Haikyuu: Reborn in Karasuno

With another round of matches waiting tomorrow, Coach Ukai made a bold decision in the second set: he pulled Hayato out and sent Azumane in.

Having sat on the bench the entire first set, Azumane's eyes lit up at the chance.

"I'll do my best!" he promised earnestly.

Daichi and Sugawara both patted his back, smiling. "Relax. You've got this."

It was true—since Hayato's arrival, Azumane's nerves had settled. He no longer felt like he carried the court alone. Having that solid support behind him wasn't shameful—it gave him strength.

On the sidelines, Kageyama, fresh back from the infirmary, bounced on his heels with restless energy. Hinata, still buzzing from the first set, was no calmer. And now Azumane's excitement joined the mix. Daichi sighed to himself. Telling them to calm down won't help… guess I'll just have to steady them myself.

He exchanged a glance with Hayato, who understood instantly.

The new lineup placed Hinata, Tanaka, and Kageyama in the front, with Daichi, Azumane, and Tsukishima in the back row. The moment the whistle blew, Hinata and Kageyama immediately shouted in their usual loud voices—until Tanaka barked, "Shut it!" Sugawara, standing ready on the bench, added his own firm call. "Play steady!"

Meanwhile, Jozenji quickly caught on to Hayato's absence.

"What's the deal? Taking their Ace off already?"

"Don't tell me they're looking down on us?"

"They're conserving energy for the next round. They think they've got us beat."

The realization burned through them like fuel. To be underestimated like this was an insult. They would show Karasuno what a mistake it was to sideline their so-called Ace.

"Looks like subbing Kuroha-kun out has only fired them up," Takeda whispered nervously.

Coach Ukai folded his arms. "Maybe. But Azumane is just as much our Ace. They'll see soon enough."

At the net, Terushima squinted across at Hinata.

"Oi, Shorty. Did your Ace really get pulled?"

Hinata beamed. "'Cause this set, Azumane-senpai's in. He's our Ace too—watch closely!"

Terushima blinked, clearly confused. "Two Aces? That's not a thing…" He shook it off with a grin. "Fine then. If Kuroha's off, I'll take you on instead!"

Hinata shot back with his usual fearless grin. "Even if I can't beat you one-on-one, Mohawk, we won't lose!"

"Oi! Don't go giving people weird nicknames!" Kageyama scolded.

Terushima froze for a beat at Hinata's fiery confidence—then smirked.

The cheer squads on both sides erupted. The second set began.

Jozenji's serve floated over like a lazy chance ball. Tsukishima set it high, leaving only Kageyama at the net. Hinata charged and leapt—but the timing was off. Their coordination wavered under the rush of adrenaline.

"Play calmly, you two idiots!" Sugawara snapped.

Daichi was already moving. He slid under and covered the ball cleanly, keeping it alive.

"Ohh, quick reaction!" Hitoka gasped. Beside her, a member of the Karasuno neighborhood association nodded.

"Captain-san probably expected that. He knows his team well."

Jozenji recovered the ball, their libero setting for Terushima. With his usual reckless leap, the captain hammered it down—only for Daichi to dig it out smoothly, as though he had been waiting for it.

"What—?! He can even receive that!?" Terushima gawked.

The ball went straight into another Hinata–Kageyama quick. This time, it landed cleanly.

"Point, Karasuno!"

"Nice kill!"

Hinata and Kageyama turned sheepishly to Daichi.

"Sorry!"

"Thanks for the save, Captain."

Daichi smiled warmly. "I told you both to calm down. I knew you'd mess up the first one. Don't worry—I'll back you up."

He straightened, his voice carrying across the court.

"I might not pull off flashy plays like you two, but I'll always be your solid support."

Against the backdrop of Jozenji's banner—"Solid and Strong"—the words hit Terushima like a jolt. For a split second, he saw his former captain standing there instead of Daichi.

"Simple… but reliable, huh?" he thought, almost admiringly.

The rally resumed.

Azumane shook off his nerves and spiked hard from the back row, scoring cleanly. The Jozenji players exchanged wary glances.

"So this is their other Ace…"

"Karasuno's full of surprises."

With Daichi anchoring the defense, Karasuno tightened their rhythm. Jozenji's mistakes began piling up—spikes out of bounds, awkward collisions, delayed saves. Their once free-spirited attacks now looked rushed, sloppy.

By the time Karasuno hit double digits, Jozenji trailed badly: 10–5.

"Forget number 10, their captain's the real problem."

"He's shutting us down."

The fun drained from their expressions. Terushima felt the weight on his shoulders, unsure how to snap them out of it.

Then, at last, Hinata handed them a gift. His serve smacked the net.

"Sorry!" Hinata winced.

"Don't worry about it!" Daichi clapped his shoulder reassuringly.

From the bench, Hayato groaned, covering his eyes. That idiot… no matter how much he trains, his serve never gets better.

The set rolled on—Daichi standing firm, Jozenji struggling to find their joy again.

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