Chapter 11: Battle in the Air
"Wait, wasn't I here to practice volleyball?"
Umenai Tenma felt a bit embarrassed. He wasn't skilled at teaching, and having not played volleyball in years, he wasn't sure how he'd perform. But after dragging this kid into a day-long manga discussion, it felt wrong not to teach him something.
"I was the team's ace spiker in high school. Due to my size, it was hard to spike over the opponent's block, so I specialized in hitting out off the block."
"Hm? Hitting out off the block?" Kaedehara Taiichi looked at Umenai Tenma, puzzled. He understood the words, but the concept was unclear.
Umenai Tenma smiled. "Instead of explaining, why don't you try defending against me first?"
"Exactly what I was thinking!" Kaedehara Taiichi shed his jacket, grabbed the volleyball, and headed back to the park's volleyball court with Umenai Tenma.
Ding. "Training mode activated. When the host trains one-on-one with a senpai who is earnestly teaching techniques, training mode automatically activates, temporarily restoring the senpai to their peak condition."
Ding. "Umenai Tenma temporarily restored to peak condition: Height 170 cm, Speed 88, Power 80, Stamina 95, Jump 90, Specialty: Spiking 98."
Height 170 cm, Spiking 98?! As expected of the Little Giant! This was the highest spiking stat Kaedehara Taiichi had seen so far. But the other stats, compared to Hinata Shoyo and Kageyama Tobio, felt somewhat "average."
Umenai Tenma held the volleyball, a familiar sensation flooding back, his body feeling lighter. He hadn't forgotten his love for volleyball after all.
He stood on one side of the net, holding the ball in one hand and pointing at Kaedehara Taiichi with the other. "As an ace, the first thing you need to do is dominate the air."
Maybe it was an illusion, but Kaedehara Taiichi felt Umenai Tenma's gaze sharpen.
Umenai Tenma tossed the ball high, starting his approach from the back. As he leaped near the net, Kaedehara Taiichi prepared to jump and block on the other side.
Normally, with a setter, a one-on-one block has no advantage, as the blocker doesn't know where the setter will send the ball. But with a spiker tossing their own ball, the trajectory is predictable due to the time needed for their approach, making it easier for Kaedehara Taiichi to block knowing exactly where the Little Giant would spike.
Taiichi jumped, arms stretching diagonally upward. With his height advantage and Umenai's imperfect toss, the entire hitting zone was within his defensive range.
Bang!
"A short diagonal? Wasn't it supposed to be out off the block?" The ball spiked past Taiichi's left side, landing in.
"I only said I'm good at hitting out off the block, not that it's all I can do," Umenai Tenma said with a cheerful grin. "Method one: When the defense is sparse, avoid the block and find a clear path to spike."
"That's sneaky!"
Umenai Tenma took the ball to the baseline and tossed another spike. This time, Taiichi didn't commit to a rigid block, his eyes locked on Umenai Tenma's gaze.
As Umenai fell, he pushed the ball lightly—a soft shot! With no teammates behind him, Taiichi watched the ball land gently in the court.
"Method two: Exploit gaps in the back-row defense by dropping the ball into weak spots."
"Again!" Taiichi tossed the ball back to Umenai Tenma.
Umenai Tenma tossed, jumped, and spiked again.
Taiichi knew he couldn't defend alone but jumped with all his might, determined not to let Umenai spike so comfortably.
Umenai's jump was perfect this time, his body fully extended in the air. Taiichi's block stayed firm—good. A glint of approval flashed in Umenai's eyes. He aimed for the edge of Taiichi's palm and spiked hard. The ball hit Taiichi's hand and flew out of bounds.
In that airborne moment, Taiichi felt as if he saw black wings behind Umenai Tenma. His stable midair posture and piercing gaze truly lived up to the "Little Giant"!
"Method three: When you can't spike directly, use the block. This was hitting out off the block."
"Use the block?"
"Yes, you can hit out off the block or make the ball rebound for another attack," Umenai Tenma explained.
As Taiichi retrieved the ball, he pondered Umenai's words. He'd seen these techniques before, but facing them on the court was different—he couldn't predict the opponent's approach! The Little Giant's midair stability was unreal; until the last moment, it was impossible to know how to defend. It was a gap in experience and skill. A spiking stat of 98 was no joke.
"Again!"
"Sure, I'm just warming up," Umenai Tenma said with a laugh.
An hour later, Kaedehara Taiichi lay on the ground, exhausted. Physical fatigue was bearable, but the mental toll was brutal! In an hour of offense and defense, Taiichi only stopped one ball—when Umenai's diagonal shot hit the net—while nearly half his own spikes were blocked.
No way, one more time!
In his past life, Taiichi was known for grinding in games. He dragged himself up. "Umenai-sensei, I'm rested. Let's go again!"
"No more. I've got to catch the Shinkansen back to Tokyo, or I'll miss it," Umenai Tenma said, already packing his things.
Kaedehara Taiichi felt deflated. Losing all evening stung.
"We exchanged emails, right? I'll find you next time I'm back."
Looking at his junior, Umenai saw a unique player. Well-built, fast, smart, hardworking, and improving at a visible rate.
In that hour of rallies, Umenai Tenma clearly felt Taiichi's focus sharpening. Each spike Umenai landed became progressively harder.
Only one ball stopped? Umenai wasn't surprised. Even humbly, he was the ace who reached nationals, dominating the air. On the court, he faced two or three blockers. If a first-year rookie shut him down solo, that'd be embarrassing.
On offense, Umenai could see Taiichi's spiking growing smoother, constantly trying techniques he'd shown, though errors were frequent.
But given time to grow…
Umenai Tenma shook his head, not dwelling on it. He wouldn't face this kid as an opponent anyway.
Seeing Taiichi still dejected, Umenai whispered, "Here's a trick!"
Taiichi looked up, instantly hooked.
"The key to hitting out off the block is the angle—not the angle of your spike, but the angle when you hit the blocker's hands. Whether it goes out or rebounds as a chance ball is decided in that split-second in the air."
"Aiming for the blocker's hands…" Kaedehara Taiichi murmured, lost in thought.
Seeing Taiichi deep in reflection, Umenai didn't interrupt. He took a taxi and left. Though brief, this encounter left a strong impression on Umenai—a player who admired him and shared his love for manga. He'd made a great friend and felt they'd meet again soon.
But for now, his manga serialization was the priority. Umenai Tenma silently prayed that Zombie Swordsman Zabish, reborn after their detailed discussion, would succeed!