[With the referee's whistle, the match officially begins!]
[We see Inarizaki's Miya Osamu stepping up first, launching a powerful jump serve to kick things off. Aoba Johsai's Watari Shinji successfully tracks the landing point, but the receive seems slightly off, the ball flies straight back over to Inarizaki's side.]
[Miya Atsumu is already in position. Now, let's see, who will he set for the finishing spike? His usual partner-in-crime, his twin brother Osamu, perhaps, or...]
[Ohhhh! He's made his choice! It's none other than Inarizaki's ace, Aran Ojiro! Atsumu sends the set to their nationally ranked main attacker!]
Just as the commentator's excited voice echoed from the stands, a massive shadow loomed in front of Kindaichi Yutaro.
Yes, a shadow.
Because Inarizaki High's final national-level ace, Aran Ojiro, was not only a top-tier player, but also a foreign-born, black athlete with a powerful presence.
While it's not a hard rule, it's commonly acknowledged that athletes of African descent tend to possess superior physical traits compared to average Japanese players.
Standing at 184.7 cm, Aran might be the shortest among the top aces in Japan, but his explosive athleticism more than makes up for the lack of height.
Kindaichi himself had grown to a solid 190 cm. With coaching from Washijo Tanji and the pro players of Tokai Heavy Industries' Esperanza team, his blocking skills had improved drastically, far beyond what they were in the original storyline.
But the moment Aran Ojiro leapt in front of him, Kindaichi felt a crushing pressure he couldn't ignore. Before he could react, Aran's arm came swinging around in a clean diagonal shot, spiking the ball perfectly and landing the first point for Inarizaki.
0:1.
[Woooahh! Aran Ojiro lives up to the hype! Ranked among the top six high school aces in the nation, he wastes no time, driving home the first point with a killer cross shot right off Miya Atsumu's set!]
Inarizaki's cheering squad erupted again, chanting Aran's name with thunderous energy.
In that moment,
It felt as though the entire stadium was drowned in the roar of Inarizaki's supporters.
"This isn't good…"
Oikawa Tooru narrowed his eyes toward the opposing stands, a flicker of unease blooming in his chest.
Losing the first point wasn't the real problem. The issue was Inarizaki's overwhelming cheering section. Aoba Johsai had brought in their own music club to serve as a cheering squad this time, but compared to Inarizaki's organized chaos, they were being completely drowned out.
If this kept up, the audience atmosphere would easily swing in Inarizaki's favor, and at that point, Aoba Johsai wouldn't just be battling the team across the net. They'd be fighting the entire crowd as well.
"We need to take a point fast... We can't let them control the rhythm like this..."
As Oikawa thought, his eyes met Iwaizumi's across the court. With a subtle nod, they came to an unspoken agreement.
The next moment,
Miya Osamu served again.
Just like the first, it was a blisteringly fast jump serve. Both the power and placement were nearly flawless. But this time, Watari had already adjusted to the rhythm. He received the ball perfectly.
"Tch."
Osamu clicked his tongue in annoyance.
Oikawa grinned as he stepped in to take the second touch, then decisively set the ball for Akashi Asuka.
"Go, Akashi-chan! Show them you're stronger than their ace!"
Asuka gave Oikawa a sidelong glance, completely unfazed by his dramatic line. Honestly, he didn't even feel like dignifying that with a response.
Prove himself?
He had nothing to prove.
Because now, he was sure.
There was no main attacker in the nation he would lose to.
Fwoosh,
As Oikawa's high toss flew upward, Asuka crouched, then launched into the air like a missile.
Across the net, Inarizaki's Aran Ojiro and middle blocker Rintarou Suna leapt into place, attempting a double block. Both were around 185 cm tall and had timed their jump well, but Asuka, who had jumped first, was still rising.
In the blink of an eye,
The two blockers, who could barely see Asuka's eyes just a second ago, now found themselves looking up at his chin. Even tilting their heads back, they couldn't catch his full face.
"What the hell! Just how high are you planning to jump!?"
Suna's mental state wavered. They had seen from footage that Akashi Asuka's hitting point was abnormally high, but that was from the summer tournament.
Now, Asuka's maximum reach had already surpassed Ushijima Wakatoshi's.
His spike reach had hit a jaw-dropping 349 cm, a number bordering on professional standards.
BOOM!!
That unreal elevation let Asuka blast the ball over Inarizaki's block.
Facing only three defenders in the back row, he fired off a super spike, a cannon shot that roared through the gym like thunder.
The volleyball struck Inarizaki's libero dead-on and sent him sprawling to the floor as the ball rebounded straight toward the second-floor stands.
For a full second, the stadium went dead silent.
The sheer force of that spike left everyone stunned. The raw violence of it felt more like artillery than sport, even the commentator froze mid-sentence.
[K–K.O.!]
[Wait, no! He's down! That spike from Akashi Asuka, absolutely unbelievable! He just sent Inarizaki's libero flying with that opening blast! What incredible power!]
Even the play-by-play was coming out in stammers.
On Inarizaki's side, the usually unshakable Miya twins stood frozen for a brief moment, expressions stiff.
"Whoa... That was monstrous power," Osamu muttered, letting out a breath. "Hey, do you think even Kiryu could spike like that?"
"Hard to say," Atsumu replied, eyes narrowing. "But one thing's for sure, Kiryu's kill shots probably aren't any stronger than this guy's. We might really be in trouble here…"
Atsumu's face grew serious, but if one looked closely, they'd see it wasn't just tension in his gaze.
There was a flicker of excitement, too.
After all, for someone like him, winning against the weak was never as satisfying.
It was fighting the strong, and still coming out on top, that truly thrilled him.
1:1.
Aoba Johsai reclaimed the serve.
Iwaizumi stepped up to the line, volleyball in hand. But just as he entered the service zone,
A bizarre and jarring cacophony erupted from Inarizaki's cheering section.
The air was suddenly filled with loud, chaotic music that made everyone wince.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria