"That's so high!"
"Seriously, that's terrifying... Is that guy even human?"
"Wait, did anyone else notice this? I swear Akashi-kun got taller again! He's gotta be pushing 190 cm by now, right?!"
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Compared to Oikawa Tooru and Takahiro Hanamaki, who were standing at the net, the players watching from the sidelines had a much clearer view of what had just happened.
The moment Akashi Asuka made his approach and jumped, they could clearly see his arm rise past the double block on the other side, then effortlessly connect with the falling volleyball in mid-air.
BOOM!
A thunderous crack, like a cannon blast, echoed through the gym.
As Akashi's arm whipped forward and smashed the ball, it compressed midair under the sheer force, its shape distorted before it rocketed downward in a gust of explosive wind, shooting straight past the Blue Team's double block and slamming toward the floor.
Hajime Iwaizumi, positioned solidly in the back row, had already predicted the ball's landing spot the moment it came off Akashi's hand.
And yet, the second the ball met his arms,
His mind blanked out.
SLAP!
A sharp, clean impact rang through the gym as the ball launched off his platform, soaring ten meters into the air before finally landing with a bounce all the way up in the second-floor bleachers.
Iwaizumi, meanwhile, had been knocked off balance and landed squarely on his butt.
The gym fell into stunned silence.
After what felt like forever, someone finally swallowed hard and murmured, "What the hell… was that? Was that even volleyball?"
"That was terrifying… I seriously thought I saw a missile just now."
Watari Shinji nudged Kyotani Kentarou beside him, still a bit shell-shocked. "Hey… Don't you think Akashi's presence lately is starting to feel more and more like Ushijima's… or Wakatsu's?"
Kyotani didn't answer. He was too busy staring intently at Akashi Asuka on the court, eyes blazing with fighting spirit like he couldn't wait to jump in and face him head-on.
Watari, on the other hand, shrank back slightly, feeling profoundly grateful that he wasn't part of this match.
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Back on court,
"You okay, Iwaizumi-chan?" Oikawa offered his hand, pulling him up.
Iwaizumi still looked dazed, only snapping back to reality after Oikawa gave him a few firm shakes.
"Huh, ? Oh. Yeah, I'm fine. Just… shocked, I guess. I didn't expect Akashi's spike to get this much stronger over the break."
"Tch! I knew it!" Oikawa clicked his tongue, biting his thumbnail in frustration. "That annoying brat's been secretly training all summer too."
Iwaizumi looked over at Oikawa's frustrated face and suddenly asked, "Hey, Oikawa… Do you still think Akashi is just a 'genius'?"
"Of course I do!"
"In that case... I think you might never be able to surpass him."
Oikawa: "...Hah?! Are you trying to stab me in the heart right now, Iwaizumi-chan?!"
But Iwaizumi calmly shook his head. "No. I'm just stating a fact. Even setting aside natural talent, Akashi's training load alone has already far surpassed yours. And if, as you say, he's also more talented than you... then honestly, I don't know how you're supposed to beat him."
Oikawa fell silent.
But Iwaizumi continued.
"Akashi has done everything within his power. So it's only natural that he's seeing results. But now... what about you, Oikawa?"
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On the other side of the net,
Akashi Asuka had heard every word of their conversation.
Honestly… hearing people talk about you like that, to your face, was a bit awkward.
But he didn't dislike it.
He accepted half of Iwaizumi's praise, because yes, in terms of pure training volume, he had indeed far outpaced Oikawa.
As for the other half… Akashi knew better than anyone that his willpower wasn't as ironclad as people thought. If it weren't for the data system showing him real-time feedback on his progress, he might have given up long ago.
But that wasn't something worth saying out loud. If his efforts could help Oikawa focus on his future, then maybe that was enough.
Score: 1–0.
Akashi Asuka had claimed the first point.
The game continued.
That last exchange seemed to spark something in Oikawa. Even from across the net, Akashi could feel the shift in Oikawa's presence, an intensity that hadn't been there before.
Next serve: Akira Kunimi.
Kunimi stepped into the service zone, tossed the ball high into the air, and fired off a jump serve of his own.
This surprised many of the spectators. For the second-string players who hadn't undergone the grueling main squad summer training, it was hard to imagine just how much progress their teammates had made.
Having rotated into the opposite position, Iwaizumi now held down the back row.
His defense had improved dramatically, he read the ball with ease, took a few steps, and positioned himself perfectly for the receive.
The first pass went to Oikawa.
Oikawa suddenly shifted into a spiker's stance, feinting a setter attack. Ryuhei Sanashita was momentarily caught off guard.
But Akashi didn't flinch.
He knew Oikawa wouldn't dare try a setter dump in front of him.
Not after a whole summer of brutal matches against Itachiyama, Shiratorizawa, and Mujinazaka. Those teams had learned the hard way that doing so came at a cost.
Sure enough,
After baiting Sanashita, Oikawa quickly redirected the ball to Takahiro Hanamaki.
Hanamaki took flight.
While he couldn't match Akashi's explosive height, his jumping reach had clearly improved since last semester.
Combined with Oikawa's pinpoint set, placing the ball right at his peak, this spike looked at least a half-hand higher than what Hanamaki used to manage.
"Damn, what the heck did these guys go through over the summer?!"
Someone on the sidelines muttered in disbelief.
Still, even with that much height, the moment Akashi jumped, Hanamaki's straight shot route was completely shut down.
"Ugh! This guy really doesn't hold back at all!"
Hanamaki's expression twisted in frustration. Unlike top-level attackers, he didn't yet have the ability to change his shot midair.
But in a flash of inspiration, he switched tactics, converting the spike into a tip, lofting the ball just over Akashi's fingertips.
The ball dropped neatly between the startled Kunimi and Kindaichi, who hadn't anticipated the change.
Akashi blinked, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
"Huh?"
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria