Miya Atsumu stood at the service line, as though the spotlight iire arena had focused solely on him. From the Inarizaki supporters' se, a thunderous wave of cheers erupted. The rhythm of drums grew more intense, gradually apanied by the bring sounds of horns.

  The charged atmosphere made Aoba Johsai's pyers' hearts pound untrolbly. In Miya Atsumu's calm and fident gaze, they sensed an unpreted threat.

  As the symphony orchestra's performance reached its peak, the majestic music surged like a tidal wave, elevating the arena's atmosphere to its zenith.

  And then—

  "!!!"

  Atsumu raised his left hand slowly and ched it into a fist with sudden force.

  At the pinnacle of the music's cresdo, everything abruptly fell silent.

  The cessation was so sudden that an almost suffog silenveloped the stadium, as if the air itself had solidified.

  This fleeting moment of stillness carried immeension, sileng the chaos outside and trating everyone's focus on the ball that Miya Atsumu was about to serve.

  "Damn it, what's this guy pying at? Manual BGM?" Oikawa Tōru grumbled, ahis entire sequence had left the Aoba Johsai pyers slightly tense.

  Atsumu tossed the ball into the air and initiated his serve.

  "Nice serve!" a few girls iands cheered loudly.

  Atsumu's brows furrowed tightly mid-approach.

  "Oh dear…" Osamu chuckled softly. "Atsumu absolutely hates distras during his serves."

  Wham!

  "Out!" Watari Shinji judged the ball quickly, shifting his position to let it go.

  So fast! So powerful! It's just like Oikawa-senpai's serves, thought the pyers.

  "OUT!"

  The line judge sighe call, and Miya Atsumu's serve was ruled a fault. Aoba Johsai scored.

  [Aoba Johsai 1 – 0 Inarizak

  Atsumu turned his head toward the source of the cheering, his face filled with disdain.

  "Don't yell like that during my serves, you noisy pigheads!" he snarled.

  The girls iands flinched, startled by Atsumu's fierce expression.

  "Are you two Inarizaki fans?" Two members of Inarizaki's cheering squad rao the girls. "Could you please stay quiet during our serves?"

  "What?! This kind of thing happens all the time on TV!" the girls protested indignantly.

  ...

  "Pfft!" Kaedehara Taichi suddenly burst into ughter. If Miya Atsumu's mental game was this unstable, why not mess with him even more?

  "Oikawa-senpai, why don't you teach them how to serve properly?" Taichi shouted loudly.

  "Huh? Teach me how to serve?!" Atsumu's gaze locked onto Taichi with fury.

  Oikawa instantly caught onto Taichi's ploy and pyed along, pointing mogly at Atsumu with one hand.

  "Hey, kid! Pay attention. This one's on the house," Oikawa said smugly as he stepped up to serve.

  "Out—"

  "OUT—!"

  "It's definitely going out!"

  The Inarizaki supporters unched a chorus of heg aimed directly at Oikawa.

  "Tch...Sileo help your team focus, o distract your oppos…Even their cheer squad is well-trained." Yahaba Shigeru remarked with a mix of sarcasm and grudging admiration.

  Unbothered, Oikawa looked at Atsumu with a pyful smirk. Is this all you've got? His serves wouldn't lose their edge because of a little racket.

  Oikawa raised his arms toward the crowd, inviting louder cheers. Some spectators, disapproving of Inarizaki's tactics, responded with scattered appuse and shouts of support.

  They couldn't maintain silence, but making it equally noisy on both sides was definitely an option.

  Suna Rintarō sneered. Noise? So what? Let's see you hahis.

  Oikawa tossed the ball high and began his approach, smooth and deliberate.

  "OH-EEE-HEY!" The croted the most on t heard during televised matches.

  Oikawa's smile widened. He was in his element.

  Bam!

  The first serve of any match is always the hardest to return. Without familiarity with the oppo's ball trajectory, reas often g.

  The ball nded between Atsumu and libero Akagi Miari, boung high into the air.

  pletely unfazed by the noise, Oikawa delivered a serve that struck with precision.

  [Aoba Johsai 2 – 0 Inarizak

  Though their serving teiques weren't drastically different, Oikawa's years of experience leading a team rgely on his own had given him an unshakable posure that Atsumu, ing from a powerhouse team, hadn't yet fully developed.

  Atsumu's pyful demeanour vanished. His expression grew serious as he stared at Oikawa. This third-year setter wasn't all talk—he was the real deal.

  "The match begins with both teams battling for domihrough powerful serves!"

  "Both setters boast exceptional serving skills and are pivotal to their team's offence."

  "Mr. Otomo, it seems like Miya Atsumu from Inarizaki is the pyer to wat this match. His popurity is skyrocketing, and some are already calling him the best high school setter iion."

  "That's true, but I'd argue that Aoba Johsai's Oikawa Tōru deserves just as much attention," entator Otomo replied, his expression one of anticipation.

  "You mean Aoba Johsai's #1? He's certainly made a sting impression in previous matches."

  "While he may not have stood out mu his first two years, I believe his future prospects are incredibly bright!"

  Otomo's certainty alpable. "This match isn't just a battle betweeern aerers—it might very well determine who's the No. 1 high school setter iion!"

  Aoi, his entator, looked at him in shock. He hadn't expected him to rate Oikawa so highly.

  "The nation's No. 1 setter, huh?" Oikawa bouhe ball rhythmically at the service line. "It's impossible not to think about it…but for now, all I want is to py a good game with my teammates and see how far we go in this national tour."

  Bam!

  Oikawa's sed serve was unleashed. Akagi Miari read its trajectory and barely mao receive it.

  "Ball saved!"

  "Oikawa Tōru's strong serve disrupted Inarizaki's first pass, but—"

  "Miya Atsumu took a perfect step! You immediately see the brilliance of his positioning—it's fast, precise, and puts him in full trol of his passing options!"

  "Going straight for a quick attack? Atsumu sets the ball to the right wing, where Suna Rintarō is already in the air!"

  Suna's spike desded rapidly, but a hand intercepted it.

  Smack!

  "Oouch!"

  "Incredible! Kaedehara Taichi predicted this quick attad perfectly positioned himself to block Suna Rintarō's strike!"

  Iwaizumi Hajime set the ball high to Oikawa. As soon as Taided from his block, he sprioward the left wing.

  Uimating your oppo without proper research? You'll pay for it in points.

  Taichi leaped on the left wing, meeting Oikawa's backward set with impeccable timing.

  Smack!

  The announcer's voied across the gymnasium, narrating the breathtaking rally that had just unfolded:

  "Oikawa Tōru, even when under immense pressure from Inarizaki's fierce attack, opts for a quick attack—a py Aoba Johsai has perfected to an art form!"

  "What incredible resolve!" Aoi marvelled. "The unwavering spirit dispyed by these pyers is nothing short of inspiring!"

  Kaedehara Taichi's powerful spike thundered past Inarizaki's blockers, nding ly on their side of the court.

  [Aoba Johsai 3 - 0 Inarizak

  The stadium erupted into cheers as the announcers tio hype up the match.

  "Kaedehara Taichi's extensive court ce earns Aoba Johsai another point! His dynamient bined with Oikarecisioing creates a lethal first-strike offence!"

  "The Oikawa-Kaedehara Duo's quick attack is a surefire ace—it's a devastating move that dismantle evero defences!"

  Inarizaki's court had fallen silent momentarily as their ace, Miya Atsumu, scowled. His lips curled downward, but beh the frustration glimmered undeniable excitement.

  "Sorry," Suna Rintarō muttered, his head slightly bowed. The veteran middle blocker had misjudged his positioning ahe point slip.

  Atsumu didn't waste time soling him. Instead, he curtly replied, "Mm," his tone devoid of any softness.

  Mistakes like these shouldn't even happen. That ball was textbook-perfect for a finish. If you 't secure the point, go refle it.

  As Aoba Johsai prepared to serve again, Oikawa Tōru methodically went through his routiossing the ball into the air, he unched into his serve. His calcuted approach blended grad precision, his arm pausing ever so briefly before smashing the ball with a resounding crack.

  "OHH-HEYY!" The crowd echoed his movements, spurred on by the rhythm of the game.

  Wham!

  "A jump float serve!" Atsumu's sharp eyes immediately caught on. Uhe raw power of the earlier serves, this one demanded finesse and adaptability.

  Atsumu, a versatile dual-serve expert himself, khis subtle switch could be even deadlier.

  Slight hesitation on Inarizaki's bae was all it took. Akagi Miari miscalcuted the ball's trajectory.

  The volleyball dipped sharply at the st sed, evading his hands and striking the floor ly.

  [Aoba Johsai 4 - 0 Inarizak

  The entator erupted, uo tain his excitement.

  "Unbelievable! Aoba Johsai has surged to a 4-0 lead against Inarizaki—one of the favourites to win it all! This is the dream start for a dark horse team!"

  His entator offered a measured response.

  "Could it be that Inarizaki uimated their oppos?"

  Inarizaki's bench called for a timeout.

  Their coach, Kurosu Norimune, gred at the pyers huddled around him, his stern expression enough to quiet even the boisterous Miya twins.

  "Do you think you've already won the championship? Are you this careless because people call us 'The Stro Challengers'? Do you think Shiratorizawa is proud of being called 'The Kings' when they 't even represent their owure in nationals, huh?!"

  Atsumu visibly flinched but quickly masked it.

  The coach's sharp words tinued.

  "Atsumu, are you sile that a bit of hrows off your serve? What if the opposing cheeriion tries to throw you off? Will you storm over ahem to shut up?"

  "Rintarō! Do you believe a disrupted first touch means we 't pull off fast attacks? You should know better—this isn't your first rodeo. Treat Aoba Johsai like the national quarterfinalists they are, or you'll pay for it in points!"

  Assistant coach ōmi Tarō cpped his hands, signalling a ge in tone.

  "Calm down. Take note of Aoba Johsai's capabilities—this team has proven themselves on the court. But there's no need for fear or overfidence."

  He poio the team's mantra dispyed promily on their bench:

  'We don't need memories'

  "Yesterday's game is history—focus on the point."

  "You're strong," Coai remihem firmly. "Strohan Aoba Johsai. Stick to our strategy and trust your training. Let's win this first set."

  "YES, COACH!" the team responded in unisoalized.

  As Inarizaki prepared to re-ehe court, their coach murmured to himself, "If they keep faltering, I'll have no choice but to send Kita Shinsuke in early to stabilize them."

  The match resumed.

  Oikawa Tōru unched another jump float serve, but this time Akagi Miari, fully focused, stepped up to receive.

  Despite the challenging spin and drop of the ball, he mao lift it ly into the air.

  "Aran!" Atsumu's sharp voiahe star setter immediately transitioned into pymaker mode and instead set a high ball for Osamu Miya, who was charging from the bae.

  "Double block!" Kaedehara Taichi and Kyōtaarō leapt in unison, anticipating Osamu's spike.

  Boom! Osamu hammered the ball at a steep cross-angle, evading their read nding it ly inbounds.

  [Aoba Johsai 4 - 1 Inarizak

  "The Miya twins' synized py strikes again! Atsumu's split-sed deaking bined with Osamu's powerful finish has finally gotten Inarizaki on the board!"

  From the stands, Inarizaki's cheer squad erupted into their signature t:

  "Osamu! Osamu! Way to go!"

  "Osamu! Osamu! What a show!"

  The twins shared a smirk and a high five, their fidence palpable.

  "That was scary," Akagi muttered nervously.

  "Focus, idiot," Atsumu replied sharply, though there yful edge to his tone.

  "Damn it, they're good," Oikawa murmured as he took his position in the back row. "But we're better. Right, Taichi?"

  Taichi fshed a wide grin, adjusting his position for the uping py. "Always."

  Inarizaki's turn to serve, with Ginjima Hitoshi stepping up to deliver a powerful jump serve.

  As the ball screamed over the , Iwaizumi Hajime lunged forward, stabilizing the pass despite the sheer force.

  "Nice receive!" Oikawa shouted, leaping into position. With perfect precision, he sent a single-haoss to Kaedehara Taichi, who was already sprinting toward the left wing.

  Taichi took to the air, Oikawa's timing impeccable. With a thunderous spike, he sent the ball crashing past Inarizaki's blockers.

  [Aoba Johsai 5 - 1 Inarizak

  "Atsumu, you idiot!" Osamu shouted, his sharp voice cutting through the tension.

  Atsumu froze for a sed, then mumbled, "..fair enough.." He had no solid argument to ter the scolding.

  "But seriously! That py was so cool! And that quick attack earlier? Absolute perfe! How I not watething like that?!" Atsumu suddenly shouted, his enthusiasm bursting forth like a child marvelling at their favourite toy.

  "Shut up!" Osamu snapped, gring daggers at his twin. "You're pying in a national matot a pickup game in the park!"

  Atsumu sheepishly grinned, scratg the back of his neck. "I know, I know. Just got a little distracted…"

  Oher side of the court

  Kaedehara Taichi fidently strode to the service liwirling the volleyball between his hands as the crowd buzzed in anticipation.

  This was it—the perfeentum for Aoba Johsai to seize trol of the first set. Taichi adjusted his grip and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly to clear his mind.

  _________

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