Date Tech's players, their spirits restored, once again gathered in a tight circle and shouted with force:
"Date Tech! Fight!"
At that moment, none of them realized that the man now stepping into Karasuno's serving area was about to make them experience, once again, the true meaning of fear under domination.
But just seconds ago, when they saw Ichinose Guren rotate into the back row, every single player on Date Tech sighed in relief.
Because a wing spiker not in the front row, even if he can attack from the back, usually cannot reach the same fearsome attack height.
And judging from physique alone, Karasuno's #15 didn't look like the heavily muscular type. Which meant:
If he couldn't rely on extreme vertical reach, his attacks might even be less threatening than Azumane Asahi, the ace they had successfully blocked during the last Spring Tournament.
In a way, they were right, Ichinose Guren's attack capability from the back was indeed lower than in the front row.
Which should have been fortunate for Date Tech.
However,
The Ichinose Guren currently standing in the serving zone didn't need teammates to create offense for him.
In the back row, he was perhaps even more terrifying.
Because in raw solo combat ability, Ichinose Guren was Karasuno's unrivaled #1.
Serve, spike, block, if it involved scoring, he was the strongest.
Only in setting was he slightly behind Kageyama Tobio.
Now, holding the ball in one hand, he became the center of everyone's attention.
Yet for him, that pressure was like lying comfortably in his own bed.
His gaze swept slowly across each player of Date Tech, and his smile grew warmer.
Too warm.
Uncomfortably, predator-like.
The whistle blew.
The eight-second serve timer began.
Guren tossed.
And struck.
His palm came down with a force that looked ready to burst the ball mid-air, his arm swing so fast it almost disappeared.
To Guren, his movements were crystal clear,
even the dust rising off his fingertips under the LED lights was visible to him.
But to Date Tech's players?
The serve was just like his spike earlier, its trajectory unreadable.
Their libero reacted the instant his body moved, but still couldn't properly position himself.
BOOM!
The ball smashed into his forearms, rebounding five or six steps away.
Pain shot up his arm so sharply that Sakunami Kōsuke inhaled through clenched teeth.
"Tss!"
His hands trembled as he lowered them, and only then did he realize:
Under his skin, blood vessels had burst.
Just like in his junior high days.
But he was lucky.
If he hadn't raised his arms,
His face would have taken that serve.
And Date Tech wouldn't have a libero anymore.
This guy…!
Futakuchi Kenji's eyes widened when he saw Sakunami's swelling arms.
Of course,
This was why the reporters in the media booth were focusing their cameras like vultures.
His glare at Guren was fierce, but only to hide the shiver of fear running through him.
On the other side, #15 didn't even acknowledge his anger.
Because things like that only excited him more.
Though Karasuno had scored only two points,
one nearly knocked the libero out of the match,
and the other was the unanswerable, sky-crushing spike.
Their difference in power was already made clear.
Maybe Guren wasn't quite at Ushijima Wakatoshi level yet, but to Date Tech, the difference between being crushed by 100 or 120 makes no difference.
Either one was enough to kill them.
And then the serves kept coming.
Third point.
Fourth.
Fifth.
Coach Oiwake called a timeout immediately after the second ace, trying to break his rhythm.
But the badge made it impossible to disrupt Guren's serving momentum.
So the points continued.
And continued.
Until,
On the verge of Guren scoring more aces than one hand could count,
Moniwa Kaname, Date Tech's captain, threw himself across the floor, crashing into two advertisement boards to miraculously save the serve.
Even though the ball returned as an easy chance for Karasuno at least the chain of aces had been broken.
And Moniwa believed,
The Iron Wall will not crumble a second time.
But Karasuno, with both Ichinose Guren and Kageyama Tobio, would not let a chance pass.
A single glance.
And Shoyo Hinata already knew.
BOOM!
The Quick Attack.
The one no one can react to.
And Date Tech tasted despair.
There was nowhere to run.
Karasuno vs. Date Tech.
Opening score:
Karasuno 7:0 Date Tech.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria