"Alright, guys... that was one hell of a first set! We had some trouble getting used to the playing style of Wakutani's number one, but in the end, we managed to adapt. I don't know what they've got up their sleeves for the rest of the match, but as long as they've got a big ace in their pocket, we can win the next set no sweat. So just stay focused, and let's take the victory!" Ukai said confidently.
"Yes!" everyone shouted in unison, and then some players went to grab water or get ready for the next set.
"GO! GO! TAKERU! GO! GO! WAKUNAN!" the Wakutani crowd cheered, led by an older guy trying to outshout Karasuno's fans.
"I thought maybe they'd slow down after losing the first set, but neither the crowd nor the players seem down at all," Hinata observed while watching Takeru wave to his supporters.
"That's what makes it fun! Facing competitive opponents till the very end—if it's not like that, it's not even worth coming here to play!" Tanaka said, pumped up.
"You say that 'cause you're not the one who has to worry about reading that guy's attacks..." Tsukishima sighed, thinking about how tricky the mind games with Takeru were during blocks.
The second set kicked off with Kageyama serving, smashing the ball hard toward Shiroishi.
"Damn it! Cover me!" Shiroishi said after failing to get a clean receive, the ball slipping slightly.
"Kawatabi!" Hanayama called out, setting the ball with an underhand pass to Kawatabi, who jumped and spotted a triple block from Tanaka, Hinata, and Tsukishima.
"Damn!" Kawatabi thought, realizing he wouldn't score, so he tried to tip it off Tanaka's fingertips. But all he did was hit Tanaka's hand, which absorbed the attack's power, giving Daichi an easy receive.
"Free ball!" Daichi said as he passed it to Kageyama for the set.
"My turn!" Tanaka yelled, waving his arms to signal he wanted the ball.
"Tanaka-san!" Kageyama called, setting it to Tanaka at position two.
"Take this!" Tanaka shouted, facing a double block. After faking a cross shot, he jumped sideways to the right, pulling off his Straight Spike—an over-the-line hit super close to the sideline. The ball slipped past the blockers' arms and slammed the floor near the line.
1-0 Karasuno.
"NICE ONE, RYU! THAT'S MY DUMB LITTLE BRO!" Saeko cheered excitedly.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN DUMB!?" Tanaka snapped, glaring toward Saeko in the stands.
"That was awesome. Kageyama's serve was crazy strong—if it were a less skilled team at receiving, that could've been an ace no problem," Shimada analyzed.
"Don't worry! We'll score soon, just leave it to me!" Takeru said, hyping up his team.
"That shrimp… he really thinks he can score against me!" Tsukishima muttered, slightly annoyed by Takeru's words, which seemed aimed at him.
On the next play, Kageyama served again toward Wakutani's court, this time at their libero, who managed to receive and pass it to Hanayama.
"Send it over!" Takeru called, starting his run.
"Got it! It's yours!" Hanayama replied, setting the ball.
"I'll handle the over-the-line!" Hinata said with a grin.
"Alright!" Tsukishima agreed as they jumped for a double block. In midair, Tsukishima saw Takeru going for a cross shot.
"Block time!" Tsukishima smirked, redirecting Takeru's cut shot back to their own court floor.
"That was close! But next time, I'll score!" Takeru said, brushing off Tsukishima's triumphant grin.
When the score hit 12-7 for Karasuno, Coach Ukai decided to sub out Hinata and Kageyama for Sugawara and Ennoshita.
"WHAT? Why's he pulling the team's best players?" some guy in the crowd asked.
"Karasuno's coach has a habit of subbing out the first-year duo to give the rest of the team some playtime once the game's more under control. They don't seem to mind either," another guy said with a shrug.
"No worries here. They're our seniors—they've got tons of experience," Hinata commented as he sat on the bench.
"Yeah, and watching from the sidelines is good learning too," Kageyama agreed.
After Hinata and Kageyama came out, Karasuno's performance dipped a bit but still clinched the match 25-21.
"THAT'S IT! WE WON THE FIRST ONE LIKE WE PLANNED!" Tanaka shouted, celebrating as they left the court after shaking hands with Wakutani's players.
"GUYS! I THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA LOSE AFTER PULLING HINATA-KUN AND KAGEYAMA-KUN, BUT YOU DID IT!" Yachi yelled, running through the halls toward the team.
"Don't underestimate us! Hinata's our ace, but we're not so dependent on him anymore!" Nishinoya said.
"YAY!"
"YAY!"
"YAY!"
Yachi cheered, double high-fiving Tanaka, Nishinoya, and Ennoshita, who was nearby.
"So… as expected… they really made it through," Hinata said, standing close by, checking the updated bracket.
"Yup! Looks like we're facing the iron wall again—Date Tech!" Sugawara said beside Hinata, beaming and happy to have played another official match.
"They're a tough team, especially that eyebrow-less guy who's super intimidating!" Asahi said, still remembering getting blocked over and over by him last year.
"Alright! Time to head out!" Takeda announced, calling the Karasuno players to leave the gym and head to the bus.
"Kageyama, Hinata!" Ukai called as the two stepped out of the gym, trailing a bit behind the main group.
"I know you both love playing and being in the game as much as possible, but I think preserving you guys and giving more players a chance to build team chemistry is important," Ukai continued.
"Nah, we get it!" Hinata said with a shrug.
"Yeah, we'll help the team however you think's best," Kageyama added, bowing alongside Hinata as they stepped onto the bus right in front of them.