The Theory Isn’t Wrong

"Don't panic. That Number 1 on the other side can't stay in that state forever. Once it ends, we'll just stick to our original game plan for the second set." Coach Akitsu said.

But the players standing before him all had their heads down, silent and listless, clearly shaken.

Coach Akitsu let out a quiet sigh.

He knew his words lacked weight. After all, they hadn't just lost the first set because the opponent scored four straight points.

They lost without putting up any resistance at all while the opponent scored those four points.

There's a fundamental difference between the two.

To put it simply, 

In that brief moment, Akashi Asuka had planted a seed of "unbeatable" in the hearts of the Yamarashi players.

If they couldn't break free from that mental block, then even if Akashi's form dipped in the second set, Yamarashi still wouldn't be able to perform at their best, whether in offense or defense.

Smack!

Suddenly, the Yamarashi captain slapped himself hard across the face with both hands, leaving two red palm prints and startling everyone.

"Captain, what are you doing?!"

"Nothing. Just waking myself up. The coach is right. The match isn't over yet. If we're going to be disappointed or upset, let's wait until the game's actually done."

"Besides, I don't believe that Number 1 can keep serving like that all the way to the end. If he can, then hey, if we lose this match, I'll accept it."

The other players blinked in surprise, then started to laugh.

"Hahaha… You said it! If their ace really is that much of a monster, losing to him isn't the worst thing. Heck, it might even give us a good story to brag to our grandkids about someday!"

"Haha, Yamashita, you're getting ahead of yourself. You don't even have a girlfriend yet. Where are these imaginary grandkids coming from?"

"Puhahaha~!"

The laughter lifted the team's spirits.

Coach Akitsu let out a breath of relief.

What a reliable captain.

"Coach, I do have one concern." the captain added. "That Number 9 who just subbed in, he didn't do much in the last part of the set, but I doubt the other coach put him in randomly. I've got a bad feeling about it…"

Before the captain could finish, Coach Akitsu interrupted him.

"You don't need to worry too much about that. From what I observed, Number 9 is probably their backup setter."

"A backup setter? Then are they running a two-setter system?"

"You could say that. But the reason I'm not too concerned is also because of that. Their Number 1 really is a monster, but that also makes it harder for an average setter to make use of his full potential."

"You all saw it earlier, even their starting setter, who's clearly the most in sync with the ace, could barely manage a decent set for him."

"So now this backup? Even if he can organize the offense, it's unlikely he can unleash the ace's full strength."

"Unless…"

Unless that Number 1 could somehow smash a poorly set ball past a triple block, hitting the sideline with an angle so absurd it made logic cry.

Coach Akitsu didn't say the last part out loud.

But if it did happen, well, then they'd just have to accept it.

…

"Don't get careless. The other team isn't giving up yet." Coach Akitsu told his players in the resting area. "Start the second set at full throttle. Got it?"

The players from Sengoku had also heard the laughter from Yamarashi's bench. Their expressions grew serious. They'd been in enough matches to know exactly what that kind of laughter in adversity meant.

The teams returned to the court.

As planned, Yamarashi targeted Ryuhei Sanashita with the opening serve of the second set.

Was their strategy flawed?

Not at all.

Or rather, under normal circumstances, it was completely sound.

The setter's position relies heavily on chemistry with teammates. In training, the starting setter has far more court time with the main hitters, so they're naturally more in sync.

So if they pressured Ryuhei Sanashita, the backup setter Nishimori Tomohiko was bound to struggle, with his timing, his accuracy, everything.

The theory was solid.

But Yamarashi miscalculated one thing.

Akashi Asuka, the ace, was different not just in matches, but in practice too.

His physical prowess and the system's protection allowed him to take on two players by himself in training, every single day.

So while Nishimori might not be in perfect sync with the rest of the starters, he knew Akashi Asuka's rhythm as well as anyone, perhaps even rivaling Ryuhei Sanashita.

Takahira received the opening serve cleanly and passed it to Nishimori. Without hesitation, Nishimori set up a perfectly timed, perfectly placed high ball for Akashi.

Boom!

Though Akashi's "serene mind" state had ended and his focus wasn't as sharp, the combination with Nishimori still delivered devastating power.

"Yes!"

Nishimori pumped his fist in excitement.

This was the first time he'd set foot for Akashi Asuka in an official match. He'd subbed in before, but that was mostly for experience. The offense usually went through Oomae Masato or Jujiro Kazama back then.

But across the net, Yamarashi's blockers weren't so thrilled.

That bold, confident set from Nishimori had sparked a bad feeling in their guts.

1:0.

Serve rotation. Ryuhei Sanashita stepped up to serve.

Yamarashi returned it cleanly and set up a quick attack, but it went straight toward Akashi's zone. Though coming from the back row, Akashi used his freakish reflexes and explosive speed to shut it down completely.

2:0.

Takahira served again.

This time, Yamarashi aimed their attack away from Akashi. But Kazama got a piece of the spike with a block, sending the ball high into the air, an easy opportunity for Sengoku.

Takahira received and, with zero pretense, tossed it to Akashi.

Boom!

A brutal spike blasted through the double block, knocking their hands aside as the ball flew out of bounds.

3:0.

Seeing that, Coach Akitsu finally shot up from the bench and called a timeout in a panic.

Beeeep... Beep-beep-beep-beep...

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