The gym had quieted—but not in peace.
The tension after Set 1 didn't disappear. It thickened.
Karasuno's players returned to their side, greeted by short cheers and high fives.
But on the other end, Aoba Johsai huddled with an intensity that nearly burned the floor.
Oikawa stood in the center. Arms crossed. Brow furrowed.
"Alright," he said, voice calm—almost eerily so. "Let's talk about Number 10."
Kunimi didn't raise his eyes. "You mean the rocket with orange hair?"
"That's not just a fast player," Yahaba added. "It's like he knew where our block was going before we even jumped."
Oikawa turned to him, slow.
"He did. That's what I'm trying to say."
He exhaled, voice softening.
"He's not just reacting. He's reading us—like a veteran. Like… someone who's seen our patterns before we formed them."
A pause.
Then Iwaizumi spoke, low.
"You think he's been coached by someone on our level?"
Oikawa's eyes flickered toward Hinata, who was quietly sipping water, head tilted toward Kageyama in what looked like a mid-rally debrief.
"No," Oikawa muttered.
"He's coaching them."
Across the net, Karasuno's mood was light, but focused.
Kageyama didn't speak much—but his eyes hadn't left the ball once since the set ended.
Daichi approached Hinata and Tsukishima, nodding.
"Keep your spacing tight. They're gonna come harder this time."
Hinata nodded. "Their second wind's coming. Oikawa hasn't even used his float serve line-up yet."
Tanaka blinked. "How do you know that?"
Hinata smiled. "Just a feeling."
Kageyama glanced at him for half a second.
That was no guess. That was certainty.
The whistle blew.
Second Set – Start.
Aoba Johsai's energy returned immediately.
The serve came from Yahaba again—an aggressive jump float aimed low at Yamaguchi.
Yamaguchi bent low, trying to control the spin.
Mishit.
The ball floated just high enough to give Seijoh a clean attack.
Oikawa stepped in. His toss was perfect.
Iwaizumi's spike—unblockable.
Point: Aoba Johsai.
0–1.
Karasuno reset quickly. Kageyama called Yamaguchi over, no scolding—just calm instruction.
Hinata took a moment to clap Yamaguchi on the shoulder.
"Bend sooner. Don't wait for it to dip."
Yamaguchi nodded shakily.
Oikawa saw it from across the court.
He narrowed his eyes.
He's even coaching receive now?
Seijoh kept pressure up.
Kunimi's serve grazed the net.
Tanaka barely returned it. Kageyama went to Hinata.
But the blockers were ready this time.
Two up—Yahaba and Iwaizumi.
Hinata adjusted in mid-air and went for a tip.
Blocked.
Point: Aoba Johsai.
0–2.
"Focus!" Daichi called. "Don't rush it!"
Tsukishima huffed under his breath. "They're trying to neutralize Hinata early."
Hinata nodded. "Let them."
Kageyama blinked. "What?"
Hinata grinned.
"Time to flip the tempo."
Next serve—Kageyama faked a quick toss to Hinata.
Hinata didn't jump.
Instead, Tanaka bolted around on a running set from the back, and Kageyama sent the ball cross-court.
The ball thudded into Seijoh's floor untouched.
Point: Karasuno.
1–2.
System Passive Activated➤ Phantom Threat: When opponent focuses blocking efforts on Hinata, adjacent attacker success rate +15%➤ EXP +12
"You don't need to be the one to score to change the game."
The match rolled on with momentum swinging violently back and forth.
Oikawa showed why he was known as the Great King—his serves attacked weak points with uncanny precision, and his sets used Karasuno's own momentum against them.
At one point, he pulled off a back-row set that floated perfectly into Iwaizumi's running spike—completely splitting Karasuno's formation.
They reached 11–8, Aoba Johsai leading.
But Hinata… was still calm.
Karasuno regrouped.
During a timeout, Daichi looked to his first-years.
"I know they're good. But we've faced good teams before."
Hinata shook his head. "They're better than before. But they're also adapting. And that means… so can we."
He turned to Tsukishima.
"Can you read Iwaizumi's tempo now?"
Tsukishima's eyes flashed. "Maybe."
Hinata smiled wider.
"Good. That's all we need."
Back on the court, Karasuno started punching back.
Hinata didn't just spike—he played defense. He chased balls to the corners. He started catching Oikawa's rotation shifts.
"Back row!" he shouted mid-play.
Kageyama changed his toss angle.
Tanaka slammed it through.
Point: Karasuno.
Tsukishima, emboldened, began pressing harder at the net. On the next rotation, he blocked Kunimi clean—hands straight over the net.
Even the usually smug Tsukishima cracked a grin.
"Guess I'm learning."
Yamaguchi fist-bumped him from behind.
15–15.
The gym was louder now—crowd hanging on every rally.
Seijoh was sweating.
And then…
Hinata jumped.
Again.
Not just high—but impossibly early.
He cleared the blockers—again—and this time spiked downward.
A clean kill.
The entire Seijoh block stumbled back.
The gym gasped.
"He's still jumping like that in Set 2?""His stamina hasn't dropped?""Is he a first-year or a monster?"
Oikawa stared for a full three seconds before shaking his head.
"That's not a vertical jump. That's physics laughing at us."
Still, Seijoh didn't break.
Their experience held them together.
Every time Karasuno pulled ahead, they clawed back.
21–21.
Oikawa served again. This time, toward Hinata.
But Hinata received it himself—cleanly—and transitioned into approach steps instantly.
Tanaka shouted, "You're gonna spike after that?!"
Hinata laughed mid-run.
"I never stopped running."
Kageyama's toss came fast. Too fast. Too high.
But Hinata adjusted in-air—shoulder rotating—and pulled off an inside cut shot.
Line kill.
Point: Karasuno.
The crowd roared again.
Seijoh's players were showing signs of strain. Their receive line staggered under pressure.
Yahaba's serve was off.
Daichi passed it.
Kageyama looked left—then sent it right.
Hinata again.
But the blockers committed.
A triple block.
Hinata smiled.
And tipped it.
The ball dropped just behind the wall of hands.
Soft.
Dead center.
Seijoh didn't move in time.
Match point.
24–22.
Oikawa took the receive.
He called for the ball himself.
He jumped and sent it over the net as a back-row attack.
Surprise.
But Hinata was there.
Not just to receive.
To block.
He jumped from the back line.
Didn't touch the net. Just timing.
He got his fingers to it.
Deflection.
Daichi recovered.
Kageyama tossed—
Hinata's final spike.
Clean. Powerful. Sharp angle.
The ball hit the floor.
Set. Match.
Karasuno wins 2–0.
The gym stood still for a moment.
Then erupted.
Aoba Johsai stood in stunned silence.
Oikawa watched Hinata walk off the court, towel over his head, body relaxed but posture tall.
"He's not just a fast kid anymore," Oikawa murmured. "He's a leader."
Iwaizumi stepped beside him.
"And this is just the start."
System Update✅ Match Victory: Karasuno vs Aoba Johsai (2–0)
Trait Acquired: Unseen AxisHinata's on-court presence boosts team read speed and reaction by 5% (Passive Aura)
Kageyama Trust +10