[OOHHHH!!!!]
[What a spectacular spike! Once again, it's Akashi Asuka with a perfectly executed, massive cross shot, cutting straight through Inarizaki's front and back defenses for yet another point!]
[Akashi Asuka is absolutely unstoppable today! Inarizaki's defense simply has no answer for him.]
[That's now the fourth different spike technique he's showcased, cross, straight, small cross, and now a large diagonal!]
[Compared to the national tournament last semester, it's clear Akashi Asuka has vastly expanded his arsenal. No matter the angle or direction, he's now capable of delivering sharp, clean spikes that are nearly impossible to stop.]
The announcer on the commentary stand was practically roaring with excitement.
Meanwhile, the match between Aoba Johsai and Inarizaki had reached its midpoint.
The score was now tied at 15:15.
Of those fifteen points for Aoba Johsai, Akashi Asuka alone had scored nine.
The commentator wasn't exaggerating in the slightest. Akashi was in such red-hot form today, even his own teammates felt a twinge of intimidation.
"This guy..." A cold shadow flickered across Miya Atsumu's expression.
Inarizaki had played nearly flawless volleyball this set. Since Kitagawa Shinsuke had taken the court, every player had regained their rhythm. Whether it was the twin combo of Atsumu and Osamu or the nationally-ranked ace Aran Ojiro, they weren't necessarily playing out of their minds, but they were clearly performing at their peak.
And yet,
Despite that, they still couldn't pull ahead. Aoba Johsai not only caught up but even closed the earlier gap. The score was tied again.
And the reason for that boiled down to one person: Akashi Asuka.
At first glance, his performance in this second set didn't look much different from the first, Inarizaki still hadn't successfully blocked him even once.
But the truth was, Inarizaki had drastically increased their defensive focus on him this time around. There was hardly a moment when one or two players weren't shadowing his every move.
Even so, Akashi continued to force through and score.
Height. Power. Technique...
Right now, Akashi Asuka has zero weak points on offense.
If that were all, it would be manageable.
After all, Inarizaki was also one of the top offensive teams in the nation. Whether it was their synchronized twin attacks or Aran's solo powerhouse spikes, they had enough firepower to punch through Aoba Johsai's defenses in return.
At worst, the match would turn into a trade of blows. As long as they held onto the slight lead they'd built early on, Inarizaki could still win this set by a hair.
But dammit, who could've predicted that in the second set, Akashi Asuka would join the defense, and not only that, his defense was absolutely insane.
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BEEEP!
Aoba Johsai regained the serve.
However, it wasn't Akashi's or Oikawa's turn to serve, so Inarizaki had the attacking advantage this time.
The ball crossed over the net. Atsumu set up the play.
But instead of setting to his twin brother Osamu or to their ace Aran, he surprisingly gave the final touch to the middle blocker: Rintarou Suna.
Thanks to Atsumu's clever misdirection, both Kindaichi and Oikawa were drawn away from the net, leaving Akashi Asuka alone to block.
Both players jumped.
Even though Rintarou had the advantage of a running jump while Akashi leapt from a standstill, Akashi's absurd vertical leap and 190 cm height brought him up to the exact same height as his opponent.
"What the hell?! This guy's too damn tall!"
Rintarou cursed inwardly as Akashi soared to meet him.
Still, Rintarou didn't panic.
Even though he was a middle blocker, he possessed a very special talent when it came to offense.
Mid-air, Rintarou's body twisted in a bizarre motion, not a forward or backward bend, but rather a lateral twist, as if his waist curved sharply to the right by almost 45 degrees.
That twist opened up a clear line of sight for his attack.
Smack!
With a crisp crack, Rintarou avoided Akashi's block and slammed the ball down.
But a second later, he realized something was wrong.
The ball didn't land on Aoba Johsai's court.
Instead, he heard a thud behind him.
Rintarou's pupils shrank in disbelief.
Then, from the opposite side of the net, Akashi's voice calmly called out:
"Oh right, back when I watched your footage, I noticed something. You've got a really flexible core, don't you?"
Rintarou landed and looked up,
Akashi was still midair, not even descending yet.
"Hey, hey! You've got to be kidding me! We jumped at the same time, and you jumped from a standstill! How the hell are you staying in the air longer than me?! Just how freakishly strong is your core?!"
Cold sweat streamed down Rintarou's back.
16:15.
[OOOOOHHHHH!!!!]
[An incredible block, and it's Akashi Asuka again! Once again, Akashi shuts down the attack from Inarizaki's Rintarou Suna with flawless defensive timing!]
[With elite-level defense, he completely stuffed the spike and gave Aoba Johsai the lead!]
"Holy crap…"
"He's unstoppable! How many points has he scored already?!"
"He's not even human anymore! But wait, he's only ranked sixth in the country? Then how terrifying must the players above him be?!"
"Uh…"
A question raised from the crowd suddenly silenced those nearby.
Because honestly, they were wondering the same thing.
────────── ✦ ──────────
BEEEP!
Following the reversal, Inarizaki immediately called a timeout.
Going from leading to trailing, it was a crushing blow to any team's morale.
While Inarizaki regrouped, Aoba Johsai's players returned to their bench for water and quick rest.
"Akashi-chan~ Don't you think you're trying a little too hard today? You're completely stealing the spotlight from the rest of us," Oikawa teased, strutting over with his usual sass.
Akashi glanced up at him and replied calmly,
"If I don't go all out now, then when should I? We've trained so long for this moment. Isn't this what it's all been for?"
That sudden seriousness from Akashi left Oikawa a little dumbfounded.
But before he could say anything more, the referee's whistle blew again.
Akashi pulled off his towel, stood up, and said with unwavering resolve:
"Let's go. Time to end this match once and for all. Aoba Johsai's road to the championship doesn't need any more surprises."
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria