Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

Oikawa tossed the ball lightly into the air, lowering his centre of gravity as he started his approach. His speed increased gradually, and the moment the ball reached its peak, he leapt up sharply, his body extending into perfect form.

"OHH—HEYYY!"

His arm swung forward with force, his palm striking the ball at full power.

The moment of contact distorted the ball's shape, sending it streaking through the air like a bolt of lightning. The sheer velocity made it nearly impossible to track, the sound of its impact slicing through the stadium like a whip.

BOOM!!!

Thud!

No contact.

The ball landed untouched within Itachiyama's court and bounced high into the air.

[Aoba Johsai 1 – 0 Itachiyama]

"Ohhhhhh!!!"

"AAAAHHHH!!!"

The stadium erupted. The intensity of the opening point electrified the atmosphere, filling the air with a mix of tension and exhilaration. Every person present could feel the uncontainable surge of energy.

Satisfying.

Oikawa had waited too long for this moment. Scoring the first point with a service ace only fueled his excitement further.

He raised his right hand, index finger pointing toward the ceiling before slowly lowering it, his gaze locking onto Itachiyama's back row—Komori Motoya.

The best high school libero in Japan.

Yet, in this match, for the first time in the entire Spring Nationals tournament, someone had deliberately chosen to target him during the serve.

And no one found it surprising.

After all, Oikawa's previous serve had landed precisely between Nishimura Hiroyuki and Komori.

Komori felt an unfamiliar tightness in his chest. His heartbeat had quickened slightly, his breathing a little uneven. Yet amidst the tension, a thrill bubbled up within him—an eagerness he hadn't felt in a long time.

Across the court, Oikawa tossed the ball again, his movements exuding both power and elegance. From his approach, jump, and swing, every motion was controlled yet explosive.

The moment his palm struck the ball, it accelerated instantly, slicing through the air and leaving a sharp trajectory in its wake.

BOOM!!!

Thud!

Another pinpoint strike!

The ball slammed into the sideline to Komori's right—a spot only he could reach.

And yet, Komori remained frozen, unable to react.

Oikawa scored another no-touch ace!

[Aoba Johsai 2 – 0 Itachiyama]

Komori's gaze was locked on Oikawa. The ball had shifted its trajectory slightly the moment it crossed the net. His initial misjudgment had cost him the optimal timing to react.

But in matches like these, opportunities existed for only a fleeting moment…

A bead of sweat slid down Komori's forehead. He could feel the moisture trickling along his cheek, a subtle yet nagging sensation that only heightened his awareness of the situation. He clenched his fist tightly, forcing himself to stay calm.

A serve that fast…with an additional late movement shift?

That was unheard of at the high school level.

He can't possibly keep hitting these consistently, Komori reassured himself.

"Again!"

Oikawa's voice rang out, a wide, confident grin stretching across his face. His entire presence radiated an unshakable certainty, as if declaring that Aoba Johsai—not Itachiyama—was the true king of the court.

"If even the best libero can't receive the ball, what does that mean for everyone else?"

At times, being a receiver could feel isolating—almost helpless.

"Komori, those two serves were almost impossible to take," Sakusa Kiyoomi spoke up, his tone calm and unwavering. "Just focus on the next one."

If not for the fact that Oikawa also had a deadly float serve in his arsenal, Kiyoomi might have already shifted himself further back to support the defence.

But for now, he remained in place.

Even so, for Itachiyama—having Komori fail to receive two serves in a row was an unprecedented situation.

"…Did Sakusa just try to reassure someone?"

"…I never thought I'd see the day where Kiyoomi was the one offering comfort."

A single, shared thought passed through the minds of Itachiyama's players.

"Tweet!—"

The whistle blew, and Komori's nerves tightened.

Here it comes again—!

Komori tracked the ball from the moment it left Oikawa's fingertips.

The setter took three steady steps before launching into the air, his arm carving a sharp arc above him. The moment of contact was precise and controlled—his fingers and wrist tensed ever so briefly before snapping the ball forward.

BANG!—

A float serve!

Sakusa Kiyoomi's eyes narrowed. This was a direct warning. Oikawa was sending a message: I know what you're thinking.

And once again—

The target was Komori Motoya.

Oikawa was going after him relentlessly!

Komori was naturally more comfortable handling float serves compared to power serves. And compared to Oikawa's jump serve, his float serve shouldn't have been nearly as dangerous…

That's how it should have been.

But this ball—

It was unpredictable. It wobbled through the air, deceptively slow compared to the previous serves, yet its trajectory shifted erratically at the last second.

Left? Right?

Komori knew there would be a final late movement shift.

Smack!

The volleyball veered slightly to the right with an eerie curve, but Komori Motoya still managed to get his hands on it.

However, the ball only grazed his fingertips before dropping behind him.

—A miscalculated height judgment!

Nishimura Hiroyuki dove behind Komori in a desperate attempt to save the ball, but he could only watch helplessly as it hit the floor.

Oikawa Tōru had scored three consecutive service aces!!!

[Aoba Johsai 3 – 0 Itachiyama]

"Tweet!—"

"Itachiyama calls for a timeout."

Coach Yamazaki didn't hesitate to call for a break. In fact, he even felt that this timeout had come a little too late.

That player—Oikawa Tōru—was simply too overwhelming at the high school level. It was hard to believe that he hadn't been selected for the Nationals in the past two years.

Itachiyama had also fallen behind early in the semifinals, but this time, the situation was far more severe.

During the previous match against Inubushi Higashi, Sanada Shunpei had deliberately avoided targeting Komori Motoya and Sakusa Kiyoomi with his serves.

But Oikawa Tōru?

Every single one of his three serves had struck directly at Komori—

And the first two had resulted in untouched aces.

There was no comparing Aoba Johsai to Inubushi Higashi.

This time, Itachiyama was in real trouble.

———

"Incredible! Oikawa's serves are absolutely unstoppable!!!"

The commentator, Ōtomo, practically shouted into the mic, unable to contain his excitement.

"His serving motion is so fluid, and the way he combines power and precision makes it almost impossible for Itachiyama to respond!"

"Not only do his serves demonstrate his impeccable technique, but they've also secured consecutive points for Aoba Johsai while putting immense psychological pressure on Itachiyama's receivers!"

"Osamu, do you think you can do that?"

The Miya twins were leaning over the railing of the stands, watching the match intently. Every year, the Inarizaki players stayed to watch the Nationals finals before returning to school.

This year, however, they had more free time than usual.

"Of course I can! Didn't I score four consecutive points off my serves at Interhigh?" Miya Atsumu declared loudly.

"You're the one who's useless, Osamu. I scored so many points, but we still lost the match!"

"Atsumu, you know what I mean."

Osamu completely ignored Atsumu's outburst.

Atsumu fell silent.

His serves had also deliberately avoided Sakusa Kiyoomi and Komori Motoya.

Only an idiot would aim straight for them!

He had tried once—back in his first year—but his serve had been received cleanly on the very first attempt.

"I swear, your title as 'Japan's best high school setter' is completely undeserved."

Osamu shot Atsumu a withering look, his words laced with unrelenting ridicule.

"Anyway, this is his last match before retiring—"

He trailed off when Atsumu abruptly stopped talking, his expression unreadable.

It was obvious.

For them, high school was just another stepping stone in a much longer journey.

"I'll defeat him."

Atsumu's voice was calm, his confidence unwavering.

"But before that, next year's Interhigh—I'm gonna crush Aoba Johsai into the ground!"

"Yeah." Osamu nodded.

Confidence was important.

But recognizing the current gap in skill was even more important.

He had no doubt that Atsumu would become one of the best.

"And we need to make sure to give Taichi a proper beating, too."

———

The timeout ended, and the match resumed.

Coach Yamazaki made a crucial adjustment—he moved Sakusa Kiyoomi to the back row, forming a four-man serve reception lineup.

In the front row, Sakano Sawaji and Iizuna Tsukasa expanded their coverage areas.

They weren't aiming for a perfect first pass—right now, simply receiving Oikawa's serve was their top priority.

The moment Oikawa stepped onto the service line, the stadium roared with deafening cheers.

The sound of applause surged like a tidal wave.

Oikawa lightly patted the ball in his hands, adjusting his breathing.

At this very moment, he was revelling in the sheer joy of standing on this stage.

BOOM!!

The ball rocketed toward Itachiyama's left-back area like a cannonball.

It carried overwhelming momentum!

Smack!

Third-year wing spiker Takeshita Yūshin barely managed to receive it, sending the ball high into Aoba Johsai's court.

"That was tough to receive!"

Takeshita barely had time to catch his breath before his gaze shot up—

Kaedehara Taichi was already airborne at the net!

This was—!

"A double block!!!"

Sakano and Iizuna reacted instantly, positioning themselves in front of him.

A lightning-fast attack following a powerful serve—

Aoba Johsai's signature play!

Whoosh!—

The ball was perfectly placed in front of Taichi's left hand—down to the millimetre.

Boom!—

It shot past Sakano's left side, slamming into Itachiyama's backline.

A perfect straight-line shot, right on the edge of the boundary!

Kaedehara Taichi had scored!

[Aoba Johsai 4 – 0 Itachiyama]

Takeshita stood frozen.

One second ago, he had just managed to get the ball up—

And the next, it had already landed right beside him.

Only those standing on the opposite side of the net could truly grasp the sheer incomprehensibility of Aoba Johsai's offence.

"Today marks the last day of your reign as champions."

Kaedehara Taichi spoke.

_________

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