Bullseye
"So high!"
That was the first thought that flashed through the minds of the Shinkuuji Junior High players as they saw Akashi Asuka leap into the air.
"How are we supposed to block that?!"
The second thought followed almost immediately.
On the sidelines, the coach of Shinkuuji Junior High narrowed his eyes sharply the moment he saw Asuka take off. A shadow flickered in his memory, an unstoppable figure from two years ago.
Back then, it had felt like a time of despair not just for Shinkuuji, but for all of Miyagi Prefecture's Junior High volleyball teams.
Because during that era, there had been one true "national-level ace."
Unmatched height. Overwhelming power.
With just his presence alone, he had crushed every school in the prefecture, including powerhouse Kitagawa, and bulldozed his way to the nationals.
"The Monster, Wakatoshi Ushijima..." the Shinkuuji coach muttered with a long breath. "Is Miyagi about to produce another monster?"
…
BOOM!
The sound of the volleyball slamming into the floor echoed throughout the gym.
With an almost inhuman reach nearing 340 centimeters, Akashi Asuka had reached a level where, as long as Ryuhei Sanashita could deliver a clean toss, there wasn't a single blocker in the prefecture who could stuff him at the net.
The referee's whistle blew, but Shinkuuji's middle blockers stood frozen.
They stared at their own hands in stunned disbelief.
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they would never have believed it possible, an attacker clearing their outstretched block and scoring directly over their heads.
…
"Whoa! What was that?!"
"Was that a super spike?!"
"No way, can a Junior Higher really jump that high?!"
"Who is that guy? How come I've never heard of him before?!"
..
Akashi Asuka's first spike didn't just shock the opposing team, it sent tremors through the audience.
There weren't many spectators in the second-floor stands, but the few who were present clearly knew volleyball. That made the impact of Asuka's leap all the more astounding.
Score: 1–0.
Shinkuuji's ace, Amakawa Tenka, shot Asuka a deep, focused stare after the point.
The match resumed.
Sengoku retained serve, with Oda Miki stepping up once again.
The ball landed inside the Shinkuuji court and was smoothly received by their libero. As expected, it was quickly set to Amakawa for the attack.
…
Boom!
Slap!
This time, the ball didn't make it past the block cleanly, Jujiro Kazama managed to get a fingertip on it, deflecting it into the air over Sengoku's backcourt.
"One touch!" Kazama shouted.
"I got it!"
Neko Kurata spread his arms and received the ball cleanly, passing it up to the setter. Ryuhei Sanashita tossed it again to Asuka, but this time, the toss was slightly off.
The timing and height weren't ideal, and Asuka leaped just as the ball dipped into the optimal blocking zone.
"Don't think you can break through every time!"
That was the message burning in the eyes of Shinkuuji's two blockers.
But then...
THWACK!
With a sudden flash, the ball zipped past them before they could react and smashed into the floor behind them.
A perfect cross-court spike.
Power. Speed. Placement. All of it flawless, threading the needle between the block and the defenders.
Score: 2–0.
…
"OOOOHH!! What a hit!"
"Beautifully done, Asuka!"
The Sengoku players rushed him, shouting with joy and piling on in a celebratory dogpile.
By contrast, the Shinkuuji players were drenched in sweat. It was only two points into the set, yet they already felt like a mountain was pressing down on them, crushing their breath and spirit.
And towering above them all… was Akashi Asuka, a shadow threatening to swallow them whole.
…
Five minutes into the match.
Score: 7–3.
Shinkuuji's players were gasping for air. Their shirts clung to them with sweat, hands on knees or hips, faces pale and weary. They looked less like they were just starting a match, and more like they'd just finished a grueling three-set battle.
..
"Hey, isn't Shinkuuji in trouble?"
"What the heck is going on? Weren't they a seeded team?"
"Who is that No. 1 from Sengoku? He's way too strong, it's ridiculous!"
..
Without anyone noticing, a crowd had begun to gather near the court, drawn in by the explosive energy. The chatter and speculation in the stands grew louder and more chaotic.
Shinkuuji's coach furrowed his brow, mind racing for a countermeasure.
But no matter how hard he thought, he couldn't come up with a plan.
The truth was, they knew far too little about Sengoku.
As a seeded team, Shinkuuji had prepared for a number of strong opponents in the preliminaries, but Sengoku, a mere Top 16 finisher from the last prefectural tournament, hadn't been seen as a threat.
They had done some basic research, but based on the available data, this kind of one-sided result should have been impossible.
Just as he considered calling a timeout to let his players regroup...
A sudden uproar from the crowd snapped him out of his thoughts.
He instinctively looked up at the court, only for his expression to instantly darken.
…
Rewind thirty seconds.
At 7–3, Sengoku's rotation brought Akashi Asuka to the service line.
As he stepped to the backline, Ryuhei Sanashita, Oda Miki, and a second-year substitute blocker (filling in for Kurata) all subtly covered the backs of their heads, then quietly shifted to leave the center of the net wide open.
The Shinkuuji players noticed the odd movements but were unsure what to make of them. Were they setting up some kind of trap?
And then,
BOOM!
The sheer force of Asuka's serve exploded through the gym.
Already distracted and off-balance, the Shinkuuji players barely had time to react.
They only saw a blur of motion as the ball screamed past...
...and struck their libero square in the face.
------------
Note: If you guys want to read up to 30+ chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on Patreon. You can read up to chapter 68 there! Patreon.com/Veltoria