"It is mine!" elia dashed toward the flying ball like a bull, almost ramming into her own teammates along the way. She absolutely had to reach this ball and drive it right into the enemy court, no matter what! The serve streak of the La s had to be broken!

  Admittedly, this set was quite sloppy, hardly befitting to be spiked by a noble such as elia. heless, it was an admirable effort from the captain to turn that difficult ball into a set instead of it to the enemy as a free ball.

  Daniel may not be a noble, but she is nur oner. elia admitted as she jumped at the ball. As a is my duty to make the best out of this hard-earned opportunity!

  It was going to be a clumsy terattack, but it also had a surprise element to it. Nobody on the eeam was expeg Dao go for a set from that position, or that elia could spike this ball. The enemy blockers were severely unprepared for this development!

  "Go, elia!" Daniel shouted. "Hit it with everything you’ve got!" Beat that damn prodigy! Show that hard work pete with talent!

  BAM! It almost sounded like an explosion. elia clearly poured every st bit of her strength into this attack.

  WHISH! The ball dived straight into the enemy court like a missile!

  Despite the awkward forms of both the setter and the spiker, somehow this attack turned out legit. It packed a lot of ford it headed toward the far end of the court, making it hard to defend against.

  ake it in...! elia felt sweat f on her forehead. Just don't go out. Don't go out...!

  The ball headed straight toward the enemy baseli was going so fast it was hard to tell whether it’d nd in or out. And, knowing elia’s record definitely wasn’t making this any more reassuring. Ugh, the nerves!

  On the bright side, the eeam should have an equally difficult time telling whether this ball was heading toward an out. Therefore, they’ll surely have to try to receive it, unless all of them were too fazed by this surprise terattack.

  Fortunately, there was one pyer who didn’t seem fazed at all. She stepped in at lightning speed to intercept the ining ball.

  Thud. elia’s powerful shot crashed into something but the impact it produced was oddly dull.

  “Wha…?” Daniel’s jaw dropped. “Why is she…?”

  This wasn’t some lucky clutch receive. No, this particur receiver was at the right pce at the right time. She elegantly made the ball bounce upwards in a beautiful arc as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

  And, that receiver was her than Fiona.

  Admirable effort. Fiona praised as she watched the ball go up. It lendid dispy of team py under such difficult circumstances. However, it is not good enough.

  Under normal circumstances, elia’s spike was s that even Fiona had a hard time receiving it perfectly. However, that was not the case at all in this exge. Both the setter and the spiker had to improvise on the spot, which greatly affected their form.

  So, despite what they might have believed, Fiona’s serve ultimately remained unbroken throughout the entire development. The enemy failed to properly receive her jump floater, therefore they had a hard time transitioning into a proper attack, which was exactly what a good serve strived to achieve.

  heless, the attackers poured their everything into this. Therefore, watg the ball fly through the air in su elegant arc delivered a mental blow.

  "She received it...?" Daniel muttered. And, she made it look so easy, too...

  It was a clutch py that Daniel and elia barely mao squeeze out of that tight situation. elia stopped the ball from falling to the ground, Daurhat shanking ball into a set, and elia somehow got into position in time to spike it. It was such a stressful sequence of pys!

  They both did their best in that situation, no doubt about it. That ball could’ve easily been a free ball for the enemy, but Daniel and elia went the extra mile to make sure that wouldn't happen. And, they even succeeded in mounting an attack! Or, so they thought.

  In the end, for the prodigy that was the La Princess, the whole py amouo nothing more than feeble resistance. After all, it was an awkward attack produced by two "oners", so how could it ever hope to measure up to “her majesty”?

  No. Enough mopping! Daniel spped her cheeks. "They’ll likely send the ball to Karen, so make sure you have her marked!"

  The enemy's attack was immi. Judging by everybody's positions, it made the most sense for them to set the ball for Karen in this situation. If the blockers he get into position in time, they should be able to wall off this attack...!

  And indeed, it seemed like Daniel’s predi was on point.

  "Set it to Karen, please," Fiona requested while her ball was still high in the air. The upside of her receive was that it gave the team a moment to breathe in relief a into perfect positions for the attack. On the flip side, it also gave the other team time to rearraheir defense.

  Fiona was too far from the o join this attack, so it was best to leave it to Karen. Out of all the other options, she was surely going to hahis best.

  "Okay, let's go!" Karen grinned as she dashed toward the . Her movements were so obvious that they surely telegraphed the ining attack. She could definitely learn to be more discrete about such things, but si was Karen, it should be alright even with this handicap.

  "Karen!" Fiona called out and showed a slow spiking motion with her hand.

  "Got it, sis!" Karen grinned and dialed up the telegraph. "Here I go! Try to stop me if you !" She shouted toward the enemy blockers, to make sure they were wholly trated on her ining attack.

  The setter already got the ball up, so it was showtime! "You think you block this!?" Karen provoked the blockers further as she jumped toward the .

  "I shall stop you at once!" elia was one of the two blockers oask. "I swear that on my honor as a von Galen!"

  "Heh, it looks like that 'honor' of yonna ght into the trash where it belongs! You never gonna block this super mega ultra shot!"

  The ball finally appeared within Karen's reach. She stretched her arm all the way to the back, making a show of how powerful her spike was about to be.

  Naturally, the blockers respo once. Karen was well-known in the club for delivering strong spikes, so nobody had a doubt that the uping attack will be a challenge.

  In particur, elia jumped up at the first opportunity that preseself. The girl was a simpleton like that. She always fell for simple provocations.

  Here goes, my super shot!!! Karen swung her hand with all her might, about to deliver a devastating spike that wouldn't lose to elia's strength!!!

  Nah, just kidding. Right before Karen’s hand struck the ball, she slowed down and only lightly tapped the ball.

  "Wha-!?" elia excimed as the ball hovered over her, outside the reach of her hands. No matter how hard she stretched her noble arms, she was uo stop that high ball.

  "H-How cowardly of you!" elia barked. "How dare yo ugo for a feint after spouting all those plebeian provocations...!"

  "Heh. That's what they call 'strategy', von Asshat."

  The ball was going slowly, painfully so. It didn't look like a threatening atta the slightest, especially not after how much Karen hyped up her "powerful spike".

  However, what this attack cked in power it pensated for with its surprise factor a. The ball went over the blockers and then dove straight to the floor.

  Such a slow ball should’ve been easy to receive. However, none of the girls saw this sneaky attaing, so nobody’s body responded in time.

  The libero did slide forward in the end, but she didn't make it in time. With a faint thud, the ball hit the floor and rolled away.

  "I-It ot be..." elia gritted her teeth.

  This one poi so heavy. The ce to break Fiona’s serve was right there! elia almost made it happen!

  As, the accursed Fiona La deflected the attack without any trouble. And, she then verted that receive into a attack with the thanks of her fake sister.

  The score was now 6-2. There was no end in sight to Fiona La’s ongoing serving spree. Could nobody put a stop to that noble!?

  I’m… I’m a fellow noble… elia ched her fists. I… I must be able to stop her… Yes, I should be more than capable of doing that, a…

  She couldn’t. Thus far, every attempt ended in failure. Why couldn’t she do it? Why!?

  While elia was busy beating herself down, the captain tried to i some positivity into the team. "Okay, we were close this time!" Daniel said. "Let's break her serve with the one!"

  "Yeah..." "Right..."

  "Hey!” Daniel called out. “What's with these dejected replies!? I don't hear your voices!"

  "Y-Yeah!" "Right!"

  "Yeah, that's more like it." Daniel nodded in approval even though she knew everybody was just putting on a strong front. Even she was starting to lose heart here.

  I mean, who wouldn't, right? Daniel wryly. A difference of four points is pretty much game over…

  And, it wasn't even over yet. They failed to stop Fiona’s streak, so she’ll serve once again.

  In the end, it took Daniel's team three more rounds to finally put a stop to the prodigy's oppressive serves. At that point, the score was already 9-2. The match felt practically unwinnable.

  Naturally, everybody oeam felt dejected. Even though the initiative assed back to them, they didn’t feel like they’ll be able to utilize it in the slightest.

  Even Daniel quieted down, u out her voice like before. She couldn’t help but feel crushed by this depressing differen points.

  A, in the face of all that despair, there was oeam member who retained her usual loudness. “At long st, our noble terattack begins!” elia announced proudly for some reason as she faced the eeam. “Now, it is YOU who shall struggle to break OUR serve streak!”

  “Heh, fat ce.” Karen shrugged. “You’re the only server on that team who’s a bit difficult. Everybody else is just okay. I mean, I guess Dani’s serves get inteoo, but that’s about all your team is pag.”

  “Hmph.” elia lifted her in response. “Evehe plebian serve itself is nothing to write home about, I shall ehe streak will keep going!”

  “Oh? How exactly?”

  “It is simple,” elia expined. “I’ll block each of your attacks and score points. Yes, it’s that simple.”

  “Heh, ‘simple’, she says.” Karen cracked a ugh. “Achieving all this stuff is like literally the entire challenge of sports, you know?”

  “A lowly challenge for one as noble as myself.”

  “Pft, yeah, sure. Alright, let’s see you pull that off then.”

  “That I shall!” elia responded without an ounce of hesitation. It felt like the enemy’s huge lead didn’t affect her at all.

  This always amazes me. Daniel smiled wryly. Where does this girl pull all that fidence from? We’re gging behind like crazy here, yet she insists we turn this around with no problem. That’s madness.

  Surely, the situation was getting to elia as well. There was no way she could truly remain unfazed by such a big point difference.

  heless, elia carried herself with unbounded fidence even now. It was holy amazing how the girl wore the mask of fidence so vingly.

  Does she actually believe all the things she’s saying? Daniel wondered. Anyway, this isn’t good. I ’t be outdone by a junior like this. If a junior is strong enough to not give up here, then I should be eveer than that.

  “Alright, girls, listen up,” Daniel called out. “I’ll be ho, the current differen points is rough. But, keep in mind that all these points were pretty much earned by Fiona alone. Her turn is over now, so just reset your brain. Fet the lead she built. Let’s just sore points than them from here on out!”

  This successfully ied some energy into the team. They couldn’t fully regain their usual vigor, but at least they raised their heads and got ready to fight to the bitter end.

  Despite the great achievement, there was someone who didn't quite agree with this approach. "It is fihat you want to keep the team motivated," Fiona said. "However, it will not do you any good to ighe fact you have failed to stop so many serves in a row. This is a problem you will most certainly have to face again in this very match, so you better prepare yourselves for it."

  "Geh..." Daniel groaned as she saw a few of her teammates drop their shoulders iion. Thank you very much for the "encement", Fiona! Grrrrr!

  However, the La Princess paid o any of that and tinued. "With that said, keep in mind that I held nothing back with my serves," Fiona expined. "It is not often that we get to py each other so petitively, therefore I chose to respect the occasion by p everything I have got into this."

  Daniel ughed dryly in response. "I'm pretty sure nobody would’ve put it against you if you held a little back, haha..."

  "I do hold back during practice, but a match such as this is a serious petition. Tag the full extent of my serves should be a valuable lesson for all of you."

  "More like a soul-crushing lesson…" Daniel rolled her eyes.

  "Hmm.” Fiona nodded. “Yes, I see how failing to stop this many serves in a row may bee quite disheartening."

  "Yeaaaaah, 'quite' doesn't even begin to describe it."

  "But, in the end, you did put a stop to it. And, you have improved with each attempt, which is an experiehat I am sure will stick with you beyond this match as well."

  "Yeah, we did stop it... after you scored 9 points."

  "Yes, that was a rather long serve streak," Fiona said. "However, five me if I sound arrogant, but I believe I rank among the top servers in the try for my age, especially now that I have mastered the jump floater as well."

  "Yeah, I don't think anybody is going tue with that."

  “In that case, you should realize that you have challenged and broken the serve streak of such a high-profile server. In other words, that streak was a glimpse of the worst it could possibly get for you at the peak of the nationals."

  "Heck," Karen added. "Even at the nationals, I dunno if we gon anybody who serve half as good as you do, sis."

  "I doubt that is the case, but I am fttered you think so highly of my skill." Fiona smiled softly. "Anyway, this is the gist of what I wao say. You may feel down about hooints I have taken from you, but you should not avert your eyes from the fact it happened. Instead, keep in mind that you are fag one of the best servers and prepare accly."

  "Got it." Daniel nodded. "ime, we'll cut you off way faster."

  "At the very first serve, in fact!" elia added. "Though I admit your eique is nothing short of impressive, I shall crush it thhly in the round!"

  "I am looking forward to it." On that note, Fiouro her position on the court.

  In an official match, the referee would have surely scolded them for holding such a lengthy versation in the middle of the game. However, the main goal of this scrimmage was to help the girls improve, so the coach allowed it.

  It's weird. Dahought. It wasn't a "pep talk" or an "inspirational speech" or anything. But, it still somehow mao lift everybody’s spirits.

  This was certainly something only the "La Princess" could achieve. While elia’s big talk about being a “noble” was always disregarded as a joke, Fiona’s galnt figure and elegant mannerisms made everybody feel like they were in the presence of real royalty.

  But, she’s still an oppo we’ve got to beat. Daniel shook her head and focused on the py. Princess or not, we're going to take her down!

  That's what Daniel sincerely believed. Unfortunately, things didn't go that smoothly...

  DarkestCymore