[October 27th, Sendai City Gymnasium]

  The crisp autumn breeze of October carried a slight chill, but ihe arena, the atmosphere was electric, reag a fever pitch.

  This was the final match of the Miyagi Prefecture Spring High Representative Pyoffs, where Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa would csh in an epic showdown.

  The audience packed the veheir allegiances clearly divided.

  On one side, the sea of teal and white proudly represented Aoba Johsai, while oher, the purple and white of Shiratorizawa's supporters stood unwavering.

  This time, Aoba Johsai's students had turned out in droves.

  bined with the crowd recruited by Chiba Kano from the local shopping districts and the new fans they garnered after reag the top eight ierhigh Nationals, the energy in their er was unpreted. Even against the ondisputed kings, Aoba Johsai's support was no less fervent.

  Beyond the r crowd iands, the gym floor was alive with activity. Arena staff moved effitly, while reporters and camera crews from numerous TV stations buzzed around the court, capturing the moment.

  This match promised even more intrigue thaerhigh Prefectural Finals.

  Would Shiratorizawa aveheir previous defeat and reassert their dominance as the kings of Miyagi? Or would Aoba Johsai defend their and solidify their status as the new rulers, marking the beginning of a new dynasty?

  "Beep! Pyers, please take the court for warm-ups."

  The pyers emerged from their respective tunnels, and all eyes in the arena shifted toward them.

  "Let's have a good match!"

  The ttains exged a handshake. Oikawa Tōru's provocative gaze met Ushijima Wakatoshi's calm, unshaken one.

  Oikawa grinned slyly. "Ushijima-, our st high school volleyball match is going to end in my victory, so get ready for it."

  Ushijima, however, merely smiled. "Oikawa, win or lose, I hope we stand on the same cain someday."

  The pyers from both teams were already too familiar with one ahere was no need for further words. The true battle would soon begin on the court.

  -----

  Thirty mier, the warm-ups cluded.

  "I now decre the Miyagi Prefecture Boys' Representative Pyoffs for the All-Japan High School Volleyball Championship officially open!"

  "The match between Aoba Johsai High School and Shiratorizawa Academy is about to begin!"

  "Let's introduce today's starting lineups for both teams!"

  "Starting for Shiratorizawa Academy: No. 1, Ushijima Wakatoshi...No. 5, Tendō Satori...No. 8, Goshiki Tsutomu..."

  "For Aoba Johsai High School: No. 1, Oikawa Tōru...No. 4, Iwaizumi Hajime...No. 10, Kaedehara Taichi..."

  "Ladies aleme's cheer for these two teams as they gear up for an intetle!"

  "Shiratorizawa—Take the victain!""Shiratorizawa—Take the victain!"

  "Go, go, Seijoh!""Victory, victory, Seijoh!"

  Beep! The long whistle marked the start of the match.

  Shiratorizawa's starting lineup featured:

  Front row—Middle Blocker Tendō Satori, Outside Hitter Ushijima Wakatoshi, Outside Hitter ōhira Reon.Baiddle Blocker Kawanishi Taibsp;(libero Yamagata Hayato), Setter Shirabu Kenjirō, and Wing Spiker Goshiki Tsutomu.

  Aoba Johsai's lineup:

  Front row—Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi, Middle Blocker Hanamaki Takahiro and Opposite Hitter KyōtaarōBaiddle Blocker Kindaichi Yūtarō (Libero: Watari Shinji), Outside Hitter Iwaizumi Hajime aer Oikawa Tōru.

  The opening serve went to Aoba Johsai, with Oikawa Tōru stepping onto the service line.

  "Let's go, Oikawa! Give them a killer serve!"

  "Oikawa-senpai, ace this one!"

  Oikawa took a deep breath. Standing at the li pletely different this time. His body was loose, his mind sharp, and an air of fidence radiated from him.

  He tossed the ball lightly...

  Smack!

  The ball arced sharply through the air...

  And crashed into the far wall behind Shiratorizawa's court.

  Aoba Johsai: "..."

  Shiratorizawa: "..."

  Audience: "..."

  "Uh..." Oikawa scratched his head awkwardly.

  Laughter rippled through the arena, lightening the temosphere.

  With the very first serve, Aoba Johsai's captain had gifted Shiratorizaoint.

  [Aoba Johsai 0 – 1 Shiratorizawa]

  "You idiot..." Iwaizumi didn't hold back his scolding.

  Serve switched sides. Tendō Satori stepped up to the service line.

  Smack!

  His jump serve was steady and straightforward, signaling the official start of the match.

  "Mine!" Watari received the ball ly, sending it toward Oikawa.

  Aoba Johsai's first attack of the game!

  Kaedehara Taichi sprinted along the sideline, his steps light and powerful. With a loud thud, he leapt high into the air, his body rising until he could see all of Shiratorizawa's court.

  "Triple block!"

  Shiratorizawa greeted Taichi's spike attempt with a formidable wall of three blockers—Ushijima Wakatoshi, ōhira Reon, and Kawanishi Taichi—effectively eclipsing his view.

  On the far left of the aichi's gaze locked with Ushijima's, sparks of determination ignitiween them.

  A triple block featuring Ushijima himself? What aravagant wele!

  Taichi's eyes shoh exhiration, his aura surging with iy.

  BOOM!

  The ball collided heavily with Ushijima's arm and ricocheted toward Shiratorizawa's backcourt.

  "I've got it!" Goshiki dived to save the ball, and Shirabu stepped in to set it.

  "Give me the ball."

  The moment Ushijima spoke, Shirabu's set was already in the air, a testament to their unspoken e.

  Of course, the ace would take their first attack!

  Ushijima gained momentum with a precise run-up. Oher side of the aichi mirrored his movements.

  Both pyers soared into the air, their presence colliding mid-flight. Though rivals, their showdown seemed to symbolize a passing of the torch from the old ace to the new.

  BOOM!

  Ushijima chose not to avoid the block, spiking the ball straight against Taichi's outstretched arms.

  "Touch!"

  Taichi felt the sting of the impa his forearm but smiled in exhiration. The ball floated high into the air.

  [Ding! The host has entered burst mode]

  [Kaedehara Taichi (Burst Mode):Height: 188 bsp;| Power: 99 | Jump: 90 | Stamina: 95 | Speed: 95Teique: Serve: 95 | Receive: 90 | Set: 85 | Spike: 95]

  Faced with Ushijima, a t figure in Miyagi and perhaps one of the best pyers natioaichi quickly found his rhythm, unleashing his full potential.

  Iwaizumi saved the ball, and Taichi immediately repositioo the right sidelihe only one who could keep up with him on Shiratorizawa's side was Ushijima.

  Thud!

  Taichi leapt again with Ushijima rising to block him.

  As the ball approached, Taichi unleashed a powerful straight-line spike, skimming past Ushijima's fiips and smashing into Shiratorizawa's sideline.

  BANG!!

  The ball bounced high, elig gasps and cheers.

  An unstoppable straight-line spike brought Aoba Johsai their first point.

  [Aoba Johsai 1 – 1 Shiratorizawa]

  Goshiki Tsutomu's face was full of disbelief—his oppo's shots were sharper, his preater, and he scored against Ushijima in a one-on-one!

  This was exactly the kind of pyer Goshiki aspired to be.

  "How does it feel, Ushijima-senpai?" Kaedehara Taichi asked with a bright smile, gazing across the .

  "Excellent," Ushijima Wakatoshi replied simply, his eyes glowing with determination.

  Aoba Johsai regaihe serve, with Kyōtaarō stepping up.

  Taichi's enthusiasm was tagious, igniting the fighting spirit of everyone on the court. Kyōtani, the first to catch fire, had an unmistakable glint of excitement in his eyes, itg for a.

  "Haaah!"

  Boom!

  The sharp sound of the spike roared across Shiratorizawa's backcourt.

  Yamagata Hayato's expression was one of shock. Anravity-defying jump serve?!

  Was this really the finals of a prefectural tour?!

  Yamagata scrambled to dive for the ball, barely managing to keep it in py.

  Thwack!

  The ball flew high, the force still uing. Thankfully, it remained on Shiratorizawa's side of the court, floating directly above.

  "Shirabu!" Ushijima called out sharply.

  Kenjirō Shirabu froze for a moment—this was the first time Ushijima had explicitly asked for the ball like this.

  Normally, Shirabu would opt for a safer py in such situations. Ushijima khis all too well, which is why he made his demand so clear.

  Get the ball to him. That was an order from their ae that could not be ignored.

  A bead of sweat dripped down Shirabu's forehead. This match was nothing like the one against Karasuno!

  —Whoosh!

  Shirabu sent the ball high and to the left wing. The set was slightly closer to the han ideal, but for Ushijima, it was more than enough.

  All eyes turo the s volleyball.

  With a thunderous leap, Ushijima rose, and Aoba Johsai's blockers—Kindaichi Yūtarō, Kaedehara Taichi, and Hanamaki Takahiro—rose with him. The collective height and strength of their block dres from the crowd.

  —BOOM!!!—

  The volleyball smashed against Kindaichi's arm with such force that his 190 cm frame shuddered. The ball rocketed upward, flying over teers before nding in the Aoba Johsai's spectator stands.

  [Aoba Johsai 1 – 2 Shiratorizawa]

  "Whoa!!!"

  "Incredible!"

  The audieed. A spike like that, smming through a 190 cm block, radiated pure power.

  Ushijima g Taichi, a silent aowledgement of his oppo's prior challenge.

  "Let's go again!" Taichi shouted eagerly.

  With the rotation, Ushijima moved to the back row for his serve.

  But the once-feared "Left-Handed on" now only fueled Aoba Johsai's determination!

  Iwaizumi Hajime, Oikawa Tōru, and Watari Shinji stood in formation, ready for what they had trained so hard for—a reception lineup specifically tailored to ter Ushijima Wakatoshi.

  "Bring it on!"

  The court buzzed with iy as the pyers prepared to showcase the fruits of their hard work.

  Boom!

  The merciless serve rocketed toward Watari with a fierce left-handed spin.

  Thwack!—

  Watari mao get u, his body rolling backwards to absorb the force. He knew his limits better than a on the court, all that mattered was doing his part.

  He got it up!

  Though the receive wasn't perfect, it was enough for Oikawa to handle. For him, setting was an art where failure was never an option.

  —Whoosh!

  The ball soared toward Taichi, already mid-air in the front row. Oikarecise set left no room for hesitation. Taichi's attack demanded nothihan perfe.

  —BOOM!!—

  The ball ricocheted high, colliding off Kawanishi Taichi's blod s into the opposite stands.

  A spectator caught it, their lips twitg into a wry smile. It was deliberate—Kaedehara Taichi was btantly challenging Ushijima Wakatoshi!

  [Aoba Johsai 2 – 2 Shiratorizawa]

  With both teams refusing to relent, the score climbed steadily, her side gaining a clear advantage.

  Aoba Johsai served , with Hanamaki Takahiro stepping up. His jump serve, while powerful, was a slight reprieve pared to the chaht by Taichi and Kyōtani earlier.

  Thwack!

  Yamagata easily received the serve, allowing Shirabu tain trol. This time, without needing Ushijima's prompt, Shirabu sent the ball to the left wing, setting it high and slightly off the .

  Ushijima Wakatoshi—the unshakable ace of Shiratorizawa—needed no further invitation. His aura grew even more imposing.

  With impeccable timing, Ushijima unched into his approach, exeg a fwless back-row spike.

  —Boom!!

  The ball soared past Iwaizumi's outstretched fingers, nding in Oikawa's hands. The sheer spihe ball flying out of bounds.

  There was no guarantee a receive against Ushijima's spikes.

  As he nded, Ushijima's expression remained calm.

  [Aoba Johsai 2 – 3 Shiratorizawa]

  In a near-mirror sequence, ōhira Reon's serve was effortlessly handled by Watari. Oikawa sent the ball high once more, and Kaedehara Taichi's leap easily surpassed both Goshiki and Shirabu's block.

  —BOOM!!—

  Taichi's super spike nded emphatically, answering Ushijima's earlier py.

  [Aoba Johsai 3 – 3 Shiratorizawa]

  "That was amazing!"

  "Sucredible pys!"

  While Ushijima's dominance was something the audience had grown aced to, seeing a first-year like Taichi match him point-for-poihem in awe.

  At that moment, the crowd glimpsed the future of Miyagi Prefecture—where Taichi Kaedehara loomed as the insurmountable mountain.

  "So, the score's still tied?" Taichi murmured with a grin. "I wonder hooints Shiratorizawa will o adjust to my serves."

  Rotating to serve, Taichi approached the baseli a leisurely pace.

  Shiratorizaell aware of his infamous 'Quad-Threat' serve, but knowing it didn't mean they could ter it.

  Taichi tossed the ball into the air and began his approach.

  All eyes were on him, even Ushijima's.

  Thwack!

  His first serve—a left-handed jump float—targeted ōhira Reon.

  Taichi wasn't oo uimate his oppos. Of ōhira, Ushijima, and Yamagata, he picked the safest option.

  The ball sailed deceptively, its erratic float trajectory homing in on ōhira.

  Thwack!

  ōhira received it, but—

  The ball veered slightly toward Ushijima, its trajectory skewed. Ushijima's eyes glinted as he crouched down, scooping the ball with his right hand. Kawanishi barely mao send it over the .

  "ce ball!" Hanamaki shouted.

  In that instant, Taichi had already leapt from the back row. A serve disrupting their defence, immediately followed by a lightning-quick attack—this was the pinnacle of his synergy with Oikawa Tōru.

  With no blockers in sight—

  —BOOM!—

  The ball crashed down at Ushijima's feet.

  Now that rovocation.

  [Aoba Johsai 4 – 3 Shiratorizawa]

  The first break of the set beloo Aoba Johsai!

  _________

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