Middle blockers: Takanobu Aone, Kenji Futakuchi.
Opposite: Iwaizumi Hajime.
Libero: Yamagata Hayato.
After the intensive training, Karasuno had grown significantly in strength. Upon entering the national tournament, they faced early matches against Sarukawa Tech High and other teams.
When they fielded Hoshino Katsuri, Sawamura Daichi, and Ichinose Guren together, with Nishinoya Yuu as libero,
Karasuno's receiving ability became almost unfairly strong.
In the third round, they faced Fukurodani Academy, Ichinose Guren clashed with the towering twin-force ace, Kotaro Bokuto.
During the match, Tsukishima suffered a leg muscle strain, and Hyakuzawa twisted his ankle, another grueling match pushed Guren to his limits.
The fourth round, Hinata fell ill with a fever, but Guren led the team to advance into the fifth round.
Fifth round: against Inarizaki High, Sawamura Daichi suffered a concussion and had to leave the match. The symbol of Ichinose Guren's strength surged beyond limits, dominating three sets, the third set reaching over forty points. When the match ended, every player was completely exhausted.
In the finals, facing Itachiyama, a fatigued Karasuno, still recovering and with multiple injuries, won the first set through sheer effort. The second set was dragged into a fierce tug-of-war by Itachiyama, barely claimed by Karasuno. In the third set, Itachiyama started gaining momentum, winning two consecutive sets.
In the fifth set, the first time, Ichinose Guren's jump height faltered, and he couldn't stabilize upon landing.
Karasuno lost to Itachiyama.
Still, Karasuno had made it to the national tournament, securing second place.
Before returning to school, Guren declared: "Spring High. We will win the championship."
The Ichinose Group funded a month-long nationwide training tour. Over four weeks, they faced all the country's top schools. On the final day, they even held a training match against a V1 League team sponsored by the Ichinose Group.
During the first half of Spring Nationals, Karasuno's main players rotated rest periods under Ukai Keishin's guidance, keeping their form and match readiness.
In the semifinals, Karasuno easily defeated Date Tech.
Meanwhile, the powerhouse Southwest United faced a specially trained Shiratorizawa squad.
This time, it wasn't just the lone conqueror Ushijima Alexander. Leading his "Macedonian phalanx," he defeated Japan's local volleyball powerhouse, Minamoto Yoshitsune.
Then, drawing his bow: Iwaizumi Hajime as the string, Matsukawa Ichisei as the tail feathers, Nakashima Takeru as the shaft, Kyotani Kentarou as the arrowhead.
They struck down the all-encompassing Shiratorizawa bird of prey.
For the former Aoba Johsai Kitagawa cohort, this was the first time in six years that the Shiratorizawa shadow above them had been toppled.
Though they later lost to a trained Karasuno,
Oikawa Tooru led Southwest United to qualify for nationals as Miyagi's second representative.
On the eve of the national tournament, Miyagi held its usual volleyball training camp. Kageyama Tobio, Nishinoya Yuu, Ichinose Guren, and Yudai Hyakuzawa were invited to the national youth training selection camp. Nishinoya declined to pursue volleyball professionally, Guren expressed no interest in playing for the national team, while Hyakuzawa and Kageyama joined the camp.
Full of unspent ambition, Shoyo Hinata was taken directly by Guren to train with a professional team. His skills didn't drastically improve, but his vision for his volleyball path became clearer.
Aoba Johsai reached the national tournament for the first time, securing a spot in the top eight, facing Outai High in the quarterfinals.
With Kageyama Tobio, Miyamura Yuu, and Inuzuka Katsuri considered the four top setters of the tournament,
Karasuno charged forward relentlessly until the quarterfinals, where they faced Nekoma High in a do-or-die clash. After studying Karasuno for nearly half a year, the opposing team had thoroughly analyzed every member.
It was a meticulously prepared battlefield, designed over six months. Karasuno's team felt as powerless and trapped as a character facing Hisoka's tricks, forced into struggle with no room to exert their full strength.
Fortunately, Karasuno quickly realized: Our abilities are enough to face them head-on.
With strong near-net attacks, they could win the match outright.
In the semifinals, Karasuno defeated Outai High.
In the finals, a rematch with Itachiyama awaited.
This spring, never to return, Karasuno ascended to claim the throne in the sky.
They dominated Miyagi Prefecture and Japan's high school volleyball scene, winning three years, five titles.
===========
Oikawa Tooru, Ushijima Wakatoshi, Yudai Hyakuzawa, Shoyo Hinata, Kageyama Tobio, five national team-level players.
Along with Nishinoya Yuu and Ichinose Guren, both possessing national-level skill and potential but retiring from volleyball after high school.
Thanks to the volleyball culture cultivated in Miyagi over the past year, the prefecture became the top hub for volleyball talent nationwide.
Nishinoya became a travel blogger, sponsored by the Ichinose Group.
Hinata went to Brazil for sand volleyball training, now fully funded and signed as an Ichinose athlete.
By the end of his growth period, his height reached 180 cm, the dream height for Iwaizumi Hajime. He could no longer be called the "Small Giant."
Sawamura Daichi became the head of security at Southwest United, directly under the Ichinose Group.
Other school staff included: sports teacher Tanaka Ryunosuke, counselor Sugawara Takashi, and equipment store manager Tanaka Kiyoko.
The festival returned.
The former "Monster Generation" players were scattered across the world, Europe, the Americas, Asia.
Yet Tetsuro Kuroo tirelessly traveled worldwide, recalling those who had fought for volleyball together.
Until the arrival of that one player.
[The Legend Concludes]
[After this match, all systems and affiliated units will retire.]
[The host can gain the full abilities of their parallel self who continued down the path of volleyball, including height and badges, for one day.]
With his height now soaring to 206 cm, in the midst of the crowd's excitement, the volleyball king of the past returned.
In Kageyama's familiar set, the man left behind the legend of a 410-point spike and quietly disappeared.