Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 533: Fly! (Triple-Length)

"Ah, okay!" Hinata Shōyō blinked in surprise, then nodded. "Thanks, Oikawa-senpai!"

"That little guy's offence really doesn't amount to much," Luca Reilly shook his head. "Didn't Coach Darlan ever suggest he switch positions?"

"After all, in volleyball, the height gap can be a truly despair-inducing factor."

The serve rotated. Hinata Shōyō stepped up to the service line.

BOOM!

Hinata tossed the ball high and fired a powerful jump serve.

"Ooh! The Chibi-chan's jump serve is finally starting to look like something…" Oikawa Tōru commented, impressed.

If it weren't for Kaedehara Taichi, Hinata would probably be the fastest-developing player he'd ever seen.

Smack!

Alan Sousa easily received the ball.

But Hinata had achieved his aim—to draw out the opposing team's highest point of attack.

Alston moved in to set, and Bruno Redson launched into a quick attack from the centre.

Kaedehara Taichi leapt for a solo block.

BOOM!!

Easily avoiding the block, Bruno spiked and scored cleanly!

[Hinata Team 2 - 2 Redson Team]

The defensive strategies on both sides were clear-cut.

Hinata's team relied on Taichi's solo blocks to restrict attack lanes, with Hinata and Oikawa covering the back row.

Redson's team, meanwhile, gambled everything on three-man blocks, aiming for kill blocks and leaving no room for recovery.

"This is getting kind of boring," Sanhos muttered.

From the current flow of the game, it was obvious—the little guy's team couldn't defend against Redson's attacks. And no matter how strong Kaedehara Taichi was, as long as they targeted him with serves and forced the ball to Hinata, getting blocked was only a matter of time.

Three-man volleyball was still too limited—each player's weaknesses became painfully visible.

The serve switched again.

Sure enough, Alston aimed a powerful jump serve directly at Kaedehara Taichi.

"I'm heading off," Sanhos said to Luca Reilly. "No point watching this any longer."

But just as Sanhos turned—

Boom!!!

The ball hit the floor.

Luca Reilly's expression turned vivid with surprise.

"So fast—!"

"What a spike!"

Hinata Shōyō had scored!

[Hinata Team 3 - 2 Redson Team]

"???" Sanhos looked at the court. "What just happened?"

He had only seen Taichi receive the serve and exchanged a word with Reilly. His eyes had only left the court for a second—

And the little guy had already completed the attack?!

"What an incredible quick!" Luca Reilly laughed. "Mmm, even faster than your standard quick!"

Sanhos refocused his gaze on the court.

"Well struck, Shōyō." Kaedehara Taichi smiled gently. "Starting to feel a little familiar, huh?"

"Yes!"

"Shōyō, come here for a sec," Oikawa called him over and whispered in his ear.

"Really?!" Hinata's eyes lit up like stars. "Oikawa-senpai, you're amazing!"

"Hahaha!" Oikawa patted his shoulder. "Just focus on attacking!"

"Okay!!!"

Hinata suddenly remembered—both Oikawa-senpai and Taichi were way more skilled than him. They hadn't seen each other in so long, and earlier that morning they'd been goofing off on the beach together, which had made him forget that crucial fact.

"If that's the case, then no matter what I do, I'll be okay!"

The serve rotated again.

Oikawa tossed the ball and launched a jump float serve.

BOOM!!

"I got it!"

Alston reacted quickly, bumping the ball before it could veer off.

"Are these two from San Juan just messing with people now?" Luca Reilly finally sensed something was off.

He hadn't caught it during Taichi's earlier serve, but when Oikawa served—he suddenly remembered: these two had won Best Server in the Argentine league two years running. How could they be serving this casually?

Bruno moved to set, and Alan Sousa jumped for another spike from the right wing.

BOOM!!!

"Hmm?"

208cm-tall Alan had aimed to spike over Kaedehara Taichi's head, expecting a clean overhand kill. But—

Smack!!

The ball was deflected upward!

"Touch!" Taichi called out calmly, as if it were nothing.

"Damn it!"

Alan landed, frustrated—only to see something that stunned him.

Hinata Shōyō was already in midair at centre court.

"What the hell is he doing?"

That posture—it looked like a spike? But Alan had just attacked!

Before he could even finish the thought, he saw Bruno and Alston leap up for a double block toward the little guy.

"Where's the ball?"

The moment the question flashed through his mind—

The ball appeared right in front of Hinata.

—Boom!!!

It flew over the double block!

Overhand kill!

Hinata Shōyō scored!

[Hinata Team 4 - 2 Redson Team]

"170cm and still scored over a 2-meter double block?!" Sanhos shook his head.

No—it wasn't just about height. It was about speed.

Bruno and Alston hadn't even reached the peak of their block before Hinata had already completed the entire spike motion.

That kind of speed was terrifying—but—

Sanhos narrowed his gaze on the back row—Oikawa Tōru. After Taichi's block had succeeded, this guy had launched a first touch set that was perfectly positioned!

First-touch quick attack!

Fast! Stable! Precise!

Any one of these qualities was standard for a pro. But to combine all three, and to pull it off during a transition moment—

"What a terrifying setter," Sanhos murmured.

"Exactly what you'd call a perfect setter," Luca Reilly added. "He maximises his spiker's strengths and exponentially increases their threat."

"You keep talking like that and Colin won't pass to you ever again."

"Cough—hey, keep your voice down. If Colin hears you, you're dead," Sanhos warned. "He's not as easy-going as I am."

"Haha, yeah yeah, Colin's super amazing too~" Luca replied guiltily.

Sanhos rolled his eyes. What a low EQ moron.

-----

"Oikawa-senpai! Ooohhh!" Hinata looked on the verge of tears, full of awe and emotion.

"…Hey! What are you doing?!" Oikawa recoiled two steps.

"So amazing, so incredible—Great King of the Court really is amazing!" Hinata bounced on the spot.

Oikawa: "..."

"Bwahahahaha!!" Oikawa doubled over laughing, hands on his waist. "Right? RIGHT?!"

"Taichi, did you hear that? The little guy's totally honest!"

"Nice pass," Taichi said flatly. "The match isn't over. Serve."

"…." Oikawa fell silent.

Prompted by Taichi's cold tone, Oikawa served again.

BOOM!

A standard power jump serve. The ball arced toward the back row.

Bruno received it, Alston moved in for the set.

Alan Sousa jumped once again for the attack—Taichi still alone in front of him.

This time, Alan wasn't careless, nor did he underestimate Taichi. But just as he swung—

Taichi's blocking hands suddenly pressed downward.

In that instant, Alan's spiking angle was severely compressed.

"Damn it!"

BOOM!!

Forced to adjust, Alan's spike slipped past Taichi's left side.

"What are you doing, Alan?!" Bruno yelled, frustrated.

"You don't get it! A solo block shouldn't feel this oppressive!" Alan screamed internally.

Smack!

Hinata received the ball cleanly!

Whoosh—!

Hinata immediately sprinted to the front after the pass—no wasted movement.

"This brat…!"

Thud!

Hinata jumped at the net.

"Triple block!" Bruno, Alston, and Alan leapt together.

Although a bit slower to react, their combined height and wingspan completely enveloped Hinata from above!

"If we just track his run-up, he's no threat!"

Hinata's pupils contracted.

This was what the elite level looked like—even with his speed, he couldn't shake them.

Whoosh!—

The ball flew to the right wing.

"What are they thinking? They're focusing way too much on that little guy," Luca Reilly muttered. Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing.

Kaedehara Taichi casually smashed the ball down.

BOOM!!!

It slammed into the baseline and bounced up—Taichi scored.

[Hinata Team 5 - 2 Redson Team]

"A decoy?!!"

"And…wait…something's not right!"

Bruno Redson stared at the scoreboard in disbelief.

He didn't remember the opponents being that strong—how had they suddenly fallen behind by three points?!

"Eh? Oikawa-senpai, I thought you were going to pass to me!" Hinata said sheepishly.

"Ahh~ But this way's more fun, right?" Oikawa smiled, then waved him over again. "Shōyō, come here once more."

"Y-Yes…yes!!"

As Oikawa whispered his next plan, Hinata nodded fervently.

"Man, it'd be nice if Taichi were this obedient too…" Oikawa thought to himself, secretly a little jealous of Kageyama Tobio.

"Oikawa-senpai, you're not thinking something rude again, are you?" Taichi narrowed his eyes.

"Nope! Not at all!" Oikawa shook his head rapidly.

"The other side is even weaker than I expected," Taichi said flatly. "Let's just end this boring farce already."

"Of course." Oikawa smiled.

Really, only Taichi would have the gall to look down on Brazil's top club players like that.

Then again—he was the strongest, after all.

-----

The Hinata Team continued their serve, with Oikawa Tōru launching his third ball.

BOOM!!

The volleyball flew out even faster and heavier than before—Oikawa Tōru's serving was beginning to show its true power.

Smack!!

Alan Souza barely managed to receive it.

"Sorry! Cover!"

Alston quickly moved into position and sent the ball steadily to a high point in the middle.

"The reason we're falling behind is ridiculously simple—our attacks keep getting shut down!"

"We're actually failing to score against a solo block from Kaedehara Taichi!"

"You've got to be kidding me!"

Bruno Redson planted both feet firmly and launched himself into the air.

"I'm the starting player of São Paulo!"

BOOM!!!—

—SMACK!!!

The ball had just cleared the net—only to shoot past Bruno Redson's ear an instant later, at an even faster speed.

THUD!

The ball slammed into the floor and bounced high.

A clean and decisive block!

Kaedehara Taichi scored with a solo block!

[Hinata Team 6 – 2 Redson Team]

Bruno Redson stared wide-eyed across the net in disbelief.

"Oh, you looked serious for a second—I couldn't help myself," Kaedehara Taichi said offhandedly.

"Sanhos?" Luca Reilly turned to his teammate with a serious expression.

"Mm...It's not entirely Redson's fault," Sanhos replied with a frown. "The setter's toss was mediocre—it limited Redson's angle."

"But the more important reason is that his attack got completely read," Luca Reilly said. "He hesitated in the air, reacted slower...and got shut down."

"Well, yeah, that's fair," Sanhos shrugged. "Maybe it's time he cooled off on the bench for a while." After all, competition for the starting seven spots in São Paulo's club team was fierce. Many players were eyeing that position.

Not giving the opponent any time to adjust, Oikawa Tōru launched his fourth serve.

BOOM!!!

"—?!"

THUD!!!

The ball hit the floor.

Oikawa Tōru scored with a service ace.

[Hinata Team 7 – 2 Redson Team]

"Oops, my bad," Oikawa said with a smug grin. "Our ace wants to end this farce as quickly as possible."

"Coach Darlan, is there any point in continuing this?" Luca Reilly asked. "They're not even on the same level. All this is doing is crushing our team's morale."

Darlan Zotto pointed to Hinata Shōyō on the left side of the court. "He's your teammate too."

Luca Reilly was silent for a moment before replying, "But he's not the one making the difference."

"It's those two from San Juan. Even if you swapped out the shrimp for someone else, they'd still win."

"I agree with that last part," Darlan said seriously. "But if you can't give that shrimp an honest evaluation, then no one else on the team will accept him."

"This match has to continue. But—" Darlan paused, then turned to the players on the right side of the net. "Do any of you wish to forfeit now?"

"Absolutely not!" Bruno Redson responded without hesitation.

There had to be a way. The match had only just begun!

"Good." Darlan nodded in approval. "The match continues." Luca Reilly hesitated but ultimately said nothing more.

Oikawa Tōru stepped back to the service line with the ball in hand once more.

Bruno Redson and his teammates could clearly sense it—the shift in momentum.

They had been wrong from the beginning. This was no team to take lightly, no practice match opponent!

Oikawa tossed the ball high, ran up, jumped, and struck!

BOOM!!!

The speed and force of his serve continued to climb!

"I got it!"

Smack!!!

Bruno Redson dove to reach the ball before it hit the ground, barely keeping it in play.

The ball flew back to the left side of the court.

"Chance ball!" Oikawa said with a smile as he moved into position and jumped to set.

Hinata Shōyō and Kaedehara Taichi launched their attacks from opposite flanks at the same time!

Bruno Redson and the others had no doubt Oikawa could accurately send the ball to the net, so they immediately split their block to cover both attackers.

Whoosh—!

The ball went to the middle—Hinata Shōyō jumped.

Bruno Redson went up to block, and to his right, Alston and Alan Souza adjusted mid-air when they realised where the ball was going.

Hinata's left arm, initially held in front, was drawn back—followed swiftly by his right.

A feint spike!

Alston and Alan Souza froze, then lunged to the right in panic!

Boom!!

Hinata used his withdrawn left hand to gently tap the ball down.

It had little power—but there was no one defending.

The ball slipped past the block and landed.

Hinata Shōyō scored with a spike!

[Hinata Team 8 – 2 Redson Team]

The moment the ball hit the ground, silence fell across the court.

Even the players on the bench had been fooled by the sequence of fake-outs!

"He may be short, but with his incredible vertical, he can stay airborne longer than most," Coach Darlan said with a smile. "His battlefield is in the air—and that gives him infinite possibilities."

"Clap clap clap…"

Luca Reilly was the first to applaud, and gradually the others joined in, finally giving their attention to the foreign "shrimp" who had just earned their respect with raw ability—Hinata Shōyō.

Oikawa served the sixth ball.

BOOM!!!

Smack!!!

"Cover!"

Alston shouted. They had no way to handle these serves. At this rate, they might not score a single point!

Bruno Redson quickly repositioned and stabilised the play.

Alan Souza sprinted along the right sideline and jumped.

Kaedehara Taichi leapt to block!

BOOM!!!

The ball veered past the block and slammed toward the left side of the court.

Smack!

Oikawa dug the ball cleanly!

"Well, this way they've lost their setter," Bruno Redson muttered as he raced forward.

Whoosh—!

Hinata Shōyō stepped in and passed the ball.

"Solid!" Luca Reilly finally understood why Coach Darlan had his eye on Hinata.

This was practically a setter's touch!

"Nice pass!"

Kaedehara Taichi jumped in the middle.

"Triple block!" Bruno Redson, Alston, and Alan Souza all leapt at once.

One last chance!

—BOOM!!!

The ball slammed into the right side of the court—shattering what little hope they had left.

A wipe-off spike!

Kaedehara Taichi scored!

[Hinata Team 9 – 2 Redson Team]

"That's enough, isn't it?" Oikawa asked.

Hinata had already displayed enough skill. No one would look down on him for his size now.

"Not yet," Kaedehara Taichi replied after a moment's thought, pointing upward. "He still needs to conquer a high ball." freeωebnovēl.c૦m

Hinata Shōyō could rule the air too.

"Huh? What're you guys talking about?"

Hinata had no clue. But playing with Taichi and Oikawa-senpai was so much fun. They were so strong!

"Right," Oikawa smiled and winked at Hinata. "Jump with everything you've got—let them really see you."

"Huh? Okay!" Hinata nodded eagerly.

He didn't know what they meant, but as long as he listened, it'd be fine!

"Tweet!—" The whistle blew.

Oikawa served his seventh ball!

BOOM!!!

Bruno Redson received it, Alston quickly stepped in to support.

"Damn it! Damn it!!"

There was nothing they could do!

The ball soared toward the right wing—Alan Souza jumped.

Kaedehara Taichi went up to block. Alan Souza's arms tensed, putting everything he had into this spike.

"I'll break through—head-on!"

BOOM!!!—

The sound rang loud. Kaedehara Taichi's arms trembled slightly, but his form held steady!

Smack!!!

The ball popped high into the air.

"Chance ball!" Hinata Shōyō called out and steadied the reception.

"This is almost too easy now!"

Oikawa smirked as he jumped from the front row and set the ball perfectly.

"Fly, Shōyō!"

Hinata planted both feet firmly, crouched slightly, knees bending into the optimal angle for takeoff.

The leg muscles he had trained for over a year delivered their reward—each muscle tensing, storing power ready to erupt.

Thump!

Hinata pushed off with explosive strength. The hardwood floor responded, returning all his power. Using that recoil, Hinata shot into the air like a rocket.

In that moment, he seemed to break free of gravity—like a soaring eagle.

"Triple block!"

If they couldn't stop Kaedehara Taichi, surely they could block Hinata Shōyō?

Bruno Redson and the others tightened their arms and swung them down toward the opposing court!

But Hinata kept rising.

Amid the stunned gazes from the sidelines, he soared above the block.

Through the barrier of outstretched arms, he saw the court on the other side.

He raised his arm high—and brought it crashing down!

—BOOM!

The ball cut a powerful, elegant arc through the air, landing squarely on the back line with force.

A wipe-off spike!

Hinata Shōyō scored!

[Hinata Team 10 – 2 Redson Team]

_________

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