Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

Aoba Johsai reclaimed the serve, with Yahaba Shigeru stepping up to the service line.

With Kindaichi Yūtarō subbed out, Aoba Johsai's overall height had noticeably dropped. Aside from Kaedehara Taichi, who stood at 188 cm, no other player on the court was above 185 cm.

The same situation applied to Shiratorizawa. Aside from their two middle blockers, who exceeded 185 cm, most of the time, they only had one player on the court who met that height.

Both teams had their own blocking systems, yet, at least for now, neither side's block seemed to be functioning as expected.

Yahaba's standard jump serve was easily received by Akakura Sō.

Shirabu Kenjirō quickly set the ball to the left wing, where Goshiki Tsutomu leapt for the spike.

"Double block!" Kunimi Akira and Honda Heisuke jumped to meet him.

Bang!

Goshiki's straight shot struck Kyōtani Kentarō's arm and ricocheted out of bounds.

[Aoba Johsai 4 - 3 Shiratorizawa]

If Goshiki's previous point had been due to Yahaba's incomplete block, then this time, against Kunimi's well-formed block, it was a pure contest of technique.

"As expected, he's strong—though probably a few levels below me." Taichi mused to himself.

Goshiki's spiking rhythm remained unfazed, and Shiratorizawa continued to hold on tightly to the score gap.

But—

The serve rotated again.

Goshiki moved to the back row.

Would Shiratorizawa have another offensive option to rely on?

Boom!

Goshiki launched a powerful jump serve.

Smack! Watari Shinji received the ball cleanly. Unlike the previous servers, the real danger in Goshiki's serve wasn't just power—it was the trajectory.

"Cover!"

The ball flew toward the right side, where Yahaba moved into position and set it toward the net.

"Damn!"

"Triple block!" Sagae Yūma, Tanino Daisuke, and Shirabu Kenjirō jumped together.

The set was too low, forcing Kaedehara Taichi into a situation where he was completely enveloped by Shiratorizawa's block.

BOOM!—

The ball blasted through the blockers, crashing hard onto the court.

Kaedehara Taichi had chosen brute force—a sharp cross-court attack to break through.

[Aoba Johsai 5 - 3 Shiratorizawa]

Sagae was knocked off balance by the impact of the ball. As a first-year, this was his first official match. Unlike his teammates, he had never even faced Ushijima Wakatoshi's spikes in practice.

"Is this guy really the same year as me?" A complicated feeling rose in Sagae's heart. Among Shiratorizawa's first-years, Goshiki was already regarded as an elite, personally acknowledged by Ushijima as their future ace.

But compared to Kaedehara Taichi, the gap was still painfully clear.

"You okay?" Shirabu extended a hand to pull Sagaragi up, his expression troubled.

Shiratorizawa's new players had only just begun building their confidence, and now they had to face this monster. They weren't prepared for a match of this pace.

Once the thought of "invincibility" took root, it wouldn't just affect this game—it would leave a lasting impact.

The serve rotated again.

Like Goshiki, Kaedehara Taichi moved to the back row.

But unlike Shiratorizawa, Aoba Johsai's offensive firepower wouldn't weaken in the slightest.

"Let's widen the gap in one go." Kaedehara Taichi stepped up to the service line.

"First, let's test the new guy's reception."

Holding the ball in one hand, his gaze swept across Shiratorizawa's formation.

"Stay sharp, everyone! Let's shut him down in one play!" Shirabu tried to rally his team.

"Huh… I didn't expect Shirabu-senpai to say something so unrealistic." Kaedehara Taichi chuckled. "And honestly, you're really not suited for pep talks."

He tossed the ball into the air, took three powerful steps, and swung his left arm like a drawn bowstring.

BOOM!!!

The ball shot toward the deep right corner of Shiratorizawa's court.

"Ugh—Umeda!"

Smack!

Umeda Toshiyuki flinched, his arms outstretched in panic, but the ball sailed past him untouched.

Kaedehara Taichi had scored a direct service ace.

[Aoba Johsai 6 - 3 Shiratorizawa]

Beep! Shiratorizawa called for a timeout.

"So soon?!" Kaedehara Taichi glanced toward Shiratorizawa's bench and locked eyes with Washijō Tanji.

"Hmph, old fox."

"Hmph, little monster."

Both teams returned to their respective benches. It was undeniable that this unexpected timeout had forcibly interrupted Kaedehara Taichi's momentum.

-----

"I figured Aoba Johsai would win, but I didn't expect Shiratorizawa to struggle this much..." The brief pause allowed the spectators in the stands to start discussing.

"Hah, isn't it obvious? Shiratorizawa doesn't have anyone left who can go head-to-head with Kaedehara Taichi. Of course, it'd turn out like this."

"You can't say that. There are strong teams that don't rely on a single absolute ace. It's just that Shiratorizawa's overall strength isn't that high right now."

Even though the score had only just begun to widen, the flow of the match was already clear to the spectators.

-----

The timeout ended quickly, and the game resumed.

Kaedehara Taichi stepped back to the service line once more, taking a deep breath. His rhythm had been broken, but he could still find his groove again.

Bang!—

His second serve was a right-handed float serve, aimed at Shiratorizawa's front left side—Sagae Yūma.

"This—"

Sagae didn't have much experience receiving float serves. The moment he saw the ball's trajectory, his instinct was to step back to receive it.

"Front!" Goshiki Tsutomu shouted from behind.

The ball dipped sharply over the net, but by the time Sagawa tried to move forward again, it was already too late.

Tap, tap, tap…

The ball hit the floor. Another ace for Kaedehara Taichi.

[Aoba Johsai 7 – 3 Shiratorizawa]

"S-Sorry!" Sagae was visibly shaken after back-to-back blows.

"Don't worry about it! Next one!" Goshiki's voice grew louder on the court. Now that his seniors were gone, he had to take the lead as the ace. Otherwise, they couldn't win!

"Hold the line!!!" Goshiki roared.

"Yes!" Kawanishi Taichi and Shirabu Kenjirō were the first to respond, startled by his intensity.

"Y-Yes!" The other players echoed, their voices rising together.

"Great spirit." Kaedehara Taichi genuinely admired their resolve. Under immense pressure, Goshiki had taken another step forward as an ace—leading his team on the court and bringing them together as one.

"But volleyball is still a game decided by skill. Otherwise, what were all those years of losses for Oikawa-senpai supposed to mean?"

Bang!

Another float serve—this time aimed at the centre front, targeting Tanino Daisuke.

"I got it!" Shirabu had anticipated that Kaedehara Taichi would methodically test every new player's reception.

He quickly stepped in and received the ball.

"Cover!"

The serve was disrupted by Shirabu's touch and fell toward the back row. Akakura Sō launched himself forward, setting it high.

"Daisuke!"

Just as his teammate helped him out, Tanino Daisuke began his approach from the back row. This was his ball to finish!

Boom!

Tanino spiked from the front row. Aoba Johsai's triple block was nowhere near high enough.

A clean overhand attack!

Smack!

Kaedehara Taichi dashed into position, making a perfect dig.

"Give me the ball." His voice was calm, yet unquestionable.

"This guy..." Kunimi Akira quickly adjusted and sent the set to the right wing.

BAM!

Kaedehara Taichi soared from the back row.

"Triple block!" Shiratorizawa's front row leapt again, sealing his left-side angle properly this time.

Their libero was waiting to cover the straight shot in the back.

This was the strategy every team used against Ushijima Wakatoshi. Shiratorizawa knew it well!

"You think you can stop me?"

Kaedehara Taichi tightened his left arm, swung it in a perfect arc, and crushed the ball down.

BOOM!!!

Smack!

The ball blasted off Akakura Sō's arm and shot out of bounds.

The signature left-handed spin that once tormented opponents had now come full circle—forcing Shiratorizawa's libero to experience it firsthand.

Kaedehara Taichi had scored from the back row.

[Aoba Johsai 8 – 3 Shiratorizawa]

Even Shiratorizawa—against an Aoba Johsai playing at full power—was no different from the other teams they had faced before.

They could not stop him.

This was what it meant to be the best player in the nation!

Expressionless, Kaedehara Taichi picked up the ball and walked back to the service line once more.

Every step he took sent another wave of pressure crashing down on Shiratorizawa's shoulders.

_________

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