BAM!
Kousen's captain, number one, landed lightly, a small buffer motion softening the impact, a smug smile on his face.
The referee signaled: point confirmed. Kousen scored from the spike.
The score had closed to a single point, Yukigaoka 4:3 Kousen Academy.
After the libero successfully received Yudai Hyakuzawa's spike, their setter quickly moved beneath the ball, preparing for the next attack.
The three front-row Yukigaoka players were already in position, ready to block. Yet none of them had expected that the Kousen setter, previously considered purely a support player, would shine in this round of offense and defense.
From a position close to the net, the setter delivered a short, flat, and extremely precise set, no arc, just a direct feed, perfectly timed with the first-tempo quick attack from Kousen's number one.
After the set, there was no taunting or bravado. Just a simple, quiet celebration with teammates before immediately refocusing on the game.
Such focused attention… not an offensive setter, yet serious, calm, and dangerous.
Ichinose Guren slowly loosened his shoulders, thinking over the ball just set by the opponent. His face betrayed no emotion, just the calm composure of a handsome mask.
Yudai Hyakuzawa, meanwhile, watched Ichinose, curious how his captain would respond. Thinking during a game was mostly reserved for spikes or studying the opponent.
Although Hyakuzawa was not stupid and could quickly read some subtle cues from teammates, when it came to tactical thinking, dirty tricks, even first-year Mori surpassed him.
Hinata Shoyo was itching to rotate to the front row, but for now, his defense could only prevent leaks. He was far from Yukigaoka's strategic ace.
Mori took a deep breath, calming his emotions.
No wonder this team reached the finals. A setter we didn't even notice can execute such a precise set for a quick attack.
But the opponents may be strong… my teammates are stronger!
He encouraged himself, quelling the negativity arising from recognizing the opponent's strength versus his own weaknesses.
The match is long; there's no need to rush.
The flying knife isn't finished. We still have our strongest trump card.
The opponents showed no mercy. They weren't about to give Yukigaoka even a second to think. As the referee's whistle blew for the serve, Kousen immediately unleashed another powerful jump serve aimed directly at Mori.
Never-ending, huh! Damn it!
Is their control really this good?
Mori barely received the jump serve again. Though he prevented it from hitting the ground, he was frustrated that he couldn't set up his teammates for an attack.
Even Mori, calm by nature, muttered a few curses internally. On the court, it was understandable, blood and adrenaline, a normal reaction for young players.
Ichinose noticed Mori's shift in mood but didn't rush to comfort him. He knew Mori's emotional control and stability, honed by six years of Go in elementary school, were perhaps the strongest on the team.
Trusting his teammate's ability, Ichinose remained silent but attentive.
He was the captain, he needed to care for his team. After all, the Ichinose family tradition was to protect their own.
"Shoyo!"
Ichinose called to Hinata Shoyo, the closest to the ball, pointing upward.
Hinata understood immediately. Unsure whether he could handle the high ball, he still knew that when the team's ace called, he had to respond, and deliver a perfect set.
Guren likes high sets, and he hates balls that drop too low.
This one must go straight over the net.
Inexperienced at high sets, Hinata flicked the ball with a backhand motion, sending it above the net.
The instant it left his hands, a flicker of doubt appeared.
Too high!
"Sorry! My bad!"
Hinata quickly called out an apology, which mirrored what the opposing blockers were thinking. At first glance, experienced eyes had already noted the trajectory.
Too high.
Too high.
Too high.
The opposing middle blockers smiled inwardly. Kousen's front defense was weak, two tall players had retreated to the back row. Only the captain, number one, remained to block.
The other middle blocker had decent jump but, at just 1.8 meters, didn't need to leap fully to cover a set. Jumping was less crucial than reach.
But Ichinose thought differently.
Perfect set, Shoyo. I only need a high ball.
The volleyball's reflection glimmered in Ichinose's eyes. His focus was entirely on the ball above him. In that moment, nothing else existed.
The cheering from the stands, the shout of Hoshino Katsuri adjusting positions, even the voices of opposing blockers warning each other, all disappeared.
No extra thought about how to jump or spike was needed. Muscle memory took over, executing a perfected leap, even carrying an artistic elegance.
So beautiful…
Yukigaoka's players watched Ichinose's silhouette soaring above, all thinking the same.
Humans seek ways to fly because they have no wings.
The captain's leap… that counts as flying.
Hoshino Katsuri, standing near the warm-up area, couldn't help but think that.
"Here it comes!"
Though Kousen's three front-row blockers weren't sure if Ichinose could reach this ultra-high ball, they jumped with all their strength.
Back-row players rushed forward, anticipating either a direct drop or a follow-up attack from Hinata.
Both sides pushed their bodies to the limit, wishing they could stretch like Luffy to intercept the ball.
Outside the court, spectators and Kousen's bench coaches focused intently, waiting to see the outcome.
POP! TAP!
Three cameras at different angles captured Ichinose's spike.
Everyone on the court froze. Spectators leaned forward, craning their necks, wanting a better view.
The broadcast director, experienced as ever, quickly edited the three camera angles into one replay.
The ball, impossibly high, was not spiked with force. Ichinose, leveraging his vertical reach, extended over the blockers' hands, lightly tipping the ball with his wrist, an ultra-high point, soft spike.
Front and side close-ups captured the precision. The three pop-tap sounds were perfectly caught by microphones.
His fingertips barely grazed the ball. The spike was executed with minimal contact, yet controlled to avoid touching the net.
Watching the replay carefully, it was clear: if Ichinose had been even a centimeter lower, the ball would have become a tip instead of a spike.
The back-row defenders barely had a chance to react.
Even a soft spike, the ball slipped past the defenders' fingertips before landing. Thrillingly close.
"Amazing!!!"
"Unreal!!!"
"This must be the highest contact point of the county selection!"
"Seeing this ball is worth the whole tournament."
"I'll brag about this for life."
The audience's reactions reflected the sheer terror and brilliance of the spike.
Kousen Academy fell silent, frozen. A player in the warm-up area punched the air in frustration.
"How can we even block that? Ridiculous!"
"How do you play against this guy?!"
Though disheartening, this player voiced the feelings of most Kousen players.
A set that was clearly high enough to be beyond the block, over a meter above it, was still spiked down by the ace, using vertical leap and wingspan to make a play at 340cm.
It was a spike that could crush the morale of any opponent.
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