The court looked exactly as he remembered it.
Dusty hardwood. Echoing whistles. That tight, nervous air before the first serve.
Hinata stood at the edge of the gymnasium, staring down the team that would crush his middle school dreams.
Kitagawa Daiichi.
At the center stood a tall, intense figure — arms crossed, sharp eyes scanning the court like a general preparing for war.
Kageyama Tobio.
The King of the Court — before the crown broke.
Hinata's heart pounded, but not from fear.
From focus.
Not this time.
[Quest Activated: Defeat Kitagawa Daiichi]Difficulty: AReward: +15 EXP, +1 to Jump Power, Skill Unlock: [Combat Reflex Lv.1]Bonus Objective: Score a point directly off Kageyama's block (Bonus: Unlock Passive – "Rival's Pulse")
Hinata cracked his knuckles, bouncing slightly on the balls of his feet.
"Hey. You ready?" his teammate asked, stretching beside him.
Hinata gave a small smile. "More than ever."
First Set: Kitagawa Daiichi 6 – Yukigaoka 2
And it began the way it always did.
A powerful serve.
A weak receive.
A failed rally.
His teammates looked overwhelmed — a group of average middle schoolers facing one of the strongest teams in the prefecture.
But this time, Hinata was different.
As he stepped into the back row to receive, a faint blue glow flickered at the edge of his vision.
[Activate Skill: Focus Zone Lv.1]?Duration: 10 secondsEffect: Reaction speed +10%, Ball Tracking enhancedCooldown: 90 seconds
Activate.
Time slowed.
He saw the spin on the ball before it even crossed the net. His feet moved instinctively.
A perfect pass.
The coach blinked. His teammates froze.
Hinata just smiled. "Set me."
His teammate — wide-eyed — did as asked.
The set was too high. Too slow. Not ideal.
But for Hinata, it didn't matter.
He sprinted into the air, and for a second, everything went silent.
[Skill: Air Walk Lv.1 Activated]Hang Time: +0.3 secondsControl Window: Open
Mid-air, Hinata adjusted his form.
He slammed the ball down the seam — past the block, past the libero, past the coach's expectations.
Point.
6–3.
Even Kageyama turned.
Eyes narrowed. Brow furrowed.
"You," he muttered. "What was that jump?"
Hinata landed softly, his smile widening.
"Just warming up."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
As the match wore on, Kitagawa still dominated, but Hinata didn't collapse.
Each point he earned, the system pinged in the background:
+5 EXP[Jump Power increased to A-][Skill Progress: Quick Tempo Synchro – 75%]
Kageyama started focusing on him. His sets grew faster, sharper — testing Hinata with each serve, each spike.
And Hinata answered.
Again.
And again.
Until finally—
Match Point: Kitagawa 24 – Yukigaoka 18
Hinata rotated to the front row, heart pounding.
Kageyama was serving.
The ball exploded off his hand.
Hinata dove — perfect receive.
[Activate Skill: Quick Tempo Synchro Lv.1]?Sync Ratio Detected: 46%Warning: Unlinked Setter
Do it anyway.
The set came.
Hinata moved before his teammate even finished the toss. He jumped…
…and Kageyama did too.
They met in the air, opposite sides of the net. King vs. Crow.
Hinata twisted, eyes locked on Kageyama's hands.
[New Condition Met: Bonus Objective – Rival's Pulse]Passive Unlocked: You can now feel the rhythm of your rival's block timing.
Hinata spiked through the seam.
Point.
24–19.
Kageyama stared at him in disbelief.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked.
Hinata landed, wiping sweat from his brow.
"I'm the guy who's going to beat you next time."
[Quest Complete: Defeat Kitagawa Daiichi – Failed]Match LostBonus Objective – Complete+10 EXP[Skill: Rival's Pulse Lv.1 Unlocked][Jump Power increased to A][New Quest Unlocked: Join Karasuno's Starting Lineup]
I still lost, Hinata thought. But this time, I made them remember me.
He turned back for one last look at Kageyama.
We'll meet again.
And next time, he'd have more than memories.
He'd have a system.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<