Haikyuu: Reborn in Karasuno

"One more point until set point."

In the stands, Hitoka nervously gripped Uki's hand.

"Hitoka-chan, relax a little~" Uki whispered, trying to comfort her. But her own palms were slick with sweat. Even though she tried to sound calm, her heart was racing just as fast as Hitoka's.

Back on court, Jozenji received Karasuno's serve and immediately went on the attack. A Quick aimed to break through—Daichi was ready, digging the ball up. Karasuno transitioned into their signature counter: Hinata launched for another Quick Attack.

Because Hinata's dump shot earlier had burned them, Jozenji's blockers focused entirely on stopping his swing. But at the last second, Hinata repeated the trick—another dump shot.

This time, Terushima slid in with a clean underhand receive. Jozenji connected the ball smoothly, and their wing spiker slammed a sharp cross-court into Karasuno's floor.

"Alright!"

"Nice!"

23–19. Jozenji had stolen back another point.

The danger was clear: if Jozenji tied it at 24–24, the set would go into deuce. And in deuce, Karasuno would need two consecutive points to win. Jozenji, with their high-risk, high-reward style, could easily thrive in such chaos.

Three points in a row, the score closed to 23–22. Tension gripped Karasuno's side.

Hayato glanced at the scoreboard, debating whether to ask Coach Ukai to put him in. But then he looked at the players on court—the fire in their eyes hadn't dimmed. Not yet. They don't need me right now.

Takeda-sensei leaned toward Ukai. "Coach, should we…?"

Ukai shook his head firmly, arms crossed, one finger tapping against his sleeve in a nervous rhythm.

"It's okay, Takeda-sensei. Let's trust these kids."

And the one to break the tension was Karasuno's other ace.

"Asahi!"

Kageyama sent him the ball, and Asahi roared, unleashing a spike that hammered through Jozenji's defense. The ball thudded against the floor.

"YES!"

"Nice one, Azumane!"

Karasuno's bench leapt to their feet, cheering. The crowd erupted as Karasuno seized set point, 24–22.

In the stands, Uki and Hitoka hugged tightly, both nearly in tears of relief. Koyuki and Hizume waved their pom-poms, shouting, "Great spike, Azumane-senpai!"

Jozenji huddled quickly. Terushima clapped his hands, his grin fierce.

"You guys! Let's play seriously!"

And their version of "seriously" wasn't safe. It was reckless. Wild. A simultaneous all-out multi-person attack.

Coach Ukai's eyes widened. "Be careful! This ball's different!"

The attack roared forward—but the spike flew just long, slamming outside the line.

Whistle. Point. 25–22.

Set won. Match, Karasuno.

The players on court shouted with joy, the substitutes leapt and high-fived, and in the stands the girls hugged each other in celebration.

"We're in the top 8!"

On Jozenji's side, however, the mood was heavy.

"That last ball… it was very much like them," their coach muttered, both frustrated and fond.

Terushima bent over, hands on his knees, scowling.

"Damn it… I finally got into the zone."

They had failed to control the rhythm from the start, mistakes piling up. Even when they found their stride, it was too late to recover. And at the very end, they chose the riskiest attack they could. Reckless to the last.

Yet not one of them regretted it.

"Thank you, Misaki. As expected of a third-year—you understand them best. I still have a long way to go," their coach said quietly.

Misaki blinked, caught off guard by the gratitude. For three years, she had laughed and cried with Jozenji, sharing their wins and their losses. Today, it ended.

The coach dismissed the players with a final reminder. "High fighting spirit isn't bad—but don't lose control. Remember today's loss. And remember, Misaki won't be here to scold you anymore."

Silence fell. The players turned toward their manager, eyes shining. Misaki tightened her fists, then spoke, her voice trembling.

"Don't bully Runa. She's only a first-year. If you do anything bad, I'll know immediately. And… I really like your style of playing seriously."

Tears welled in her eyes as she turned to gather the water bottles. "Let's go. The next team needs the court."

"Thank you, Senpai!"

In unison, Jozenji's players bowed deeply. Misaki's chest ached, but her heart swelled with pride.

Their Spring High was over. Her three years were over. But their style—reckless, joyful, free—would remain.

Meanwhile, Karasuno left the court in high spirits. At the exit, they were met by three girls in cheer uniforms. The sudden burst of beauty made Tanaka and Nishinoya freeze, sparkling like statues.

"Ryu… I think my life is complete."

"Agreed."

They collapsed dramatically, only to be whacked on the head by Ennoshita.

"You two, stop fooling around. Stretch, or you'll get injured."

Their match was done, but another on a nearby court raged on. Curious, Hinata tugged at Kageyama's sleeve.

"Let's go watch. Whoever wins—we'll face them tomorrow."

And with that, Karasuno looked ahead to their next battle.

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