On the eve of the Interhigh Tournament.
"No matter how I think about it, this has to be a death group!"
Coach Keishin Ukai, still sleepy-eyed, was tending the school fields, pulling weeds, watering plants, loosening soil, yet his mind kept drifting to Karasuno's upcoming volleyball matches.
Even though this was his first time coaching his alma mater's volleyball team, the schedule was already throwing a death group at them.
Jouhaba… never really heard of them. Probably not too strong. But the opponents after that… none of them can be underestimated.
Wakutani Minami… their reputation wasn't flashy before, but that player, now a senior, is starting to show real captain qualities. His aerial skills are improving, too. A strong leader can push the whole team beyond 120%.
While his hands worked mechanically, yanking weeds from the ground, Ukai's mind raced with strategies for tackling the next opponents.
Like Guren, he was already thinking ahead, if Karasuno kept winning, how would they handle these strong teams?
But unlike Guren, who was confident Karasuno wouldn't fall in preliminaries, Ukai's concern was professional: he needed contingency plans for every strong opponent.
Then there's Date Tech… last Spring, they completely shut down Azumane's spikes.
Though there are strong freshmen this year, it'd be better if the seniors get more court time… maybe they can break through their mental barriers.
Aoba Johsai.
This team is tough.
Ever since long ago, their students, whether for academics or sports, always had a certain elite aura.
Let's gather more intel for now.
Frustrated by the endless planning, Ukai yanked another handful of weeds, slammed them to the ground, and muttered angrily:
"Damn it!"
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Game Day.
"Morning, Guren. Morning, Hyakuzawa."
"Morning."
"Morning, Victory."
The three first-years who lived closest to Karasuno met up along the way.
Guren, noticing they were slightly more tense than usual, smiled.
"What's wrong with you two?"
"Nervous?"
Before Hyakuzawa could answer, Victory rolled his eyes and replied first.
"Not nervous. It just feels like that vibe back in junior high… making it to Nationals."
Only when facing all those cameras do I get a little nervous.
Hyakuzawa, however, admitted directly:
"Yes, Guren, I'm a little nervous."
Victory reached out, awkwardly patting Hyakuzawa on the shoulder.
"Why? We played so many games in junior high, even went all the way to Tokyo. And you're nervous now?"
Hyakuzawa looked down at Victory's effort and chuckled.
"Haha, you're right… but this is our first official high school match, so it's normal to be a bit nervous."
Walking ahead, Guren suddenly turned and addressed Victory.
"Victory."
"What's up?"
"There might be TV cameras at the start."
"Huh?? Why?"
"Did you forget? We already made it to Nationals before, and we reached the top four representing Miyagi."
"This time, all four of us senior main players are at Karasuno, plus Kageyama, the genius from Kitagawa Daiichi."
"And Nishinoya, back in junior high, he was Miyagi's best libero."
This lineup will definitely draw some reporters.
Victory's earlier relaxed mood vanished instantly.
"Hey, don't mess with me. I haven't even washed my face! On TV… what if I scare everyone away?"
Nervous, he grabbed wet wipes from his bag, cleaned his face, and even styled his hair with Guren's hair product.
Meanwhile, in the early morning, the "weird pair" of tall glasses guy and freckled sidekick, the senior trio of Sawamura, Sugawara, and Azumane, and the second-year 2+3 five-person group, all had gathered and were heading toward the school.
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Once again, the Karasuno volleyball team's stunningly cool bus rolled up.
If Guren was the high school-level "Demon King" for vertical reach, this bus was the double Demon King of the Miyagi tournament, both for presence and style.
It drew plenty of attention and excited shouts along the route.
"That bus is so cool!"
"Yeah! And the crow paintwork!"
"The paint job looks super high-class. Wish our school had a bus like that."
"Damn it, that bus is stealing my thunder."
"Thunder? Really?"
"Are you jealous, Ichigo?"
Duang.
Amidst envious stares, Karasuno's bus turned from the busy street into Sendai Gym's parking lot.
The players' expressions shifted from admiration, Is our bus really this cool?, to a mix of seriousness and nerves.
The doors opened, and Guren led the way, stepping off first.
His size 46 shoes hit the asphalt.
The black stand-collar uniform and gentle eyes, this was Guren's normal appearance to Karasuno teammates.
But on the eve of a match, his calm smile felt unusual.
"What's wrong? Let's go."
Guren noticed teammates stepping off one by one with puzzled looks.
Nishinoya Yuu, blunt as always, spoke first.
"Guren, why aren't you slicking your hair back?"
"Because the first-round opponent isn't strong?"
Guren answered.
"They're not a strong school. No need for mental cues. Smashing them won't teach us anything. Plus, if it's just a team here to make memories… having me in full rage mode would be cruel."
Guren actually cares about the opponent's feelings?
"Are you kidding me? Since I entered high school, every match, this guy looks like he's going to destroy the other team."
"Yeah… why is he so calm today?"
Listening to their discussion, Guren, hiding his smile behind his bangs, was at a loss.
"Hey, I'm always like this in class. I save the battle desire for the court."
"Why so mean normally? Just causing chaos?"
This debate about Guren's personality was cut short by Ukai and Mr. Kobu urging everyone on.
The team didn't forget, they were here to play, not analyze Guren. They headed in for warm-ups and to familiarize themselves with the court.
If anyone provoked them…
Comb your hair, put on hair product, release Guren.
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Completed version available on Patreon.com/Veltoria