Haikyuu: Reborn in Karasuno

Back in the substitute area, Yamaguchi still felt a pang of frustration. He wanted to stay on the court longer—much longer—fighting alongside his teammates. But after losing his serve, he knew his current skill wasn't enough.

Clenching his fists, Yamaguchi silently made a vow to himself: he would train even harder so that one day he could stand proudly with everyone else.

The others, however, weren't thinking so deeply. Sugawara and Hinata wrapped Yamaguchi in a joyful embrace, shaking his shoulders, while Ennoshita reached out to ruffle his hair.

Their unreserved praise made Yamaguchi's chest swell with happiness.

"Amazing, Yamaguchi! You scored four points in a row!"

"One of those was thanks to Azumane-senpai and the others blocking though…"

He awkwardly explained that not all the points were his, but no one cared about that.

Sugawara, smiling but with a faint hint of melancholy in his voice, said he'd be counting on Yamaguchi in the future.

Noticing that his senior's tone felt different, Yamaguchi paused. Then it hit him: this was the third-years' last tournament. After this, they would retire, and the club would be left in the hands of the younger members.

Although Ennoshita and the other second-years had ability, the real core of their year was Hayato and Nishinoya.

Which meant that, if nothing unexpected happened, Karasuno's future would fall largely on the shoulders of the first-years.

Thinking of that, Yamaguchi nodded seriously.

"Leave it to me, Sugawara-senpai. But Hinata and the others are much stronger than me."

"Don't think that way, Yamaguchi. Your performance today wasn't weak at all—you can be more confident."

While the substitutes spoke quietly on the sideline, the atmosphere on the court grew razor-sharp. This was match point. If Karasuno scored, they would advance to the semifinals. If they didn't, Wakutani would still cling to hope.

At 24–15, Wakutani needed nine consecutive points just to tie. Against Karasuno's strength, that was nearly impossible—but desperation can drive miracles.

"Take the next point!"

"Oh!!"

Captain Nakashima roared, his teammates echoing his cry. Then, tossing the ball, he unleashed a powerful jump serve, not even caring about the risk of going out of bounds. His all-or-nothing attack showed his determination.

Clutching her notebook nervously, Kiyoko followed the ball's trajectory toward Karasuno's back row.

For Karasuno, this point was equally crucial. A decisive win would fuel their momentum going into the semifinals against powerhouses like Seijoh or Date Tech.

Although Kiyoko didn't believe Wakutani could stage a nine-point comeback, she desperately hoped the match would end quickly—her heart couldn't take much more.

"Receive, Noya!" Daichi called as usual.

Karasuno's Guardian Deity lived up to his name. Nishinoya lunged forward, performing a perfect underhand receive that popped the ball straight up.

"Chance ball!!!"

The cry erupted from the stands, the substitutes, the coaching bench—everyone from Karasuno willed this point to be theirs.

Kageyama sprinted to the setter's position. Except for Nishinoya, every player rushed for a synchronized attack. Both Aces called for the ball, and the sheer pressure weighed heavily on Wakunan's blockers.

All their accumulated nerves snapped in this moment. Their timing faltered, their focus blurred. Everyone expected Kageyama to toss to an Ace—

—but instead, with a subtle flick of his wrist, he executed a setter dump, sending the ball across the net himself.

The Wakutani players dove desperately, but the ball hit the floor untouched.

The whistle blew.

"Alright! We won!!"

The arena erupted in cheers. The spectators roared, and Karasuno's bench leapt to their feet.

Hayato was the first to rush over, hooking an arm around Kageyama's neck and furiously ruffling his hair. Nishinoya jumped onto his back, while Asahi and Daichi piled in next.

Tsukishima stayed where he was, simply muttering, "Good point," from a distance.

On Wakutani's side, players slumped to the floor, some covering their faces, some resting their hands on their knees as sweat dripped down. The brutal truth of sports was laid bare—one side celebrates, the other mourns.

Nakashima, holding back tears, led his teammates to bow beneath their banner and thank their supporters. His father stood in the crowd, applauding proudly.

On Karasuno's side, Saeko was waving her arms wildly.

"Great job, Karasuno! Ryu, don't be sad you didn't get to play in the second set!"

"Shut up!!" Tanaka barked back, making everyone laugh.

Hitoka, her eyes shining, turned to Yamaguchi.

"Yamaguchi-kun, your performance today was amazing!" she said, giving him a big thumbs-up.

Immediately, Hayato and the teasing squad circled Yamaguchi, patting his back and grinning.

"Did you hear that? She said you were amazing!"

"Senpai, don't tease me!"

Flustered, Yamaguchi scratched his head, but couldn't stop a shy smile from creeping onto his face. His gaze shifted to Shimada in the stands—his mentor was still crying, wiping at his eyes with a handkerchief.

"Yamaguchi, you did great," Shimada choked out.

Hearing that, Yamaguchi's own tears brimmed. He bowed deeply at a perfect ninety degrees.

"Thank you very much for your guidance!!"

The cheerleaders, including Koyuki, rushed down to congratulate Hayato and the team, before bowing respectfully to the seniors. Karasuno's players, in turn, bowed to their supporters and then to Wakutani, honoring their opponents.

With the formalities complete, Karasuno finally headed to rest and prepare to watch the upcoming Seijoh vs. Date Tech clash. For Wakutani, however, their journey ended here.

Outside the Sendai Gymnasium, Nakashima squatted on the steps, his composure breaking at last.

"I… I made too many mistakes in the second set," he muttered, voice shaking. "When they hit 20 points first, I couldn't handle that serve… I'm sorry…"

Beside him, pineapple-headed Kawawatari stood quietly. He wanted to say something to comfort his captain, but the words stuck in his throat.

"I really… really wanted to keep playing…"

Tears rolled down Nakashima's cheeks, spattering the cold autumn pavement. Kawawatari, eyes red, simply placed a hand on his captain's shoulder. No more words were needed.

Meanwhile, Karasuno regrouped. They sprayed pain relief, ate their pre-packed energy snacks—bananas, jellies, chocolate bars—and then marched together to watch Seijoh and Date Tech.

The gluttonous quartet scarfed down their food with such speed that Sugawara scolded them.

"Don't eat too much or you'll be bloated for the next match!"

Daichi, eyes locked on the court, muttered under his breath:

"So… who will our next opponent be?"

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