At 3:30 PM, the bell at Sengoku Middle School signaled the cessation of academic instruction. Akashi Asuka arrived punctually at the volleyball club to initiate his preparatory warm-up drills.
Soon thereafter, the remaining members of the club arrived, and the coach began to delineate the day's training schedule.
However, just as the team was preparing to commence the exercises, the coach abruptly summoned Akashi Asuka.
"Hold on, Akashi. Your training protocol has been fundamentally altered, effective immediately."
The coach then unexpectedly called out, "Nishimori, approach. You are Akashi's designated setter from this point forward. From today until the tournament, excluding scheduled practice matches, you will manage all of Akashi's setting responsibilities."
Startled by the abrupt nomination, Nishimori Tomohiko was initially taken aback, then stammered in surprise, "Huh? I am to be Akashi-senpai's setter, but Mikata-senpai—"
"It is acceptable. Mikata and Akashi will engage in separate training for a duration. We will integrate their practice before the competition."
The coach's sudden executive decision astonished not only Nishimori Tomohiko but also the core players of the volleyball team. The only individual who remained unsurprised was Akashi Asuka.
If he surmised correctly, the coach's tactical considerations were likely perfectly aligned with his own.
Indeed.
While the other team members embarked on their general training and practice matches, Akashi Asuka was assigned solely to one activity: spiking.
With less than two weeks remaining until the prefectural sports meet, the strategic imperative was clear: instead of attempting to rectify Akashi Asuka's near-insurmountable weaknesses in such a limited time frame, it was far more efficient to concentrate on maximizing his offensive output—specifically, enhancing his core strength, refining his spiking mechanics, and elevating his vertical leap capacity.
These three areas represented the singular focus of Akashi Asuka's developmental plan over the forthcoming two weeks.
Consequently, regardless of the training activities of the rest of the team, the gymnasium was persistently punctuated by a rhythmic, thunderous sound, reminiscent of exploding firecrackers.
[Ding...]
[Self-imposed pressure is merely the standard operational mode of the "Involution Pressure King."]
[Congratulations to the Host for successfully exceeding the previously established plan by doubling the training volume in the daily spiking drill, thereby completing a low-level internal conflict protocol.]
[Acquired Spiking Involution Pressure King Value +0.1]
...
Due to the modification of the training schedule, Akashi Asuka could no longer accrue Involution Pressure King Value by competing against his teammates, as their training curricula were now distinctly separated.
However, if he could not impose pressure on others, he would impose pressure upon himself.
Secretly augmenting the training volume beyond the coach's awareness was a routine practice for Akashi Asuka in his previous life.
In his former existence, he was constrained by the limits of his body, typically capping the volume increase at a maximum of 30%. But now, benefiting from the system's protective and restorative mechanism, Akashi Asuka pushed his training volume to the absolute limit, exerting himself with relentless ferocity.
After all, beyond the acquisition of Involution Pressure King Value, this high-intensity practice also served to refine Akashi Asuka's technical skill set.
Having cultivated the valuable habit of "never wasting an opportunity" since childhood, Akashi Asuka was determined not to squander this complimentary training opportunity.
In one hour, he executed nearly three hundred spikes.
His hands were rendered numb from the constant, violent impact.
The direct consequence of this extreme volume, however, was a severe admonishment directed toward Nishimori Tomohiko by the coach.
Continuously setting over three hundred balls imposes an enormous toll on a setter's capacity.
Akashi Asuka was indeed profoundly fatigued, but he possessed a practiced mastery of concealment. His acting abilities, honed through years of clandestine extra training in his former life, allowed him to maintain an air of composure even while utterly exhausted.
Nishimori Tomohiko, conversely, clearly lacked this deceptive skill.
"My apologies, junior. You must unfortunately bear the consequence this time. I will compensate you with a meal soon," Akashi Asuka silently apologized, observing Nishimori Tomohiko being sternly reprimanded by the coach from a distance.
However, Akashi Asuka genuinely could not afford to accept responsibility at this juncture. This was not due to fear of reprisal, but primarily the concern that if the coach discovered his unauthorized training regimen, he would be strictly prohibited from engaging in secret practice again.
It is important to note that secretly training without supervision is not entirely beneficial for athletes.
For certain professional coaches, the structured training plans they devise are based on rigorous, scientific calculations designed to push an individual's limits asymptotically.
If an athlete independently escalates the intensity under such circumstances, the common result is typically not technical refinement, but severe injury.
A Peculiar Compliment
Soon, Tomohiko Nishimori, who had been chastised by the coach for "lacking focus and exhibiting poor stamina," returned.
"I am truly sorry, Nishimori..." Akashi Asuka felt obligated to apologize upon the junior's return.
However, before he could complete his sentence, Nishimori abruptly looked up, his eyes gleaming with admiration: "Akashi-senpai, you are simply phenomenal!"
Akashi Asuka: "?"
"Your stamina is beyond belief."
Akashi Asuka: "???"
"There is something severely atypical about you, young man."
The Tournament Beckons
Training, fundamentally, is an inherently monotonous endeavor.
While athletes typically exhibit intense fervor and enthusiasm during competition, off the court, their daily routine often comprises the tedious repetition of identical movements hundreds or thousands of times.
Spiking.
Jumping.
Muscle conditioning.
Akashi Asuka meticulously dedicated himself to these three exercises every day, his intense focus even attracting bewildered glances from the volleyball club coach.
In his inherited memory, while Akashi Asuka had never actively shirked practice, he certainly had not been particularly diligent.
The remaining members of the volleyball club were largely oblivious to these profound changes in Akashi Asuka.
Because their training was segregated, the only observable difference was that Akashi Asuka's spikes became visibly and increasingly devastating with each subsequent practice match.
Before they fully realized it, the date of the prefectural sports meet had arrived.
...
The instant the volleyball coach led the team into the Miyagi Prefecture Gymnasium, a deafening clamor erupted from every direction, a composite sound of shoe rubber scraping the floor and roaring cheers from the spectators. Every member of the volleyball club felt a palpable surge of adrenaline.
Even Akashi Asuka experienced a rush of pure excitement.
It was not that Akashi Asuka had never participated in large-scale competitions, but he had never encountered such a vast number of spectators.
Junior high volleyball matches generally command far less public attention than those at the high school level.
However, today, being the opening ceremony of the prefectural sports meet, nearly half the seating capacity was occupied.
The procedures for the opening ceremony were globally standardized.
First, the teams aligned for official photographs.
Then, various dignitaries addressed the assembly with "a few brief remarks."
Two hours elapsed.
The opening ceremony concluded, and the competition officially commenced.
According to the pre-tournament draw, the inaugural match pitted Senkoku Middle School against Yushi Middle School.
Yushi Middle School was an institution comparable to Senkoku Middle School, relatively obscure within Miyagi Prefecture.
The team changed into their uniforms in the designated waiting area.
After being notified by the event staff, the volleyball team members, with hearts full of apprehension and nervousness, stepped onto the court…