Unlike ordinary servers, Tooru Oikawa didn't make the mistake of aiming at Yudai Hyakuzawa's sides, assuming the giant couldn't react in time. Instead, he relied on his pinpoint control.
With unerring precision, Oikawa launched a powerful jump serve directly at Hyakuzawa's shoulder, exploiting the slight stiffness in Hyakuzawa's movements.
Just as Oikawa predicted, Hyakuzawa couldn't retreat quickly enough to properly receive the serve. His long arms, usually such an advantage in covering the court, became a hindrance.
Because of their length, he couldn't adjust his posture fast enough. The serve slammed into his shoulder and ricocheted out of bounds.
19–16. Aoba Johsai clawed back a point.
"Nice!"
"Great serve, Oikawa!"
"Oikawa-senpai!!"
The teammates' cheers and the female fans' screams filled the gym.
Hyakuzawa didn't feel frustrated over the serve error, but it was obvious to any observer that this point wasn't luck, it was pure skill.
During the brief stretching period before entering the match, Oikawa had analyzed Hyakuzawa's receiving weakness and executed a deliberately targeted attack.
From the looks of it, Hyakuzawa wasn't ready to handle Oikawa's serves. With Oikawa's control, making him miss a serve would require immense luck.
As expected of Tooru Oikawa.
Ichinose Guren, watching from the sidelines, let out a soft chuckle.
On the court, Hyakuzawa's mind raced, trying to figure out how to respond to this powerful server.
He slowly raised his hands from below his waist to around his midsection, recalling how he had adapted to previous opponents.
If he targets my shoulders again, I'll adjust my posture to receive with my upper arms.
But if he sees me changing, he might change the height of his serve, so I can't lift my arms too high.
I need to keep them at a height where I can react both up and down, to adjust to any serve.
Watching Hyakuzawa's adjustments, Oikawa only smiled faintly.
Everything is going according to plan.
A sense of dominance radiated from Oikawa. To the sharp eyes of Kageyama and Hinata, his movements almost seemed abstract, pure intent in motion.
Another powerful jump serve.
Hyakuzawa's focus sharpened, his eyes locked on Oikawa as he leapt into the air, studying every movement.
Even the direction of Oikawa's gaze was being picked up precisely.
He's looking… at my feet!
As expected, low this time.
Hyakuzawa readied himself, expecting a serve aimed at his lower body. But as the ball approached, he realized it was still targeted at his shoulders, Oikawa had faked it with his gaze.
The serve missed the exact spot on Hyakuzawa's shoulder, veering slightly off and heading straight toward his face.
Hyakuzawa's hands shot up just in time, forming a shield in front of his face. The ball struck his forearms, unable to be properly controlled into a pass.
The volleyball ricocheted straight onto the second-floor stands, hitting the railing with a crisp metallic clang.
Bang!
Karasuno collectively inhaled sharply.
Whew… such a powerful serve.
19–17,
Karasuno still led, but now Oikawa had scored two points in rapid succession, leaving the Karasuno players completely unable to respond.
Hyakuzawa's receiving skills, though not quite at the level of Kageyama or all-around defensive ace Daichi Sawamura, were still superior to Tsukishima Kei and Tadashi Yamaguchi. Even in national Junior High tournaments, Hyakuzawa had never been forced into repeated errors like this.
Yet in his first high school practice match, Oikawa relentlessly exploited Hyakuzawa's weaknesses, a sweet "bug" in continuous scoring.
Hyakuzawa, outwardly calm but fiercely determined inside, wasn't rattled by Oikawa's momentum, he kept thinking of ways to counter.
This time, he stepped a little behind the back line, adopting a low receiving stance. The move was clear:
If you keep targeting my upper body, I'll evade and make you fault.
Oikawa's expression darkened slightly.
Hmph… annoying. He noticed so quickly…
I was hoping to rack up a few more points.
Still, standing at the service area, Oikawa didn't hesitate, he launched another powerful jump serve.
A gentle toss, the ball spinning slowly through the air. Oikawa lowered his center of gravity, took a rapid step forward, and pushed off with practiced precision.
One… two… three… his entire body coiled, muscles lifting him into the air with explosive power, utterly incompatible with his usual smooth, stylish image.
At the apex of his jump, his arm swung with blinding speed, the muscles along his arm visibly tensing, a testament to his relentless training.
The volleyball slammed into the wooden floor ahead of Hyakuzawa, faster than any previous serve. Hyakuzawa, who had just adjusted to Oikawa's powerful jump serves, was caught off guard again.
A changing-speed serve.
Only someone supremely confident in their skill could dare to hold back like this during a serve.
19–18.
In just three serves, Oikawa had recovered three points for Aoba Johsai, now only one point behind Karasuno.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria