Fly (Keishin Ukai) - COMPLETED

High School National Finals

The female volleyball team of Karasuno had never felt the way they did that day. They had never felt the pressure of the national finals like Inarizaki Kōkō - the previous winners - did. The feeling of that match was different. Every hit, every call, every dig and spike meant much more than any other game and they sure as hell would put everything they had into it.

No one thought Karasuno would make it past the preliminaries let alone make it to the National Final. The team had never even made it to the nationals before and had been an underdog since the very beginning. It all started with Yuki Nishinoya - the ace and captain of Karsuno's female volleyball team. She was the reason the team had made it so far. With her raw talent, intelligence and great leadership, it was a surprise that anyone doubted Karasuno. She had shown promise from the very beginning, but the world only started to recognise her by her third year.

The final was amazing to watch. It had been a back and forth match from the very beginning, but everyone was sure Inarizaki Kōkō would win - especially when they won the first two sets.

"It's not over!" Yuki yelled during their break before the third set started. "We can win this! We have only lost by one point every set. One less mistake, one better spike, and we take the set!" All of the players were covered head to toe in sweat, and all but Yuki were sat on the bench forcing water down their throats. Yuki still stood tall, her long black hair pulled back into a ponytail, her cheeks red with sweat dripping from her brow. "Everyone has doubted us from the beginning, and everyone doubts us now, but we've proved them wrong every time! We are the crows, let us show them how we can fly!"

The team went into the third set with a whole new energy which Yuki never let falter. She was determined, and if she went down, she would go down fighting. The crowd cheered loudly when Karasuno won the third set with a six-point lead.

"Inarizaki Kōkō let down their guard. They thought we would be beaten so easily, but they will not make the same mistake twice! We must stay strong for this set, do exactly as we did and ensure we stay one step ahead every time!" The Karasuno captain gave another speech, and the team cheered and had more energy than before when they reentered the court.

The fourth set was far closer than the third. The match was at another deuce, but it was Yuki's time to serve, and she had a deadly hit when she wanted to. However, it had failed her earlier that day both in the first set and the second. She knew that this set would win or lose her the game. Yuki had to make a decision, was she confident enough in herself to ensure she would not mess it up? Could she hold her nerves?

The crowd around her grew silent, thousands, maybe even millions of eyes were watching her. Her teammates faced forward, but she knew what they'd all be thinking. Sweat dripped down from her brow onto the volleyball which she bounced onto the ground. Her eyes scanned the crowd, though because of the intense lights, all the people seemed blurry. But there was one who stood out. One small boy who was jumping out of his seat, the only one making a sound that matched the echo of the ball every time it hit the floor. It was her little brother. Yù Nishinoya, he was only a few years younger, but he loved volleyball as much as her. They locked eyes, and she raised her fist in the air, he copied her action, his grin growing. She knew what she had to do.

The whistle blew, and Yuki took a deep breath before throwing the ball high in the air. One step, two-step, three-step, jump. Yuki flew high, the crowd silenced in awe, but she was sure she heard the sound of crows around her. She watched the ball fall back down, and at her highest point, she swung her arm, landing a perfect connection with the ball and aiming for Inarizaki Kōkō's weakest player. Yuki's feet touched the ground just as the ball rebounded off the arms of an Inarizaki Kōkō player, getting herself a service Ace. Noise erupted around her and despite her teammates crowding her, she could see her little brother screaming in the crowd, tears of happiness streaming down his face.