Haikyuu: Rise of Sengoku

Oomae Masato threw his head back and let out a triumphant howl, practically bursting with excitement.

The referee immediately shot him a warning look.

Seriously, this guy again? Does he really have to howl every time they win? Why can't he be more like his team's ace, calm and composed even after scoring?

17–12.

In a volleyball match where both teams are neck and neck in attack and defense, a 5-point lead is usually enough to seal the outcome.

It's not impossible to come back from that.

But Akashi Asuka wasn't about to give Kousen Academy the chance.

24 minutes into the second set.

Sengoku Junior High took the second set with a score of 25–21.

With two sets in a row under their belt, Sengoku's momentum surged, while Kousen Academy looked completely deflated.

Even their coach seemed at a loss for words.

In the third set, Kousen Academy showed a sudden burst of energy when Akashi Asuka inexplicably lost his rhythm, he failed all four of his service turns, handing Kousen four free points and allowing them to take the set.

That brought the match score to 2–1.

This brief slump sparked a glimmer of hope in the Kousen coach's eyes, maybe a comeback was possible.

But that hope was short-lived.

Fourth set, opening play.

Akashi Asuka started off with two straight service aces.

Then, showcasing his incredible athleticism, he kept up his explosive spikes and vertical jumps, even after three grueling sets where both teams were nearly running on fumes. Time and time again, he powered through triple blocks, punching holes in Kousen's defense and racking up more points.

And with that, 

The final match of the qualifiers came to an end.

Final score: 3–1.

For the first time since the founding of their volleyball club, Sengoku Junior High earned a spot in the National Tournament.

When the result was announced, the entire Sengoku volleyball team, their coaches, the teachers in the stands, members of the choir club, cheering students, and even the parents in the audience all erupted in celebration.

The volleyball team players, both on and off the court, rushed toward Akashi Asuka like madmen, surrounding him, lifting him high, and tossing him into the air.

"We're champions! We're champions!"

"Banzai! Banzai! Banzai!"

"We're going to Nationals!"

….

Confetti, celebrations, awards, interviews… For the first time in their lives, the students of Sengoku Junior High got to experience the glory of being champions.

Especially Akashi Asuka.

As the ace who practically single handedly carried his team to Nationals, he became the center of attention for local sports reporters.

Granted, they were mostly from regional outlets in Miyagi Prefecture, but even that was rare and impressive.

After the match, Asuka returned home and finally enjoyed a well-earned, relaxing weekend.

In truth, the pressure from today's match against Kousen wasn't as intense as when they faced Kitagawa. In terms of pure skill, Kitagawa was the stronger team this year, at least when Tobio Kageyama was in top form.

Monday, back at school.

A huge banner now hung in the center of the school building:

"Congratulations to our volleyball team on their outstanding performance at the National Tournament!"

While the volleyball team members were thrilled, it was likely the principal who was the happiest of all.

In Japan, the performance of school clubs plays a significant role in a school's reputation, student enrollment, and overall academic quality. Many students with high academic scores choose their next school based on the strength of its extracurriculars.

And enrollment and reputation directly affect the school board's funding allocations.

So it goes without saying: the volleyball club's sudden success, winning the Miyagi championship and advancing to Nationals, was a massive windfall for Sengoku Junior High's principal.

The team's starting players quickly became school celebrities.

And not just in name.

Given how small most Junior Highs are in Japan, only two to three hundred students per grade, with classes of around thirty, any major event gets around fast.

And setting a school record like this? Half a day was enough for everyone to hear.

From that Monday on, Oomae Masato was constantly surrounded by a group of boys eager to hear his wild stories.

Akashi Asuka, on the other hand, found himself in the middle of a completely different crowd, a flock of curious girls.

They were driving him nuts.

They didn't care about volleyball.

They didn't ask him to brag.

They just bombarded him with random, weird questions like:

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

"What kind of girls do you like?"

"Which high school are you planning to attend?"

It was all too much.

Ask, ask, ask, what's the point of asking if you're not going to do anything about it?!

Of course, all this was just good fun.

During the day, this was the scene in class, but once school ended, both Asuka and Masato disappeared.

Because the entire volleyball team was now in lockdown training for the upcoming Nationals.

Everyone was fired up.

Not only was this Sengoku's first time heading to Nationals, but for the third-years, it was their last chance to compete at the national level.

Asuka found it hard to keep his usual edge. While he still trained more than anyone else, he couldn't quite push himself to double the workload like before. For several days, he didn't even earn any "Tryhard Points" at all.

Meanwhile, Coach Shimokawa seemed all smiles lately.

Clearly, the school's reward for taking the team to Nationals was going to be quite generous.

On the other side of the school, the choir club was also busy rehearsing. Even if it was just for cheering, this was Nationals, if they messed up during the performance, it could end in nationwide embarrassment.

Everyone at Sengoku was doing their part to prepare for the tournament in their own way.

Time passed.

Two weeks later, 

The National Tournament was about to begin.

The entire volleyball team packed their bags and set off for Tokyo.