Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 360: Is This Really Just the Warm-Up?
"Hey, hey, it looks like Kaedehara Taichi is about to go in!"
"For real? He's starting to warm up!"
"He's really waiting until the semifinals to show up, huh. He's got a pretty big ego."
"Well, Aoba Johsai pretty much breezed through all their matches before this. They won every single one in straight sets."
"Mm...yeah, that's true..."
The third round of the Interhigh preliminaries was underway. The morning match between Date Tech and Shiratorizawa had already ended.
As expected, Date Tech claimed the first ticket to Nationals.
Still, the fact that Shiratorizawa lost 0–2 had left many spectators—especially those who had been watching from the start—somewhat stunned and speechless.
Now, it was the afternoon. This was probably the most anticipated match of the preliminaries so far.
The once-dormant powerhouse Karasuno, now fully revived, was facing off against Miyagi's new kings—Aoba Johsai.
After an entire year, the two teams were finally meeting again in an official match.
Whoever won this afternoon's match would become Miyagi's second representative at Nationals.
"The Karasuno guys all look super serious," Kimura Ryōta muttered lazily as he leaned over the second-floor railing.
Becoming the ace and making it to Nationals as a first-year—that's not something many people could pull off.
"If you had to go up against Seijoh right now, you'd probably be worse than them," Futakuchi Kenji said bluntly.
"Ehh—Senpai, what kind of team captain talks trash about his own ace like that?" Ryōta whined, though he was still grinning as always.
"Hmph. Since Taichi's going to be on court, you'd better watch closely," Futakuchi said, his tone growing more serious. "If you play the way you are now, you wouldn't even last a single set against him."
"Come on, Senpai! Didn't we already beat Seijoh at the Prefectural Citizens' Tournament? What's there to be so afraid of?"
"I told you not to imitate that guy's attitude too," Futakuchi said, frowning. "You were there for that tournament, weren't you? I suggest you start remembering what that actually felt like."
"I—"
"Mm!" Aone Takanobu pressed a hand down on Ryōta's head, silencing him. "Watch the match."
"Yes, Aone-senpai," Ryōta said, bowing his head and focusing his gaze on the court.
-----
"Ugh, I'm still so nervous!" Yamaguchi Tadashi groaned, clutching his stomach.
"Nothing to be scared of. You did well against Seijoh last time," Tsukishima Kei said calmly, adjusting the sports goggles his older brother, Akiteru, had given him. "The ones who need to improve are us."
"Chill out, Yamaguchi!" Nishinoya Yū shouted with his usual carefree energy, seemingly unaffected by the tense atmosphere.
"Even Shōyō doesn't get stomachaches before matches anymore!"
"That idiot already made a bunch of bathroom runs this morning," Kageyama Tobio said flatly.
"Kageyama!!" Hinata Shōyō's face turned bright red.
"Huh?" Hinata blinked, noticing something different about Kageyama. "You're not shaking when you face Seijoh anymore?"
Kageyama: "…"
"Idiot. I stopped doing that a long time ago," Kageyama replied steadily. "Oikawa-senpai is already training in a pro league overseas. I can't afford to fall too far behind."
"Let's go get our revenge!"
"Yeah!!!"
Just then, a stir began to spread through the venue.
"Tai—"
"Taichi!!!"
"Waaaahhhhhh!!"
"That's him—Taichi! He's so cool!"
"He's finally coming on!!!"
"What the heck? Is he some kind of celebrity or something?" Tanaka Ryūnosuke grumbled, clearly annoyed.
"This is just ridiculous," Kita Seio added with a scowl, casting a side-eye at the fuss.
The referee signaled both teams to begin warm-ups. Kaedehara Taichi strolled into the court with his usual air of nonchalance.
"Yo, long time no see," he called out casually to the Karasuno players. "Looks like you've all changed quite a bit."
The rest of Aoba Johsai entered behind him with confident, deliberate steps. There was a distinct gleam of self-assurance in their eyes—the kind of calm only earned through a string of uninterrupted victories.
"Tch…If we're talking about change, they're the ones who've gone over the top," Ennoshita Chikara thought bitterly, his chest tightening with unease.
The Karasuno players could feel it clearly now—Aoba Johsai's aura, once dulled after their previous defeats, was blazing again.
Like a slumbering lion roused from its sleep, they exuded a pressure that made one's blood run cold.
"Such insane intensity…" Kimura Ryōta's pupils contracted as he watched from the stands, his expression turning grim. Imagining himself as Seijoh's opponent, he could already feel the crushing pressure. He clenched his fists tightly. Without a doubt, whatever he was feeling now—Karasuno, standing down there on the court, was feeling it even more.
"Taichi, this time we're the ones who'll win!"
The one to break through the suffocating tension was none other than Hinata Shōyō. He raised his head and looked straight at Kaedehara Taichi, bridging the dramatic height difference between them with sheer force of will.
"Mmm, I'm looking forward to it," Taichi replied with a sunny smile.
"…He sounds like he's talking to a little kid," Kunimi Akira muttered under his breath.
"Alright, come on, let's get to warming up," Ennoshita said quickly, shoving Hinata away. The less interaction with Seijoh before the match started, the better. That guy's ability to get under your skin was just as sharp as his volleyball.
"Okay! Let's start warming up too!" Taichi called cheerfully. "Tōma, toss me a good one!"
"Got it!"
Tōma Kaoru jogged over to the ball cart, picking one up with barely contained excitement.
Taichi walked toward Aoba Johsai's end line, closing his eyes as he took in the atmosphere of the court he hadn't stepped on in so long.
He took a deep breath, inhaling the sharp scent of airsalonpas in the air.
And when he opened his eyes again—the playful grin that had been there just a moment ago was completely gone from those dark pupils.
A strange shift swept through the gymnasium.
Everyone's attention had suddenly zeroed in on Kaedehara Taichi.
The air felt heavier—dense with tension.
"…This is just warm-up, right?"
A rookie from Date Tech wiped a bead of cold sweat off his brow, swallowing hard as his Adam's apple bobbed visibly.
Fffweee—!
Tōma tossed the ball into the air. All eyes followed its arc—until a figure burst into their field of vision with undeniable presence.
THUMP!
Taichi soared into the air with full force, his body stretching to its maximum, right arm pulled far behind him.
BOOM!!!
As his arm swung down in a blur, a thunderous crack echoed through the gym.
The ball shot through the air like it had a rocket booster behind it, slicing through the space with a blur trailing in its wake.
THUD!
Updat𝓮d from freewēbnoveℓ.com.
The very next instant, the ball slammed onto Karasuno's baseline and skidded off-court.
Precise. Perfect.
Those were the only two words the crowd could find to describe that spike.
Taichi landed lightly, face unreadable.
There wasn't even a ripple in his expression.
That clean, fluid motion—it was as effortless to him as walking or drinking water.
_________
[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 - (P)atreon.com/Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]
