Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

"Damn it! We were able to block those in the first half!"

"We can't keep up with their movements anymore. The fundamentals are completely different!"

"Even their simple receives and passes are way more refined than ours..."

"Tweet!—"

The whistle for the serve blew.

Yamabuki Yūjin aimed a powerful jump serve straight at Hyakuzawa Yūdai.

"I got it!" Inagaki Isao stepped in front to receive the ball.

Komaki Yuzuru shifted over and tossed it up.

However—though Hyakuzawa Yūdai didn't participate in the receive, his own teammates who had jumped in to help him ended up blocking his path for an approach.

"No time!"

Asamushi Kaito jumped up to spike.

"Double block!" Yūki Yōji and Kyōtani Kentarō leapt to intercept.

"Wha—?! That's so high!"

Asamushi Kaito was completely shut down by Aoba Johsai's block. Even someone of similar height like Kyōtani was getting well above his attack point.

"Damn it!"

With no other option, Asamushi tipped the ball over the block toward the back row.

"Chance ball!" Kunimi Akira received it with ease, sending the pass perfectly into place.

Yahaba Shigeru leapt at the net.

"Which side is it?!" Asamushi Kaito locked his eyes on Aoba Johsai's setter.

"Kaito! Second attack!" Komaki Yuzuru shouted—but Yahaba's eyes were aimed toward the back row, catching him off guard.

Asamushi panicked and jumped instinctively.

Fwoosh—!

The ball flew to the right side—just a moment ago, Kyōtani Kentarō had been right in front of Asamushi blocking. But now, he was already making his approach from the right side.

Mamon Takaki leapt up alone to block.

Boom!—

The ball slammed into the court right in front of Hyakuzawa Yūdai and bounced away.

Kyōtani Kentarō had scored.

[Aoba Johsai 24 – 20 Kakugawa]

"No good! Not working at all!"

When Hyakuzawa Yūdai was in the back row, Kakugawa lost more than just their offence. Without their two-meter wall, they simply had no way of resisting Aoba Johsai's attacks.

Even from the back row, Hyakuzawa Yūdai was still a major threat.

But—he hadn't gotten a single chance to attack.

Aoba Johsai served.

Yamabuki Yūjin once again aimed at Hyakuzawa.

"I got it!" Hyakuzawa Yūdai shouted loudly.

If they didn't make a change—there was no way they could win.

Inagaki Isao resisted the urge to receive and stood frozen. They had no choice but to entrust everything to Yūdai. It filled them with both pride and guilt.

Whack!

The ball hit Hyakuzawa's hand and flew out of bounds.

But—the entire Kakugawa team understood. That was a ball they absolutely could not lose.

Eiji Makado chased the ball past the sideline. "We can't let this ball fall! Yūdai's waiting for this one!"

Thud!

Makado crashed hard to the ground, but the ball arced beautifully in the air toward the net.

Hyakuzawa Yūdai's eyes lit up. He steadied himself and launched his approach from the back row.

The ball was dangerously close to the net—it looked like it might cross over. But that didn't matter. As long as it was high enough...

Bam!

Hyakuzawa Yūdai soared into the air.

"Triple block!"

Yūki Yōji had shifted to the centre, right in front of Hyakuzawa. On either side, Yahaba Shigeru and Kyōtani Kentarō pushed themselves to jump as high as they could.

Midair, Hyakuzawa's eyes scanned the Aoba Johsai side. Every possible hitting lane was covered.

But—

The only one who can receive my spikes is that shorty.

Tensing his arm muscles, Hyakuzawa brought his full force down on the ball.

BANG!!

Smack!

"Ow...that hurt..." Kunimi Akira gritted his teeth as the ball shot high into the air.

Perfect pass.

"Here we go!"

Yahaba set it high—Yūki Yōji flew in and launched a quick attack.

Boom!

The ball crashed into Kakugawa's backcourt.

Yūki Yōji had scored.

[Aoba Johsai 25 – 20 Kakugawa]

"There's another guy who can receive Hyakuzawa's spikes?" Komaki Yuzuru widened his eyes in disbelief.

"Beeeeep—!"

The long whistle signalled the end of the first set.

Winner: Aoba Johsai.

"Seijoh can win this match even without Taichi playing?!"

"This is a prefectural quarterfinal, for crying out loud!!!"

The highly anticipated showdown between Hyakuzawa Yūdai and Kaedehara Taichi didn't come to pass. And Kakugawa Gakuen's early advantage barely lasted for half a set.

In the second half, Kakugawa's offence started to falter. Aoba Johsai repeatedly defended against Hyakuzawa Yūdai's spikes. On defence, Kakugawa fared even worse. The difference in skill between the two teams had been laid bare for all to see.

"Aoba Johsai…really is the strongest in the prefecture."

At last, the audience came to a sobering realisation: even though they were all playing in the same prefectural qualifiers, the stages that these two teams were destined for were vastly different.

-----

"Looks like I really don't have to play after all," Taichi remarked, glancing toward Kakugawa's bench with a hint of regret—though it quickly disappeared. "Let's wait until Hyakuzawa gets stronger. Right now, this matchup isn't really worth it."

His teammates came off the court after clinching the first set, and Taichi quickly moved to greet them.

"Wow~ you guys were amazing. Just as expected from my teammates."

"Th-Thank you, Taichi-senpai!" Yamabuki Yūjin beamed, clearly exhilarated by the rare praise.

"The benchwarmers don't even think to bring water to the starters—zero awareness," Nakamori Daiki scoffed.

In a flash, Taichi appeared behind him and locked him in a headlock. "Oi, little shit—don't get too full of yourself."

"Let go—let go!" Nakamori slapped at his arm. "I give, I give!"

"Hmph." Taichi released him with a satisfied grin.

"Kunimi, are you alright?" Kindaichi Yūtarō asked, eyeing Kunimi Akira's reddened forearm. The impact from receiving the ball earlier had echoed loudly across the court.

"I'm fine. It's not the first time I've received a spike with that kind of force," Kunimi replied, shooting a tired look at Taichi, Kyōtani Kentarō, Kindaichi himself, and Yūki Yōji…

Whatever. Compared to how badly the other team's receivers were suffering, this was nothing.

Kyōtani sat silently on the bench, gulping water and recovering his strength. Yahaba Shigeru offered him a fresh bottle and sat beside him.

"You don't look happy, even though we just won and you racked up twelve points."

Kyōtani chugged from the bottle without a word, eyes locked on Kakugawa's side. Following his gaze, Yahaba saw Hyakuzawa Yūdai surrounded by his teammates.

"That guy…he's going to surpass me soon," Kyōtani muttered, voice laced with bitterness.

Yahaba watched him quietly. Kyōtani was different from him. He was destined for the professional path. His rivals weren't just the ones on the court today—he would face countless strong opponents, both past and future.

Seems like that rapidly rising rookie across the court had reignited the pressure Kyōtani hadn't felt in a while.

"But…physique isn't everything," Yahaba said. "You've seen them too, right? Hakuba Gao and Hoshiumi Kōrai from Kamomedai. It's pretty clear the 'Little Giant' came out on top."

"Of course. And this isn't the first time I've felt this way," Kyōtani replied, glancing briefly at Kaedehara Taichi, eyes clouded with complex emotion.

If you were talking about monsters…the scariest one had always been right next to me.

"Then…?" Yahaba looked at him with concern.

"This is the only path I can take," Kyōtani said firmly, withdrawing his gaze. "Even if I move slower than the rest, I want to go all the way."

He was certain. During that match against Fukurōdani over Golden Week, he had seen the view from a higher place.

"Haha, then you better keep going," Yahaba grinned. "Can't let our year be the only one weaker than the rest, right?"

"If you understand that, you better start working harder too," Kyōtani replied bluntly.

"Yeah. At the very least, I plan to burn myself out completely this year," Yahaba said brightly—only to spot Manager Mizoguchi waving at him.

He set down his water bottle and quickly jogged over.

"Yahaba, you did great in the first set!" Mizoguchi Sadayuki smiled. "We'll try Tōma in the second set. Pass along what you observed about Kakugawa's key tactics."

Yahaba blinked in surprise, then let out a wry smile. Honestly, he should be the one feeling the most threatened right now. He turned to see Tōma Kaoru nearby, eyes shining with eagerness.

"Yahaba will still play in the next set!" Kyōtani's voice suddenly cut in—he had come over without anyone noticing, and had clearly heard the coach's decision.

"Kyōtani—" Yahaba cut him off.

"I get it." Yahaba nodded at Manager Mizoguchi's puzzled expression and ran toward Tōma. The break between sets was short—they had to make the most of it.

Yahaba knew full well: both of them were bench players, but his situation was nothing like Taichi's. Still, everything he did was for the sake of a stronger Aoba Johsai.

"Tōma, you're going in next. Let me tell you about Kakugawa's defensive habits—"

"Seriously?!" Tōma's eyes lit up like fireworks. "Thank you, Yahaba-senpai!"

"Yeah. It's a rare experience to play in an official match. Make sure to take it seriously."

"Will do!"

"Kakugawa's front row usually—"

-----

The teams switched sides, and the second set began.

Aoba Johsai swapped in setter Tōma Kaoru. For Kakugawa, it was a total change in playstyle.

Yahaba was more stable and conservative in his playmaking. Tōma, while still rough around the edges, was unafraid to make bold and unconventional choices.

[Aoba Johsai 25 – 16 Kakugawa]

The second set ended even faster than the first. But that was only because Aoba Johsai had fully adapted to Kakugawa's offensive patterns by then.

Kaedehara Taichi still didn't appear in the quarterfinals, which not only increased the public's anticipation of his eventual return, but also served as a testament to Aoba Johsai's overwhelming strength.

With a dominant 2–0 sweep, Aoba Johsai easily secured victory in the prefectural quarterfinal.

Day Two of the Inter-High Prefectural Qualifiers came to an end.

[Date Tech 25 – 16 Ohgiminami]

[Date Tech 25 – 14 Ohgiminami]

Ohgiminami showed admirable tenacity and grit, but Date Tech was undeniably the stronger side today. Continuing their momentum from the Prefectural Tournament, they secured a comfortable 2–0 win.

[Shiratorizawa 25 – 23 Johzenji]

[Shiratorizawa 25 – 21 Johzenji]

Once considered kings, Shiratorizawa now faced their toughest match of the quarterfinals.

Johzenji's carefree style had become more unpredictable and even more difficult to counter. Their defence had also significantly improved since last year. With an unchanged starting lineup now composed of third-years, their overall team strength had clearly gone up.

Shiratorizawa, in contrast, had undergone a major overhaul—missing their ace, Ushijima Wakatoshi, their firepower had dropped considerably. On top of that, their first-years were caught completely off guard by Johzenji's unorthodox style and nearly lost the first set.

Fortunately, Goshiki Tsutomu became the team's most reliable scorer. Kawanishi Taichi's blocking grew increasingly solid, and with team captain Shirabu Kenjirō calmly coordinating the court, Shiratorizawa managed to scrape out a hard-earned victory.

[Karasuno 25 – 12 Sengoku Tech]

[Karasuno 25 – 14 Sengoku Tech]

Perhaps the most lopsided match of the day, Karasuno absolutely dominated Sengoku Tech with their kaleidoscopic offence.

Surprisingly, the top scorer of this match wasn't their transfer ace, Kita Seio—but the 164 cm-tall middle blocker, Hinata Shōyō.

To the audience, it felt as if a new "Little Giant" had been born—one capable of carrying Karasuno all the way to Nationals.

And just like that, the Miyagi Prefecture's four strongest teams had been decided.

From the east—Date Tech and Shiratorizawa.

From the west—Karasuno and Aoba Johsai.

It was rare to see all four semifinalists secure victories with clean 2–0 sweeps—proof of their undeniable dominance.

There was no doubt: these were the top four teams in the prefecture.

Next, only two of them would earn the right to represent Miyagi on the national stage.

-----

"Our opponent tomorrow is Aoba Johsai, huh…"

Due to the bracket layout, Karasuno had long known that they'd be facing Aoba Johsai next.

Though they had scrimmaged with Seijoh earlier in the season and were aware of their growth, Aoba Johsai was still a mountain few could hope to climb.

"It's kind of a weird feeling, having to play them already," Yamaguchi Tadashi murmured. "If I could choose, I'd much rather face them in the finals."

Before Golden Week, Karasuno had lost all six of their scrimmage sets against Aoba Johsai. For many of their players, those memories were still fresh—and painful.

"If we're going to beat them, it doesn't matter when," Kageyama Tobio said expressionlessly.

"My, my. His Majesty the King is quite confident," Tsukishima Kei drawled. "You do realise we've never beaten them, right?"

"Tsukki, we're on the same team!" Hinata Shōyō said, looking up at him with bright eyes. "Don't you want to beat Aoba Johsai?"

"Tch." Tsukishima turned away in annoyance. Wanting didn't matter. What mattered was whether or not they could actually do it.

Karasuno's path had been full of setbacks. Since their "crow's revival," they had lost to Aoba Johsai in last year's IH group stage, then to Shiratorizawa in the spring qualifiers semifinals, and again to Date Tech in this year's Prefectural Tournament.

Now, fate had brought them face to face with Aoba Johsai once more, in the same IH qualifiers.

"We can win," Kita Seio said, turning to his teammates. "You guys are strong."

Since that devastating loss in their scrimmage, Kita had mellowed out considerably. It was after that match that he finally became one with Karasuno. Three months of intense training had helped him rediscover his competitive edge.

"We're the ones who are strong," Tanaka Ryūnosuke said, punching Kita lightly in the chest.

Who would've guessed that the two boys who almost threw hands on their first meeting were now thick as thieves? Incidentally, Kita was now a loyal follower of Tanaka's older sister, Saeko.

When his motorcycle broke down, he'd received plenty of "big sis" treatment from her.

"This time, let's get our revenge! Whether it's Aoba Johsai or Date Tech—we'll beat them all!" Nishinoya Yū shouted, without a hint of shame for his dramatic declaration. But it had a surprisingly powerful effect on the team.

Captain Ennoshita Chikara glanced around at his teammates. He had a feeling that this—this very lineup—was Karasuno's once-in-a-lifetime chance.

They had to seize this opportunity. The foundation laid down by their seniors…it was now their turn to bear fruit atop it.

"Right now, Karasuno is, without a doubt, the strongest it's ever been!" Ennoshita declared. "This time—we're going to Nationals!"

"Beat Aoba Johsai—and then we take the country by storm!"

_________

[T/N] -R.I.P Karsuno.

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