[July 9th, early m]

  The sky was just beginning thten.

  The teams gathered outside Shiratorizawa’s gymnasium for the day’s training.

  The pyers from Kadokawa Academy had assumed the early start was due to the training camp, but seeing the other schools act as if this were a normal routine made them realise the gap between themselves and top-level teams.

  “Choose your pace group based on your fitness level. Don’t get lost.”

  ōhira Reon stood at the front, giving a few final reminders.

  The running groups were divided into three tiers. The first group, led by Ushijima Wakatoshi, set the fastest pace; the sed group followed ōhira Reon; and a supproup brought up the rear, ensuring no pyers from other schools gged behind ot lost.

  “This is just a warm-up. Don’t push too hard…”

  Despite ōhira’s repeated warnings and using Goshiki Tsutomu as an example of overexertion, most chose to stay with the rger middle group at a steady pace.

  Goshiki puffed out his chest and gave a thumbs up.

  “Don’t worry, ōhira-senpai! This time, I’m definitely going to outrun Ushijima-senpai!”

  The first tier sisted of Ushijima Wakatoshi, Kaedehara Taichi, Kyōtaarō, Kindaichi Yūtarō, Aoakanobu, Koganegawa Kanji, and Goshiki Tsutomu.

  Before long, Kindaichi began to fall behind. Stamina wasn’t his issue—their sheer speed was overwhelming.

  Halfway through, Kyōtani and Aone also started to slow dowe losing ground due to fatigue, none of them gave up, and the first group stretched into three segments.

  At the front were Ushijima, Kaedehara, Goshiki, and Koganegawa.

  “Goshiki’s really improved,” Taioted, recalling their st joint run with Shiratorizawa.

  But at the urn, both Goshiki and Koganegawa fell behind.

  “Déjà vu,” He remarked as he pulled even with Ushijima.

  “Mm.” Ushijima’s expression remained unged, but he too remembered the previous run. Tendō Satori had made it widely known that he’d lost to a first-year from Aoba Johsai.

  If memory served right, Shiratorizawa’s campus would e into view after the er.

  “Wanna race, Ushijima-senpai?” Taichi grinned.

  “Sure.” Ushijima’s lips twitched, perhaps the ghost of a smile.

  The two quied their pace, surging forward side by side before suddenly accelerating at full speed as they rouhe er.

  The five behind them watched, stunned. Monsters—how could they go even faster?

  Ushijima and Taichi sprinted as if they were twin gusts of wind, gliding effortlessly along the road. Muscles taut, they poured everything into the final push as Shiratorizawa drew near.

  Adjusting his breath, Ushijima pushed his stride frequency just a fra faster. Every muscle in his legs trembled, unleashing raw power.

  Taichi, not to be outdone, leaned forward, tightened his shoulders, and breathed in rapid bursts, elling his strength into each step.

  Ned neck, they crossed the campus entrance, mere milliseds apart.

  Breathing heavily, they exged smiles.

  With no spectators or referees, the result could only be a tie.

  “But there are no ties in volleyball.” Ushijima, surprisingly, broke the silence. “We’ll settle it during the match.”

  "Sure."

  Taichi straightened, his eyes burning with determination.

  -----

  Back at the gymnasium, the teams regrouped, each acutely aware of the gaps between schools after even a simple endurance run.

  Yet, with pyers shuffled across different squads, victory for any team remained within reach.

  The intense pace of the training camp left no room for idle talk. After a quick breakfast and stretches, the gym transformed into a battleground.

  Team Irihata lineup:Front row—Setter Shirabu Kenjirō, Middle Blocker Aoakanobu, Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi.Back row—Wing Spiker Goshiki Tsutomu, Middle Blocker Tendō Satori (Libero Iwaizumi Hajime) and Outside Hitter Futakuchi Kenji.

  Team Washijō lineup:Front row—Middle Blocker Hyakuzawa Yūdai, Setter Oikawa Tōru, Outside Hitter Ushijima Wakatoshi.Back row—Wing Spiker Terushima Yūji, Outside Hitter Kunimi Akira and Middle Blocker Kindaichi Yūtarō (Libero Yamagata Hayato).

  “Let’s have a good match!”

  The game began with Futakuchi serving for Team Irihata.

  He stepped up to the service line, nerves frayed after being outpyed by both Ushijima and Oikawa the day before.

  Today, he faced them together...and his fellow outside hitters were just first-years.

  Thwack!

  Futakuchi sent the ball across the .

  “Got it!” Yamagata Hayato darted to the nding point, making the receive.

  Futakuchi’s serve had some tricky spin, and Yamagata’s pass wasn’t perfect, veering slightly off-target.

  “Here, Ushiwaka!”

  Oikawa stepped in smoothly, setting the ball to the left wing with pinpoint precision.

  Charging from the back row, Ushijima leapt. The ball soared precisely into his strike zone.

  If there was one word to describe the feeling of hitting that set—perfect.

  Even with a shaky first pass, Oikawa still mao deliver exactly what the spiker wanted.

  In just one night, their e was already remarkable. Ushijima felt a rare curve of satisfa at the er of his mouth.

  “Double block!” Aone and Taichi moved swiftly to intercept.

  Boom!

  The ball ricocheted off Taichi's hands, smashing into the floor before boung high.

  Unstoppable!

  Ushijima Wakatoshi scored.

  [Team Irihata 0 – 1 Team Washijō]

  “,” Oikawa muttered grudgingly.

  “,” Yamagata answered for Ushijima.

  For two pyers, this py left a deep impression.

  Hyakuzawa glimpsed power beyond Kaedehara Taichi’s—a strength he had yet to reach.

  His height alone wasn’t enough; it was time to focus on unleashing full force with each spike.

  Shirabu, calm but shaken, reized it immediately—this was the setter Ushijima had always wanted. Oikawa had mapped out the spiker’s habits in mere hours and delivered precision even from a fwed pass.

  Now Ushijima took his pce at the service line.

  Gulp.

  Team Irihata collectively swallowed.

  Ushijima’s devastating serve was followed by Oikawa.

  Watg their duels had always felt banced. Now they were on the same side.

  Boom!

  Ushijima’s serve hammered the floor, a no-touch ace.

  [Team Irihata 0 – 2 Team Washijō]

  But—

  They saw it!

  Though Ushijima Wakatoshi’s previous serve had scored a direct point, two pyers from Irihata’s back row had simultaneously reacted to that first ball—Iwaizumi Hajime and Goshiki Tsutomu!

  One had faced relentless serves oional stage.The other had studied Ushijima’s every move every single day.

  Irihata Nobuteru and Washijō Tanji both wore knowing smiles. No matter how powerful the serve, they couldn’t afford to lose too many points from it!

  Boom!

  Ushijima’s sed serve was unched.

  “I’ve got it!”

  Iwaizumi yelled, stepping forward with his right foot, instantly positioning himself beh the ball.

  Smack!

  The sheer force of the serve pushed Iwaizumi back a step, but he mao bump the ball into the air.

  Taichi hesitated—under normal circumstances, he would move to the for a quick attack or use his agility to evade blockers and un offerike.

  But now, doubt clouded his mind: Would the ball even make it to him?

  “Aone!” Shirabu Kenjirō had shifted positions, passing the ball to the tre.

  Aoakanobu leapt high, spiking with full force.

  The ball squeezed through Hyakuzawa Yūdai’s block. But Yūji Terushima dove forward, catg it with a diving save.

  “Hyakuzawa! Keep your arms steady! I ’t see the ball path!”

  “Got it!”

  Hyakuzawa had assumed the rally would end after the ball slipped through his hands but was surprised when his teammate retrieved it from behind.

  The ball soared toward the sideline—a hopeless case, or so Hyakuzawa thought.

  “Hyakuzawa!”

  Someone called his name as they dashed past him—Oikawa Tōru.

  Chasing after the ball, Oikawa unched into a twisting jump, bumping it bato the air.

  The arc was just over two meters high. Oikawa had only ohought: A works as long as it’s pyable.

  Hyakuzawa watched the ball return with wide eyes, feeling a surge of emotion—He had to score with this ce!

  Oep. A powerful approach. He leaped high.

  Boom!

  The ball smashed through Shirabu’s blod into Team Irihata’s court.

  [Team Irihata 0 – 3 Team Washijō]

  “Futakuchi-senpai, wasn’t that ball within reach?” Taichi asked bluntly.

  Futakuchi Kenji opened his mouth to retort but caught sight of Aone’s silent gaze instead.

  “Tch.”

  “Focus, Futakuchi,” Iwaizumi anded.

  “Yeah, yeah, I get it.” Futakuchi’s tone was dismissive, but even he wasn’t blind to the mounting challenge before them.

  Their oppos were relentless.

  Washijō’s team scored the point with another brutal serve from Ushijima. This time, it was a borderline line shot.

  [Team Irihata 0 – 4 Team Washijō]

  Kaedehara Taichi hadn’t even touched the ball yet, and they were already down 0-4.

  Is this match even worth pying? His mind raced.

  He goward his coaches—there was no sign of a timeout.

  This lineup had been carefully pnned by the coag staff, meaning there urpose behind it.

  If winning wasn’t the objective, what was?

  “Boom!”

  The fourth serve came flying. Goshiki barely got u, sending it bato Team Washijō’s court as a free ball.

  “Finish it!” Oikawa called.

  Hyakuzawa ran forward, unopposed.

  “Owo!” Aone’s voied like a drum.

  Taichi and Aone sprang up together—a sudden iron wall.

  “Smack!”

  The ball deflected bato Team Washijō’s side.

  Team Irihata scored!

  [Team Irihata 1 – 4 Team Washijō]

  Taichi felt a flicker of uanding. It was finally ing together.

  “Taichi, focus on the block,” Aone instructed.

  “Right!”

  A substitution followed. Irihata’s coach pulled Goshiki Tsutomu back, putting Kanji Koganegawa in.

  Shirabu narrowed his eyes, calg as he lined up to serve

  The ball zipped toward Ushijima’s side. With the angle and power targeting his fnk, Ushijima had to pass it himself.

  Taichi's mind raced through the possibilities:

  The current front row sists of Terushima, Hyakuzawa, and Oikawa. The back row has Kunimi, Yamagata, and Ushijima.

  With Ushijima forced to receive, the likelihood of a back-row attack diminished. Even if he spiked, his approach would be limited—And Yamagata wouldn’t participate in the offence. Kunimi’s back-row attacks were manageable.

  The biggest threat? Oikawa’s surprise setter dump.

  But if I were Oikawa, I’d prioritize getting the ball to Hyakuzawa first.

  Taichi watched ily, catg every subtle movement. Oikawa revealed nothing until the st moment.

  “Swish!”

  The ball soared toward the middle. Just as expected—Hyakuzawa!

  “Owo!”

  Taichi and Ao, mirr Hyakuzawa’s timing.

  Blocked. Again.

  _________

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