After finishing their second-round match, the Seijoh players finally started to settle into the atmosphere of the national tournament. To help the team relax, Coach Irihata gave them two hours of free time.
Kuroo Tetsurō and Kozume Kenma also came to watch the matches today. Since it was the weekend and their school was on holiday, it was convenient for them to visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium.
More importantly, Kozume Kenma was dead serious about one thing—defeating Kaedehara Taichi.
At the end of the first day of matches, Kenma unexpectedly issued a challenge to Taichi.
While the latter was momentarily stunned, Kuroo and Oikawa Tōru thoroughly enjoyed the spectacle.
However, only moments later, the two seemed to forget about the 'challenge' entirely and began chatting about video games. Their conversation was filled with words like levelling up, crafting, rare drops, and dragon ascensions—terms that left the other players completely lost.
"Kenma, take me to buy one of the exclusive National Tournament T-shirts," Kaedehara suddenly remembered, a nostalgic memory from his previous life surfacing. He had always wanted one back then.
"Uh…" Kenma hesitated. He couldn't imagine a scenario where someone could casually wear one of those shirts.
After wandering around the venue for quite some time, Kenma and Taichi finally found the merchandise booth selling the T-shirts.
"One 'Unrivaled Hero' T-shirt, please," said Taichi as two other distinct voices rang at at the same time.
"I'll take one 'Perseverance Laughs Last' T-shirt," said Hoshiumi Kōrai, a second-year from Kamomedai.
"And I'll have one 'The Way of an Ace' T-shirt!" exclaimed Bokuto Kōtarō, a third-year from Fukurodani.
At that moment, three spikers from different schools gathered as if by fate. While some didn't even know each other yet, they all carried the same aura—the aura of an Ace.
"Yo, Taichi, you guys made it to the third round too?" Bokuto greeted Kaedehara enthusiastically. Bokuto's memory of his 'fans' was quite sharp.
"Hello, Bokuto-senpai," Kaedehara responded politely. "Yes, we won. It seems congratulations are in order for you as well."
"Hahaha, thanks! Make sure to stick around tomorrow. I'm really looking forward to it!"
Since his teammates were waiting and Akaashi Keiji had already started walking over, Bokuto quickly bade farewell to Taichi and returned to his team.
As Bokuto walked away, Hoshiumi Kōrai's attention shifted solely to Kaedehara.
"Hello, Hoshiumi-senpai," Kaedehara greeted, feeling a bit uneasy in the intense atmosphere.
"You know me?" Hoshiumi asked, slightly puzzled.
Ah, Taichi thought. It seems Houshiumi hasn't been featured in any magazine interviews yet.
That must happen after the Inter-High tournament.
This realization made Taichi reconsider his usual approach of calling someone his idol—it wasn't the right time.
"I'm Kaedehara Taichi, a first-year ace from Aoba Johsai in Miyagi Prefecture. I heard the commentators earlier; you're amazing, Hoshiumi-senpai," Kaedehara said honestly.
...That's it? Give me a little more excitement!
Hoshiumi felt dissatisfied. Taichi's simple 'amazing' seemed insufficient as a reaction to his skills.
"Wait a second. Miyagi Prefecture? You guys beat that Ushiwaka's Shiratorizawa?" Hoshiumi suddenly found himself more shocked than Taichi.
"Yes," Taichi replied nonchalantly.
"Oi Kōrai! what are you doing here? It's time for dinner—everyone's looking for you," Hirugami Sachirō appeared behind Hoshiumi, urging him to return.
"Don't get eliminated before you meet me, first-year. I'll beat you myself," Hoshiumi called out as Hirugami dragged him away.
Taichi glanced at Kenma, who had been holding back laughter for a while now. "Alright, enough laughing…" he said with an exasperated tone.
Seriously, he thought, just coming out to buy a T-shirt and I am suddenly on the radar of two powerhouse.
"This all started with your provocation that day," Taichi shot Kenma a pointed look.
"Isn't it great, though? Everyone's hoping you'll make it to the final rounds," Kenma replied nonchalantly.
"And then lose to them, right?" Kaedehara stretched lazily. "Fine, bring it on!"
"Good job today, everyone. I know you're already preparing mentally for tomorrow's match, but I want to reiterate this."
In Aoba Johsai's shared room, Coach Irihata stood at the front as the players sat up straight, giving him their full attention.
"Congratulations on securing back-to-back victories at the national tournament!"
"Yeah!!" The first-years cheered enthusiastically, their energy infectious.
Coach Irihata exchanged a brief glance with Team Manager Sadayuki Mizoguchi. Once the players had quieted down, he continued:
"Tomorrow's match will be different from the past two days. It's going to be significantly more challenging!"
The players shifted their focus, sensing the gravity of the coach's words.
"At nationals, matches are typically held once a day. However, on the third day, both the third-round match and the quarterfinals are played on the same day."
A wave of realization swept through the room.
"The fatigue from the first two rounds won't have fully subsided, and yet, you'll face two gruelling battles in a single day. This brutal schedule is why it's called 'The Demonic Third Day.'"
"Sounds so cool," murmured Kindaichi Yūtarō, almost to himself.
"Pfft, definitely the kind of name a kid would love," Yahaba Shigeru chuckled.
"Ahem." Iwaizumi Hajime cleared his throat, signalling the team to settle down. He had a feeling the real focus was yet to come.
Manager Mizoguchi placed a tactics board at the front, its surface covered with detailed markings. However, one name stood out, repeated prominently—Kiryū Wakatsu.
"Our third-round opponent is Mujinazaka High School, representing Ōita Prefecture. This team has been a consistent presence at nationals, having participated in it 9 years in a row—making this their 29th appearance."
"Nine consecutive years…?"
"The 29th appearance!?" The Seijoh players couldn't help but exclaim in shock at the staggering figures.
"Now, let me introduce their undeniable ace—Kiryū Wakatsu."
Mizoguchi's expression turned serious as he continued, "Kiryū Wakatsu was once named the top middle school player in Japan, earning widespread attention. In high school, he was quickly recognized as one of the 'Top Three Aces in the Nation', alongside Sakusa Kiyoomi and Ushijima Wakatoshi."
"However, unlike the other two, Kiryu has an additional, resounding title: 'The Bad Ball Specialist.'"
The Seijoh players felt a chill at the nickname, already dreading the challenge this player represented.
"The nickname 'Bad Ball Specialist' might make it sound like he relies purely on brute force, but in reality, Kiryū is an incredibly intelligent player. Whether it's a ball coming from behind him, one close to the net, or even those far from the setter's range, he has the ability to make precise and effective plays in almost any situation."
"With an exceptionally high success rate, he can deliver devastating spikes without sacrificing power."
"And, just so you know," Mizoguchi added, "while most spikes are executed after a two-or-three-step approach, Kiryū has the unique ability to adjust to poorly set balls by reducing his approach to just a single step."
"In most cases, attackers would struggle to merely send such balls over the net, often ending up blocked due to missteps or overexertion. But Kiryū uses his immense strength to convert even these balls into points."
After taking a sip of water, Sadayuki Mizoguchi summarized, "Kiryū is a blend of cunning and raw power. Think of him as the Ushijima Wakatoshi of the national stage."
"Ushijima Wakatoshi…Shiratorizawa…"
The familiar weight of that name fell upon Oikawa Tōru and Iwaizumi Hajime, dredging up memories of the suffocating pressure they'd faced back in Miyagi Prefecture.
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