Haikyuu: Reborn in Karasuno

Hayato, who had opened the match with a devastating point, remained in the service area. After celebrating briefly with his teammates, he caught the next ball, letting it roll across his fingertips while scanning Jozenji's formation.

It was the exact same as before.

(Are they still observing, or do they actually think this setup can stop me? Doesn't matter.)

The whistle blew. Hayato leapt, swinging down with full force.

BOOM!

The serve exploded across the net and crashed into Jozenji's court.

"Consecutive points!"

"Yes!!"

Shōyō and the others erupted in cheers. On the bench, Coach Ukai clenched his fist, his eyes alight.

Hayato was on fire today.

"Tsk… my bad. That ball was just too fast."

The Jozenji receiver grimaced. Even though he'd seen Hayato serve once, the sheer velocity of the second still caught him off guard. But his teammates only laughed, patting his back.

"Don't sweat it. This kind of match is the best!"

Terushima, far from discouraged, grinned widely. "That serve was awesome. Let's keep it going!"

Their confidence didn't waver, though for the third ball they widened their formation.

Another whistle. Another roar.

Bang!

The serve slammed in again. This time the receiver managed to reach out, barely grazing the ball—yet it still sailed past him.

"Three in a row!!"

The gymnasium buzzed.

"Who is that guy?!"

"Karasuno's new Ace, Hayato Kuroha. He's the real deal."

Jozenji trailed 0–3 in the blink of an eye, but their players remained unfazed.

In Karasuno's cheering section, Koyuki and the others squealed, shaking their pom-poms wildly. But Hayato didn't turn toward them this time. His eyes were locked only on the court.

(They're adjusting. Three points already, but now they're starting to read the speed. For the fourth one… target the boundary.)

He spun the ball, inhaled deeply, and launched his next serve.

"Mine!"

The targeted Jozenji player braced himself, meeting the ball head-on. The impact rattled his body so hard it sent him to the floor, but the ball shot upward.

"They stabilized it?!"

Hayato's brows furrowed. He had expected an out-of-bounds rebound—but Jozenji wasn't that simple.

"Terushima, back row!"

The ball was set—not forward, but high toward the baseline.

Terushima sprinted, leapt sideways with his back to the net, and whipped his arm through in mid-air.

Smack!

The ball slammed into Karasuno's half before anyone could adjust.

3–1.

Jozenji claimed the serve.

"A back-row jump attack?!"

"Not just that—he turned in mid-air to hit it sideways…"

Karasuno's front line—Tanaka and Tsukishima—stared at the spot the ball had landed.

Jozenji's serve came next. Instead of a power jump, it floated gently over.

"I got it!" Daichi called, receiving smoothly.

"Kageyama!" Tanaka barked, already at the net.

The set flew left. Tanaka rose against a single blocker and crushed it down.

The Jozenji defender dug it, but the ball ricocheted awkwardly into the net. Just when it seemed hopeless, another player stretched out—not with his arm, but his leg.

Thunk!

The ball popped straight up.

"They're attacking!"

Tsukishima's eyes narrowed. He had expected this—Hayato and Kiyoko had warned them: Jozenji's greatest weapon was their freedom of movement. Any body part could become a tool.

"Block!"

Kageyama and Tsukishima leapt together.

The Jozenji spiker forced his swing, but Tsukishima was ready. His arms sealed the net, snapping the ball back down.

Point to Karasuno.

"Nice block, Tsukishima!"

Tanaka slapped his back, while Kageyama muttered awkwardly.

Tsukishima smirked. "Well, Hayato-senpai and Kiyoko-senpai gathered the intel for us. Would've been pathetic to not stop that."

The jab landed cleanly. Tanaka and Kageyama both twitched, ready to retort, but Tsukishima had already turned away to reset for the next play.

On the bench, Ennoshita leaned toward Sugawara. "Their movements are insane. It's like facing baseball players in gym class."

Sugawara chuckled. "Yeah, but as long as we block, they're manageable."

Hinata, who had rotated off, grinned. "Exactly! We'll stop them!"

"Haha, you're right," Suga said warmly.

The score pushed forward, Karasuno holding a narrow lead at 11–8. Jozenji's chaotic rhythm made every rally unpredictable.

One serve scraped the net, wobbling awkwardly into Karasuno's side.

"Lucky!" Hinata dove, popping it up.

Tanaka covered, setting Hayato for the back-row attack.

"Not so fast!"

A Jozenji defender dug Hayato's cannon, but the ball floated too high, turning into a free ball over the net.

Hinata's eyes gleamed. He darted forward, slipping past his marker. In a blink, he was airborne—arms spread like wings.

Wham!

The ball blazed past the blockers and slammed down.

"YEAH!" Hinata landed, fist-pumping as the stands erupted.

"Number 10's Quick Attack! There it is!!"

The crowd buzzed with recognition.

"Nice set, Kageyama!" Hinata grinned, only to yelp when Kageyama's high-five stung his palms red.

Hayato came over, smiling. "Good work, Shōyō. You too, Tobio."

"Thanks, Senpai!" "Yeah."

Daichi gathered them. "Stay calm. Their moves are flashy, but the ball doesn't vanish. Keep playing steady."

"Yes!"

With their captain's voice grounding them, Karasuno reset for the next rally—undaunted by Jozenji's chaos.

-----------

Support me at patréon com/Lukas25