"Tweet—" The sharp, prolonged whistle signalled the end of the match.

[Karasuno 25 VS 17 Date Tech]

[Karasuno 25 VS 19 Date Tech]

In the end, Date Tech's iron wall was unable to hold back Karasuno's diverse offensive arsenal.

"I never expected that Karasuno team to become so strong," Kindaichi remarked with a deep sense of amazement. Two months ago, Aoba Johsai had easily defeated Karasuno in straight sets—without Oikawa-senpai even playing much.

But now, this Karasuno felt like a completely different team.

"They are not the only ones who've grown stronger," Iwaizumi Hajime said matter-of-factly. "We're not the same team we were two months ago either."

That was true. The Aoba Johsai players looked over at Kyōtani Kentarō and Kaedehara Taichi—just in terms of offensive power, Seijoh had become a completely different beast.

"Come on. Now that we know tomorrow's opponent, we need to go back and prepare."

"By the way, Oikawa, stay behind. There's a post-match interview."

On the other side of the court, Date Tech's players were packing up their things. Aone Takanobu trudged along heavily behind Moniwa Kaname.

"Moniwa-san…?"

Aone said nothing.

"…?"@@novelbin@@

Still silent.

Seeing this, Moniwa smiled softly. This kōhai really wasn't good at expressing himself—but that was okay. He already understood what Aone was trying to say.

"…Considering how incredible that quick attack was, you did well to hold up this much. This time—"

"Spring High!!!" Aone suddenly shouted, cutting off Moniwa.

Futakuchi Kenji grabbed Aone, pulling himself up to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with him.

"Aone's right! Moniwa-senpai, we have to take our revenge at the Spring High prelims!"

Futakuchi, full of determination, exclaimed, "The prelims are in September, right? As soon as we get back, we'll start preparing strategies. If we can meet Karasuno again at Spring High, next time we'll—"

Moniwa looked at the two of them with gentle resolve. "The third-years won't be on the team anymore by Spring High."

"Why?! Is it because we're too much trouble?!" Futakuchi grabbed Moniwa's shoulders and shook him vigorously.

"What are you talking about?" Moniwa replied helplessly. "I told you before—the third-years only stay until the end of the Interhigh."

"But—"

Futakuchi opened his mouth to protest further, but Moniwa gently pried his hands away.

"You're strong. Date Tech is a formidable team…"

"But our third-year generation has been called 'all bark and no bite' because of our poor match results."

"It's thanks to you underclassmen that we've been able to live up to the name of the Iron Wall."

As Moniwa spoke, he noticed the first and second years of Date Tech slowly gathering around. Unknowingly, his voice had grown louder.

"So….when you become third-years, make sure you stay until Spring High!"

"From this moment on, start building a new team. Even if you can't win this year's prelims, next year—you'll defeat Aoba Johsai, Shiratorizawa, and Karasuno, then make it to Nationals!"

"But—" Futakuchi still didn't want to give up on persuading him.

"Did you understand me?!" Moniwa's tone turned firm and resolute.

Futakuchi knew Moniwa's mind was made up. Reluctantly, he muttered, "Understood…"

"Why are you so quiet, Futakuchi?" The third-years Kamasaki Yasushi and Sasaya Takehito teased, their voices light with humour.

"Got it!!" Aone Takanobu and Futakuchi Kenji answered in unison, their voices carrying the resolve of the entire Date Tech team.

Behind them, Date Tech's coach and supervisor stood silently, their faces filled with pride as they watched the moment unfold.

Date Tech High School. IH Qualifiers. Round 2—Defeat.

--------

At Aoba Johsai's gymnasium, the team gathered for a quick post-match analysis.

On the first day of matches, Seijoh only played one game. Their opponent had been weak, so there wasn't much worth discussing.

Coach Irihata shifted the focus to the upcoming match on the second day. Seijoh's morning match had already been set—they were to face Karasuno.

If they won, the afternoon match would pit them, the winners of Group A against the winners of Group B.

"Oikawa-senpai, what did you say during the interview?" Kindaichi asked curiously. He hadn't expected Oikawa to get pulled into another interview right after the match ended.

"Ahem—" Oikawa Tooru cleared his throat dramatically, clearly gearing up for a performance.

"Let's just watch it in the clubroom," Iwaizumi Hajime interrupted, already tired of Oikawa's antics. "We need to check on the other groups' matches anyway."

"Iwa-chan!!" Oikawa protested, visibly aggrieved. Why did Iwaizumi always have to ruin his image in front of the underclassmen?

Inside the clubroom, the team members started watching the footage recorded by some of the club staff. The broadcast covered the day's match highlights, starting from the very beginning.

The schedule of next day's match was also announced:

Group A: [Seijoh VS Karasuno], Group B: [Izumiishi VS Ohuu].

Group C: [Dewai VS Suikawa], Group D: [Jouzenji VS Hakuto Commerce].

Group E: [Wakunan VS Ten'yama], Group F: [Momijihara VS Mine Commerce].

Group G: [Sakui VS Kuroda], Group H: [Shiratorizawa VS Ten'yama South].

By the end of the first day, out of the 55 teams from Miyagi Prefecture, only 16 remained.

"In a heated match, Wakutani Minami High defeated last year's fourth-place team, Niiyama Technical, to advance to the third round." The reporter was the same one who had come to Aoba Johsai before.

"They made it through too, huh?" The Wakunan team had left a strong impression on Seijoh. Unlike Ushijima Wakatoshi's powerhouse style, their ace was a completely different kind of technical player.

"Meanwhile, powerhouse Shiratorizawa, home of the legendary ace Ushijima Wakatoshi, played their first match against Ounan High."

"The first set ended 25-10, and the second set 25-6. Shiratorizawa dominated the game, showcasing their overwhelming strength."

"Wow, that's brutal…" Kindaichi commented, wincing sympathetically.

Kaedehara Taichi rolled his eyes. This was the same Kindaichi who'd been yelling the loudest from the bench when they played Oomisaki earlier that afternoon.

"The question remains—will Shiratorizawa breeze through the preliminaries to claim their spot at Nationals once again? Or will a team capable of stopping them emerge?"

"And speaking of teams with a championship aura, another powerhouse showcased their strength today at Sendai Gymnasium—Shiratorizawa's long-time rivals, Aoba Johsai!"

"Today, they dominated their match as well. The first set ended 25-6, and the second set 25-8. Aoba Johsai's performance this year is just as commanding as Shiratorizawa's!"

The Seijoh players sat up a little straighter, pride swelling in their chests as they soaked in the praise.

"And tomorrow, the team challenging Aoba Johsai will be none other than the storied powerhouse Karasuno High School, who advanced by defeating Date Tech—a team widely regarded as one of the tournament's top eight contenders—in straight sets."

"To discuss this, we've invited Aoba Johsai's captain, Oikawa Tōru."

"With his striking good looks and overwhelming popularity, Oikawa is a player who balances charisma and skill."

Oikawa immediately leapt to the TV, striking a pose just as the screen cut to a perfectly poised version of himself mid-interview.

The room was now occupied by two Oikawa Tōrus.

"Let's hear what he has to say about tomorrow's opponents—Karasuno High."

"Karasuno is a wonderful team. I hope they give it their all and try their luck against us tomorrow…" Oikawa said, his trademark smile firmly in place on the screen.

Click.

Iwaizumi abruptly turned off the TV. "We don't need to watch any more of that nonsense. Everyone, go home and get some rest. Tomorrow's going to be a big day."

"Got it!" The Seijoh players answered in unison, wasting no time as they packed up their belongings and filed out of the room.

In an instant, the clubroom was empty, save for one person.

Oikawa Tōru: "…???"

_________

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