After finishing their sed-round match, the Seijoh pyers finally started to settle into the atmosphere of the national tour. To help the team rex, Coach Irihata gave them two hours of free time.

  Kuroo Tetsurō and Kozume Kenma also came to watch the matches today. Si was the weekend and their school was on holiday, it was ve for them to visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.

  More importantly, Kozume Kenma was dead serious about ohiing Kaedehara Taichi.

  At the end of the first day of matches, Kenma uedly issued a challeo Taichi.

  While the tter was momentarily stunned, Kuroo and Oikawa Tōru thhly ehe spectacle.

  However, only moments ter, the two seemed tet about the 'challenge' entirely and began chatting about video games. Their versation was filled with words like levelling up, crafting, rare drops, and dragon assions—terms that left the other pyers pletely lost.

  "Kenma, take me to buy one of the exclusive National Tour-shirts," Kaedehara suddenly remembered, a nostalgic memory from his previous life surfag. He had always wanted one back then.

  "Uh…" Kenma hesitated. He couldn't imagine a sario where someone could casually wear one of those shirts.

  -----

  After wandering around the venue for quite some time, Kenma and Taichi finally found the merdise booth selling the T-shirts.

  "One 'Unrivaled Hero' T-shirt, please," said Taichi as two other distinct voices rang at at the same time.

  "I'll take one 'Perseverance Laughs Last' T-shirt," said Hoshiumi Kōrai, a sed-year from Kamomedai.

  "And I'll have ohe Way of an Absp;T-shirt!" excimed Bokuto Kōtarō, a third-year from Fukurodani.

  At that moment, three spikers from different schools gathered as if by fate. While some didn't even know each other yet, they all carried the same aura—the aura of an Ace.

  "Yo, Taichi, you guys made it to the third round too?" Bokuto greeted Kaedehara enthusiastically. Bokuto's memory of his 'fans' was quite sharp.

  "Hello, Bokuto-senpai," Kaedehara responded politely. "Yes, we won. It seems gratutions are in order for you as well."

  "Hahaha, thanks! Make sure to stick around tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to it!"

  "We will."

  Since his teammates were waiting and Akaashi Keiji had already started walking over, Bokuto quickly bade farewell to Taichi auro his team.

  As Bokuto walked away, Hoshiumi Kōrai's attention shifted solely to Kaedehara.

  "Hello, Hoshiumi-senpai," Kaedehara greeted, feeling a bit uneasy iemosphere.

  "You know me?" Hoshiumi asked, slightly puzzled.

  Ah, Taichi thought. It seems Houshiumi hasn't beeured in any magazierviews yet.

  That must happen after the Inter-High tour.

  This realization made Taichi resider his usual approach of calling someone his idol—it wasn't the right time.

  "I'm Kaedehara Taichi, a first-year ace from Aoba Johsai in Miyagi Prefecture. I heard the entators earlier; you're amazing, Hoshiumi-senpai," Kaedehara said holy.

  ...That's it? Give me a little more excitement!

  Hoshiumi felt dissatisfied. Taichi's simple 'amazing' seemed insuffit as a rea to his skills.

  "Wait a sed. Miyagi Prefecture? You guys beat that Ushiwaka's Shiratorizawa?" Hoshiumi suddenly found himself more shocked than Taichi.

  "Yes," Taichi replied nontly.

  "Oi Kōrai! what are you doing here? It's time for dinner—everyone's looking for you," Hirugami Sachirō appeared behind Hoshiumi, urging him to return.

  "Don't get eliminated before you meet me, first-year. I'll beat you myself," Hoshiumi called out as Hirugami dragged him away.

  Taichi g Kenma, who had been holding back ughter for a while now. "Alright, enough ughing…" he said with an exasperated tone.

  Seriously, he thought, just ing out to buy a T-shirt and I am suddenly on the radar of two powerhouse.

  "This all started with your provocation that day," Taichi shot Kenma a pointed look.

  "Isn't it great, though? Everyone's hoping you'll make it to the final rounds," Kenma replied nontly.

  "And then lose to them, right?" Kaedehara stretched zily. "Fine, bring it on!"

  -----

  That Evening

  "Good job today, everyone. I know you're already preparially for tomorrow's match, but I want to reiterate this."

  In Aoba Johsai's shared room, Coach Irihata stood at the front as the pyers sat up straight, giving him their full attention.

  "gratutions on seg back-to-back victories at the national tour!"

  "Yeah!!" The first-years cheered enthusiastically, their energy iious.

  Coach Irihata exged a brief gh Team Manager Sadayuki Mizoguchi. Ohe pyers had quieted down, he tinued:

  "Tomorrow's match will be different from the past two days. It's going to be signifitly more challenging!"

  "!!!"

  The pyers shifted their focus, sensing the gravity of the coach's words.

  "At nationals, matches are typically held once a day. However, ohird day, both the third-round matd the quarterfinals are pyed on the same day."

  A wave of realizatiohrough the room.

  "The fatigue from the first two rounds won't have fully subsided, a, you'll face two gruelling battles in a single day. This brutal schedule is why it's called 'The Demonic Third Day.'"

  "Sounds so cool," murmured Kindaichi Yūtarō, almost to himself.

  "Pfft, defihe kind of name a kid would love," Yahaba Shigeru chuckled.

  "Ahem." Iwaizumi Hajime cleared his throat, signalling the team to settle down. He had a feeling the real focus was yet to e.

  Manager Mizoguchi pced a tactics board at the front, its surface covered with detailed markings. However, one ood out, repeated promily—Kiryū Wakatsu.

  "Our third-round oppo is Mujinazaka High School, representing ōita Prefecture. This team has been a sistent prese nationals, having participated in it 9 years in a row—making this their 29th appearance."

  "Nine secutive years…?"

  "The 29th appearance!?" The Seijoh pyers couldn't help but excim in shock at the staggering figures.

  "Now, let me introduce their undeniable ace—Kiryū Wakatsu."

  Mizoguchi's expression turned serious as he tinued, "Kiryū Wakatsu was onamed the top middle school pyer in Japan, earning widespread attention. In high school, he was quickly reized as one of the 'Top Three Aces iion', alongside Sakusa Kiyoomi and Ushijima Wakatoshi."

  "However, uhe other two, Kiryu has an additional, resounding title: 'The Bad Ball Specialist.'"

  The Seijoh pyers felt a chill at the niame, already dreading the challehis pyer represented.

  "The niame 'Bad Ball Specialist' might make it sound like he relies purely on brute force, but iy, Kiryū is an incredibly intelligent pyer. Whether it's a ball ing from behind him, one close to the , or even those far from the setter's range, he has the ability to make precise and effective pys in almost any situation."

  "With an exceptionally high success rate, he deliver devastating spikes without sacrifig power."

  "And, just so you know," Mizoguchi added, "while most spikes are executed after a two-or-three-step approach, Kiryū has the unique ability to adjust to poorly set balls by redug his approach to just a siep."

  "In most cases, attackers would struggle to merely send such balls over the , often ending up blocked due to missteps or overexertion. But Kiryū uses his immerength to vert even these balls into points."

  After taking a sip of water, Sadayuki Mizoguchi summarized, "Kiryū is a blend of ing and raw power. Think of him as the Ushijima Wakatoshi of the national stage."

  "Ushijima Wakatoshi…Shiratorizawa…"

  The familiar weight of that name fell upon Oikawa Tōru and Iwaizumi Hajime, dredging up memories of the suffog pressure they'd faced ba Miyagi Prefecture.

  _________

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