Author's Note:

I am working on getting the past chapters (before 2.10 Gears) uploaded onto this book! Bare with me!

Seijuro: Ai, how are you? Call me when you're free. Don't push yourself today.

Seijuro: I know how important the tournament is, but you can't break yourself for the sake of others. You know I'd rather you take care of yourself foremost. Promise me. I'll be waiting for your call.

.

25-23, Karasuno won the first set from Seijoh.

Ai stayed upstairs while the teams switched sides and watched them from above. One set down.

For the second set, Kyōtani was in the starting lineup this time instead of Kunimi.

Haizaki Shōgo and Kyōtani Kentarō. According to the red tournament booklet, they were all the same age. She shook off the thought. Besides, from what she'd heard from Momoi, he had become a morally better player after losing to Kise. Another negative effect of Akashi's strict reign reversed.

Kyōtani wasn't as sharp a weapon as Haizaki, but he was far from harmless. A Mad Dog, and a dangerous double-edged sword. He was apparently a player from Minami Daisan Junior High.

Ai watched and made note of the player's sharp cross-shoot, a technique done by running parallel to the net before jumping.

The No. 4 in white and turquoise had jump serves that were getting as troublesome as his captain's.

However, the same could be said about Asahi; Iwaizumi wasn't the only ace who had been working on fortifying his serves. Ai was happy to see that their practice matches with Ubugawa had inspired him, but there was a bit of a lack of practice of aiming with the force he used.

.

Kyōtani fell into Hanamaki as he got Aoba Johsai's third point in a row.

"Y-you okay?!" Oikawa cried.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine," the strawberry blond reassured the setter from the floor.

Their attack rhythm had changed completely with their new addition. Ai caught Coach Irihata smiling on the bench.

"Kyōtani, that was a nice kill," Hanamaki complimented good-naturedly.

5-2, Aoba Johsai.

Not only was he a strong jumper, but Seijoh's No. 16 had unbelievable dorsal and abdominal muscles that tightened and snapped with speed.

Karasuno was lucky when his spikes went out, when Oikawa served a bit too strong and when Iwaizumi's serves failed to go over the net. However, Iwaizumi went on to receive both Tsukishima's net-in serve and Hinata's spike.

.

Seijoh had tenacity and boldness, pushing back against the crows in a stalemate.

Oikawa gave his teammates a signal, and Nishinoya got Iwaizumi's next serve. The opposing team then purposefully received a bit off and scored a point with a quick. From the side, Sugawara agreed that tearing off a block with his own hands was definitely a bliss only a setter knew.

13-11.

Ai watched as Hinata made his back attack debut, but Oikawa predicted and stopped it. As she was thinking of how the two first-years could practice it more in their gymnasium, Yachi noticed something.

"Huh? Sugawara got called to the bench?" Shimada wondered. "They're changing setters again? Kageyama doesn't seem to be doing bad."

"Actually, I don't think they're switching out Kageyama," Takinoue said, squinting to see the number plaques.

Kageyama noticed his senpai setter sitting on the bench, waiting to enter the game.

Ai called out to him before he could think negatively. "Tobio! You're doing fine! Focus on the game in front of you!"

Changing players wasn't just for when someone isn't not doing well or when someone gets hurt. Putting in pinch servers and one-point blockers were examples of a strategic player trade.

Kageyama looked up at her voice, and she saw him nodding.

Iwaizumi got a block out from Kageyama, who'd jumped to block with Tsukishima, and it was Oikawa's turn to serve again. The unbelievably powerful, spike-like serve went in.

17-13, Aoba Johsai.

Fortunately, the ball caught the net for the captain's second serve.

"Front!" Ukai yelled, and Nishinoya dove to get it.

Tanaka took a block-out from Kyōtani, facing off with the other second-year.

Now that Oikawa's serve was over, Sugawara subbed in for Tsukishima. He played for the first time that day, during which he aimed his serve at Kyōtani. It caused him to fall on his knees and become late in attacking.

Ai nodded to herself. The double setter strategy was a good plan, since Karasuno's Kageyama was also outstanding in roles other than setting.

Karasuno's third-year setter received a spike from Kindaichi, and Hinata's broad attack beat the No. 12's one-man block.

17-15.

Again, Sugawara served, and he tossed to Kageyama when the blue-eyed first-year fell back to attack.

The starting setter spiked a straight. A strategic one-point two-setters, as Saeko put it.

17-16.

"Alright, one more point!" Ennoshita anticipated beside Nishinoya.

While Seijoh took their first time out, Shimada explained that whenever it was Tsukishima's turn to serve, Karasuno's formation was weak for both defense and offense. It placed Asahi in the back middle and Daichi in the back left, with Hinata, Tanaka, and Kageyama up in the front. There would only be two spikers by the net, and Tsukishima couldn't block from the back.

For Sugawara's next serve, Hanamaki got it instead. And after playing for a short while, the vice-captain went off the court again. Tsukishima switched back in, and Nishinoya ran to play, too.

18-16.

"Watacchi!" Oikawa called when he dove to dig a feint.

Then, Matsukawa blocked while Hanamaki got in position to receive Hinata's quick attack.

When Seijoh reached twenty points, her bench called a time out. Ai agreed with Shimada in thinking they should win this second set at all costs; the mental fatigue would weigh them down. She racked her mind of a possible solution, demanding inspiration from her knowledge in basketball.

Coach Ukai was forced to take their second and last time-out for the set when Kyōtani became an imminent threat.

Although he was a slow starter who required a lot of support, once he got started, Kyōtani Kentarō was a strong opponent.

As Seijoh approached their set point, Ai was more than pleased to see Yamaguchi up for the challenge, silently pleading to the coach to put him in as a pinch server.

———

Late August in Tokyo

(2 Months Ago)

Ai watched Nekoma play with Karasuno. The cats were as reflexive as always, and Kuroo's blocks were beautiful. Tanaka was riled up, and Hinata couldn't stand still either. Her focus on the practice match in front of her was intent.

Somewhere along the way, she had a revelation about the two setters. While Kenma was calm and collected, he used his intelligence to strategiize the flow of the game. Smart, calculating. Almost like...

She gasped and shot up from her seat in the middle of the set, staring right at Nekoma's No. 5. Her notebook dropped from her lap with a thump.

The coaches were surprised, and her sudden action also got the attention of the players.

"H-hey, what's wrong?" Coach Nekomata asked, startled from his chair beside hers.

"Ai-senpai?" Hinata looked at her from his position next to the net, his head tilted to the left.

Everyone paused in their match as Yachi changed the scoreboard. They blinked at her.

"Chii?" Kuroo took a step toward her.

She found her voice again. "Oh, it's nothing. I'm sorry. Carry on." Ai bowed for the interruption and sat back down.

"Kuroo, it's your serve," Kai said as Fukunaga bounced the ball to him.

The captain woke up from his dumbfounded state. "Yeah..." He gave up for the time being and went to the back line.

Regaining her graceful posture, she picked her notebook up off of the floor, dusted it, and prepared to start writing again, looking expectantly at Kuroo to resume the match.

Happy birthday to Takao Kazunari!!!

Total Word Count: 1341