[Aoba Johsai High School, Class 1-5]
On the podium, the math teacher wiped the board with slightly teary eyes—Kaedehara Taichi, perhaps the laziest student in his class(as far as anything except volleyball was concerned), was finally not sleeping today and was actually paying attention to the lecture.
It might have been because the final exams were scheduled for this week, but this was enough to fill the teacher with relief.
Taichi was indeed listening, but the more he listened, the more bored he became. Eventually, he started doodling randomly on his notebook. After a while, he noticed that the page was filled with the names of Inarizaki's players.
"Tch...those pesky foxes..."
A wave of emotion finally surged within Taichi. He forcefully wrote the words "Spring High" on the paper and then lifted his head. In his once-blank stare, a ravenous determination began to gleam.
This defeat was just the start of something new. He couldn't afford to lose again—absolutely not!
That afternoon, the Seijoh players gathered in the audiovisual room. This was their first time advancing to Nationals, and consequently, their first time experiencing elimination as a team in the tournament. Together, they sat to watch the National Finals.
The final match was between Inarizaki and Itachiyama.
By an uncanny coincidence, all three teams that had crossed paths at the Tokyo Gymnasium souvenir shop on the second day had been eliminated by the afternoon of the third day.
Kamomedai was defeated by Itachiyama, while Fukurodani lost to Ichirin.
Miya Atsumu's serve scored directly, eliciting another wave of cheers from the audience.
Oikawa Tōru watched the familiar opponent with a detached expression. My serves aren't any worse than his, he thought.
Though he believed he had come to terms with their loss, seeing Inarizaki still brought back the vivid memory of their defeat.
Why are WE not standing there right now?
"Miya Atsumu's second serve has been successfully received by libero Komori Motoya!"
"Itachiyama's #13, Komori Motoya, was a formidable outside hitter in middle school. However, due to his height, he made the bold decision to transition to a libero in high school. What a courageous choice!"
"Indeed, judging by Komori's performance, I think he's the top libero in this year's Nationals!"
"Absolutely. Excelling in two completely different positions is truly admirable."
Iwaizumi Hajime, watching Komori—who stood at a height of 180 cm—fell into deep thought.
"Hey, Iwa-chan, just be yourself," Oikawa suddenly said, turning to look at Iwaizumi.
"Idiot, I know that." Iwaizumi's gaze was firm. "I was just thinking—I can still get stronger..."
"Oh! The twins' minus-tempo quick attack! What an incredible move—Itachiyama's blockers didn't have time to react at all!"
"Those guys...they're terrifying," Taichi muttered. Having witnessed this weapon firsthand just days ago, he could see how seamlessly it had now become part of Inarizaki's regular offence.
Inarizaki would only get stronger—they wouldn't wait around for anyone to catch up.
Next, it was Sakusa Kiyoomi's turn to serve.
Aoba Johsai's entire team, having already faced two of the "Top Three Aces" in Nationals, paid close attention to this last offensive powerhouse.
He had a slender build, quite different from Ushijima Wakatoshi or Kiryū Wakatsu.
So, what was it that allowed him, as a second-year, to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the nation's best?
Sakusa's serve flew across the court.
The speed wasn't impressive, nor did the power seem overwhelming.
Inarizaki's libero, Akagi Michinari, easily received the ball.
The volleyball hit Akagi Michinari's hands and flew out of bounds.
Aoba Johsai's players: "???"
"Was that a mistake? Did he not receive it properly?" From the video, nothing unusual was apparent.
Sakusa Kiyoomi remained calm, his expression devoid of emotion, as if this outcome was entirely expected.
Under Seijoh's watchful gaze, Sakusa served again.
It looked just like the first serve—plain and unremarkable.
Akagi received the ball again, but once more, it flew out of bounds.
Akagi Michinari was certainly not a weak libero. It was impossible for him to make the same mistake twice. Having just faced Inarizaki themselves, Aoba Johsai's players knew this well.
So, there was definitely something unusual about that serve.
"What's going on…" Oikawa Tōru leaned in closer, as if that would help him see more clearly.
"It's the spin," Kaedehara Taichi said. "I watched Sakusa-senpai's spikes up close during my time in Tokyo."
"Sakusa-senpai's ball control is outstanding. His wrist is incredibly flexible, allowing him to spike from various angles—and to apply all kinds of spins to the ball as well."
"Compared to Ushijima-senpai's difficult-to-handle left-handed spin, this kind of unpredictable rotation might be even trickier."
"Tsk, what a troublesome guy," Kunimi Akira commented, which was rare for him. "Why is Nationals full of these absurd monsters?"
At least you understand, thought Taichi as he glanced at Kunimi. If Seijoh wanted to conquer Nationals, the growth of every single player was crucial.
Inarizaki's defensive line retreated two steps, clearly as a precaution for balls that might once again fly out of bounds.
Sakusa served for the third time, and this time, Akagi chose to receive with a high, powerful dig. As expected, the ball still veered out of bounds, but it gave Inarizaki's other players a chance to salvage it.
Ginjima Hitoshi managed to keep the ball in play, and Miya Atsumu had no choice but to send it over the net without a proper attack.
Itachiyama's chance ball. Komori Motoya effortlessly set the ball high above the setter.
Tsukasa Iizuna faked a tip and smashed it down the middle instead, scoring cleanly.
That kind of power rivalled the primary attackers of most teams…
Ironically, the seemingly weakest player on Itachiyama was their ace, Sakusa Kiyoomi. It was truly unexpected.
Inarizaki still couldn't break Sakusa's serve rotation. The atmosphere in the audiovisual room grew heavy. Inarizaki, who had defeated Seijoh, was now being overwhelmed by another team.
This only made Seijoh's players feel even more frustrated.
Eventually, Inarizaki found a way to respond. On the sixth serve, the long-suppressed Ojiro Aran reclaimed the serve with a powerful spike.
"In Itachiyama's service rotation, Sakusa Kiyoomi secured five consecutive points!"
Watari Shinji felt the weight of this. If it had been him, could he have found a solution to that serve within five points?
Iwaizumi Hajime seemed to share the same thoughts. He noticed Shinji's expression and patted him on the back. "Don't bear that pressure alone. We're a team."
Even if one person improves, the team won't win unless everyone grows. Don't worry about it.
After losing to Inarizaki, none of Seijoh's players had tried to console one another. "Now's not the time to wallow in frustration." Words like these didn't need to be spoken, because each player already thought the same way.
The reason they all felt pressured while watching this match was that every Seijoh player was imagining themselves on the court.
Whether it was Inarizaki or Itachiyama, at that moment, they were all Seijoh's hypothetical enemies—opponents they would have to defeat in the future.
The whistle blew, signalling the end of the match.
The final champions of this year's Inter-High Nationals were the reigning Kings of Tokyo, Itachiyama.
Inarizaki had lost, just like that. Seijoh's players couldn't quite figure out what they felt at that moment.
On the screen, Itachiyama was cheering in celebration. On the other side, Inarizaki looked exactly as Seijoh had two days ago.
Amid the noise, Kaedehara Taichi quietly stood up.
Iwaizumi and Oikawa exchanged glances and smiled.
"Yeah," Iwaizumi said. "The new journey starts now."
[T/N] - If you guys want to read 50 Chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on my . Trust me, it's awesome! [We are already at the Spring-High Arc over there]
Link - (P)atreon.com/Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]