For Hinata, this was his first time leaving school for an away practice match, and everything felt completely new. He was lively on the bus, keeping the team's spirits high and spreading a cheerful atmosphere throughout the ride.
Thanks to his experience reaching the national tournament, Hinata wasn't especially nervous about this practice match. I don't have to worry about tripping over Tanaka's crazy spikes this time…
On the other hand, Yamaguchi looked a little tense. Even though he wasn't a starter and wasn't sure if he'd get to play, his throat felt tight with nerves.
Fortunately, the comfortable bus and its luxurious interior distracted the Karasuno team, helping to ease their tension somewhat.
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Guren was the last to step off the bus. Before getting off, he made a quick stop at the restroom, flushed, and grabbed a bottle of sports drink.
As soon as he stepped down, he noticed Daichi apologizing to two guys wearing Aoba Johsai uniforms, with Tanaka at his side.
One of them was a familiar face, Yutaro Kindaichi, whom Guren had faced in his first Junior High match. The other, Guren didn't recognize. From his hazy memory, his name might have been Yahaba Shigeru?
Guren didn't dwell on such small details. Seeing that they hadn't noticed him, he joined Hyakuzawa and Nishinoya, who were already waiting, as they headed toward Aoba Johsai's gym with the main group.
Kindaichi, who had briefly met the old snow-hill team, only thought the Karasuno players looked familiar, especially a tall one, but he couldn't remember where he had seen them.
Once Karasuno had moved a fair distance away, Kindaichi's face lit up suddenly.
"That guy!"
"What's wrong, Kindaichi?"
Yahaba Shigeru was puzzled by Kindaichi's sudden outburst.
"Ah… the ones who made it to the national semifinals from Miyagi, that Yukigaoka Junior High team."
"You mean… the Shiratorizawa guys?"
At first, Yahaba Shigeru didn't understand what Kindaichi meant. Then a flash of realization hit him.
"Wait! Are you saying the third-year graduates from Yukigaoka… are at Karasuno now?"
Watching Shigeru's reaction, Kindaichi felt like looking at a younger version of himself.
"Yeah… I recognized the tallest one in Karasuno. Then I saw the orange-haired guy, and another with dark blue and light blue hair, the heights match. If they've grown a bit…"
Shigeru patted Kindaichi and started jogging toward the gym.
"This is big news, Kindaichi! Let's run and tell Coach Irihata!"
"Ah… right!"
The two of them dashed off toward the gym.
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Before long, the Karasuno team arrived at the entrance of Aoba Johsai's third gym.
Hinata stared up at the towering gym, awe-struck.
"Wow… it's huge!"
"The gym… and the players are huge too!"
Tanaka, confused, ruffled Hinata's hair.
"Hey, what are you saying? Look at yourself first!"
Then he shoved Hinata's head back toward their own team.
Immediately, seeing the three towering figures towering over Aoba Johsai made Hinata quiet.
Our team is the real giant country, two meters, one ninety, one eighty-seven…
Daichi led the salute, and the team bowed toward the Aoba Johsai players in unison.
The Aoba Johsai players returned the gesture politely, showing respect.
As Daichi scanned the warming-up players, he realized why this team was considered one of Miyagi's strongest. Every player was skilled, physically well-built, and had solid fundamentals.
Even if placed in any other school, any one of them could be considered a top ace.
Sugawara, standing nearby, gave Daichi a playful nudge, hands on his hips, and said proudly:
"Don't underestimate Karasuno now, Daichi!"
".Yeah!"
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During the warm-ups at Aoba Johsai, one of their assistants ran up to Coach Irihata.
"Coach! Guren has joined Karasuno!"
He whispered the news Kindaichi and Shigeru had brought to him.
"What?"
Irihata frowned.
I thought those kids would have gone to Shiratorizawa. It's rare for Aoba Johsai to invite them and none come…
But considering Shiratorizawa is strong, their recruitment standards are high. These Karasuno players led their team to the national semifinals.
With Shiratorizawa's resources, taking them all wouldn't be impossible. But it seems this once-strong team brought in some impressive newcomers.
Irihata's gaze shifted to the first-year Karasuno players.
Champion libero Nishinoya, two-meter middle blocker Hyakuzawa, agile jumper Hinata, and the "King" Kageyama…
He then looked at Guren warming up on the other side.
The "MVP" of Miyagi, Ichinose Guren…
Looks like Miyagi will have another strong contender. Could he be Ushijima 2.0?
Most likely, Miyagi's top three will again be dominated by national-level players.
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The match officially began.
With Hinata's experience in tournaments and his coordination with Kageyama, the two unleashed a terrifying quick attack. Paired with Hyakuzawa, the two-meter powerhouse, and Nishinoya's defensive skills in the back row, Karasuno's offense was already formidable.
Even though Tsukishima's blocking skills were not fully refined, his height was a weapon. Daichi's solid receiving, and Hinata and Kageyama's dynamic attacks made Karasuno's first set competitive with Aoba Johsai from the start.
As Iwaizumi and Matsukawa analyzed Karasuno's weaknesses, the score remained close. Yet Aoba Johsai hadn't fully exploited the opportunities.
After the coach called a timeout, the Aoba Johsai third-years huddled for thirty seconds, fiercely strategizing.
Vice-captain Iwaizumi shared his observations:
"That two-meter guy isn't weak at receiving. Stop serving at him."
"His spikes aren't fully developed for combining cross-court and line shots yet. If we watch his body direction carefully, we can counter his attacks with soft touches!"
"Yeah!"
Matsukawa continued, pointing out Hinata's spiking tendencies:
"Stay calm! Even if that short guy breaks through the block, don't panic. I've noticed something."
"When he spikes at high speed, he can't choose the direction. Just follow him, and we can stop this quick attack."
"Senior, what if he uses a normal quick attack?"
What are you worrying about?
"If he uses a normal quick attack, our teammates can cover it in time!"
"Yeah!"
The coach offered a motivational pep talk after the discussion.
From the sidelines, Guren observed Aoba Johsai's heated discussion with a slight smirk.
They're fast… not bad for a semifinalist. Even without their ace, they've found our weaknesses through observation.
They're definitely a mature team.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria