A strange mix of excitement and dread welled up inside Hinata.
On one hand, the chance to face Ichinose Guren head-on in a 2v2 match thrilled him to no end.
But at the same time, a faint, tingling pain on his cheeks, born of memory and instinct, reminded him that this opponent was terrifying.
"Hyakuzawa! Big trouble!" Hinata hissed through clenched teeth.
"Guren-senpai looks like he's already in serious mode!"
"Yeah… that's not a good sign," Yudai Hyakuzawa replied, exhaling slowly.
Then, after a moment's hesitation, he muttered, "Hinata, you take the serve."
"Eh?! Why me?!"
Hinata might've been passionate and fearless, but he wasn't stupid.
He didn't even bother to turn his head, shooting back his protest while staying crouched in receiving position, eyes glued to Guren.
Hyakuzawa, equally tense and ready, didn't look away either.
"I'm too tall," he explained quickly. "If I dive for it, I'll end up flat on the floor, and with my mobility, it'll take too long to get up and transition to offense."
"You're shorter, faster, and better at receiving. It makes sense."
"Besides, if I take the serve, then you're the one who'll have to spike it!"
He rattled off every justification he could think of, and honestly, he meant every word.
He might seem slow sometimes, but Yudai Hyakuzawa wasn't a dumb giant.
He hated losing just as much as anyone.
And right now, that competitive fire burned bright.
Hinata clenched his fists. "Alright! I'll do it!"
With their brief "strategy talk" done, the two braced themselves for Guren's serve.
===========
Across the net, Ichinose Guren didn't spare them a glance.
To him, serving wasn't about guessing who'd receive, it was about imposing dominance.
He simply focused on the tactile rhythm between his hands and the ball, the soft friction of leather against skin, the subtle rebound of pressure feeding back into his palms.
That sensation, soft, yet powerful.
His eyes sharpened, and the air around him seemed to still.
On the receiving side, both Hinata and Hyakuzawa felt a chill crawl up their spines.
It wasn't just focus, it was predatory intent.
For an instant, it felt as if the person across the net wasn't Guren anymore, but a wild beast lurking in the mountains, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
Hinata's instincts screamed.
In his mind's eye, he could almost see the creature's fangs, stained with the blood of countless hunts.
Even Hoshino Katsuri, Guren's own teammate, felt it.
From behind him, a wave of invisible pressure made him instinctively raise his hands to guard the back of his head.
"This club… is full of monsters…" he muttered under his breath.
"Let's see, a 195 cm giant, a hyper-agile jumper with insane lateral speed…"
Then his eyes flicked to his captain, the man about to serve.
Ichinose Guren…
He gave off an aura that went beyond strength, a presence that pierced straight through the ceiling.
"Feels like I'm standing next to a final boss from a shonen manga," Hoshino thought with a grimace.
===========
The ball stopped spinning between Guren's palms.
He inhaled once.
Thump, thump,
He bounced the ball against the floor twice, feeling the weight and rebound.
Then, toss, step, leap.
The red team on the opposite side froze, eyes wide, muscles coiled, waiting for the impact.
SWOOSH!
The air split with a sharp, slicing sound.
His body blurred, an afterimage streaking through the gym.
He rose.
Arm swung.
Palm met ball.
The impact flowed seamlessly from his shoulders down to his fingertips, a perfect kinetic chain.
The volleyball deformed under the sheer force, its elastic shell absorbing just enough energy before releasing it all at once,
BOOM! BOOM!!
It sounded like two gunshots fired point-blank beside their ears.
"Wh–WHAT?!"
By the time the ball smacked the floor, echoing through the gym, Hinata and Hyakuzawa were still frozen mid-stare.
Sweat beaded down both their foreheads.
"Hey, Hinata," Hyakuzawa croaked, "did you see that?"
"No," Hinata admitted. "I only saw him jump and swing. Then… something just whooshed past me."
They exchanged uneasy looks.
If every serve was like that, they were doomed.
A late whistle finally sounded.
In-bounds. Point, valid.
1 : 0.
From the scorer's table, Kawashima hurriedly gestured to the scorekeepers, his hands shaking as he signaled them to flip the scoreboard.
==========
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