Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

"You're back late again today, Bokuto."

"Well, it's because my form kept fluctuating in spring. That's no way for an 'ordinary' ace to act," Bokuto Kōtarō said naturally.

"Hmm, I've actually been meaning to ask," Inunaki Shion turned to the two rookies beside him. "What exactly does Bokuto mean when he always calls himself 'ordinary'?"

"Wing spikers are weird creatures. Not worth understanding," Sakusa Kiyoomi replied coolly.

Miya Atsumu gave Sakusa a strange look. "You better be including yourself in that category of 'wing spikers'."

"Saying that because we're on the same team now—you think you won't lose to me again?"

"What was that, you bastard?!" Miya bristled, then sneered. "Aren't you also someone who lost to Taichi?"

Sakusa's brows furrowed, but he said nothing.

"Hmph. Weren't you planning to finish college before going pro? What made you change your mind?" Miya pressed, unwilling to let it go.

"None of your business."

"It's because of Taichi, right? Never thought that guy would join the V1 League the same year as us," Miya said, as if he had seen right through him.

"I want revenge. I couldn't wait that long," Sakusa muttered darkly.

"Come to think of it," Miya said through gritted teeth, "half the people here have lost to Taichi. Guess that makes us the 'Avengers'."

Sakusa looked at Atsumu like he was an idiot, said nothing, and turned to walk away.

"Hey! If you've got something to say, just say it!"

"What's with that look?!"

"You bastard! Get back here!"

"Um…Miya, the thing you said just now was the name of a movie, right?" Inunaki asked considerately, seeing how upset Miya was. "The idea of you all gathering in the Black Jackals to get revenge on Kaedehara Taichi…it's kind of amusing."

Atsumu: "…"

"That's not how you do a proper comeback, dammit!!!"

-----

MSBY Black Jackals, one of the top four teams in the 2013–2014 V1 League season.

#4, Captain, Meian Shūgo, 25 years old, 196 cm tall. Japan's starting middle blocker at the World Championship. The Black Jackals' tactical commander. Often used as a decoy in offence, but can single-handedly shut down the opposing ace on defence. Former V1 League champion.

#6, Libero, Inunaki Shion, 22 years old, 174 cm tall. A genius libero during his university days. A rookie who joined the Black Jackals this season.

#9, Middle Blocker, Adriah Thomas, 23 years old, 201 cm tall. A Japanese-American raised in Japan. Known for his razor-sharp quicks.

#10, Opposite Hitter, Oliver Barnes, 27 years old, 207 cm tall. A powerhouse opposite from the UK. Rarely takes serve receive and focuses entirely on attacking.

#12, Outside Hitter, Bokuto Kōtarō, 20 years old, 190 cm tall. Graduate of Fukurodani Academy. Joined the Black Jackals last year and became a starter when the regular season kicked off in October.

#13, Setter, Miya Atsumu, 19 years old, 185 cm tall. Graduate of Inarizaki High. Went pro straight out of high school and is now the Black Jackals' starting setter.

#15, Outside Hitter, Sakusa Kiyoomi, 18 years old, 191 cm tall. Graduate of Itachiyama Institute. Currently balancing university studies with pro training. For now, he's a substitute.

Compared to last season's champions, EPJ Raijin, the Black Jackals' lineup skewed younger. At present, the only players at the peak of their physiological capabilities were Meian Shūgo and Oliver Barnes.

However, what drew the most attention was the group of fresh rookies who had entered the professional scene just last year. They had made their presence felt in both the regular season and the playoffs—not only showcasing exceptional talent, but also maturing at a rate that defied expectations.

With the addition of Inunaki Shion, Miya Atsumu, and Sakusa Kiyoomi this season, the recharged Black Jackals once again became a team the world watched with eager anticipation.

"Next weekend, we've got a practice match scheduled against the V2 League's Yotsuya Motors Club," Meian reminded Sakusa before the latter left the gym. "You'll be starting. Make sure you're ready."

"Got it," Sakusa replied indifferently.

"Has he always been like this?" Meian turned to Miya.

Miya sighed. "Who knows. Maybe all wing spikers are like that."

-----

May 18th.

Yotsuya Club had also recruited two high school graduates last season—Gōra Masaki from Ubugawa High and Daishō Suguru from Nohebi Academy.

However, unlike powerhouses like Ushijima Wakatoshi or Bokuto Kōtarō, who joined the V1 League right after graduation and quickly became starting players, both Gōra and Daishō had spent an entire year on the bench after joining the V2 League.

Which meant that today's practice match between Yotsuya Club and MSBY Black Jackals marked not only Sakusa Kiyoomi's debut—but also the official debuts of Daishō Suguru and Gōra Masaki.

"Ahhh! I know you!"

As the two teams briefly greeted each other, Bokuto Kōtarō immediately furrowed his brows and fell into deep thought. Even during warmups, he seemed completely out of it. Miya Atsumu approached to nudge him back to focus—only for Bokuto to suddenly blurt out that startling exclamation.

"AHHH—DAMMIT, BOKUTO, DON'T YELL OUT OF NOWHERE LIKE THAT!" Atsumu's hair literally stood on end.

The one being pointed at—Daishō Suguru—looked awkward, clearly not expecting to be recognised.

Back in high school, Daishō had only made it to Nationals once. In their first match, they were immediately pitted against Aoba Johsai. Despite throwing everything they had into the game, they hadn't managed to take even a single set.

"You're still full of energy, huh, Bokuto," Gōra Masaki stepped forward.

"Fish lips! Your lips are still super thick too—HA HA HA!" Bokuto laughed loudly.

"…Shut up," Gōra muttered.

Ubugawa High had joined Fukurōdani's training camp alliance every year. Gōra, who treated the serve like a sacred weapon, was the same year as Bokuto, and they had become friends.

"Took you long enough to make it into the starting lineup."

"Yeah. Took a while to adjust to the defensive intensity at the pro level," Gōra replied. "Turns out that if you've got any weaknesses as a wing spiker, you just become a sitting target."

"Nice to meet you, Bokuto. I'm surprised a top-five high school ace like you actually remembers me," said Daishō with a humble smile. "We've never even played each other."

"I watched the match between Tōmei and Nekoma! You're Kuroo's buddy, right?"

"That's NOT true!" Daishō's composure cracked in an instant. "We're rivals!"

"Huh, really?" Bokuto looked puzzled. "You always looked like you were having fun whenever you two talked."

"Bokuto. Atsumu. Focus on your warmups."

Sakusa Kiyoomi had appeared behind them without warning.

"Gah! Stop sneaking up on people like some ghost, dammit!" Miya flinched again.

"…Long time no see, Sakusa." Daishō growled through clenched teeth.

Nohebi had never actually played against Fukurōdani, because they were always eliminated by Itachiyama before they could.

"…And you are?" Sakusa frowned.

"…."

Daishō went completely speechless.

"…What a jerk," Miya muttered under his breath.

"Doesn't matter if I know you or not," Sakusa replied coldly. "Either way, I'll crush you."

-----

Ninety minutes later…

[MSBY 25 – 20 Yotsuya]

[MSBY 25 – 18 Yotsuya]

[MSBY 25 – 15 Yotsuya]

Miya and the rest of the Black Jackals had already been playing together for about a month, and Sakusa had previously coordinated with Miya in various training settings.

In this match, veterans like Meian Shūgo, Adriah Thomas, and Oliver Barnes played skillfully but held back just enough. On the other hand, Sakusa Kiyoomi, Miya Atsumu, and even Inunaki Shion went all-out without the slightest hesitation.

And of course, Bokuto Kōtarō, who only grew more fired up with each rally, didn't give the opposing team the slightest chance to fight back.

"Bokuto, Miya, Sakusa…those three have really good chemistry," said Samson Foster, unable to hide his smile.

MSBY had long been known in the V1 League for their ferocious, high-impact offence—but last season, they had failed to break through AD's defensive line.

"This time," Samson said, "there's no one who can stop us."

_________

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