---
The word stayed with them.
Higher.
---
Not faster.
Not smarter.
---
Higher.
---
The next practice felt different from the start.
Not tense.
Not quiet.
---
Focused.
---
Hinata stood near the net.
Ball in hand.
Eyes locked upward.
Not forward.
---
Fukuda stretched.
"…So we're jumping higher now?"
Sato laughed lightly.
"Just grow taller, yeah?"
Takeda adjusted his glasses.
"…If it were that easy…"
Nakamura looked at the net.
"…The blocks were high…"
Mori spoke calmly.
"Not height alone."
---
Hinata nodded.
"…Timing."
---
Silence.
---
He tossed the ball up.
Not fast.
Not low.
---
High.
---
It stayed in the air longer.
---
Fukuda watched.
"…That's slow."
---
Hinata looked at him.
"…It's not about speed."
---
Sato tilted his head.
"…Then what?"
---
Hinata answered.
"…It's about when we hit."
---
Mori nodded.
"Temporal disruption."
---
Fukuda smirked.
"…You mean mess with their timing."
---
Hinata nodded.
"…Exactly."
---
They stepped onto the court.
---
"New focus," Hinata said.
---
They listened.
---
"Delayed attacks."
---
Silence.
---
Sato blinked.
"…Delayed?"
---
Hinata demonstrated.
---
Takeda received.
---
Hinata set—
High.
---
Fukuda approached—
But didn't jump immediately.
---
He waited.
Half a second.
Then jumped.
---
Hit—
---
The ball landed.
---
No block.
---
Silence.
---
Fukuda landed.
"…That felt weird."
---
Hinata nodded.
"…Good."
---
Sato frowned.
"…But that's slower…"
---
Hinata shook his head.
"…It changes timing."
---
Mori added,
"Disrupts block synchronization."
---
Nakamura whispered,
"…They jump early…"
---
Hinata nodded.
"…Then we hit after."
---
Understanding spread.
Slowly.
---
They started.
---
First rally.
---
Takeda received.
---
Hinata set—
High.
---
Sato approached.
Jumped—
Too early.
---
Hit—
Blocked.
---
Point.
---
Sato groaned.
"…I jumped on instinct…"
---
Hinata nodded.
"…Again."
---
Second rally.
---
Set high.
---
Fukuda approached.
Waited.
Too long.
---
Jumped late.
---
Missed timing.
---
Ball dropped.
---
Fukuda exhaled.
"…This is annoying."
---
Hinata didn't react.
"…Again."
---
They continued.
---
Mistakes everywhere.
---
Too early.
Too late.
Bad contact.
Missed timing.
---
Because this—
Was unnatural.
---
Everything they trained—
Was fast.
Immediate.
---
Now—
They had to pause.
In motion.
---
That was harder.
---
Takeda struggled too.
---
High sets meant—
Longer tracking.
More control needed.
---
Some receives—
Too low.
---
Some—
Too high.
---
Breaking the rhythm.
---
Nakamura hesitated.
---
When to move.
When to wait.
---
Everything felt—
Off.
---
Fukuda wiped sweat.
"…We're worse now."
---
Hinata nodded.
"…Yeah."
---
Sato blinked.
"…That's good?"
---
Hinata looked at him.
"…It means we're learning."
---
Silence.
---
Mori nodded.
"Discomfort indicates adaptation."
---
They pushed on.
---
Again.
---
Takeda received.
---
Hinata set—
High.
---
Fukuda approached.
Waited.
Watched.
---
Jumped—
At the right moment.
---
Spike—
---
Clean.
---
No block.
---
Point.
---
Silence.
---
Fukuda landed.
"…That felt different."
---
Hinata nodded.
"…That's it."
---
Sato stepped forward.
"…My turn."
---
Next rally.
---
Set high.
---
Sato approached.
Waited.
Jumped—
---
Hit—
---
In.
---
Point.
---
Sato grinned.
"…I get it."
---
The pattern started forming.
---
Not consistent.
---
Not stable.
---
But real.
---
Nakamura tried next.
---
Approach.
Hesitation.
Adjustment.
---
Hit—
Soft.
But in.
---
Progress.
---
Takeda adjusted his receives.
---
Higher.
More controlled.
---
Giving them time.
---
Everything shifted.
---
The pace slowed—
But not weak.
---
Intentional.
---
Then—
They combined it.
---
Fast set.
---
Then high.
---
Then fast again.
---
Unpredictable timing.
---
The defense—
Wouldn't know when to jump.
---
Fukuda smirked.
"…Now this is fun."
---
Sato laughed.
"They won't know what's coming."
---
Mori observed,
"Layered attack patterns forming."
---
Hinata stood still.
Watching.
---
This—
Was what he meant.
---
Not just going around the wall.
---
Not just through it.
---
Over it.
---
Past its timing.
---
Past its structure.
---
The final rally began.
---
Takeda received.
---
Hinata set—
Fast.
---
Fukuda hit.
---
Blocked.
---
The ball came back.
---
Hinata moved again.
---
Set—
High.
---
Sato approached.
Waited.
Jumped—
---
Hit—
---
Through.
---
Point.
---
Silence.
---
Then—
Fukuda laughed.
"…That's it."
---
Sato dropped to the floor.
"That's actually crazy."
---
Takeda exhaled.
"…We changed the timing…"
---
Nakamura whispered,
"…They can't match both…"
---
Mori concluded,
"System expanded."
---
Hinata looked at the net.
---
They had something new now.
---
Not just speed.
---
Not just control.
---
Timing.
---
A way to break defenses—
Without forcing power.
---
He clenched his fist slightly.
---
"…We keep building."
---
Fukuda smirked.
"…Of course."
---
Because now—
They weren't just adapting anymore.
---
They were evolving.
---
And the wall—
Wouldn't stay unbreakable for long.
---