"Make sure to catch it!"

Oikawa Tōru delivered his words like daggers to the heart, then served the first ball.

Bang!

Tsuchiyu Arata didn't even catch a glimpse of the volleyball's trajectory.

The only clues were the sonic boom in his ears and the faint white mark left on the floor near his feet, signalling that Oikawa's serve had landed right beside him.

Bobata Kazuma turned his head, his expression stiff and beads of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

This guy—he's like a completely different person from the previous set!

Oikawa Tōru had scored with a service ace.

[Aoba Johsai 2 VS 0 Johzenji]

The second serve followed, then the third, the fourth...

It wasn't until the fifth serve that Oikawa's power started to wane. Johzenji had to deploy four players just to counter his serves.

"Counterattack!"

The ball rebounded from the first touch and flew toward the net. The setter, Bobata Kazuma, dashed forward and leapt up.

Another one-handed set?

No! It's a spike!

Bobata Kazuma's mind flashed back to Oikawa's unexpected setter dump earlier. Now that the opportunity had arisen, he was determined to return the favour!

Smack!

Thud!

Bobata Kazuma's spike slammed into Kaedehara Taichi's block and ricocheted back to his side of the court.

"Your movements are far too predictable," Kaedehara Taichi said earnestly.

...@@novelbin@@

[Aoba Johsai 20 VS 9 Johzenji]

The difference in level was undeniable.

Terushima Yūji could deeply feel the gap in strength between the two teams.

Both teams were among the top four in their respective IH preliminary brackets, but Terushima knew the truth—Johzenji was a top-four-level team in their prefecture, while Aoba Johsai was on national level

.

"There will be times when you just can't have fun anymore. What will you do then?"

Terushima recalled the words of Johzenji's former captain, Okudake Seiji, a third-year who had stepped down before the season began.

"When that time comes, I'll still enjoy it, and I'll show you how!"

That had been his response back then.

But now, staring at the scoreboard and at his teammates, who were already physically and mentally drained, Terushima couldn't convince himself of those words anymore.

"This hurts so much...I just want this match to end. Even if it means losing…"

Terushima hung his head. This match was no longer fun.

"Don't give up!"

A sudden shout came from the sidelines. It was Johzenji's team manager, Misaki Hana.

"Misaki-senpai…?" The players on the court turned to look at her.

"Even when you're not having fun, don't give in to despair!"

"Stick to your own style and play until the very end!"

Their own style?

Terushima's gaze shifted to the team banner hanging on the sidelines—'Simplicity and Fortitude.'

He couldn't help but smile.

Not long ago, they had debated whether the team's current style had diverged so much from the past that they should change the motto.

"Let's take this point with everything we've got!"

Determination reignited in Terushima's eyes. Losing a match was one thing, but abandoning their style was another matter entirely!

"Yes!!"

------

Tweet——

The long whistle marked the end of the match.

[Aoba Johsai 25 VS 12 Johzenji]

Aoba Johsai advanced to the finals.

Just one step away from Nationals!

After packing their belongings, Kaedehara Taichi and Oikawa Tōru headed to the restroom. As they walked in, they encountered a tall, imposing high schooler walking toward them—it was none other than Ushijima Wakatoshi.

Well, of course.

The restroom was practically a hotspot for unexpected encounters. Running into Ushijima here wasn't all that surprising.

"So, you've come this far, Oikawa," Ushijima said calmly, his tone unreadable.

"Hmph. Is that so rare?"

Oikawa bristled at Ushijima's composed demeanour.

Oh, so it's perfectly natural when Shiratorizawa advances, but when it's Aoba Johsai, it warrants a remark?

Ushijima paid Oikawa no mind. Instead, his gaze shifted to Kaedehara Taichi, and he stated with an unchanging expression, "I saw yesterday's interview. The winner will be Shiratorizawa."

To Ushijima, this was simply stating a fact.

Taichi decided against repeating his championship declaration—it wasn't worth it in front of someone so certain of his beliefs.

The finals were only a couple of hours away. They would let the results speak for themselves.

------

"Wow, the stands are almost completely full!"

By 1:00 p.m., the players had reentered the arena. Kindaichi's eyes widened as he took in the tightly packed audience. In addition to the supporters of Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa, many eliminated teams had also come to watch.

"There are so many cameras, too!"

Kaedehara Taichi scanned the venue, noting at least four official camera setups. Among them was the familiar female reporter from Hello, Miyagi, along with several other journalists running around.

Shiratorizawa's team began emerging from the opposite entrance, and a surge of excitement rippled through the purple-and-white sea of their supporters in the stands.

First came the double-row cheerleaders in short skirts, lining up along the staircases on either side of the crowd.

Then, from the centre of Shiratorizawa's section, a drumbeat began to resonate. A boy standing next to the drummer led the chant:

"Shiratorizawa! Shiratorizawa!"

"Shiratorizawa! Shiratorizawa!"

"Victory again! Victory again!"

"Victory again! Victory again!"

"Today's opponent is—"

"Aoba Johsai!"

"Please take care of us!"

"Please take care of us!"

The energy was overwhelming and grandiose—worthy of a king's academy. Kaedehara Taichi glanced over at their banners, which boldly read "Intense Force"

But Aoba Johsai's supporters were equally formidable, responding in kind:

"Aoba Johsai! Reign supreme!"

"Aoba Johsai! Strongest of all!"

"Go, go, go, Aoba Johsai!"

"Win, win, win, Aoba Johsai!"

Even before the warm-ups began, the atmosphere in the arena was already crackling with tension.

[Shiratorizawa 25 VS 18 Wakunan]

[Shiratorizawa 25 VS 16 Wakunan]

Shiratorizawa had also crushed their semifinal opponents in straight sets.

Standing to the side, Oikawa Tōru was secretly calculating scores in his head. Shiratorizawa had allowed Wakunan to score 34 points, while Aoba Johsai had only let Johzenji score 33. Oikawa grinned smugly, savouring his tiny victory in the numbers game.

Though the two teams were well-acquainted, their relationship was more one of rivalry than camaraderie.

As the captains, Oikawa and Ushijima refrained from initiating any interaction, and naturally, the other players followed suit.

The only sounds in the arena came from the teams' occasional shouts during warm-ups. The growing quiet among the spectators only added to the sense of an impending storm.

Tweet!

The referee's whistle pierced the air, and both teams quickly lined up on their respective sides.

"Please take care of us!"

Aoba Johsai's lineup:

Front row—Middle Blocker Kaedehara Taichi, Wing Spiker Hanamaki Takahiro, Setter Oikawa Tōru

Back row—Wing Spiker Kunimi Akira, Outside Hitter Iwaizumi Hajime and Middle Blocker Kyōtani Kentarō (Libero: Watari Shinji).

Shiratorizawa's lineup:

Front row—Middle Blocker Kawanishi Taichi, Outside Hitter Ushijima Wakatoshi, Outside Hitter Ōhira Reon.

Back row—Middle Blocker Tendō Satori (libero Yamagata Hayato), Setter Shirabu Kenjirō, and Wing Spiker Goshiki Tsutomu.

_________

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Link - /Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]