"Alright, you two go stretch. Don't overdo it with the training; you'll only hurt yourselves," Iwaizumi instructed after assessing the two pyers' states.

  "Yes!" Both Taichi and Kindaichi replied in unison before heading to the sidelio begin stretg.

  [Host, would you like to exit training mode?]

  The meical voice of the system chimed in Taichi's mind.

  Oh? So siderate—it even asks for firmation. Taichi silently responded in his thoughts. Yet, in that very instant, it felt like some unseen switch had been flipped. A wave of unpreted fatigue surged over him like a tidal wave, washing away every ounce of strength in his body.

  Taichi felt pletely draio the point where even lifting his eyelids seemed impossible.

  They say sports fe bonds between people, and after some time training together, Kindaichi felt like he and Taichi had hit off well as teammates, maybe calling them friends wasn't out of the question.

  As he eained optimistic visions of fighting alongside Taichi for the hree years, his peripheral vision caught a startling sight: Taichi, mid-stretch, suddenly colpsed onto his side.

  "Taichi?!"

  Kindaichi's panicked shout immediately drew the attention of the surrounding pyers, who stopped their activities and turo look. Within moments, Iwaizumi and Oikawa rushed over, their urgency causing enough of a otion to alert the team manager and coach.

  Iwaizumi quickly checked Taichi's dition and then looked up at Kindaichi with a mix of exasperation and amusement. "He's just fallen asleep. Why are you yelling?"

  Kindaichi's face turned beet red. "I-I thought... he just suddenly colpsed!"

  The pyers around them froze for a moment before Oikawa's ughter shattered the silence. His amusement was tagious, sparking a wave of chuckles that rippled through the volleyball club. Even the weariness from training seemed to lighten with the shared humour.

  Taichi, for his part, was caught off guard by how quickly thied. He quickly realized his body had demanded a deep rest and promptly used a stamina potion before things got worse. By the time Iwaizumi reached him, he had already regained his senses but chose to keep his eyes shut, hoping to avoid the awkwardness.

  "What's going on here?" Coach Irihata's voice cut through the otion.

  Hearing this, Taichi knew he could no longer feign sleep. Slowly opening his eyes, he feigned fusion as he looked around at the ed faces.

  Notig Oikawa winking at him knowingly, Taichi remained calm and pyed along. "Sorry, Coach. I must have overexerted myself during practid actally nodded off. I'm fine now," he said, sitting up to demonstrate he was unharmed.

  "Are you sure?" Coach Irihata asked with .

  To reassure him, Taichi stood up, hopped a few times, and stretched his arms, appearing fully eic. The coaodded in relief, and the i marked the unofficial end of practice for the day.

  While the others dispersed, Oikawa and Coach Irihata huddled together, whispering about something. After a moment, Oikawa's face lit up, and he called everyoo a circle.

  "I've got exg news!" Oikawa announced, his enthusiasm evident. " weekend, we're having a training match against Karasuno!"

  "Karasuno? I've heard of them—they used to pete in nationals."

  "Wait, aren't they that fallen powerhouse? They've beey weak tely, haven't they? This match might be b."

  The team members began discussing Karasuno's ret performa seemed like an unremarkable matchup, and no one could uand why Oikawa was so ied.

  "Don't uimate any oppo," Iwaizumi's calm but firm voiterrupted, sileng the chatter.

  His pierg gaze swept over the group as he tinued, "Karasuno might not be at their peak now, but they've left their mark oional stage. Volleyball isn't just about stats or rankings—it's about adaptability, strategy, team spirit, and even the uable nature of the game. Dismiss them at your own risk."

  "Ehem," Oikawa interjected, breaking the iy. "Actually, the real reason is that one of my super strong—but totally un-cute—juniors joined Karasuno."

  "Are you talking about Kageyama Tobio, Oikawa-senpai?" Kindaichi asked, standing abruptly.

  "Yep. Didn't you and Kunimi py with him ba middle school?"

  All eyes turo Kindaichi and Kunimi, who nodded in firmation. "We did," Kindaichi admitted, though the memories weren't pleasant.

  Back then, Kageyama was the 'King of the Court,' demanding his teammates follow his orders to a Tee.

  A year ago, on the middle school tour court:"Kindaichi, move faster!""Kunimi, stop sg!"

  Kunimi had muttered under his breath, "Why is he so obsessed when there's no blocker?" while Kindaichi's irritation had reached a boiling point.

  "If we're this serious now, what'll we do in the finals?" Kageyama had snapped back, frustration written all over his face.

  The memories of his time on the court with Kageyama made Kindaichi want to shake his head. "Senpai, why are you paying so much attention to him?"

  "Well~ because his setting skills are probably the best in the prefecture now," Oikalied nontly.

  "No way!"

  "But of course, I still outshine him in serving, blog, spiking—and teamwork," Oikawa added smugly, sing the team.

  His fidenstantly reighe team's petitive spirit. "We have to win!" the thought echoed collectively.

  For Kindaichi, this ersonal. Kageyama was the infuriating king he was determio defeat. Meanwhile, Taichi felt a different kind of excitement—he was eager to meet Kageyama and Hinata on the court for the first time.

  Taichi's mind raced. Historically, Aoba Johsai's main rival had been Shiratorizawa. But this year's Interhigh narrative was shifting. Karasuno would iably make waves with their rapid growth.

  Ihird round of Interhigh-Preliminaries in the inal work, Karasuno had pushed Aoba Johsai to the brink, their fiery spirit aless effort f an intense, nail-biting match. Though Aoba Johsai emerged victorious by the slimmest of margins, it was clear that Karasuno's potential was limitless.

  That came true when Karasuno with their tinuous growth and evolutioed not only Seijoh in the Semi-Finals of the Spring High-Miyagi Prefecture Representative Pyoffs but went on to trump over Ushiwaka-led Shiratorizawa to annouheir resurgen the National Stage.

  And they never had to look back, ever again.

  This uping training match wasn't just aname—it was a ce to set the toaichi resolved firmly: they had to establish their dominanow.

  "We have to win," he thought, his resolve hardening like steel.

  _________

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