Akashi Asuka’s Serve

For a moment, time seemed to stop.

The volleyball slammed into the far wall and rebounded with a deep thud-thud-thud that echoed across the court. The players of Kitagawa stood frozen in place, their bodies rigid with shock.

What kind of monstrous serve was that?

The player closest to where the ball had passed broke out in a cold sweat. Forget reacting in time, he wasn't even sure he would've dared to try receiving it.

BEEP!!!

Kitagawa's coach suddenly stood and called for an emergency timeout.

The score was now 4–5.

Only one point separated the teams, but at this moment, the real issue wasn't the score, it was how to deal with Akashi Asuka's serve.

The Kitagawa players walked off the court and sipped water in silence. The atmosphere was tense and uneasy.

"Honestly, this was a miscalculation on my part." the coach admitted. "Seeing it in person makes it clear, Akashi Asuka, the ace of Sengoku, is even more terrifying than I anticipated. Especially his jump serve. It's not particularly technical, but the sheer power and speed... that's way beyond Junior High level."

He started by acknowledging his own mistake but then quickly shifted the conversation. "That said, there's no need to panic. Yes, his serve is powerful enough to score directly, but there's no way he can pull it off every single time. In fact, I think Kageyama might be the best person to speak to that."

He gave Tobio Kageyama a look.

Though Kageyama had a prickly personality, his game sense was sharp. He nodded and said, "Right. I don't know his exact success rate, but even professional players can't score directly with a jump serve every time. At best, maybe fifty percent."

"That serve just now? I'd guess his success rate is lower. I know from experience, in matches, my own jump serve lands clean only about thirty percent of the time."

He wasn't just offering false hope, this was based on cold, hard facts.

Kageyama had started practicing jump serves after watching his upperclassman Oikawa's matches in first year. But due to his still-developing body and other technical hurdles, it wasn't until third year that he first attempted one in an official match.

Even then, his success rate remained low.

Unless the team was in serious trouble and needed to take a risk, Kageyama usually stuck with safer, more reliable serves.

Akashi Asuka's situation wasn't much different, and his success rate was about what Kageyama predicted.

His incredible physical strength allowed him to generate terrifying speed and power, but his consistency and control were still lacking.

In a single set, Akashi might rotate into the serving position three or four times.

But of those chances, he usually only managed one or two truly effective serves.

The rest? Either the ball crashed straight into the net for an immediate point loss, or he barely managed a tame, ordinary serve.

That's why, every time it was Akashi Asuka's turn to serve, his teammates in Sengoku would instinctively cover the backs of their heads and spread out away from the center of the court, a habit formed through many painful, blood-streaked lessons.

Thanks to Kageyama's words, the mood among Kitagawa finally eased.

Much like Kindaichi, the other players disliked Kageyama's attitude, but when it came to skills and technique, they couldn't help but respect him. In moments like this, his reassurance worked even better than the coach's.

The timeout ended.

The match resumed.

Sengoku retained serve, but perhaps the pause had disrupted Akashi Asuka's rhythm. On the first serve after the break, he no longer felt that 'soft' sensation from before.

Still, the power behind the serve was overwhelming. The ball sailed over the net and honed in on Kageyama. He moved to receive it, but the impact completely threw off his form. His arms twisted from the force, and the ball shot off the court.

Score: 5–5.

"Damn it... even a misfired serve has this much power?" Kageyama muttered in frustration. He had noticed a flaw in Akashi's motion and thought he'd made a mistake. But even a flawed serve from Akashi packed such raw force it was nearly impossible to stop.

Across the net, Akashi celebrated briefly with his teammates before returning to the baseline with the ball in hand.

Before his next serve, he clenched his fist slightly, his brow furrowing.

"Did the timeout really cool off my rhythm that much?"

In any sport, an athlete's form or state is everything. Just like in his past life playing basketball, when he was in form, the hoop felt like an ocean. Every shot went in. But when he was off... well, even blacksmiths would cry at the sound of those bricks.

On the net, Ryuhei Sanashita noticed Akashi's subtle movements and his expression changed instantly. He tugged on Oda Miki's sleeve and quickly moved aside, covering the back of his head.

Oda and the substitute playing in place of the libero followed suit immediately.

Within seconds, 

Sengoku's entire front court was suddenly... empty.

BOOM!

A crack of thunder seemed to explode above the court as Akashi launched his third serve.

The moment his palm struck the ball, Akashi's eyes lit up, the soft sensation was back.

And then, 

The volleyball screamed through the air, whistling past Sanashita's ear before slamming into the net.

"AAHH!!!"

A cold gust from the ball's wake blew Sanashita's hair back. He jumped in shock, goosebumps erupting all over his arms.

Akashi winced. "Uh… sorry, Sanashita."

"No worries. Just hit a good one next time." Sanashita replied, swallowing hard and managing a strained smile.

The other two blockers beside him were pale as well. Still, they forced some awkward grins and muttered:

"Y-yeah… don't worry about it. Just keep at it."

"That was a great serve."

"Next time, maybe score ten in a row."

…

For the sake of victory, what's a little danger to life?

This was Sengoku's most fearsome secret weapon, 

Akashi Asuka's Serve.

A serve so powerful it could intimidate opponents and teammates alike. Truly, a skill worthy of the team's ace.

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