“Asuto, the last ball is yours!”
“Don’t let him through!”
Mishita Ryuhei sent up a high set. Asuto leaped into the air, and at the same moment, Iwaizumi Hajime, Kindaichi, and Kunimi Akira spread their arms together, forming a triple block on the other side.
Using his brief hang time, Asuto scanned the court for an instant before decisively swinging his arm.
Bang!
The volleyball cut across the court, flying toward Iwaizumi’s side.
“You won’t get past us!”
At the critical moment, Iwaizumi suddenly adjusted his hands and successfully read the path of Asuto’s spike. It looked like the ball was about to be stuffed by the block…
But at the last possible second, the ball suddenly drifted slightly, brushing past the front of Iwaizumi’s arms.
Thud!
The powerful spike slammed into the floor, carrying a streak of white air behind it.
“Beeeep…!”
“Match over. Red Team wins, 25–22.”
The referee’s merciless announcement immediately drew a chorus of frustrated groans from the Blue Team, led by Oikawa and Iwaizumi Hajime.
“Gaaaaah! Damn it!”
“Why does Asuto feel more and more like Ushiwaka lately? His spikes are getting impossible to receive.”
“Huh? You’ve noticed it too? I thought I was the only one imagining things. I don’t know what’s going on, but there were several spikes today where I clearly read the trajectory, yet I still couldn’t get to the ball. His spikes practically curve now.”
“Right, right! So you felt it too!”
The Blue Team blockers looked like they’d finally found people who understood their suffering and immediately started pouring out their complaints. Asuto had absolutely tormented them today.
Iwaizumi stood where he was, staring at his palm. The image of that last blocked spike replayed in his mind, and a thoughtful look crossed his face.
“Iwa-chan, you noticed it too, didn’t you?”
At that moment, Oikawa walked over wearing his trademark professional smile. The smile was apparently much easier on the eyes than his usual expression. Iwaizumi didn’t instinctively back away this time and simply nodded.
“Yeah. That’s right.”
“By adding spin to the spike, he’s increasing the curve of the ball’s flight path…” Oikawa narrowed his eyes. “The prefectural qualifiers only ended a week ago, and he’s already found another direction to evolve. What a monster.”
“No matter how much of a monster he is, he’s still our teammate right now.” Iwaizumi glanced at him. “What, are you planning to beat up your junior again like back in middle school?”
Oikawa immediately blushed.
Back in middle school, driven by jealousy, Oikawa had nearly punched Kageyama Tobio. It was one of the darkest chapters in his personal history.
“Iwa-chan, didn’t we agree never to bring that up again?”
“Heh.” Iwaizumi let out a cold laugh before turning toward the others and shouting, “Alright! Losers, everybody dive around the gym once!”
“Yeeees…”
The entire Blue Team responded weakly before reluctantly accepting their punishment.
Meanwhile, on the Red Team side, Asuto was drinking water when Mishita Ryuhei arrived at the rest area.
After taking a sip himself, Mishita asked, “Was that a new technique just now?”
Asuto shook his head. “Not really. I just made a few adjustments to my spikes and serves.”
“Looks like the match against Shiratorizawa really affected you.” Mishita smiled. “It’s rare to see you this impatient, especially to the point of using a newly developed technique during a match.”
“Can’t be helped.” Asuto shrugged. “Nationals are only a few days away. Even a team like Shiratorizawa only made the Top 8 at the national level. At this point, even if it’s last-minute cramming, I’ve got to do it.”
When it came to understanding Asuto, Mishita Ryuhei was now the person at Aoba Johsai who knew him best. Not even Oikawa could compare.
Just like today, Oikawa could only tell that Asuto’s spikes had changed again, but Mishita Ryuhei could sense the shift in Asuto’s mindset. Because the Asuto he knew would never use an unfinished technique in a match. Not in an official game, and not even in a practice match.
After training ended that day, Asuto and Mishita stayed behind for their usual extra practice.
In fact, it wasn’t just them. With Nationals drawing near, everyone on Aoba Johsai’s volleyball team had been staying after training for additional practice lately. Even so, Asuto was always among the very last to leave.
By the time they finally walked out of the volleyball club, the sky had already gone completely dark.
Asuto said goodbye to Oikawa and the others and was about to head home when everyone suddenly spotted a familiar figure standing on the steps outside the gym.
“Huh? Mad Dog-chan!”
…
“You haven’t forgotten that the final exams are next week, have you?”
Takeda Ittetsu lightly adjusted his glasses, and a cold gleam flashed across the lenses. It was every bit as cold as the hearts of Kageyama Tobio, Hinata Shoyo, Tanaka Ryunosuke, and Nishinoya Yuu at that moment.
Karasuno Volleyball Club had entered a major crisis!
Let’s rewind a little.
The day after the prefectural finals ended, the members of Karasuno saw Oikawa and Asuto on the cover of Volleyball Monthly. They also learned that Ushijima Wakatoshi had been selected for the U19 World Youth Team.
The news greatly fired up Kageyama and Hinata. Both of them swore that they would defeat Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa in future matches.
And just then, Karasuno’s old rivals, Nekoma High School, sent them an invitation. Coach Nekomata invited Karasuno to Tokyo for a training camp hosted by the Fukurodani Academy Alliance.
The Fukurodani Academy Alliance was a practice-match group led by Fukurodani Academy and made up of several powerhouse schools. Normally, without the right connections, it was almost impossible for outsiders to join.
As soon as the news arrived, the entire Karasuno team erupted in celebration. Especially Kageyama and Hinata, the two volleyball idiots. Getting the chance to play against Tokyo’s strongest schools was something they dreamed about.
Unfortunately, before they could stay excited for long, reality dumped a bucket of ice water over their heads.
Final exams. The shared nightmare of students everywhere.
“If you fail your final exams, you’ll have to attend remedial classes on the weekend. Depending on the situation, those classes may even continue during summer vacation. Realistically speaking, that means the Tokyo training camp would be out of the question…” Those were the exact words of a certain Karasuno dean.
Now let’s take a look at the academic records of Karasuno’s four outstanding volleyball players.
First, the two second-years:
Tanaka Ryunosuke (last monthly exam): 34, 29, 47, 36, 41…
Nishinoya Yuu: 36, 33, 49, 39, 42…
Well, considering 40 was the passing mark, their performance was at least… consistent.
Next came Karasuno’s first-year duo:
Hinata Shoyo: 8, 11, 9, 26, 17…
Kageyama Tobio: 12, 11, 9, 16, 19…
Wonderful! What a report card full of room for improvement.
The moment Takeda announced that anyone who failed next week’s finals would be sent to remedial classes, Hinata and Kageyama reacted exactly as expected, they were so shocked they practically lost their animation frames.
It could honestly be said that even losing to Aoba Johsai hadn’t hit them this hard.
“It’s over! We’re doomed! We’re doomed! We’re doomed!” Hinata wailed.
“Ababa… ababa… ababa…” Kageyama’s soul seemed to leave his body.
“Calm down, Hinata!”
“This is bad! Sensei, Kageyama’s running out of air!”
“AAAAAAAHHHHH!”
“Hey! Pull yourself together!”
With just a single sentence, Karasuno Volleyball Club went from a sea of joy to a hellscape of despair.
“Everybody calm down.” Finally, Captain Sawamura Daichi spoke up. “We still have time. There’s still hope. No matter what, we’re all going to that training camp together.”
His expression turned serious. “So from now until the exams, everyone is entering study hell!”
Kageyama and Hinata instantly froze. If it were volleyball training from hell, neither of them would back down for a second. Academic tutoring from hell, however… That was a challenge on an entirely different level.
Apparently noticing their desire to flee, Oda Miki suddenly walked over.
“You two always say you want to beat Asuto, right?” He said. “Well, here’s your chance. Do you know that Asuto’s grades are always in the top thirty? Are you really going to give up now?”
“Hah? Give up?” Kageyama shot back. “As if!”
“Exactly!” Hinata declared. “Whether it’s volleyball or academics, we’re definitely not losing to Asuto!”
It was a simple provocation but it has an overwhelmingly effective result. After Oda’s little motivational speech, both Kageyama and Hinata exploded with fighting spirit.
Seeing this, the rest of Karasuno finally relaxed.
“Thanks, Oda,” Sugawara Koushi said. “We really couldn’t have fired them up without you. But was what you said true? Asuto-kun’s grades are really that good? Aoba Johsai is already an academically focused school, and he can still rank in the top thirty of his grade?”
Oda shook her head. “It’s not top thirty in his grade…”
“I knew it,” Sugawara replied.
“It’s top thirty in all of Miyagi Prefecture.”
Sugawara: “…”
A single thought can be heaven or hell.
While four members of Karasuno Volleyball Club suffered through the horrors of study hell with expressions full of despair…
On the other side…
The members of Aoba Johsai Volleyball Club, wearing bright smiles and carrying endless anticipation in their hearts, finally set off for Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium to begin their journey to Nationals.
(End of Chapter)