Haikyuu: Reborn in Karasuno

Hayato leaned back in his chair, the spout of an energy jelly dangling from his mouth as he lazily shook it up and down, eyes fixed on the court. Since Karasuno had finished their own match in straight sets, they arrived just in time to catch the start of Seijoh versus Date Tech.

With their third-years retired, Date Tech introduced a brand-new setter for this representative tournament—a tall first-year with short golden hair and three odd black streaks cutting through his bangs.

"Kanji Koganegawa, Date Technical High School, first year. Height: 193.3 cm."

Kiyoko, seated beside Hayato, tucked her long hair neatly behind her ear and read the details from her notebook to the group.

"No way—he's as tall as Aone!" Sugawara exclaimed, stunned by the new player's height. For Karasuno, Hayato was the only one who pushed past 190 cm. How did Date Tech always find so many giants?

"Another one over 190… I'm jealous," Hinata muttered, cheeks full of food.

"Swallow before you talk," Kageyama scolded with a sharp glance.

"It's not just about height," Kageyama added more seriously. "What matters is how good his technique actually is."

Handing his empty packet to Hitoka—who was patiently holding a trash bag for everyone—Kageyama thanked her before locking his eyes on the new setter, Koganegawa.

The others followed his gaze as the match began.

Seijoh served first. As expected, Oikawa's jump serve was as vicious as ever, drawing a roar from the cheer squad. The serve ripped across the court, untouched—an ace.

"The Great King's serve is still amazing."

"Yeah, but that's just one of Oikawa-senpai's weapons."

The first-year duo whispered to each other in awe. Hayato chuckled and butted in.

"Hey now, don't forget about your Hayato-senpai."

"True," Daichi agreed with a grin. "Your serve isn't any weaker than Oikawa's."

Their words eased the tense mood Karasuno had felt after watching Oikawa's opening serve. Having reliable teammates really did give everyone confidence.

Meanwhile, in the stands, the cheerleaders—Koyuki and her friends—gushed that Seijoh's number one was handsome. Uki nodded in agreement. Tanaka, overhearing, clicked his tongue in irritation.

Oikawa had always been Tanaka's rival in his own head. Sure enough, as Oikawa prepared his next serve, the section of girls who came just for him screamed his name in unison.

From another row, Ennoshita reminded Tanaka to rein it in. Karasuno's group was scattered: the second-years, Ukai, Takeda, and Kiyoko sat in one row; the third-years, Yamaguchi, and Tsukishima in another; and the energetic first-years in the front, pressed close to the railing.

"Don't be jealous, Ryu. Those girls cheered for you too," Saeko teased, draping her arm around her younger brother's neck and poking his cheek.

"Ugh, sis, stop! You're embarrassing me!"

Tanaka struggled under her hold, only for Koyuki to giggle behind her hand at the sight, making him resist even harder. By the time he finally shook free, Oikawa had already unleashed his next serve.

Seijoh rode the wave of momentum, scoring consecutively until Oikawa's third serve went wide. He bowed in apology as the ball passed over to Date Tech.

After a chance ball allowed them to attack, Date Tech set up their formation. With their trademark Iron Wall, they blocked Iwaizumi's spike attempt, but Seijoh recovered. The rally ended with Date Tech's new setter finally making a play—Kogane floated an extremely high set to captain Futakuchi.

"Ugh, seriously? Too high! I hate those sets," Futakuchi groaned as he struggled to make contact, barely tapping the ball over. Miraculously, it ricocheted off a Seijoh player and landed in.

"Good job, senpai!" Kogane cheered brightly, oblivious to his mistake.

"Kogane," Futakuchi sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Don't set it that high next time. Keep it lower."

"Yes, senpai!"

The spirit was there, but whether the skill was, was another matter.

From Karasuno's seats, even Hinata noticed something was off.

"Hey, Kageyama, that setter looks… like a beginner?"

"Yeah," Kageyama confirmed with a frown. "That set was terrible. The spiker only scored because of luck."

Kogane tried using his height for a setter dump, but his telegraphed movements made him an easy read. Seijoh countered swiftly, and Oikawa went for a cross-court spike—only to be met by Date Tech's trademark triple block, with Kogane himself joining the wall.

The ball smacked down onto Seijoh's side.

"Tch. We've run into another annoying team," Oikawa muttered.

"Not gonna lie," Iwaizumi grinned, "watching you get blocked just now was pretty satisfying."

"Same here," another teammate added.

"I can hear you guys," Oikawa growled, pouting as his team chuckled. That was Seijoh's strength—their teasing masked absolute trust in their captain.

"Ohhh! A triple block! Date Tech's Iron Wall is back!" Nishinoya shouted excitedly from Karasuno's side.

With Kogane, Date Tech regained their signature strength. Hinata's eyes sparkled—the thought of facing such a defense thrilled him.

"Well, they've gotta beat Seijoh first," Hayato thought to himself, keeping his arms crossed. Even without foreknowledge of the outcome, just looking at the play now, the gap was obvious. This was Oikawa—the best setter, the one even Ushijima had wanted on his side.

As the set wore on, Date Tech earned their points but could never truly wrest control from Seijoh. The score stayed close, but Seijoh always maintained a slight lead. Eventually, a brilliant combination play brought them to set point.

"The Great King and his army are at set point!"

"Yeah, and Seijoh looks so composed out there."

Date Tech fought valiantly but couldn't stop the inevitable—Seijoh closed out the first set with steady hands.

During the break, Karasuno began discussing their potential next opponent. It wasn't arrogance—just reality. The difference in skill was clear.

Facing Seijoh again, every Karasuno player's eyes lit up. Except for Hayato, who stayed calm, the crows looked restless, hungry.

They had grown since their last battle. This time, they would soar higher.

Seijoh, Karasuno is coming. Are you ready?

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