Originally, Ukai Keishin had hoped to avoid a direct clash with Ushijima Wakatoshi and win by points instead. But now, it seemed that hope was a bit naive.
What is a national ace?
It's the kind of player who, through sheer individual strength, can single-handedly turn the entire match around.
To beat Shiratorizawa, they had to first contain Ushijima, not necessarily to defeat him outright, but at least to prevent him from scoring freely as he had been.
For this critical task, Ukai pinned his hopes on Tsukishima Kei.
Karasuno was not a team that won by height or brute force. Their average height was modest, not a fatal flaw at the high school level, but to block Ushijima's attacks, a certain height was necessary.
"Beeep, "
The referee blew the whistle to resume the match.
After the timeout, perhaps shaken, Ushijima's serve momentum broke. His fourth serve was a direct fault into the net.
The score stood at 14–16.
Ushijima rotated back to the back row, and Karasuno brought Oda Miki back onto the court.
This quietly relieved the Karasuno players.
But that relief didn't last long.
The next ball, Ushijima suddenly launched an attack from the back row.
Karasuno's front row players tensed up and quickly formed a block.
Boom!!!
With an explosive crack, the ball shot like a cannonball, soaring above Karasuno's blockers and plummeting straight into their backcourt.
Oda Miki was near the ball and quickly positioned himself.
But the instant he touched the ball, its fierce spin caused it to uncontrollably rebound, smashing into the side wall before finally dropping to the floor.
For a moment, the court fell silent again.
The score was 14–17.
Karasuno stared in complete silence at Ushijima looming above the net.
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"Whoa, Ushijima is ruthless!"
"Only freaks like you guys can pull off those huge angle cannon spikes from the back row," Kunimi spoke, glancing at Akashi Asuka.
"Uh… I think you might have misunderstood something," Akashi scratched his head.
Everyone looked at him in surprise, expecting humility, but Akashi continued:
"I don't usually hit those big angle cannon spikes because they're too risky. I prefer to break through from the front."
Everyone was speechless.
The match continued.
After Ushijima's thunderous spike, Karasuno's morale took a noticeable hit.
But just when it seemed like they might crumble, Hinata Shoyo suddenly slapped his own face, twice.
Slap! Slap!
Two bright red handprints appeared on his cheeks, startling everyone.
"Ahhhh! Damn it!"
Hinata shouted, his face filled with frustration.
"He's so strong, really too strong… that's what 'aces' are like! Akashi-kun is like that, Ushijima too…"
"But why… why am I so happy?"
A spark of excitement lit Hinata's smile. "To get to fight against opponents this strong, it's just so thrilling. I want to keep playing like this… forever…"
"Hm?"
Several players both on and off the court immediately noticed the change in Hinata.
It wasn't a powerful aura.
If Ushijima and Akashi radiated the presence of wild beasts, Hinata now felt like a starving pet.
Pets may not be as fierce as beasts, but any animal starved to the extreme poses a strong threat.
"It's happening again!"
Kageyama's forehead was beaded with sweat. "That feeling again? Why… why does this guy always gain this extra presence whenever it's crunch time?"
Beeep,
The referee's whistle.
Shiratorizawa served, and Aoba Johsai took the offensive.
The ball was received by Sawamura Daichi, who passed it to Kageyama.
Just as Kageyama considered who to set next, Hinata suddenly moved.
This time, Hinata's speed was faster than ever.
Even with Tendo Satori closely marking him, when Hinata made his move, Tendo was still half a beat late.
"Damn, what's up with that kid?"
Tendo's expression changed as he rushed after Hinata.
But before he could reach him, a volleyball had already reached its destination.
Bang!
The sound of the hit echoed from above.
Before anyone on Shiratorizawa could react, the ball slammed onto the court.
The score: 15–17.
Karasuno's players froze for a moment, then erupted in cheers, crowding around Hinata.
Only one person's face remained grim, Kageyama.
"Damn it, I lost control and passed the ball to that guy just now."
This was only the second time in Kageyama's life he'd experienced a pass he couldn't control.
The first time… was also to Hinata Shoyo.
Serve rotation.
It was Kageyama's turn to serve again for Aoba Johsai.
Frowning, he stepped into the service zone.
"How can I lose to that guy? He's the only one I absolutely can't lose to…"
Bang!
The image of Hinata stealing the ball earlier flashed in Kageyama's mind.
His inner fire burned hotter.
He tossed the ball up and smashed a powerful serve.
Boom!
The ball flew over the net and crashed onto Shiratorizawa's court.
"Eh??"
The speed and angle stunned Shiratorizawa's players.
"Hey, Kageyama's serve looks good!" Iwaizumi exclaimed.
"Heh, looks like that kid's been provoked by the little guy," Oikawa smirked, resting his chin on his hand.
"Provoked? What do you mean?"
"Oho! Even teammates have competition. For a setter, it's your job to deliver balls that satisfy the hitters, but those balls have to be under your control. If one day your sets aren't controlled by you anymore, it feels like a direct insult!"
Oikawa's expression was full of sympathy.
Of everyone on the court, he probably understood Kageyama's feelings best.
After all, he'd been through it himself, and his own ace was far more domineering than Karasuno's little guy.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria