"gratutions to Inarizaki for advang to the quarterfinals! Your match was scheduled as the final game this m. Will this affect your performan the afternoon?"

  At Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium's Court B, the representative team from Hyōgo, Inarizaki High, had just secured their spot in the IH National Tour's quarterfinals.

  Renowned sports journalist Mao Keiko, who had been waiting on the sidelines, wasted no time approag Inarizaki's captain, Kita Shinsuke, for an interview.

  "Thank you. For us, every match requires the same level of preparation, so it doesn't particurly affect us," Kita replied with a calm smile. Despite his courteous tone, his posed demeanour created a sense of distahat left Mao feeling slightly uled.

  "Well then, what are your thoughts on your afternoon oppos, the underdog team that has garnered so much attention—Aoba Johsai?"

  "Thank you for inf me. We don't have time to follow other matches during our own," Kita said evenly. Although the oppo wasn't Mujinazaka as anticipated, his expressiorayed no trace of surprise.

  "Aoba Johsai...It's not a familiar name. Regardless of who our oppo is, oal remains the same: to py our best volleyball."

  Mao was taken aback by the poise of the third-year student before her. His answers were measured, exuding maturity far beyond his years.

  "Could you ent on your team's current dition?"

  "Sure. After a match, there's naturally some fatigue, but everyone's mi is steady. This kind of situation is routine for us. The team prepared well beforehand, so I'd say we're in good shape."

  Mao found Kita's formal response less iing than the unwavering smile on his face. If possible, she wao measure the curve of his lips—it hadn't shifted sihe interview began.

  "Ahem... Ahem..." The apanying cameraman cleared his throat, snapping Mao out of her trahis had bee something of a hallmark of her interviews.

  Realizing her pse, she chuckled sheepishly. "One final question—what is Inarizaki's goal for this national tour?"

  "Of course, it's to win the championship."

  For the first time, Kita's expression ged, radiating a powerful fidehat made Mao unsciously hold her breath.

  "Ha! Only powerhouses like us get this kind of media ce," a third-year member of Inarizaki's cheer squad boasted to a junior. His tone and posture made it seem as if he were the one being interviewed.

  "Why interview Kita, though? If we're talking about famous pyers, shouldn't it be the Miya twins?" the junior asked, fused.

  "Those two...uh…" The senior's face froze awkwardly. "If they were interviewed, it'd probably turn into a broadcast disaster…"

  At that very moment, the much-discussed Miya twins were arguing over rice balls.

  "I want two rice balls," Miya Osamu decred.

  "I want three," Miya Atsumu tered.

  Osamu g his twin and upped the ante. "Fine. I'll take four!"

  "Then I'll take five!"

  "Actually, six sounds better for me!"

  "I'll eat however many it takes to beat Osamu!" Atsumu shouted at the team manager.

  Ojiro Aran, unfazed by their antics, gestured to the team mao ighe twins. However, Atsumu and Osamu remained locked in a standoff, blog the manager's path.

  "What are you two doing?"

  The familiar voice of Kita Shierrupted them. The twins turo see their captaiurning from his interview.

  "Atsumu's trying to pete with me over rice balls!" Osamu protested, shoving Atsumu's face aside.

  "Don't phrase it in a way that gives people the wrong idea, Osamu!"

  Kita nodded politely to the team manager before steppiween the squabbling brothers.

  "I've already said not to eat too much at lunch. We have a match this afternoon. Two rice balls each, three at most," he stated calmly.

  Though the twins opeheir mouths to protest, they fell silent under Kita's stoic gaze aantly took two rice balls each.

  "This is your fault, Osamu."

  "No, it's your fault, Atsumu!"

  "You started it!"

  "You did!"

  "Hmm…" Kita cleared his throat.

  The twins immediately stopped bickering and quietly ate the rice balls prepared by Kita's grandmother.

  "Atsumu, our oppos are Aoba Johsai. I hear their setter was scouted by Ushijima several times but turned him down," Kita said calmly. "You won't lose to him, will you?"

  Atsumu swallowed the st bite of his rice ball, stood up, and grinned.

  "As Coaune already said, they're the dark horse of this tour."

  "But..."

  "Their dominan Tokyo ends here."

  ------

  Hyōgo Prefecture representatives, Inarizaki High, were making their third secutive appeara nationals and their 30th overall.

  Miyagi Prefecture representatives, Aoba Johsai High, were making their seventh appeara nationals and their first in five years.

  At Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium's Court C, the national quarterfinal match between Aoba Johsai and Inarizaki was about to begin.

  "Mr. Otomo, what do you think will be the biggest highlight of this match?"

  "The setters' duel, no doubt about it. I guarah teams boast elite-national-level setters. It'll be fasating to see arks fly when they csh."

  "A's not fet the ace showdown. The you a this year's nationals, Kaedehara Taichi, just led his team past Mujinazaka, taking down one of the top three spikers, Kiryū Wakatsu. Now he'll face Ojiro Aran, one of the try's top five aces. he keep his streak alive?"

  As both teams warmed up, tension filled the air.

  "Tch." Iwaizumi Hajime clicked his tongue, clearly in a bad mood.

  "Oi, Iwa-, you've been doing that since we got here. What's b you?" Oikawa Tōru asked, puzzled. So far, he hadn't done anything to provoke Iwaizumi—or so he thought.

  "It's because of all the girls waving fans with 'Miya Atsumu' written on them," Hanamaki Takahiro chimed in.

  Iwaizumi nodded slightly.

  Oikawa blinked. "Huh?"

  "That has nothing to do with you, Iwa-. It's not like girls cheer for you anyway," Oikawa said obliviously. "If anyone should be upset, it's me. And, well, I am… just a little."

  Iwaizumi shot Oikawa a gre, choosing to hold back his anger—for now.

  Matsukawa Issei pulled Oikawa aside, smirking. "I get it. When someone you already dislike multiplies into two, and they're even more annoying, it's bound to get under your skin."

  Oikawa: "..."

  The third-years of Aoba Johsai exged knowing looks, their camaraderie in teasing Oikawa as strong as ever.

  ------

  "Osamu!"

  "Atsumu!"

  "Aran!"

  As the warm-up began, cheers for Inarizaki reverberated through the arena. From the stands, a symphony orchestra apanied by a cheer squad performed an eborate routine, enhang the overwhelming atmosphere.

  "Isn't this way too over the top?"

  At Aoba Johsai High School, where students were gathered to watch the game, some couldn't help but ent.

  "I heard Inarizaki's brass band is top-tier too..."

  "This cheering is really distrag. I wish we were there in person…"

  "Even if we were, we couldn't pete without preparation!"

  Frustration brewed among the students. Due to uping finals and the school's focus on academics, Aoba Johsai hadn't arranged for supporters to attend the match.

  The live viewing was only a the st minute because the volleyball team had made it to the quarterfinals.

  As they watched the match, it was only now that many realized their school's team had quietly grown into a nationally reized powerhouse.

  "Let's go, Seijoh! You do it!"

  "Victory for Seijoh!"

  The core cheering squad, present at every match during the prefectural qualifiers, was the first to rally. Even without being there in person, they refused to let their support waver.

  "Seijoh, unrivalled and supreme!"

  "Seijoh is the stro—unstoppable!"

  The energy of the cheering squad ied the rest of the students, who joined ihusiastically. At that moment, the entire school was united under a single belief—win no matter what!

  -----

  As usual, Taichi meticulously observed the opposing team during warm-ups. Among all teams iour, Inarizaki stood out the most in his memory, sed only to Shiratorizawa.

  [Miya Atsumu—Setter. Overall ability: 90: Height: 183.6 cm, Strength: 85, Jump: 90, Stamina: 90, Speed: 88. Attributes: Serve: 97, Set: 97.]

  Dubbed the top setter in high school, Atsumu's dual-on serving teique dazzled the crowd.

  His jump serves alone could score ht, while his float serves demonstrated precision unmatched by most. Bold, crafty, and brimming with petitive fire, his setting was dynamid uable.

  Add his excellent coordination and high volleyball IQ, and he seemed like a mgravating version of Oikawa Tōru.

  [Miya Osamu—Wing Spiker. Overall ability: 88: Height: 183.8 cm, Strength: 88, Jump: 88, Stamina: 88, Speed: 88. Attributes: Receive: 88, Spike: 88.]

  Versatile in both offend defenu plemesumu seamlessly. A hiddeer himself, his slightly superior physical stats were offset by his brother's teical finesse.

  [Ginjima Hitoshi—Wing Spiker. Overall ability: 86: Height: 180.3 cm, Strength: 88, Jump: 86, Stamina: 90, Speed: 86. Attributes: Receive: 84, Spike: 82.]

  Known for his powerful serves and solid all-around py, his 180 cm height was on the shorter side for a spiker, but still taller than...a certain senpai of his.

  [Ojiro Aran—Wing Spiker. Overall ability: 85: Height: 184.7 cm, Strength: 93, Jump: 90, Stamina: 85, Speed: 72. Attributes: Receive: 80, Spike: 90.]

  Ranked among the top five wing spikers nationally, Aran excelled in power aical reach. Though not as explosive as Bokuto Kōtarō or as teically refined as The Big Three, his sg ability and raw strength made him a formidable oppo—a bit like Taichi himself.

  [Akagi Miari—Libero. Overall ability: 85: Height: 174.2 cm, Strength: 86, Jump: 86, Stamina: 86, Speed: 84. Attributes: Receive: 85.]

  Like many national-level liberos, his athleticism was exceptional, but his teical skills were still maturing.

  [Suna Rintarō—Middle Blocker. Overall ability: 86: Height: 185.7 cm, Strength: 75, Jump: 90, Stamina: 85, Speed: 90. Attributes: Blobsp;90, Spike: 90.]

  Taichi had vivid memories of Suna's sharp-angled spikes. With aggressive attacks, calm posure, and outstanding blog instincts, he was a strong tender for the top ten middle blockers iion.

  [ōmimi Ren—Middle Blocker. Overall ability: 81: Height: 191.5 cm, Strength: 80, Jump: 72, Stamina: 88, Speed: 82. Attributes: Blobsp;82, Spike: 85.]

  Taichi didn't recall much about him, other than his imposi. Likely, he was used to supplement the team's blog line.

  [Kita Shinsuke—Wing Spiker(Captain). Overall ability: 82: Height: 175.2 cm, Strength: 75, Jump: 75, Stamina: 90, Speed: 85. Attributes: Receive: 85, Spike: 80.]

  Kita's physical abilities and offensive skills were average, but his psychological resilience, leadership, and sharp observational skills made him an exceptional captain.

  Taichi ched his fists, the anticipation surging through him. How did Karasu Inarizaki back then? This team was undeniably strong.

  Yet, Taichi could see cracks in their armour.

  Atsumu and Osamu still cked stability aal fortitude. Acc to coach Irihata's scoutis, they'd blown a six-point lead in a match st year.

  This would be a fight worth taking on. Taichi's fighting spirit ignited.

  "Atsumu, that kid's stare is really annoying!"

  "I saw it too! He looks like he thinks he beat us."

  The twins exged identical smirks, like hunters finding an intriguing prey.

  "Let's crush him!"

  Before they could a their thoughts, Oikawa stepped into their line of sight, smiling brightly. For reasons they couldn't expin, the sight of him infuriated the Miya twins further.

  "Atsumu, Osamu, where do you think yoing?" Kita's voice rang from behind. "The match is about to start."

  "Ah, nothing…just stretg s…fufufu~"

  The twins sheepishly retur up, while Oikawa snickered.

  "Taichi, you've already got them riled up," Oikawa said cheerfully, clearly enjoying the tension.

  "Isn't that a good thing? You seem to be enjoying it too, Oikawa-senpai."

  Taichi shot Oikawa a knowing ghough he often appeared lighthearted, Oikawa's emotional trol was masterful.

  Aoba Johsai thrives on strategy.

  ...Except for Kyōtaarō.

  And Kindaichi Yūtarō.

  "e o's hit a few more spikes before warm-ups end."

  "Got it."

  -----

  The whistle blew.

  The IH National Quarterfinals officially began!

  Aoba Johsai's starting lineup:

  Front row—Wing Spiker Kunimi Akira, Middle Blocker Kaedehara Taichi, Setter Oikawa Tōru.Back row—Wing Spiker Hanamaki Takahiro, Middle Blocker Kyōtaarō (Libero: Watari Shinji) and Opposite Hitter Iwaizumi Hajime.

  Inarizaki's starting lineup:

  Front row—Wing Spiker Ginjima Hitoshi, Middle Blocker Suna Rintarō, Outside Hitter Miya Osamu.Back row—Wing Spiker Ojiro Aran, Middle Blocker ōmimi Ren (Libero: Akagi Miari) aer Miya Atsumu.

  Miya Atsumu stepped onto the serving line.

  -----

  [T/N] - I feel like Aran's stats are a bit...underwhelming. The Big Three and Bokuto eat him alive any day of the week and it's not even close...those are my thoughts anyway.

  We shouldn't judge a book by its cover tho...

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