming talent was the reason Oikawa couldn't draw out his full strength.
But today, after the substitution, he understood the truth.
"It's not Akashi's fault at all. The problem lies entirely with you, Oikawa."
"Hah? Are you saying it's because my talent isn't good enough, so I can't keep up with Akashi's growth? If that's the case, then fine, I won't argue."
Irihata looked at him for a while before letting out a sigh.
"Then I was right after all. Just hearing you say that confirms it, Oikawa, you really do hate Akashi."
Oikawa froze.
"Maybe it's the shadow left by Ushijima… or that underclassman of yours. But whatever the reason, you've been subconsciously rejecting the idea of working with someone like Akashi, a natural-born genius.
"Sure, you've always tried to set perfectly for him. But if you were truly being honest with yourself, you'd have realized it long ago: someone like Akashi doesn't need precision, he needs freedom. A space vast enough for him to soar…"
With that, Irihata lifted his gaze toward the court.
Oikawa followed his coach's eyes.
Akashi Asuka now stood at the service line. His serve was notoriously difficult to score with, given how closely it resembled Wakatsu Kiryu's technique. Across two full sets, he'd scored maybe two points off serves.
But this time, something had changed.
Now fully immersed in the state of "Mushin", the stillness of a mirrorlike mind, Akashi felt calm, yet hyper-aware. Every piece of information around him, the court, the ball, his own body, was under total control.
He spotted a minute gap in Mujizaka's seemingly airtight serve receive and casually tossed the ball skyward.
He ran.
He jumped.
He swung.
Boom!
The moment his hand struck the ball, it launched with a deep, echoing thud.
Mujizaka's libero braced himself. He was nervous, yes, but not nearly as terrified as before. He steadied his feet, prepared for the impact.
Then, without warning, the ball's trajectory shifted in midair.
Like a crescent moon scything across the sky, the ball curved suddenly, dropping out of nowhere toward the deep left corner.
"Wha–!"
The entire Mujizaka team was caught off guard. There was no time to react.
Boom!
The ball crashed into the court with brutal force.
It bounced twice, rolled a few times more, then finally came to a gentle stop on the hardwood floor.
────────── ✦ ──────────
A/N: "Mushin" (無心), often translated as "no‑mind" or "empty mind", is a key Zen and martial arts concept that describes:
Mu (無): nothingness, without
Shin (心): mind, heart, spirit
Together, "mushin" literally means "a mind with no mind" (無心の心)
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 630+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 337
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 279
Danmachi: Is It Wrong To Aspire to Be An Adventurer? — Up to Chapter 97
Legend of Hogwarts (Harry Potter x League of Legends) — Up to Chapter 204
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 186
Playing Genshin Impact in Danmachi (Danmachi x Genshin Impact) — Up to Chapter 116
Kuroko no Basket: The Phantom Ace — Up to Chapter 41
Yukigaoka: Project Ace — Up to Chapter 39