---
Slowing the game worked.
But it didn't sit right.
Hinata knew it the moment practice started.
---
"Again!"
Takeda received.
High.
Controlled.
Hinata set.
Fukuda hit.
Point.
---
Stable.
Clean.
Effective.
---
But—
Too comfortable.
---
Fukuda stretched his arms.
"…We figured them out."
Sato grinned.
"Yeah, that slow play worked."
Takeda nodded.
"…I could keep up…"
Nakamura added quietly,
"…It felt manageable…"
Mori observed.
"Control improved."
---
Hinata stood still.
Listening.
Watching.
Thinking.
---
Manageable.
Controlled.
Safe.
---
"…Not enough."
The words came quietly.
But they cut through everything.
---
Fukuda raised an eyebrow.
"…What?"
Hinata stepped forward.
"…We slowed them down."
"…Yeah."
"…But we didn't get faster."
Silence.
---
Sato blinked.
"…Do we need to?"
"Yes."
---
Mori nodded.
"Growth requires expansion of capability."
---
Fukuda smirked.
"…So we're doing it."
Hinata nodded.
"…Yeah."
---
Takeda hesitated.
"…That pace… was hard…"
Nakamura whispered,
"…I could barely follow…"
Hinata looked at them.
"…That's why we train it."
---
No one argued.
Because they understood.
---
They stepped onto the court.
Positions set.
But the feeling—
Different.
---
Hinata picked up a ball.
"…New rule."
They waited.
---
"No holding the ball."
Silence.
Sato frowned.
"…What?"
Hinata continued.
"No slow sets."
"…Wait—"
"No high resets."
---
Fukuda grinned.
"…So just speed?"
"Yes."
---
Takeda swallowed.
"…That's… going to be rough…"
Nakamura nodded.
"…I might not keep up…"
---
Hinata didn't soften it.
"…You will."
---
Mori added,
"Or you adapt."
---
They started.
---
First rally.
Serve.
To Sato.
---
He moved.
Received—
Good.
---
Hinata stepped in.
No pause.
Set—
Fast.
---
Fukuda jumped—
Late.
---
The ball dropped behind him.
Point lost.
---
Fukuda landed.
"…Too fast."
Hinata nodded.
"…Again."
---
Second rally.
Serve.
To Takeda.
---
He moved.
Received—
Clean.
---
Hinata set—
Immediately.
---
Sato tried to approach.
But the timing—
Off.
---
He hit late.
Out.
---
Point.
---
Sato exhaled.
"…I wasn't ready."
Hinata replied,
"…Then be ready."
---
Third rally.
---
Serve.
To Nakamura.
---
He moved.
Received—
Slightly off.
---
Hinata ran.
Set—
Fast.
---
Fukuda jumped.
Adjusted.
Hit—
Blocked.
---
Point.
---
Silence.
---
The pace—
Was breaking them.
---
Fukuda wiped his face.
"…We can't set up."
Hinata nodded.
"…Good."
---
Sato blinked.
"…Good?"
---
Hinata's eyes sharpened.
"…You're relying on setup."
---
Silence.
---
Takeda whispered,
"…We don't have time…"
Hinata nodded.
"…Exactly."
---
Mori added,
"Reaction-based play."
---
They restarted.
---
This time—
Different.
---
Less thinking.
More instinct.
---
The ball came.
Sato received.
---
Hinata set instantly.
---
Fukuda jumped—
Earlier this time.
---
Hit—
In.
---
Point.
---
Fukuda smirked.
"…Okay."
---
Again.
---
Takeda received.
---
Hinata set.
---
Sato moved—
Faster.
---
Hit—
In.
---
Point.
---
Sato grinned.
"…I got it!"
---
The pace increased.
---
No pauses.
No resets.
No breathing room.
---
Mistakes still happened.
Many.
---
Late approaches.
Missed timing.
Bad contacts.
---
But slowly—
They adjusted.
---
Nakamura moved earlier.
---
Takeda reacted faster.
---
Sato committed quicker.
---
Fukuda adapted mid-air.
---
Hinata—
Got even faster.
---
The ball barely stopped moving.
---
Halfway through—
Everyone was breathing harder.
Not from power.
From speed.
---
Fukuda exhaled.
"…This is exhausting."
Hinata nodded.
"…Yeah."
---
Sato laughed.
"I don't have time to think!"
---
Takeda added,
"…I just move now…"
---
Nakamura whispered,
"…It's automatic…"
---
Mori observed,
"Desired adaptation."
---
They pushed further.
---
Faster rallies.
Sharper sets.
Quicker decisions.
---
Then—
It broke.
---
A fast exchange.
Too fast.
---
The ball deflected.
Low.
Center.
---
Hinata moved.
So did Sato.
So did Nakamura.
---
No call.
No time.
---
Collision.
---
The ball dropped.
---
Silence.
---
Sato stepped back.
"…That was messy."
---
Hinata nodded.
"…We fix it."
---
Fukuda crossed his arms.
"…How?"
---
Hinata answered.
"…Trust."
---
Silence.
---
Takeda blinked.
"…Trust?"
---
Hinata pointed.
"…No hesitation."
---
Mori added,
"Commitment to first movement."
---
They reset.
---
Next rally.
---
Ball came.
---
Sato moved.
Called—
"Mine!"
---
No hesitation.
---
Clean receive.
---
Hinata set.
---
Fukuda hit.
---
Point.
---
Better.
---
Again.
---
Nakamura moved.
Called.
---
Takeda didn't step in.
---
Clean.
---
The flow returned.
---
Faster.
---
But controlled.
---
The final rally came.
---
Long.
Fast.
Unforgiving.
---
Hinata set three times in seconds.
---
Fukuda hit.
Returned.
---
Sato saved.
---
Nakamura adjusted.
---
Takeda received.
---
No pause.
---
Hinata set—
Instantly.
---
Fukuda jumped.
Spike—
Point.
---
Silence.
---
Then—
Fukuda laughed.
"…That was insane."
---
Sato dropped to the floor.
"I can't feel my legs…"
---
Takeda sat down.
"…I didn't think…"
---
Nakamura whispered,
"…I just moved…"
---
Mori concluded,
"Speed achieved."
---
Hinata stood still.
Breathing steady.
---
This—
Was the next step.
---
Not controlling pace.
---
Becoming the pace.
---
He looked at the team.
All five.
Exhausted.
But adapting.
---
"…We keep this."
---
Fukuda smirked.
"…Of course."
---
Because now—
They weren't just reacting to speed.
---
They were building it.
---
And soon—
They wouldn't need to slow anyone down.
---
They would force everyone else—
To keep up.
---