Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

[October 27th, Sendai City Gymnasium]

The crisp autumn breeze of October carried a slight chill, but inside the arena, the atmosphere was electric, reaching a fever pitch.

This was the final match of the Miyagi Prefecture Spring High Representative Playoffs, where Aoba Johsai and Shiratorizawa would clash in an epic showdown.

The audience packed the venue, their allegiances clearly divided.

On one side, the sea of teal and white proudly represented Aoba Johsai, while on the other, the purple and white of Shiratorizawa's supporters stood unwavering.

This time, Aoba Johsai's students had turned out in droves.

Combined with the crowd recruited by Chiba Kano from the local shopping districts and the new fans they garnered after reaching the top eight in the Interhigh Nationals, the energy in their corner was unprecedented. Even against the once-undisputed kings, Aoba Johsai's support was no less fervent.

Beyond the roaring crowd in the stands, the gym floor was alive with activity. Arena staff moved efficiently, while reporters and camera crews from numerous TV stations buzzed around the court, capturing the moment.

This match promised even more intrigue than the Interhigh Prefectural Finals.

Would Shiratorizawa avenge their previous defeat and reassert their dominance as the kings of Miyagi? Or would Aoba Johsai defend their crown and solidify their status as the new rulers, marking the beginning of a new dynasty?

"Beep! Players, please take the court for warm-ups."

The players emerged from their respective tunnels, and all eyes in the arena shifted toward them.

"Let's have a good match!"

The two captains exchanged a handshake. Oikawa Tōru's provocative gaze met Ushijima Wakatoshi's calm, unshaken one.

Oikawa grinned slyly. "Ushijima-chan, our last high school volleyball match is going to end in my victory, so get ready for it."

Ushijima, however, merely smiled. "Oikawa, win or lose, I hope we can stand on the same court again someday."

The players from both teams were already too familiar with one another; there was no need for further words. The true battle would soon begin on the court.

-----

Thirty minutes later, the warm-ups concluded.

"I now declare the Miyagi Prefecture Boys' Representative Playoffs for the All-Japan High School Volleyball Championship officially open!"

"The match between Aoba Johsai High School and Shiratorizawa Academy is about to begin!"

"Let's introduce today's starting lineups for both teams!"

"Starting for Shiratorizawa Academy: No. 1, Ushijima Wakatoshi...No. 5, Tendō Satori...No. 8, Goshiki Tsutomu..."

"For Aoba Johsai High School: No. 1, Oikawa Tōru...No. 4, Iwaizumi Hajime...No. 10, Kaedehara Taichi..."

"Ladies and gentlemen, let's cheer for these two teams as they gear up for an intense battle!"

"Shiratorizawa—Take the victory again!"

"Shiratorizawa—Take the victory again!"

"Go, go, Seijoh!"

"Victory, victory, Seijoh!"

Beep! The long whistle marked the start of the match.

Shiratorizawa's starting lineup featured:

Front row—Middle Blocker Tendō Satori, Outside Hitter Ushijima Wakatoshi, Outside Hitter Ōhira Reon.

Back row—Middle Blocker Kawanishi Taichi (libero Yamagata Hayato), Setter Shirabu Kenjirō, and Wing Spiker Goshiki Tsutomu.

Aoba Johsai's lineup:

Front row—Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi, Middle Blocker Hanamaki Takahiro and Opposite Hitter Kyōtani Kentarō

Back row—Middle Blocker Kindaichi Yūtarō (Libero: Watari Shinji), Outside Hitter Iwaizumi Hajime and Setter Oikawa Tōru.

The opening serve went to Aoba Johsai, with Oikawa Tōru stepping onto the service line.

"Let's go, Oikawa! Give them a killer serve!"

"Oikawa-senpai, ace this one!"

Oikawa took a deep breath. Standing at the line felt completely different this time. His body was loose, his mind sharp, and an air of confidence radiated from him.

He tossed the ball lightly...

Smack!

The ball arced sharply through the air...

And crashed into the far wall behind Shiratorizawa's court.

Aoba Johsai: "..."

Shiratorizawa: "..."

Audience: "..."

"Uh..." Oikawa scratched his head awkwardly.

Laughter rippled through the arena, lightening the tense atmosphere.

With the very first serve, Aoba Johsai's captain had gifted Shiratorizawa a point.

[Aoba Johsai 0 – 1 Shiratorizawa]

"You idiot..." Iwaizumi didn't hold back his scolding.

Serve switched sides. Tendō Satori stepped up to the service line.

Smack!

His jump serve was steady and straightforward, signaling the official start of the match.

"Mine!" Watari received the ball cleanly, sending it toward Oikawa.

Aoba Johsai's first attack of the game!

Kaedehara Taichi sprinted along the sideline, his steps light and powerful. With a loud thud, he leapt high into the air, his body rising until he could see all of Shiratorizawa's court.

"Triple block!"

Shiratorizawa greeted Taichi's spike attempt with a formidable wall of three blockers—Ushijima Wakatoshi, Ōhira Reon, and Kawanishi Taichi—effectively eclipsing his view.

On the far left of the net, Taichi's gaze locked with Ushijima's, sparks of determination igniting between them.

A triple block featuring Ushijima himself? What an extravagant welcome!

Taichi's eyes shone with exhilaration, his aura surging with intensity.

BOOM!

The ball collided heavily with Ushijima's arm and ricocheted toward Shiratorizawa's backcourt.

"I've got it!" Goshiki dived to save the ball, and Shirabu stepped in to set it.

"Give me the ball."

The moment Ushijima spoke, Shirabu's set was already in the air, a testament to their unspoken connection.

Of course, the ace would take their first attack!

Ushijima gained momentum with a precise run-up. On the other side of the net, Taichi mirrored his movements.

Both players soared into the air, their presence colliding mid-flight. Though rivals, their showdown seemed to symbolize a passing of the torch from the old ace to the new.

BOOM!

Ushijima chose not to avoid the block, spiking the ball straight against Taichi's outstretched arms.

"Touch!"

Taichi felt the sting of the impact on his forearm but smiled in exhilaration. The ball floated high into the air.

[Ding! The host has entered burst mode]

[Kaedehara Taichi (Burst Mode):

Height: 188 cm | Power: 99 | Jump: 90 | Stamina: 95 | Speed: 95

Technique: Serve: 95 | Receive: 90 | Set: 85 | Spike: 95]

Faced with Ushijima, a towering figure in Miyagi and perhaps one of the best players nationwide, Taichi quickly found his rhythm, unleashing his full potential.@@novelbin@@

Iwaizumi saved the ball, and Taichi immediately repositioned to the right sideline. The only one who could keep up with him on Shiratorizawa's side was Ushijima.

Thud!

Taichi leapt again with Ushijima rising to block him.

As the ball approached, Taichi unleashed a powerful straight-line spike, skimming past Ushijima's fingertips and smashing into Shiratorizawa's sideline.

BANG!!

The ball bounced high, eliciting gasps and cheers.

An unstoppable straight-line spike brought Aoba Johsai their first point.

[Aoba Johsai 1 – 1 Shiratorizawa]

Goshiki Tsutomu's face was full of disbelief—his opponent's shots were sharper, his power greater, and he scored against Ushijima in a one-on-one!

This was exactly the kind of player Goshiki aspired to be.

"How does it feel, Ushijima-senpai?" Kaedehara Taichi asked with a bright smile, gazing across the net.

"Excellent," Ushijima Wakatoshi replied simply, his eyes glowing with determination.

Aoba Johsai regained the serve, with Kyōtani Kentarō stepping up.

Taichi's enthusiasm was contagious, igniting the fighting spirit of everyone on the court. Kyōtani, the first to catch fire, had an unmistakable glint of excitement in his eyes, itching for action.

"Haaah!"

Boom!

The sharp sound of the spike roared across Shiratorizawa's backcourt.

Yamagata Hayato's expression was one of shock. Another gravity-defying jump serve?!

Was this really the finals of a prefectural tournament?!

Yamagata scrambled to dive for the ball, barely managing to keep it in play.

Thwack!

The ball flew high, the force still unrelenting. Thankfully, it remained on Shiratorizawa's side of the court, floating directly above.

"Shirabu!" Ushijima called out sharply.

Kenjirō Shirabu froze for a moment—this was the first time Ushijima had explicitly asked for the ball like this.

Normally, Shirabu would opt for a safer play in such situations. Ushijima knew this all too well, which is why he made his demand so clear.

Get the ball to him. That was an order from their ace—one that could not be ignored.

A bead of sweat dripped down Shirabu's forehead. This match was nothing like the one against Karasuno!

—Whoosh!

Shirabu sent the ball high and to the left wing. The set was slightly closer to the net than ideal, but for Ushijima, it was more than enough.

All eyes turned to the soaring volleyball.

With a thunderous leap, Ushijima rose, and Aoba Johsai's blockers—Kindaichi Yūtarō, Kaedehara Taichi, and Hanamaki Takahiro—rose with him. The collective height and strength of their block drew gasps from the crowd.

—BOOM!!!—

The volleyball smashed against Kindaichi's arm with such force that his 190 cm frame shuddered. The ball rocketed upward, flying over ten meters before landing in the Aoba Johsai's spectator stands.

[Aoba Johsai 1 – 2 Shiratorizawa]

"Whoa!!!"

"Incredible!"

The audience erupted. A spike like that, slamming through a 190 cm block, radiated pure power.

Ushijima glanced at Taichi, a silent acknowledgement of his opponent's prior challenge.

"Let's go again!" Taichi shouted eagerly.

With the rotation, Ushijima moved to the back row for his serve.

But the once-feared "Left-Handed Cannon" now only fueled Aoba Johsai's determination!

Iwaizumi Hajime, Oikawa Tōru, and Watari Shinji stood in formation, ready for what they had trained so hard for—a reception lineup specifically tailored to counter Ushijima Wakatoshi.

"Bring it on!"

The court buzzed with intensity as the players prepared to showcase the fruits of their hard work.

Boom!

The merciless serve rocketed toward Watari with a fierce left-handed spin.

Thwack!—

Watari managed to get under it, his body rolling backwards to absorb the force. He knew his limits better than anyone—but on the court, all that mattered was doing his part.

He got it up!

Though the receive wasn't perfect, it was enough for Oikawa to handle. For him, setting was an art where failure was never an option.

—Whoosh!

The ball soared toward Taichi, already mid-air in the front row. Oikawa's precise set left no room for hesitation. Taichi's attack demanded nothing less than perfection.

—BOOM!!—

The ball ricocheted high, colliding off Kawanishi Taichi's block and soaring into the opposite stands.

A spectator caught it, their lips twitching into a wry smile. It was deliberate—Kaedehara Taichi was blatantly challenging Ushijima Wakatoshi!

[Aoba Johsai 2 – 2 Shiratorizawa]

With both teams refusing to relent, the score climbed steadily, neither side gaining a clear advantage.

Aoba Johsai served next, with Hanamaki Takahiro stepping up. His jump serve, while powerful, was a slight reprieve compared to the chaos wrought by Taichi and Kyōtani earlier.

Thwack!

Yamagata easily received the serve, allowing Shirabu to regain control. This time, without needing Ushijima's prompt, Shirabu sent the ball to the left wing, setting it high and slightly off the net.

Ushijima Wakatoshi—the unshakable ace of Shiratorizawa—needed no further invitation. His aura grew even more imposing.

With impeccable timing, Ushijima launched into his approach, executing a flawless back-row spike.

—Boom!!

The ball soared past Iwaizumi's outstretched fingers, landing in Oikawa's hands. The sheer spin sent the ball flying out of bounds.

There was no guarantee a clean receive against Ushijima's spikes.

As he landed, Ushijima's expression remained calm.

[Aoba Johsai 2 – 3 Shiratorizawa]

In a near-mirror sequence, Ōhira Reon's serve was effortlessly handled by Watari. Oikawa sent the ball high once more, and Kaedehara Taichi's leap easily surpassed both Goshiki and Shirabu's block.

—BOOM!!—

Taichi's super spike landed emphatically, answering Ushijima's earlier play.

[Aoba Johsai 3 – 3 Shiratorizawa]

"That was amazing!"

"Such incredible plays!"

While Ushijima's dominance was something the audience had grown accustomed to, seeing a first-year like Taichi match him point-for-point left them in awe.

At that moment, the crowd glimpsed the future of Miyagi Prefecture—where Taichi Kaedehara loomed as the next insurmountable mountain.

"So, the score's still tied?" Taichi murmured with a grin. "I wonder how many points Shiratorizawa will need to adjust to my serves."

Rotating to serve, Taichi approached the baseline at a leisurely pace.

Shiratorizawa was well aware of his infamous 'Quad-Threat' serve, but knowing it didn't mean they could counter it.

Taichi tossed the ball into the air and began his approach.

All eyes were on him, even Ushijima's.

Thwack!

His first serve—a left-handed jump float—targeted Ōhira Reon.

Taichi wasn't one to underestimate his opponents. Of Ōhira, Ushijima, and Yamagata, he picked the safest option.

The ball sailed deceptively, its erratic float trajectory homing in on Ōhira.

Thwack!

Ōhira received it, but—

The ball veered slightly toward Ushijima, its trajectory skewed. Ushijima's eyes glinted as he crouched down, scooping the ball with his right hand. Kawanishi barely managed to send it over the net.

"Chance ball!" Hanamaki shouted.

In that instant, Taichi had already leapt from the back row. A serve disrupting their defence, immediately followed by a lightning-quick attack—this was the pinnacle of his synergy with Oikawa Tōru.

With no blockers in sight—

—BOOM!—

The ball crashed down at Ushijima's feet.

Now that was provocation.

[Aoba Johsai 4 – 3 Shiratorizawa]

The first break of the set belonged to Aoba Johsai!

_________

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