"Prepare to block!"
"Nice receive! Asuka-chan, the next one's yours!"
"Too bad, but no worries! Next one, next one!"
────────── ✦ ──────────
Inside Aoba Johsai's training facility, the joint practice match was in full swing, both teams giving it their all.
Despite a number of mistakes from Akashi Asuka, who was using this match to try out several new offensive techniques, Aoba Johsai still managed to hold their own against Shiratorizawa.
Seventeen minutes into the game, the score was 16–17.
Aoba Johsai trailed by just one point.
At the core of this evenly matched contest was one simple fact:
The Aoba Johsai players had all significantly improved their foundational abilities over the past three days.
After training and scrimmaging on sand courts, they had grown accustomed to jumping off soft terrain and dragging their heavy legs through loose footing while chasing the ball.
So now that they were back on a regular indoor court, their immediate reaction was,
"This feels easy."
Their bodies felt light, like feathers in the air.
Now, to be fair, unless someone had Akashi Asuka's "cheat-like" abilities, three days wasn't enough to produce massive increases in raw attributes.
But what had improved was their agility, reaction time, and control over their bodies.
Of all people, Oikawa Tooru felt this most clearly.
As the setter, he was acutely aware of each teammate's condition. Compared to just three days ago, the entire team's upper potential had risen by nearly half a tier.
And that half-tier increase for each player directly translated to a full-tier boost in his performance as a setter.
Which is exactly why,
Even without Akashi scoring points, Oikawa was still able to coordinate the team well enough to go toe-to-toe with Shiratorizawa.
"Iwaizumi-chan!"
Receiving the ball once again, Oikawa executed a fastback set from the backcourt's right side, launching the ball into the air above Hajime Iwaizumi in the front.
It was a quick attack.
With almost no time to assess the situation, Iwaizumi jumped and spiked the ball decisively.
But the next second,
Smack!
With a crisp sound, the ball came flying back at Aoba Johsai's court with the exact same speed it had just left.
Boom!
Iwaizumi's eyes widened in mid-air. He looked across the net, and saw that the one who had just blocked his spike was none other than…
Tendo Satori.
"You're gonna need more than that to beat Ushiwaka, y'know!" Tendo said with his usual unsettling smile.
His words left Iwaizumi silent.
Just then, Oikawa jogged over from the backcourt and apologized with a laugh, "Sorry, Iwaizumi-chan! That set was a bit too low!"
Iwaizumi rubbed his chin, unusually quiet. He didn't even throw a retort back.
That silence, however, made Oikawa nervous.
"Uh… Iwaizumi-chan? You okay?"
Finally, Iwaizumi raised his head slowly, looked at Oikawa for a long moment, and then suddenly asked:
"Tell me honestly, Oikawa… Am I really not suited to be a wing spiker?"
Oikawa: "...Σ(дlll)!!!"
"Iwaizumi-chan, c'mon! Calm down! It was just one missed point! Don't spiral like this! You gotta believe in yourself!"
Panicking, Oikawa grabbed Iwaizumi's shoulders and began shaking him violently.
(▼ヘ▼#)
With his brain rattling from the shaking, a vein popped on Iwaizumi's forehead. He clenched his fist, and wham!, punched Oikawa straight in the head.
Thud!
"Spiral yourself, you idiot! Stop lumping me in with you, Trashikawa!"
That punch seemed to knock some sense back into Oikawa, who now realized:
Oh right… Iwaizumi isn't the type to dwell on stuff like that.
"Uhh… So what did you mean by what you said earlier, then?"
Rolling his eyes, Iwaizumi replied, "Exactly what I said. Nothing more."
────────── ✦ ──────────
"Looks like Aoba Johsai really got a lot out of this training camp–" Shiratorizawa Coach Tanji Washijo commented from the sidelines as he watched the match unfold.
"Oh no, not at all~" Coach Irihata said humbly, then casually changed the subject. "By the way, did Shiratorizawa just arrive here today?"
"That's right."
"I thought so! I was wondering why we hadn't seen any of your players around earlier, even though we're training right next door."
Coach Irihata nodded in understanding, then asked in a seemingly offhand manner:
"So, is your training camp this year the same length as usual?"
Washijo cast a sideways glance at him and answered plainly, "No. This year, we're staying here for a full month."
Irihata's eyes widened. "A full month?"
Washijo gave a cold laugh. "Hah. What's with the shock, Coach Irihata? Isn't your team doing the same thing?"
Irihata was stunned. "Wait… how do you know about that?"
Honestly, he wasn't surprised that Shiratorizawa knew, they hadn't exactly been keeping it a secret, but he was surprised at how fast the news had reached them.
Washijo snorted, "If you don't want others to know, don't do it in the first place. We lost a match during Inter-High, but rest assured, we'll be reclaiming our honor at Spring Nationals."
That sudden declaration of war left Irihata momentarily speechless.
He paused, thinking.
Then it finally hit him,
Wait a second! All I did was extend our summer training by a little! It's not like I broke the rules or anything. So why do I suddenly feel like the villain here?
"Hmph! There's only one ticket to Nationals. If you want it, come and fight for it!" he shot back sharply.
He didn't know why Washijo was suddenly picking a fight, but Irihata wasn't one to back down, especially not after years of being stifled under Shiratorizawa's shadow.
Both men were veterans of the game. Even though they'd just declared war, their faces didn't show a hint of change, they looked just as calm and composed as before.
But…
Kyotani Kentarou from Aoba Johsai and Tendo Satori from Shiratorizawa, both highly sensitive by nature, could almost see a thick black aura emanating behind the two old coaches.
They shivered instinctively.
Kyotani and Tendo: "…Why do I suddenly feel like something bad is about to happen?"
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