Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 292: A Motley Crew
"Aoba Johsai's match yesterday was a complete domination, too."
"In the second set, Kaedehara Taichi was unstoppable—he actually scored nine consecutive points!"
March 16th. Once again, the stands were packed with spectators eager to watch Kaedehara Taichi in action.
Facing Tenzan South, who had also won their first two matches and carried strong momentum, Kaedehara Taichi struck first—his serves earning Aoba Johsai an immediate five-point lead at the start.
With thorough preparation, Kindaichi Yūtarō and Kunimi Akira focused their defence on Tenzan South's second-year ace, limiting him to just five points in the first set.
Despite having an extra win over Jisuikan, Tenzan South's performance was not much better. On the contrary, as Yahaba Shigeru gradually settled into the match's rhythm, his coordination with Kyōtani Kentarō led to a six-point scoring streak in the second set.
[Aoba Johsai 25 – 12 Tenzan South]
[Aoba Johsai 25 – 10 Tenzan South]
Aoba Johsai once again crushed their opponents with ease, securing their spot in the next round as Group A's first seed.
The audience enjoyed an exciting match, though some were disappointed that—aside from his strong serving at the start—Kaedehara Taichi did not put on another dazzling display.
As the second day of the Prefectural Tournament concluded, the official Top 8 teams were decided. Based on the upcoming quarterfinal matchups:
[Aoba Johsai vs. Shiratorizawa]
[Ohgiminami vs. Sengoku Tech]
[Kadokawa Industrial vs. Johzenji]
[Karasuno vs. Date Tech]
"Once again, Kaedehara Taichi didn't go all out today. But if we look at yesterday's match, his ball control is already terrifying."
In the stands, Date Tech's Obara Yutaka stood up, talking on the phone with his captain, Futakuchi Kenji.
"The other attackers have improved, but it's still within expectations. Kyōtani Kentarō's attacks have become a bit more flexible, which might be troublesome. The rest—including their new starting wing spiker—were fairly average."
"Yeah, exactly. We still have no answer for Kaedehara Taichi, but this version of Aoba Johsai…definitely has weaknesses we can exploit."
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"Who would've thought? Without Nakashima-senpai, Wakunan didn't even make the Top 8 this year."
After the match, the Aoba Johsai players gathered around Chiba Kaho, who had just brought them the updated tournament bracket. Yahaba Shigeru sighed at the news.
With third-years retiring, every team had undergone changes. Only a select few powerhouses—those with solid foundations and well-developed training systems—remained largely unaffected.
For most, new members needed time to integrate. Tactics had to be reworked.
As team captain, Yahaba Shigeru often found himself feeling inadequate. Among the second-years, only Kyōtani Kentarō had the individual ability to stand out. The rest—himself included—were nowhere near the level of Kaedehara Taichi and the first-years.
At the very least, he didn't want to hold the team back. With that mindset, Yahaba Shigeru was always among the last to leave after extra individual training sessions.
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"Ohgiminami?"
Kaedehara Taichi's gaze landed on a familiar name.
Wasn't that the team led by that delinquent-looking captain?
They had lost to Shiratorizawa in the Interhigh qualifiers last year. Then they were eliminated by Karasuno in the Spring High preliminaries. Talk about bad luck.
But if they had managed to break through the group stage this time, then luck alone wouldn't be enough. They must have grown significantly since then.
"Something wrong?" Kunimi Akira asked, noticing the unfamiliar name.
"Nothing," Kaedehara Taichi shook his head. "I just saw one of their matches before, that's all."
"I see," Kunimi replied indifferently. "If they keep winning, we'll be facing them soon."
"Yeah, but it doesn't really matter who we play," Kaedehara Taichi said nonchalantly. "As long as we're strong enough, things like matchups and luck are just problems for others to worry about."
"Taichi!"
Hearing someone call his name, Kaedehara Taichi turned around, surprised to see Karasuno's players standing at the entrance of the venue.
Hinata Shōyō ran over excitedly. "Congratulations on your group stage victory!"
"Idiot, as if Aoba Johsai could possibly lose here," Kageyama Tobio muttered, following behind him.
"Congratulations on making it out of your group as well," Taichi replied with a smile. Running into Karasuno was a pleasant surprise. If he wanted to face them in a match, it wouldn't be happening as soon as he initially thought.
Both teams would have to keep winning all the way to the final to meet.
[Hinata Shōyō—Middle Blocker: Overall Rating: 88; Height: 163 cm, Strength: 70, Jump: 97, Stamina: 99, Speed: 96; Key Attributes: Receive: 80, Spike: 88.]
[Kageyama Tobio—Setter: Overall Rating: 93; Height: 182 cm, Strength: 92, Jump: 90, Stamina: 98, Speed: 90; Key Attributes: Serve: 96, Set: 97.]
These two were still as terrifying as ever. Hinata's skills had improved at an incredible pace, and Kageyama seemed to have gotten even stronger. More importantly, their combination was still greater than the sum of its parts.
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"Taichi, as long as I'm here, this idiot won't lose to you!" Kageyama declared, his gaze sharp.
"Oh? That confident?" Taichi stepped forward until he was right in front of Kageyama. "Is that the courage you gained from not having Oikawa-senpai around?"
"!!!"
Hinata instinctively leapt backwards as if sensing danger—only to crash directly into Tsukishima Kei, who had been approaching leisurely from behind.
"You really are just a monkey acting on instinct, huh?" Tsukishima pressed a hand against Hinata's head in exasperation.
"Whether Oikawa-senpai is here or not, I would still say the same thing," Kageyama retorted without hesitation. "Karasuno is strong. We fear no opponent!"
A group clad in jet-black uniforms stood in front of Taichi, the tension in the air thick enough to cut with a knife.
"Is that Karasuno? Are they provoking Aoba Johsai?"
"A fight's not gonna break out, is it?"
"Quick, let's go see!"
Taichi quietly observed Karasuno's lineup—Nishinoya Yū, Tanaka Ryūnosuke, Ennoshita Chikara, Tsukishima Kei, Yamaguchi Tadashi...
Even though Karasuno had lost their third-years, their remaining players had grown stronger. Compared to last year, there was no doubt—they were even more formidable now.
"Pfft—" Taichi suddenly let out a chuckle. "So, who's your ace now? Tanaka-senpai? Ennoshita-senpai? Don't tell me it's Yamaguchi?"
"You brat!" Tanaka's expression darkened.
"Tanaka!" Karasuno's new captain, Ennoshita, immediately clamped a hand over his face before he could charge forward.
"Volleyball has never been a one-man sport. Karasuno doesn't win matches because of just one person!"
"Who said he was alone?" A calm voice cut in.
Kunimi Akira had stepped beside Taichi, his gaze shifting to Kageyama. "That's something Aoba Johsai understood long before Karasuno ever did."
For a brief second, Kageyama hesitated, shifting his eyes away.
Tsukishima looked thoroughly unimpressed. "You guys are completely useless at crucial moments, huh…"
"As long as the ball doesn't hit the ground, the game isn't over!"
Nishinoya took a step forward, his posture unwavering. Despite the nearly 30 cm height difference between him and Taichi, his intensity never faltered.
[Nishinoya Yū—Libero: Overall Rating: 90; Height: 160 cm, Strength: 72, Jump: 95, Stamina: 99, Speed: 98; Key Attributes: Receive: 95, Set: 85.]
He was strong! As he approached his third year, Nishinoya had clearly continued developing. He had even improved his setting ability.
"Then let's see if you're still saying the same thing when we meet in the finals."
Taichi smiled warmly.
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[Author's note]:
Since this was briefly mentioned before but didn't get much discussion at the time, I didn't expect such a strong reaction. So, let me emphasize a few points:
First, introducing new characters in the second year is absolutely necessary. Otherwise, most teams would be severely lacking players.
Second, new characters need to bring some degree of change to their teams. Otherwise, every school would only grow weaker over time.
Lastly, these aren't characters randomly pulled from other universes into this one. They simply serve as inspiration for newly created players—borrowing external appearances and personality traits for convenience. This has been stated before, but it seems like many people didn't take notice.
Originally, this was just meant as a fun Easter egg for those who recognized it. But somehow, it spiralled into discussions about superpowers and selective fan engagement…
Every time we transition into a new arc, there's always some pushback. Some people already feel that Spring Nationals isn't as exciting as the Interhigh.
So all I want to say is—be patient. Let the story unfold.
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[T/N] - If you guys want to read 50 Chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on my Patreon. Trust me, it's awesome!
Link - /Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]
P.S.- What I explained earlier. It seems like the author forgot to explain it properly and got trolled by his readers. Geez, these Chinese people are absolutely ruthless lol!
So, with all these information at your disposal....place your bets~!
