The game continued with the Karasuno players trying to match Hiromi's team but without success, mainly due to the physical difference between them. They struggled hard to stop Tsuetate, who scored several points in a row, ending the match at 25-18—with most of Karasuno's points coming from the combined attacks of Hinata and Kageyama.
"Ugh… We lost! I barely even scored!" said Tanaka with a tired expression and tone as he took a sip of water.
"It really was a complete defeat. If it weren't for Hinata and Kageyama's super-fast attacks, we'd have been totally lost. And those two middle blockers started catching on to them by the end…" Sugawara observed.
"We all knew something like this would happen. I don't think it was that bad… We managed to pull off some synchronized attacks, so it was worth it!" Daichi declared.
"Let's play again, Waji-san!" Nishinoya said, still pumped from the match that had just ended, along with Hinata and Kageyama, who were talking outside the gym with Hiromi's players.
"Of course we will! You've got potential—keep training hard, and we'll meet again in an official tournament someday!" Heiwajima said, arms crossed.
"Man, I'm sure I'll see you two on the Japanese national team at some point. I don't know if I'll be able to play at that level again by then, but I'll be rooting for you!" Tsuetate said before leaving, leaving Hinata and Kageyama dazzled by the idea of playing for the national team. After finishing their conversation, the three returned to the gym.
"Alright, gather up!" Ukai called out, positioning himself next to the whiteboard in the gym and clapping to get everyone's attention.
"You heard the coach!" Daichi said, rallying everyone around Ukai.
"Okay, we lost, but there's no shame in that. Those players had experience in professional teams and were almost ten years older than you guys, so you did well and made the most of the opportunity!" Takeda said with a smile.
"Now, our focus shifts to the Miyagi qualifiers for Nationals, which start at the end of the week. As we already know, we'll be facing Wakutani—a team that shouldn't be underestimated, even though we've faced stronger opponents in Tokyo, like Nekoma, who have a similar playstyle. So, we'll prepare based on our matches against them!" Ukai declared.
"I agree their playstyle resembles Nekoma's, but their offense is totally different, especially now that Nekoma has Lev…" Hinata mused.
"True. Wakutani's ace, Takeru Nakashima, is like a 'Little Giant.' From what we've seen, he doesn't rely on raw power and prefers exploiting blocks," Kageyama observed.
"What are you guys getting at? Be clearer!" Tanaka snapped, losing patience.
"Before Lev joined, Nekoma still had Kuroo's attacks, which had considerable force thanks to his height and timing variations—something Wakutani lacks. However, Yamamoto's style—Nekoma's 'delinquent'—does seem similar to Wakutani's play. But now with Lev, their offenses aren't really comparable, even if their defensive resilience and receives are," Hinata explained.
"And that's why I called them 'Budget Nekoma.' They copied the easy stuff, like receives, but forgot you actually need to score points to win," Tsukishima sneered.
"What's that supposed to mean, Tsukishima?! If receives were easy, you wouldn't suck at them!" Nishinoya fired back, now at the peak of his love for the libero position after his recent interaction with Heiwajima.
"Stop fighting, idiots! You all make good points, but I agree with Nishinoya—receives shouldn't be underestimated. It doesn't matter how hard you spike if the ball never hits their court," Ukai said, slightly annoyed by the internal squabble.
"Hey! Let's train your blocks against Nakashima! I'll keep attacking, aiming for your fingertips or the sidelines—let's go!" Hinata said, hyped for more practice.
"No need! Since when can a guy shorter than Tanaka score freely against me?!" Tsukishima retorted.
"Quit talking crap, Four-Eyes! It's not like you weren't getting wrecked by Bokuto in practice a few days ago!" Tanaka shot back, glaring.
"To stop your spikes, you'd struggle even against my ten-year-old self, Baldy!" Tsukishima snapped.
"SHUT IT!" Daichi yelled, separating them by shoving a hand in each of their faces.
"Tsk!" Tsukishima grumbled, adjusting his glasses, which had been knocked askew by Daichi's hand.
"Honestly… I don't know how they have such good chemistry on the court when every argument turns into a near-fight," Ukai sighed.
"I think it's those little fights that strengthen their bond," Takeda said, watching as the Karasuno players decided to play another round of 4v4.
"That kinda makes sense. It's that classic idea—they fight because they care about improving. If they were satisfied with their current level, they'd just stay quiet and peaceful. As long as they're hungry to get better, these arguments will probably keep happening," Ukai observed.
"And as you just saw, we've got a reliable captain to keep them in line, so it's not a problem," Takeda said.
"DAMN IT! You said you'd exploit the block, so why did you tip it over?!" Tsukishima complained after Hinata dumped the ball over his block.
"Takeru Nakashima does tips too, idiot!" Hinata shot back.
"Well… I think everything's gonna be just fine," Takeda said, smiling.