Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 282: Aoba Johsai’s Future (Double-Length)

"Eh? The boys' final isn't over yet? I thought it would be finished by now."

A girl from Niiyama High glanced toward the centre court after seeing another set conclude.

"It won't end that fast. They just finished the third set."

"The overall score is now 2-1, and Aoba Johsai is in the lead?!!" Kanoka Amanai gasped, covering her mouth in shock.

"Aoba Johsai? The one from Miyagi?"

"No way, seriously?"

Niiyama Girls' High was Miyagi's representative team in the Spring High National Tournament. While they weren't particularly familiar with Aoba Johsai, they had at least heard about them, as both teams had been representing the same region.

Compared to Aoba Johsai, they were more familiar with Shiratorizawa Academy. Over the past two years, Shiratorizawa's boys' team—the 'Kings' of Miyagi—and Niiyama's girls' team—the 'Queens'—had frequently crossed paths in national competitions.

Some members of Niiyama's team were even fans of Ushijima Wakatoshi. However, even Shiratorizawa, as formidable as they were, had only ever reached the national quarterfinals at best.

So, hearing that Aoba Johsai was leading in the finals was shocking. The girls quickly gathered in curiosity.

"I took a quick look just now, and the boys' game is insanely intense…The scores keep skyrocketing."

"Their opponent is the Interhigh national champion, and yet they're holding their ground in every aspect."

"No…not just holding their ground. If it's like this, then maybe—"

-----

"Sorry, that last point was on me."

Sakusa Kiyoomi sat on the bench in the resting area, his head lowered.

One serve, one attack—two chances to take the point, and he had failed both times. Sakusa replayed the final rally in his mind over and over but still couldn't find a better way he could have handled it.

"The one who failed to score was you, but the one who didn't receive Taichi's spike was me. No matter how you look at it, it's not just your responsibility."

Komori Motoya stood tall in front of Sakusa, meeting his gaze.

The rest of the Itachiyama players turned to them. Usually, Sakusa stood out as their ace, but in crucial moments, it was Komori whose mindset remained unshaken.

"We didn't block the ball either, so we're at fault too…" their teammates added.

Among Itachiyama's main players, there were no first-years. In terms of age, Sakusa was actually the youngest.

Clap, clap, clap.

Iizuna Tsukasa clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention.

"The match isn't over yet—what are you all doing?"

"Kiyoomi, don't let this weigh on your mind!" Iizuna's voice was firm. "Being cautious is good, but if you're too cautious, it will only become a chain that holds you back."

"You're Itachiyama's ace. Don't waver—attack aggressively."

"You are the strongest ace!"

-----

Irihata Nobuteru was still immersed in the last point of the third set.

Few people could truly understand what he was feeling at this moment.

The connection between Kunimi Akira and Kaedehara Taichi was like a blazing meteor streaking across the night sky, illuminating the entire court in an instant.

Kunimi's gaze had been unwavering and determined as he delivered the ball. Meanwhile, Taichi had soared into the air, his arm fully extended as if reaching for the ends of the sky.

At that moment, the ball shot over the net like a bolt of lightning.

Standing at the sideline, Irihata's eyes gleamed with excitement.

In Kunimi and Taichi, he saw the future of Aoba Johsai.

Spring High wasn't the end.

Irihata had absolute confidence in winning the championship, but more importantly, this wasn't the conclusion—it was the beginning of a new era for Aoba Johsai.

"Irihata-sensei, coach!"

Mizoguchi Sadayuki called out from the side. "The fourth set is about to start—aren't you going to say something?"

Really now, even at a time like this, sensei is spacing out.

Mizoguchi thought to himself. He's getting old. Maybe he should retire soon. If that happens, I might just become Aoba Johsai's next coach…

Of course, Irihata had no idea about Mizoguchi's utterly blasphemous thoughts. Even if he did, he would likely scoff at them—Dream on. No way am I stepping down before Taichi graduates.

"You all played well—keep the momentum going, but don't get careless!" Irihata remained composed.

"Yes, sir!"

"Even if they're getting used to our serves and spikes, as long as we stay aggressive, they'll expose their weaknesses! Don't be afraid of making mistakes—trust your teammates! Volleyball is never a one-man sport!"

"Yes, sir!!!"

-----

"Tweet!—"

The referee's whistle blew, signalling the start of the fourth set as the teams switched sides once more.

Aoba Johsai:

Front row—Opposite Hitter Kyōtani Kentarō, Setter Oikawa Tōru, Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi.

Back row—Outside Hitter Kunimi Akira, Outside Hitter Iwaizumi Hajime, and Middle Blocker Kindaichi Yūtarō (Libero: Watari Shinji).

Itachiyama:

Front row—Outside Hitter Sakusa Kiyoomi, Outside Hitter Takeshita Yūshin, Middle Blocker Sakano Sawaji.

Back row—Middle Blocker Mizushima Yū (Libero: Komori Motoya), Outside Hitter Nishimura Hiroyuki, and Setter Iizuna Tsukasa.

Both teams had made significant adjustments.

Aoba Johsai had sacrificed blocking height to enhance their offence and receive capabilities, while Itachiyama had split up their strong servers to maintain offensive pressure in every rotation.

Itachiyama served first.

Iizuna Tsukasa stepped up to the service line.

"Iizuna-senpai, give us a good one!"

"Let's take the first point, Tsukasa!"

Boom!

Iizuna unleashed a powerful jump serve!

Smack!

Kunimi received the ball.

Damn it…! This was a tough serve right from the start!

"Sorry, cover me!"

Oikawa quickly adjusted, sending the ball to the right side.

BAM!

Kaedehara Taichi leaped—soaring high!

"Triple block!" Sakusa Kiyoomi, Takeshita Yūshin, and Sakano Sawaji jumped together.

—Boom!!!—

An unstoppable high-angle spike!

The ball flew past Takeshita's fingertips and slammed into Itachiyama's court.

Kaedehara Taichi scored!

[Aoba Johsai 1 – 0 Itachiyama]

"That was beautiful!!!" Mizoguchi shouted excitedly from the sidelines. Breaking through Itachiyama's opening setup with a single spike—excellent, excellent!

The serve rotated. Aoba Johsai to serve.

Kyōtani Kentarō stepped up and unleashed a powerful jump serve.

Boom!

"I got it!" Komori Motoya received the ball.

Iizuna quickly followed up, setting it high toward the left wing. Sakusa Kiyoomi took off.

"Triple block!" Oikawa, Kaedehara, and Kindaichi jumped in unison.

Another triple block—but this one looked even more impenetrable than Itachiyama's!

Boom!—

Smack!

The volleyball struck Kindaichi Yūtarō's arm and dropped between him and the net.

A block touch-out.

"No way I'm letting you widen the gap just like that!" Sakusa Kiyoomi spiked and scored!

[Aoba Johsai 1 - 1 Itachiyama]

"So, it's finally here?" Kaedehara Taichi murmured, his gaze fixed on Sakusa Kiyoomi.

[Ding! Sakusa Kiyoomi has entered Burst Mode]

[Sakusa Kiyoomi (Burst Mode)—Outside Hitter: Overall Ability Rating: 93.5

Height: 189 cm | Power: 90 | Jump: 92 | Stamina: 92 | Speed: 95

Technique: Serve: 100 | Recieve: 100 | Set: 100 | Spike: 100 ]

Four perfect 100s—just as expected!

Kaedehara Taichi closed his eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the cool air flow through his body. His mind cleared instantly. For a brief moment, the world around him fell silent, and then countless pieces of information organized themselves neatly in his head.

When he opened his eyes again, they burned with nothing but an unwavering determination to win.

[Ding! The Host has entered Burst Mode]

[Kaedehara Taichi (Burst Mode)—Outside Hitter:

Height: 188 cm | Power: 100 | Jump: 95 | Stamina: 95 | Speed: 100

Technique: Serve: 99 | Recieve: 92 | Set: 88 | Spike: 98 ]

"Let's go. I don't plan on dragging this match to a fifth set."

The ultimate battle of aces in the Spring High national finals had begun!

Itachiyama regained the serve, and Sakano Sawaji stepped up to serve.

The atmosphere on the court shifted noticeably. Having played in the nationals six times, even Sakano Sawaji felt a rare trace of tension.

Bang!

Despite that, his serve remained as steady as ever.

A floating jump serve sailed toward Aoba Johsai's back row, targeting Kyōtani Kentarō.

"I got it!"

Smack! Kunimi Akira stepped in and lifted the ball.

The ball flew steadily toward the front row.

In that instant—

Kaedehara Taichi moved.

Almost simultaneously, Sakusa Kiyoomi reacted as well.

So fast!

Even Itachiyama's players rarely saw Sakusa move with such urgency and speed on defence.

But Kaedehara Taichi was even faster!

It was just a regular attack, yet he executed it with the sheer speed of a quick attack!

He evaded Itachiyama's blockers purely through speed!!!

"Damn it, Taichi!" Oikawa Tōru, who had just set the ball, felt equally frustrated—he couldn't even lock onto the exact spot to set for Taichi!

BAM!

Kaedehara Taichi leapt from the far right. Sakusa Kiyoomi was half a step slower, desperately reaching out a single hand to block him.

"There's no time! Just go for it!" Oikawa Tōru launched the set with all his might.

Whoosh!—

The ball shot toward the right wing like a reverse-flying meteor. The direction was precise, but the speed was clearly too fast.

It passed in front of Kaedehara Taichi in an instant!

BANG!

His swing was even faster!

Only Sakusa Kiyoomi saw the faint shadow of the ball flash past his fingertips.

Itachiyama's back-row defenders didn't react in time!

The ball slammed into Itachiyama's court and bounced out.

Kaedehara Taichi had scored!

[Aoba Johsai 2 - 1 Itachiyama]

"Oikawa-senpai, this kind of set is perfect," Kaedehara Taichi said calmly.

From the moment the ball left Oikawa Tōru's fingertips, Taichi had already locked onto it. At this speed, there was no problem for him now!

"Amazing! Taichi's focus in the fourth set is on another level!"

"His movements are faster and sharper, and his spikes are packed with both speed and power, making it almost impossible to defend against!!!"

Service rotation. Aoba Johsai to serve.

Oikawa Tōru stepped up to the service line.

"Taichi, you're seriously terrifying," Oikawa murmured, watching Taichi's back. "I know that facing you as an opponent must be a nightmare, but seeing you become such a powerful player—"

"I really want to have a real match against you! Taichi, you're also someone I want to defeat!"

"Tweet!—" The referee blew the whistle for the serve. Oikawa shook off his thoughts.

Right now, his only goal was to conquer the nation!

BOOM!!!

Oikawa Tōru unleashed a powerful jump serve!

Smack! Komori Motoya received it cleanly.

The ball flew off course, veering out of bounds, but Iizuna Tsukasa rushed in and saved it with a single-handed pass.

Sakusa Kiyoomi leaped for the spike.

"Double block!" Kaedehara Taichi and Kindaichi Yūtarō jumped up together.

It wasn't enough to completely shut down Sakusa Kiyoomi's angle, but Oikawa, Watari Shinji, Kunimi Akira, and Iwaizumi Hajime had already positioned themselves in all possible attack routes!

Bang!—

The ball slipped through the gap between Taichi and Kindaichi's block.

Without touching a single hand, it landed cleanly in Aoba Johsai's court and bounced up.

Sakusa Kiyoomi scored!

[Aoba Johsai 2 - 2 Itachiyama]

"Incredible! Sakusa Kiyoomi found the split-second gap in the dynamic block and spiked straight through!!!"

"All the obvious paths were blocked, yet he chose none of them—he forced a scoring path with his own spike!!"

Oikawa's serve rotation was interrupted once again.

Neither team could stop the other's ace!

Service change. Iizuna Tsukasa stepped up for a powerful jump serve.

Smack!

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Watari Shinji received it, and Oikawa Tōru moved in to set, glancing nervously at Kaedehara Taichi.

BAM!

Taichi slowed his approach and leapt from the left wing.

"Come on, I'm waiting."

His focus was locked solely on the ball and his opponents.

Oikawa, reassured, delivered a steady high set.

A slow, deliberate approach—Itachiyama instantly recognized his provocation.

"Triple block!!!" Nishimura Hiroyuki, Mizushima Yū, and Sakusa Kiyoomi jumped together.

Kaedehara Taichi aimed directly between Nishimura and Mizushima.

"Not happening!"

The two blockers knew exactly what Taichi was trying to replicate Sakusa Kiyoomi's earlier spike, and they tightened their arms, closing the gap completely.

"That's where you're wrong."

Kaedehara Taichi's gaze remained ice-cold.

—BOOM!!!—

SMACK!

The ball blasted their hands apart and crashed into Itachiyama's court.

Kaedehara Taichi scored!

[Aoba Johsai 3 - 2 Itachiyama]

Unreasonable. Unstoppable. Absolutely monstrous!

Nishimura and Mizushima collapsed from the impact, staring at the first-year standing on the opposite side of the net.

How were they supposed to stop him?!

"I'll take it back," Sakusa Kiyoomi's voice rang out, lifting his teammates from the crushing pressure.

"Oh?" Kaedehara Taichi's icy gaze shifted to Sakusa. "I'd like to see you try."

Service change. Kaedehara Taichi stepped up to serve.

"Don't worry, we'll shut him down in one play!" Komori Motoya encouraged his teammates.

They had controlled Taichi's serve throughout this match. Even if he looked different now, they had adapted over three sets—they could still receive it cleanly!

Taichi tossed the ball, the arc small and controlled. His approach was steady and unhurried.

Thud!

He leapt, his body stretching out midair, the muscles in his back tensing sharply as he swung.

Komori Motoya's heart sank—this was a serve he had never seen before!

BOOM!!!—

The ball tore through the air with a sharp sidespin, slicing toward Itachiyama's backcourt at an angle.

"Damn it!"

Komori Motoya misread the trajectory and stepped forward—only for the ball to curve sharply toward Iizuna Tsukasa on the right.

Smack!

No one touched it. The ball hit the ground.

Kaedehara Taichi had just aced Itachiyama!

[Aoba Johsai 4 - 2 Itachiyama]

Aoba Johsai had scored back-to-back points for the first time in the fourth set!

_________

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