"Thump!"
A light sound rang out as Aoba Johsai's libero received Tsukishima's serve and sent the ball to the team's setter. The instant the ball rose above the setter, Hank immediately began his approach and leaped.
And just as he was about to jump, Tsukishima, Kageyama, and Daichi, who were all still at the net, moved together to block him. They could already tell that the next attack was not going to be simple.
That was why all three of them chose to go up at once.
"The timing on that triple block is pretty good. It looks like they might actually be able to stop Number 23's attack."
Hope filled Ittetsu Takeda's face. Right now, more than anything, he wanted Karasuno to figure out a way to stop Hank from scoring at will. Otherwise, all they could do was stand there and watch him keep piling on points.
"Don't underestimate us!"
Daichi drove both feet into the floor and exploded upward toward the net. But the moment his hands rose above the tape, he suddenly saw a dark figure in front of him.
Hank's upper body had already risen terrifyingly high above the net.
There wasn't a trace of extra emotion on his face as he slammed the ball straight ahead with full force. At the instant Hank unleashed everything behind that spike, Daichi could even feel his hands sink into the volleyball.
The force was so overwhelming that it looked like Hank might actually crush the ball.
Yet the moment it left his hand, the ball flew straight toward Hinata, who was still in the back row.
"I've got it!"
The moment Hinata saw the ball hurtling toward him, his expression instantly turned serious. He could clearly feel that the spike Hank had just unleashed far surpassed any opponent he had ever seen, both in speed and in power.
The moment Hank rose above the net, the volleyball was already screaming toward him.
Even if Hinata had wanted to run, he would not have had the chance.
Smack!
With a sound that made everyone's teeth ache, the volleyball smashed directly into Hinata's arms and forcibly knocked them apart before dropping straight to the floor.
Hinata's face turned ashen.
What had just happened?
There had not even been anything tricky about Hank's angle. From a technical standpoint, it had just been the most basic spike possible.
And yet, even so, Hinata still had no chance of receiving it.
There was only one reason for that—
Hank was simply too strong.
He had no way to stop it.
"It hurts…"
Only then did Hinata raise his already bruising arms. Pressure had already started building in his heart at the thought of Hank's next spike.
He did not want to be the one receiving Hank's attacks anymore.
"His spikes are this strong too!?"
Even though Kiyoko Shimizu was not on the court, she could still feel the pressure coming from Hank.
It was like stepping by mistake into a lion's territory on the open plains.
The feeling was so oppressive it almost made it hard to breathe.
And if she felt that way from the sidelines, there was no need to mention what Karasuno's players on the court were experiencing.
The pressure they were facing now was dozens of times greater.
"As an ace, his spiking technique and angle control actually aren't that refined."
"But… his physical gifts are just too exceptional. Even if he knew nothing beyond the basic rules of volleyball, he'd still be good enough to start."
This was the first time Takeda felt that volleyball had been stripped down to its most primitive contest—
a contest of power and height.
Overwhelming force was trumping finesse.
Hank did not need to use any elaborate technique at all.
He could score anyway.
"Hinata's receiving fundamentals aren't good enough. We have to find a way to get him to the front row. That'll give us a lot more options for how we handle the ball."
"And once Hinata rotates to the front, his freak quick will be even more effective after Hank rotates to the back row!"
After checking Hinata's arms, Daichi immediately asked their teacher to call a time-out.
Ever since Hank had entered the court, he had brought Karasuno far too many problems. They not only had to think about how to avoid his blocks, but they also had to guard against his spikes.
Daichi had never felt this much pressure from a single player before.
It almost no longer felt like a team match.
It felt more like Hank's personal stage.
It was ridiculous.
"Don't lose heart, everyone. We only need two more points, and then Hank will rotate to the back row…"
Sugawara said with a smile, trying to encourage everyone.
For Karasuno, Hank's appearance had definitely added a lot more uncertainty to the match.
But what he had not expected was this—
Karasuno was even tougher than he had imagined.
They would not be beaten so easily.
(End of Chapter)
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