"Dual Zone!"
"Full Power!"
The Summer Dream Cup was underway, and a palpable shift occurred as Barbatos began to change.
The legends of Rigil grew solemn. It wasn't that they had never raced against Barbatos before; they were all capable of maintaining full Zone coverage during a competition.
However, none of them could achieve what Barbatos was doing now—activating a Zone while completely retracting her presence and aura, appearing as unremarkable as an ordinary person.
"Full power, huh?"
Fuji Kiseki watched Barbatos intently, trying to discern something unusual. But after a long moment, aside from the suppressed aura, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
Noticing Fuji Kiseki's confusion, Air Groove—who had experienced the "Full Power" state herself—spoke up. "She manifested it during the Takarazuka Kinen. It put me on high alert then, too."
"However," Air Groove continued, "my impression is that 'Full Power' offers essentially the same mechanical boost as a normal Zone. I believe its primary function is psychological intimidation."
When everyone else's Zone was a grand, roaring spectacle, and most waited until the final stretch to ignite theirs, Barbatos stepped onto the field with a "plain and unadorned" Zone.
It commanded a unique kind of wariness and awe.
In terms of Zone mastery, Barbatos was undoubtedly the best in the world.
Other countries might have Uma Musume capable of "Full Power," and perhaps these legends could achieve it with specific training, but awakening multiple Zones and activating them simultaneously?
There had never been an Uma Musume like her before, and there likely never would be again.
"Full Power's real strength likely lies in reduced consumption and extended duration," Symboli Rudolf said.
As the one in Rigil who understood the "Zone" best, she spoke with a tone of absolute certainty.
"Given the monstrous stamina Barbatos displays in training, if she pairs it with this Full Power technique, she could probably use her Zone during practice sessions. Right now, it might be the perfect counter for Hishi Amazon's curveballs."
With the Zone active, her reaction time would sharpen, and her maneuverability would reach a new level.
This would allow her body to react even after the volleyball changed trajectory, sending it back across the net.
In Rigil, two Uma Musume specialized in these curving shots: Hishi Amazon and Fuji Kiseki.
While others had their own ways of dealing with them, the one who could handle them most effortlessly was Tokai Teio—who was currently not a member of Rigil.
"Using a Zone to counter a volleyball... only she would think of such a thing," Maruzensky remarked, interest piqued as she cracked open a bag of sunflower seeds.
"Peanuts, sunflower seeds, eight-treasure porridge!"
"Drinks, ice cream, coconut carrot juice!"
Gold Ship's jarring sales pitch echoed through the area. Beside her stood the refined young lady, Mejiro McQueen.
Since joining Spica, she hadn't even participated in her debut race; instead, she had been dragged into manual labor by Gold Ship more times than she could count.
If Gold Ship hadn't promised that all the leftover sweets would be hers, McQueen—a Mejiro!—would never have agreed to do something so embarrassing!
The serious atmosphere of the match evaporated instantly.
Feeling the eyes of the surrounding Uma Musume on her, McQueen's face turned beet-red, all the way to her ears. She gripped the hem of Gold Ship's shirt, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.
The thought of hijacking a train and fleeing Japan overnight even crossed her mind. She should never have let Gold Ship tempt her with desserts!
"Gold Ship! I'll take some peanuts and a carrot juice!"
Over at Team Canopus, Twin Turbo called out without hesitation. If it wasn't a fleeting sprint, it was much more fun to watch while snacking.
"McQueen! Two half-sugar drinks over here, please!" called Tokai Teio, who was hanging around Symboli Rudolf so much you'd never guess she was a member of Spica.
One by one, the legends placed their orders. Gold Ship's business was booming.
The Rigil members, veterans of past Summer Dream Cups, knew beach volleyball wasn't a quick affair; they might as well have something to nibble on.
This meant the four players on the court, in the brief moments between returns, all stole glances toward the sidelines.
They collectively decided that when they rotated out, they were going to buy snacks and eat right in front of whoever was playing the most intense points!
At the judges' table, Nice Nature approached with three half-sugar drinks she'd bought from Gold Ship. She placed one on the table in front of Minamizaka.
"Here, Trainer, have a drink. There are several matches left; you'll get thirsty."
In truth, she had only wanted to buy one for Minamizaka. But the thought of buying just one drink specifically for him in front of everyone else made her feel shy—as if it would look like she had some sort of "extra" motive.
So, she'd picked up drinks for Spica's Okino and Rigil's Toujou Hana as well.
"Thank you," Minamizaka said. For some reason, he felt that Nice Nature was different from Twin Turbo or Barbatos, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
The way he looked at her... his mindset felt slightly different.
Well, it's probably just because Nature is such a kind, gentle Uma Musume, he rationalized.
Okino and Toujou Hana offered their thanks as well. Toujou Hana maintained a stern, authoritative presence over her team and didn't really need her girls buying her things.
As for Okino? The Spica girls only ever thought about how to empty his wallet. That's what he got for his usual antics!
"Sigh, Minamizaka, the girls on your team are so nice. Not like mine," Okino grumbled.
In the split second his attention wavered, Toujou Hana—who hadn't looked away once—gasped. "Look!"
"Barbatos returned Amazon's curveball!"
"She's only seen it once, and she can already send it back like that?!"
Initially, the ball had seemed impossible to hit because its trajectory shifted mid-air.
Yet, the moment the ball curved, Barbatos twisted her body with lightning speed and hammered it back into the opposing court!
"That's the power of the Zone," Minamizaka explained.
According to his calculations, Barbatos's reaction speed was 1.2 times her base when using a single Zone at Full Power. Now, with a dual Zone active, her reaction speed was likely at 1.3 or even higher.
"When she's prepared, even a curving ball will only work once."
The ball Barbatos returned flew in a straight, piercing line, aiming to soar past Narita Brian at the net and land in the backcourt for a point.
Normally, after someone hits a trick shot, they might momentarily lower their guard, assuming they've scored.
Thump!
Another return.
The moment Barbatos activated her Zone, both Narita Brian and Hishi Amazon had braced themselves for the possibility of their curveball being countered.
Though they were surprised she managed it on only the second try, they were mentally prepared and didn't slip up for a second.
Barbatos was a monster—a peer who stood on the same level as them. That was their conviction, and they would not underestimate her.
Under the heightened focus of her Zone, Barbatos could see her opponents' movements with crystalline clarity.
Using her previous experience, she could judge whether a hit was a straight shot or a curve.
Moreover, the Zone accelerated her ability to learn and adapt techniques on the fly. In other words, she could start experimenting right there on the court.
As the ball flew back toward her, Barbatos recalled Hishi Amazon's form. She began to mimic and iterate.
Pow!
The ball crossed the net, and just as Narita Brian was about to receive it, the trajectory snapped!
"What?!"
Amazon, in the backcourt, exploded with her signature "Last Spurt" speed. Her figure blurred as she intercepted the deviating ball and knocked it back!
"Amazon! That ball was definitely going out!"
Narita Brian nearly lost her cool. Even though she'd missed the catch, she had clearly seen that the ball's new path would have landed out of bounds, giving them the point. And Amazon... returned it anyway?
"Thanks for the save, Big Sis Amazon!"
Having successfully manipulated the ball's trajectory once, Barbatos dashed forward. She struck the ball again, aiming for the gap Amazon had left open to make that save.
It was another curve!
If the previous shot had been a slight deviation that nearly went out, this one was calculated to curve sharply into the corner of the bounds.
I'll call this the "Serpent's Bite," she thought, mischievously naming her newly learned skill.
Thump!
With an Uma Musume's mobility, even half a court's distance is covered in a heartbeat. Amazon materialized in front of the ball and sent it back. This form... it was another curveball!
Barbatos's expression tightened. She instantly predicted the landing point and the potential shift. The match had suddenly devolved into a duel of curving shots.
"Big Sis Amazon, I've realized that if you can change the ball's path, there are so many new ways to play!"
The curves she and Amazon had been using were small adjustments meant to catch the opponent off guard. But theoretically, a much wider arc was possible.
Of course, that would make the ball significantly harder to control.
Despite their superhuman athletic talent, they weren't professional volleyball players.
They could run faster, jump higher, and react quicker, but their focus was still on the turf. They didn't spend their lives honing volleyball "tech." For most, "good enough" was the standard.
This was true for the legends and Barbatos alike. However, there was one difference: Barbatos had watched anime.
While she hadn't seen many sports series, the "special moves" she remembered were an inspiration.
She couldn't learn the actual physics from a show, but once she understood the core principle in a real match, she knew how to get creative!
Channeling power into her arm and using the hyper-reflexes of her Zone, she caught Amazon's curving ball.
The sheer force she applied caused the specialized volleyball to compress and distort as it screamed toward the sidelines—directly toward the judges' table!
It didn't clear the net... was it going out?
That thought didn't even cross the minds of the three judges. They were too busy feeling a wave of relief.
Thank goodness we moved the tables further back earlier.
The ball soared over the net, but Barbatos had hit it toward the out-of-bounds area. Even before it landed, it seemed certain the "94 Duo" (Amazon and Brian) would take the point, making it 2:0.
Neither Brian nor Amazon moved to catch it, confident it was out.
However, Amazon, the master of the curve, had a bad premonition. The way Barbatos had struck the ball... it was a curveball motion. Had she simply messed up the angle because of the force of the return?
Thud!
The ball slammed into the sand and bounced.
"Point to the Sei-B-chan team! The score is tied 1:1!"
The "audience" erupted. From their perspective, the ball had flown outside the court, only to whip back inward at the last second, landing perfectly on the line.
"That works too?!"
Maruzensky, still snacking, explained, "She took Amazon's curve technique and turned it into something new. But that trick won't work a second time. Amazon has already figured out how she applied that force; she'll be able to mirror it now. Barbatos will have to be on guard for the same thing."
"Oh?"
"Are they switching to the backcourt?"
On the court, Barbatos and Seiun Sky swapped positions. Seiun Sky moved to the net while Barbatos took the back.
This allowed Barbatos to better defend against any retaliatory "Super Curves" from Amazon.
With her Zone and her starting techniques, she could reach any ball on the court, and her stamina was more than enough to keep up the pace.
Plus, with Seiun Sky at the front, the tactical genius could use her positioning to mask Barbatos's movements, setting up a coordinated play to take down the veterans.
"If the ball can change direction, then we've barely scratched the surface of what we can do."
Once Barbatos moved back, Amazon and Brian didn't immediately try to replicate the long-distance curve. If the opponent was expecting it, the move would be useless.
At the net, Seiun Sky kept returning Brian's shots with seemingly zero aggression.
Just as she was about to hit the ball again, she suddenly pulled her hand back at the last millisecond, letting the ball fly over her head toward the backcourt.
The move stalled Narita Brian's momentum as she tried to readjust her read on the ball's trajectory.
Pow!
Barbatos met the ball, sending it soaring high into the air!
It was a lob!
Using Seiun Sky as a distraction, they were recycling an old trick.
Were they betting on Amazon not reacting in time to jump-serve a smash? That was impossible—the distance from backcourt to backcourt gave Amazon plenty of time to leap!
Amazon sprang high into the air, intercepting the path of the lob. She prepared to deliver a spike so powerful it would be unreturnable.
But in the next heartbeat...
The volleyball seemed to lose all momentum. Defying the laws of physics, it plummeted toward the sand, dropping sharply before it ever reached Amazon's reaching hands.
Thump.
Narita Brian couldn't react in time. Amazon was still suspended in mid-air, unable to descend.
"Team Sei-B-chan takes the lead, 2:1!"
When you can manipulate the trajectory, you can really have some fun.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.