Haikyu: Nah, I'd Adapt!

Normally, whenever I made a mistake, I'd just let it be, taking note of it for future reference. I could go back every now and then and be reminded why it was a mistake.

But then...

I suddenly thought, "Hold up..."

Why didn't I just correct it right away and write down a full description of what I did wrong?

Holy shit...

Chat, am I secretly a genius?

Anyway, with that being said, I'm going to change the punch scene to just having Kageyama's collar grabbed and him being pushed to the floor. I'll fix it maybe tomorrow; I'm going back to bed now. I don't feel dizzy anymore, which is great. It's still a bit uncomfortably hot, but it feels more like a normal fever, to be honest.

So, yeah, that's it, I guess.

Enjoy the chapter!

---

Shortly after, Keishin called for a timeout. The court slowly emptied as players headed to their benches.

Meanwhile, as Date Tech players walked out the court and grabbed their drinks to rehydrate themselves, one of them stopped.

"..."

Futakuchi stared at his trembling hands.

They had taken the full force of Tsuna's spike and he realized the searing pain coursing throughout his palm was now kinda numb.

Kamasaki glanced at him and asked, "You okay, bro?"

"...Yeah," Futakuchi replied hesitantly. His gaze shifted to the other side of the court, where Karasuno's players surrounded Tsuna.

Tsuna sat on the bench, his head down.

'I was hoping to see his full force in action, and now that I experience it myself...'

And understanding the fact that Tsuna might have never used it since a year ago made Futakuchi couldn't help but mumble, "That's totally inhumane..."

"..."

Aone frowned, his eyes narrowing.

He hadn't taken the spike head-on like Futakuchi, but seeing how Futakuchi's body had staggered mid-air was enough to tell him how powerful it must have been.

"He used his right hand..."

Oiwake's mumbles cut through the silence.

Everyone turned to their coach, who was staring at the scoreboard. The gap between the scores had narrowed, and their momentum had been shattered by that spike. This was just another reminder that they're facing a whole different Karasuno this time.

'We've been underestimating them way too much...'

"Seeing how Karasuno's #9 reacted after using his right hand, it's clear his injury is still healing," Oiwake said. "That spike must have hurt him. They'll probably sub him out to let him recover."

That was the most likely scenario. Tsuna didn't look okay after spiking with his right hand.

"As much as I don't want to admit it, this is good for us."

Tsuna was Karasuno's mental anchor. With him on the court, the entire team played better than anyone expected.

They had grown, but his presence made them harder to break.

Sasaya asked, "But what if he comes back in?"

"There's a chance, but his left hand isn't something to worry about."

"..."

Futakuchi opened his mouth to speak but stopped himself. He exchanged a glance with Aone. Both of them had noticed something the others hadn't—Tsuna's left-handed spikes were getting stronger with each attempt.

Futakuchi wanted to stay confident, but deep down, he knew there might come a time when they couldn't stop him anymore.

In Karasuno's bench...

'Kageyama is at his best right now. Nishinoya too...'

Keishin thought to himself as he glanced at Tsuna, who was sitting down, drinking a bottle of water.

The coach noticed Tsuna's right hand trembling slightly, "Are you alright? Should we rush you to a hospital...?"

Tsuna replied, "No, it's fine. This happens when I train hard too." 

Tsuna was also still training as part of his rehabilitation progress for his right hand to speed up the healing process. The intensity wasn't as high as his left, but the constant strain still took its toll every session.

That spike felt like he had skipped all the boring process and jumped straight to the aftermath.

'It's painful, but it'll go away soon...'

A strange clarity washed over him, like cold water pouring over his head. Tsuna glanced at his left hand, a small smile forming. 'I feel like I can put more strength into my left now...'

"..."

Training alone had never given him such a breakthrough.

'As expected, only by playing against strong teams...'

That was the only shortcut he needed. His lips curled into a grin, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"This crazy bastard..."

Tanaka muttered under his breath.

"Sigh..."

The rest of the team shared his sentiment, watching as Tsuna seemed to go back into his own world with that twisted smile creeping back onto his face.

"...Well, seems like I don't have to worry about him anymore," Keishin said, scratching the back of his neck.

He turned to Tanaka, "Tanaka, I need you to take over Tsuna's position for now..."

"Yes, sir!"

Tanaka replied with a nod as he sheepishly grinned in joy.

"Good. Let's pick up the pace and take the momentum for ourselves."

Keishin felt relieved. This was a good opportunity to adjust their strategy. He glanced at Date Tech's players, a smirk forming on his face. 'This way, they won't get used to our play too quickly...'

He had a feeling the first set was going to be theirs soon.

TWEET!

The sound of the whistle signaled the end of the timeout as both teams immediately started filling the court once again, followed by the crowd cheering in anticipation.

"Nice serve, Kageyama!"

Tanaka shouted as he got into position, only to realize Aone was right in front of him.

He had seen this guy playing from outside but seeing him up close was a totally different experience. Tanaka felt nervous as he thought, 'Why does this guy feel even bigger on the court…?'

Meanwhile...

"..."

Tsuna quietly watched, his chest racing with anticipation. He wanted to get back in right away. His right hand twitched slightly as his eyes remained locked on the court.

"Phew..."

Kageyama took a deep breath.

The whistle blew again, and he immediately tossed the ball high into the air. As he slowly moved forward, he timed it perfectly as he leaped, his body arching as he swung his arm.

BAM!

The ball shot across the net like a bullet, heading straight for Date Tech's back line.

"Sasaya!"

"I know!"

Sasaya adjusted his position, cupping his hands together to receive the sharp serve. But his timing was slightly off due to his repositioning.

His receive wobbled as the ball made contact with his hands before bouncing out of bounds as he shouted in panic, "Sorry, cover!"

"I got it!"

Kamasaki rushed toward the ball, knowing he couldn't set it. Instead, he swung both arms and sent the ball back over the net toward Karasuno's side.

Seeing the ball weakly flying across the net, Daichi's eyes gleamed as he shouted, "Chance ball!" 

"Asahi!"

Asahi wiped the sweat from his brow and moved calmly toward the ball. He saw Kageyama running to the front, ready to set as Asahi then cupped his hands and received the ball.

He sent it smoothly toward Kageyama whose focus seemed to be sharper than ever before.

'We've been waiting for this…'

Kageyama thought quietly as the ball floated toward him. He didn't need to say a word—he could already feel an orange blur darting across the court.

"..."

Date Tech's blockers weren't slacking either. Futakuchi and Aone kept their eyes locked on Kageyama, trying to read his play when suddenly—

"…!"

—they saw Hinata already soaring high into the air. And before they could even understand what was happening, Kageyama sent the ball flying at an unbelievable speed.

'That's way too fast for a quick attack!'

Futakuchi thought in shock.

Yet…

As the ball blurred toward Hinata mid-air, the little guy swung his arm at the perfect moment. The ball crashed down onto Date Tech's court with such force that no one could even attempt to save it.

"…!?"

They could only stare, stunned, as Hinata landed. On Date Tech's bench, even Coach Oiwake couldn't help but stiffened at the sight of such a rapid attack as he wondered aloud, "Was that… just luck?"

Then—

"Whoaa! It always feels amazing to score a point like that!"

"Hinata, nice kill!"

The entire Karasuno team cheered, grinning at Date Tech's stunned expressions.

Meanwhile…

"..."

Tsuna watched quietly as Hinata's excited voice echoed through the court. His gaze flickered to Aone and Futakuchi at the net.

'They won't be able to stop it if they have to wait to see where the toss is going…'

With Kageyama's flawless form, it was hard to guess where he was going to toss the ball. By the time he tossed it for his combo with Hinata, it would already be too late.

And if they moved toward Hinata to block him, they would be caught off guard if Kageyama decided to change his toss to the other side.

However…

As the game continued, Tsuna noticed that Date Tech's Iron Wall was still highly effective against Karasuno's other spikers.

Once again, he was impressed as he mumbled, "Read blocking, huh?"

"..."

Unknowingly, he found himself staring intently at Date Tech's blockers, analyzing their every movement.

"What...?"

Futakuchi, sensing something, turned his head—only to see Tsuna staring at them with an unsettling focus.

'Why the fuck is he staring at us like that?'

He nearly took a step back, feeling a sudden chill run down his spine.

As the game went on, Futakuchi felt somewhat even more uneasy with the gaze but it wasn't enough to rattled him as he was still able to focus in the game. It only made him question what Tsuna was thinking on by observing them like that.