"Watch the right wing, defend quickly!"
"I got it!"
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Inside Karasuno High School's gym, the volleyball team was in the middle of practice.
Asahi Azumane launched a powerful spike, blasting the ball through the front-line blockers. But just when it seemed unstoppable, a figure dove in and caught it cleanly.
Receiving a spike from Asahi wasn't unheard of, but the one who did it this time was Hinata Shoyo.
And that was the real shocker.
After all, Hinata's basic techniques were notoriously bad, a fact well known to the entire team.
"Nice receive, Hinata!"
Sugawara Koushi praised him, sounding surprised, but not too surprised.
That's because over the past month, the entire Karasuno team had undergone intense training alongside Coach Nekomata from Nekoma High.
Originally, in the manga, Karasuno didn't have any summer training camps. But this year's special joint camp had accelerated their growth immensely.
After picking up the ball, Hinata was instantly back on his feet. Thanks to his shorter stature, he was much quicker to recover after a dive.
Without hesitation, he sprinted to the far right side of the court. He moved so fast that a blur seemed to flash past the blockers, completely slipping through their defense.
"Crap! Watch Hinata!"
Someone on the opposing team spotted Hinata's movement and stepped in to chase him.
But just as he took the first step, another voice called out:
"Don't bother chasing him! Without Kageyama setting, there's no way Hinata can reach that, "
BANG!
Before the sentence was even finished, a loud thud echoed through the gym. The ball smashed through the net and slammed into the court with a heavy thump.
"OOOOHHHHHH!!!"
Ryunosuke Tanaka, who had just scored the point, howled in excitement, ripping off his jersey in a dramatic celebration.
"OOOOHHHHH! That was amazing, Tanaka-senpai!"
Despite running the full width of the court moments earlier, Hinata bounced back with seemingly endless energy and rushed over to high-five Tanaka with infectious enthusiasm.
"You did great too, Hinata! If you hadn't drawn their attention, I wouldn't have gotten the point.
You really are living up to that 'Ultimate Decoy' title!"
Tanaka slapped him on the shoulder with a grin.
"Hehehe~"
Hinata scratched his head and laughed shyly, clearly pleased.
Across the court, several Karasuno players wiped sweat from their brows, staring at Hinata with astonished expressions.
"This guy's presence is getting stronger by the day."
"Right? Even though we were told before the match that his main role was to be a decoy… once he starts moving, you can't help but get distracted by him."
"Also… has anyone noticed Hinata hasn't stopped moving since the start of the match? How is he not exhausted?"
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Hinata was gradually revealing his full potential, and every day seemed to bring new surprises for the team.
"But... have Hinata and Kageyama made up yet?"
"Uh… should be fine, right? I mean, even though the whole team's gotten stronger, without those two working together, beating Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa won't be easy…"
At that, the Karasuno players all exchanged uneasy glances.
Since their falling-out during summer break, Hinata and Kageyama had gone their separate ways, training independently and never once coordinating on the court.
Though both had improved visibly, if this cold war continued, the team had real doubts about their chances in the upcoming Spring Tournament preliminaries.
"Don't worry!"
Ukai Keishin, who had been listening nearby, cut in confidently.
"Even crows don't always hunt in flocks. Hinata and Kageyama aren't kids anymore. You've got to learn to trust them."
"Uh…"
Rather than reassured, Sugawara and Daichi actually looked more concerned after hearing that.
Were those two… really not kids anymore?
Noticing the awkward silence, Ukai cleared his throat and quickly added, "Anyway, let's not dwell on Hinata and Kageyama right now."
"There's less than a month left before the Spring Nationals qualifiers begin. And compared to last year's Summer Nationals, there are a lot more strong teams in the prefecture this year."
The moment he brought up the Spring Nationals, the Karasuno players all straightened up and focused on Ukai.
Unlike the summer tournament...
The Spring Tournament tends to bring out hidden talent, especially the rising stars.
Most high schools didn't immediately send freshmen to national-level matches in the summer. Even the most promising players usually spent time adjusting before seeing real action.
Japan's school year starts in April.
So when the Summer Nationals roll around in May or June, first-years often miss the opportunity.
But with the Spring Tournament preliminaries held in November, it's a perfect time for new talents to emerge.
"Jozenji High. Wakutani South High. Both of these are traditional powerhouses in the prefecture. There's also Kakugawa High, I've heard they've got an incredible first-year this time…"
Ukai pulled out a folder and went over the list of registered teams, highlighting a few schools they should watch out for.
But then, his tone changed.
"Still, compared to those schools, the ones we need to pay the most attention to… are Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa."
"I don't think I need to explain why."
When Ukai had mentioned the other schools, everyone had stayed pretty calm. But the moment he said those two names, the atmosphere shifted completely.
Oikawa Tooru.
Akashi Asuka.
Ushijima Wakatoshi.
Just hearing their names brought a crushing sense of pressure.
"But there's one thing I need to make clear, because Aoba Johsai beat Shiratorizawa last year, they'll enter this year's preliminaries as the No. 1 seed."
"That means… we'll most likely face Shiratorizawa first, and only afterward will we face Aoba Johsai."
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria