"Haha!"
"A team that can make it to the second round must be strong!"
Yaku scratched his head from the side.
"Still, Matsukawa Tech is definitely a solid team!"
"You all watched the video of their match before, right?"
"Yes!"
Hinata nodded.
"They seem like a very well-rounded team! Strong on both offense and defense!"
Kuroo touched his chin.
"That's the impression I got too, just from watching the video."
"They probably haven't changed much since then."
Yaku clapped Sugawara on the shoulder with a smile.
"Then they shouldn't be too much trouble for you guys!"
"Looks like you'll have a smooth path to the third round!"
Sugawara shook his head.
"It's too early to say that!"
"We can't underestimate any opponent."
"True enough!"
"Even a lion goes all out against a rabbit!"
"Besides... your opponent's no helpless bunny!"
"That's Nohebi!"
When they arrived at the main venue, Nohebi's match was already in progress.
"Hahaha!"
"Don't let your guard down!"
Bokuto laughed as well.
"They're a very unpredictable team!"
"Hmph!"
Kuroo crossed his arms over his chest.
"Unpredictable? More like sneaky!"
"Hinata! Pay extra attention when you face them!"
"Daishō, that guy—he might seem decent off the court, but once he starts playing, his scheming side really comes out!"
The members of Karasuno looked at the court, slightly confused.
Earlier, the match had been too far away and the bracket too crowded to know which teams they'd be facing. So they'd only seen a few of Nohebi's games.
"They look like a pretty solid team."
Kageyama said, puzzled:
"It seems like... just like Nekoma, they're good at defense and really persistent."
Even Akaashi, standing to the side, shook his head at that.
"Don't be fooled by their appearance!"
"We played them during the Tokyo qualifiers!"
"If Nekoma is like a tenacious cat..."
"Then Nohebi is a cunning viper!"
"They'll do anything to score and win."
"Psychological tactics are their specialty!"
"Oh?"
Hearing this, everyone from Karasuno turned to Akira, standing at the center of the group.
"'Cunning'..."
"'Psychological tactics'...??"
"Why does that sound..."
"So much like someone?"
"Huh??"
"Why are you all looking at me?"
Akira asked innocently under their collective gaze.
"I didn't force you to use it!"
"Speaking of underhanded tactics..."
"Everyone here has done their fair share!!"
"You little—"
Kageyama, forehead full of stress veins, was just about to say something when Kuroo suddenly shouted:
"Here it comes!"
"Here it comes!"
He frantically patted Daichi's shoulder and shouted:
"Quick! Watch closely!"
"Make sure you see these guys' true colors!"
At that, everyone from Karasuno quickly turned their attention to the court.
The situation was shifting.
"Nice one, Daishō!"
"Nice one, Daishō!"
Deafening cheers echoed from the stands.
Just moments ago, Nohebi's captain, Daishō Suguru, had scored with a clever tip right in front of the net, snatching a crucial point.
After the point, a few players on court began whispering amongst themselves.
On the opposite side of the net, their opponents were visibly angry.
"Blatantly messing with the opponent's mentality during a match!"
"It's not technically a foul, but it definitely throws them off their rhythm!"
"And that's not all! Tip shots, forced errors, deflections..."
"They'll use every trick in the book!"
"More than that..."
"As spectators, you might not notice it all."
"But teams that have actually played against Nohebi know their real face!"
As Kuroo kept ranting about Nohebi's underhanded tactics, the members of Karasuno broke into a nervous sweat.
"There really is such a team..."
"Hahaha! Kuroo might still be salty from his last run-in with Daishō!"
Someone from Fukurōdani laughed.
"He's not usually like this!"
"Aren't tip shots what Kuroo himself calls 'clever tactics' when dealing with blockers?"
"How did that suddenly turn into dirty tricks?"
"Man..."
Yaku wiped cold sweat from his forehead.
"Last time Daishō met Kuroo, he mocked him for not making Nationals!"
"Maybe Kuroo's just holding a grudge..."
"A grudge?!"
Kuroo snapped, visibly annoyed.
"You didn't see the smug look on his face!"
"Next time I face him, I'm definitely putting that guy in his place!"
"Speaking of which... Bokuto-senpai!"
Hinata suddenly remembered.
"You played against Nohebi during the Tokyo qualifiers, right? What was the result?"
"Hahaha!"
Bokuto placed his hands on his hips and laughed heartily.
"Of course we won!"
"Idiot!"
Kageyama smacked Hinata on the back of the head.
"Otherwise, why would Fukurōdani be Tokyo's second representative?"
"And Nohebi only the third team?"
"Why are you even asking something that dumb?"
"Ah! Kageyama, that hurt!!"
"I just forgot for a second!"
Yaku added thoughtfully:
"Looks like Nohebi's match should go fine."
"If you guys beat Matsukawa Tech tomorrow, and Nohebi beats Daifu High..."
"Then the day after tomorrow, your two teams will be facing each other!"