On the vast volleyball court, the eyes of both teams met.
Most of Karasuno's players had their eyes fixed on Ushijima Wakatoshi. After all, as a well-known ace, he was a household name in Miyagi Prefecture. Every high school volleyball player aspired to reach his level.
However, most of Shiratorizawa's players were focused on Akira.
Among Karasuno's newcomers, Kageyama Tobio from Kitagawa Daiichi was already famous. Everyone knew about him. Hinata was far too short to fit Coach Washijo's strict selection criteria. Tsukishima, despite being a solid blocker, lacked the presence of an ace and always carried an air of disinterest.
That left only one possibility.
"Is that him?"
Shirabu Kenjirou's eyes narrowed as he studied Akira.
"He looks... ordinary?"
From the moment he stepped onto the court, Akira had a casual smile on his face. He showed no signs of intimidation, no pressure, no tension—just ease.
"Is this really the super ace that Coach Washijo values so highly?"
"Aces should be like Ushijima—strong and imposing."
"But why is he still joking around with his teammates? He doesn't look like an ace at all."
Akira, however, paid no attention to their scrutiny. What Shiratorizawa thought of him didn't matter. Their only job was to lose.
"Hey," Sugawara Satoshi whispered. "I always knew Shiratorizawa was strong, but they have such an intense presence."
"Yeah, we really don't know much about their other players."
Just standing there, Shiratorizawa's aura was overwhelming. It was a confidence built from absolute dominance.
Initially, everyone assumed that stopping Shiratorizawa meant stopping Ushijima. But now, things looked much more complicated.
A cold and precise setter, a peculiar outside hitter, a cocky first-year opposite—it was clear that Shiratorizawa wasn't just about Ushijima.
"So, this is Miyagi's strongest team," Daichi murmured.
Since the match was being televised, the warm-up time was shorter than usual.
With the referee's whistle, both teams split off to begin their warm-ups. More and more spectators filled the stands, but the contrast between the two sides was stark.
On Shiratorizawa's side, a sea of students in uniform, cheerleaders, and massive banners filled the area. They even brought out enormous taiko drums.
Karasuno's side, by comparison, was more modest. The audience consisted mostly of older alumni, with fewer students wearing Karasuno uniforms.
"Oh! Isn't that Mitsuda Musashi?"
"He's here to watch the match?"
"Wait, look next to him! That's Naoto Kunimura, Shinkai's ace, and Yoshino Heiji, their libero!"
"No way! I didn't think I'd see such high-profile players today."
"Not just them. I heard that Arai-senpai is here too!"
"What?! Arai-senpai is here? Where?"
A few people immediately stood up to scan the crowd.
"Idiot! A player of Arai-senpai's status wouldn't sit with regular spectators. He's probably in the commentator's box."
"Damn! I wanted to ask him for an autograph."
"Forget Arai! I'd rather get Akira's autograph after the match."
A nearby spectator chuckled. "That guy went head-to-head with Arai and didn't lose. His potential is limitless."
"Huh?"
A few spectators exchanged confused glances.
"You don't know? If you had Arai's high school autograph right now, that'd be pretty valuable, right?"
"More than valuable! That would be—"
One person stopped mid-sentence, realizing something. The older spectators exchanged silent glances before one cleared his throat.
"Ahem. My son's been a huge fan of Akira since watching him play. I promised I'd get his autograph after the match. Surely you won't compete with a child?"
"Same here. My girlfriend's been obsessed with him ever since his TV interview. For the sake of my relationship, I have to get that autograph."
"Me too! My little brother—"
"Oi! You guys!"
"Fair competition! Don't be so shameless!"
The original spectator who wanted an autograph looked devastated.
"I was so stupid…" he groaned. "Why did I say anything? I should've just asked after the match…"
As the teams continued warming up, the TV crew finished setting up the commentary booth.
On a high platform, the championship trophy and medals gleamed under the arena lights. The ultimate prize awaited the victor.
Tweet!
With the referee's whistle, the players returned to their sides of the court.
The National High School Sports Tournament, Miyagi Prefecture Representative Playoffs—
Men's Final.
The match was about to begin.
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I'll be Uploading the next Chapters
Just a bit busy these days.