"Ahhh~~~ I really feel like I've helped create a troublesome opponent this year…"
The players from Shiratorizawa couldn't help but groan after witnessing Akashi Asuka's performance on the court. It was undeniable that his evolution had a lot to do with their involvement during training.
"Well, what can you do? No one expected that monster to improve at such an insane pace. But then again... if we're talking monsters, we've got our own, too."
Boom!
A thunderous smack echoed across the court.
Ushijima Wakatoshi delivered a powerful spike that struck the double block formed by Wakatsu Kiryu and Sakusa Kiyoomi, ricocheting out of bounds.
Off the block.
23:21.
"Whoa~ that sound was intense!"
"Ushijima's spikes feel even more powerful than before."
"Is this him being provoked by Akashi?"
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As the game neared its conclusion, the Red Team still maintained a two-point lead.
Despite the Blue Team's relentless chase, it felt like something had ignited within Akashi Asuka and Ushijima Wakatoshi, both players from the same team somehow turning their rivalry into a direct clash.
Oddly enough, as the match approached its climax, instead of wearing down, both players were only growing stronger.
Ushijima served.
Boom!
A heavy left-handed jump serve blasted through the air, but was cleanly received by Komori Motoya.
For a libero, the more they receive a specific type of serve, the higher their success rate becomes. So in a way, Komori was probably the one racking up the most "experience points" today.
Wakatsu set the ball.
Sakusa went for the final attack.
Akashi and Oikawa jumped to block the cross, while Ushijima guarded the backline for any straight shots. For an average attacker, this setup would be a hopeless dead end. But for Sakusa Kiyoomi, this was just another routine play in today's high-stakes match.
Boom!
Sakusa swung his arm for a spike, seemingly aiming straight at the block formed by Akashi and Oikawa. It looked like he was planning to force his way through.
To outsiders, this may have appeared suicidal. Unlike Wakatsu, Ushijima, or Akashi, Sakusa was a purely technical player, one of the top three aces in the country, power wasn't his forte.
What's more, the person he was trying to break through was none other than fellow national-level ace Akashi Asuka.
Anyone unfamiliar with Sakusa might've already written off this attack as doomed.
But the people here weren't outsiders, they were all insiders.
Which is why, in the next moment, everyone witnessed something truly remarkable.
Instead of tightening their block, Akashi and Oikawa relaxed their arms midair, their hands spreading upward as if they were softening the impact.
Thud!
The volleyball collided with their forearms, and instantly, a strong spin, so intense it felt like it could spark fire, transmitted through their arms. The ball nearly slipped away, threatening to fly out of bounds to the side.
But then, Akashi suddenly released his hold.
Without the resistance, the ball lost its sideward momentum and floated upward in front of them.
"One-touch!" Akashi shouted in midair.
The players watching on the sideline were visibly shaken. He blocked Sakusa's spike again?
Strictly speaking, this wasn't a true block, it was a one-touch deflection. But for the six players in this match, the result was just the same.
Before the ball even reached the setter, Ushijima had already leapt into the air on the other side, poised to spike.
But it wasn't because he trusted Oikawa that deeply.
Rather, Ushijima genuinely believed: This is how it should be.
To him, someone like Oikawa should be able to make a perfect set to him in this situation.
And if Oikawa couldn't do it, then he wasn't Oikawa at all.
"Damn it, Ushiwaka. This is exactly why I hate you genius types!" Oikawa's face twisted with frustration, but his hands didn't slow in the slightest. As the ball began to drop, he locked onto the perfect point and launched a powerful back set.
Boom!
Ushijima spiked with full force, scoring a crucial point.
24:21.
That point secured the Red Team's victory in this set.
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Two days later.
At the parking lot, players from Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa gathered to say goodbye to the teams from Mujinazaka and Itachiyama.
"Well then, we'll be heading off first."
Wakatsu shook hands with Oikawa and added with a grin, "When we meet at Nationals again, we'll be settling the score from this training camp. So you better be ready."
Oikawa smirked back. "Oh, we'll be ready. And when the time comes, we'll make sure you have no choice but to accept defeat and head home quietly."
A few minutes later, the two buses pulled out one after the other.
Inside one of them, Komori slumped into his seat and exhaled loudly. "Phew~ The expedition's finally over. Honestly, this year's camp felt more exhausting than all the previous ones combined."
"The Nationals are going to be rough this year."
"Why do you say that?" Sakusa asked from behind his mask, his voice low.
"Why? Isn't it obvious? There are just too many monsters this year, Aoba Johsai, Shiratorizawa, Mujinazaka... Just thinking about them is enough to make you sweat."
"Is that so?"
Sakusa didn't confirm or deny it. "Personally, I feel pretty lucky. Maybe even relieved. Because honestly, compared to Nationals, the two teams from Miyagi Prefecture are the real headache. No matter who wants to go to Nationals, one of them has to beat the other first."
"Uh…"
Komori suddenly found himself speechless.
"Sakusa, I never realized before, but your tongue's actually pretty sharp."
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After Mujinazaka and Itachiyama left, Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa dove straight back into intense training.
The early days of hellish drills, followed by the high-level matches with Itachiyama and Mujinazaka, plus their occasional breaks for recovery, it all added up. Now, more than two weeks of the month-long special training camp had passed.
The finish line was in sight.
Playing against such top-tier schools back to back didn't just let the players recognize their own improvements, it gave them a firsthand look at what true powerhouse schools were capable of.
And just like that,
The players from Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa were more fired up than ever.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria