On the morning of June 30th, the players of Shiratorizawa Academy's boys' volleyball team returned to the gym after completing their early morning training run.

In the past two years, they would have been warming up at Tokyo's arena at this time while preparing for their next match.

But this year, Shiratorizawa had lost to Aoba Johsai in the Miyagi Prefecture's finals of the Inter-High qualifiers, forfeiting their chance to represent the prefecture on the national stage.

The first and second-year players chatted quietly among themselves, but their conversations felt half-hearted, their thoughts clearly elsewhere.

This was understandable—their minds were on the National Tournament in Tokyo, where Aoba Johsai would soon face Hoshijiro in a much-anticipated match.

The National Tournament was broadcasted live on television and online, so even without travelling to Tokyo, they could watch the match in real-time.

However, no one mentioned this aloud.

Despite their differing reasons, everyone in Shiratorizawa shared the same hesitation: Skipping practice to watch TV doesn't seem right, does it?

Moreover, it wasn't easy to accept Aoba Johsai standing on the very stage they stood every year!

The thought of watching their rival play was met with mixed emotions.

In this awkward atmosphere, no one dared voice their feelings, and indoor practice began as scheduled.

"Wakatoshi, did you hear that Aoba Johsai beat Nohebi Academy yesterday?" If anyone could remain unfazed by the situation, it was Tendō Satori and Ushijima Wakatoshi.

"Yes, I checked the results on my phone after practice yesterday," Ushijima replied matter-of-factly.

"They said it!" The players around them perked up their ears and edged closer to their conversation.

"Wait, you're paying attention to Aoba Johsai?" Tendō asked in mock surprise, his tone teasing.

"Aoba Johsai and Nationals," Ushijima corrected him succinctly.

"Ah, I see...Do you want to watch today's match?" Tendō pressed further.

"Yes, but practice comes first," Ushijima responded with his usual calm.

Tendō found this amusing and leaned in with a conspiratorial grin, about to say something more when—

"Tendō! If you have time for idle chatter, go run another hour!"

Coach Washijō's roar echoed through the gym. Tendō chuckled as he jogged away, and the nearby players quickly scattered back to their drills.

"Coach Washijō," Team Manager Saitō spoke up cautiously, "how about letting the players watch the match?"

"What are you talking about? If they have that kind of time, it's better spent practising!" Washijō retorted gruffly.

"Still, observing a match between strong teams could be educational," Saitō reasoned, determined to make his case. "Besides, it's clear that everyone's too distracted to focus. Instead of letting them practice half-heartedly, watching the match might reignite their motivation."

Washijō didn't reply immediately. After seeing the younger players make several careless mistakes on the court, he sighed, seemingly too exasperated to scold them further.

"Take them to the audiovisual room," he finally relented. "But tell them they'll make up for the lost time with extra practice afterwards." With that, he clasped his hands behind his back and walked off.

"Wow, I didn't expect Coach Washijō to be so understanding," Tendō quipped as he fiddled with the equipment in the audiovisual room.

Saitō shot him a warning look. "Just remember to train harder afterwards. I took a risk arguing with Coach Washijō for you all."

"Got it, Manager Saitō is the best!"

"Thank you, Manager!" the Shiratorizawa players chimed in, genuinely grateful.

-----

Soon, familiar faces from Aoba Johsai appeared on the screen, and the room buzzed with excitement.

The camera panned across the cheering sections of both teams. Besides the volleyball players and brass bands leading the cheers, there were plenty of regular spectators as well. The sheer number of people created a lively atmosphere.

"Seijoh's cheer squad didn't come, huh?" Semi Eita remarked, noticing that the section behind Aoba Johsai was filled mostly with general spectators.

"Only schools near Tokyo can easily send their cheer squads," Ōhira Reon explained. "But if Seijoh makes it to the quarterfinals, their school will probably splurge a bit for publicity."

For Shiratorizawa, which had substantial financial backing, organizing their cheer squads on the first day of Nationals had never been a problem.

Aoba Johsai's second-round opponent was Hoshijiro High from Aichi Prefecture, one of last year's quarterfinalists.

Perhaps to mask their nervousness, the Shiratorizawa players seemed chattier than usual.

As the match began, the camera focused on Hoshijiro's Sōta Nakane at the service line. The lively atmosphere of the room suddenly shifted.

The Shiratorizawa players fell silent as Nakane delivered a powerful serve, securing the first point for Hoshijiro.

[Aoba Johsai 0 – 1 Hoshijiro]

Nakane's serve had landed precisely between Seijoh's libero Watari Shinji and middle blocker Hanamaki Takahiro, dropping just inside the baseline. Even through the screen, the force of the serve was palpable.

As a former quarterfinalist, Shiratorizawa understood better than most that serving was a fundamental skill emphasized at Nationals.

"There's nothing special about that serve. Ushijima-senpai could do better than that," Goshiki Tsutomu grumbled, trying to justify his momentary silence with a dismissive remark.

"Seijoh should've been able to receive that!"

His frustration, fueled by his competitive spirit toward their rival, made him blurt out impulsive comments.

"Goshiki, don't underestimate your opponents," Ushijima admonished, his tone rare in its sternness.

"Yes…I'm sorry," Goshiki quickly apologized, realizing his mistake. After all, he was merely a spectator, throwing out unhelpful criticisms.

Despite their words, the Shiratorizawa players all shared the same sentiment: Aoba Johsai was undoubtedly a strong team. And as representatives of Miyagi Prefecture, they sincerely hoped Seijoh wouldn't lose so early in the tournament.

"If they can receive Ushiwaka-senpai's serves, they should be able to handle this one too!"

Smack!

The second rally began with Iwaizumi Hajime receiving the serve. Taichi Kaedehara leapt on the right wing and spiked the ball past the blockers.

[Aoba Johsai 1 – 1 Hoshijiro]

He's jumping that high again?

 Goshiki Tsutomu couldn't help but think to himself. During their previous match against Aoba Johsai, such moments had been rare, but now it seemed Kaedehara had grown even stronger.

Goshiki glanced at Ushijima Wakatoshi.

While he considered Taichi Kaedehara, a fellow first-year, his rival, he knew that Kaedehara's focus was solely on Ushijima. It stung his pride, but at the same time, it was exhilarating.

Next year, we have to beat Seijoh. Next year, Shiratorizawa will stand on this stage!

-----

Taichi stepped up to serve. His unpredictable jump float soared quickly toward Hoshijiro's defenders. Libero Ayumi Kawaguchi, forced to use an unfamiliar overhand pass, barely managed to lift the ball. However, the ensuing attack by Hoshijiro's ace, Yūhi Kamiya, was easily dug up by Iwaizumi Hajime.

A collective sigh echoed in Shiratorizawa's audiovisual room. The players felt a whirlwind of emotions, unsure which side to cheer for.

"Kaedehara's jump float has become even more unpredictable," Semi Eita noted with a frown. "It's getting close to my level as a pinch server."

"Iwaizumi's receiving has also improved significantly," Ōhira Reon added thoughtfully.

The Shiratorizawa players were reminded of their final rally against Aoba Johsai in the prefecture finals. It was Iwaizumi who had perfectly received Ushijima's near-flawless spike, setting up Oikawa's precise toss and Kaedehara's decisive finish.

"With that Mad Dog and Kaedehara on the team, the offensive pressure on Iwaizumi-senpai must have lessened," Shirabu Kenjirō observed. "He's able to focus more on defense now."

Taichi jumped again, and Oikawa Tōru synchronized perfectly with his movements. The swift attack that had brought Shiratorizawa so much trouble appeared once more on the screen.

Smack!

The strike was clean and unstoppable, leaving Hoshijiro's blockers frozen.

[Aoba Johsai 12 – 10 Hoshijiro]

"Haha, there's no way to react to that kind of quick attack on the first try," Tendō Satori laughed, watching the bewildered expressions of Hoshijiro's players. "Even if you've seen it on tape and prepared for it, the real-life speed is still shocking."

"Speaking of which," Tendō added with a mysterious grin, "Kaedehara said they didn't invent this quick attack. Apparently, a first-year duo from Karasuno uses it too—and they're even better at it!"

"Karasuno's setter is Oikawa's junior, right? From Kitagawa Daiichi?" Shirabu's interest piqued as he focused solely on exceptional setters.

"Tendō-senpai, since when do you talk to Kaedehara?" Goshiki asked, always latching onto peculiar details.

"He exchanged emails with Wakatoshi. I used Wakatoshi's phone to chat with him," Tendō answered nonchalantly, completely unaware of the bombshell he'd just dropped. "Anyway, the point is, there are others who can pull off that quick attack!"

The Shiratorizawa players were shocked. Most had assumed that the combination of Oikawa and Kaedehara was a unique anomaly. But now, they realized it wasn't exclusive to those two.

"I could never manage such a toss," Shirabu admitted flatly. "Besides, my only focus is setting for Ushijima-senpai. I don't need to show off with gimmicks like that."

Semi, Shiratorizawa's backup setter, suddenly felt all eyes on him. He spun around and hastily replied, "I can't do it either!"

"Nobody said you could," Ōhira whispered under his breath.

-----

"Hoshijiro's #9 middle blocker, Satoshi Yoshinoyu, fires a powerful jump serve—what a ferocious ball!"

"Seijoh's #7 libero, Watari Shinji, holds steady with the receive!"

"Oikawa Tōru opens up the play, sending it to Iwaizumi on the left wing—blocked! Hanamaki Takahiro covers the ball, and Watanabe Shinji dives for the save!"

"Kaedehara Taichi takes another shot, aiming for the blockers' hands and forcing a rebound! Seijoh reorganizes their attack. Iwaizumi Hajime sets up the ball, Oikawa Tōru charges in from the back row, and the ball heads to the right wing once again."

"Kaedehara Taichi—scores with a violent-high-spike!"

"Otomo-san, it feels like we're witnessing the rise of a star! Kaedehara Taichi is avoiding the block of Takashi Yamazaki and Yūhi Kamiya with such sharp shots!" commentator Aoi exclaimed as he stood up in excitement. He and Otomo Ryo were responsible for commentating on Pool C's matches.

Over the past two days, Aoba Johsai's performance had stunned them.

"That spike was lightning fast! Even with Kawaguchi Ayumi in the right position, he couldn't dig it!" Otomo added, seamlessly picking up where Aoi left off. As long-time partners, he understood Aoi's thoughts perfectly.

A team with a setter as experienced and skilled as Oikawa, combined with a first-year hitter like Taichi—lightning-quick, smart, and capable of delivering surprising attacks—was a force to be reckoned with.

Aoba Johsai was Pool C's dark horse. Having dethroned Shiratorizawa in the prefecture finals, they hardly seemed like first-timers on the national stage. Expectations for their future matches were soaring.

-----

[Aoba Johsai 28 – 26 Hoshijiro]

[Aoba Johsai 26 – 24 Hoshijiro]

Against last year's quarterfinalists, Aoba Johsai swept both sets and secured a second-round victory.

"Has Seijoh's #10 ever spiked a cross shot before?" Kawanishi Taichi broke the silence in Shiratorizawa's room.

"No," Ōhira replied bluntly. As someone who frequently participated in blocks, he could sense this detail immediately.

Tendō's expression soured. Perhaps he'd mentally placed himself in Hoshijiro's blockers' shoes and was annoyed at having misread Kaedehara's attack.

"Could you have blocked that cross shot?" Yamagata Hayato, Shiratorizawa's libero, voiced the concern everyone was pondering.

"Hard to say," Kawanishi admitted reluctantly. "It depends on whether we could read his attack direction. His form was so textbook-perfect that there were no tell-tale signs."@@novelbin@@

For the first time, Shiratorizawa's players felt a heavy pressure they'd never experienced before.

Even in their prefecture final loss to Aoba Johsai, their confidence and composure as Miyagi's reigning champions had remained unshaken.

Yet now, witnessing Seijoh's evolved form on the national stage, they couldn't help but reevaluate.

Aoba Johsai's transformation was undoubtedly forged through battling strong opponents, tempered in the furnace of pressure and developing a more resilient self.

This was something Shiratorizawa's players, having once participated in the national competition, could deeply resonate with. In the brutal competition of the national tournament, each challenge is an opportunity to transform, and every opponent is a catalyst for evolution.

They were sure Seijoh would continue to evolve in the subsequent matches as their power and tactics reached new heights.

"Let's go." Ushijima Wakatoshi said calmly as he stood up.

"After watching the match, it's time for extra practice!" Ōhira Reon conveyed Ushijima's intentions more precisely.

Next time, Shiratorizawa will be the challenger.