The sound was muffled, as if my ears were filled with cotton. Then, a sharp pain, a sudden sting right behind my eyes, forced me to squint my eyelids shut.
Where am I?
I rested my forehead on the cold, hard surface of a wooden desk. A school.
"Hey, are you feeling okay?" a young male voice came from my right.
I didn't answer immediately. A cascade of images, like fragments of broken glass, began to race through my mind. They weren't my memories, or rather, they weren't those of my past life spent in offices and in front of TV screens watching volleyball matches. They were fragments of a new life: a childhood never lived, parents never seen, and a black uniform hanging in a closet.
[Memory Integration in progress... 10%... 40%... 100%]
The headache vanished instantly, giving way to a frightening clarity. I lifted my head and my eyes focused on the classroom. On the bulletin board above the chalkboard, in the top right corner, stood the characters I never thought I'd see in person: Karasuno High School.
My heart leaped into my throat. Karasuno? Like in the manga? Like in the anime?
"Yuya? Look, the teacher is about to arrive," the boy next to me said again.
I instinctively moved my hand to my face. I felt a strange pulsation in my eye sockets, a heat that wasn't feverish but electrical. I quickly checked my reflection in the window glass to my left.
The silhouette that gazed back at me was different from the one I remembered having for years. I was a boy of about sixteen, with sharper features and a brooding gaze. Black hair, reaching down to my neck and decidedly unkempt, fell messily over my forehead, framing a face that radiated nervous energy. The dark Karasuno uniform seemed to fit my shoulders perfectly, which appeared broader and more reactive than before. It was me, but a version of myself born for action.
I blinked, trying to ignore that persistent tingling behind my pupils, and pushed my gaze beyond the glass toward the school courtyard. In the distance, past the main lawn, stood the gymnasium building. The doors were partially ajar and, despite the distance, my vision seemed to perform an unnatural zoom. That's where I saw them.
Two boys were arguing animatedly right in front of the entrance. One was short, with an orange mane impossible to mistake, jumping around and gesturing like a madman. The other was taller, with sleek black hair and an expression that, even from afar, exuded arrogance and severity. They looked like they were on the verge of hitting each other with a volleyball at any moment.
Hinata and Kageyama.
They weren't drawings on paper or pixels on a screen. They were there, real, and they were fighting over a ball that bounced lazily on the asphalt.
Just as I was trying to steady my breathing, a semi-transparent streak of blue light materialized before my eyes, floating in mid-air above the desk. It wasn't a reflection from the glass. It was an interface.
[WELCOME, HOST. "EYE OF THE COURT GOD" SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETED.]
I held my breath. My seatmate continued to arrange his books as if nothing were happening; clearly, only I could see that glowing text.
[MANDATORY MISSION: The Return of the Crows]
Objective: Reach the gym by the end of classes and submit the registration form for the Karasuno Boys' Volleyball Club.
Time Remaining: 00:14:51.
I scrolled my gaze downward, where the rewards section glowed. It was there that my heart skipped a beat.
Completion Reward: Permanent Unlock of the Sharingan (1 Tomoe).
I was stunned. The Sharingan.
"Hey," I whispered, turning toward the boy next to me, who was looking at me curiously. "Do you know where I can get a registration form for the sports clubs?"
The boy's eyes widened in surprise. "You actually want to join something, Yuya? I thought you only cared about sleeping."
I smiled, a smile that didn't entirely belong to me, sharper and more determined. "Let's just say I suddenly have a crazy urge to play volleyball."
As soon as the sound of the bell tore through the silence of the classroom, the chatter of students ready to leave became an insignificant background noise. To me, that sound was the starting pistol for the race. I had less than fifteen minutes.
I stood up abruptly, grabbing my things under the confused gaze of my seatmate, and intercepted the teacher just as he was closing his bag.
"Teacher, excuse me!" I exclaimed, almost breathless from the adrenaline. "I need a registration form for the volleyball club."
The man looked at me over the frame of his glasses, surprised by that sudden urgency. "Yuya? I've never seen you interested in anything that required staying awake... Anyway, I should have one here." He rummaged through his papers for what felt like centuries until he pulled out a crumpled sheet. "Here it is. But look, the club isn't doing too well lately, are you sure you want to join?"
"I am, teacher."
I grabbed the paper and ran out. Every step down the hallway felt lighter, as if my new body were responding with a reaction speed I had never possessed.
A few minutes later, I found myself in front of the large gymnasium doors. I paused for just a second. The timer in my field of vision flashed red: 00:01:12. I placed my hands on the cold metal and, with a decisive motion, swung the doors open.
The air of the gym hit me immediately, a thick scent, a mix of dust, burnt rubber from soles, and that metallic hint of sweat and toil that only those who live on the court can love. The afternoon light streamed through the high windows, illuminating the gym.
PAM! PAM!
The sound of balls hitting the parquet floor echoed like cannon fire against the walls. I saw dark silhouettes moving with agility: they were jumping, receiving, running. It was the organized chaos of Karasuno.
As I stood there, motionless on the threshold, a figure detached itself from the sideline. It was a girl with long, dark hair and a pair of elegant glasses that gave her a detached but attentive air. Shimizu Kiyoko. Her beauty was almost blinding in person, but it was her calm gaze that brought me back to reality.
She approached me, observing my still slightly labored breathing. "Do you need something?" she asked in a quiet, almost melodic voice. "Did a teacher send you with a message?"
I ignored the new sting of heat that exploded in my eye sockets. I looked Kiyoko straight in the eyes, holding her gaze with a firmness that seemed to take her by surprise. I bowed slightly, extending my arm with the form between my fingers in a gesture of deep Japanese politeness.
"No," I replied, and my voice rang out steady, without a hint of hesitation. "I'm here because I want to join the club. I want to play with Karasuno."
Kiyoko remained silent for a second too long, surprised by my intensity, then took the paper with her fingertips. She told me to wait there, and I followed her with my eyes as she crossed the court, passing by a Hinata who was jumping like a spring and a Kageyama who was scolding him with his usual heat. She approached a solid boy with short hair and a reliable air who was talking to a gray-haired boy and another with a blonde crest. They were Daichi Sawamura, Sugawara, and Tanaka.
Kiyoko said something in a low voice and pointed toward the door. Immediately, the attention of the entire gym shifted to me. Tanaka was the first to widen his eyes, while Daichi took the form, reading my name aloud.
"Yuya Kazuki... a first-year?"
Kageyama stopped, clutching the ball in his hands. His gaze, usually harsh, became searching. He scanned me from head to toe, lingering on my height and my posture. "You... have you ever played volleyball?" he asked with his usual bluntness.
The entire gym seemed to fall silent, waiting for the answer. Tanaka leaned forward with curiosity, while Hinata stopped hopping, looking at me with wide eyes.
"No," I replied honestly, shaking my head slightly. "I've never played on a real team."
I expected looks of disdain, perhaps a few mocking laughs or an acidic comment about my presumption. Instead, Daichi lowered the form and exchanged an amused glance with Sugawara. Then, against all my expectations, he burst into a warm and genuine laugh, immediately followed by Tanaka, who gave me a friendly slap on the shoulder, nearly making me lose my balance.
"A beginner, huh?" Daichi exclaimed with an encouraging smile.
Sugawara approached, giving me a welcoming nod. "Don't worry if you don't know how to play; you'll learn. Welcome to the Karasuno Volleyball Club!"
That warm welcome heated my chest. In that moment, a silent notification appeared in my field of vision, invisible to everyone else.
[MISSION COMPLETED: The Return of the Crows]
[REWARD UNLOCKED: Sharingan]
[STATUS: Dormant (Ready for use)]
A shiver ran down my spine. The door had opened, the club had accepted me, and the power was finally mine. The climb had just begun.