Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 308: Fresh Blood (D-L)

"What was that?"

"So…so strong!"

Even from the sidelines, the freshmen could feel the sheer pressure of Kaedehara Taichi's block just now.

"Weren't those two from Kitagawa Daiichi—Tōma Kaoru and Yamabuki Yūjin? I thought the ball would go to the left side."

"As expected of Taichi-senpai…"

Nakamori Daiki rested his chin on his hand. This was his first time experiencing indoor volleyball up close.

Beach volleyball and indoor volleyball were different—not only was the ball much slower in beach volleyball, but double blocks were also far less common.

"That wasn't entirely Taichi's doing. The first blocker, that tall guy, sealed off the attacker's angle, forcing him to adjust his shot. That's why Taichi was able to catch him."

Yūki Yōji glanced at him. He hadn't expected such a small guy to be so observant.

"Seeing Kindaichi-senpai's block up close…that was incredible. It seemed like he didn't judge the set's direction immediately, but he still caught up to Yamabuki Yūjin's attack purely with his reaction speed."

"As expected of a champion team's middle blocker."

For the first time, Yūki Yōji realized he shouldn't be focusing only on Taichi-senpai. The rest of the seniors were just as strong.

Tōma Kaoru stood frozen. His set hadn't fooled a single person…

Not only had his set direction been read, but even Yūjin's spike had been completely shut down.

"Again." Yamabuki Yūjin clenched his fist. "Tōma, we're scoring this time!"

"Got it!"

Kaedehara Taichi watched the two with a bright smile. Players from Kitagawa Daiichi were still on a different level—at least, their offensive rhythm wasn't bad. They hadn't panicked even when faced with Kindaichi's block.

[Yamabuki Yūjin—Overall Rating: 80; Height: 183.8 cm, Strength: 82, Jump: 85, Stamina: 75, Speed: 80; Key Attributes: Receive: 80, Spike: 80.]

[Tōma Kaoru—Overall Rating: 80; Height: 175 cm, Strength: 75, Jump: 80, Stamina: 70, Speed: 85; Key Attributes: Receive: 88, Set: 85.]

No surprise there—they were Kunimi and Kindaichi's juniors. Already at the level of a starting player on an average team.

The serve rotated to Kunimi Akira.

"Kunimi, don't go easy on them," Kaedehara Taichi called out.

"What a pain…" Kunimi muttered listlessly.

Bang!

Kunimi sent a float serve over.

Amidst the crowded freshmen, the ball was received cleanly.

"That was weak," Kyōtani Kentarō scoffed without hesitation.

Kunimi: "…" Right, he forgot there was a tryhard over here.

Tōma Kaoru quickly repositioned. Five players in the freshman team's front row moved in for an attack, and this time, Tōma completely avoided the blockers' reach before setting.

Boom!

Smack!

Kunimi read the attack and received the ball.

"I got it!"

Kaedehara Taichi quickly set the ball to the left.

Kyōtani Kentarō approached at an angle, running from outside the boundary back into the court. One step, two steps, three steps—the last one landed just a fraction before the intersection of the three-meter line and the sideline.

Thud!

Kyōtani soared, right arm drawn back, legs kicking up behind him to balance his body. In midair, he was a perfect bowstring pulled taut.

"Four-man block!"

All the freshmen had seen Kyōtani-senpai's signature spike before, and under these special rules, they gave him the utmost respect.

BOOM!!!—

With a resounding impact, the ball compressed violently against Kyōtani's palm before blasting through the freshmen's wall of hands like a beam of light.

Thud!

Completely unimpeded, the ball struck the floor and bounced high into the air.

The freshman who had tried to block the shot landed awkwardly, unable to stabilize, dragging down two others with him.

Four freshmen over 180 cm tall. And yet, they couldn't stop a spike from Kyōtani Kentarō, who was barely under 180 cm.

"Hmph." Kyōtani's gaze toward the freshmen was anything but friendly.

"Even without the blond hair, Mad Dog-senpai is still terrifying." Kaedehara Taichi looked utterly amused.

"Wait, isn't Taichi-senpai not planning to spike at all?"

"Yeah, he passed the ball again just now."

"What the hell is this…"

Kunimi sent his second serve.

Bang!

The ball wobbled over the net before plummeting down.

"No way!"

Yamabuki Yūjin dove forward, barely keeping the ball alive.

A freshman followed up and set the ball high.

"That's a terrible set!" Tōma Kaoru shouted.

The ball hung in the centre.

Boom!—

"Double block!"

—Smack!

The ball struck Kindaichi Yūtarō's arms and dropped straight down.

Tap, tap, tap…

[3-0]

Even in an 11-on-6 match, numbers meant nothing.

Yamabuki Yūjin had seen it clearly—despite only two blockers on the other side, the freshman team couldn't break through at all.

The pressure was overwhelming.

"They're only a year older than us…" Yamabuki Yūjin's eyes wavered. Can I really stand on the same court as them?

"Taichi, aren't you going too far?" Yahaba Shigeru questioned, a bit worried.

"Am I?" Kaedehara Taichi turned to him. "They were the ones who underestimated us first. They weren't even taking this seriously."

"Hm?" Yahaba looked confused.

Kaedehara Taichi stepped up to the net. "Yamabuki-kun, why didn't you save that ball just now, the one Kindaichi blocked?"

"How could I possibly…" Yamabuki started to retort instinctively, but then the image replayed in his mind.

The ball had landed right by his hand.

"You have 11 players. You were positioned right behind the spiker. Normally, this would be a rare opportunity."

"You never considered the possibility that your attack could be blocked? Did you underestimate our defense?"

"Or did you think your only responsibility was to spike?"

"I…" Yamabuki froze.

"If you had picked that ball up, your setter could've sent it to the opposite side, completely shaking off our blockers."

"You're physically and technically inferior to us, yet you refuse to think, refuse to use your numbers to your advantage. You don't even play as a team."

"You guys sure are relaxed." Taichi's voice carried obvious sarcasm.

"…What am I even doing?" Yamabuki Yūjin stood there, frustration written all over his face.

"Thank you for the lesson, senpai! We'll work harder!" Tōma Kaoru shouted. "Yūjin, let's get the next point!"

"…There's a good one in the bunch, at least." Kaedehara Taichi glanced at the small setter with interest.

"But—swap out." His grin turned mischievous. "The game's over. You guys don't get another chance."

Tōma Kaoru: "???"

"Taichi-senpai, what do you mean?" Yamabuki Yūjin looked confused. "Wasn't it first to ten points?"

"Oh, right." Kaedehara Taichi said lightly. "Forgot to tell you—the score was 7-9 just now. You had three match points."

"Too bad we overtook you."

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"…THAT WAS THE SCORE?!!" Yamabuki Yūjin was in complete disbelief.

"So we actually only needed one more point to win?!" The freshmen muttered among themselves.

Tōma Kaoru was speechless. Did anyone actually believe Taichi-senpai's nonsense? He clearly just made that up on the spot.

"Alright, alright, hurry up and bring the next batch in!"

Kaedehara Taichi glanced toward the sidelines—there were still two eager newcomers he wanted to take a look at.

The first batch of freshmen grumbled as they stepped off the court, though some of them let out a sigh of relief. Even though they hadn't even touched the ball, just standing on the court had been enough to make them feel immense pressure.

"Taichi, did the freshmen team really have three match points just now? Why didn't you tell me?" Kindaichi Yūtarō whispered, thinking he must have misheard some rule.

Kaedehara Taichi: "…..."

"Wasn't it just to keep you from getting nervous? Knowing now isn't too late either."

"Oh, oh." Kindaichi Yūtarō nodded seriously. "But during practice, you have to overcome these emotions."

"Yes, yes, yes." Kaedehara Taichi sighed helplessly. The only encouraging thing was that Kindaichi hadn't asked that question out loud just now...

The second batch of first-years had already entered the court and taken their positions.

"Taichi-senpai, does this mean we also win if we score a single point?" Yūki Yōji asked before the match began.

"That's right! As long as you score one point, you win." Kaedehara Taichi looked at him approvingly—this big guy was much sharper than Kindaichi.

[Yūki Yōji—Overall Rating: 82; Height: 195 cm, Strength: 90, Jump: 78, Stamina: 78, Speed: 75; Key Attributes: Block: 88, Spike: 83.]

[Nakamori Daiki—Overall Rating: (Pending); Height: 168 cm, Strength: 80, Jump: 95, Stamina: 90, Speed: 95; Key Attributes: Pending.]

Aside from his height, this kid was a complete monster in terms of talent. But transitioning from beach volleyball would take some time to adjust. A genius from the seaside—what kind of change would he bring to Aoba Johsai?

"Tweet!—"

The referee's whistle blew, signalling the start of the match. As usual, the first-years served first.

Nakamori Daiki pressed the volleyball firmly, noticing that it was smaller and harder than the ones used in beach volleyball.

He tossed the ball up and sprinted forward—the small figure moving with incredible speed.

"He can jump serve?" Honda Heisuke was a little surprised.

Bang!

"It's definitely faster," Nakamori Daiki noted to himself.

The ball wobbled through the air toward Aoba Johsai's back row. Though the serve was faster, the knuckleball effect had weakened significantly, and the ball was flying lower than he expected.

"Damn—"

The ball clipped the net, tumbled over, and dropped into Aoba Johsai's court.

"This kid! That was pure luck!" Kunimi Akira lunged forward.

Aoba Johsai's front row lineup for this rotation was Kyōtani Kentarō, Kunimi Akira, and Honda Heisuke, while the back row consisted of Watari Shinji, Yahaba Shigeru, and Kaedehara Taichi.

Smack!

"Save it!" Kunimi Akira shouted.

Yahaba Shigeru swiftly repositioned himself and set the ball to the left side. Without hesitation, Kyōtani Kentarō leaped up for a spike.

"Three-man block!"

With Yūki Yōji anchoring the centre, a three-man block formed in front of Kyōtani. Though fewer in number than the four-man block earlier, it carried even greater intensity.

Since this was a practice match, Kyōtani had no reason to hold back. Tightening his arm, he slammed the ball straight at Yūki Yōji.

Boom!!!

Smack!

He held on!

Yūki Yōji's arms trembled slightly but ultimately resisted, preventing the ball from piercing through.

"One touch!" Yūki Yōji called out.

The ball soared high into the air.

"I got it!" Nakamori Daiki was already in position before the ball even fell.

Smack!

A delicate touch—his reception was spot-on.

The setter calmly directed the ball to the right side, where Yūki Yōji jumped up for a spike.

"Double block!"

Kunimi Akira and Honda Heisuke jumped up.

At 195 cm, Yūki Yōji was already a lethal weapon. The block that had stopped the first batch of first-years was nothing more than a minor obstacle to him.

Boom!

The ball flew straight into Aoba Johsai's backcourt, its trajectory straightforward and direct.

"I got it!"

Smack!

Kaedehara Taichi received the ball perfectly.

"Nice receive!" Yahaba Shigeru leaped up to set.

With multiple players involved in the rally, Kunimi Akira's attack wouldn't be as effective. Yahaba opted to send the ball back to the left side.

"If I can't score here, what difference would it make from before?" Kyōtani Kentarō's intensity reached its peak as he leaped high into the air.

"Three-man block!"

Having just attacked from the right, Yūki Yōji rushed to block on the left, but his movements were clearly strained.

Boom!!!—

The ball slipped through a gap in the block and slammed into the first-years' court.

Smack!

This time, no one placed their entire hope on the block.

Nakamori Daiki had already positioned himself in advance.

However, when the ball struck his forearm, it bounced far out of bounds.

"This is insane..." Daiki shook his aching arm.

"Nice spike!" Yahaba Shigeru praised.

Kyōtani Kentarō cast a deep look at Nakamori Daiki. His instincts told him—this kid was far from ordinary.

The serve switched sides.

Honda Heisuke sent a standard jump serve over the net, which Nakamori Daiki easily received.

The setter almost felt spoiled—he barely had to move, just standing there waiting for the ball.

Whoosh!—

The ball was sent to the right again. Yūki Yōji took his approach and jumped high.

"Double block!"

Kindaichi Yūtarō and Kyōtani Kentarō jumped up.

Once Kindaichi rotated to the front row, Yūki Yōji immediately felt twice the pressure.

Boom!

The ball barely cleared the block and flew toward Aoba Johsai's backcourt.

Smack!

Kaedehara Taichi once again delivered a perfect reception.

"...Even his receiving..." Yamabuki Yūjin, watching from the sidelines, stared at Taichi in a daze. I have to compete with this Taichi-senpai for the ace position...?

Kunimi Akira set the ball, and Kindaichi took his approach. His knees bent slightly as he feigned a jump.

"Three-man block!"

The first-years' blockers began descending from their jump.

Only then did Kindaichi actually take off.

Boom!

A perfectly timed delayed spike!

The ball landed right behind the block.

Kindaichi Yūtarō had scored.

"Only one point left." Kaedehara Taichi's smile sent waves of pressure through the first-years.

"No way…we can't even score a single point?" The first-years fell silent.

Honda Heisuke served again.

Smack!

Another first-year easily received it, with Nakamori Daiki deliberately staying out of the pass.

"I got it!" Nakamori Daiki quickly stepped in as the setter.

With their numbers, a multi-pronged attack would be the most effective approach, but perhaps fearing mistakes, the first-years hesitated to act.

"All in!" Yūki Yōji quickly understood Nakamori Daiki's intent, shouting as he initiated the attack.

With six potential attackers, Aoba Johsai's blocking was completely scattered.

But receiving only required focusing on where the setter delivered the ball.

Whoosh!—

With Kindaichi tightly marking Yūki Yōji, Nakamori Daiki had no choice but to set the ball to the left side.

A first-year attacker jumped for a spike.

"Body positioning, eye movement, arm swing..." Kaedehara Taichi muttered as he watched the attacker.

Bang!

Smack!

Once again, it was Kaedehara Taichi who received the ball.

"Set it for me!" Kaedehara Taichi sprinted from the baseline.

Yahaba Shigeru positioned himself and delivered the set.

BAM!

Kaedehara Taichi launched from the back row.

"Three-man block!" Yūki Yōji led the defence.

Boom!!~

The ball sailed over the block, curving through the air toward Nakamori Daiki.

So fast!

The ball dropped sharply, shifting horizontally midair.

Bang!

No contact at all!

Nakamori Daiki's outstretched arms remained frozen.

A complete miss!

Kaedehara Taichi had scored.

"Hehe, game over. Welcome to Aoba Johsai."

_________

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