The referee's sharp whistle cut through the noise of the venue. The scoreboard finally stopped, and everything was settled.
The entire arena instantly erupted with cheers like a crashing tidal wave. Aoba Johsai's players rushed toward the center of the court like madmen, tightly surrounding Hank in the middle.
Hank stood at the center of the court, panting slightly. Sweat trickled from his forehead down along his jaw, dripping onto the floor and spreading into a small damp mark. He looked toward the silent figures standing on Karasuno's side. He did not celebrate recklessly. He only raised his hand gently, wiped the sweat from his face, and in his eyes was the calm relief that came after a bitter battle.
Karasuno's players stood frozen in place. Shoyo Hinata still held the posture from when he had leaped with everything he had to block the ball. The faint sensation of that high-speed spinning volleyball brushing past his fingertips seemed to still remain. He slowly lowered his arm, raised his head, and looked at the volleyball that had already rolled out beyond the sideline. His shoulders trembled slightly, beyond his control.
He was frustrated.
Far too frustrated.
From the preliminaries to the finals, every early-morning practice, every time they fell and climbed back up again, every quick attack he had refined with Kageyama to the limit, every defensive play the entire team had fought through with everything they had…
All of it had been brought to an end by that heavy spike just now.
Tobio Kageyama clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. His eyes, usually as sharp as a hawk's, were slightly red at this moment. He looked toward Hank on the other side of the court. That opponent had remained terrifyingly calm from beginning to end. No matter what kind of offensive wave Karasuno raised, Hank could receive it steadily, then strike back with a fatal blow.
A true, absolute powerhouse.
Coach Ukai sighed softly, stepped forward, and patted the players on their shoulders.
"Lift your heads. You already played very well."
No one lifted their head. They stared at the floor, listening to the deafening cheers coming from the other side, and for the first time, they felt the gap between them so clearly.
It was not a gap that could be easily erased through coordination, willpower, or sheer desperation.
Hank slowly moved past the teammates surrounding him and walked toward Karasuno's team step by step. He stopped in front of Shoyo Hinata, bent forward slightly, and spoke in a low yet clear voice.
"You're strong. Strong enough that I had to use everything I had to win this match."
Shoyo Hinata suddenly raised his head. His eyes were slightly red, but he still glared at Hank stubbornly.
"Next time… Next time, we'll definitely beat you!"
When Hank heard that, the corners of his mouth curved into a genuine, relaxed smile. There was none of his indifference from before the match, and none of the sharpness from during the match. There was only recognition and anticipation toward strong opponents.
"I'll be waiting."
He straightened up, his gaze sweeping over every Karasuno player.
"Next time, don't disappoint me."
A world-class player.
That was his true destination.
And as the Karasuno players stood where they were, watching his back, the hearts that had sunk to the very bottom slowly began to burn with fire again.
Tobio Kageyama took a deep breath and looked at Shoyo Hinata beside him.
"Next time, we absolutely won't lose."
"Yeah!"
Shoyo Hinata wiped his face hard, brushing away his tears and sweat together, and once again revealed that smile that would never be defeated.
"Next time, we'll definitely beat Hank! We'll definitely stand on the highest podium!"
The Karasuno players looked at one another, then clenched their fists one after another.
The bitterness of defeat still remained in their throats, but that frustration had already turned into an even stronger fighting spirit.
The End.
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