1–0.
The third set had just begun when Akashi Asuka completely shut down a brilliant setter attack from Kageyama Tobio.
That one block cut through Karasuno's surging momentum like a blade. The Little Crows stared at the volleyball now lying motionless on the floor, their spirits stuck in limbo, neither high nor low, just heavy and unsettled.
Oikawa Tooru blinked in disbelief, just as stunned from the back row.
Holy crap.
Someone had actually managed to shut down a setter attack, completely. He'd thought Akashi Asuka was just boasting before, but now…
But wait, if setter attacks were truly ineffective against this guy, didn't that make him a natural-born "setter slayer"?
As the realization sank in, Oikawa briefly fell into deep thought.
Aoba Johsai had successfully held onto their serve.
But Kyotani Kentarou wasn't happy that his first serve hadn't scored directly.
Sure, the "Mad Dog" didn't stand out as much on Aoba Johsai's current roster, mostly because the rest of the team was just that stacked. But after graduating, Kyotani would go on to become a pro athlete in his own right.
Boom!
Fueled by frustration, the "Mad Dog" powered up like a Super Saiyan and unleashed a monstrous jump serve for his second attempt. The ball shot over the net like a comet, slicing through the air and drawing a sharp crescent arc before slamming into Nishinoya Yuu's chest with a loud thud.
"Uh… what was that?" one teammate muttered.
Everyone from Aoba Johsai glanced at Kyotani.
That was your post-rage power-up?
Kyotani didn't even flinch. His face remained blank, as if to say, What? I never said I could control where the ball lands. Just that I'd hit it harder.
And hey, their ace couldn't control the landing point of his power jump serves either, right?
As far as Kyotani was concerned, if the ball made it over the net, job well done. Anything else? Luxury.
Akashi Asuka gave Kyotani's unrepentant logic an approving mental nod.
Fair enough.
After all, what is a power jump serve?
At its core, it's about power. Everything else, control, placement, direction, angle, was just noise.
That said, Asuka had the power to back up that mindset.
Kyotani… didn't.
Nishinoya received the powerful serve cleanly, sending a precise pass to Kageyama. The setter instantly linked up with Hinata Shoyo for a new Monster Quick Attack.
Hinata launched himself toward the net.
But the moment he jumped, a shadow moved, like a beast giving chase.
Whoosh,
His vision suddenly dimmed. A flash, then Akashi Asuka was right there in front of him, somehow matching his speed.
"Not good!" Kageyama's face tensed.
But Hinata, still midair, remained calm. In that moment of stillness, when the ball hung suspended, time seemed to slow.
He scanned the scene. Akashi's block was too high, there was no way to spike through it directly.
So instead, Hinata aimed for the fingertips.
Smack!
The ball flew from Hinata's hand in a clean arc.
But no sound of a fingertip deflection followed.
Instead, a whistle blew.
Tweet!
Point for Aoba Johsai, Hinata's spike had gone out of bounds.
2–0.
Hinata's eyes widened. "What?! How?"
A teasing voice floated across the net.
"Confused why your spike didn't clip my fingertips?"
Hinata's pupils contracted. A terrible suspicion formed in his mind.
Akashi didn't wait for him to ask. "You've got a clear view from up in the air, don't you? Well… so do I."
The words hit Hinata like a blow.
For as long as he could remember, he believed that his airborne vision, that clarity he had mid-jump, was a unique gift, a secret weapon.
But now… someone else had it too.
For a moment, Hinata didn't know how to process that.
Across the court, Kageyama approached Captain Daichi.
"Captain, we need to cut down on Monster Quick Attacks for now. The opponents are starting to adapt to the rhythm. If we keep forcing it, the effectiveness will only drop."
Daichi's expression grew serious.
He wasn't part of the Monster Quick, but he knew what would happen if the other side got used to it.
At the end of the day, the Monster Quick was just an ultra-fast version of a standard quick attack. Sure, it startled people at first, but like a video game boss, once you'd seen the pattern a few times, it was only a matter of time before you cleared it.
In fact, Karasuno had already learned that painful lesson once, thanks to the "brain" of Nekoma High.
"I agree," Daichi nodded decisively. "Let's put it on hold. Leave the attacks to the rest of us."
No matter what, they couldn't afford to waste the Monster Quick recklessly. It was still their most reliable way to score.
Kyotani's third serve was a miss, straight into the net.
2–1.
Karasuno got the ball back.
Aoba Johsai rotated.
Karasuno served. The ball landed on Aoba Johsai's side. Iwaizumi handled the receive. Oikawa set the second touch, and the final attack was, of course, handed to Akashi Asuka.
In the front row, Hinata, Tanaka, and Kageyama all jumped with everything they had. But the moment Asuka leapt, it was obvious,
He'd cleared all three.
"Damn it! Is this guy seriously jumping that high?!"
Tanaka's face twisted in frustration.
BOOM!!
With a thunderous roar, Akashi soared above their outstretched arms and fired a sharp diagonal spike into the front of Karasuno's court.
Daichi and Nishinoya, Karasuno's defensive anchors, were focused on the back row. That sudden, unexpected sharp-angle spike completely broke their formation.
"Damn it," Daichi muttered through gritted teeth as the ball shot past him. "Is there anything this monster can't do?!"
He didn't even have time to react. All he could do was stand there, frozen, powerless, despairing.
Thud!
The ball hit the floor.
3–1.
Aoba Johsai scored again.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria