"Whoa~~ That monster from Aoba Johsai is getting scarier by the day! Wakatoshi, if you faced Akashi-kun right now, do you think you could beat him?"
"Idiot. Wakatoshi wouldn't lose to anyone."
"But still, to think that such a monster is only a first-year... I can't imagine what level he'll reach by the time he's a third-year."
"Inarizaki's in serious trouble this time. If I remember correctly, Akashi didn't even use that new technique he trained on with us during the summer!"
Inside Shiratorizawa Academy, third-year students Tendo Satori, Ushijima Wakatoshi, and Semi Eita were huddled around a laptop, watching the live Spring High broadcast.
The first- and second-years were still in practice, but as third-years about to graduate, they weren't bound by the same restrictions.
Similar scenes were unfolding at Karasuno and several other schools that had once been defeated by Aoba Johsai.
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Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
The second set between Aoba Johsai and Inarizaki began swiftly.
As the Inarizaki players returned to the court, Aoba Johsai immediately sensed a shift in the opposing team's atmosphere.
Although Inarizaki's players were tough-willed and hadn't given up even after being suppressed throughout the first set, their momentum had clearly taken a hit.
But now, the agitation that had been evident in Inarizaki's body language had vanished. They were suddenly calm again.
"As expected of a national powerhouse! Already recovered so fast? Or is it... because of him?" Oikawa Tooru's eyes were instantly drawn to one person, Shinsuke Kita.
Oikawa didn't want to pay attention to this guy, but he couldn't help it. The aura radiating from him was just too unique.
"Huh? Didn't see that guy much in the videos. Isn't he their captain?" Hajime Iwaizumi was also puzzled.
Akashi Asuka glanced up at the net, looking directly at Kita across from him, a complicated expression on his face.
"That guy... there's no point trying to mess with him. He's immune."
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"Osamu!"
From across the net, Kita suddenly called out Miya Osamu's name.
The usually laid-back Miya, who could stay unfazed even in the tensest situations, instinctively stood straighter and shivered the moment he heard Kita speak.
Kita: "Last set, were you planning to get into a serving war with their number 8? You do realize you're a setter, right?"
Osamu: "Y-Yes!!"
Kita: "Ojiro, why were you so nervous earlier? Was it just because their number 8 outperformed you?"
Aran Ojiro scratched his head awkwardly. It wasn't like he wanted to be affected, but what could he do? He and Akashi Asuka both held the title of "Top 6 Aces in the Nation."
Kita remained expressionless, as if nothing in the world could shake him. "But the more nervous you are, the worse you'll play, right?"
Aran: "…Got it."
Kita: "Suna. Why were you slacking in the first set? Was it because you couldn't block their number 8, so you just gave up?"
Suna Rintarou: "..."
Does this guy have mind-reading powers or something!?
One by one, Kita called out each player by name.
His tone wasn't angry or forceful, it was as calm and emotionless as a machine.
Every question was just that: a pure question. Every critique was a straightforward critique. No hidden meaning. No sarcasm. No scolding.
And yet, it was this emotionless tone that pierced straight through the hearts of Inarizaki's players.
In just a matter of seconds, their entire team's atmosphere visibly changed, like flipping a switch.
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"There really are people like this in the world sometimes."
Akashi murmured, though it sounded as if he were intentionally speaking to Oikawa and Iwaizumi beside him.
"They treat everything with absolute seriousness. To others, they might look like fools…"
"But in truth, those are the ones who possess a truly sincere heart."
In the original story, Akashi Asuka had always held a deep impression of Inarizaki's Shinsuke Kita. And now, he felt even more grateful that Kita's natural talent in volleyball wasn't particularly high.
Because if he had been gifted…
Akashi couldn't even begin to imagine just how far that man could go.
Akashi had never feared players like Kageyama Tobio, Ushijima Wakatoshi, or Miya Atsumu. Sure, they were talented, but Akashi had his own "cheat," and when it came to effort, he believed he'd never lose.
But someone like Kita?
Someone whose strength came not from talent, but from spirit, he was in a category of his own.
In a way, Shinsuke Kita represented the ultimate form of the "ordinary man."
No flashy gifts, no special skills, but through sheer sincerity and discipline, he pushed every part of himself to the absolute limit.
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The second set officially began.
Aoba Johsai had the first serve.
Iwaizumi launched a powerful jump serve, but Inarizaki's libero received it with ease.
"Now then… who will you set to?"
Oikawa's eyes locked on Miya Atsumu.
As Atsumu once said, he and Oikawa were the same type. That meant anything Atsumu could think of, Oikawa could think of too.
"Right side, Aran Ojiro. Highest scoring probability. But there's also the twin sync option… If it were me, who would I set to? Left, right… or maybe, "
Wham!
Without any warning, Atsumu executed a setter dump, an unexpected attack.
Oikawa didn't move. He didn't need to. A slow grin curled across his face.
"You really are a sly fox. But… you miscalculated one thing."
Smack!
Atsumu's surprise attack had caught nearly everyone on Aoba Johsai off guard, even Oikawa was half a step behind in reacting.
But one player had anticipated it.
With a sharp, clean sound, the ball Atsumu had just tipped over the net was instantly dug up,
By Akashi Asuka.
Atsumu's eyes widened in disbelief.
Even he hadn't expected Akashi to read and react to that play.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria