Before the start of the match, Shōyō Hinata had believed that even if he wasn't quite as good as Kōrai Hoshiumi, the gap between them couldn't be that wide.
However, when the two teams finally faced off on the court, he realized—
That previous belief was nothing but wishful thinking.
All his impressions of Kōrai Hoshiumi were still stuck back in the last Inter-High tournament.
And from that Inter-High to the current Spring High, Hinata himself had made huge strides.
That's exactly why he had been so confident.
But the Kōrai Hoshiumi standing on the court now—was not the same Hoshiumi from before.
Just in terms of receiving, Hinata had been left in the dust by an overwhelming margin.
Before, he hadn't felt the difference.
But now that Hinata had started practicing his own receiving skills, he could finally see just how solid Hoshiumi's defensive coverage was.
Compared to Hoshiumi's sharp, reactive receives, Hinata felt he still had a long way to go. He needed a lot more training.
And then there were Hoshiumi's powerful and precise attacks...
Just like the last spike—when Hoshiumi rose for that hit, Hinata realized he couldn't replicate that shot right now.
Whether it was the sheer power behind the ball or the precision with which it slammed down right on Karasuno's boundary line...
Just by watching that one hit, Hinata could tell how much work Hoshiumi had put in behind the scenes—how much sweat he'd shed to reach that level.
Hinata knew that compared to such a realm, his own efforts were still far from enough. He needed to train even harder.
And more than anything, there was something even more important inside Kōrai Hoshiumi.
What he showed on the court was absolute confidence—something Hinata lacked right now.
That confidence came from countless hours of practice. It had been forged through match after match, point after point.
Whether it was experience or technique, Hinata realized just how far apart he and Hoshiumi still were.
Hoshiumi was an all-rounder—receiving, setting, attacking—he could do it all on the court.
It felt like there was nothing he couldn't do. Every play, he was present. Unshakably present.
The ace of Kamomedai. Without question.
"I still have time…"
Hinata took one long, deep look at Hoshiumi across the net, then turned back to his team.
Right now, Kōrai Hoshiumi truly lived up to the title of "Little Giant."
But Hinata would earn that name back with his own hands—through his own effort.
——————
On the court, the fierce battle raged on.
Karasuno had reached match point. Just one more point, and they would win the game.
But Kamomedai had already clawed back two points at match point.
Kamomedai was giving everything they had to stay in the game.
Still, Karasuno remained three points ahead, meaning they had two more chances left even if they lost this rally.
But not beyond that.
Lose this point—and the match would be over.
There was no room to retreat. One misstep meant the abyss.
The pressure on Kamomedai was immense.
Even with all their past match experience, the tension was palpable.
Tweet!
The referee's whistle rang out on the sidelines.
Kamomedai continued to serve.
The server now was No. 3, third-year
He glanced across the net at Karasuno's formation, and a drop of sweat rolled down his temple.
This wasn't his first time serving, but every time he faced Karasuno's defense, he felt a wave of helplessness.
He couldn't find a single flaw in their formation.
Karasuno's defense looked like a solid iron wall—completely impenetrable.
But with the whistle blown, there was no more time to think.
He had to send the ball to what he believed was the weakest spot.
Bang!
Across the net, Daichi Sawamura picked up the serve with a clean pass.
In the front row, Tobio Kageyama stepped back and set the ball toward Kei Tsukishima.
Everyone on Kamomedai's side turned their focus to that spot.
"No! It's not him!"
Behind Tsukishima, a smaller figure darted in.
Seeing that, Aikichi Suwa's eyes widened—he immediately realized what was happening.
The moment he shouted, the other two front-row players from Kamomedai leapt into action, shifting toward Hinata.
Sure enough, the ball had been set to Hinata.
But even with a double block in front of him, Hinata didn't hesitate—he jumped and hit the ball forward.
The spike collided with Kamomedai's block—not landing on the court, but instead ricocheting at a sharp angle toward Karasuno's back row!
"Whoa! Was that a deliberate block-touch shot?!"
Spectators from Fukurōdani Academy also noticed and were taken aback.
After all, Hinata had never used this technique before in a match.
"If I'm not mistaken, isn't Bokuto the one who's great at this kind of move?"
Tetsurō Kuroo rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
When the setter's pass isn't ideal, or the blockers on the other side are too strong, the attacker can adjust the angle of the spike.
With just the right strength and trajectory, they deliberately aim for the blocker's arm.
This way, the ball deflects back into their own court, giving the team a second chance at the attack.
Thump!
Yū Nishinoya in the back row dived to receive the ball.
At the same time, Tsukishima and Hinata in the front were already on the move again.
But this time, Kageyama didn't send the ball to either of them.
Instead, the set went to the back row—
Where Akira had already launched herself into the air behind the three-meter line!
Bang!
With everything she had, Akira slammed the ball past Kamomedai's triple block!
The spike smashed down right onto Kamomedai's three-meter line!
Tweet... Tweet!!
The referee's whistle blew sharply, twice in succession.
Karasuno scored.
Match over.
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