Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

"Sakusa's serves are still as nasty as ever. If we played against Itachiyama again, would we have a way to handle him?" Matsuo Satoshi asked the person beside him.

"Why are you looking at me? I can't do it. Go ask Yukimitsu or something," Araki Kōsei replied shamelessly.

"Can you not just casually dump the responsibility on a first-year? You're the ace!" Matsuo rolled his eyes.

Araki thought for a moment, then pointed toward the court. "That libero from Seijoh is a first-year too, isn't he?"

Matsuo followed his gaze to Aoba Johsai's back row. A small, tanned boy stood there, eyes locked onto Sakusa Kiyoomi with unwavering focus.

"Bring it on!" Nakamori Daiki slightly leaned forward, arms naturally spread, breathing steady and deep.

Tch...This kid. Sakusa was irritated by the energy in those eyes.

He had already fumbled two of my serves, and yet he still has this annoying confidence...

Itachiyama's service rotation wasn't over yet. Sakusa sent out his third serve.

Boom!—

The ball cut through the air in a sharp arc, heading straight for Nakamori.

"Let me shatter that fearless confidence of yours!"

Smack!

The ball flew high into the air, the angle slightly off, but—

Nakamori Daiki had successfully received it!

"Haha!" Nakamori laughed as he watched the ball soar upward.

Indoor volleyball had smaller courts, faster speeds, and more intense spins…

But there was no soft, shifting sand underfoot. No unpredictable ocean winds. No blinding sunlight reflecting off the water…

"Nothing is harder to predict than nature itself!"

Kaedehara Taichi swiftly moved into position.

Boom!

"???"

"Did he just spike that?!"

"From that position?!"

Taichi had stepped on the three-meter line, twisted his body, and slammed the ball down with one hand.

Itachiyama's blockers had no time to react. The ball barely cleared the net before it plummeted straight down!

"Shirakawa!"

Bam!

The ball bounced off Shirakawa Kaito's foot.

Kaedehara Taichi scored!

[Aoba Johsai 6 – 5 Itachiyama]

"You can—"

"I can't."

Matsuo barely got a word out before his ace cut him off.

"Taichi is only a second-year."

Araki didn't respond, just giving Matsuo a look.

"Alright, fine. He really isn't like us ordinary players," Matsuo admitted, shrugging.

"But we won't know if we can win until we play them." Araki's voice was calm. "Unlike these teams with star players, we're different. But at Nationals, it's usually teams like us—'ordinary' teams—that win the championship."

"Heh, of course I know that," Matsuo grinned, shaking his head. "That's the fun of competition, isn't it? The unpredictability of it all. No one knows what'll happen in the next second."

-----

"That was a great spike!"

"Nice receive!"

Taichi and Daiki high-fived, just like they used to after tearing up the sand volleyball circuit.

"Sakusa-senpai, your service run is over now," Taichi said with a gentle smile.

"I'd like to see how much your serve has improved, Taichi." Komori Motoya's eyebrows twitched—his telltale sign of excitement.

"I'll make sure you get plenty of chances to see it, Komori-senpai," Taichi smirked arrogantly. "After all, I have to make Sakusa-senpai cough up those points he just scored."

Service rotation switched. Taichi stepped onto the service line.

Itachiyama's back row was lined up with Sakusa Kiyoomi, Shirakawa Kaito, and Komori Motoya—their strongest receivers.

Shirakawa took a small step back, narrowing his defensive range.

Just numbers alone wouldn't be enough to handle Kaedehara Taichi's serve.

He tossed the ball up, swinging both arms backwards in a powerful windup. With his final step firmly planted, he launched himself into the air—

—and whipped his left arm forward with full force.

BOOM!!!

"Dodging won't help you!"

The ball shot forward like a cannonball, smashing against Shirakawa's arm.

CRASH—!

The ball ricocheted off him, slamming into the second-floor railing before dropping down.

Shirakawa himself was knocked backward, landing on his butt outside the baseline.

Kaedehara Taichi, service ace!

[Aoba Johsai 7 – 5 Itachiyama]

"!!!"

"Did that really just bounce that far?!"

"And that high?!!"

"Shirakawa might be a first-year, but he's not some frail setter! And he still got blown away…"

Taichi's serve had a completely different visual impact than Sakusa's. Different techniques, but equally terrifying to receive.

"What kind of monster is this…" Matsuo muttered, suddenly losing all motivation for jokes. "That was with his left hand, right? That's just unfair."

"That's how they beat Itachiyama. How they beat Sakusa Kiyoomi," Araki said, his face blank. Truthfully, he was starting to feel numb.

"Come on, I was trying to find a weakness, not watch his highlight reel," Matsuo groaned in frustration. "This is just watching him put on a show."

"Still want to play against Seijoh?" Araki glanced at him.

"Of course!" Matsuo grinned. "Upsets are fun!"

"Same. The sooner we see it, the sooner we can adapt."

-----

"You good?" Komori reached down to pull Shirakawa back to his feet. "You're too stiff."

"I'm sorry!" Shirakawa lowered his head.

"Stay sharp. Get ready for the next one!"

"Yes!"

Taichi sent out his second serve.

BOOM!!!

Once again, it was aimed straight at Shirakawa. But this time, he managed to read its trajectory.

Smack!

He barely managed to touch the ball—

—but it didn't gain enough height, flying out at an awkward angle.

Another service ace for Kaedehara Taichi!

[Aoba Johsai 8 – 5 Itachiyama]

Just as Taichi had predicted, the score difference returned to where it had been before Sakusa Kiyoomi's serve.

Sakusa and Komori Motoya both shifted slightly toward the centre—Kaedehara Taichi's control over the ball had clearly improved again. If he continued to target Shirakawa Kaito and exploit him, things could get ugly.

"What a considerate senpai."

Taichi grinned and sent out his third serve.

BOOM!!!—

This time, it was a powerful jump serve—using his right hand! And it was aimed at Itachiyama's right side!

"Out—"

"No! Another sidespin?!!"

Komori dove to the right. The ball seemed to be flying out of bounds, but at the last moment, it curved midair and dropped into Itachiyama's back corner.

Thud!

The ball bounced off the court—Komori failed to save it.

That small step toward the centre had cost him the last bit of distance he needed for the save.

Kaedehara Taichi had scored three consecutive points on his serve!

[Aoba Johsai 9 - 5 Itachiyama]

"Whoo—" Taichi blew on his fingertips as if dispersing imaginary smoke. "Looks like my serves are pretty accurate."

Komori pushed himself off the floor. He hadn't expected that even with so many weapons at his disposal, Taichi would still be learning new techniques.

Normally, for players of their calibre—already excelling in every aspect—progress slowed down. The room for improvement became narrower, and every minor enhancement required an immense amount of effort.

To keep advancing, one had to break through existing limits. If they couldn't, they'd be caught up—and eventually surpassed—by more naturally gifted juniors.

But in just three months, Kaedehara Taichi had continued to grow at a shocking pace.

There was only one explanation for this.

The peak he aimed for was entirely different from theirs.

"Shirakawa, sorry." Komori's tone grew serious. "We can't spare the energy to cover for you anymore. From here on out, you'll have to handle it yourself."

"A-Ah! Got it!" Shirakawa Kaito nodded vigorously. He was beginning to realize—this upperclassman in front of him was special.

"Tweet!—"

The referee blew the whistle for the serve.

Kaedehara Taichi stopped spinning the ball between his hands and tossed it into the air.

BOOM!!!

With Sakusa and Komori back in their positions, Kaedehara Taichi once again targeted Shirakawa Kaito.

Smack!

Shirakawa crashed to the floor again—but this time, it was intentional. He'd absorbed the impact!

The ball flew high into the air. Komori chased after it.

Smack!

With his back turned to the net, Komori managed to send the ball back into play. Sakusa leapt from the back row for an attack.

"Watch the spin!" Kaedehara Taichi shouted.

If it was Sakusa, even a back-row spike wouldn't be as easy to receive as it looked.

"I got it!" Nakamori Dai flashed into position.

Boom!—

The ball bounced forward in a straight line.

"Nice receive!" Yahaba Shigeru quickly stepped in to set.

"Damn it!" Nakamori gritted his teeth. Only he knew—this wasn't the direction he'd wanted the ball to go.

Yahaba jumped and set the ball high to the left wing. From the sidelines, Kyōtani Kentarō sprinted inward and leapt.

"Three-man block!" Mizushima Yū, Nishimura Hiroyuki, and Takeuchi Eiji jumped simultaneously.

Kyōtani glanced at the straight-line path—Sakusa was already waiting.

"In that case—"

Boom!!!—

The ball rocketed past the three blockers and smashed into Itachiyama's three-meter line on the right side.

A sharp cross-court spike!

Smack!

The ball struck Komori's arm and ricocheted out of bounds.

Kyōtani Kentarō had scored!

[Aoba Johsai 10 - 5 Itachiyama]

Komori stood frozen. Aoba Johsai's other offensive weapon had activated as well…

The lead stretched to five points!

More and more players crowded around the court. Compared to the unfamiliar Aoba Johsai, they knew exactly how strong Itachiyama was.

But the scoreboard told a different story—who was the real Spring High champion here?

Kaedehara Taichi's lips curled into a faint smile. His heartbeat quickened, a silent surge of excitement welling up inside him.

It was back—this feeling of fighting side by side with his teammates.

"We won't lose!"

Kaedehara Taichi tossed the ball up and sent out his fifth serve!

BOOM!!!

"Out!" Komori shouted.

Smack!

But Shirakawa reacted instinctively. The ball bounced high over Aoba Johsai's side.

"Chance ball!" Nakamori immediately sent a pass to the right wing.

Thud!

Kaedehara Taichi leapt from the back row for a spike.

"Three-man block!!!"

Even though they hadn't expected a back-row quick attack, Itachiyama still managed to organise a solid block.

Whoosh—!

"Itachiyama is completely rattled!"

Kaedehara Taichi faked a spike—and set the ball instead!

Boom!

With no blockers in front of him, Kindaichi Yūtarō hammered the ball down for an easy score!

[Aoba Johsai 11 - 5 Itachiyama]

A six-point lead!!!

"Tweet!—"

"Itachiyama calls a timeout."

Less than halfway through the set, Itachiyama had already used up all their timeouts.

-----

When Aoba Johsai's players returned to the bench, the atmosphere around them had completely shifted. That unwavering belief in victory had reignited in their eyes.

Coach Irihata hadn't expected this moment to come so soon.

Last year, it was only after Aoba Johsai defeated Shiratorizawa for the second time and became the prefectural champion that they truly began to exude the aura of a dominant force.

With that belief, they had stormed through the national tournament all the way to the championship.

But the graduation of the third-years had undeniably dealt a heavy blow to the team's morale. Some players grew complacent after winning the championship, while others worried about the team's decline in strength. The mix of overconfidence and anxiety left Aoba Johsai shrouded in a silent uncertainty.

That was why they had lost in the prefectural citizens' tournament—because Kaedehara Taichi had been forced to fight alone.

And from that moment, the once invincible hearts of Aoba Johsai had dimmed.

But it was precisely because of that loss that Irihata found the opportunity to reshape the team. He had limited Kaedehara Taichi's spiking, forcing him to focus on fundamentals—not just to prepare him for a professional career, but also to ensure that Aoba Johsai could experience more losses without relying solely on him.

Because the fastest way for them to grow—was through the frustration of defeat.

What he hadn't expected was that Kyōtani Kentarō would be the first to change.

After the tournament, when he saw a fierce-eyed, shaved-headed figure standing among Aoba Johsai's ranks, Irihata and Mizoguchi Sadayuki had laughed all the way back to the office—this kid was destined for the pros.

Then, Yahaba Shigeru overcame his doubts, Kunimi Akira and Kindaichi Yūtarō found their paths, and the first-years proved to be valuable assets.

Irihata believed this team still had the potential to reach the top.

And today, the one who had surprised him the most was Kaedehara Taichi.

Even if his growth wasn't as visually dramatic as last year, every minor adjustment, every subtle improvement—was clear and astonishing.

This Aoba Johsai was a team marked by Kaedehara Taichi's presence.

And today, his actions spoke loud and clear.

This team was still a king's army.

The road to the top—began with defeating Itachiyama.

Starting now!

_________

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