Only when Zaytsev looked in that direction did his rugged face soften into a gentle smile.

Serve switch—Trentino to serve.

Alexander tossed the ball high, took his approach, leapt, and swung!

BOOM!!!

A powerful serve—Yoandy barely managed to receive it, the ball popping high and still landing in the back row.

Fernand hurried to cover and set it to the right wing. Wallace took off for the spike!

BOOM!!!—

"Double block!" Zaytsev and Yuri jumped together.

—SMACK!!!

The ball struck Zaytsev's arm and deflected straight back into São Paulo's court.

Smack!

Hinata swooped in, scooping the ball up with one hand!

After saving it, Fernand quickly set again to the right side—Wallace charged forward and soared into the air!

"Double block!"

—BOOM!!!

A high-reaching spike!

The ball flew over the block, slammed down hard on Trentino's end line, and bounced out of bounds.

Fabio couldn't get there in time.

Wallace scored!

[São Paulo 19 - 19 Trentino]

"372 cm!!!"

—"Wallace's form is so sharp it's hard to believe he's already over 30!"

Serve switch—São Paulo to serve.

"Ivan, seeing you finish off that last set really moved me," Wallace said as he stood in the service area, slapping the ball heavily. "Young players today are incredible. Maybe with a bit more time, they'll carve out a chapter on the world stage no weaker than ours."

"But at least for now, as long as I'm still standing on this court…the main character of the world is still us."

"You think so too, right?"

"No need for nostalgia, because right now…I'm still the strongest!"

"Tweet!—" The referee's whistle sounded.

Smack!

The ball paused in Wallace's palm. He lowered his gaze, throat bobbing as he swallowed. Then suddenly, he tilted his head up, revealing a wild, ferocious grin.

"This is bad!"

Zaytsev shivered. He knew that expression all too well.

WHOOSH!

The ball flew high into the air in a sharp arc. Wallace's approach exploded into motion like a pouncing leopard, his shoes screeching harshly on the floor.

THUMP!

At the instant the ball dropped, Wallace pushed off hard with both legs, launching himself into the air.

Every muscle in his bronzed body tensed like a compressed spring, shining under the arena lights. Midair, his right arm swung back at an impossible angle, his shoulder blades rising sharply, like a powerful bow fully drawn.

BOOOOM!!!

The air screeched before the ball even reached Trentino's side.

In Fabio's eyes flashed a silver-grey afterimage—before he could react, the ball had already smashed violently onto the sideline. The mark it left on the floor was clear as day, and it almost looked as if the floorboards trembled from the impact.

"Tweet!—"

The referee's whistle and the audience's explosive gasp echoed as one.

Wallace scored with a service ace!

[São Paulo 20 - 19 Trentino]

"132 km/h!!!"

—"What an insane number!!!"

—"Wallace's serve has set a new speed record for this Club World Championship!"

"My god, Ivan!" Alexander stared in disbelief, eyes wide. "His serve speed is even faster than yours!"

That wasn't the point—Zaytsev frowned deeply.

"Alex, focus. This set isn't going to be easy."

"Huh?" Alexander quickly dropped his smile. It was rare to see Zaytsev look so serious.

And yet…São Paulo was only ahead by one point.

"Tweet!—" The whistle blew.

Wallace tossed the ball high—jump serve!

BOOOM!!!

Wallace's swing unleashed terrifying whip-like power, his wrist snapping down hard at the moment of contact. The ball shot toward Trentino's back line with a chilling combination of speed and spin.

SMACK!!!

Alexander received it head-on—the ball smashed against his arms and flew out of bounds!

Wallace scored on another service ace!

[São Paulo 21 - 19 Trentino]

"128 km/h!"

—"Wallace's ferocious serving streak continues!"

It wasn't just about the speed—Alexander's expression finally tightened. Even when he made contact, the sheer power and spin prevented him from controlling the ball's direction at all.

"Let me help receive," Kageyama said.

Though Trentino had a five-man receive formation, Kageyama was covered up front, meaning only four players were actually responsible for passing.

Fabio, in charge of defensive coordination, silently weighed his options:

Kageyama's reception technique was better than Yuri's, and a five-man formation would spread the pressure more evenly. But reception wasn't the end goal—if it disrupted the offensive rhythm, it would be counterproductive.

Moreover, judging by Alexander's earlier reception, there was still a big gap between "making contact" and "controlling" against Wallace's serve.

"Wait, let's try one more ball," Fabio said to Kageyama. "You focus on setting up the attack."

"...Fine."

São Paulo kept serving. Wallace launched his third serve!

BOOOM!!!

The ball flew to the back right corner, targeting Yuri's side behind Kageyama!

The first two serves had pressured Trentino's best receiver and ace, applying overall stress—now, he went straight for the weakest point to finish them off.

"I've got it!"

Yuri shifted quickly.

SMACK!!!

The ball popped high and flew out of bounds.

"Right wing—!" Kageyama shouted while chasing the ball outside the court.

Zaytsev didn't hesitate at all, sprinting toward the net!

Whoosh!—

The ball was saved just before it went out, and flew precisely to the right side—not even a millimetre off!

"Double block!" Lucas shuffled sideways and jumped, with Hinata lining up beside him. Incredibly, Hinata's height in the air matched Lucas's perfectly!

Midair, Zaytsev scanned São Paulo's back row—Sanhos and Wallace were already ready to receive.

"Then—"

Zaytsev's arm tensed and swung down violently!

BOOM!!!

The ball smashed against Hinata's arm as if ignoring the block entirely!

BANG!!!

Hinata lost balance midair, his blocking form collapsing instantly.

Smack!

Just as Zaytsev changed the ball's trajectory, Wallace had already rushed forward. The two-meter giant flew from the back row, somehow diving in with silky smoothness to save the ball with a perfect dive!

"Cover!"

Hinata landed and crashed straight into Wallace; the two ended up tangled on the floor.

Fernand quickly covered, Lucas jumped for a quick middle attack!

"Double block!" Zaytsev and Yuri leapt together.

Whoosh—!

Fernand's surprise back set at the last moment!

The ball flew high to the left wing—Yoandy leapt from the back row!

Boro went up alone, and Zaytsev shifted diagonally to help.

—BOOM!!!

The ball flew over the block and pounded into Trentino's court.

Yoandy scored on a back-row attack!

[São Paulo 22 - 19 Trentino]

"Holy crap, that was strong!"

"Zaytsev's defence got too hasty after his attack was picked up—São Paulo's setter completely faked him out..."

"But who would've thought that 'old man' Wallace could still be this good?"

"Beep! Trentino requests a timeout."

São Paulo—no, Wallace alone—had single-handedly forced Trentino to burn their final timeout.

The momentum had shifted.

-----

Timeout ended. The match resumed.

Wallace stood at the service line again.

"Acting all calm, huh?" Wallace scanned the Trentino players. "Taste the bitterness of defeat, you little brats."

"Tweet!—" The whistle blew.

Wallace tossed the ball high and went for his fourth serve!

BOOM!!!

Smack!!!

Alexander received the ball solidly this time—a slightly off but workable pass.

Kageyama quickly adjusted, Trentino's front three launched simultaneous attacks!

Whoosh!—

The ball went to the far left to Boro. Fernand went up for a solo block—the unexpected set had completely evaded São Paulo's main blockers.

BOOM!!

Boro avoided the block and spiked it down fiercely.

Smack!

São Paulo's defence reacted, Sanhos received the ball!

Yoandy quickly stepped in to set, Hinata on the right wing faked a spike but failed to draw off the blockers.

Wallace came flying in from the back row!

"Double block!" Zaytsev and Yuri closed the block perfectly.

BOOM!!!—

The ball bounced off Yuri's arms and flew out of bounds!

Smack!

Kageyama dove to save it, but the ball flew out of bounds. Fabio chased it down but couldn't stop it from hitting the advertisement boards first.

Wallace scored on another back-row attack!

[São Paulo 23 - 19 Trentino]

—"Trentino still can't stop São Paulo's offence! The gap is now four points!!!"

—"The momentum has completely shifted to São Paulo! Wallace's serving streak continues!"

"I didn't expect this at all..." Oikawa watched this opponent he'd faced twice before—without a doubt, Wallace was now even stronger than during the South American Championship.

São Paulo kept serving. Wallace unleashed his fifth serve!

BOOM!!!

The ball nearly scraped the net cord as it flew by.

Smack!

Fabio managed to receive it, though the pass skewed slightly to the right.

Kageyama took a deep breath, held it, and calmly set the ball.

Zaytsev jumped from the middle!

"Triple block!" Fernand, Lucas, and Hinata all jumped together.

BOOM!!!

SMACK!

"One touch!" The ball hit Lucas's arm and popped high into the air.

"Uh-oh! Trentino is in serious trouble now—they seem completely stuck!"

Meanwhile, on São Paulo's side —

Sanhos received steadily, Fernand covered and set, and all four attackers surged forward!

"Double block!"

BOOM!!!

Zaytsev read the attacker correctly, but still couldn't stop him.

The ball ricocheted off Yuri's arm and out of bounds.

Off the block!

Wallace scored again on a back-row attack!

[São Paulo 24 - 19 Trentino]

"How can this be?!"

The Italian home crowd was stunned—Trentino had been completely powerless in these final moments...

"Tweet!—"

Wallace tossed the ball high, approached, leapt, and smashed!

BOOM!!!—

Even on what could be the last ball, Wallace gave Trentino no chance to breathe!

The ball slammed into Trentino's back row like a missile.

Smack!!!

Kageyama's first pass flew wildly, Fabio covered and set, and the ball soared high to the left wing.

THUD!

Alexander jumped from the back row, adjusting for an attack.

"Double block!" Fernand and Lucas jumped at the same time.

—BOOM!!!

The ball sailed over the block.

Another forceful high-reaching spike—the ball plunged steeply toward São Paulo's end line!

"Finally caught you."

Smack!

Yoandy received it cleanly!

Sanhos moved to cover and set the ball.

"I got it!" Hinata got there first, ran a back set to the right wing!

Wallace once again soared in from the back row!

"No—!" Trentino's fans were so tense they couldn't even scream.

"Triple block!" Boro, Zaytsev, and Yuri all jumped up together.

Wallace's arm tightened, swung down heavily—but at the last instant, he loosened his force.

TAP!

The ball just grazed Yuri's fingertips.

A short tip to the front court!

"Dammit!!!"

Fabio and Kageyama both dove forward.

Smack!

The ball struck the back of Fabio's hand, bouncing slightly upward—Kageyama, sprawled on the floor, punched it back up with one fist.

"Last attack!"

Zaytsev immediately spread out for his approach and leapt.

"Triple block!" Fernand, Lucas, and Hinata all went up together.

"Break through!!"

BOOM!!!

Zaytsev's powerful spike blasted through the block, crashing toward São Paulo's back row.

SMACK!!!

The ball slammed off Sanhos's arms, popped high over the net, and fell outside Trentino's right sideline.

"It's not over yet—!"

Hinata darted under the net, chased it down.

Smack!

He dug it back toward São Paulo's front row—Lucas jumped up for the kill!

BOOM!!!—

—SMACK!!!

The ball ricocheted off Zaytsev's arm, rebounding hard into São Paulo's own court.

Hinata's brilliant save ultimately couldn't finish the point.

Zaytsev scored with a block!

[São Paulo 24 - 20 Trentino]

"This time, it's you guys who got impatient," Zaytsev said firmly, his gaze unwavering.

Trentino finally broke São Paulo's service streak!

"Too bad...if they'd done this a bit earlier, this set might've looked different."

It was clear: even though Trentino had regained serve, Conte still wasn't optimistic.

São Paulo only needed one point to end this second set. The key was that their defence was now fully established. Judging by the flow on court, it felt nearly impossible for Trentino to score directly.

Serve switch—Trentino's serve.

Boro went for a powerful jump serve!

BOOM!!!

The ball skimmed the net cord, popped up, and dropped into São Paulo's court.

"I've got it!" Sanhos received it stably, perfect pass.

Thud!

Hinata had already leapt into the air on the right wing.

"No way?!"

Even though they doubted it, Trentino had no choice but to act.

"Double block!" Zaytsev and Yuri jumped up, forming a wall in front of Hinata.

BOOM!!

Fernand, still in the front row, suddenly spiked the ball down directly.

"A decoy?!"

Smack!

Only Kageyama had kept his eyes on the setter's movements—but the ball still struck his arm and flew out of bounds.

Fernand scored on a second-touch attack!

[São Paulo 25 - 20 Trentino]

"Beeeeeep—!" A long whistle echoed across the arena.

Second set: Over.

Winner: ASAS São Paulo.

-----

"Let's go." Hoshiumi said to the Ryujin players.

Rather than watching these two teams, it was better to go observe the strength of their upcoming Group A opponents.

Though they didn't want to admit it, deep down they all vaguely felt—no Japanese team could match either of these clubs.

"Are those guys going to be discouraged?" Lev asked loudly, looking around at his teammates.

"Who knows." Kenma wasn't paying much attention to the Ryujin players; instead, he was staring intently at the court. "Shoyo is still so interesting. That's great."

"They'll definitely feel some shock," Kuroo said with a laugh. "But they're not the type to break so easily."

"Didn't they also refuse to give up back when they faced Taichi? This is just seeing the opponents' strength for the first time—it's not enough to make them collapse."

"Speaking of which, didn't Yaku-senpai get completely destroyed by Taichi this morning? Will he still come out tonight?" Lev asked. Earlier at lunch, he'd tried to chat with Yaku Morisuke, but Yaku had ignored him completely.

"Don't worry. I'll convince him to come out," Kuroo said confidently.

Kenma shot Kuroo a sideways glance, hoping that confidence wasn't based on the ropes they had in their room...

———

An hour and a half later, Group A's second match finished.

[ASAS São Paulo 24 - 26 Trentino Volley]

[ASAS São Paulo 25 - 20 Trentino Volley]

[ASAS São Paulo 20 - 25 Trentino Volley]

[ASAS São Paulo 28 - 26 Trentino Volley]

[ASAS São Paulo 14 - 16 Trentino Volley]

São Paulo and Trentino battled all five sets, and in the end, São Paulo narrowly lost by a hair's breadth.

Group B's matches had already ended earlier.

Thus, Day 1 of the Club World Championship was complete, and the group results were finalised.

Group A: CA San Juan 3 points, Trentino Volley 2 points, ASAS São Paulo 1 point, Nizhnev 0 points.

San Juan Club sat in first place for now.

Group B: LUK Lublin 3 points, Ryujin NIPPON 2 points, Al-Rayyan 1 point, Mazembe 0 points.

Lublin Club temporarily led the group.

———

That evening, former Aoba Johsai members Iwaizumi Hajime, Oikawa Tōru, Kaedehara Taichi, Kunimi Akira, Chiba Kaho, as well as former Nekoma members Kuroo Tetsurō, Yaku Morisuke, Kozume Kenma, Lev Haiba, and Alisa Haiba, gathered for an epic reunion.

"Yaku-senpai, why are you sitting so far away?" Taichi narrowed his eyes and smiled. "I don't bite~"

"Hmph." Yaku flipped him an international friendly gesture. "I don't want to see either of your faces right now!"

Oikawa: "...Why am I included too?"

"You three—watch your mouths." Kuroo kept the peace. "We agreed tonight: no talking about volleyball!"

"Heh, then Taichi probably won't have anything to say." Kunimi sneered.

Taichi scoffed and glanced sideways at Kunimi. "I heard you've been training hard lately. Trying to surpass me, huh?"

"You two!" Iwaizumi lunged, his hands locking both of them in a death grip. "Can't you show a little Aoba Johsai solidarity?"

"...Yes," they answered in unison.

One person getting "Iwa-punched" was enough—Oikawa didn't need company.

"Taichi, come here and play games," Kenma called, raising his handheld console.

"Sure!" Taichi grabbed Chiba Kaho's hand and pulled her over.

"Kuroo-senpai, how exactly did you convince Yaku-senpai to come out tonight?" Lev was still curious. "Was it really the rope, like Kenma-senpai joked?"

"Can't say, can't say."

Kuroo gave a mysterious chuckle, eyes flicking aside—Yaku was chatting animatedly with Alisa nearby.

Definitely couldn't admit he'd used Lev's sister to lure Yaku out. Kuroo nervously took a big gulp of juice.

"Lev, come help me!" Kenma grumbled. "Taichi is cheating again."

"What do you mean cheating?! It's a righteous 2v1!" Taichi and Chiba gave each other a high five, both laughing gleefully.

"Coming!" Lev's attention immediately shifted. "I won't lose to Taichi in games!"

And so, amid the noisy chatter and laughter, Day 1 of the Club World Championship came to an end.

_________

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