For Mishita Ryuhei, the goal was to forge a stronger weapon for Akashi.
For Nishimori Tomohiko, the desire was to watch his admired senpai up close.
When these two collided, the outcome naturally led to a chaotic scenario... which, of course, was impossible.
Only children make choices.
Adults, naturally, want it all.
Moreover, with Akashi's current physical conditioning, one setter was simply not enough to satisfy his demands.
Only by having both setters work together could they barely manage Akashi's monstrous energy.
Until the National Tournament officially began, Akashi's training plan remained different from the rest of the volleyball club.
The others primarily focused on practice matches during this period, aiming to adjust their physical state to peak performance in the shortest possible time.
Akashi, however, did not need this, as he had consistently trained and played matches throughout the summer.
His main goal during this time was to prioritize the strengthening of his core advantages: Power, Spiking, and Serving.
Especially strength training.
Currently, Akashi's Arm Strength was close to 80. If he could break through that barrier, his spiking power was guaranteed to elevate to another level.
...
...
Three weeks—not too long, not too short.
As all the members of the Senkoku Middle School Volleyball Club trained diligently, the time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye.
The qualifying rounds for the National Junior High School Comprehensive Athletic Meet Men's Volleyball Tournament were here.
On the day of the tournament, the Senkoku Middle School team boarded the school bus, dressed in their uniforms and exuding a fierce presence.
Compared to the Prefectural tournament, the Senkoku members now displayed less curiosity and excitement, replaced by a greater sense of composure and confidence.
The Fated Meeting
Meanwhile, at the bustling tournament venue, a small, vibrant boy with orange, curly hair—who looked like an elementary school student—arrived at the competition arena for the first time in his life.
"Wow! So many people! What a huge gymnasium, and it smells like Salonpas!" The boy gazed at the lively volleyball courts, exclaiming excitedly.
However, before he could enjoy his excitement for long, a team with an intimidating presence, marching in with the precision of an army, slowly entered the main entrance.
Leading the team was Kageyama Tobio. Compared to a few months ago, his presence was more condensed, yet his expression was also darker, constantly emitting an aura of "Keep Out."
It was the team from Kitagawa Daiichi Middle School.
As the absolute top powerhouse in the prefecture, Kitagawa Daiichi's appearance inevitably drew a buzz from the surrounding crowd.
After various events unfolded, the fateful encounter finally occurred in the place of miraculous encounters—the restroom.
The orange-haired boy and Kageyama Tobio had their first meeting.
...
At the same time, the Senkoku Middle School team bus slowly pulled into the parking lot outside the venue.
The volleyball club members disembarked one by one. Their drastically different and serious demeanor, coupled with their formidable presence, immediately drew the attention of onlookers.
"Wow... what a terrifying aura."
"That team is definitely not simple."
"Right, right. But speaking of which, do you recognize them?"
"Hmm... not at all."
Senkoku Middle School's reputation in the volleyball world was clearly not comparable to Kitagawa Daiichi's. Even if they had tied their club's historical record in the Prefectural tournament, that only amounted to a top 16 finish.
Hearing the external commentary, Omae Masato instantly bristled.
However, before he could act, Kazama Juujirou, who knew Omae's body better than he knew his own, grabbed him by the collar and hauled him back.
"Don't be reckless, Omae. Kitagawa Daiichi's match is about to start. We'll go watch, gauge our opponent's current strength, and then go warm up," Shimokawa Sando scolded in a low voice.
Hearing the name Kitagawa Daiichi, Omae Masato's demeanor snapped back to focus, and he stopped fooling around.
Kitagawa Daiichi Middle School was not a seeded team in the National Tournament qualifiers.
This was because the previous year, during the National tournament, Kitagawa Daiichi was in a transition phase. Their former 'Ace Setter' had just graduated, and the new 'Ace Setter' (Kageyama) had not yet fully matured.
Consequently, Kitagawa Daiichi only finished in the top 8 during the previous year's National qualifiers.
Therefore, Kitagawa Daiichi had to play in the first round of this year's National Tournament qualifiers.
Upon entering the gymnasium, the Senkoku Middle School team found that Kitagawa Daiichi's match had already begun.
Just five minutes into the game, the score between Kitagawa Daiichi and their opponent was already 10:3.
"Whoa! That's a brutal score!"
The Senkoku members, who had just reached the spectator seats, were startled by the score.
"Is Kitagawa Daiichi already that strong?"
"How could that be? Idiot, no matter how strong Kitagawa Daiichi is, they wouldn't have that large of a score difference right at the start! Their opponents must be too weak."
"While Kitagawa Daiichi didn't get a seeded spot this year, their strength is undeniable. The organizers wouldn't match them against a strong opponent in the first round," Shimokawa Sando explained.
The team watched intently for a while, but soon began to feel restless.
Their purpose in watching was to assess Kitagawa Daiichi's current ability, but unfortunately, Kitagawa Daiichi's opponent in this round was so weak that it was impossible to gauge their actual level.
In just ten minutes, the first set ended with a massive score difference of 25:8.
"That Yukigaoka Junior High... it looks like no one on the entire team knows how to play volleyball, except for that small, orange-haired kid," Omae Masato yawned, speaking sluggishly.
"Yeah! And even that small kid's technique is incredibly rough. A team like that is just here to join the fun!"
"Speaking of which, Akashi, you seem really focused on that Yukigaoka Middle School. I see you watching with great interest!"
Akashi smiled and replied, "Of course. Watching anime live feels completely different from watching it on TV."
Omae Masato: "???"
"What nonsense? Are you running a fever?"
Akashi rested his chin on the back of the chair in front of him, shaking his head slightly: "Nothing. But you shouldn't underestimate that short kid from Yukigaoka! He has surprisingly good talent, and purely in terms of jumping height, he might even jump higher than me right now."
Part of Akashi's maximum reach came from his height advantage. If judging solely by vertical jump height, Hinata Shouyou might actually be superior at this stage.
Omae Masato pouted: "Pshh~ Come on, what kind of joke is that? Even if that kid has some talent, I don't believe he could be stronger than a 'monster' like you."
Akashi: "..."
With a comment like that, I am utterly speechless.