Just when he hesitated, Akira on the other side jumped up to block at the net!!
Smack!!
At that moment, across the net, Eiyoshi Chikaya had just launched a spike!
For an average player unfamiliar with left-handed attackers, it would've likely scored directly!
But during the previous training camp, Akira had already played a match against him!
And having faced Wakatoshi Ushijima, a left-handed powerhouse from Shiratorizawa, multiple times in past matches—
Naturally, Akira saw through Chikaya's attack with ease!
He blocked the spike cleanly!
"What a decisive blocker!"
Behind him, Atsumu Miya and a few others were briefly stunned.
While they were still hesitating, Akira had already locked onto who the offensive player would be!
Did he not even need to think?
Or was it just luck? Did he happen to block the ball?
Outside the court, Coach Hibiki Hibarida shouted instructions a few times.
"When the wing spiker attacked just now, his starting position was a bit too far forward!"
"Lean back just another 160 units!"
"That spike clearly lacked power!"
"Yes!"
Hearing his words, Chikaya nodded sheepishly.
"I'll pay attention!"
"Alright! Game on!"
"Don't stop, lads!"
...
Meanwhile, in distant Miyagi Prefecture, inside Karasuno's gymnasium—
A fierce rally was underway.
Bang!
A fast spike slammed into Tsukishima's arm but was deflected sharply, flying off toward the side court!
Smack!
Hinata, who successfully made the dig, landed smoothly on the floor and pumped his fist in excitement.
"Nice one!!"
The Jōzenji High coach, watching from the sidelines, couldn't help but praise him.
Tanji Washijō, sitting beside him, gave a small nod as well.
"Mm. The attack technique has improved since last time—not bad."
"But…"
He looked toward the court, just as a serve landed near him and Hinata picked it up again.
"When it comes to receiving, there's still room for improvement."
In today's match, most of the players were putting in outstanding performances!
Hinata was one of them.
It was obvious that compared to the Spring High prelims, his technique had sharpened!
But there were still gaps in his game.
If he could patch those up, he'd be considered truly strong!
Otherwise, connecting rallies consistently would remain difficult!
As for Tsukishima, with his sharp blocks, few attackers could break through easily!
"These guys from Karasuno…"
Washijō watched the court and murmured thoughtfully:
"How have they managed to improve so much in such a short amount of time?"
"Is every one of them a genius?"
"Or is there something special about the atmosphere in their team?"
...
That evening, in the Shiratorizawa student dormitory—
"Ushiwaka~~"
"Give me back this week's latest manga already!"
Without warning, Tendō Satori swung open the door to Ushijima's room and stepped inside.
"I just saw the extra chapter with the character pulling out their hair, and your skin's looking glossy again… Right here."
Ushijima was seated cross-legged on the bed, absorbed in the manga in his hands.
"Erm..."
Even though he was long familiar with this behavior, Tendō still looked a little helpless.
"You should really read the manga first and save the ads for later."
"But whatever!"
He waved a hand dismissively.
"Anyway, that's not what I came here to talk about!"
He plopped down beside Ushijima's bed.
"Recently, there's been a first-year intensive training camp going on in our gymnasium!"
"Want to check it out with me tomorrow??"
"Hmm."
As if suddenly recalling something, Ushijima gave a slow nod.
"I'll go take a look tomorrow."
...
"Whoa! That spike just now was brutal!"
"I didn't even have time to react—it grazed right past my face!"
In the dining hall of the National Youth Team's training camp, Chikaya animatedly reenacted the play.
Beside him, Akira and Tobio Kageyama were digging into hearty meals.
"That guy's serve is really tough to receive."
"I felt it the last time we played, too."
Across the table, Atsumu Miya looked at Akira with mock frustration.
"It's taken ages, and it's still tough to catch."
"Thanks to you, our team now does an extra fifty serve receives every day after training!"
"And everyone's got to do it!"
"Haha!"
Akira gave an awkward laugh and scratched the back of his head.
"I didn't expect it would be like that!"
"But honestly, I can tell Atsumu's receives have gotten way better!"
Next to them, Kōrai Hoshiumi was shoveling rice into his mouth and mumbled through a mouthful:
"I remember last time I watched you guys play, it definitely wasn't at this level."
"That's true."
Atsumu took a sip of clear broth from his bowl.
"But I'm still not on the same level as those two at Inarizaki."
"What can I say? Whether it's their libero or their attackers, their defense is seriously solid!"
"Totally! And there are so many other strong players from around the country!"
...
At the unfamiliar National Training Center, surrounded by unfamiliar faces—
The few players who had previously crossed paths quickly became close.
And just a short distance away…
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