Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 301: Hope This Is a Good Thing (D-L)
"So terrifying…" Date Tech's coach Oiwake muttered to himself, resting his chin on his hand.
"We've long known that Kaedehara Taichi's strength isn't solely reliant on Oikawa Tōru, but compared to their unstoppable synergy, the current Kaedehara Taichi should have exploitable weaknesses."
"He's still at peak condition, so stopping him completely in the first set isn't realistic. The key is to sever his connection with his teammates. If we can force him into an isolated battle, he's bound to show some openings."
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"Yahaba, serve well!"
Yahaba Shigeru once again targeted Futakuchi Kenji with his serve.
"I got it!"
Since the ball wasn't particularly fast, Sakunami Kōsuke moved in from the left and received it in place of Futakuchi.
Koganegawa Kanji leapt and gently set the ball higher, allowing Futakuchi to launch an attack from the back row.
"Double block!" Kunimi Akira and Honda Heisuke jumped up.
Bang!
A high-reaching spike.
The ball landed precisely between Watari Shinji and Yahaba Shigeru.
Futakuchi Kenji scores.
[Aoba Johsai 4 – 3 Date Tech]
"A back-row attack, yet he still managed to spike over our block? Date Tech's offence is really tricky," Kunimi muttered, frowning.
"The issue lies in the timing of our blocks," Kaedehara Taichi answered after observing the play.
Koganegawa Kanji's sets were different from a typical setter's. He rarely sent long-distance tosses, instead opting to place the ball just slightly higher than its original trajectory.
This forced blockers to make two rapid decisions—first, whether Koganegawa was faking an attack, and second, when the spiker would actually hit the ball. If the blockers jumped even slightly too early or too late, they would land before the spiker even made contact.
But the biggest problem was that Koganegawa's potential for a second attack was nearly indistinguishable from his sets. Aoba Johsai's blockers could only focus on one or the other.
"Let's leave the second attacks to the back row," Yahaba suggested. "Koganegawa's spikes are straightforward, and his second touches are usually easy to read. As long as we anticipate his direction, we can still dig them."
"The front row should concentrate on stopping the spikers."
Kaedehara Taichi and Kunimi nodded. Adjusting to this unorthodox offensive style would take some time, but for now, this was the most reliable approach.
For the time being, though, they wouldn't have to deal with it again.
The serve switched hands. It was Date Tech's turn to serve, and Koganegawa rotated to the back row.
This meant there was no longer any threat of his second-touch attacks.
Koganegawa unleashed a powerful jump serve.
Bang!
Smack!
Watari Shinji received the ball cleanly, but the force behind it was immense!
Yahaba quickly stepped in and set the ball to the right side. Kaedehara Taichi jumped for the spike.
"Triple block!"
Boom!—
With Onagawa Tarō, standing at only 175cm, rotating into the front row, Date Tech's blocking line had a glaring weakness.
The ball sailed over Onagawa's outstretched hands and landed cleanly on the right sideline.
An in-bounds line shot.
Kaedehara Taichi scores!
[Aoba Johsai 5 – 3 Date Tech]
Aoba Johsai's chance had arrived.
The serve switched hands again. Kaedehara Taichi stepped up to serve.
"Tweet!—"
"Date Tech requests a timeout."
Taichi: "???"
Futakuchi Kenji and the Oiwake exchanged knowing smiles.
They had already decided on their timeout strategy before the match began—
"We cannot allow Kaedehara Taichi to play freely."
Date Tech was trailing Aoba Johsai by two points. It wasn't ideal, but it was still within their coach's expectations.
"You guys have been playing well. Aside from Aone's service error, all of Aoba Johsai's points so far have been scored by Taichi."
Aone Takanobu lowered his head.
The coach sighed, rubbing his temples. "Aone, it's fine. Just maintain the pressure on your serves."
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"…Okay."
"For Taichi's serve rotation, we need to limit our point losses to no more than three. When he's in the back row, Aoba Johsai's attack and blocking power weakens. We must take the lead before he rotates to the front row again."
His sharp gaze swept across the players.
"We have to make our move now."
"Yes!"
The timeout ended. The match resumed.
Clearly aware of their reception weakness, Date Tech adjusted their formation. Onagawa Tarō moved to the back right, creating a four-man reception line.
Kaedehara Taichi stepped onto the service line, his expression blank.
Both sides knew each other far too well. He was well aware that Date Tech was making these adjustments specifically to receive his serve.
But then again…
Everyone thought they could handle his serve.
And yet, none of them ever could.
Kaedehara Taichi tossed the ball up, his approach casual and unhurried.
Date Tech braced themselves like soldiers facing a siege.
Bang!
A floating jump serve aimed at the front row!
Every team had its own strengths, but no team could be perfect in every aspect.
For blocking-specialist teams, serve reception was their Achilles' heel. This was true for both Kamomedai and Date Tech.
Middle blocker Fukiage Jingo sprinted toward the right, trying to cover the gap left by Onagawa's repositioning.
Thud!
No contact. The ball hit the floor.
Kaedehara Taichi scores an ace.
[Aoba Johsai 6 – 3 Date Tech]
"…That didn't seem like luck. Taichi's control has gotten even sharper," Futakuchi murmured in thought.
Date Tech had two weak spots in reception: their back-row setter, Koganegawa Kanji, and their front-row middle blocker, Fukiage Jingo.
This meant they had no choice but to send Onagawa Tarō back to the front row.
But Kaedehara Taichi wasn't going to give them time to adjust.
As soon as the referee signalled for the next serve, he immediately tossed the ball up.
Bang!
"Damn it! This one's aimed at the back row?!" Futakuchi cursed. "How is he switching targets so effortlessly?!"
Koganegawa, who had impeccable blocking instincts, couldn't translate that skill into his reception. He barely had time to shuffle into position.
Smack!
The ball struck his foot and rebounded.
Sakunami Kōsuke instantly sprinted toward the baseline, diving for the save.
There was still a chance!
Smack!
Sakunami managed to pop the ball up. Futakuchi followed up with a high pass over the net, sending it back to Aoba Johsai.
"Che." Taichi clicked his tongue in annoyance as he jogged back into position.
"Chance ball!"
Yahaba perfectly set up Kunimi Akira for an attack.
"No way!" Fukiage Jingo jumped in front of him.
"Take this!"
Kunimi sent the ball left instead—where Kyōtani Kentarō was waiting.
Boom!—
Although Obara Yutaka reacted quickly and blocked his main angle, Kyōtani still had too many options.
The ball landed between Koganegawa and Sakunami.
A cross-court shot!
Kyōtani Kentarō hadn't even used his strongest attack.
[Aoba Johsai 7 – 3 Date Tech]
"…Is he trying to say he still has energy left?" Futakuchi sighed.
They had focused on countering Kaedehara Taichi, but every other Aoba Johsai player had grown into a formidable opponent as well.
"Kunimi, your set was too low," Kyōtani grumbled.
"Yeah, yeah…" Kunimi sighed. Honestly, considering the difficulty of a fake attack, Kyōtani had no right to complain. But…it was true that Kyōtani's jump was ridiculous for his height.
Being a setter meant understanding every attacker's strengths and quirks.
What a pain. Kunimi was now even more certain—he never wanted to be a full-time setter.
Kaedehara Taichi smirked provocatively. "Oh my, such a great opportunity, and you missed it, Futakuchi-senpai."
Futakuchi Kenji remained unfazed. "Koganegawa, if a ball falls near you, whether you go for it or not, you need to call it out loud!"
"Yes!"
Kaedehara Taichi chuckled. As expected, he wouldn't take the bait.
BOOM!
Kaedehara Taichi launched another powerful jump serve straight at Koganegawa Kanji.
"I got it!" Sakunami Kōsuke tracked the ball's trajectory and barely managed to receive it.
Smack!
The moment the ball made contact with his palm, it ricocheted uncontrollably.
"Save it—"
Thwack!
The ball struck Koganegawa Kanji square in the face and flew out of bounds.
Kaedehara Taichi's serve scored directly.
[Aoba Johsai 8 - 3 Date Tech]
"Koganegawa!" Sakunami Kōsuke rushed over, concerned.
"Sorry, it was too fast. I couldn't react in time." Koganegawa Kanji scratched his head with an awkward grin.
"Your face! Are you okay?"
"Oh, oh, I took it with the side of my face, so I'm fine!" Koganegawa Kanji flashed a confident smile.
Sakunami Kōsuke let out a sigh of relief. As long as he was okay…Though, at this point, there was no point in trying to understand what went on in Koganegawa Kanji's head.
In the blink of an eye, the score difference had grown to five points.
Date Tech still hadn't found a way to contain Kaedehara Taichi, and the first set was slipping further and further out of their reach.
"The plan stays the same. We can't let Aoba Johsai win this so easily!"
"Yes!"
-----
"YEEAAAAHHH!"
Koganegawa Kanji's loud roar echoed through the court.
"He actually scored off a back-row attack?"
"Well, Aoba Johsai's blocking in this formation is practically nonexistent!"
Kyōtani Kentarō was 178 cm, Kunimi Akira was 183 cm, and even their middle blocker, Honda Heisuke was only 184 cm. Aside from Onagawa Tarō, every Date Tech attacker had a clear height advantage over Aoba Johsai's current front-row players.
Date Tech had finally found stability in the latter half of the first set, preventing Aoba Johsai from further widening the gap.
[Aoba Johsai 23 - 19 Date Tech]
Among Aoba Johsai's points, Kaedehara Taichi had scored 13, Kyōtani Kentarō 6, while Kunimi Akira and Kindaichi Yūtarō had 1 each. Date Tech had given away 2 points due to errors.
In an effort to lessen Kaedehara Taichi's burden, Kunimi Akira and Kindaichi Yūtarō had attempted six attacks—four of which had been successfully countered by Date Tech.
Date Tech's serve.
Obara Yutaka sent a standard power jump serve toward Aoba Johsai's side. Yahaba Shigeru received it effortlessly.
"Left-wing!" Kyōtani Kentarō shouted.
Kunimi Akira sent a steady set.
"Triple block!" Fukiage Jingo, Onagawa Tarō, and Futakuchi Kenji lined up in front of him.
His cross-court shot was completely sealed off!
Kyōtani Kentarō could only see a narrow path past Fukiage Jingo's left side—but right behind that space was Obara Yutaka, already in position for defence.
Tap!
Kyōtani Kentarō lightly tipped the ball over the net, aiming for the empty space behind the blockers.
"I got it!"
A surprising figure appeared at the three-meter line.
Koganegawa Kanji leapt up and redirected the ball to the left. Obara Yutaka soared from the back row for the spike.
Bang!
The ball struck Kindaichi Yūtarō's arm and deflected out of bounds.
Obara Yutaka's back-row attack scored.
[Aoba Johsai 23 - 20 Date Tech]
"They read me?" Kunimi Akira grew frustrated as Date Tech's iron wall completely blocked his view.
In reality, Date Tech had merely predicted that Kyōtani Kentarō would opt for a tip rather than challenge the block head-on. However, even if it had been a spur-of-the-moment decision, their defensive reaction had been flawless.
Obara Yutaka sent his second serve—this time, it flew straight toward Kaedehara Taichi.
Smack!
Kaedehara Taichi received it cleanly. Yahaba Shigeru moved into position for the set. Aoba Johsai initiated a synchronized attack!
Date Tech didn't flinch.
Whoosh!—
Yahaba Shigeru set the ball to the right wing.
"Knew it was you!" Date Tech's blockers stacked up on the right.
Kaedehara Taichi soared from the back row for the spike.
"Triple block!"
Boom!
The ball arced over them, landing precisely behind Koganegawa Kanji.
Kaedehara Taichi's spike scored.
[Aoba Johsai 24 - 20 Date Tech]
With four set points in hand, the first set was all but decided.
"This guy is ridiculously difficult to deal with..." Futakuchi Kenji sighed.
"Futakuchi-senpai, you're not thinking of trying to exhaust me, are you?" Kaedehara Taichi teased.
In the past, he would have needed to go all-out on every jump to break through Date Tech's blocking. But now, with a better grasp of shot placement, he could score while conserving energy.
"Of course not. But, Taichi, how about letting your senpais block a couple of your spikes once in a while?" Futakuchi Kenji smiled as if they were the best of friends.
"That depends on whether you guys can last until the third set," Kaedehara Taichi grinned just as brightly.
"That's not right!" Koganegawa Kanji hesitated before protesting. "We have to take this match seriously! We can't let Taichi go easy on us!"
Kindaichi Yūtarō looked at Koganegawa Kanji in disbelief.
Kunimi Akira glanced at him. "You don't actually agree with him, do you?"
"Of course not!" Kindaichi Yūtarō declared firmly. "Taichi never holds back in training—why would he do it in a match?"
"...That's your reasoning?" Kunimi Akira pinched the bridge of his nose. He really should have known better than to expect anything from Kindaichi.
Futakuchi Kenji placed a hand over Koganegawa Kanji's face, blocking his vision and effectively shutting him up.
"The third set is happening for sure," he said. "It's been a while since we last played each other. We've got some unfinished business from last year's Spring Tournament qualifiers."
"Is that so?" Kaedehara Taichi remained unbothered. "I just hope your debts don't keep piling up..."
Aoba Johsai's serve.
Honda Heisuke's jump serve was received cleanly by Sakunami Kōsuke. The first pass was perfect.
Koganegawa Kanji set the ball to the middle. Onagawa Tarō jumped for the spike.
"Double block!" Kindaichi Yūtarō and Kyōtani Kentarō reacted quickly.
For a moment, it almost looked like their roles had reversed—Kindaichi Yūtarō resembling a Date Tech blocker, while Onagawa Tarō took on the role of Aoba Johsai's attacker.
Bang!
Onagawa Tarō's spike, like his jump, lacked any real intensity.
Thud!
The ball struck Kindaichi Yūtarō's arms and dropped between him and the net.
A wipe-out off the block.
Onagawa Tarō's spike scored.
[Aoba Johsai 24 - 21 Date Tech]
"Definitely a technical hitter," Kunimi Akira mused. "Otherwise, there's no way he'd be a starter at Date Tech with that height."
Date Tech's serve.
Fukiage Jingo went for a powerful jump serve.
Thud!
The ball struck the net and dropped.
A serve error.
Aoba Johsai scored.
[Aoba Johsai 25 - 21 Date Tech]
"Tweet—!"
The long whistle blew.
And just like that, the first set of the Prefectural Tournament finals ended in dramatic fashion.
Winner: Aoba Johsai.
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