"Let's go! It's our turn to take the court now."
The second match between Kitagawa and Yukigaoka Junior High also wrapped up quickly, about ten minutes in total.
As always, Akashi Asuka got to witness Shōyō Hinata's final attack: a lightning-fast, flat spike. But that single point barely registered with the crowd given the huge gap between the two teams' scores.
Of course, for Tobio Kageyama, who was right across the net, the experience might feel a little different.
·····
"Our next opponent is Sengoku." a middle-aged coach spoke seriously to his team in the waiting area of Shirakawa Junior High. "They were the dark horse at this year's prefectural tournament. Honestly, after reviewing the footage last night, I realized that if they hadn't met Kitagawa in the round of sixteen, they might've gone even further."
"What? We're facing such a strong team again?"
"So unlucky!"
"Looks like we're out in the first round this year too…"
"Don't be so down." the coach interrupted firmly, seeing the team's morale already tanking before the match even started. "Listen carefully, Sengoku is strong, but not unbeatable. According to my analysis, they revolve entirely around one player: their ace outside hitter."
"That ace really is top-tier in the prefecture, but aside from him, the rest of the Sengoku players are pretty average."
"So your job in this game is simple, shut down their ace. If you can stop him from scoring, we have a real chance. Understood?"
"Yes, coach."
·····
"Bullshit!"
Smack!
Another fierce spike from Shirakawa's setter's side zipped past and slammed onto the floor.
Watching number three from Sengoku score again, Shirakawa's setter couldn't help but recall the coach's pre-game talk.
Something's off here, coach.
This Sengoku team isn't as weak as you said.
But one thing's true, number one on the other side must never get the chance to attack.
The setter glanced toward the imposing figure wearing Sengoku's number one jersey on the opposite court. Since the start, that guy hadn't attacked once, but as a player, the setter's instincts screamed danger.
This guy is way too dangerous!
A bead of sweat slid down the setter's forehead. The score was 9–4 now, but he wasn't overly worried, until he stood near Sengoku's number one.
Then it felt like a beast was staring him down.
Smash!
Oomae Masato scored again with a powerful spike and clenched his fists, cheering excitedly.
But Akashi Asuka felt no thrill. Instead, he felt a bit sleepy.
He didn't know what Shirakawa's setter was thinking right now, but if he did, he'd probably tell him, "You're overthinking it, kid."
From the start, Akashi hadn't attacked, not because he was heavily guarded.
Even with three blockers, Shirakawa's team would struggle to shut him down.
No, Akashi hadn't attacked simply because of the coach's plan.
Leveling up.
That's the main strategy Sengoku had been using during the early rounds of the qualifiers.
At the prefectural tournament, they used the same tactic, but the others weren't strong enough, and Akashi's individual skill was so overpowering that Shimokawa Mitsuto's "veterans leveling up the rookies" plan failed miserably.
But this time, with the rest of Sengoku's players improving by one or two tiers, they could finally carry their own weight.
So the goal in the early matches was to give the rest of the team real tournament experience.
Nice plan, but reality always throws some curveballs.
Because everyone was so focused on Akashi, Shirakawa always had at least two players tightly guarding him whenever he was in the front court. Even when he dropped back, the opponents remained distracted.
This left big holes elsewhere on Shirakawa's defense. Oomae Masato and Jujiro Kazama attacked freely, feeling zero pressure.
Twelve minutes in, the referee blew the whistle to end the set.
Score: 25–16.
Sengoku took the first set with a huge lead.
During the break, the Shirakawa coach furrowed his brows, thinking aloud, "Looks like they're using their ace as bait in this first set. In the second, maybe we can ease up a bit…"
"No."
Before the coach could finish, Shirakawa's setter interrupted sharply.
"Coach! We absolutely cannot let number one attack. If we do, we'll lose even worse."
The setter's expression was serious, sweat dripping like rain onto the floor.
The coach's eyes narrowed.
·····
Meanwhile, as Shirakawa debated how to handle Akashi in the second set, Shimokawa Mitsuto made a tactical call on Sengoku's side:
"Akashi, you don't have to play in the second set."
"What?"
Before Akashi could respond, the rest of the team was stunned.
"Why? Coach, did Akashi do something wrong?"
"No. Not at all."
Shimokawa shook his head. "Our goal for the early rounds of this qualifier is to let everyone except Akashi get used to the national-level intensity. But our opponent is so focused on Akashi that the others aren't really experiencing the true challenge of this tournament."
"So for the next matches leading up to the round of sixteen, Akashi won't play. That way, we keep a trump card up our sleeve."
"I understand." Akashi nodded, agreeing to the plan.
Honestly, Shimokawa's strategy was risky. In a tournament like this, you never know when an underdog might appear.
But it's not feasible to rely on Akashi alone.
If the rest of the team doesn't improve fast, Sengoku could easily fall into the same tight spot they faced at the prefectural tournament when the competition stiffened.
------------
Note: If you guys want to read up to 30+ chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on Patreon. You can read up to chapter 68 there! Patreon.com/Veltoria