I row of the spectators' seats, a peculiar guy sat, pletely ed up in his own thoughts. Throughout the first set, his gaze rarely left the court.
When he occasionally lifted his head, his face, haggard from ck of sleep, betrayed exhaustion.
Yet, his eyes gleamed with a ravenous iy.
"Ah, Kageyama! Didn't you say you weren't ing?" A voice called out from behind him.
Tobio Kageyama flinched momentarily but quickly posed himself when he saw Shōyō Hinata. After all, nothing could be scarier than losing a match.
This year's Spring High qualifiers were held on a Saturday, allowing Karasuno's pyers to attend without missing school.
However, the third years deed, opting to focus on preparing for their futures. The sed years also chose to rest at home, pnning to watch the live broadcast instead.
In the end, only Hinata, Kei Tsukishima, and Tadashi Yamaguchi decided to attend. Uedly, their group now included someone who initially had no iion of showing up—Tobio Kageyama.
"Ah, so the king couldn't bear to mih oners, huh? Well, I suppose that's uandable." Tsukishima's mog tone was as sharp as ever. Unnoticed, he and Yamaguchi had approached.
Kageyama scowled, clearly in no mood tue with Tsukishima.
"I'm more curious about why you're here," Kageyama retorted bluntly, his gaze log onto Tsukishima.
To Kageyama, Tsukishima didn't seem particurly passionate about volleyball or fond of group activities.
Surprisingly, Tsukishima sat down beside him, a rare moment of dour in his tone. "Simple. I couldn't stop thinking about how I failed to block Ushijima's spike yesterday. It's...frustrating."
"Oh," Kageyama replied stiffly.
Behind them, Hinata and Yamaguchi exged wide-eyed looks.
Was this really happening? These two perpetual rivals were having a calm and open versation!
"We didn't just lose yesterday—we were crushed," Kageyama said, his eyes fixed owo teams warming up on the court. "Ushijima-senpai is even strooday than he was yesterday. We couldn't even push him to his limits."
"But Shiratorizawa still lost the first set," Tsukishima pointed out, not to refute Kageyama but to state a fact. "Even with Ushijima leading them, they 't defeat Aoba Johsai alone."
"True. Shiratorizayers are all strong, but their primary goal is to support their ace. Today, they're stig to their usual strategy. Yesterday's match against us was likely an experimeing new possibilities." Kageyama spoke with eerie calm, his words carrying the weight of a sleepless night spent analyzing Shiratorizaast three years of matches.
"Shiratorizawa's traditional style lost to Aoba Johsai at the Interhigh finals. That's why they're seeking ge," Tsukishima noted, his expression serious. "But based on the first set, they've been pletely dragged into Aoba Johsai's rhythm."
"Taichi's presence is overwhelming," Kageyama remarked. "Once he sets his sights on someohey 't help but want to pete with him. Even Ushijima-senpai seems affected..."
For the first time, Karasuno's two sharpest minds sat together, calmly analyzing the match. In just a few exges, they had outlihe situation on the court.
Yamaguchi listened ily, trying to keep up with their insights. Hinata, however, looked utterly lost—his expression osciltiween fusion and enlighte.
When the versation turo Taichi Kaedehara, Hinata suddenly perked up. "I'll definitely defeat Taichi someday!"
Both Kageyama and Tsukishima turo him, their faces bnk with disbelief.
"Idiot."
"Moron."
-----
The sed set began quickly.
Shiratorizawa's lineup:
Front row—Middle Blocker Tendō Satori, Outside Hitter Ushijima Wakatoshi, Outside Hitter ōhira Reon.Baiddle Blocker Kawanishi Taichi (Libero: Yamagata Hayato), Wing Spiker Goshiki Tsutomu aer Eita Semi.
Aoba Johsai's lineup:
Front row—Middle Blocker Yūtarō Kindaichi, Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi, Setter Oikawa TōruBack row—Wing Spiker Kunimi Akira, Outside Hitter Iwaizumi Hajime and Middle Blocker Matsukawa Issei (Libero: Watari Shinji).
Both teams had made adjustments.
Seeing Shiratorizawa's new arra, coaobuteru Irihata smirked slyly. However, wheiced assistant coach Sadayuki Mizoguchi hadn't asked for an expnation, Irihata was dissatisfied.
"Sadayuki, do you uand the meaning behind these substitutions?" he asked.
Mizoguodded. "Shirabu performed well i set. The only noticeable mistake was his missed serve. But coach Washijō likely isn't repg him because of that. He wants Semi to activate the other pyers, reduce the pressure on Ushijima's offence, and prepare him for the ter stages of the match."
Irihata looked at him in astonishment. This kid...he's really grown.
Enjoying the praise, Mizoguchi tinued, "On our side, we've subbed in Kunimi and Matsukawa to enhance our blog and receiving, ensuring Shiratorizawa's adjustments don't take effect."
"Good, good." Irihata praised him enthusiastically, though he suddenly realized something was amiss. Wait a sed...shouldn't he be plimenting my brilliant strategy? Why am I praising him?!
The match resumed with Shiratorizawa's serve.
Semi's skilled jump float serve immediately disrupted Aoba Johsai's formation.
Kunimi barely managed an underhand receive, and Oikawa couldn't get into position to set. Iwaizumi salvaged the py, sending the ball over without an attack.
"ce ball!"
Yamagata easily passed it up. Semi jumped ahe ball.
The first py of the set went to Ushijima in the middle.
"Triple block!" Kindaichi, Kaedehara, and Oikawa leapt together. The pressure of the block alpable, even to the spectators.
Smack!
The ball lightly grazed Kaedehara's fingers, boung bato Shiratorizawa's court.
A rebound?!
Even Ushijima's opening attack carried airely different feel from the first set.
"ce ball!"
Yamagata's pinpoiiohe ball to the left. Tendō leapt behind it, spiking aggressively.
"Not happening!"
Kindaichi, who had nded, quickly moved left and jumped diagonally, extending his hands to block Tendō.
—Whoosh!
Tendō feiipping the ball toward the far right. Ushijima was already in motion, leaping again.
"Tch!"
Taichi jumped as well, meeting Ushijima head-on.
—Boom!—
The ball bypassed the blod nded sharply in Aoba Johsai's court.
Ushijima scored with a cross-court spike.
[Aoba Johsai 0 - 1 Shiratorizawa]
"Damn it, they really switch styles that easily?!" Oikawa grumbled.
Even the spectators were astoo see Shiratorizawa exeg sutricate pys.
"The setter is always the one who transforms a team's style," remarked a entator as Semi stepped up for his serve.
Bang!
Semi's sed serve rocketed over.
"I got it!"
Iwaizumi crouched low, receiving the ball ly. It arced toward Oikawa, who quickly set it to the right wing.
Kaedehara Taichi soared for the spike but was met by a formidable triple block—Tendō, Ushijima, and ōhira formed an imperable wall.
With every obvious angle sealed, brute force was uo succeed. Taichi's mind raced as he spotted Ushijima's calm expression.
"I've got it!"
Taichi targeted the upper part of ōhira Reon's palm and spiked the ball.
Smack!
The volleyball bounced bato Aoba Johsai's court.
"ce ball!" Watari Shinji set the ball to Oikawa Tōru.
Landing swiftly, Kaedehara Taichi sprio the far left. Shiratorizawa's defeneeded to adjust their block, but with his speed, Taichi was fident in breaking through!
"That move again!" Tendō Satori recovered and chased after Kaedehara Taichi.
Taichi had already jumped at the far-left wing. Tendō, in a hurry, leapt up as well, but he couldn't reach Taichi's height.
At that moment, Oikawa's set arrived at Taichi's hand with pinpoint precision.
Boom!
Kaedehara Taichi's spike scored.
[Aoba Johsai 1 – 1 Shiratorizawa]
"How unfortunate. I pull off that move too~" Taichi remarked casually, his light tone making Tendō grind his teeth in frustration.
Ushijima Wakatoshi observed him silently, already regarding Kaedehara Taichi as a rival of equal calibre.
With the serve now rotating, Oikawa Tōru stepped up to the service line.
During the break, he'd endured beiured by Iwaizumi and teased by Hanamaki and Matsukawa, but the stant showboating from Taichi right before his eyes was unbearable.
"It's all Shiratorizawa's fault!!!"
Focused, Oikawa inhaled deeply, tossed the ball, a into the air. His body arched like a bow, and his arm swung down in a perfect arc.
Bang!
The ball was so forceful that Goshiki Tsutomu nearly lost his footing. The volleyball smmed down near his heel, and in the split sed it nded, Goshiki saw the ball deform upon impact with the ground.
The vivid crity of the moment made him feel like time had frozen.
Oikawa Tōru had served an ace.
[Aoba Johsai 2 – 1 Shiratorizawa]
"Don't overthink it! It's just a normal py!" Semi Eita quickly reassured the shaken Goshiki.
"N-normal…?" Goshiki swallowed nervously. If that was normal, then this match was going to be impossible.
Oikawa g Taichi with a smug expression. How about it? See how amazing your senior is now?
"Wow, Oikawa-senpai is incredible. Such a powerful senpai easily score ten points in a rht?" Taichi said emotionlessly, his tone pletely ft.
Oikawa: "..."
He missed the old Taichi—the rookie who followed him around, endlessly praising him (memories that didn't actually exist).
Oikawa served again.
Boom!
The ball zipped forward at an incredible speed but was slightly higher than ideal. While Goshiki hesitated for a moment, the ball nded.
It was a no-touch ace!
Oikawa Tōru scored two secutive points with impeccable serves.
[Aoba Johsai 3 – 1 Shiratorizawa]
On the sideline, Washijō Tanji ground his teeth.
His philosophy hadn't been wrong. High school volleyball wasn't professional volleyball; it was unrealistic to traio excel in every aspect of the game.
With teams almost pletely refreshed every year, the development window was narrow.
The most effit approach was seleg athletes with standout physical traits—height and power—and honing them into specialists. Shaping raw talent into a polished gem was the hallmark of a strong team.
But this approach was sometimes disrupted by the appearance of so-called geniuses.
Shiratorizawa had Ushijima Wakatoshi, a bona fide star, but Aoba Johsai had produced twies in the same year.
Oikawa remained on the service line, log eyes with Ushijima. Even during the IH preliminaries final, he hadn't felt as equal to Ushijima as he did now.
Years of defeat had pnted a lingering doubt in Oikawa's mind—that he was always just a little g. The weight of this mental burden had always tipped the scales against him in matches with Ushijima.
But now, havied Ushijima once, Oikawa felt as if he stood before him for the very first time.
This time, I'll crush you!
Bang!
Oikawa's third serve screamed across the court.
"I got it!"
Semi Eita stepped forward, intercepting the ball just in front of Goshiki. The forearly toppled him, causing him to kneel briefly.
"Goshiki!" Semi shouted.
The ball deflected upward, heading toward Shiratorizawa's baseline.
Snapping out of his daze, Goshiki sprinted backwards. From the very first set, he had realized that every point against Aoba Johsai was crucial!
Smack!
Goshiki mao swipe the ball back over the with one hand. ōhira Reon tipped it toward Aoba Johsai's backcourt.
"ce ball!" Iwaizumi Hajime received it ly.
Oikawa set the ball to Kaedehara Taichi on the left wing.
"Three blockers!" Shiratorizawa's front rot in unison, their outstretched arms creating a formidable wall.
Boom!
Taichi barely mao angle a sharp diagonal shot through the gap between the blockers and the .
But, a figure was already waiting at the three-meter line.
Smack!
Semi received the ball, and Goshiki leapt from the back row.
Thud!
Kunimi Akira had already pulled Kindaichi Yūtarō to the left during Goshiki's approach, positioning both blockers in front of Goshiki.
Smack!
The ball was blocked a bato Shiratorizawa's court.
Tendō dove from the right, smming his palms against the floor to keep the ball in py.
"Again!"
Semi followed up, setting the ball to the right wing.
Ushijima jumped, and Kaedehara Taichi faced him head-on.
Ushijima swung his left arm with full force—
And missed?!
The ball soared past Ushijima.
Bang!
On the far-right side, ōhira Reon spiked the ball down.
[Aoba Johsai 3 – 2 Shiratorizawa]
Kaedehara Taichi's gaze alternated between Semi Eita and Ushijima Wakatoshi. These two definitely weren't pulling off something like that for the first time!
Semi smiled at Taichi. "You're uimating Wakatoshi, aren't you? We've been teammates since our first year. Just because we don't use something ofte mean we 't."
Taichi smiled back. "Not at all. Ushijima-senpai has always been my stro rival. This level of py is exactly what I expect from him."
-----
The sed set was a brutal tug-of-war.
Shiratorizawa aimed to free Ushijima by relying on other pyers for offence, reserving him for decisive moments. In trast, Aoba Johsai tighteheir defence, sending a clear message: You won't get away with that!
Every point became a gruelling battle. Shiratorizawa struggled to find a sed reliable offeion outside Ushijima, while Aoba Johsai, missing Kyōtaarō, pced the offensive burden squarely on Taichi.
Jump after jump, spike after spike, receive and terattack—every point seemed to take triple the time of the first set.
Spectators hadn't expected su exhausting game following the first set's explosive pys.
During each timeout, both teams were drenched i and gasping for air.
Shiratorizayers proved more versatile than Coach Irihata had anticipated, steering the game toward Coach Washijō's ideal sario.
The two teams' styles seemed to have flipped: Aoba Johsai relied on Taichi's individual offence, while Shiratorizawa embraced team volleyball.
Aoba Johsai reached 20 points first, leading [20 – 18], but the toll on Taichi was evident.
He had attacked nearly 30 times, sg 15 points. Ushijima, oher hand, had taken only 10 attempts, sg 6 points.
"Substitution!" Shiratorizawa called for a pyer ge—Shirabu Kenjirō stepped in, repg Semi Eita.
The match was entering the critical phase Coach Washijō had envisioned...
_________
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