This time, Bokuto's "dejected mode" kicked in so fast that it caught not only the Fukurodani team off guard, but also Oikawa Tooru and Akashi Asuka.
"So this is the 'dejected mode' you told me about… but why did it happen so quickly?" Oikawa said, stunned.
Before the match, Akashi had already shared all the intel he knew, but honestly, even without it, Oikawa, who had spent most of the night reviewing game footage, had already spotted the fluctuations in Bokuto's performance.
Still, neither of them had expected Bokuto's mood swing to arrive this early in the match. It completely disrupted their initial strategy.
"Uh… maybe, possibly, I might've had a little something to do with it…" Akashi admitted, suddenly losing confidence at the unexpected turn of events.
Oikawa sighed. "...So, do we move the plan forward?"
Akashi gave a helpless nod. "Looks like we'll have to."
────────── ✦ ──────────
Despite Bokuto's emotional nosedive, the overall match flow remained steady.
The sideline referee, cold and mechanical as ever, blew the whistle for play to resume, unfazed by the drama unfolding on court.
Aoba Johsai continued serving.
Even without their ace, Kotaro Bokuto, Fukurodani's team system functioned like clockwork. It was as if the "ace's" presence, or absence, barely impacted their gameplay.
Keiji Akaashi received the first pass from the libero and executed a feint to mislead Kindaichi.
Maybe because Akashi had successfully blocked Bokuto's earlier spike, albeit unintentionally, Akaashi deliberately avoided passing to him and instead set the ball to middle blocker Wataru Onaga (#12), aiming for a breakthrough on Oikawa's side.
As Onaga leapt into the air, Oikawa's lips curled into a knowing smile.
"Just as I thought. Once their ace slips into 'dejected mode,' the team immediately sidelines him. Efficient... and ruthless–" he muttered.
He taunted Fukurodani while jumping for the block, cutting off the straight shot from Onaga's spike.
Thud!
Smack!
Forced to adjust, Onaga redirected the ball into a sharp angle spike.
But he didn't stand a chance, Watari Shinji, already positioned there, received the ball cleanly. It shot back into the air in a near-perfect pass.
Oikawa was already moving, and at the same time, Akashi was in his approach for a quick attack.
Whoosh!
The duo executed a lightning-fast combo.
From the receive to the set and spike, it took barely three seconds, but even so, Fukurodani reacted swiftly.
Onaga (#12) and Akinori Konoha (#7) jumped into position, forming a double block.
"Tch. Their reaction speed is insane."
Oikawa clicked his tongue. He had anticipated as much, there was no way a simple quick attack would get past the block of a nationally ranked powerhouse like Fukurodani.
Still, as a setter, it stung to have his offensive routes read so easily.
Four arms rose before Akashi's eyes, forming a net of limbs.
Two high, two low.
The higher pair completely shut down his usual "over-the-top" strike option. Even though this wasn't one of Akashi's highest spikes, his max being 343 cm, this one still soared to around 330 cm.
At the high school level, that was practically unreachable.
But it made sense. The higher arms belonged to Wataru Onaga, who stood at 191 cm. While his vertical wasn't elite, his height alone made him an exceptional blocker.
From a height perspective, aiming over the lower set of arms might've seemed like the better choice.
But had Akashi actually gone for it, he would've walked right into a trap, behind Akinori Konoha stood Fukurodani's libero and another back row defender, both fully prepared.
Even without their ace, Fukurodani's defense remained airtight. That's the key to their consistency, they don't crumble, even when Bokuto is out of sync.
But then,
BOOM!
With a deafening crash, Onaga's outstretched arms suddenly snapped backward as if hit by a truck. A split second later, the ball slammed into the floor with brutal force, bounced high into the air, and landed deep in the second-floor stands.
[Point scored!]
[Aoba Johsai's ace, Akashi Asuka, once again smashes through the opponent's block with a cannonball of a spike, scoring with unstoppable force!]
The pupils of Fukurodani's players shrank.
That power...
They had already known Akashi was strong from his previous match against Mori High, but they hadn't expected this level of power. This wasn't the physique of a typical first-year student.
This was only the fourth time Fukurodani had been overpowered like this. Until now, only three teams in the country had managed to score so effortlessly against them:
Shiratorizawa, Mujinazaka, and Itadaki Academy.
Those three were home to the top three aces in Japan, true national-level monsters.
Even the other ace ranked top five alongside Bokuto couldn't dominate Fukurodani's defense so casually.
"This guy…"
As Akashi Asuka descended from the air, Keiji Akaashi felt an overwhelming sense of unease creep over him. A shadow passed across his face.
He couldn't explain why, but something felt off.
It was like they were walking into a trap, but he had no proof.
There was a faint but unmistakable pressure radiating from Akashi Asuka, casting a quiet tension over the Fukurodani team.
Then, slowly, Akashi turned and met their gaze.
Now an extra centimeter taller, he looked down at the Fukurodani blockers and said calmly:
"Hey. I'm not some nationally ranked ace or anything… but if you think just one guy can shut me down, that's a little naive, don't you think?"
==========
You can find much more on my Patreon: Patreon.com/Veltoria
There are currently 5 active fanfictions on Patreon, with over 514+ advanced chapters available across them!
From Naruto Onwards, I Control Time — Up to Chapter 313
Haikyuu!!: Rise of Sengoku — Up to Chapter 257
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 155
I Am Luffy: Partner System Online (One Piece) — Up to Chapter 138
Playing Genshin Impact in Danmachi (Danmachi x Genshin Impact) — Up to 68