The Karasuno gym is in full swing. The ball flies, the steps rumble on the floor and the voices cross in perfect coordination.

"Good! Like this!" shouts Daichi.

Coach Ukai's whistle cuts the rhythm suddenly.

"Stop."

Everyone stops. Hinata blinks, still on tips. Nishinoya tilts his head. Tsukishima sighs, already tired without knowing why.

"Sensei... did we do something wrong?" Sugawara asks.

Ukai is silent for a few seconds, as if choosing his words.

"Some visitors are coming today," he says at last.

"A school?" says Asahi.

"A match?" Hinata asks, excited by habit.

Ukai slowly denies.

—"They come from the Blue Lock project. His coach, Ego Jinpachi, asked for this visit for a very specific reason."

The team looks at each other.

"According to him," Ukai continues, "Karasuno represents a mentality... mediocre."

"...Huh?" says Nishinoya.

"Mediocre?" Tanaka repeats, incredulous.

"Because we believe too much in companionship," Ukai adds.

Absolute silence.

"...Isn't that normal?" Hinata asks, genuinely confused. "I mean... we're a team."

"How do you play a team sport without trusting the team?" Sugawara murmurs.

Tsukishima adjusts his glasses.

"So... they call us mediocre for working together?"

"Exactly," says Ukai. "Ego wants to show his players that depending on others is a weakness."

The faces go from confusion to pure wtf.

"But..." Daichi frowns, "Volleyball doesn't work like that."

"No sport works like this," says Kageyama, serious. "You can't play alone."

"That's what they think they're here to prove," Ukai replies.

No one talks. No one understands Ukai looks at them.

"For them, trusting others is losing." "For you... it's the basis of everything."