Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

"Tweet!—"

"Itachiyama calls for a timeout."

"I never expected Aoba Johsai to pull out such a trump card in the second set. They've just completed the final piece of their offensive puzzle in the nationals final," Coach Yamazaki remarked with admiration.

"However, there's no need for us to panic."

"Itachiyama has faced situations like this before. All we need to do is continue scoring points our way."

"You've already handled Oikawa Tōru and Kaedehara Taichi's serves well in this set. I believe that even with Kyōtani Kentarō added to the mix, they won't be able to stop us."

"In terms of roster strength, Itachiyama is second to none."

"Now, go break the deadlock and secure this set!"

"Yes!!!"

-----

The timeout ended, and the match resumed.

"Kyōtani, one more!"

"That was a great serve, Mad Dog-senpai!"

"Go, Mad Dog-chan!"

Kyōtani Kentarō tossed the ball into the air.

BOOM!!!

The sheer force of his movement seemed to shake the air itself, and the volleyball shot forward like an arrow leaving the bow.

Too straight!

"I got it!" Komori Motoya quickly stepped into position, bracing himself.

Smack!

Komori absorbed the impact, flipping backwards from the sheer force, but the ball soared cleanly toward the setter.

Iizuna Tsukasa leapt up—If they lost this set, Itachiyama would have nowhere left to retreat.

Bang!

And in this crucial moment, Iizuna made a bold choice—a second-touch attack!

Smack!

Iwaizumi Hajime, caught off guard, reached out with one hand. The ball deflected off his palm, flying out of bounds.

Wataru Shinji lunged to save it, and Kyōtani Kentarō followed up with a powerful back-row spike.

"Chance ball!" Takashita Yūshin steadied his stance and received the ball cleanly.

Sometimes, the safest option requires the riskiest setup!

Iizuna Tsukasa set the ball to the far left. Sakusa Kiyoomi soared into the air.

"Triple block!!!"

Oikawa Tōru, Kindaichi Yūtarō, and Kaedehara Taichi formed Aoba Johsai's strongest blocking lineup.

Sakusa Kiyoomi locked onto Kaedehara's hands. His right arm whipped forward with explosive force.

"I see it!"

In midair, Kaedehara swiftly pulled his hands back.

Boom!—

At the very last moment, Sakusa cupped the back half of the volleyball with his palm, snapping his wrist down sharply.

The ball landed on the baseline behind Aoba Johsai.

Line shot!

Sakusa Kiyoomi scored!

[Aoba Johsai 25 – 25 Itachiyama]

Did he anticipate that? Or did he adjust on the spot? Kaedehara Taichi's gaze flickered with uncertainty. Either way, Sakusa Kiyoomi was terrifying.

-----

Serve rotation—Itachiyama's turn.

Sakano Sawaji sent a float serve across the net. Iwaizumi received it, and Oikawa stepped in to set from the right side. Kaedehara Taichi took off for the spike.

"Triple block!"

Mizushima Yū, Sakusa Kiyoomi, and Iizuna Tsukasa leapt together—Itachiyama's strongest blocking lineup.

In midair, Sakusa saw the tension in Taichi's muscles. His right arm swung in a tight arc from below.

Even before Taichi's palm connected with the ball, Sakusa already felt the impending explosion of power—he could almost hear the rush of air, the imminent boom upon impact.

His arms tensed with a faint ache. As someone who took meticulous care of his body, Sakusa knew this was a warning.

But—

The whole reason I take care of my body...is so I can win!

Without hesitation, Sakusa timed his block perfectly, pressing down hard as Kaedehara spiked.

BOOM!!!

Smack!

"One touch!" Sakusa shouted to his teammates.

The ball rebounded off his arms, its trajectory forcibly altered.

"I got it!" Sakano Sawaji rushed into position.

Komori Motoya wasn't on the court, but there was no way they could afford to lose this point after such a solid block!

Smack!

Whoosh!—

Iizuna Tsukasa set the ball steadily to the middle. Sakusa Kiyoomi took a single bounding step and launched himself into the air!

"Triple block!"

Aoba Johsai's wall rose again. This time, Kaedehara Taichi locked onto Sakusa.

Boom!—

Sakusa spiked directly into Kindaichi Yūtarō's hands.

Smack!

The ball ricocheted toward Aoba Johsai's backline, and Wataru Shinji and Iwaizumi sprinted after it.

Smack!

Smack!

They barely managed to keep the ball in play.

Kyōtani Kentarō counterattacked from the back row, slamming the ball toward Itachiyama.

Thud!

A shadow appeared at the net—Sakusa Kiyoomi was already in the air!

Boom!—

—Smack!

But he wasn't alone.

"Been waiting for this!"

Kaedehara Taichi's hands blocked the spike, sending the ball crashing back onto Itachiyama's side!

Aoba Johsai scores off a block!

[Aoba Johsai 26 – 25 Itachiyama]

"What—?! Sakusa Kiyoomi's sudden tip-over was stuffed by Kaedehara Taichi!!!"

(A tip-over: When the ball has already crossed into the opponent's court, a player can directly hit it back over the net instead of setting it up for a teammate.)

"Even if you keep playing unpredictably, people will start predicting you sooner or later, Sakusa-senpai."

Aoba Johsai reclaimed serve.

"Let's end this set right here!" Oikawa Tōru confidently stepped up to the service line.

Itachiyama adjusted into a four-man receive formation.

Oikawa tossed the ball up.

BOOM!!

Smack!

Komori Motoya nailed the pass.

"Perfect pass!!!" Iizuna Tsukasa praised loudly.

"We don't do two-set deficits," Komori shot back at Oikawa with a smirk.

Iizuna jumped in the front row and set the ball high. Sakusa Kiyoomi took off from the leftmost position.

Aoba Johsai's blockers were momentarily shaken apart.

Boom!

Sakusa Kiyoomi scored!

[Aoba Johsai 26 – 26 Itachiyama]

"Ugh, this never ends!" Oikawa scowled.

"They received it…"

"And they got a perfect pass too…"

Kaedehara Taichi coldly muttered, still feeling the sting of Sakusa's previous spike.

But more concerningly—Komori Motoya seemed to be figuring out Oikawa's serve pattern.

That was not good news for Aoba Johsai.

-----

Itachiyama rotated to serve.

Iizuna Tsukasa targeted Kyōtani Kentarō with a float serve.

"I got it!" Wataru Shinji barely managed an awkward receive.

Oikawa adjusted and set the ball high. Kaedehara Taichi jumped in the middle.

"Triple block!"

BOOM!—

High power spike!

The ball rocketed past Nishimura Hiroyuki's outstretched hands, slamming toward Itachiyama's back row.

Smack!

Again—Komori Motoya!!!

"Keep it alive!"

The ball flew toward the left sideline. Takashita Yūshin scrambled to save it.

"One last attack!"

"Can he really hit this?!"

Sakusa Kiyoomi bolted toward the back row, leaping into a backward strike.

—I've been watching that weak spot for ages now.

Boom!

The ball arced high in the air, landing exactly between Kyōtani Kentarō and Wataru Shinji.

No touch.

Sakusa Kiyoomi scores.

[Aoba Johsai 26 – 27 Itachiyama]

"Even after getting blocked by Taichi head-on, this guy's momentum hasn't diminished in the slightest…"

Iizuna Tsukasa tossed his second serve, sticking to the same strategy.

Bang!

Smack!—

Kaedehara Taichi immediately took a step back and leaped, setting the ball toward the setter's position with an overhand pass.

Oikawa Tōru jumped and sent the ball soaring toward the middle. Taichi sprinted, took his approach, and launched himself into the air.

"Triple block!"

BANG!!!

A devastating spike tore through the blockade, rewriting the score once more.

[Aoba Johsai 27 – 27 Itachiyama]

Sakusa Kiyoomi staggered and fell to the floor after the impact.

He admitted it—Kaedehara Taichi truly had the potential to overpower Ushijima Wakatoshi in a head-to-head battle.

But—

Even if it were Ushijima Wakatoshi standing in front of him, Sakusa had no intention of losing.

The serve rotated. Aoba Johsai to serve.

Kindaichi Yūtarō unleashed a powerful jump serve.

Komori Motoya effortlessly received it. Iizuna Tsukasa jumped from the back row.

"He's thinking of a back-row attack?!!"

Matsukawa Issei leaped to block. But Iizuna didn't strike immediately—he waited. By the time Matsukawa landed, the ball had already dropped below the net's height.

Only then did Iizuna crouch and set the ball upward. Sakusa took off.

"Damn it!" Matsukawa went up again.

Boom!

Sakusa spiked straight over his fingertips.

A well-timed over-the-block attack!

Itachiyama reclaimed the serve.

[Aoba Johsai 27 – 28 Itachiyama]

Sakusa stepped onto the service line.

If he could score directly with his serve right now, that would be ideal. But rather than that fleeting thought, he preferred to win through his own attacks.

Bang!

A slow-floating jump serve drifted toward the back corner—straight at Kyōtani Kentarō.

It didn't seem fast, but in the blink of an eye, it was already in front of him.

"Damn it!" Kyōtani could tell he was being targeted. He had the strength, but no way to fully unleash it!

Smack! Kyōtani barely managed to dig the ball up.

"Save it!"

Oikawa dashed outside the court, crossing diagonally over Aoba Johsai's half to set the ball toward the left wing.

"Shit, too low!"

Taichi jumped. Itachiyama's front-line blockers stuck to him like glue.

From the back row, Sakusa locked onto Taichi—letting him score didn't matter. As long as his own scoring streak didn't stop, that was all that mattered.

Sakusa even wanted this set to last longer—he was curious to see how long a player like Taichi could keep attacking with such intensity!

Bang!—

The ball struck Takeshita Hironobu's arm and deflected sharply downward.

Smack!

Komori dove, saving it just before it hit the ground.

"As Japan's top high school libero, I won't let you score that easily!!!"

Iizuna immediately followed up, setting the ball back into play. Sakusa launched a back-row attack!

"Triple block!"

Taichi, Iwaizumi Hajime, and Matsukawa formed an impenetrable wall, engulfing Sakusa's figure.

"Aoba Johsai's blocking has been excellent," Hirugami Sachirō remarked from the stands. "But that also exposes their biggest weakness—receiving. Especially in rotations where they lack a defensive core…"

Bang!

Sakusa tipped the ball lightly over the block, dropping it just behind the three-man wall.

Kyōtani dove forward—too late.

Tap, tap, tap…

The ball landed cleanly on Aoba Johsai's court.

Sakusa scored.

[Aoba Johsai 27 – 29 Itachiyama]

"Tweet—!"

A long whistle blew.

Set 2: Itachiyama wins.

With this, Itachiyama evened the match at 1-1.

The Spring High Finals would continue in full suspense.

-----

"So, becoming the best in Japan isn't easy after all…"

Far across the ocean, not even Kaedehara Taichi could have imagined that, at this very moment, the Hawaiian Beach Warriors Volleyball Club had gathered around a screen, intently watching the live broadcast of the Spring High Finals.

It was afternoon in Hawaii. The golden sun bathed the beach in light. The adults, led by Coach Kuno, were already slightly tipsy, while Nakamori Daiki sat nearby, sipping his barley tea intently.

It was Kuno who had sighed at Aoba Johsai's gruelling second-set battle before ultimately losing.

For indoor volleyball, any team aiming to stand at the pinnacle of the nation needed excellence across the board.

A true championship team had no glaring weaknesses in serving, receiving, setting, spiking, or blocking. At the very least, they had to dominate in one or two areas.

Flawless technique, a diverse tactical system, unwavering mental fortitude—only those who excelled in every aspect could chase the dream of national supremacy.

Aoba Johsai's overall reception wasn't weak, and with their gradually solidifying blocking, they could hold their own against most teams.

But the moment an opponent's ace broke past conventional limits, rendering the block ineffective, Aoba Johsai's greatest weakness emerged—the lack of a defensive anchor.

A libero who could shoulder the team's reception.

Iwaizumi Hajime's shift to a more defensive role was an attempt to compensate, but the problem resurfaced whenever he rotated to the front row.

Itachiyama had capitalized on this rotation to claim the second set.

Meanwhile, Itachiyama's libero was steadily adapting to Aoba Johsai's offensive rhythm.

"Daiki, if Taichi loses, are you still going to his school?"

"No." Nakamori Daiki answered without hesitation.

"For real? Didn't you get into indoor volleyball because of Taichi?" Coach Kuno was sceptical.

"Of course it's real. It's a man's promise." Daiki declared. "If Taichi loses, I'll go to Nekoma or Inarizaki instead."

"Huh? Why?" Kuno asked, puzzled.

"Both of those teams got wrecked by Taichi, right? I'll be their saviour and lead them to revenge next year!" Daiki said excitedly. "Besides, their setters are interesting."

"Hahaha…" Kuno laughed loudly. This kid sure was an interesting one.

"By the way, if you do join Taichi's school, what position will you play?"

"Libero!" Daiki answered without hesitation again.

Kuno's eyes widened in surprise. Libero?

Was it because of his height? Daiki was only 165 cm now—he'd grow taller, but the range was predictable.

But Kuno didn't believe for a second that height alone dictated Daiki's choice. After all, even when he saw Hoshiumi Kōrai's performance against Aoba Johsai, Daiki confidently declared, "I'll do that too."

"Is it because of Taichi?" Kuno asked.

"A little." Daiki admitted without hesitation. "If we were both attackers and I couldn't outscore or out-block him, that'd be too embarrassing."

"???" Kuno stared at him blankly. What kind of logic was that…?

"I said just a little!" Daiki quickly defended himself.

"Actually, this set helped me make up my mind." Daiki pointed at the live broadcast. "Volleyball doesn't end in the air—it's a sport where everything is decided the moment the ball touches the ground!"

Kuno nodded in agreement. He understood what Daiki meant—Itachiyama's libero had dug up multiple shots that would've been points for Aoba Johsai, whereas Aoba Johsai had no way to stop Sakusa's attacks.

"I might not surpass Taichi in spiking or blocking, but he'll never surpass me in receiving and setting." Daiki declared proudly.

"Wait, setting too?" Kuno asked.

"Of course! He's a great setter too, isn't he?" Daiki gestured toward Komori Motoya on the screen.

"Once I make it to Nationals, that 'Top High School Libero' title will be mine!"

_________

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