Thanks for the reviews. I'm glad this story found readers. Its my precious novel and I treat it like a newborn baby, so I'm happy it gets love.

"So why is he called the evil one," Hisashi asked as he tailed Shouyou and Kei. They were retracing their steps to get back to the muddy arena where they encountered the fierce rainstorm.

"What else would we call him," Kei answered.

"I don't know, but that name sounds pretty grimdark edgelord, you know, you might as well have just called him, Dark Lord of the Black Materials," Hisashi laughed as he said this.

Kei and Shouyou blushed at the same time. They were fans of edgy try hard things of this sort so they didn't see anything wrong with the name they gave to the one who may be responsible for their situation.

"I think it sounds cool," Kei said quietly. He actually liked the name Hisashi came up with. If the guy can make dark holes to transport people to dark dimensions, he might as well be a dark lord.

Apparently Hisashi thought their response was funny and started laughing heartily.

Their walk towards the muddy area was filled with the sounds of light chatter amongst themselves. Hisashi mainly spoke. He described to them all the things they would have done for their first practice. They listened intently as he described the type of drills they would have done. Shouyou perked up visibly when he described that they would practice blocking as well. He also told them that the team was looking for new first years as the third years were soon going to be graduating. As a result, many holes in the team roster needed to be filled. Shouyou and Kei chimed in with questions whenever something came up. Hisashi was happy to answer. To Kei, it appeared that Hisashi was strongly implying that anyone that tried out would be added to the team. Hisashi addressed Kei's concern by stating that the team was in a transition phase. The captain was trying to position it well for the future. They had some of the pieces in place to be able to be competent contenders at the national level but needed a few more players to get there. Therefore, with new first years filling positions that the third years would leave, as well as gathering extra first year or even second year players, Karasuno could be a great team by next year. Shouyou and Kei were impressed with the faith that Hisashi had in the team's future. He didn't look sad about the dire situation the team faced or how its future solely depended on whatever it could reap from the current crop of students.

"See Kei, we have a good chance of making the team," Shouyou said to Kei as they found themselves alone for a bit while Hisashi relieved himself in the distance.

Kei frowned. "But now we're just making it onto the team out of pity," Kei quickly added.

"Does it matter?" Shouyou responded with anger starting to show in his voice, "as long as we're on the team I'm happy. There will be plenty of time to get better. Why do teams practice all the time?"

"No matter how much someone practices, a bad player will always be a bad player. There is no improvement possible for bad players. Bad players eventually realize that they are bad and that they will never be a good player. Some people are better at sports than others," Kei sighed deeply after saying this, then added, "It's like school work, no matter how much one studies someone who is naturally gifted with intelligence will do better. They won't need to study, they will naturally do better. While people who study hard will never catch up to them."

Shouyou face-palmed at Kei's response. "How could you say that, didn't you say you helped tutor lots of people. Didn't they get better grades on their next test?" Shouyou thought this was excellent proof to counter Kei's proclamation.

"That doesn't mean that they were able to retain knowledge for their next test. Most people showed up for one or two sessions then they never returned. Their grades fell back to the level it was before I helped them," Kei had a hint of disappointment in his voice as he said this. He averted his eyes from Shouyou as he added, "What other proof is needed to show you that studying will just never help? If studying was the key to success, then everyone would be at the top of the class."

Shouyou bit his lip to prevent himself from responding in a fit of anger. He didn't want to say something that he would later regret, something that would probably harm their relationship, or even destroy their friendship instantly. What would Akiteru think if he just shouted that that attitude was the reason why people probably didn't ever come back? If the person tutoring you thought it was meaningless, then you would of course think it is meaningless. People would rather get low grades than spend time being told that they would not be successful. Did Kei actually tell the people he helped that or did he act completely unmotivated when he helped them knowing they wouldn't be able to keep their grades up? Shouyou had first hand experiencing knowing what makes a good tutor and what makes a bad one. Sadly, he often ended up with bad ones more often than the good ones. They led him to being worst off than he was before.

Rather than offend Kei, he instead targeted the heart of the issue. "If we treat practice like schoolwork, then it is just the same. The ones who are more motivated will succeed. The people with more spirit will succeed. The people who love it will succeed. Kei these people will succeed!" Shouyou got louder and more animated.

Kei attempted to respond, but then Shouyou raised his hand, stopping him from saying anything.

"I'm not done Kei. You just need to make sure you are around those who are motivated and want to succeed. If you do this, then you're guaranteed a spot on the team," Shouyou had calmed down. But then sincerely said as if it was a promise of a lifetime, "I just know it, Kei. I do."

It made sense to Shouyou. In sports, practice could lead to being better than you were. Shouyou knew this since he had to practice too. The years of hard work he put in from elementary school to middle school would pay off in the future. From his limited time with some random games, he realized that he had areas to improve in but he had his strengths. He may be fast but he didn't even know how to block and still can't block that well, he thought. "Well I better not tell Kei that", he said to himself, chuckling a bit.

"But it's not the same," Kei said. "It just isn't."

"Listen. Kei we went over this before," Shouyou added and walked a bit closer to Kei. He looked up at Kei trying to establish eye contact. Kei looked down and met Shouyou's peering eyes. In them he could see a vibrant soul passionate about the sport he loved. Shouyou continued, "The last time you tried to prove me wrong in volleyball, I showed you that what you were saying is not how it works. I know volleyball. I know how it really is."

Kei was taken aback by how serious Shouyou was about this discussion. How could someone so bright, cheerful, and at times carefree, turn to be so forceful and convincing? Kei had no immediate words. Although he wanted to still protest the situation, he felt like he was forced to concede and admit that what Shouyou said was right. Kei couldn't counter Shouyou's point. He had no experience with volleyball or practicing that would enable him to sound convincing. He had no experience with how it was to not be an intelligent person. He never had to study to improve. He had to study to gain new knowledge, but he was never going from zero to hero. What Kei believed was based on logic and knowledge, but what Shouyou was saying was based on experience and reflection. The two forces were battling it out, dueling in epic fashion, leaving Kei to decide which to side with. He debated on trusting his instincts and going with Shouyou on this, or giving in to his brain and going with what was established to be truth based on what he read and saw.

Shouyou backed away as Kei took several moments to think of an acceptable response. He hoped he managed to get his point across to Kei. There are things that logic and books won't teach but experience will. In the world of sports, some things are better left explained by the spur of the moment, the situation at hand that constantly changes, and the spirit of the moment. When a players' incredible passion, their thirsty desires for success come on full display, games become very unpredictable. One side may appear to have the winning advantage, but when a team is fully united in mind and spirit powered by the shouts and screams of the onlookers craving their team to win, the balance of the game can swiftly tilt in the opposite direction. It has yet to be explained, Shouyou thought, for even losing teams to win the hearts of all spectators in a sports match and perform that infamous last synchronized attack pattern to take back many points even when things seem hopeless. Why don't they give up? Because they aren't limited by logic or rules of nature that people have studied. They are just controlled by their innate desire to win. Even the worst players can turn into most valuable players at this point in time. Shouyou deeply desired to show this world to Kei. Getting him involved, opening his mind, and expanding it to experience this side of life had driven Shouyou to continue to pursue this budding friendship with Kei.

"Shouyou," Kei said slowly. He chose his words carefully, "I wasn't doubting your ability but mine. You know I'm just a beginner. I just don't want to be on the team because I was handed a position on a silver platter. I want to earn it. That's just who I am. So please bear with me as I still take all this in." He hoped he didn't offend Shouyou. He had learned that the best way to fix situations was to apologize but frame it in a way that shows your own weakness and the other person's strength.

"Kei. You can take all the time you want, but you're not being handed a position on a silver platter," Shouyou tried to smile but it was hard to hide his disappointment in Kei's demeanor. Why does he doubt himself so much? "Just think of it as an invited spot on the team. You were invited to play and if you do well you can become a full member. If you think of it that way then you're doing like everyone else in other clubs. You're temporarily joining the volleyball club to actively observe during this trial period." Shouyou knew he was winging it but it was the best he could come up with. He just hoped it sounded convincing to Kei.

"But I'm not going to be evaluated at the end. I'm basically confirmed for the team," Kei said dryly while adjusting his glasses up in the process, "but if you say it like that, then it sounds like a challenge. It's like they are trying to fit me in on the team by assessing my chemistry with others." He could see what Shouyou was getting at and while Shouyou wasn't the most eloquent he decided to give Shouyou a chance.

Shouyou smiled, Kei was finally coming around, just a bit more. "Yes, and don't forget there could be other players trying to make the team. You also didn't say anything about becoming a regular. You could join the team and then only play during practice matches, which is no fun. Or you could join the team and do well enough to be a regular. If they made you a regular without you doing anything that the other students did, then maybe I would agree that you earned that spot unfairly. However, I'm sure that won't happen. Hisashi seems like a great guy and I can't imagine he is on a team that would do that." Shouyou said as he looked in Hisashi's direction. What was taking Hisashi so long?

"That's true. I completely forgot about the different contributions a player can make to a team. From being a regular to being a reserve or benched player, there are many roles for someone to support Karasuno Volleyball Club. I won't feel good if I make the team but then I don't even play. Surely, there is some way that I can manage to make the team to be a regular quickly. Though if you aren't going to be a regular then maybe I don't want to be either," Kei said trailing off at the last sentence.

Shouyou couldn't hear the end of what Kei was saying, but he seemed to be in agreement about actually wanting to be on the team. He seemed willing to try his hand at getting a regular spot. Shouyou couldn't be any happier and ran to Kei. He grasped his hand and pulled both their hands into the air, yelling excitedly in the process. He turned to Kei and smiled saying, "I'm glad Kei. It's so glad you're finally getting it. Once we get out of this place we've got to celebrate."

Kei was surprised at the yelling, but even more surprised at Shouyou saying something about celebrating. What are they even celebrating, he wanted to scream but he decided not to. Why ruin Shouyou's moment when he didn't have to. It was unnecessary, and he didn't want to make him feel bad. Kei began to imagine how fun it would be to be on a team with Shouyou once they got back. Could he take a photo of both of them dressed up in Karasuno volleyball club outfits? A photo of Shouyou blocking would be a must have too. Maybe one or both of us blocking, he added. All photos would be perfect he concluded.

Hisashi returned just in time to see Shouyou chatting away to Kei excitedly. He started chuckling to himself as he saw Shouyou and Kei still holding hands. "Aye, I hate to ruin the moment but are we ready to head on?" They looked at him in response as he said this and started walking his way. Shouyou let Kei's hand go and ran a few feet in front of Hisashi completely elated over the events with Kei.

"The sky is beginning to darken," Shouyou said as he pointed towards the horizon. They had walked for several hours and were beginning to draw closer to their destination. Like Hisashi said, someone was trying to alter their destination, keeping them from whatever was hidden over there.

"Wow we can even see the clouds moving towards us and thickening. This is too real!" Hisashi exclaimed in genuine awe.

"Now would be a good time to see if you can do any sort of buff spell to give us some increased resistance to the elements. I wonder if you have anti-water and anti-wind skills," Kei spoke as he looked to Hinata.

"This is fantastic," Hisashi said, still in slight disbelief.

Shouyou went to place his hands on both Hisashi and Kei's head and thought about what he was about to do. He began to see a pale image of a green blob form. It began to take the shape of an outline of a child. In it the arm of this shape reached out to Shouyou's head. The second it did that he instantly knew what he had to do. It was as if something in his head clicked, enabling him to start sending blue and green aura into both of them.

"Whoa! Your head is glowing, Shouyou," Hisashi said as he looked down to Shouyou's head. Shouyou's head was glowing a bright teal color.

"The arms though," Kei pointed out as he examined the aura illuminating Shouyou's arms. They too were glowing a very fluorescent blue color.

Not only was aura flowing into the two of them but also the ground. The area around them began to glow teal brightening to white as the distance from Shouyou increased. For several meters around them the ground glowed white providing them some light in this overcast area. The light was so bright that it might as well have been the noontime hour.

"Look at the ground Kei," Hisashi stated as he looked beyond Shouyou. "What is happening? Where is all this stuff coming from? Weren't these flowers supposed to be dead?"

Kei nodded but was left speechless. What has happening was beyond his understanding. There was nothing he encountered in the numerous books he read or the texts he studied to explain this. The flowers beneath them began to birth new life. Gone were the wilted dead flowers of the past but instead new buds sprouted, quickly growing at speeds unheard of. Flowers too bloomed with petals of myriad colors. The smell of fresh flowers began to fill the air soothing Shouyou, Kei, and Hisashi. They instantly relaxed.

"Wow, this is real, man, this is real. Can you believe it!?" Hisashi said as he noticed the scene around them. Kei tried to respond but couldn't. As he kept having to hear Hisashi's excitement, Kei's level of understanding decreased precipitously. All he could think of was that this wasn't something you saw every day. No scratch that, this wasn't something you ever saw. How is Shouyou generating something out of nothing? Meanwhile, Shouyou continued to send aura.

The perimeter around them continued to glow a very bright white. Before Kei and Hisashi could look at it, now it was so intense that they had to shield their eyes. Underneath them the flowers had started to give way to more types of fauna; new ferns, tree saplings, vegetables, and fruits all started to spring up. Exotic plants from kiwifruit, to pumpkins, to Sequoia saplings. Insects like ants, crickets, and caterpillars, too, soon appeared digging their way from out the ground ready to partake of the new bountiful harvest of foods aplenty. There was nothing that could explain how this was all happening. From just a few hours the ground went from being covered by dead flowers to now new fruits and vegetables that sprouted or grew to full height. Most baffling to them was that as time went on rabbits, field mice, and other small mammals appeared. The perimeter had expanded to accommodate these new creatures.

After a few hours Shouyou awakened. He was shocked to see that they were now in an abundant forest of oaks, maples, and evergreens. Ferns were present as well as fresh leaves from the trees above. The sounds of birds chirping, insects buzzing, and animals rustling through the foliage scared him.

"It's alright, Shouyou," Kei said as he gripped Shouyou's hand to calm him down. Shouyou had sat up, heartbeat racing in fear of the new scenery.

"Where are we? When did we walk into a forest?" Shouyou asked after a few moments. His heart beat had slowed.

"We're in the same place where we stopped a few hours ago," Kei responded. "You passed out after using numerous buffs on us. You seemed to have gone a bit overboard though." Kei turned to look all around them. Shouyou's eyes followed him as he took in the scene.

"It's like were in one of those forests in the Pacific Northwest," Hisashi added. "I went there on vacation last year."

"It's so beautiful," Shouyou said as he took it all in. He had forgotten how even something as simple as birds chirping as they chased each other sounded. He noticed the moist ground underneath his hand resting on the ground. He had never missed something like leaves, sticks, and even an earthworm on his hand, than he did now. It felt better than a dead flower. As he looked farther on he even noticed a deer looking him straight in the eye. No more were birds the only large animals present. He wanted to run up and hug this deer. He felt really warm when he saw a fawn appear by the deer's side. The deer angled a branch down so that the fawn could eat a berry growing on a bush.

Kei noticed Shouyou watching the beautiful scene of nature unfold. He struggled to put into words how Shouyou smiled beautifully at such a sight. It was like someone looking at a baby just born mere moments ago; the look of the parents staring at their baby smiling in pure bliss. The look Shouyou had was one he wanted to remember, and one he felt he wanted to be directed to him. He stared at Shouyou for quite some time.

Hisashi interrupted the scene by clearing his throat. Kei turned his head quickly away from Shouyou's direction, hoping he hadn't noticed him lost in thought while staring at Shouyou. Shouyou was still taking the scenery in. Hisashi laughed again which confused both of them. "Let's go," Hisashi said moving his hands and arms in motions indicating to get up and go. He even clapped his hands." Would he be leading their practice as their senior?" They thought to themselves.

"The forest does like you say, Kei," Hisashi stated as they walked on. "It doesn't appear to have any end in sight."

"I thought as much, it seems Shouyou has immense power over healing and life. I think it's really only limited by how much energy he has, ending once he passes out." Kei answered while looking at Shouyou. Shouyou nodded, understanding what Kei was saying. For both times he used his powers he noticed that it required not only great concentration but also great energy. "It will be important for him to be able to stop it. I can't imagine what may happen if we run into the Malicious God of Dark Materials and he tries to heal and passes out on us."

Hisashi tried to hold his chuckle in but couldn't. Before Kei could blush in response, he was interrupted by Shouyou.

"I wouldn't do that!" Shouyou shouted, running up to Kei, grabbing his arm while looking him in the eyes. Kei groaned as he could only imagine Hisashi laughing even more while watching him.

"Well that is why you can use this time to practice and see if you can stop it at will. I'm very confident that you will find a way to do that! After all you're Shouyou Hinata, and you did all this. You taught me how to block too. If you put your mind to it, then anything is possible," Kei tensed up again, something he hadn't done since coming to this world. It seemed that some things never changed and this was one of them. How could he slip up now?

Shouyou took hold of Kei's hand, gripped it, smiled, and let go as he whistled. He then fell to the back of the group after deciding to practice controlling his abilities. Kei was glad to have Shouyou's support and relaxed once Shouyou had taken his hand. Shouyou's touch is very soothing Kei thought.

"So how you would you describe you and Shouyou," Hisashi said quietly as he walked closer to Kei. Shouyou was busy focusing on his abilities that he couldn't hear what was being said.

Kei tripped on a tree's root in the underbrush. As he tried to compose himself he responded by saying, "What, what is that for?"

"Come on you know what I mean." Hisashi jabbed Kei in the side while saying this. He had a smirk that Kei wanted to wipe away but he couldn't.

"We're just friends," Kei said, it was the truth.

"You're lying, man," Hisashi said not believing what Kei said for one minute. "The way you took look at each other and the way you grab each other's hands. There is something deeper than friendship there."

Kei's face lit up like a Christmas tree. He coughed and struggled to come up with something to say.

Hisashi chuckled as he saw how flustered Kei was. This was going to be a fun journey he thought.

Kei took a few steps away from Hisashi, who thought he wasn't ever going to respond. Though he kind of nodded affirmatively. The whole week had been a flurry of activity with Shouyou occupying his mind all the time. He didn't know how to describe what was going on between them but he knew that whenever he thought of Shouyou he felt a longing to be near him. Whenever he was with Shouyou it felt like the time of his life. There was never a dull moment, never a time he felt like he didn't belong, and never a situation in which he wanted to make an excuse to do something else. For him, Shouyou began to show him what it meant to truly live. It was perhaps an exciting world full of new opportunities and possibilities. He wanted to remain with Shouyou to explore all of them.

"Anyway, we need to decide what we will do next. Shouyou may have filled this world with life, but there is still the issue of the sky and those crows," Hisashi pointed upwards. The sky was skill overcast with dark clouds hither and thither. They had been increasing in prevalence as they continued on their way. Kei noticed the crows much earlier, occasionally visible from the gaps in the canopy.

"Currently, Shouyou is the only one with power. We have power but we don't know what it is. I hate for us to go in empty handed but I think we might just have to take that risk." Kei believed that that is the only chance they had. While Shouyou was passed out, Kei and Hisashi had spent a few hours trying to activate their powers. Needless to say, they were not fruitful in their attempts.

"Same," Hisashi agreed.

"We can cross that bridge when we get there, but first we'll need to find a way to confront the Dark Mastermind," Kei said. "If he has that ability to transfer people from different dimensions then we need to force him to take us back to Karasuno."

"I'll beat the kid to a pulp and force him to take us back," Hisashi punched his fists like he meant business. The sound of the impact got both Kei's and Shouyou's attention. The trees even vibrated in response to this motion.

"Er what?!" Kei asked peering intently at Hisashi, "Is that your ability?"

"Oh cool, it sounds like you got super strength. You must be a vanguard unit," Shouyou stated as he appeared by Kei's side. "They are the melee fighters that really deal big damage to foes while the mages support from afar."

"Well said Shouyou! I think this addresses one of our concerns. We now have a way to offensively take on the Evil One." Kei responded happily. "Things are nicely falling into place. We really have a shot at doing this."

"Fight on," Hisashi added as he punched the ground. This time the whole ground rumbled and vibrated in response. Bushes rustled, animals hurriedly scurried away, and trees swayed as if awakened by the powerful force from the ground. Hisashi smiled at his strength. "If only I had this strength while in Karasuno, I'd be an awesome spiker and server."

"Well, you never know. If that guy was able to use those powers in the real, then it seems certainly possible that we could take ours back there. Though that would be dangerous." Kei said. Thoughts of Hisashi hitting someone by accident or slamming a door angrily causing the person to be thrown back fifty feet or a car door completely crushed by his strength went through his mind.

"Now we just have to find your power, Kei," Shouyou stated while he watched Hisashi continue to hit the ground excitedly.

"What if I don't have one," Kei added.

"Is that even possible? I would think this is one of those worlds where everyone would have a power," Shouyou said.

"As usual, you're the optimist of our operation," Kei looked at Shouyou in glee.

"It is possible. Unless you're a Villager B in an RPG, then you should have a power. Since you're not a Villager B then you're most likely going to have a power," Shouyou said happily.

"Villager B, what about Villager A? Does he have power?" Kei said cheekily.

"Villager A, I'm Villager A, you know how villager A is the one who is the chosen one?" Shouyou got closer to Kei excitedly. "Well that's me!"

"Am I your Villager B, then?" Kei asked seriously.

"Wow, Kei. That's what I'm talking about," Hisashi said surprisingly close to Kei.

Kei stomped away in the opposite direction in response.

"What's wrong with him," Shouyou asked as he saw Kei leave with his hands covering his face.

"Nothing Shouyou, nothing at all," Hisashi said as his eyes darted back and forth between the two.