It was Aoba Johsai's serve. After Miyagi University received the ball, Miyagi didn't set it to their ace but instead let another wing spiker go for a sharp diagonal spike.
Aoba Johsai responded steadily, and the teams went back and forth for several rallies.
"Miyamura, give me the ball. I won't act impulsively this time." Maeda, who had calmed down, called for the ball again.
Miyagi's setter passed it to Maeda. Maeda gave Kazuhara Taichi a quick glance and prepared to spike. Taichi didn't think much—his body moved on instinct, springing into the air.
Wrong read—it was a tip!
By the time Kazuhara Taichi realized it, it was already too late to save the ball.
[Miyagi University 20 vs. 17 Aoba Johsai]
"Damn, they adjusted way too fast." Taichi felt a bit frustrated, but on the sideline, Coach Irihata had already begun preparing a substitution.
"It's okay, Taichi. You did great," Iwaizumi encouraged the first-year calmly. This batch of first-years had a few promising players—Kindaichi Yuutarou, Kunimi Akira, and Kazuhara Taichi.
Aoba Johsai was a strong team in Miyagi Prefecture, but that was about it. Between them and the strongest team stood a towering wall—Shiratorizawa. While Aoba Johsai's volleyball club had many members, when it came to elite talent, they still couldn't compare to Shiratorizawa.
The second-years' current performance was average at best. Though Iwaizumi didn't think they were bad, he knew that if they wanted to make it to the nationals and compete on a bigger stage, this simply wasn't enough.
Especially—he looked toward Oikawa—he should at least make it to the national stage. He deserved to be seen by more people.
"Iwa-chan, why are you staring at me so tenderly?" Oikawa said with a smirk.
In response, Iwaizumi elbowed him. "Get yourself ready. As an upperclassman, you can't just sit back and watch the rookies shine."
"Of course. No matter who the opponent is, I've only got one thing on my mind—to win!" Oikawa's smile disappeared, replaced with a serious expression.
…
After the timeout, Kazuhara Taichi returned to the bench. His body was still cooling down from the intense movement. Though he wasn't sure what had happened, it was clear—**he had somehow transmigrated into the world of Haikyuu.
As time passed, his memories began to clarify. He remembered lying on his dorm bed playing the Haikyuu!! mobile game. That's right—Kazuhara Taichi was the name of the character he created in-game. No wonder the name felt so familiar when people called it earlier.
He had been grinding an event at the time. The featured character was Bokuto Koutarou, and despite playing for hours, he hadn't pulled him yet. His memory cut off there, making him wonder—
Did I seriously die from playing too long and then transmigrate here...?
After a long train of thoughts with no answers, Taichi turned his focus to the system he had seen earlier in his mind.
"Activating: Genius All-Rounder System."
A cold, mechanical voice echoed again.
"What kind of lame name is that? Genius and All-Rounder…" Taichi grumbled.
"Genius: the ability to convert every ounce of effort into tangible growth.All-Rounder: the ability to learn and master anything."
So... basically like playing a game, huh? Given his situation, that wasn't so far-fetched.
Taichi thought for a moment. "So, Mr. System, hypothetically—if I wanted to become a professional volleyball player, is that possible?"
"Request acknowledged. Career quest unlocked: Become a professional volleyball player."
"Wait what? I was just asking!" Taichi blinked, stunned.
...The system didn't respond.
Fine. That goal works too. Since he was in this world now, volleyball was obviously the only path for him!
Shōyō Hinata, Tobio Kageyama, Ushijima, Hoshiumi Kōrai…
One by one, he recalled the faces of those iconic characters. Heh, playing against them would be like a personal "pilgrimage."
"Notice: Current ability level – 65. Probability of being crushed by a top player: 100%."
Taichi flushed. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. I never said now. I'll get stronger later, okay?"
"System, can you show me other people's ability stats?"
"Yes. However, because genius stats are non-fixed, I can only display the abilities of people in your current field of vision."
"Non-fixed? So they're constantly improving? Tch… that's what makes them geniuses. But now—I'm one too," Taichi smirked to himself.
"System, who's the strongest player on the court right now?"
"Oikawa Tooru. Composite score: 90Height: 184 cmSpeed: 86Power: 95Stamina: 90Jump: 85Specialties – Serve: 95, Set: 94."
His serve is rated even higher than his setting? Makes sense—Kageyama learned his serve from Oikawa. Oikawa's known to start slow, but once he gets into the zone, his serves almost never fail. And his strength… that's elite-level. Is this really a setter's stat sheet?
Then again, top-tier players all end up becoming all-rounders, huh? Fair enough.
Taichi shifted his gaze back to the court. The current score was:
[Miyagi University 21 vs. 19 Aoba Johsai]
They were behind on points, but it was finally Oikawa's turn to serve again.
This time, his state was clearly different. Focused and composed, he seemed unusually calm.
Tweet! The whistle blew.
The ball floated gently into the air. Oikawa stepped in slowly, and at just the right moment, he leapt. His body arced perfectly, and his arm whipped forward with explosive force. The ball seemed to warp on contact and then tore through the court like a bolt of lightning.
Boom!
The Miyagi players hadn't even reacted—stunned silence fell over the court.
Ace serve.
[Miyagi University 21 vs. 20 Aoba Johsai]
People used to say Oikawa Tooru wasn't a genius.
With his god's-eye view, Kazuhara Taichi knew—if nothing changed, Oikawa would never make it to Nationals in all three years of high school. Ahead of him was Ushijima Wakatoshi—one of Japan's top five aces. Behind him was Kageyama—the rapidly rising prodigy setter.
Compared to those two, Oikawa's high school career could be called... pretty average.
But precisely because he had this omniscient view, Taichi also knew how unshakable Oikawa's determination was when faced with an insurmountable wall:
"Talent can bloom. Ball sense can be trained."Oikawa Tooru understood more than anyone that he wasn't a genius.
"Nice serve, Oikawa-senpai!" Taichi was the first to clap, triggering a wave of cheers throughout the court.
Aoba Johsai's regret—let me be the one to rewrite it, Taichi thought.
"Ding. Due to the host's strong desire, stage quests unlocked."Quest 1: Help Aoba Johsai qualify for Nationals before Oikawa Tooru graduates.Quest 2: Help Aoba Johsai win the National Championship.
Taichi took a deep breath.
"That's exactly what I wanted."