Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

"Itachiyama's middle blocker, No. 14 Mizushima Yū, steps up for a powerful jump serve. This one is fairly standard, finally giving Inubushi Higashi a much-needed breather."

"Inubushi Higashi's libero, No. 14 Moriyama Makoto, receives it cleanly! Though just a first-year, Moriyama has been outstanding in this Spring High tournament. His quick reflexes have saved numerous plays."

Commentator Ōtomo couldn't help but sigh. Every time he saw a rising star like this, he was reminded of how fast time passed…

"That's true. And getting the chance to face the best high school libero in the country, Komori Motoya, will surely be a valuable learning experience for him!"

"No. 1 Mukai Taiyō sets the ball securely to the left wing—No. 4 Sanada Shunpei spikes!"

"Received!"

"Itachiyama's ace, Sakusa Kiyoomi, handles the pass effortlessly. Is there anything this man can't do?!"

"The captain, No. 1 Iizuna Tsukasa, jumps to set—right wing quick attack from No. 7 Sakano Sawaji!"

"Blocked!"

"No. 8 Narita Heiji gets a touch, sending the ball toward Inubushi Higashi's back row!"

"Moriyama receives it perfectly, but Itachiyama instantly sets up a double block!"

"One-man delayed attack!"

Sanada Shunpei hammers the ball down for a point!

[Itachiyama 23 – 22 Inubushi Higashi]

"Inubushi Higashi's control over the game rhythm is impeccable! Mukai Taiyō and Sanada Shunpei's coordination completely fooled Itachiyama's blockers. And to top it off, Sanada's spike landed with a sharp angle right inside the three-meter line!"

"Aoi-sensei, did you have any prior impression of Inubushi Higashi's captain, Mukai Taiyō?"

"I'd guess most of the audience hadn't heard of him before, but after this match, I think quite a few people will remember his name. His sets aren't flashy, but they're precise. And what makes him even better is his ability to control the tempo of the game."

"Being able to turn a slow pass into a weapon—Inubushi Higashi is proving themselves to be a team full of surprises!"

"I imagine Mukai has put in a tremendous amount of effort to reach this level. Turning the ordinary into something extraordinary—that's exactly what Inubushi Higashi is doing…"

Sakano Sawaji glanced at the banners hanging in the arena.

One belonged to Inubushi Higashi.

One belonged to his own team, Itachiyama.

[Beyond Expectations] and [Effort]

…Did Inubushi Higashi really have to take everything for themselves?

The serve rotated to Inubushi Higashi's side.

Narita Heiji stepped up for a powerful jump serve, but Komori Motoya received it effortlessly.

Iizuna set the ball to the middle.

Sakusa Kiyoomi leapt from the back row.

"Triple block!"

Akiha Kazuma, Sanada Shunpei, and Uchihigashi Toru lined up in front of him.

Sakusa frowned. His right arm whipped forward, the motion as fluid and lethal as the crack of a whip.

Bang!—

The ball skimmed past Akiha's outstretched arm, rocketing toward Inubushi Higashi's deep corner.

"I got it!"

Mukai Taiyō was already moving. He had locked onto the ball, his eyes filled with unwavering focus.

This could very well decide the first set.

If he missed—Itachiyama would reach 24 first, with two set points in hand.

If he received it cleanly—they could counterattack and tie the score, keeping the serve in their control.

Smack!

At this moment, Mukai Taiyō wasn't aiming for anything flashy.

He just needed stability.

With a crisp, solid touch, Mukai cleanly absorbed the ball's heavy spin.

At the crucial end of the first set, he had finally deciphered the direction and force of Sakusa's attacks—passing it smoothly to his teammates.

"Nice receive!!!"

Kumadō Sōichi's voice rang out.

Now, there was only one thing left to do—

Get the ball to Sanada Shunpei.

Whoosh—!

Kumadō repositioned himself and sent the ball to the centre. This was, without a doubt, his best set of the match.

Sanada took his approach and leapt.

As the team's ace, no one understood the importance of this play more than he did.

"Triple block!"

Itachiyama was fully committed to stopping this ball!

Boom!—

The ball struck down toward Itachiyama's right side, landing along the waistline—

The majority of it was out, but a sliver of the ball clipped the line, bouncing back into play.

"Damn it, he really went for that shot!" Sakano Sawaji muttered in frustration.

Sanada Shunpei had scored.

[Itachiyama 23 – 23 Inubushi Higashi]

"Huff—!"

Sanada Shunpei let out a deep breath.

That last point had been pure luck—nothing more than a fortunate guess! It seemed the goddess of fate was smiling on Inubushi Higashi today.

The two teams were now tied!

"Inubushi Higashi is actually this strong? I didn't expect that..."

"It's more like that ace, Sanada Shunpei, is impressive. And he's only a second-year!"

"They even managed to receive Sakusa's spike. Looks like they've found a way to handle Itachiyama."

As Inubushi Higashi closed the gap, more and more spectators found themselves rooting for them.

"It's just a tie, no need to get so worked up," Sakusa Kiyoomi muttered, glancing towards the section where Aoba Johsai's team was seated. "Back at the Youth National Training Camp, I mentioned wanting to meet Taichi in Spring High, but I didn't think it'd be in the final."

A faint smirk crossed his face.

"Interesting."

Narita Heiji sent out his second serve.

"Motoya!"

Sakusa Kiyoomi took off into his approach, leaping from the back row.

"Got it!" Komori Motoya's reception sent the ball perfectly into Sakusa's striking zone.

A back-row attack?! But they couldn't ignore the possibility of a set—

"Double block!"

Akiha Kazuma and Sanada Shunpei jumped up in unison to block.

—Bang!

He actually spiked it!

Sakusa Kiyoomi swung his arm, driving the ball downward.

Akiha and Sanada sealed off the right side, forcing him to aim at Mukai Taiyō once again.

Recalling the previous reception, Mukai Taiyō stepped forward confidently, ready to receive—

Smack!

The ball struck his forearms and deflected wildly out of bounds.

[Itachiyama 24 - 23 Inubushi Higashi]

Mukai Taiyō: "???"

The spin had changed? There was no other explanation for such an unpredictable deflection.

Seeing Mukai's confused expression, Sakusa Kiyoomi finally understood why Kaedehara Taichi always took pleasure in hiding his true skills.

"I never said I only used one type of spin," he remarked, a strange smile creeping onto his face.

Komori Motoya turned to him in shock. While he found it amusing, a more pressing thought surfaced in his mind—

"Oh no…Sakusa's picking up bad habits."

The serve rotated once more, and Itachiyama took possession.

Nishimura Hiroyuki sent out a jump float serve with minimal movement deviation.

Despite that, Kumadō Sōichi still stepped up for the reception, allowing Mukai Taiyō to set up the right wing, creating more attacking space for their ace!

Sanada Shunpei took his approach and soared from the right side, only for Itachiyama to swiftly assemble a triple block!

They had completely shut down the straight angle...

Were they deliberately forcing him to hit crosscourt?

To defend against a sharp crosscourt shot, Nishimura Hiroyuki positioned himself near the left sideline, while Sakusa Kiyoomi covered the center-back. The vast left-back area was left to Komori Motoya alone.

"You think I can't handle this?"

Sanada Shunpei unleashed his spike, targeting the deep right corner behind Komori.

Bang!

"I knew it!"

Komori Motoya spun mid-dive, executing a textbook pancake save that sent the ball high into the air.

Iizuna Tsukasa quickly stepped in, setting a high toss toward the middle. Sakusa Kiyoomi took off from the back row.

"This is it."

—Bang!

The ball ricocheted off Akiha Kazuma's outstretched hands, bouncing out of bounds.

A wipe-off!

Sakusa Kiyoomi scored.

[Itachiyama 25 - 23 Inubushi Higashi]

With effortless ease, just when Inubushi Higashi thought they had a chance, Itachiyama shut them down in an instant.

Sakusa Kiyoomi stood calmly in the centre of the court.

"Tweet—!"

First set, over.

Winner: Itachiyama.

_________

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