Hinata's point wasn't just another score—it carried the weight of Karasuno's will.
Back in their last match against Seijoh, Karasuno had fought desperately… and lost. That loss still lingered like a shadow over everyone.
The final point of that match was seared into memory: Hinata and Kageyama's Freak Quick had been stuffed at the net, sealing Karasuno's defeat.
But now—right here, right now—Hinata had broken those chains. Together with Kageyama, he had pulled off a new Quick Attack, reclaiming that moment in dazzling fashion.
Everyone who knew the sting of that loss felt it in their bones: this point was different. This point meant freedom.
Hayato hadn't been there for that crushing defeat, but he understood. He had seen the despair etched into their faces. And he knew exactly how much it meant for them to break free of it.
It doesn't matter anymore, Hayato thought, eyes sharpening as he smiled. Because this time… we're soaring.
"The match has only just begun, Seijoh," he muttered, a cold gleam in his eyes.
Of course, Seijoh was no pushover. Even against Shiratorizawa, they were able to fight evenly. Hayato's spike was strong, but still within reach of their defense. A clean receive meant Seijoh's attack could unfold—and every one of their players was skilled, not just Oikawa.
When Hayato rotated to the back row, Hinata and the others up front struggled to hold back Seijoh's firepower. Not even the best libero could dig every ball—Seijoh found ways to score. And once they had the serve, it wasn't just Oikawa's jump serves Karasuno had to worry about.
Daichi dove for one of those rockets, shouting, "Chance ball!" as he popped back up to his feet. His receives were stabilizing now, no longer flying out of control.
Hinata sprinted to the sideline, waving his arms. "Give it to me!" But Kageyama ignored him this time, tossing instead to Tanaka.
Tanaka blasted the ball with a full-bodied spike—but Seijoh's libero was ready, digging it cleanly.
"Damn it! Their defense is seriously solid!" Tanaka cursed under his breath.
Before he could even recover for the block, Seijoh was already on the counter. Oikawa, instead of setting, suddenly flicked the ball over on the second touch.
"Like I'd let you pull that off!"
Kageyama lunged in, barely saving it with quick hands.
The setter's out! Kindaichi realized instantly. Without Kageyama, Karasuno couldn't run the Freak Quick. Their only options were Hayato's back-row hit… or Tanaka's wing attack.
But then Nishinoya shot forward.
Jumping outside the three-meter line, he flung a perfect set toward Hayato.
"Nice, Noya!"
Hayato roared as he launched from the back row, hammering the ball straight down. The straight shot should've been easy to block—but Hayato's sheer force made it explode off a Seijoh defender's hand and ricochet out of bounds.
"Back-row attack!"
"Nice one, Hayato!"
The rallies grew fiercer. The crowd swelled as spectators flocked to watch the clash between a powerhouse and the rising dark horse.
Seijoh shifted their defense. Instead of chasing Hinata everywhere, they baited him—waiting for his spike. But Hinata wasn't the same player as before. No longer did he close his eyes and swing blindly. If they dropped too far back, he'd just tip the ball.
So Seijoh tried a new tactic: one blocker, one marker, cutting off Hinata's angles and leaving him only the straight shot.
It worked—until Hayato rotated back to the front row. With him there, focusing on Hinata was a gamble. If Seijoh committed too hard, Hayato would rip their defense apart.
"So troublesome…" Oikawa muttered after Karasuno scored again.
"You're only figuring that out now?" Iwaizumi replied coolly. He'd already anticipated this level of fight from Karasuno.
"Yeah, but we can't afford to lose either. Iwa-chan, I'll keep feeding you."
"Then send it my way."
Sure enough, Seijoh's receive turned into a perfect chance ball. Oikawa snapped his set to Iwaizumi.
"Take this, Karasuno!"
Hayato was there in an instant.
"Bring it on!"
Smack! The ball ricocheted violently off Hayato's block, but Kindaichi dug it just over the net.
"Push it!"
Both setters leapt, meeting at the net. Kageyama and Oikawa clashed, palms straining against the ball.
"This brat—!"
"Damn it—!"
With a final shove, Oikawa forced it down into Karasuno's court.
Kageyama landed, teeth clenched, but Daichi and the others quickly patted his shoulder.
"It's fine, next point."
"Don't sweat it, Kageyama."
Across the net, Oikawa flashed his junior a cheeky gesture. Bring it on, Tobio.
"Nice one, Oikawa-senpai!" his teammates cheered.
Oikawa smiled, but in his heart he admitted: Kageyama had nearly beaten him there. His cute kouhai had grown terrifyingly strong. That made the victory all the sweeter.
"Are you alright, Tobio?" Hayato asked quietly.
"Yes. Oikawa-senpai is still really strong." Kageyama's voice was calm—steady, even. He wasn't rattled.
Hayato nodded, reassured, and returned to position.
Seijoh's serve came next. A player who couldn't jump serve aimed straight at Kageyama, hoping to disrupt him.
But Tanaka had been waiting for it.
"Leave it to me!" he bellowed, diving for the receive.
"Tanaka-senpai was ready for that one!" Hitoka gasped from the stands.
Saeko tilted her head, and Yusuke Takinoue leaned in to explain. "See, a normal serve puts Karasuno at a disadvantage on offense. But if they target Kageyama and shut him down, they can cut off Hinata and Hayato's attacks. That's why Tanaka read the play—he knew they'd try to disrupt the setter."
The crowd murmured in understanding, impressed.
Thanks to Tanaka's prediction, Karasuno ran their offense cleanly and scored.
"Nice, Ryu!"
"Love you, Tanaka-senpai!"
"Great job!" Hayato and the other upperclassmen ruffled Tanaka's hair in celebration. The first-years didn't dare, but they grinned along.
Beaming, Tanaka puffed out his chest. "Let's keep going! First to 20 points wins this battle!"
The scoreboard flickered—Karasuno 18, Seijoh 17.
The fight was still dead even.
-------------
Support me at patréon com/Lukas25