"Damn it!"
When Wakatsu Kiryu's serve blasted toward them, even though everyone on Aoba Johsai had expected it, it still felt like a thunderclap.
Especially for Aoba's libero, Watari Shinji, who at that moment felt an urge to just run away.
After all, no matter how much he had prepared, he never imagined he'd face a killer serve like Akashi Asuka's, outside of training matches.
But in the end, Watari forced down his fear and shifted sideways, positioning himself directly in the ball's flight path...
Smack!
With a crisp, clear sound, Wakatsu's serve bounced perfectly back into the air.
"Huh?"
Everyone from Mujinazaka's team instantly froze, their pupils shaking with shock.
"How is this possible? Wakatsu's serve actually got received?"
Not only the Mujinazaka players but even Wakatsu himself was momentarily stunned. He knew the power behind his serve. Based on his pre-match scouting, Aoba's libero should have been average at best, there was no way they should have received it so easily.
["Oooohhh!"]
["Unbelievable! Wakatsu's opening serve was caught by Aoba Johsai's libero, Watari Shinji, who had been pretty average until now. Yet, at this crucial moment, he saved his team and stopped Mujinazaka's momentum."]
["Mr. Oda, what's your take on Watari's receive?"]
["Well! Uh... this... probably because... yeah, something like that..."]
Neither Mujinazaka nor the two commentators in the stands could quite believe it. As announcers, Oda and Ota prided themselves on their sharp eyes, but this receive left them genuinely stunned.
The perfect pass landed in Oikawa Tooru's hands. Oikawa immediately used a visual feint to mislead Mujinazaka's setter, then passed the ball to Akashi Asuka, who angled a sharp cross-court spike to score.
3–3.
Against all odds, Aoba Johsai had tied the score.
Next ball.
It was finally Akashi's turn to serve.
Boom!
With a thunderous crack, the ball, distorted from immense force, screamed like a slime monster through the air toward Mujinazaka's court.
Mujinazaka's libero, Haruma Bishin, froze as he saw the familiar serve flying toward him.
"Damn it!"
At that moment, Bishin finally understood why Aoba's libero had caught Wakatsu's serve so easily.
They were kindred spirits.
Just as Watari feared Akashi's serve, Bishin feared Wakatsu's.
Because this kind of cannonball serve? Catching it was one thing, but getting hit by it? That really hurt.
Though Akashi's power wasn't on Wakatsu's level, his efficiency in utilizing his strength during serves more than made up for it.
Despite his fear, Bishin made the same decision as Watari.
Smack!
["Oooohhh!"]
["Amazing receive! Mujinazaka's libero Haruma Bishin matched Aoba's Watari Shinji by flawlessly receiving Akashi's cannonball serve on his first touch..."]
The commentators suddenly sensed something off and trailed off.
If they hadn't quite grasped it on the first ball, after this second perfect receive, even the most clueless volleyball fans would realize what was happening.
"Hahaha... this is interesting. Really interesting."
At the back of the stands, dressed casually, Akaashi Keiji and Bokuto Kotaro, who had come back today after yesterday's visit, watched this dramatic scene unfold on the court.
"You know, I never noticed before, but Akashi and Wakatsu's serves are surprisingly alike. I bet their teams' defenders are sick of receiving these cannonballs every day in practice."
────────── ✦ ──────────
After this dramatic twist, the score was 3–4, with Aoba Johsai trailing.
From then on, Aoba struggled to regain momentum.
When Akashi rotated to the backcourt, their frontcourt attacking power dropped significantly, and their attempts to catch up relied mostly on the serves of Oikawa and Akashi.
Otherwise, head-to-head, Aoba was clearly outmatched by Mujinazaka.
────────── ✦ ──────────
At the 7-minute mark, the score was 6–9.
The gap between Aoba Johsai and Mujinazaka widened.
────────── ✦ ──────────
By 13 minutes, thanks to continuous cooperation between Akashi and Oikawa, Aoba held the gap steady but couldn't close it.
Score: 13–16.
────────── ✦ ──────────
At 21 minutes, Wakatsu fired another barrage of powerful spikes, smashing through Aoba's block and pushing the lead further.
17–22.
────────── ✦ ──────────
Finally, at 27 minutes, the first set ended decisively.
Mujinazaka took it comfortably, 25–20.
────────── ✦ ──────────
The players left the court to rest.
Aoba's substitutes quickly brought water and towels. Everyone took a few sips, their sweat-drenched faces shadowed by unease.
["Ah! It looks like things aren't going well for Aoba in this match!"]
["On offense, Mujinazaka's Wakatsu completely broke through Aoba's defense. And defensively, Mujinazaka's 'Twin Towers' are giving Aoba's ace a real headache."]
["Compared to a veteran powerhouse like Mujinazaka, Aoba is clearly a step behind."]
["That's true, Mr. Ota. But since this is Aoba Johsai's first national tournament, their performance so far is still quite impressive."]
────────── ✦ ──────────
The two commentators, as the match progressed, clearly sensed Aoba's predicament.
In fact, not only the commentators but even volleyball-illiterate spectators could see the gap between the teams.
Except for a few early rallies where Aoba held their own, the whole first set was dominated by Mujinazaka, with Aoba barely finding any chance to counterattack.
==========
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