After all, in his mind, not a single person around him could beat him consistently. That meant the Aoba Johsai standing in front of him now was nothing for him to fear either. They were all just high school students.
Since they were all high schoolers, how much stronger could they really be than him?
He was extremely confident about that.
"No matter what, for tomorrow's match, we're training more today!"
"We need to improve our coordination."
Terushima was already looking forward to tomorrow's match so much that he could barely hold himself back. He could not wait to start Johzenji's first match against Aoba Johsai.
…
Time passed quickly. Once the Spring High preliminary bracket for Miyagi Prefecture was announced, every volleyball club in the prefecture began studying its own tactics, and both Aoba Johsai and Johzenji, who were set to appear in the opening match, had already made their preparations.
Ready for the upcoming game, both sides arrived at the prefecture's largest volleyball venue as soon as the event began and started getting ready for the match ahead.
"The Spring High preliminaries are finally here. It feels like it's been forever since I last stood here."
"This really brings back memories."
Wearing his blue-and-cyan uniform, Oikawa looked at the court in front of him with anticipation in his eyes. The place where he could finally fulfill his ambition had arrived. What came next was simple: defeat every enemy who stood before him.
Only by claiming the final Spring High berth could he climb the ladder toward his dream.
For that goal, anyone could be used, as long as it allowed him to reach the top.
With that thought in mind, he subconsciously glanced in Hank's direction. Just as he expected, Hank was fully prepared as well, looking like a drawn bow ready to fire at any moment.
"Great. Dragon-chan is in excellent form too. This really feels like the one."
"This is the time I can make my dream come true."
Oikawa let out a deep breath, then led Aoba Johsai onto the court. By then, both teams had already stepped onto the floor and begun their pre-match warm-up. For a moment, the club members in the stands…
…started shouting like mad, waving banners and cheering for their teams. Even though the match between Aoba Johsai and Johzenji had not yet begun, the atmosphere was already boiling over with excitement.
It felt as if a real battle could break out at any moment.
"They really are a team with the atmosphere of a festival. The whole group looks incredibly fired up."
Coach Irihata slowly took his seat with a water cup in hand, his expression calm and relaxed, as though he already knew how the match would end. After all, during this stretch of time, he had watched Aoba Johsai gradually build its chemistry step by step until it reached its current state.
He knew the current strength of Aoba Johsai like the back of his hand. Looking at it from Hank's angle alone, the current Aoba Johsai was a team with extraordinary offensive power.
Even if their fundamentals were not especially solid, there was no doubt that, with Hank at its core, this was the strongest war machine.
Any opponent standing in front of them would be crushed with ease.
"Both teams are here now. So the team in the blue-and-cyan uniforms is the Aoba Johsai we're facing. Every one of them is so tall."
"In terms of physical ability, they're not inferior to us at all."
Hana Misaki held her clipboard and walked onto the court. The preparations at the venue were basically complete, and as long as both teams finished warming up, the match could begin immediately. This was, in a sense, the last stretch of time before the game started.
It was also the only chance before the match to get a look at the other team's players and gauge their strength. If they made good use of this window, they could still make a few adjustments.
Thinking that, she began sorting Aoba Johsai's players by appearance, memorizing Oikawa, Hank, and the others who would be starting.
But when her gaze moved across the Aoba Johsai players one by one and finally landed on Hank, she suddenly felt an oppressive pressure unlike anything she had ever experienced before. It was as if some enormous beast had suddenly fixed its eyes on her. In that instant, time itself seemed to stop.
"Waaaah!"
Just as Hank stepped onto the service line to practice his serve, every gaze on the court unexpectedly converged on him at once. The whole space seemed to quiet down slightly, and along with the cheers of the Aoba Johsai club members behind him…
…Hank leaped up from the service line, tossed the ball above his head, and blasted it straight toward Johzenji's court.
Because his physical abilities had improved again over this period, the ball shot out like a cannon shell the instant he served it, slamming into the middle of Johzenji's court. With a heavy thud, it rebounded all the way up to the top of the gym.
Such an outrageous arc made everyone on Johzenji's side swallow hard on instinct.
(End of Chapter)
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