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"That old fox is pretty capable, isn't he? He really knows how to make things difficult for ."
Shimokawa Mitsuto looked towards the smiling coach of Yamabuki Industrial in the distance and tapped his tongue.
"But if you think you can deal with this easily, you're underestimating ."
The volleyball match on the court was in full swing.
Although Yamabuki Industrial did not have any top-tier players, all of the team mbers were very skilled.
They might not be able to serve powerful jump serves like Asuto or Kageyama Tobio, but they could all execute ordinary serves with moderate speed and extrely precise placent.
The opponents were completely focused on Mishita Ryuhei.
anwhile, Sengoku Junior High could not replace Mishita on the first receive every ti, as abandoning their defensive positions too often would easily throw the entire formation into chaos.
This might be exactly what the enemy wanted.
The two sides traded blows back and forth.
Very quickly, the score crossed the twenty-point mark.
20:21.
Yamabuki Industrial temporarily took the lead, and they once again targeted Mishita Ryuhei with their serve.
Perhaps because the ga was gradually approaching the end of the set, Kurata Mao beca nervous and confused.
Although it was almost certainly Mishita Ryuhei's ball to receive, Kurata Mao suddenly rushed forward at the last mont and intercepted it himself.
Consequently, the first pass was mishandled and completely left Mishita Ryuhei's setting range.
"This is bad!"
The expressions of Sengoku Junior High's players instantly changed.
This kind of first reception is one of the most difficult balls to handle on the court as it lacked sufficient height and had also drifted outside the main setter's playable range.
Under such circumstances, the other team mbers simply lacked the ability to properly handle it and could only barely keep the ball alive with an underhand bump.
However, balls rescued this way were unpredictable in terms of height, angle, and timing, making it almost impossible to organize an effective attack.
Oda Miki, who was temporarily filling in as setter, looked increasingly troubled.
Countless thoughts raced through his mind in an instant, yet he still could not find a good solution.
Just then...
A calm voice ca from the front row.
"Give a high ball!"
"I'm counting on you, Asuto!"
Realizing that it was Akashi Asuto speaking, Oda Miki tossed a high set towards him decisively.
This set...
Aside from its decent height, its position, angle, and timing were all flawed.
"Block him!"
Before Asuto had even reached his position fully, the opponent's triple block had already ford.
The Yamabuki Industrial players jumped simultaneously alongside Asuto.
It was a near-perfect triple block.
Every route had been completely sealed off, whether straight shots or cross-court attacks.
If he forced the spike through, there was a high probability that it would be completely stuffed.
The unfavorable situation was so obvious that even soone with basic knowledge of volleyball could see it imdiately.
While suspended in midair, Asuto gazed at the six arms blocking out the ceiling lights before him and suddenly felt as though his thoughts had slowed down.
His heart beca extraordinarily calm, like a motionless pool of water.
Clearly, the ti he remained airborne lasted only a fleeting instant.
Yet in that instant, Asuto clearly saw the height of the opponent's blocking arms, their facial expressions, and the positions and movents of the players behind them.
And then... He found it.
Within that seemingly flawless block, he discovered a tiny imperfection that could barely be called a flaw.
BANG!
The next mont… Asuto violently swung his arm.
With an arm strength exceeding 80 and a core strength approaching 80, the power behind his swing seed capable of crushing and deforming the volleyball itself.
The instant his palm made contact with the ball, it seed to freeze in mid-air for a thousandth of a second.
Then...
Shing!
It shot out at an almost invisible speed, piercing through the block at an unbelievable angle before dropping tightly along the sideline.
When the sound of the ball hitting the floor rang out, the three blockers facing Asuto seed to freeze for a mont as if unable to accept that the ball had been spiked past them.
Beep!
The whistle sounded.
The hearts of both teams tightened instantly as everyone looked towards the sideline referee simultaneously.
Only when the referee forcefully pointed the flag downward did the Sengoku Junior High mbers suddenly erupt into cheers.
"You've got to be kidding ... A ball like that could actually be spiked through?"
In contrast to Sengoku Junior High's excitent, the Yamabuki Industrial players were beginning to question reality.
Especially Yamabuki's blockers.
The way they looked at Asuto no longer resembled the gaze directed towards a human being.
"A monster...?"
"Hey... did that ball just curve through the air?"
"That kind of set could still score?"
Yamabuki Industrial's morale was visibly beginning to collapse, But this ti, even their coach could not imdiately issue instructions.
He was still reeling from the previous spike.
After a long while, Yamabuki Coach finally let out a bitter laugh.
"He really is a monster..."
Having been directly facing Asuto's spike from the sidelines, the Yamabuki coach had seen the play even more clearly than the players on the court.
That block from Yamabuki Defenders had already been nearly perfect.
Under normal circumstances, there would have been no possible angle for a spike.
Every route, whether cross-court or straight down the line, had been completely sealed off.
Yet Asuto had relied on his own ability to send the spike around the side of the block at such an extre angle that it almost looked like a curved shot, successfully scoring the point.
A ball like that completely exceeded the boundaries of conventional tactics.
21:21.
Yamabuki and Sengoku Junior High were tied once more after that point.
Once Sengoku Junior High regained the serve, the rotation happened to cycle again, bringing Asuto back to Position One.
"One more rally and we shut him down!"
Seeing Asuto prepare to serve, the Yamabuki Industrial players instantly regained so spirit.
Although Asuto's serve was extrely disadvantageous for Yamabuki Industrial, it also ant that, once this serving rotation began, he would return to the back row.
Back-row Asuto, without the support of Mishita Ryuhei's setting, was essentially unable to participate in the offense.
As long as Yamabuki could survive this serving rotation, the montum would swing back in their favor afterwards.
There was nothing wrong with Yamabuki's thinking.
But unfortunately, Shimokawa Mitsuto could naturally think of the sa thing.
So, just before Asuto served, Shimokawa Mitsuto suddenly decided to make a substitution:
Nishison Tomohiko replaced Oda Miki.
Yamabuki Industrial clearly could not understand this substitution because they had no recollection of Nishison Tomohiko.
anwhile, the Sengoku Junior High mbers vaguely guessed what their coach was planning.
After entering the court, Nishison greeted the other players one by one before running over to Asuto with enthusiasm.
"Asuto-senpai, I'll definitely give you the best possible sets!"
Asuto slightly lowered his eyes and gave no response.
Not because he was putting on airs, but because at this mont, he was still imrsed in that strange state similar to "Calm Mind."
All of his focus and attention had already concentrated completely on himself and the volleyball.
anwhile, not far away, Mishita Ryuhei cast him a sidelong glance.
"The best sets? Pretty bold for a youngster."
...
(End of Chapter)
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