Bang!

The volleyball soared past the dense wall of players and slammed onto the court with unstoppable force.

1–0.

Aoba Johsai scored the first point.

As Akashi Asuka landed gracefully from the air, the players of Shiratorizawa glanced at him, then at the ball still rolling behind them on the floor, stunned into silence.

"A spike off the first receive?"

"He could reach that height? Since when did Aoba Johsai have someone like this?!"

On the sidelines, Coach Washijō was livid, practically exploding as he roared, "What the hell are you idiots doing? That wasn't an unblockable ball! Tendo, what the hell were you standing there for?!"

For the players of Shiratorizawa, Washijō's voice was more effective than electric shock therapy.

The moment his thunderous voice echoed through the gym, everyone snapped back to their senses, jolted out of their daze.

"Honestly... you're all hopeless." Washijō muttered, grumbling as he slumped back into his seat.

Next to him, an assistant coach glanced toward Aoba Johsai's court, where Akashi Asuka was already being swarmed by teammates. He sighed in disappointment, "As expected… Akashi Asuka is incredible. That kind of power and elevation, he'd be a better fit here at Shiratorizawa than at Aoba Johsai. What a waste."

"Hmph. There's nothing to regret. With Ushiwaka, we don't need anyone else. He's second to none." Washijō retorted with a snort.

But the way he continued to glare at Akashi Asuka made it obvious, he didn't truly believe that.

Raw power and unrivaled height.

That had always been the core philosophy of Shiratorizawa's volleyball program.

And in that regard, Akashi Asuka fit the mold perfectly. After the high school entrance exams, not only Shiratorizawa, but even Aoba Johsai had assumed he would join Washijō's team.

What no one expected, however, was that Akashi Asuka was not only an athletic prodigy, but also a top-performing academic.

When word spread that Akashi had chosen Aoba Johsai because of a full scholarship, no one knew how to describe the expression on Coach Washijō's face.

It wasn't just about volleyball anymore.

It was the crushing realization of a top student utterly humbling an underachiever.

"Hmph! I don't care about grades. When it comes to volleyball, Shiratorizawa bows to no one!"

….

"Nice one, Akashi!"

"That was an insane spike!"

"Damn, you actually went for that? Savage!"

The Aoba Johsai team erupted around Akashi Asuka, showering him with praise. Even Oikawa couldn't hide the excitement on his face.

Come to think of it, this was the first time since Akashi joined the team that Oikawa was playing in an actual match with him.

And honestly, he had mixed feelings.

How should he put it?

Oikawa was the kind of setter who could bring out every ounce of a teammate's potential. His own performance, therefore, was limited by the ceiling of his spikers.

Aoba Johsai's main players were strong, there was no doubt about that, but "strong" was relative.

To use an analogy:

Before, Oikawa had been fighting battles with a wooden stick. But now, with Akashi Asuka at his side, he'd been handed a spear forged of pure steel.

The difference was staggering, even Oikawa was struggling to adjust.

He hated "geniuses."

And deep down, he resisted relying on Akashi Asuka.

But in reality, Oikawa's body betrayed him, his excitement and adrenaline were overflowing.

That steel spear was just too good.

So good that Oikawa feared that once he got used to it, he'd never be able to go back to the days when he fought with nothing more than a stick.

Tweet!

The whistle blew sharply as Oikawa served again.

The serve was solid, almost as good as his previous one, but it lacked any real improvement. This time, Shiratorizawa's libero managed to receive it cleanly.

The second touch was flawless, and without hesitation, the ball soared above none other than their ace, Ushijima Wakatoshi.

Akashi Asuka quickly shifted across the court to block him, leaping high with full power.

Ushijima had a slightly higher maximum reach, around 345cm, but unless he hit the very peak of his jump, Akashi still had a good chance to block him effectively.

But that was only in terms of height.

BOOM!

Still midair, Akashi heard the sound before he saw it, a deafening impact as the volleyball vanished in a blur, landing behind him before he could even react.

"Incredible…"

Akashi's eyes locked on Ushijima, who stood across the net a few centimeters taller, exuding a suffocating aura of dominance.

If rated by the system's standards, Ushijima's stats in Power, Vertical Jump, and Spiking were each at least 84.

And that didn't even include the hidden advantage he had as a left-handed hitter, something the system couldn't quantify.

There was no denying it.

Ushijima Wakatoshi had already reached the level of a top-tier national high school player.

And the scariest part?

He had just started his third year. He still had seven to eight months left to grow even stronger.

"So this is one of Japan's Three Aces… Hah. This is going to be fun."

…..

Tweet!

1–1.

Shiratorizawa to serve.

Besides Ushijima, a few other players on their team had also mastered jump serves, but they were of the standard variety.

The serve cleared the net, and Aoba Johsai's libero, Watari Shinji, received it steadily.

Next second,

Akashi Asuka, Hajime Iwaizumi, and Kentarō Kyōtani all sprang into motion.

Aoba Johsai's strategy had always emphasized tactical coordination, and that didn't change even after Akashi joined. As a powerhouse school, it was a fundamental philosophy.

Faced with Aoba Johsai's coordinated misdirection, Shiratorizawa's defense was momentarily scattered.

By the time they realized what was happening, the ball was already high above Akashi Asuka's head.

"You think you can shake me off that easily?"

Suddenly, a figure with bright crimson-dyed hair appeared on the other side, Tendo Satori.

His blocking was completely unpredictable, purely driven by instinct. In fact, he was considered a natural counter to calculated setters like Oikawa and Kageyama.

Tendo jumped, soaring to meet Akashi's expected spike,

But his expression instantly changed.

Because Akashi never jumped.

He waited.

Then, as Tendo began to descend, Akashi exploded off the ground, launching himself high and spiking the ball cleanly over Tendo's head...

---------------------

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