Kitagawa Daiichi vs. Yukigaoka
Because this was the first match for one of the championship favorites, the stands were more packed than for the other games.
Mixed in among the spectators were even some high school players—future rivals, here to scout.
Of course, almost all of them had their eyes on Kitagawa Daiichi.
"Shimizu."
"…"
"Shimizu?"
"..."
"Heeey, Shimizu!"
"…What?"
"Look, you didn't screw the cap on tight. You're gonna spill tea everywhere."
"Ah—sorry. Thanks."
Karasuno High School was one of the schools in the audience.
But unlike the rest, Shimizu's eyes weren't on Kitagawa Daiichi.
She was watching a single player from Yukigaoka.
"Wow, that's rare. Shimizu's actually this focused."
"And that serious look of hers is beautiful too!!"
"…Sugawara. Do you know that kid? Number 2 on Yukigaoka."
"Ignore me harder, please!! That's the best!!"
"Tanaka, you're blocking my view. Uh… Number 2 on Yukigaoka?"
Sugawara shoved the overeager Tanaka back into his seat, then glanced down at the court.
Yukigaoka was a no-name team. Hardly any information. Rumor had it the volleyball club had only just been formed.
Everyone assumed they'd just be Kitagawa Daiichi's warm-up match, nothing more.
But if Shimizu, their usually cool and professional manager, was so focused she didn't even register their voices—then Sugawara had to take another look.
"Hmm… nah, I don't know him."
"…I see."
"What's up, Shimizu?"
"Did that kid do something to you!? Want me to rough him up!?"
"Tanaka, don't say you're gonna beat up a middle schooler. That's just pathetic."
Karasuno's bench grew rowdy.
But Shimizu kept her eyes on Yukigaoka's Number 2—Kagami.
She thought hard, but no memory surfaced.
"…It just seemed like he knew me. I wondered if we'd met somewhere through volleyball."
The referee's whistle blew.
The teams bowed. The match began.
The tension, the rush, the excitement—there was nothing else like it.
Hinata wasn't the only one who'd been waiting for this moment. Kagami too had spent long stretches unable to play. He might've thought he'd burned out, but he'd been wrong.
"…It's been a while."
A smile tugged at his lips.
Their opponents were middle schoolers—but they were one of the strongest.
Neither he nor his team felt lacking in any way.
Alright. Let's enjoy this. No—let's do more than enjoy it. Let's play the very best volleyball we can.
"…!"
A spark—something sharp and unknown.
Kageyama was the only one who felt it.
The rest of Kitagawa Daiichi dismissed Yukigaoka entirely.
"Oi. Aim your serves at anyone but Number 2."
"Uh, okay. (Weird… the King usually doesn't speak up outside of setting, especially not right off the bat. Is that guy really worth worrying about? Well, he is tall, I guess.)"
Kitagawa Daiichi had serve to start.
Kageyama kept his eyes sharp on Kagami. That eerie pressure he'd felt earlier convinced him.
If they served at Number 2, the ball would be picked up for sure. Better to target the libero.
How Yukigaoka would mount their attack was unknown—no data existed—but Kageyama was ready to adapt.
The serve flew fast toward Sekimoto.
"(Me!?)"
"Koji!!"
He wasn't a volleyball player, but his athletic instincts kicked in. His form was clumsy, but somehow he managed to receive it. His arms stung, but he bit back the pain.
"Yeah!! It's up! Izumin!"
"Got it! (First one goes to Shō-chan!) Shō-chan!!"
As planned, Izumi tossed to Hinata.
That had been Kagami's idea: if possible, the first attack should go to Hinata.
Kagami's height meant he'd be marked quickly, while a toss to the undersized Hinata would come as a shock. But more importantly—
I can fly! With these legs, I'll soar over any wall!
Hinata leapt high, his body practically defying gravity.
The gym buzzed in awe.
That small body had launched itself far higher than expected.
"(Tch—so it wasn't a bluff.) Block him, close off the cross!"
Thanks to Kageyama's shout, the block barely made it in time.
Hinata's jump was extraordinary, but it was just a regular toss, not a quick. If they timed it right, they could stop him.
Still—without Kageyama's warning, they wouldn't have.
Hinata swung hard—
but his spike was stuffed by the towering block.
For a moment, it felt like every wall in the world was against him. But then—
"—!"
Kagami had positioned perfectly for the block follow-up, saving the play.
"(He reacted!? His receive's that sharp…!?)"
Kageyama cursed himself. He'd thought the point was theirs.
But the ball flew awkwardly back, landing between Yukigaoka's first-years as they froze.
The rally ended.
"Whoa!! Number 2 actually picked that up! And with that build—his reaction was insane."
"Yeah, and their Number 1's jump was ridiculous too. They look like a ragtag bunch, but they're seriously good. I don't even know if I could've gotten that ball."
Just one rally had fired up the whole gym.
The first-years apologized frantically, while Numbers 1 and 2 calmed them down, repeating: Volleyball is about connecting. No one person's fault.
Despite the mistakes, Yukigaoka refused to collapse.
Kitagawa Daiichi stuck to their plan: avoid Number 2, target the others. They'd crush them head-on, no tricks.
And yet—something kept them from pulling away.
"…The captain's technically Number 1, but it's Number 2 who's really holding them together. He covers the key plays, but also lets the others play freely, getting the most out of his inexperienced teammates. That doesn't happen overnight. Did he learn this in club or something…?"
The speaker was Sawamura Daichi, Karasuno's captain.
He'd come to see the King of the Court, Kitagawa Daiichi's Kageyama.
But gradually, his eyes shifted to Kagami.
"…Man. Guess I've gotta step up too."
"Daichi-san, you're already way better!! Ugh, but I really don't like that guy… He's taller than me too!"
"Tanaka, don't pick fights with middle schoolers. Admit it—you're just jealous because Shimizu's watching him so intently."
"I—I'm not competing with some middle schooler!! I just…!"
Tanaka glanced at Shimizu, who was still laser-focused on Kagami. His jealousy burned hotter.
"Ah! Number 2's serve is up next."
Sugawara's voice drew everyone's eyes toward Kagami.
Score: 16–10.
(Everyone's doing great. Koji even kicked up that spike earlier—guess soccer skills pay off.)
Kagami turned the ball in his hands. He felt a little guilty.
He had memories and training from his "previous" self. He could recall the hours of drills, the rhythm, the form. He could tell himself, I've done this before—I can do it again.
But he was still in a middle school body. Nowhere near as powerful as his trained high school one.
So he had to make up for what he lacked in strength with sheer technique.
"Alright, Seiya, it's all you! Go for the killer serve!!"
Hinata cheered.
It was Kagami's turn to serve.
The serve was the loneliest play in volleyball.
The one moment you stood alone.
And the only time you could score all by yourself.
For Yukigaoka, still shaky as a team, that fact mattered even more.
The serve was the ultimate attack.
"Let's see how many points I can take here…"
Kagami backed up six steps from the end line.
It was a ritual—something he'd copied long ago from a player he admired, and still carried with him now.
He tossed.
Perfect. Height, spin, approach—all exactly as imagined.
"(No way…!!)"
Kageyama's eyes went wide.
And then it came—
A jump serve like a bullet.
Straight over the net, landing right on the end line. A no-touch ace.
Even the line judge froze, dumbfounded.
No-name Yukigaoka… had just fired off a monster jump serve.
"…Seventy percent. That was close—any stronger and it'd have gone out."
Kagami clenched a small fist, grinning.
Yukigaoka erupted in celebration.
Their secret weapon had finally been unleashed.
The crowd roared.
"…Seriously? Middle schoolers these days can do jump serves?"
Tanaka leaned forward, stunned.
"I came here to see the King. But this… this is something else."
"Is this an uprising or what? The commoners are rising against the king?"
A terrifying new middle schooler had arrived, and the gym buzzed with unease.