Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

This was the perfect opportunity to turn the tide—a chance they had fought tooth and nail to create!

Oikawa Tōru tossed the ball into the air. He had to—

BANG!

This wasn't just about disrupting the opponent's rhythm. This time, he was aiming for a direct point!

The ball shot toward Kamomedai's backcourt in an instant. The 169 cm Hoshiumi Kōrai positioned himself in front of the 203 cm Hakuba Gao, shielding him.

Smack!

Oikawa's target was the libero on the opposite side!

"Save it!" Kanbayashi Keiichirō shouted.

The ball was flying out of bounds—

"Damn it!" Oikawa and Hoshiumi cursed at the same time.

One had aimed for an ace.

The other wanted to be in the front row to attack.

Smack!

"Gao!!!"

Hoshiumi barely managed to get the ball back into play, and Hakuba leapt from the back row to spike it.

BOOM!

The ball dropped straight into Aoba Johsai's backcourt. Even with an unstable approach, he could still generate that kind of power. Watari Shinj! couldn't help but feel a twinge of admiration.

Smack! Watari received the ball cleanly.

Oikawa stepped in and set the ball to the left. Aoba Johsai was back in their element.

BAM!

Kaedehara Taichi leapt from the front row.

"Triple block!" Hirugami Sachirō had deliberately positioned himself in the center of their three-man wall.

BOOM!

Kaedehara's spike soared over Nozawa's hands—

A left-handed spike!

With the block limiting his angles, Kanbayashi had already tracked the ball's trajectory.

THUD!

The ball struck Kanbayashi's arms but ricocheted out of bounds.

Kaedehara Taichi scored!

[Aoba Johsai 26 – 25 Kamomedai]

Aoba Johsai took the lead!

"Is this guy…a monster?!!" Kanbayashi's mind echoed the same shock that Bessho Kazuyoshi had felt earlier.

The power was so overwhelming he couldn't absorb the impact, and now his arms were still tingling…

And this was match point for Aoba Johsai!

"Kanbayashi-senpai, can I leave the next reception to you?" Hoshiumi was already thinking about the next play. Falling behind in score wasn't a problem—they just needed to take the point back.

"Go focus on your attack." The one answering him was Suwa Aikichi. He subtly shifted his position forward, standing between Hakuba and Hoshiumi.

Oikawa served again.

BANG!!

Suwa had just boasted, but he barely had time to react. The ball whizzed past his side.

Smack!

The ball soared high.

"Nice receive! Kōrai!"

"Right wing!"

Steadying himself, Hoshiumi immediately dashed to the front row. They couldn't give Taichi another chance to attack!

No matter what, they had to win this point!

He had to win this point!!

To respond to everyone's expectations—

To fire up his team's spirit with his score—

BAM!!

At that moment, Hoshiumi soared above everyone else!

Even at 169 cm, he never stopped striving for height.

Bang!—

"Triple block!" Kaedehara Taichi, Kindaichi Yūtarō, and Iwaizumi Hajime jumped to meet him.

The ball sailed over Kindaichi's hands, dropping straight onto Aoba Johsai's backline.

Thud!

Hoshiumi Kōrai scored!

[Aoba Johsai 26 – 26 Kamomedai]

"Receiving Oikawa's powerful serve and then immediately scoring!"

"Hoshiumi Kōrai!!!"

They didn't care about the 'momentum' of the match.

The only thing that mattered was whether their plays connected well or not.

Whether they gained or lost points—it was all up to them.

On this court, there was nothing Kamomedai couldn't handle.

Service rotation—Hoshiumi moved to the front row!

Nozawa served a floating jump serve. Kamomedai's energy was surging!

Kunimi Akira received the ball. Oikawa set it up.

There was only one thing Aoba Johsai had to do—give the ball to Kaedehara Taichi!

Kaedehara took off from his approach. Kamomedai's strongest blockers had already formed two-thirds of their triple block!

"Triple block!" Suwa, Hirugami, and Hoshiumi rose in front of him.

BANG!!

The ball struck Hirugami's arms—

It didn't break through the block, but—

The ball rebounded off the net, dropping right between Hirugami and the net!

Net-touch off the block!

"It's not over yet."

Hirugami barely managed to land before dropping to his knees. His upper body tilted back at a 45-degree angle, hands forming a stable platform—

Smack!

He lifted the ball!

"Suwa-senpai!"

Suwa quickly set the ball to the right wing. Hoshiumi sprinted over and jumped.

"Double block!" Kindaichi and Iwaizumi pressed close.

Boom!—

The ball landed on the three-meter line to Aoba Johsai's left.

A sharp cross-court spike!

Hoshiumi Kōrai scored!

[Aoba Johsai 26 – 27 Kamomedai]

Another lead change!

Kamomedai took two points in a row!!

"I am Hoshiumi Kōrai!!!"

"Kaedehara looked like he had secured that point, but Hirugami made a miraculous save!"

"And Hoshiumi immediately capitalized on the counterattack! His final spike was in the complete opposite direction of his body angle…"

"Making a perfect dig right after blocking—these national-level players are terrifying." Kuroo Tetsurō curled up on the bench, mimicking Kenma Kozume's usual posture.

"I remember seeing him in the national middle school tournament," Kenma murmured. "He was strong, but he always looked like he was barely holding on, always on the verge of breaking down."

"Even scarier than someone like Bokuto, who trains relentlessly?" Kuroo mused.

"I wonder…what happened to him since then?"

-----

"Heh, I actually pulled it off this time!" Hirugami grinned, showing off to Hoshiumi.

—Well, it's not like you'll die if you mess up.

"Nice save!" Hoshiumi high-fived him with a bright smile.

From strangers to closest teammates—

All it took was one conversation on a painful afternoon after a crushing loss, when they both looked up at the same sky.

Nozawa served again.

Watari received the ball, and Taichi fired off a straight-line spike past a three-man block, barely clipping the boundary.

BOOM!!—

Kaedehara Taichi scored!

[Aoba Johsai 27 – 27 Kamomedai]

Service switch—Aoba Johsai to serve.

Iwaizumi launched a powerful jump serve—Kanbayashi received it. Hirugami set the ball to the right wing.

Hoshiumi spiked down a straight-line shot just inside the boundary!

[Aoba Johsai 27 – 28 Kamomedai]

Kamomedai regained the serve. Hakuba Gao moved to the front row, forming Kamomedai's strongest blocking lineup.

So it's finally here…

Kaedehara Taichi eyed the three blockers in Kamomedai's front row. If they couldn't overcome this wall, defeating Kamomedai would be out of the question.

"This time, I'll block you for sure!"

Hakuba Gao had endured unbearable frustration while playing in the back row—he never wanted to feel that helpless again.

The front row was where his two-meter height could truly shine!

Suwa Aikichi sent a jump float serve over the net.

Iwaizumi Hajime received it—after two full sets, he had finally managed a perfect pass!

"Kindaichi! Nice receive!"

From the back row, Oikawa Tōru leapt as if to spike, attempting to mislead the opposing blockers and create an opening for Taichi.

"No more tricks!" Hakuba Gao stood alone in front of Oikawa, ready to block.

Whoosh—!

As expected, Oikawa set the ball to the middle—straight to Kaedehara Taichi.

Two meters was a daunting height, and combined with his wingspan, even a slightly late jump could still reach the necessary blocking height.

"Triple block!"

Hirugami Sachirō, Hoshiumi Kōrai, and Hakuba Gao—all three blockers were right in front of Taichi. Not a single one was missing!

Kaedehara Taichi tensed his arm, his gaze locking onto Kamomedai's blockers as their arms stiffened in anticipation.

"Heh…Let's see how this goes."

Suspended mid-air, Taichi fully extended his body, pulling his right arm far back before swinging it forward in a rapid motion. His elbow opened just enough, and at the moment of impact, his wrist snapped downward with force.

—BOOM!!!—

The ball struck Hakuba Gao's forearms and ricocheted high—flying far beyond the court's baseline.

"Touch!" Hakuba Gao shouted.

Kanbayashi Keiichirō had already started chasing after it but slowed halfway—

The ball landed in the hands of a spectator in Kamomedai's cheering section.

Out off the block—Kaedehara Taichi scores with a spike!

[Aoba Johsai 28 – 28 Kamomedai]

Hearing the gasps from the crowd, Hakuba Gao finally turned around.

Where's the ball?

He looked at his teammates, only to see Kanbayashi pointing upward.

Hakuba's eyebrow twitched. That's even possible? This was the central court, after all—it had several extra meters of space beyond the baseline compared to other courts.

Kaedehara Taichi rolled his shoulder. He had swung so hard that, for a moment, he thought his arm might have flown off.

Still, he had won back the serve in just one play. Totally worth it.

Kindaichi Yūtarō stepped onto the service line.

"Hmph. Next time, I will catch you!" Hakuba Gao said, snapping back to focus.

"Oh? Well, good luck." Taichi replied nonchalantly. He never made promises he couldn't keep.

Kindaichi sent a powerful jump serve flying over the net.

Suwa Aikichi received it cleanly.

Hoshiumi Kōrai set the ball to the right-wing—Hakuba Gao went up for the spike.

"Double block!"

Matsukawa Issei and Kaedehara Taichi jumped to block.

Damn—! Taichi could feel it—his jump was lower than before. He had been pushing too hard on both offence and defence.

Boom!—

Hakuba Gao spiked over Taichi's block!

Smack!

"Iwaizumi-senpai! Nice dig!" Taichi exhaled in relief.

Oikawa covered the play, and Aoba Johsai launched a counterattack!

Bang!

From the left wing, Matsukawa Issei drove the ball down—Suwa Aikichi kept it alive with a perfect pass.

"I got it!"

But in this moment, the most dangerous option was still—

"Kōrai!!!"

Hirugami Sachirō sent the ball high to the middle.

THUMP!

Hoshiumi Kōrai soared!

The higher the jump, the longer the hang time. If the blockers jumped with him, they would inevitably land first—giving Hoshiumi a clear shot.

That meant one thing—timing the block was everything!

Boom!—

—Smack!

Hoshiumi's spike struck Kaedehara Taichi's forearms and immediately bounced back into Kamomedai's court!

SCORE!

[Aoba Johsai 29 – 28 Kamomedai]

"Got you, Hoshiumi-senpai!" Taichi grinned.

Though it was a double block, the timing had been off—Taichi was the one who stuffed the ball in the end.

"No way—Hoshiumi's wipe shot didn't work, and now even his standard attack got blocked?"

"Aoba Johsai's blocking isn't as overwhelming as Kamomedai's, but it's definitely strong!"

Aoba Johsai had stolen a critical point—through a block, no less!

"Kindaichi! Give us a good serve!"

Kaedehara Taichi took a deep breath. To beat Kamomedai, they had to dominate in every aspect of the game!

Kindaichi served again.

"I got it!" Kanbayashi Keiichirō received it perfectly.

Kamomedai's two main spikers had just failed to score—it was impossible not to feel a hint of frustration.

But this time, Kamomedai launched a triple attack!

Aoba Johsai's defense was forced to spread thin.

Whoosh—!

Suwa Aikichi set the ball to the middle. Kamomedai's unchanging choice—Hoshiumi Kōrai!

Boom!!

The spike cleared the block, shooting straight for the baseline!

Smack!

Oikawa Tōru dove, somehow keeping the ball in play. As long as the ball was up, they still had a chance to score!

Kunimi Akira scrambled into position, setting the ball high to the right wing.

Kaedehara Taichi took off!

"TRIPLE BLOCK!!!"

"I'M SICK OF SEEING THIS!!!"

Taichi roared as he swung—his arm carving an arc through the air like a sledgehammer.

BOOM!!!—

A deafening impact echoed through the arena.

The ball warped on contact, blasting through the tiny gap between Hoshiumi Kōrai and Hakuba Gao's hands.

Kamomedai's seemingly unbreakable defence was shattered!

The ball slammed into the floor behind the blockers and shot high into the air—

-----

The entire stadium froze.

The sound of that explosion seemed to linger in the silence.

For a moment, nothing else existed.

Kaedehara Taichi scores!

[Aoba Johsai 30 – 28 Kamomedai]

"Tweet—!"

The long whistle blew.

Even as the referee signalled the end, the audience remained dazed for a second longer.

Set Two—over.

Winner: Aoba Johsai.

In the national semifinals, Aoba Johsai had swept Kamomedai 2-0, securing a decisive victory.

Kamomedai High School—eliminated in the semifinals.

Aoba Johsai advances to the finals!

_________

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