Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
In the service zone, Akashi Asuka rhythmically patted the volleyball in his hands. With every strike, his mind grew calmer and more focused.
But to everyone watching, it was the exact opposite.
Each time Akashi struck the ball, the players from Kamomedai and Aoba Johsai could feel his presence intensifying. The aura around him grew heavier, like a wild beast ready to devour its prey. It made the Kamomedai players wary and sent a chill down the spines of the front-line defenders, even those crouching low with hands ready above their heads felt as if they were under siege.
BOOM!!
Suddenly, the rhythmic sound of patting stopped. What followed was an ear-splitting boom that echoed through the gymnasium.
Whoosh,
The volleyball, now completely warped from the power, streaked through the air like a meteor, then crashed down toward Kamomedai's side like a bolt of lightning.
The Kamomedai libero stood rooted in place.
Keiichiro Kanbayashi felt like he could see the ball's path, almost. Just as he prepared to move, he realized something terrifying.
No,
It's not that he was too slow.
The ball was just too fast.
So fast that even with his elite reflexes and sharp vision, he could only barely track its motion.
"Damn it!"
Keiichiro's face contorted with effort, veins bulging on his forehead, but the ball still crashed to the floor before he could reach it.
Then,
A flash of white burst in front of the falling ball.
Korai Hoshiumi.
With almost inhuman reflexes, he dove into the landing zone and managed to touch the ball just in time.
But the moment it landed in his arms,
His expression shifted.
"So heavy! This one's almost twice as heavy as the last!"
The sheer weight and force of the serve stunned even Hoshiumi, and although he managed to keep the ball from hitting the floor, he had zero control over its rebound.
As expected,
Out of bounds.
17–19.
"Nice one!"
"Great serve, Akashi!"
"Hit 'em again!"
Scoring off a single serve immediately fired up Aoba Johsai's spirits.
Akashi Asuka didn't stop. Riding the momentum, he launched a second serve.
BOOM!!
Another cannonball of a serve, except this one curved dramatically in the air, soaring over the net in a massive arc.
Banana Jump Serve.
A serve so unpredictable that even Akashi himself couldn't always guess where it would land. The arc and spin varied every time, depending on the force and rotation he applied. Sometimes it curved so far, it missed the court entirely.
But once again, Korai Hoshiumi read the ball.
In that moment, everything seemed crystal clear to him. Even though Akashi's serve was blisteringly fast, Korai felt that even if it were twice as fast, he'd still see it coming.
It was an odd sensation.
But not unfamiliar, he'd entered this heightened state before.
Reading the trajectory perfectly, Korai got ahead of the libero and positioned himself for the receive. Yet again, the instant the ball hit his arms, his expression changed.
"So heavy, and the spin is insane!"
Korai had received Akashi's serves before, but this one was in a different league.
Bang.
The ball deflected wildly from his arms.
Out of bounds.
18–19.
Seeing the score creep closer, Kamomedai's players began to panic.
But Akashi Asuka wasn't done. Far from it, after two powerful serves, his energy hadn't dipped at all. In fact, his aura only grew stronger.
BOOM!!
The third serve came screaming in, faster than any before it. Hoshiumi's pupils constricted at the sight.
But this time, he didn't even get the chance to move.
The ball slammed into the court before he could react.
19–19.
The entire court, no, the entire stadium, fell dead silent.
Three straight serves.
Three unstoppable points.
Akashi Asuka had overwhelmed the game by himself.
Even the top players from schools like Inarizaki, Fukurodani, and Itachiyama, sitting comfortably in the stands, all held their breath.
In that moment,
Akashi Asuka, standing in the service zone, shone like a blazing sun, drowning out the presence of all eleven other players on the court.
"Japan's Number One!"
A voice broke the silence from somewhere in the stands.
Then,
"JAPAN'S NUMBER ONE!"
"JAPAN'S NUMBER ONE!"
"JAPAN'S NUMBER ONE!"
The crowd erupted. The thunderous chant rolled through the stadium like a wave.
And the players on the court…
Each of them showed a complicated expression.
The title of "Japan's Number One" was not something just anyone could bear. But this time, not a single one of them had the confidence to argue.
────────── ✦ ──────────
Back on the court, the match continued.
Even though the score had been tied again, Kamomedai refused to give in.
Akashi unleashed his fourth serve, still a power jump serve, and this one carried even more pressure than before. It wasn't faster or heavier, but the presence behind it was suffocating.
It slammed straight toward Kamomedai's libero, Keiichiro Kanbayashi.
And even though he was in position, the ball shot past him before he could react.
20–19.
Aoba Johsai had taken the lead.
Cheers exploded across the stadium. The Aoba Johsai bench was on their feet, roaring in celebration.
Akashi Asuka had entered a state of pure clarity, Clear Mind, Still Water. It wasn't just a leap in power; it was a breakthrough of mindset and mastery.
But on his fifth serve,
He finally made a mistake.
20–20.
Kamomedai immediately capitalized and scored again after Akashi rotated to the back row.
21–20.
Then Aoba Johsai tied it up.
21–21.
Kamomedai pushed again,
22–21.
Another tie,
22–22.
Then,
23–22.
After three hard-fought rallies, Akashi returned to the front row.
At that moment, Kamomedai used their final substitution, bringing Gao Hakuba back into play.
With Gao on court, Kamomedai returned to their strongest formation.
His body still hadn't fully recovered, but for a few critical volleys, he could hold out.
Now it was Aoba Johsai's serve.
Hajime Iwaizumi stepped up, but his serve failed to pose a threat at this stage of the match. Kamomedai pounced, using the opportunity to attack.
Hoshiumi dodged Akashi's block and spiked for a clean point.
23–23.
Next came Kamomedai's serve.
Aoba Johsai was back on the offense.
Oikawa Tooru set the ball high to Akashi.
But in an instant, Hoshiumi and Gao leapt in front of him, forming a double block.
"You're not taking this set so easily, Akashi!"
The two launched higher than ever before. Even with Akashi's explosive vertical leap, he found no opening to exploit.
But in the face of their towering wall, Akashi smiled.
"It's useless. Aoba Johsai will win this championship. No surprises. No accidents!"
BOOM!!
A vicious spike exploded downward. Before the blockers could react, the ball blasted straight down between them like a beam of light.
THUD.
[OOOOOOHHH~~]
[A stunning vertical kill! In the final moments of the match, Akashi Asuka opts for a bold, straight-down spike, ignoring the double block entirely, and secures the match point!]
24–23.
As the scoreboard lit up with the score, the arena went wild.
Everyone knew,
The championship was now within reach.
Kamomedai locked in. The next point could decide it all.
What made it worse?
Aoba Johsai's next server was none other than Oikawa Tooru.
The Kamomedai players cursed their luck.
Why him? Why now?
But what they didn't know,
Despite the smirk on his face, Oikawa was just as nervous as they were.
He'd had his share of clutch moments, but this one… This was different.
He even considered a simple overhead serve, just to play it safe.
But he shook the thought away. Now wasn't the time for hesitation.
He took a deep breath,
Then launched himself into the air.
SMACK!!
The serve tore across the court. Not his fastest ever, but accurate and deadly.
Keiichiro Kanbayashi broke out in a cold sweat.
"Seriously? He's still pulling off that kind of serve at this stage?!"
He threw himself at the ball, barely managing to dig it out. It flew into Aikichi Suwa's hands, who didn't hesitate for even a second before setting it.
Aiji had been in countless battles, he knew better than anyone, you hesitate, you lose.
"Who's it going to?!"
Aoba Johsai's players locked eyes on everyone, on Kamomedai, any one of them could be the attacker.
Then they saw it.
Korai Hoshiumi, leaping up like a seagull soaring through the ocean winds, his small figure rising high into the air.
And at the same time,
They saw their ace.
That tall, hawk-like predator, soaring with no hesitation toward its prey.
BOOM!
SLAP!
Two sounds collided.
Hoshiumi's spike was returned with equal force, deflected back and slamming into Kamomedai's floor.
The court fell into a stunned silence.
BEEEEEEP!
A piercing whistle rang out. The scoreboard rolled,
It was over.
Everything… had ended.