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Although Karasuno has made significant progress during this period...
Nekoma hasn't stood still either.
Located in Tokyo, where strong teams are everywhere, a school without real skills simply can't survive.
Although they only made it to the second round of the Tokyo Qualifiers, that just proves how overwhelming Itachiyama is.
From Golden Week until now, Nekoma has not only swallowed their pride and trained harder but also improved significantly.
Their new lineup brought in fresh blood, including Lev, who combines incredible height and athletic instincts—he's now part of the starting squad.
It has to be said, Nekomata-sensei made another smart move.
Though Lev's technical skills are still unrefined, his extraordinary height gives him a massive edge.
This advantage is evident both on offense and in blocking.
Plus, his sharp instincts allowed him to block the ultra-fast quick attack pulled off by Hinata and Kageyama in the first half!
With Karasuno's strongest scoring strategy neutralized, a defensively focused team like Nekoma had the perfect opportunity to shine.
Every point Karasuno tried to take felt like an uphill battle!
Without Karasuno's full starting lineup, both sides had made progress—but Karasuno...
This final practice match ended with Nekoma's victory!!
"Man..."
"I can't believe Karasuno actually lost every match today, even to Itachiyama and Fukurodani. Does that mean in Nationals...?"
"I just hope their ace shows up tomorrow and doesn't disappoint."
"Otherwise, they might be out early in Nationals this year!"
"To be honest, Karasuno didn't play badly today. But something just felt... off."
"Yeah. It's like... I can't put my finger on what exactly was wrong!"
"There aren't any major flaws, but it just felt kind of... average?"
"It's like a car with no engine. Looks good, but doesn't move!"
At the gym entrance, several teams that had come for the training camp filed out.
Today's practice matches had wrapped up.
Time to rest up and prepare for tomorrow's games.
Fukurodani, Ubugawa, and Karasuno were all gearing up for next week's National Tournament.
―――――――――――――――――
"Hey, Hinata—your quick attack is still crazy strong!"
"It's so hard to keep up with!"
During the after-dinner break, Hinata was chatting with Inuoka and Yamamoto in Nekoma's dormitory.
"Really?"
Hinata's expression dimmed a bit.
"But…"
"Doesn't that just mean I haven't grown at all?"
"If nothing's changed, then have I really improved?"
"But didn't you beat Shiratorizawa and qualify for Nationals?" Inuoka said encouragingly.
"That alone shows you're already strong."
"Yeah, we won... but during that match, my quick attack with Kageyama hardly worked."
"And today, against you guys, it got totally shut down."
Hinata lowered his head.
"I came here to grow stronger—to make a bigger difference on the court."
"I want to help my teammates win, not drag them down."
―――――――――――――――――
The next morning.
Nekoma's gym.
The day's schedule was packed with more training matches.
Every team was expected to undergo a full day of intense matches—like steel, being hammered and forged.
Only by growing stronger can you aim for the top of the mountain.
*Creak.*
Just as everyone was entering the gym, the door opened with a soft scrape.
Under everyone's gaze, a tall young man in a soft white shirt stepped through the entrance.
Scratching the back of his head, he smiled apologetically.
"Sorry! I got delayed by something personal and ended up arriving a day late."
Behind him, Coach Nekomata entered, chatting with him as they walked.
"Haha! It's good that you're here now!"
Keishin grinned, stepping up and slapping Akira on the shoulder.
"Alright, enough talk—go warm up!"
"Yes, sir!"
As Akira jogged off, Coach Nekomata sighed behind him.
"Man... Keishin, you guys at Karasuno are really lucky."
"No matter what I say, Akira still refuses to transfer to Nekoma!"
"WHAT?!"
Keishin looked like he was about to lose it.
"Nekomata-sensei, you really haven't given up, huh?"
"Can you not hit me with this nonsense first thing in the morning?!"
"Haha, relax! I'm just teasing. I'm not *that* kind of person—just trying to mess with you!"
The old coach scratched his head, laughing awkwardly.
―――――――――――――――――
On the other side of the gym, teams were tying their shoes and whispering.
"Huh? That guy's Karasuno's ace? He doesn't look that impressive. Just good-looking."
"Right? He doesn't have the aura of an ace like Ushiwaka. Looks pretty average to me."
"Height-wise, he's not even in the top tier... Is he *really* their ace?"
"Could be just a mascot or something."
―――――――――――――――――
Kuroo overheard and chuckled.
"Hmph."
"Karasuno's first match today is against us."
"Once you get a chance to play them, you'll see for yourselves what that guy's really capable of."
"Oh yeah—wanna know a little secret?"
Kuroo leaned in, raising his palm and whispering to the teams around him.
Everyone leaned in closer, including Bokuto and a few others.
"Heh heh!"
"Our cat coach is seriously obsessed with that guy. He's tried to recruit him to Nekoma *multiple* times."
"But Akira always refuses."
Kuroo got up with a smirk and went to warm up.
Leaving behind a bunch of stunned faces.
"Wait, what?!"
"Even *Nekomata-sensei*...?"
The shock on everyone's faces was clear.
Everyone here had been playing and training together for years.
And they all knew what kind of coach Nekomata was.
He wasn't someone who tried to poach players just because they were strong.
He only recruited people who fit into Nekoma's system.
Unless…
Unless someone was so powerful that Nekomata was willing to *build an entire new system* around them!
Everyone exchanged looks.
Could he *really* be that strong?
"Hahaha!"
Suddenly, Bokuto laughed out loud.
"First that crazy-fast attack we couldn't react to, and now a mysterious ace?"
"I'm *so* hyped right now!"
"Whether he's strong or not—who cares what people say."
"It's what happens on the court that counts!"
"Just wait and see... We'll find out with our own hands!"
---
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1st Bonus Chapter - 500 Power Stones
2nd Bonus Chapter -800 Power Stones
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