Competitive sports are a form of warfare governed by strict rules.
And morale is one of the key factors that determine victory or defeat.
Facing adversity and never giving up.
These eight words are easy to say, but to truly live by them requires a level of willpower and conviction that goes far beyond what most people can imagine.
If the players of Aoba Johsai High had that kind of resolve, then no matter the opponent, beating them would never be an easy task.
Yet in reality, the stronger the team, the more resolute their mindset tends to be.
It's often the average teams that just coast along.
The strong grow stronger, while the weak fall further behind.
Akashi Asuka spiked the ball again, same power, same force, but this time, he broke clean through a triple block. The ball slipped right between the outstretched arms of two blockers and slammed into the ground.
Aoba's libero stood passively on the court, arms at his sides, watching the ball fly past without making a move.
The referee made the call.
"Match over. Sengoku Junior High defeats Aoba Johsai High. Final score: 2-0. Sengoku wins."
"Thank you for the game!" ×2
Both teams quickly lined up at the net, bowing and shaking hands.
During the handshake, the players from Sengoku were understandably overjoyed with their victory, yet strangely, Aoba's players seemed even more cheerful than they were.
Seeing this, the smiles on the faces of the Sengoku team suddenly faded a little.
On the ride back in the school bus, everyone from Sengoku wore complicated expressions. The excitement of yesterday's win was nowhere to be found.
Maybe it was because today's match had been more exhausting. Or maybe because yesterday had marked their first-ever win, and their first advancement to the second round.
"It's weird… We won again, but I don't feel happy at all," Oomae Masato said, reclining in his seat with his hands behind his head.
"Well yeah, that's normal. We're not just some clueless nobodies like we were yesterday."
"Haha… Don't tell me you're already tired from this?"
As the conversation picked up, the bus started to come alive again with banter, until a quiet voice suddenly cut through, silencing the whole bus.
"There's nothing to celebrate about beating a team that had no will to fight in the first place."
The one who spoke was the team's opposite hitter, Oda Miki. It was strange, he was probably the second most handsome guy in the team after Akashi Asuka, but somehow, his presence in the club was almost nonexistent.
Even during practice matches, teammates would sometimes forget he was even on the court.
"A team that loses but shows no disappointment or frustration… that can only mean one thing: they never really tried in the first place."
"Because they never made the effort, it was easy for them to accept failure without pain."
Oda Miki's voice was calm, emotionless even, but his words hit hard. The entire bus fell silent.
Because at that moment, everyone understood why today's victory over Aoba felt so hollow.
There was only one reason.
It was because of the way Aoba walked off the court today… reminded them far too much of themselves in the past.
Coach Shimokawa, who had been driving, listened to Oda's words from start to finish, his eyes gleaming with thought.
Meanwhile, sitting in the very back, Akashi Asuka gave a slight smirk after hearing Oda's monologue.
"Well, well... So you're the one sneakily trying to outwork me, huh?"
As always, the school bus kindly dropped off each student right at their doorstep.
But this time, before they got off, Coach Shimokawa didn't say his usual, "Rest up, no sneaky training."
According to school rules, unless it's a national-level tournament, club activities can't interfere with regular classes.
Sengoku's next match wouldn't be until the following weekend, which meant Akashi Asuka had five days to continue his personal training.
And he had already mapped out a plan.
Over the next week, his focus would be on improving his vertical leap. On his stats panel, he was already close to reaching the threshold of 75. If he could make a breakthrough in his jump height this week, his offensive capabilities would become even more terrifying.
Thanks to the system's data, Akashi could set clear, targeted goals.
But… well, plans are always perfect, until reality gets in the way.
[Congratulations, Host. During your holiday training—stair jumps—you completed twice the training volume of your teammates. You have achieved a minor internal competition milestone.]
[Gained: Jumping Skill +0.1 "Competition King" points.]
On the steps of a local park—
Akashi Asuka's legs trembled as he completed his final set of stair jumps.
2 hours and 40 minutes.
He had completed 12 sets in total, five laps per set. Aside from standard rest breaks, he was averaging one full set every two minutes.
This training volume was nearly three times that of a standard school practice session.
The system's message made it painfully clear, he had only done double what others had.
At that moment, Akashi Asuka was shaking with fury.
Can this world please just have a little trust?
Back at school, everyone was saying how they were going to head home and play video games, catch up on anime...
And yet now, you're all secretly grinding behind my back?
"Oda Miki, you damn dog, I knew it! I knew you were shady the moment you opened your mouth on the bus!"
At a public volleyball court, Oda Miki, seated on the bleachers watching a group of older players, suddenly sneezed.
"You okay, Miki? Catching a cold?"
Next to him, a young man who looked about five or six years older, and bore a striking resemblance, asked with concern.
Oda rubbed his nose and shook his head. "It's nothing, bro. Probably just the pollen around here."
His brother glanced at the surrounding plants and flowers. "Makes sense. Just take it easy, alright? If you start feeling worse, don't push it, head home early."
"Got it, bro. You go ahead. Sanashita and the others are probably waiting."
Oda's brother nodded and jogged off.
Only after he left did Oda Miki shift his attention back to the court. In his clear eyes, the entire scene of the match ahead gradually came into focus…