"Lets do our best!"
Karasuno and Tokonami lined up across from each other, shouting in unison.
The referee's whistle blew, and both sides took their positions.
---
*Ding!*
"Main Quest Updated: Chapter 4"
Objective: Lead the team to victory in the first official match!
---
Jin flexed his hands, fire in his eyes. This was the moment he had been waiting for, the real stage where he could play as Karasuno's ace.
Coach Ukai, after ten days of brutal training, had finally settled on the starting lineup.
Karasuno's starters: Daichi, Asahi, Tanaka, Kageyama, Nishinoya, and Jin.
Hinata scowled from the bench, pouting hard enough to drill a hole in Ukai's head, but the coach ignored him.
"Tokomi… no, Tokonami High." Jin thought as he glanced across the net. "Middle-tier in the prefecture. Beating them isn't enough, we have to show Karasuno's new momentum."
---
On Tokonami's side, Daichi's old friend Ikejiri adjusted his armband. Their eyes met across the court, and Daichi gave him a faint smile. They weren't middle schoolers anymore.
The whistle blew again. Tokonami had the first serve.
Ikejiri tossed the ball, aiming toward Tanaka in the far back.
"I'll get this!" Tanaka shouted, arms firm. The serve didn't carry much weight and was easily received.
Kageyama was already there. With his taped wrist free at last, he felt like his arm was unshackled. The toss was lightning-fast, a razor trajectory just above the net.
"To the left wing!"
The ball was already flying.
"A half-step faster," Jin grinned, sprinting in. The pass was tight, almost reckless, but he could keep up. He leapt, wrist snapping forward, and hit the ball almost against the sideline.
The spike detonated under the block, carving straight down.
"W-what the-?"
"That set was insane! And the spiker… he caught it perfectly!"
"Karasuno's left wing… what a monster!"
The crowd roared. Karasuno had scored the very first point of their official match.
---
"It's time to let them see new Karasuno," Daichi said, the corner of his lips lifted.
Tanaka thumped his chest with a grin. "This is our stage! Let the world see us!"
"Oi, that part's unnecessary!" Asahi groaned embarrassed.
"Yoshi!" Nishinoya echoed, bouncing in place.
From the sidelines, Coach Ukai crossed his arms. That quick, razor toss from Kageyama, paired with Jin's ability to hit it, this wasn't a normal attack. Unless they were facing national-level blockers, it would be nearly unstoppable.
---
"How was that toss just now?" Kageyama asked, almost too stiffly, but his eyes were burning.
He wanted to hear a 'Nice toss.'
"It was so-so," Jin said, shrugging. "But if there's no block, you can keep it lower. Are you scared I'll mess up?"
"Che…!" Kageyama clicked his tongue, but his cheeks twitched.
---
Momentum was rolling.
"Watch me pierce through you!" Tanaka roared, charging the next ball. He blasted it off the block, making it bouncing out of bounds.
"Block out!"
"Yes!" Tanaka clenched both fists. "I'm on fire today!"
His energy was infectious the Karasuno's team cheered.
"They're amazing," Hitoka whispered from the stands, eyes sparkling.
Beside her, Kiyoko smiled softly and nodded.
Above them, the black banner unfurled, its bold white letters proclaiming: "Fly."
Karasuno was soaring.
---
But volleyball was a game of rhythm. After four consecutive points, Asahi's serve drifted long.
The rotation left Karasuno with their libero in front, swapping Hinata onto the court.
"Ughhh, this expression is scary," Jin teased, watching Hinata's burning eyes.
"You idiot, don't hype him up too much," Kageyama muttered.
"I don't wanna sit out anymore!" Hinata yelled. "Just trust me, toss it to me! I'll score!"
"You got it," Kageyama said confidently. "Just go fly, Hinata!"
"Fly?" Tsukishima scoffed from the bench. "What are you, a birdman?"
"Shut it, four-eyes!" Kageyama snapped.
"Fly, fly, fly~" Jin teased in a sing-song, copying Tsukishima's word.
Before it could spiral, Daichi stormed in, grabbing both Jin and Kageyama by the collars like chickens. His glare froze Tsukishima on the sideline.
"Focus on the match, idiots!"
"Aye aye, captain!" both chorused, scrambling back into position.
Tokonami steadied themselves, eyes sharp. With just a few games, they already understood, Karasuno wasn't the weak team of last year.
And yet, across the net, Daichi, Asahi, and Tanaka shouted as one.
"Come at us with everything you've got!"