Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 495: Taichi Never Loses (Double-Length)
The inter-set break ended quickly, and the second set began.
DESEO Hornets' lineup was as follows:
Front row—Middle Blocker Nitta Asahiro, Opposite Hitter Yoshii Hiyu, Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi.
Back row—Outside Hitter Kitajima Kippei, Setter Iizuna Tsukasa and Middle Blocker Tom Wilde (Libero: Kubo Wataru).
EJP Raijin's lineup was:
Front row—Outside Hitter Akutsu Ao, Middle Blocker Suna Rintarō, Setter Sengoku Chisato.
Back row—Opposite Hitter Kitō Yūkan, Middle Blocker Washio Tatsuki (Libero Komori Motoya) and Outside Hitter Evan Krauss.
What stood out in DH's second-set starting rotation was the absence of Kujō Reiji. This more or less dispelled the speculation surrounding him being DH's "secret weapon."
In fact, by the end of the first set, it had already become apparent to most observers: although Kujō Reiji boasted superior physique and condition compared to Kitajima Kippei, he was still not yet up to the pace of this match.
Both teams continued using their standard formations, but this time, the audience finally got what they'd been hoping for—a true clash of titans.
Due to volleyball's unique rotational system, each team runs through six different formations during a match. This leads to twelve possible player matchups on court.
In the first set, Kaedehara Taichi had started in the strong serve position (Position 1), while Akutsu Ao had started at Position 4, meaning the two were almost always staggered. Out of the twelve potential formations, there was only one rotation where they were both in the front row together.
But in the second set, both Kaedehara Taichi and Akutsu Ao started in Position 4—meaning they were directly matched. This brought the number of front-row matchups between the two to five rotations.
The "Strongest High School Player in History" versus the "Current League's Strongest Ace"—the sight of these two going head-to-head was enough to send the crowd into a frenzy.
"Tweet!—" The serve whistle blew.
EJP served first, with Evan Krauss launching a powerful jump serve aimed directly at Iizuna Tsukasa.
During pre-match prep, Komori Motoya had mentioned that Iizuna Tsukasa was an exceptionally capable setter. However, EJP hadn't thought too much of it. From past DH match footage, although Iizuna's sets were indeed impressively accurate, there were plenty of pro setters who could do the same.
But during the previous set, the EJP players experienced firsthand just how dangerous Iizuna was as a setter. Delivering the occasional perfect set might not mean much—but if every attack consistently landed right at the hitter's optimal strike point, then that level of precision, that kind of threat, was on a completely different level!
Previously, when Iizuna was setting for Kitajima Kippei or Nitta Asahiro, this trait was noticeable, but it hadn't made a huge impact on the match.
Now, though, DH's ace was Kaedehara Taichi—and a perfect set to him practically guaranteed a point.
For this set, EJP's coach gave one instruction regarding the serve: "Cut off the connection between Iizuna Tsukasa and Kaedehara Taichi!"
Smack!
Iizuna was forced to receive the ball himself.
"Mine!" Yoshii Hiyu called as he stepped in to set.
Kaedehara Taichi sprinted along the right sideline, took off with a thud.
"Right wing!" Sengoku Chisato called out. But he didn't join the block—instead, he dropped back to cover the line shot.
"Double block!" Akutsu Ao and Suna Rintarō jumped together.
Since DH's first touch was shaky and Yoshii Hiyu, not the setter, was taking the second, EJP had a good read on where the ball was going. They ignored Nitta Asahiro and shifted their front row block to the right, with Kitō Yūkan also stepping up from Position 5 to defend Taichi's cross.
A full-press defence focused entirely on Kaedehara Taichi!
—BOOM!!!
The ball blasted over Suna Rintarō's block and slammed into the back corner, just brushing past Sengoku Chisato's right ear as it flew by the sideline.
A straight-line shot right on the boundary!
Kaedehara Taichi scored with a clean spike.
[DH 1 - 0 EJP]
"That bastard…his spike speed is still going up…"
Sengoku Chisato scowled. Even though he had positioned himself correctly from the start, reacting to that kind of velocity was nearly impossible.
Serve change—DH to serve.
Breaking serve right out the gate fired up the DH squad. Nitta Asahiro followed up with a hot streak, scoring the first serve point of the set!
[DH 2 - 0 EJP]
DH showed signs of opening a lead from the very beginning.
"Chisato, rotate to the back!" Kitō Yūkan shouted.
EJP quickly switched to a four-man receive formation.
Nitta Asahiro sent off his second serve.
BOOM!!!
Smack!
It was a straightforward trajectory—Komori Motoya received it with ease.
Sengoku Chisato took one step sideways under the ball and smoothly set it to the middle.
Thump!
Akutsu Ao rose up and spiked.
"Double block!" Tom Wilde and Kaedehara Taichi both went up.
—BOOM!!
The ball soared just over Tom Wilde's block and slammed into the floor in front of Nitta Asahiro.
Akutsu Ao scored with a high-contact spike!
[DH 2 - 1 EJP]
---
"Taichi adjusts with a backwards run-up—textbook cross-court kill!"
"Lands perfectly on the sideline—Komori dives, but his fingertips missed it by two centimetres! Great shot!"
---
"Nice! Akutsu answers with a tight angle cross-court spike—it was practically glued to the blockers before dropping inside the 3-meter line!"
---
"Taichi hits with explosive power! The ball ricocheted off Sengoku Chisato's arm and flew straight into the stands!"
---
"Oof—Akutsu nails one right in the middle of DH's court, and it bounced up nearly five meters!"
---
"Another high-contact spike! Taichi's attack height just now reached 361 cm!!"
---
"Akutsu fakes a spike at the net, tricks the double block, then snaps his wrist into a soft tip! The ball drops straight into DH's uncovered backcourt!"
---
[DH 12 - 11 EJP]
The cheers from the stands rose and fell like crashing waves—every point brought an explosive reaction. Fans in the front row leaned forward unconsciously, and some couldn't contain their excitement, leaping to their feet with fists raised high.
The score kept seesawing back and forth. Even when the two main attackers rotated to the back row, the head-to-head continued without pause.
Within the roars and silences that alternated inside the venue, a suffocating tension settled over the entire arena.
In one corner of the stands, a group of teenagers shouted louder than anyone else—it was Aoba Johsai's squad, who had just won the Spring High championship that morning.
Kunimi Akira covered the ear nearest to Kindaichi Yūtarō and turned his head to ask the underclassman behind them, "Yūjin, how do you see the current situation on court?"
"DH is built entirely around Taichi-senpai as the absolute ace. I think EJP is trying to force him into a one-on-one battle with Akutsu. Even if Akutsu doesn't beat him head-on, once both of them start tiring, EJP's overall lineup is stronger than DH's. The game might tip in their favour then."
Kunimi didn't comment. Instead, he turned to someone else. "Tōma, what about you?"
Compared to Yamabuki Yūjin, Tōma Kaoru had spent much more time playing alongside Kaedehara Taichi.
"I think what Yūjin said about EJP's strategy makes sense. But Taichi-senpai would've already seen through it." Tōma's gaze locked onto the familiar figure on the court. "For EJP's plan to work, both he and Akutsu would have to reduce their offensive output and let their teammates carry the game…"
"But I don't think Taichi-senpai will ever let that happen. Since he's decided to go head-to-head with Akutsu, he'll hold that two-point lead all the way to the end of the set."
Tōma remembered the early days when they'd just joined Aoba Johsai. Whenever they faced tough opponents, it was always Taichi-senpai who carried them forward.
"A condition, huh?" Kunimi chuckled.
He and Kindaichi were about to graduate soon, and the next team captain would likely be either Yamabuki Yūjin or Tōma Kaoru. Recently, Kunimi had been intentionally discussing match analysis and strategy with them.
Thankfully, both boys were smart and usually got the key points right.
And their analysis of this situation was sound—from a strategic standpoint, it made sense. Plus, EJP wasn't just aiming for this set. They'd been dragging Taichi into a slugfest from the very start, hoping to wear him down with pro-level endurance.
But the truth was—neither Yamabuki nor Tōma truly understood Taichi.
And EJP—EJP Raijin didn't understand him at all.
"Tōma, Yūjin, remember this." Kunimi grinned. freeωebnovēl.c૦m
"In a one-on-one, head-to-head battle…Taichi never loses to anyone."
For EJP to achieve their goal, the real question was:
Can Akutsu Ao withstand Kaedehara Taichi's attacks?
-----
BOOM!!!—
Kaedehara Taichi soared from the back row and detonated a powerful spike right through Evan Krauss's block—the 205cm wall wasn't enough to stop his assault.
[DH 20 - 18 EJP]
DH was the first to break through to 20 points!
"Is this guy not human?!" Evan Krauss panted heavily, sweat pouring down his cheeks. His eyes were wide with disbelief and exhaustion as he stared at where Taichi had landed.
In a single set, there's a huge difference between spiking intermittently with breaks and launching constant, relentless attacks without pause.
Each spike demanded explosive force from the legs to drive the body into the air. Even midair, the player had to coordinate the power of their core, arms, and wrists. This chain of motion required the muscles to remain in an intensely contracted state—like a bowstring drawn taut, never once relaxing.
Normally, players used transitions—on defence, rotation to the back row, or time between plays—to recover, relax the body even briefly, and stabilise their breathing.
But in this match, whether it was Akutsu Ao or Kaedehara Taichi, they attacked with the same desperation even from the back row. Their setters were even starting to look worried, but under pressure from both aces, they kept setting for them anyway.
Taichi stood quietly on the court. Sweat had completely soaked through his jersey, glueing it to his broad, muscular back. The dark, wet stains were spreading wildly across the fabric. Wisps of heat rose from his body, and under the brilliant gymnasium lights, he looked both painfully real and ethereal.
Across the net, Akutsu Ao remained upright and still like a pine tree. His broad shoulders filled out his jersey, and with every breath, his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm, gently rippling the fabric. He raised his chin slightly, eyes fixed intently on Kaedehara Taichi with unwavering resolve.
It was as if something connected the two of them—a silent bond that shut out the noise of the world.
Neither would be the first to stop this showdown!
-----
BOOM!!—
Akutsu's spike slammed off the arm of Nitta Asahiro and went flying out of bounds.
A spike off the block and out!
Akutsu Ao scored.
[DH 24 - 23 EJP]
"One more point!"
Akutsu's landing was shaky, but before any of his teammates could reach him, he straightened his back again.
"Senpai, if you're outta gas, just sub out for a bit," Taichi smirked shamelessly. "Don't worry, it's best-of-five. Even if you lose two sets, there's still a third."
"You little punk—pretty sure your legs are the ones trembling," Akutsu growled, his face twisted in a grimace. "Not sure if it's from exhaustion or fear."
Serve rotation.
EJP's serve.
Chisato Sengoku jumped and unleashed a powerful serve—Iizuna Tsukasa held firm and received it cleanly. A perfect first touch.
Thud!
Kaedehara Taichi soared for a middle attack.
"Watch out—!"
"Triple block!" Kitō Yūkan, Akutsu Ao, and Suna Rintarō leapt up in unison.
By instinct, they expected another spike. None of them had even considered another possibility. But—
It was a second attack!
Tom Wilde sprang up on the right side—and there was no one in front of him!
If Taichi sent the ball right, it would end the match.
"Taichi!"
Now's not the time to set!!!
Taichi's arm tensed.
Instead of setting, he spiked the ball!
BOOM!!!—
SMACK—
The ball slammed into Akutsu Ao's arm and ricocheted high into the air.
"Touched!" Akutsu shouted.
Komori Motoya sprinted toward the back row, digging the ball back into play.
Chisato Sengoku moved in quickly—this was their chance to tie the score!
"AKUTSU!!!"
Fwoosh—!
The ball soared toward midcourt, a beautifully steady set.
"Perfect set."
Akutsu inhaled deeply and began his approach from the back row. His short, powerful steps grew faster, and he widened his strides at the last second to store power for the jump. At the ideal takeoff point, he pushed hard off the ground—his body launched upward.
"I haven't hit my limit yet!"
"Triple block!! "Yoshii Hiyu, Kaedehara Taichi, and Tom Wilde leapt to meet him.
—BOOM!!!
Akutsu spiked over Taichi's block.
A super cross spike!
The ball tore through the air—
Smack!!!
Kitajima Kippei caught it!
"Full of youthful energy, huh? Predictable mindset…ugh, that really hurt. Might've cracked something."
"Nice dig!!!" Even Iizuna Tsukasa, usually quiet and soft-spoken, couldn't hold back a shout.
"Tsukasa—!"
Taichi called out—this ball was his.
No matter what anyone else said.
Fwoosh—!
A high middle set—identical to before.
Kaedehara Taichi leapt.
His body extended fully in midair, right arm swinging back to the limit—
Then unleashed his full power!
"Get him!!!"
Triple block again!
EJP's iron wall rose up once more—Akutsu joined the block after his approach, arms locked tight!
BOOOOMMMM!!!
"…No way…" Evan Krauss muttered in disbelief.
Akutsu Ao lost balance midair and crashed backwards.
THWACK!!!
The ball smashed into EJP's court.
He blew through the triple block!!!
Kaedehara Taichi scored.
[DH 25 - 23 EJP]
"BEEEP—!"
The long whistle sounded.
Set 2: Over.
Winner: DESEO Hornets!
-----
The entire gym fell into stunned silence—even the Aoba Johsai players looked like they couldn't believe what they'd just seen.
If Kaedehara Taichi hadn't graduated early, he'd only be a third-year in high school right now. And he'd just beaten the best wing spiker in V1 League.
"See?" Kunimi Akira said with a lazy grin to the people next to him. "Taichi doesn't lose."
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