Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

In the last row of the spectators' seats, a peculiar guy sat, completely wrapped up in his own thoughts. Throughout the first set, his gaze rarely left the court.

When he occasionally lifted his head, his face, haggard from lack of sleep, betrayed exhaustion.

Yet, his eyes gleamed with a ravenous intensity.

"Ah, Kageyama! Didn't you say you weren't coming?" A voice called out from behind him.

Tobio Kageyama flinched momentarily but quickly composed himself when he saw Shōyō Hinata. After all, nothing could be scarier than losing a match.

This year's Spring High qualifiers were held on a Saturday, allowing Karasuno's players to attend without missing school.

However, the third years declined, opting to focus on preparing for their futures. The second years also chose to rest at home, planning to watch the live broadcast instead.

In the end, only Hinata, Kei Tsukishima, and Tadashi Yamaguchi decided to attend. Unexpectedly, their group now included someone who initially had no intention of showing up—Tobio Kageyama.

"Ah, so the king couldn't bear to mingle with commoners, huh? Well, I suppose that's understandable." Tsukishima's mocking tone was as sharp as ever. Unnoticed, he and Yamaguchi had approached.

Kageyama scowled, clearly in no mood to argue with Tsukishima.

"I'm more curious about why you're here," Kageyama retorted bluntly, his gaze locking onto Tsukishima.

To Kageyama, Tsukishima didn't seem particularly passionate about volleyball or fond of group activities.

Surprisingly, Tsukishima sat down beside him, a rare moment of candour in his tone. "Simple. I couldn't stop thinking about how I failed to block Ushijima's spike yesterday. It's...frustrating."

"Oh," Kageyama replied stiffly.

Behind them, Hinata and Yamaguchi exchanged wide-eyed looks.

Was this really happening? These two perpetual rivals were having a calm and open conversation!

"We didn't just lose yesterday—we were crushed," Kageyama said, his eyes fixed on the two teams warming up on the court. "Ushijima-senpai is even stronger today than he was yesterday. We couldn't even push him to his limits."

"But Shiratorizawa still lost the first set," Tsukishima pointed out, not to refute Kageyama but to state a fact. "Even with Ushijima leading them, they can't defeat Aoba Johsai alone."

"True. Shiratorizawa's players are all strong, but their primary goal is to support their ace. Today, they're sticking to their usual strategy. Yesterday's match against us was likely an experiment—testing new possibilities." Kageyama spoke with eerie calm, his words carrying the weight of a sleepless night spent analyzing Shiratorizawa's past three years of matches.

"Shiratorizawa's traditional style lost to Aoba Johsai at the Interhigh finals. That's why they're seeking change," Tsukishima noted, his expression serious. "But based on the first set, they've been completely dragged into Aoba Johsai's rhythm."

"Taichi's presence is overwhelming," Kageyama remarked. "Once he sets his sights on someone, they can't help but want to compete with him. Even Ushijima-senpai seems affected..."

For the first time, Karasuno's two sharpest minds sat together, calmly analyzing the match. In just a few exchanges, they had outlined the situation on the court.

Yamaguchi listened intently, trying to keep up with their insights. Hinata, however, looked utterly lost—his expression oscillating between confusion and enlightenment.

When the conversation turned to Taichi Kaedehara, Hinata suddenly perked up. "I'll definitely defeat Taichi someday!"

Both Kageyama and Tsukishima turned to him, their faces blank with disbelief.

"Idiot."

"Moron."

-----

The second set began quickly.

Shiratorizawa's lineup:

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

Back row—Middle Blocker Kawanishi Taichi (Libero: Yamagata Hayato), Wing Spiker Goshiki Tsutomu and Setter Eita Semi.

Aoba Johsai's lineup:

Front row—Middle Blocker Yūtarō Kindaichi, Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi, Setter Oikawa Tōru

Back row—Wing Spiker Kunimi Akira, Outside Hitter Iwaizumi Hajime and Middle Blocker Matsukawa Issei (Libero: Watari Shinji).

Both teams had made adjustments.

Seeing Shiratorizawa's new arrangement, coach Nobuteru Irihata smirked slyly. However, when he noticed assistant coach Sadayuki Mizoguchi hadn't asked for an explanation, Irihata was dissatisfied.

"Sadayuki, do you understand the meaning behind these substitutions?" he asked.

Mizoguchi nodded. "Shirabu performed well in the last set. The only noticeable mistake was his missed serve. But coach Washijō likely isn't replacing him because of that. He wants Semi to activate the other players, reduce the pressure on Ushijima's offence, and prepare him for the later stages of the match."

Irihata looked at him in astonishment. This kid...he's really grown.

Enjoying the praise, Mizoguchi continued, "On our side, we've subbed in Kunimi and Matsukawa to enhance our blocking and receiving, ensuring Shiratorizawa's adjustments don't take effect."

"Good, good." Irihata praised him enthusiastically, though he suddenly realized something was amiss. Wait a second...shouldn't he be complimenting my brilliant strategy? Why am I praising him?!

The match resumed with Shiratorizawa's serve.

Semi's skilled jump float serve immediately disrupted Aoba Johsai's formation.

Kunimi barely managed an underhand receive, and Oikawa couldn't get into position to set. Iwaizumi salvaged the play, sending the ball over without an attack.

"Chance ball!"

Yamagata easily passed it up. Semi jumped and set the ball.

The first play of the set went to Ushijima in the middle.

"Triple block!" Kindaichi, Kaedehara, and Oikawa leapt together. The pressure of the block was palpable, even to the spectators.

Smack!

The ball lightly grazed Kaedehara's fingers, bouncing back into Shiratorizawa's court.

A rebound?!

Even Ushijima's opening attack carried an entirely different feel from the first set.

"Chance ball!"

Yamagata's pinpoint reception sent the ball to the left. Tendō leapt behind it, spiking aggressively.

"Not happening!"

Kindaichi, who had landed, quickly moved left and jumped diagonally, extending his hands to block Tendō.

—Whoosh!

Tendō feinted, tipping the ball toward the far right. Ushijima was already in motion, leaping again.

"Tch!"

Taichi jumped as well, meeting Ushijima head-on.

—Boom!—

The ball bypassed the block and landed sharply in Aoba Johsai's court.

Ushijima scored with a cross-court spike.

[Aoba Johsai 0 - 1 Shiratorizawa]

"Damn it, can they really switch styles that easily?!" Oikawa grumbled.

Even the spectators were astonished to see Shiratorizawa executing such intricate plays.

"The setter is always the one who transforms a team's style," remarked a commentator as Semi stepped up for his next serve.

Bang!

Semi's second serve rocketed over.

"I got it!"

Iwaizumi crouched low, receiving the ball cleanly. It arced toward Oikawa, who quickly set it to the right wing.

Kaedehara Taichi soared for the spike but was met by a formidable triple block—Tendō, Ushijima, and Ōhira formed an impenetrable wall.

With every obvious angle sealed, brute force was unlikely to succeed. Taichi's mind raced as he spotted Ushijima's calm expression.

"I've got it!"

Taichi targeted the upper part of Ōhira Reon's palm and spiked the ball.

Smack!

The volleyball bounced back into Aoba Johsai's court.

"Chance ball!" Watari Shinji set the ball to Oikawa Tōru.

Landing swiftly, Kaedehara Taichi sprinted to the far left. Shiratorizawa's defence needed to adjust their block, but with his speed, Taichi was confident in breaking through!

"That move again!" Tendō Satori recovered and chased after Kaedehara Taichi.

Taichi had already jumped at the far-left wing. Tendō, in a hurry, leapt up as well, but he couldn't reach Taichi's height.

At that moment, Oikawa's set arrived at Taichi's hand with pinpoint precision.

Boom!

Kaedehara Taichi's spike scored.

[Aoba Johsai 1 – 1 Shiratorizawa]

"How unfortunate. I can pull off that move too~" Taichi remarked casually, his light tone making Tendō grind his teeth in frustration.

Ushijima Wakatoshi observed him silently, already regarding Kaedehara Taichi as a rival of equal calibre.

With the serve now rotating, Oikawa Tōru stepped up to the service line.

During the break, he'd endured being lectured by Iwaizumi and teased by Hanamaki and Matsukawa, but the constant showboating from Taichi right before his eyes was unbearable.

"It's all Shiratorizawa's fault!!!"

Focused, Oikawa inhaled deeply, tossed the ball, and leapt into the air. His body arched like a bow, and his arm swung down in a perfect arc.

Bang!

The ball was so forceful that Goshiki Tsutomu nearly lost his footing. The volleyball slammed down near his heel, and in the split second it landed, Goshiki saw the ball deform upon impact with the ground.

The vivid clarity of the moment made him feel like time had frozen.

Oikawa Tōru had served an ace.@@novelbin@@

[Aoba Johsai 2 – 1 Shiratorizawa]

"Don't overthink it! It's just a normal play!" Semi Eita quickly reassured the shaken Goshiki.

"N-normal…?" Goshiki swallowed nervously. If that was normal, then this match was going to be impossible.

Oikawa glanced at Taichi with a smug expression. How about it? See how amazing your senior is now?

"Wow, Oikawa-senpai is incredible. Such a powerful senpai can easily score ten points in a row, right?" Taichi said emotionlessly, his tone completely flat.

Oikawa: "..."

He missed the old Taichi—the rookie who followed him around, endlessly praising him (memories that didn't actually exist).

Oikawa served again.

Boom!

The ball zipped forward at an incredible speed but was slightly higher than ideal. While Goshiki hesitated for a moment, the ball landed.

It was a no-touch ace!

Oikawa Tōru scored two consecutive points with impeccable serves.

[Aoba Johsai 3 – 1 Shiratorizawa]

On the sideline, Washijō Tanji ground his teeth.

His philosophy hadn't been wrong. High school volleyball wasn't professional volleyball; it was unrealistic to train players to excel in every aspect of the game.

With teams almost completely refreshed every year, the development window was narrow.

The most efficient approach was selecting athletes with standout physical traits—height and power—and honing them into specialists. Shaping raw talent into a polished gem was the hallmark of a strong team.

But this approach was sometimes disrupted by the appearance of so-called geniuses.

Shiratorizawa had Ushijima Wakatoshi, a bona fide star, but Aoba Johsai had produced two prodigies in the same year.

Oikawa remained on the service line, locking eyes with Ushijima. Even during the IH preliminaries final, he hadn't felt as equal to Ushijima as he did now.

Years of defeat had planted a lingering doubt in Oikawa's mind—that he was always just a little lacking. The weight of this mental burden had always tipped the scales against him in matches with Ushijima.

But now, having defeated Ushijima once, Oikawa felt as if he stood before him for the very first time.

This time, I'll crush you!

Bang!

Oikawa's third serve screamed across the court.

"I got it!"

Semi Eita stepped forward, intercepting the ball just in front of Goshiki. The force nearly toppled him, causing him to kneel briefly.

"Goshiki!" Semi shouted.

The ball deflected upward, heading toward Shiratorizawa's baseline.

Snapping out of his daze, Goshiki sprinted backwards. From the very first set, he had realized that every point against Aoba Johsai was crucial!

Smack!

Goshiki managed to swipe the ball back over the net with one hand. Ōhira Reon tipped it toward Aoba Johsai's backcourt.

"Chance ball!" Iwaizumi Hajime received it cleanly.

Oikawa set the ball to Kaedehara Taichi on the left wing.

"Three blockers!" Shiratorizawa's front row leapt in unison, their outstretched arms creating a formidable wall.

Boom!

Taichi barely managed to angle a sharp diagonal shot through the gap between the blockers and the net.

But, a figure was already waiting at the three-meter line.

Smack!

Semi received the ball, and Goshiki leapt from the back row.

Thud!

Kunimi Akira had already pulled Kindaichi Yūtarō to the left during Goshiki's approach, positioning both blockers in front of Goshiki.

Smack!

The ball was blocked and sent back into Shiratorizawa's court.

Tendō dove from the right, slamming his palms against the floor to keep the ball in play.

"Again!"

Semi followed up, setting the ball to the right wing.

Ushijima jumped, and Kaedehara Taichi faced him head-on.

Ushijima swung his left arm with full force—

And missed?!

The ball soared past Ushijima.

Bang!

On the far-right side, Ōhira Reon spiked the ball down.

[Aoba Johsai 3 – 2 Shiratorizawa]

Kaedehara Taichi's gaze alternated between Semi Eita and Ushijima Wakatoshi. These two definitely weren't pulling off something like that for the first time!

Semi smiled at Taichi. "You're underestimating Wakatoshi, aren't you? We've been teammates since our first year. Just because we don't use something often doesn't mean we can't."

Taichi smiled back. "Not at all. Ushijima-senpai has always been my strongest rival. This level of play is exactly what I expect from him."

-----

The second set was a brutal tug-of-war.

Shiratorizawa aimed to free Ushijima by relying on other players for offence, reserving him for decisive moments. In contrast, Aoba Johsai tightened their defence, sending a clear message: You won't get away with that!

Every point became a gruelling battle. Shiratorizawa struggled to find a second reliable offensive option outside Ushijima, while Aoba Johsai, missing Kyōtani Kentarō, placed the offensive burden squarely on Taichi.

Jump after jump, spike after spike, receive and counterattack—every point seemed to take triple the time of the first set.

Spectators hadn't expected such an exhausting game following the first set's explosive plays.

During each timeout, both teams were drenched in sweat and gasping for air.

Shiratorizawa's players proved more versatile than Coach Irihata had anticipated, steering the game toward Coach Washijō's ideal scenario.

The two teams' styles seemed to have flipped: Aoba Johsai relied on Taichi's individual offence, while Shiratorizawa embraced team volleyball.

Aoba Johsai reached 20 points first, leading [20 – 18], but the toll on Taichi was evident.

He had attacked nearly 30 times, scoring 15 points. Ushijima, on the other hand, had taken only 10 attempts, scoring 6 points.

"Substitution!" Shiratorizawa called for a player change—Shirabu Kenjirō stepped in, replacing Semi Eita.

The match was entering the critical phase Coach Washijō had envisioned...

_________

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