"Sei-B-chan Team leads 2:1!"
With the sudden drop of what had been a high lob, Hishi Amazon and Narita Brian found themselves powerless to turn the tide.
"At this rate, Brian and the others are in real trouble," remarked Maruzensky, watching from the sidelines.
"Amazon's signature curveball is formidable, but for us, it's mostly an 'initial encounter' trick. In the Dream Cup, what truly matters are reaction speed, stamina, and focus."
She shook her head slightly. "The only way to pull back now is if Barbatos and Seiun Sky run out of steam. That's their only opening."
But was that even possible?
After a month of training together, everyone in Rigil knew exactly how terrifying their endurance was—especially Barbatos, who had been maintaining a double Zone throughout the match.
If it were any ordinary Uma Musume, they wouldn't have lasted this long. But for Barbatos? She could likely breeze through a whole match without even feeling the strain.
In their past matches, scoring against one another had always been an uphill battle. Because of this, the Summer Dream Cup followed a different set of rules than standard volleyball.
Victory wasn't determined by a set point total, but by time. Within thirty minutes, whichever duo had the most points would be declared the winner.
Twenty minutes had already ticked away. With only ten minutes left on the clock, Amazon and Brian needed to score at least one more point to force the game into overtime.
In overtime, it would be 'sudden death'—the first to score would take the set.
Because of these rules, the duration of a Summer Dream Cup match far exceeded the usual races an Uma Musume participated in.
A typical 2,000-meter middle-distance race wouldn't even last two minutes, yet a single round here demanded a full thirty minutes of exertion.
This was exactly why everyone welcomed Gold Ship's snack vending.
At least while watching the match, their mouths weren't idle, and they didn't have to worry too much about strict diets during the summer training camp.
On the court, having just secured another point, Barbatos immediately felt the intensity of Amazon's offensive surge.
If things dragged on like this, the veterans were bound to lose. Now was the time to keep a cool head.
She couldn't afford a reckless attack. An offensive move was great if it scored instantly—like her earlier 'Snake Shot'—but a single mistake could allow the opponents to even the score.
The 'Snake' and 'Boomerang Snake' were reliable enough. But that high lob from before... perhaps calling it a 'Parachute Ball' or an 'Eagle Magic Ball' was more fitting.
If she tried to pull that off again, changing the trajectory mid-flight, she might score another point.
However, this wasn't a solo game. If the trajectory was too erratic, Amazon might miss it, but Brian would definitely be mentally prepared this time. She wouldn't be caught off guard twice.
They were looking for an opening to set up a spike! A legendary jump serve... Barbatos really didn't want to face the brunt of something like 'Killer Volleyball.'
Minutes and seconds bled away. Both sides traded blows, offense meeting defense, each searching for a crack in the other's resolve.
"The race has entered the final straight!"
"One minute remaining! Currently in the lead are Barbatos and Seiun Sky—the Sei-B-chan duo!"
"In this final minute, can the '94 Duo utilize their late-game burst to close the gap and force a tie?!"
Toujou Hana's professional commentary cut through the air, signaling to everyone that they had reached the home stretch. If Hishi Amazon and Narita Brian couldn't chase down this point, the match was over.
Barbatos's nerves were taut as she tracked every twitch from Brian and Amazon.
The closer they got to the finish line, the more likely the unexpected would happen. This was the moment to give it everything; there was no room for complacency.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
The volleyball zipped back and forth over the net.
"Thirty seconds left!"
"Twenty seconds!"
Smack!
Amazon slammed the ball back with everything she had. It soared high into the air—a desperate high lob to buy time in these final seconds.
The moment the ball left Amazon's hand, Barbatos was already moving.
When Amazon hit the return, Narita Brian's silhouette had perfectly blocked Barbatos's line of sight. She couldn't tell if it was a standard lob or an 'Eagle Magic Ball' capable of shifting its path.
Fine then.
Regardless of what kind of ball it was, she would strike it before it had the chance to change course!
Seeing Barbatos charge forward, Seiun Sky instantly read her intent and retreated toward the backcourt to cover for her in case the reception failed.
The lob was incredibly high; normally, even an Uma Musume would need to wait in the back to play it.
Except for a select few.
"Speed is power!"
Barbatos kicked off the sand with explosive force, leaping diagonally toward the ball.
"Big Sis! This round belongs to us!"
The lob hadn't even begun to deviate yet. Barbatos had jumped so high she could only just reach it, but that was enough. She gathered her strength, her palm facing down.
As her hand connected, the ball seemed to deform under the sheer pressure, lingering against her palm for a fraction of a second as if absorbing a terrifying amount of kinetic energy.
As the ball finally left her hand, it let out a sound like a sonic boom!
"The match isn't over yet!"
A powerful aura erupted, momentarily freezing the onlookers' movements. Amazon planted her left foot and leaped high, her own Zone flaring as she prepared to meet Barbatos's spike head-on.
Floating in mid-air, Barbatos's lip twitched.
Sister Amazon, you really are a total badass... but this is reckless!
A collision like that might return the spike and force overtime, but Amazon's arm would likely be shattered. She'd be spending the rest of the camp in a cast.
"Amazon!"
Toujou Hana's voice rang out sharply, causing Amazon to flinch mid-air.
Barbatos's spike whistled past Amazon's frame and slammed into the sand with a thunderous boom, leaving a visible crater as dust billowed upward.
At the officials' table, Toujou Hana rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.
Barbatos's presence had certainly ignited the competitive spirit of the legends, but for them to consider taking a spike like that point-blank was insane.
Even if she had saved the point, would Amazon have been able to keep playing?
"Match over!"
"The first set goes to the Sei-B-chan duo by a margin of two lengths!"
The silence that had gripped the Uma Musume during the final thirty seconds finally broke into a roar of cheers.
Barbatos walked up to the net, meeting Amazon, who had already powered down her Zone.
"Big Sis, you really are something. You gave me a heart attack just now; I thought I was going to have to pay your medical bills."
"Hehe, B-chan," Amazon chuckled. "Just wait until the finals. I'll settle the score then."
"I'll probably just lie down on the ground and sue you for every penny of my medical expenses," Amazon joked.
"Wait, hold on, Big Sis... so your idea of 'settling the score' is insurance fraud?!"
--+--
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.