Jin's serve tore through three straight points. Each one was clean, sharp, unstoppable. But Daichi adjusted more and more with each receive, by the fourth serve, he nailed a perfect pass to target.
That was Karasuno's captain for you. His reception was no joke.
Sugawara moved smoothly, calmly tossing the ball up. Tanaka roared as he approached, spiking through the block to finally break the drought. The third-years claimed their first point.
Now it was Sugawara's turn to serve. His serve wasn't powerful, but it was tricky, angled, controlled, always forcing awkward receptions.
This time, the ball curved toward Jin's side. He bent low, catching it, but the awkward angle forced a sloppy pass. Karasuno's rhythm slipped.
Kageyama scrambled in, fingers flashing. A quick set. But Hinata, untrained, didn't keep up. He jumped too late, swinging through air.
"Idiot, hurry up-" Kageyama bit back his words, swallowing them.
For the briefest moment, the "King of the Court" felt that familiar shadow creeping back. The fear of teammates who couldn't match him. 'Is it really my problem?'
Hinata braced himself to be yelled at, but Kageyama stayed silent.
Jin groaned, rubbing his face. "Seriously, you two have zero coordination…"
And then-
*Ding!*
"System mission: Help Kageyama and Hinata complete the 'monster quick'."
Jin almost choked. 'Seriously!? Even here the system wants me to guide them?'
But then the reward flashed across his vision.
"Reward: A guaranteed chance encounter with a beautiful girl on the street."
His eyes lit up instantly. 'Well, Kiyoko-senpai's amazing for sure… but no reason I can't meet more beautiful girls, right?'
Jin marched up to Kageyama, voice sharp. "Oi, what's the difference between your sets now and when you were the 'King'? Still passing only the way you want!"
"Hah?!" Kageyama grabbed Jin's collar, bristling. Being lectured by the guy who had beaten him before, unbearable.
The tension froze the whole court.
But Jin didn't back down. "If I were a setter, I'd trust my teammates. I'd find a way to bring out their 'full potential'. Instead, you're forcing passes only 'you' think are right. Have you even thought about what kind of set Hinata actually wants?"
Kageyama's grip loosened. His prideful glare faltered, replaced with thought.
"You're a genius," Jin pressed, "but they've already locked me down this game. The point isn't me. It's 'you two' working together."
Hinata flailed between them, panicked. "You guys, stop fighting, we're still in the middle of a game!"
Kageyama turned to him. His voice softened. "Hinata. Just run to an open spot. Jump with everything you've got. Swing like crazy. I'll give you the ball you want."
Hinata's eyes widened. "...Okay!"
---
The next sets were messy. Failed timings, awkward jumps. Hinata crashing into the net. Jin nearly tore his hair out just watching.
But Kageyama's sets grew sharper each attempt. His vision clearer.
And finally, on the Nth try, the ball landed perfectly in Hinata's strike zone.
Hinata leapt with everything he had. His body was a blur. The ball met his palm without a single beat of hesitation.
*Bam!*
The ball rocketed straight down. None of the third-years reacted in time.
"Nice!" Kageyama's fists clenched tight.
"I… I hit it!" Hinata beamed, staring at his own hand in disbelief.
At that same moment.
"Mission complete."
The system's chime rang in Jin's mind.
The scoreboard read '23–16'. They were still far behind, but Jin wasn't discouraged. On the contrary, he cracked his knuckles with a grin.
"Alright then… now it's my turn to make some noise."