[The second morning of the Spring High Representative Tournament: Aoba Johsai vs. Date Tech]

As the captains approached for the pre-match handshake, tension filled the air.

"Ah, no need to be so uptight. After all, you still have next year, don't you?" Oikawa Tōru said with a cheerful smile.

"Tch. Whether we have next year or not is irrelevant," Kenji Futakuchi replied irritably. "Only the stronger team will stand at the top in the end."

"Mm-hmm, you're absolutely right," Oikawa nodded obediently before his smile sharpened.

"But it's obvious who the stronger team is, isn't it?"

"Let's have a great match!"

-----

Aoba Johsai's starting lineup:

Front row—Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi, Middle Blocker Kindaichi Yūtarō and Wing Spiker Hanamaki Takahiro

Back row—Opposite Hitter Iwaizumi Hajime, Middle Blocker Matsukawa Issei (Libero Watari Shinji) and Setter Oikawa Tōru.

Date Tech's starting lineup:

Front row—Setter Koganegawa Kanji, Wing Spiker Futakuchi Kenji and Middle Blocker Aone Takanobu

Back row—Middle Blocker Fukiage Jingo, Wing Spiker Yutaka Obara (Libero Sakunami Kōsuke) and Opposite Hitter Onagawa Tarō.@@novelbin@@

For this first set, Coach Irihata emphasized Aoba Johsai's blocking strategy. Different from their match against Shiroshikan, Oikawa was placed in the serving position as the first rotation.

Taichi scanned Date Tech's new lineup.

He had done his research: these were the very players who would, in the original timeline, defeat the Karasuno duo of Hinata and Kageyama in next year's Inter-High tournament.

[Yutaka Obara—Wing Spiker: Overall stats: 82. Height: 186.2 cm, Strength: 88, Jump: 82, Stamina: 85, Speed: 75. Technique: Block: 88, Spike: 88.]

A balanced powerhouse. Date Tech's wall isn't just built on Aone; they maintain quality blocks in all rotations.

[Onagawa Tarō—Wing Spiker: Overall stats: 78. Height: 175.2 cm, Strength: 75, Jump: 82, Stamina: 80, Speed: 75. Technique: Recieve: 88, Spike: 90.]

He hadn't played during the Inter-High preliminaries, likely due to his average physical stats. Yet, his technical skills have clearly been honed in the months since.

[Sakunami Kōsuke—Libero: Overall stats: 80.2. Height: 164.1 cm, Strength: 65, Jump: 88, Stamina: 80, Speed: 88. Technique: Recieve: 85.]

A first-year libero whose technical growth since the Inter-High is evident.

[Fukiage Jingo—Middle Blocker: Overall stats: 79. Height: 183.6 cm, Strength: 85, Jump: 75, Stamina: 80

, Speed: 75. Technique: Block: 80.]

A first-year whose blocking is stronger than his offensive capabilities—a testament to Date Tech's straightforward development philosophy.

The match began with Aoba Johsai serving.

Oikawa stood poised at the service line, his expression sharp and focused.

He knew Date Tech's blocking prowess was one of the best in the country, likely ranking among the top three. However, no matter how strong a block is, there's one offensive weapon it can't counter: the serve.

The key to defeating Date Tech lay in direct scoring through serves.

Oikawa took a deep breath, calming his mind and synchronizing with his body. He could feel it: today, his condition was perfect.

He tossed the ball high into the air, took three quick strides forward, and leapt. At the apex of his jump, his right arm whipped forward, pausing momentarily before striking the ball with a powerful snap.

Boom!

The ball streaked across the net into Date Tech's court—a jump float serve!

"Obara!" Onagawa Tarō called out as he judged the trajectory.

But Date Tech's back row had already retreated to counter Oikawa's typical jump serves, leaving them a step too far from the ball's landing point.

Bang!

The ball dropped abruptly, hitting the floor just in front of Futakuchi in the front row.

Service ace for Oikawa.

[Aoba Johsai 1 – 0 Date Tech]

This was Oikawa's evolved serve. His lingering frustration from losing to Miya Atsumu at Nationals was evident—he had clearly trained hard to improve both his jump and float serves.

Despite the early setback, Date Tech's back row didn't adjust forward. Instead, their front-row players stepped back to form a six-person reception.

Date Tech knew their strengths and weaknesses better than anyone.

From the start, they had resolved to counter Aoba Johsai's powerful serves with one strategy: just get the ball up.

Even if it meant giving the opponent a free ball, they were confident in their defensive wall.

Their "Golden Iron Wall".

Oikawa Tōru's second serve.

Another jump float!

Futakuchi Kenji, positioned in the front row, immediately retreated and attempted an overhead pass. The ball swerved slightly to the left in midair before making contact with his hands.

The speed dropped sharply but continued descending toward the floor.

"Save it!"

"I've got it!" Onagawa Tarōo from the back row darted forward and managed to dig the ball up.

The final touch came from Yutaka Obara, who delivered a powerful spike over the net.

"Chance ball!"

Matsukawa Issei received the ball cleanly, delivering a perfect first touch. The ball soared toward Oikawa Tōru, who was already positioned, waiting.

With Aoba Johsai's front row—Kaedehara Taichi, Kindaichi Yūtarō, and Hanamaki Takahiro—all poised for attack, it was the ideal opportunity to strike hard.

And for Oikawa, there was no question who deserved this ball.

Oikawa sent a precise set to the left wing.

Kaedehara Taichi began his approach, leaping with power. Awaiting him on the other side was Date Tech's Iron Wall at its fullest.

"Triple block!" Koganegawa Kanji, Futakuchi Kenji, and Aone Takanobu jumped in unison, hands forming an impenetrable barrier.

Even with Taichi's impressive vertical reach, he couldn't fully escape their height.

Smack!

Taichi skillfully directed the ball toward Kanji's fingertips, using finesse rather than brute force. The ball rebounded off Kanji's hand and floated back into Aoba Johsai's court.

"Get ready for another ball!"

Taichi quickly retreated, resetting for another attempt.

Kindaichi, observing from the side, felt his heart pound.

He had struggled against this same triple block during training camps and had never managed to break through. Now, their presence seemed even more daunting.

Kindaichi had already braced himself for Taichi;s attack to be completely stuffed, ready to step in and recover.

Yet his quick judgment and adaptability proved otherwise.

Iwaizumi Hajime stepped in, securing the ball with a solid pass. Aoba Johsai reorganized their attack.

Kaedehara Taichi, Kindaichi Yūtarō, and Hanamaki Takahiro all advanced toward the net simultaneously.

A show of unity to share the burden of their ace.

Now, it was Oikawa's turn to make a decision.

"Was Taichi afraid of the block earlier?" Oikawa wondered. "It's been a long time since I've seen him hesitate to challenge a direct block…"

Though Kaedehara Taichi's determination was evident, Oikawa knew the situation demanded a calculated move. Right now, Taichi's presence made him the perfect decoy.

But Date Tech's blockers remained steadfast. They trusted their speed and timing, patiently waiting for Oikawa's set.

—Whoosh!

Oikawa released the ball, sending it soaring toward the left wing once more.

In that split second, he recalled Taichi's words during their team's send-off rally:

"I will become the strongest ace in the nation!"

How could he let their ace serve as a mere decoy in this pivotal moment?

If Taichi couldn't avoid the block, he would simply have to break through it.

Taichi's lips curled into a confident smile. Being used as a decoy didn't bother him much…

(Well, maybe a little.)

But this play wasn't about feelings—it was about acting like an ace and claiming the point.

With a resounding thud, Kaedehara Taichi launched himself into the air.

"Triple block!" Date Tech's iron defence rose once again, a towering wall of hands.

From his elevated position, Taichi's vision was sharp. Though he hadn't completely outjumped the block, he had found his opening.

—Boom!

Taichi unleashed a devastating diagonal spike, directly challenging the three-man block.

The ball struck the court inside Date Tech's three-meter line with a thunderous impact.

Kaedehara Taichi scores!

[Aoba Johsai 2 – 0 Date Tech]

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