Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

Sakusa Kiyoomi's pupils contracted sharply, his already irritated expression darkening further.

That serve—

There's no way Kaedehara Taichi's serve is on the same level as Ushijima Wakatoshi's.

It was just a left-handed power jump serve.

So why was that first-year acting so damn cocky?

Sakusa hated this kind of baseless confidence.

He shot a glance at Kageyama Tobio and let out a quiet sigh—

Miyagi, aside from Ushijima, is just full of weirdos.

Kaedehara Taichi had no idea what was going through Sakusa's mind.

To him, the guy's eyebrows were always knitted together in frustration—he'd never seen them relax even once.

If he couldn't stop Sakusa's spikes—

Then at the very least, he had to match that aggression in offense!

Kaedehara Taichi tossed up the second serve.

Same power.

Same angle.

From the moment he first laid eyes on Sakusa Kiyoomi at this training camp—

Kaedehara Taichi had wanted a direct, one-on-one showdown.

To defeat him.

To unleash everything in his arsenal and prove to the nation—

That Aoba Johsai's ace was a force to be reckoned with.

Boom!

The volleyball shot toward Sakusa once more.

But this time—

Sakusa was ready.

His sharp eyes held no panic—only focus.

To an outsider, his reaction seemed almost slow—

But in reality, he had already finished analyzing and preparing for the ball.

His posture appeared relaxed, yet every muscle fiber in his body was coiled like a spring, waiting for the perfect moment to snap into action.

And the instant the ball arrived—

His arms formed a flawless platform, meeting the serve head-on with precise control.

Smack!

A heavy impact.

There was a slight discomfort from the sheer force of the serve—

But more than that, what caught him off guard was the reverse spin on the ball.

The reception didn't hold.

The ball flew out of bounds.

[Team A 8 – 5 Team B]

Sakusa's gaze followed the ball for a second before snapping back to Kaedehara Taichi, locking eyes through the net.

…He had to admit.

That serve was legit.

But—

That would be the last time Kaedehara scored off him.

"Again!"

Sakusa's brows remained furrowed—

But his voice carried a trace of excitement.

Komori Motoya glanced at him, surprised.

It wasn't often that Sakusa took the initiative to provoke an opponent.

"Man, this is awesome," Komori's eyes gleamed.

He really wanted to receive one of those serves himself.

Across the court—

Kaedehara Taichi's lips curled into a small smirk.

"Hooked, huh?"

"You want to receive it? Well, too bad—"

Kaedehara tossed the ball high.

Steady approach.

Explosive jump.

Devastating swing.

BOOM!!

The ball rocketed toward the opposite side like a meteor—

But this time, it didn't go to Sakusa.

It flew straight toward—

Komori.

"Huh?!!"

Komori's thick eyebrows jumped in alarm.

Why was it suddenly aimed at him?!

And more importantly—

It was even faster?!

Komori wasn't unprepared—

But he hadn't expected the serve to jump in speed again!

Still—

As a libero, these situations were his bread and butter.

His arms snapped together—

And the ball slammed into him in the next instant.

Smack!

His platform sank from the sheer force.

"This guy is really a first-year?!"

And—

It wasn't a left-spin serve this time.

The ball flew off at a sharp angle.

"Save it!" Komori shouted.

The ball was still in play—

They couldn't let Team A rack up another point.

Sakusa sprinted forward.

With a precise dive, he extended his arms—

And the volleyball popped up perfectly, floating above the net.

It was hard to believe—

That someone nearly 190 cm tall could pull off such a fluid, controlled dive.

On the other side of the court—

Aichi's first-year middle blocker, Nakamoto Shigeru, moved into position.

At 193 cm, he wasn't the most powerful spiker—

But he was one of the fastest.

In just two steps, he accelerated into a perfect approach, launching himself into the air.

"Everyone here is insane!"

To think they could turn this into a quick attack—

And to think he was part of this level of play—

Nakamoto felt a rush of excitement.

With his height, he barely needed to jump—

A simple reach was enough to hammer the ball down.

Boom!

Smack!@@novelbin@@

To Nakamoto Shigeru's utter shock, a pair of hands suddenly appeared in front of him—

And in the next instant, the volleyball slammed into Hoshiumi Kōrai's arms before dropping at Nakamoto's feet.

Tap. Tap. Tap…

A 1.90m tall middle blocker—

Shut down by a 1.70m blocker.

Nakamoto stared at Hoshiumi in disbelief.

Across the net—

Hoshiumi grinned, radiating absolute confidence.

"That's the face! Stay shocked, you 190cm rookie!"

[Team A 9 – 5 Team B]

-----

"Haha…" Coach Hibarida couldn't hold back a laugh. "Even though Team B has the clear height advantage, Team A is actually winning the aerial battle."

"That Kaedehara Taichi too," sighed Coach Kobayashi. "Individually, his serve power isn't as overwhelming as Miya Atsumu's or Sakusa Kiyoomi's, but the way he utilizes it is far more dangerous."

"Perhaps more than technique," he added, "what's truly terrifying is his volleyball IQ."

"Is that so?" murmured Coach Hiiragi.

"But he's just a first-year…Maybe—"

"Maybe we've let a real monster into this training camp…"

-----

So…

His right-handed serves are actually more refined?

It wasn't just Sakusa Kiyoomi anymore—

Even Komori Motoya had his full attention locked onto Kaedehara Taichi.

Despite the sheer power of his serves—

Was he actually more of a brain-type player?

Sakusa glanced at Miya Atsumu—

So setters weren't the only ones with a heart of steel, huh…?

"Sakusa-senpai, ready?"

Kaedehara Taichi pointed directly at him once more.

One thing was undeniable—

When it came to taunting his opponents, Taichi was top-tier.

[Ding! Sakusa Kiyoomi has entered Burst Mode]

[Sakusa Kiyoomi (Burst Mode)—Outside Hitter: Overall Ability Rating: 93.5

Height: 189 cm | Power: 90 | Jump: 92 | Stamina: 92 | Speed: 95

Technique: Serve: 100 | Receive: 100 | Set:

Four 100s?!

Sakusa Kiyoomi truly stood at the peak of high school volleyball technique.

Kaedehara Taichi's eyes lit up.

So this is one of the Big Three Aces, huh?

And he can enter burst mode this easily?

"Then…"

Taichi tossed the ball into the air.

Three-step approach.

Powerful leap.

Left arm whipped forward—

A brief pause before contact—

Then—

BOOM!

A left-handed jump float serve!

Target: Mochida Riei!

So fast!

The ball wobbled unpredictably—

How do I even receive that?!

Mochida's eyes went wide, but his mind went blank.

His body froze in place.

"Move—!"

"Get out of the way!"

The moment the ball left Kaedehara Taichi's hand—

Sakusa Kiyoomi had already reacted.

He shoved Mochida aside, stepping in to take the receive himself.

"Motoya! Left side!"

The instant his arms met the ball, Sakusa read the float serve's erratic trajectory.

Smack!

The ball popped up at an angle—

Smack!

Komori rushed in, setting the ball higher.

Their coordination was flawless!

"Another bump set!"

Kageyama Tobio had never been this focused before.

At Karasuno, he had been able to do everything on his own.

But here—

There were so many fine details to learn.

This is so fun!

With a genuine, radiant smile, Kageyama leapt—

And—

BOOM!

His spike cut past the blockers, slamming into Team A's baseline.

Kageyama Tobio scores!

[Team A 9 – 6 Team B]

_________

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