Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty #Chapter 462: The Commander (Double-Length) - Read Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty Chapter 462: The Commander (Double-Length) Online - All Page

Chapter 462: The Commander (Double-Length)

BOOM!!!

Kaedehara Taichi served the third ball.

"I got it!" Sakusa Kiyoomi and Bokuto Kōtarō shouted at the same time.

The two of them rushed toward the ball flying through the middle without a moment's hesitation. They knew—victory or defeat would be decided in an instant.

Smack!

Sakusa Kiyoomi received the ball, but it veered out of bounds.

"Save it!"

Bokuto Kōtarō ignored Sakusa's call. He suddenly stopped, spun around to avoid him, then sprinted toward the net.

The one chasing the ball down was Miya Atsumu. He dashed past the end line and leapt into the air to set.

Three attackers surged forward at once—Bokuto from the back row, Oliver Barnes and Adriah Thomas at the front.

But from Miya Atsumu's posture alone, it was impossible to tell who he would set to.

"No way it's going to Bokuto Kōtarō," Nitta Asahiro concluded the moment the ball soared over the right wing.

A back-row quick attack from outside the end line?!

"Does this guy not care about making mistakes?!"

Adriah Thomas had already reached his peak height. Nitta jumped a moment too late to block.

—BOOM!!!

A monster spike!

---

[Adriah Thomas—Middle Blocker:Height: 201 cm

Spike Reach: 352 cm /Block Reach: 338 cm.]

---

"Wasn't as fast as I expected..."

Smack!

Kaedehara Taichi received the spike, sending it straight to the setter.

"Beautiful pass!"

Nitta Asahiro shouted in admiration. Only another monster could react with such speed.

Iizuna Tsukasa passed the ball steadily to the left wing. Kitajima Kippei leapt to spike.

BOOM!!

Smack!

"First touch!" Oliver Barnes called loudly.

"Damn it! If this were the old me..." Kitajima muttered in frustration as he quickly transitioned into defence.

"Chance ball!"

Inunaki Shion received it cleanly, sending it right into the setter's hands.

Miya Atsumu steadied his breathing, then jumped for the set. All four Black Jackals hitters initiated their approach simultaneously.

—BOOM!!!

On the left, Oliver Barnes scored with a high monster spike.

[DH 17 – 18 Black Jackals]

The Black Jackals had finally broken DH's serve and regained the lead.

"Ugh, it's Kitajima again. Sub him out already!"

"He's useless on the front line—can't score, can't block!"

"He's gotten old. He's lost both his height advantage and his bounce!"

"Kippei..." Kubo Wataru muttered anxiously. If he could hear it, then Kitajima surely could too.

"I'm fine," Kitajima said nonchalantly. "And seriously, can't they come up with some new lines? I've been hearing the same crap since last year."

Serve rotation—Oliver Barnes to serve.

BOOM!!!

"I got it!"

Smack!

Iizuna Tsukasa received the ball. Yoshii Hiyu moved into position and set.

Nitta Asahiro and Kaedehara Taichi both launched into an attack from the left side—one in front, one behind.

The Black Jackals' three front-row blockers shifted toward the right. Miya Atsumu jumped to solo block, while the others kept their eyes on Kaedehara Taichi.

"Don't underestimate me."

Nitta subtly twisted his arm mid-air, then slammed the ball down.

BOOM!!!

The ball shot past Atsumu's right side and slammed into the sideline.

"Don't forget—I used to be DH's ace!"

Nitta Asahiro scored with a down-the-line spike right on the edge!

[DH 18 – 18 Black Jackals]

The score was tied once again.

-----

The serve rotated back to DH.

Nitta Asahiro launched a powerful jump serve, targeting Oliver Barnes once more.

"I got it!"

Inunaki Shion received the ball cleanly and quickly stepped aside to give Oliver room to attack from the back row—his preferred launching point.

Sakusa jumped to fake a spike, drawing out Tom Wilde's block.

Oliver Barnes took off from the back row and spiked.

"Triple block!" Tom Wilde leapt again, forming a wall with Kitajima and Yoshii Hiyu.

But with Kaedehara Taichi and Nitta Asahiro both off the front line, DH's block was pitifully weak.

BOOM!!!—

Barnes blasted a sharp cross-court spike over the block. The ball landed in the deep corner behind Nitta and bounced out.

Barnes scored.

[DH 22 – 23 Black Jackals]

—"Absolutely unbelievable! Despite being a towering 207 cm, Barnes still manages to execute such delicate angles. He sacrifices defence in exchange for an attacking style that dazzles like a kaleidoscope!"

Serve rotation—Black Jackals to serve.

Sakusa Kiyoomi walked up to the line.

Kitajima silently retreated to the back row to help with the receive.

One thing was clear: the Black Jackals' additions over the past two years—Bokuto Kōtarō, Sakusa Kiyoomi and Miya Atsumu—were all monsters when it came to serving.

"Tweet!—"

The referee blew the whistle.

Sakusa tossed the ball, took his run-up, jumped, and swung his arm like a whip.

BOOM!—

The ball didn't seem particularly fast—but no one dared to take it lightly.

Smack!

The ball struck Kubo Wataru's forearm and flew out of bounds. Yoshii chased after it.

Smack!

Yoshii barely managed to save it, but couldn't return it inbounds.

The ball hit the ground—Sakusa had scored an ace.

[DH 22 – 24 Black Jackals]

The Black Jackals were first to reach 24 points. Set point.

"Black Jackals clearly has the upper hand overall!"

"Even if DH manages a small surge, once Black Jackals regains composure, DH can't put up a fight!"

"Beep!—"

DH called their final timeout of the set.

"What's going on with Sakusa's serve?"

"It's not hard to receive—but it's impossible to control where the ball rebounds."

The DH players gathered to discuss how to respond to Sakusa Kiyoomi's serve.

"In that case, don't crowd the receive formation. Iizuna and Yoshii, you two stay wide at the sidelines—be ready to cover," Coach Nick said with a smile.

"Is that...really okay? It's set point..." Kitajima hesitated.

"What's set point got to do with it?" Coach Nick chuckled. "All we have to deal with is his serve."

"Yes, sir!"

-----

Timeout over. Play resumed.

"Whoa—DH's receive formation is making a bold shift. Looks like this is the result of that timeout talk."

Sakusa remained unfazed. He followed his usual routine: toss, run-up, jump, and strike.

—BOOM!!!

Smack!

Kubo Wataru received the serve again.

"Who says spin only goes left or right?"

Smack!

The ball ricocheted off Kubo's shoulder and flew past the end line.

"Double touch? Ball handling violation?"

"The ref didn't blow the whistle!" (Since Kubo maintained a single fluid motion and didn't intentionally contact the ball twice, it wouldn't be ruled a double touch.)

While others were still wondering, Kaedehara Taichi had already bolted toward the ball.

Whether it was a violation or not was for the referee to decide. All Taichi saw was that the ball hadn't touched the ground.

"Tom!"

From beyond the end line, Taichi passed the ball to the left wing—right on target!

Tom Wilde leapt for the spike.

"Double block!" Adriah Thomas and Miya Atsumu jumped in tandem.

BOOM!!!

The ball shot over Atsumu and straight into the far right corner of the Black Jackals' court.

Smack!

Inunaki Shion received it.

But DH's problem wasn't just defence—at the front line, they were critically lacking in firepower.

Miya Atsumu quickly repositioned himself and set the ball to the right wing. Bokuto Kōtarō jumped to spike.

"Block the sharp angle!"

Kaedehara Taichi pushed Iizuna Tsukasa's hands toward the left side while simultaneously shoving Kubo Wataru to the right.

"Triple block!" Tom Wilde, Kitajima Kippei, and Yoshii Hiyu leapt together.

Only Kaedehara Taichi remained to defend DH's wide-open back row, covering positions 5 and 6.

"I've set the stage just for you, Bokuto-senpai."

In the instant Bokuto aimed his spike at the sharp angle, he caught sight of Taichi's smug expression.

BOOM!!!

Who could possibly hold back after seeing that face?

The volleyball flew straight toward the back-left corner of DH's court.

Smack!

Kaedehara Taichi received it cleanly, the perfect first touch.

"That dumbass Bokuto got baited so easily!" Miya Atsumu cursed mercilessly.

Yoshii Hiyu jumped from the front row to set. Four DH players launched an attack in perfect sync.

BOOM!

The very next second, Yoshii Hiyu scored off a second-touch attack.

[DH 23 - 24 Black Jackals]

"???"

The Black Jackals hadn't expected the final blow to come from the least noticeable support opposite.

Serve rotated—DH's turn.

Yoshii Hiyu aimed his serve at Bokuto Kōtarō in the front row.

BOOM!

Smack!

Bokuto stepped up to the net and received the serve.

Miya Atsumu, now in the front row, leapt to set, his eyes briefly flicking to the centre of DH's court.

"Tch." Kitajima Kippei jumped to block.

Atsumu grinned and sent the ball flying to the left wing. Adriah Thomas soared to spike.

"Double block!" Iizuna Tsukasa and Kitajima Kippei sprang up together.

—BOOM!!!

Smack!

Adriah Thomas's high-handed spike was cleanly received by Kaedehara Taichi.

"Him again?!"

"Why is his defence this strong too?!"

But just receiving wasn't enough!

Taichi knew it—what mattered was the connection to the next attack.

Iizuna made the set, and Kitajima launched from the right.

"Double block!" Miya Atsumu and Bokuto Kōtarō rose together.

BOOM!!—

Smack!

The ball deflected off Bokuto's arm and dropped out of bounds.

Off the block!

Smack!

Inunaki Shion dove forward and saved the ball.

They were missing an opposite!

After landing, Bokuto quickly sent the ball to the far left. Adriah Thomas jumped again for another spike.

"Triple block!"

DH's blockers tracked him tightly.

—BOOM!!!

Even with a less-than-ideal set, Adriah Thomas still pulled off a high-handed spike.

Smack!

Taichi received it again.

"Damn it—!" Adriah Thomas gritted his teeth. "I seriously can't score off this guy!"

The ball flew high over centre court—but Tom Wilde couldn't set.

Tsukasa will cover…

Taichi's mind was clear—he could visualise the court, his teammates' positions, and the opponents' movement like a tactical map unfolding before him.

We'll attack from the left…

Adjusting his body, Taichi angled to cut toward the left.

No time to spike…but I can—

"Block him!"

"Left side!" Taichi shouted, sprinting toward the wing.

But Iizuna Tsukasa's eyes were on Taichi's hands.

Where to pass, how to pass—to create the best offensive opportunity…

In that moment, Iizuna felt his field of vision open up as if guided by Taichi's single finger.

"Tom!"

Iizuna slowed the tempo, and DH launched a synchronised attack—Kaedehara Taichi from the back, Tom Wilde and Kitajima Kippei up front.

So close.

Iizuna jumped to set—Miya Atsumu stood on the other side.

This is it, Iizuna realised. They're moving just the way I want them to. Everything's under control.

Fwoosh—!

He set the ball to the right. Tom Wilde jumped to strike.

Bokuto Kōtarō solo blocked.

But the ball continued past Wilde—on to the right wing, where Kitajima Kippei was already in position!

A clean shot—facing no blockers.

BOOM!!

The ball dropped nearly vertically inside the Black Jackals' court.

You could never know who the final attacker would be until the last second. Even a slow tempo could toy with a triple block.

Kitajima Kippei scored.

[DH 24 - 24 Black Jackals]

The score was tied once again.

DH continued serving.

Yoshii Hiyu served again.

The ball clipped the top of the net and dropped unexpectedly into the Black Jackals' court.

Miya Atsumu lunged forward and got under it. His first touch went straight to the left.

Adriah Thomas executed a lightning-fast spike just inside the line.

[DH 24 - 25 Black Jackals]

"That was fast…"

—"Miya Atsumu immediately capitalised on the unexpected first touch for a quick attack. Thomas's elevation speed is insane—he was practically hitting against an empty net."

Serve rotated—Black Jackals serving.

Adriah Thomas delivered a powerful jump serve. Kaedehara Taichi received it cleanly.

"They're definitely targeting Taichi on purpose," Kubo Wataru thought. "Without our main offensive threat, both our attack and defence have become predictable."

Iizuna Tsukasa slowed the rhythm again.

They had to wait—for Taichi!

The Black Jackals quickly adjusted. Now that Meian Shūgo was in the front row, their blocking became tightly coordinated.

They're not moving?

Iizuna noticed that the Black Jackals had shifted into a predictive, centralised block formation—Meian Shūgo at the core, the other two spread slightly out.

"Give it to me!"

Kaedehara Taichi called out and jumped from the back row.

Meian Shūgo stayed unmoved, waiting until the ball left Iizuna's hands—

"Left side!"

"Double block!" Bokuto Kōtarō and Meian Shūgo jumped simultaneously.

Miya Atsumu, at the far right, couldn't catch up to join the block, but he backed into the three-meter line, ready to receive.

No triple block, but at least someone's tracking the hit. As expected of the Black Jackals' commander—his judgment and leadership are sharp.

Because of a slight delay in the set, the ball had dropped a bit by the time it reached Taichi. And since it came after he received the serve, this was a back-row attack.

This time, the Black Jackals had him fully covered.

Kaedehara Taichi tensed his arm and swung with full force.

BOOM!!!

BANG!!!

"Ow—damn, this guy hurts!" Meian Shūgo groaned, teeth clenched. "One touch!"

"Chance ball!" Inunaki Shion shouted, readying herself.

"I got it!"

Miya Atsumu moved in first—no need to waste the first touch on a ball like this.

Fwoosh—!

The ball soared toward the net. Sakusa Kiyoomi jumped from the back row to spike.

"Double block!" Tom Wilde and Kitajima Kippei went up together.

We won't stop that.