BOOM!!!
With a deafening blast, the volleyball struck by Akashi Asuka let out a bone-chilling crunch in midair. The ball's spherical shape warped almost instantly into a dented "bowl," as rippling shockwaves spread across its surface like waves on water...
Then suddenly,
A ring-shaped shockwave exploded outward in every direction, invisible yet forceful.
A sharp whoosh followed, and the volleyball shot downward like a meteor, leaving a glowing trail in the air.
Nishinoya Yuu, who had moved into position to receive, saw only a blur as the ball came hurtling toward him. Its speed had already surpassed his reflexes, he moved purely on instinct.
Thud!
The volleyball slammed into Nishinoya.
In the next instant, he was knocked off his feet, rolling backward across the court.
The ball? Nowhere to be seen.
"Holy!"
Stunned, Nishinoya sat on the floor for a moment, before scrambling upright with wide eyes, completely dumbfounded.
You're calling that a volleyball?
Are you trying to kill someone?!
That wasn't playing volleyball, that was warfare.
Had he not managed to receive that shot, and it had landed square on his face, Nishinoya had no doubt he'd be carted off to the hospital on the spot.
The rest of the Karasuno players were equally stunned. No one expected that, at this point in the match, Akashi Asuka's spikes could become even more powerful.
Score: 1–1.
The teams were now tied. Serve switched sides.
Because Coach Ukai had chosen to forfeit the third set, Karasuno was in an all-or-nothing situation in the fourth. And so, from the first whistle, they came out swinging.
But, as luck would have it, Aoba Johsai had the same idea. They too intended to end the game in this set.
So they went all out.
Aoba Johsai's starting player for the fourth set, Kentarou Kyotani, opened with a cannon-like jump serve, scoring instantly.
He missed the second serve, but the sheer momentum of that first point gave Karasuno a scare.
Score: 2–2.
Karasuno tried to launch a counterattack.
And to be fair, it worked to some extent. The resurrected Monster Quick still proved a lethal weapon, rarely failing when Karasuno had control of the offense.
But six and a half minutes into the set, the score stood at 8–6.
Why? Because while Karasuno's offense rarely failed, Aoba Johsai's didn't either. On top of that, both Akashi Asuka and Oikawa Tooru were monsters from the service line, constantly applying pressure with deadly serves.
"Huff... huff..."
Heavy breathing echoed across the Karasuno court.
With all of Karasuno's "versatile tricks" exhausted, the match was gradually reverting to a contest of raw physicality, and in that department, Aoba Johsai had always held the edge. After a whole summer of grueling training, that gap had only widened.
Still...
Not everyone on Karasuno was running on fumes.
At least not the first-year duo.
Kageyama Tobio had gotten enough rest during the third set to return with a full tank. And Hinata Shoyo, well, he was a born stamina beast. The later the game dragged on, the more his presence seemed to intensify.
"Whoa~ that's terrifying!" Oikawa yelped playfully. "That tiny guy's aura is scary."
"There's something dangerous about him," Akashi Asuka muttered, his gaze locking onto Hinata. "If that potential of his ever gets fully developed, he'll be a serious threat."
Though Akashi had long known of Hinata's potential, some things couldn't be understood until experienced firsthand.
"Oh ho~" Oikawa teased. "I didn't expect you to be afraid of anyone, Asuka-chan."
"Afraid?" Akashi shook his head, expression calm. "I'm not afraid of any opponent anymore. Potential is just that, potential. Hinata only just started playing volleyball. Without Kageyama, he's basically a complete novice."
And that was Hinata's biggest flaw, he simply hadn't played volleyball long enough.
Monsters like Ushijima Wakatoshi and Kageyama Tobio had been practically born holding a volleyball, raised in households that gave them access to elite training and world-class coaches since childhood.
Even Oikawa, though a step behind, had started formal training in his first year of junior high, with Hajime Iwaizumi at his side the whole time.
And Akashi himself? Despite only arriving in this world during his third year of junior high, his original self had two years of solid fundamentals, and the final year had been spent under intensive training thanks to his system cheat.
So while players like Oikawa and Ushijima had begun to see Hinata in a new light, what they were really recognizing wasn't his current strength, but rather his potential.
"Still," Oikawa added, rubbing his chin, "he's pretty unpredictable…"
"Exactly why we need to crush Karasuno before he gets the chance to surprise us." Akashi cut him off coldly.
"From now on, every ball. Set it to me."
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The game continued.
Karasuno was in deep trouble now.
And then, Kageyama felt it, a fierce, menacing presence coming from the other side of the net.
He looked up sharply.
Across the court, standing calmly at the net, Akashi Asuka radiated the smoldering pressure of a dormant volcano on the verge of eruption.
What is he planning...?
Karasuno sent the ball over the net. Watari received it cleanly and passed it to Oikawa, who immediately set it straight to Akashi.
Like a hawk taking flight, Akashi soared.
Karasuno's Daichi Sawamura and Yuu Nishinoya began sliding into position, ready for a dig...
But before they could even react,
BOOM!
A thunderous crash echoed through the stadium.
The ball streaked straight past the double block of Asahi Azumane and Tsukishima Kei, landing just inside the sideline.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria