Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 326: Does Being a Genius Make You So Great? (D-L)

"Why did you have to provoke him, huh? You're not even in the front row anymore." Kunimi Akira already looked exhausted, despite the match just beginning.

"Eh, this just makes things more interesting," Kaedehara Taichi replied matter-of-factly.

"Everyone has a different idea of 'interesting.' For me, winning a match easily is the most enjoyable thing."

Kunimi slumped his shoulders, already foreseeing trouble ahead.

"Kunimi! Show some more enthusiasm! You can't lose to a first-year!" Kindaichi Yūtarō approached him energetically.

"Enough, enough, this is already plenty fired up. Stay back," Kunimi replied, his face full of disdain.

"?" Kindaichi looked at Taichi in confusion.

"It's fine, Kindaichi. Just focus on blocking Tsukishima," Taichi said with a grin. "Oh, and give it your all on offense, too."

"No problem!" Kindaichi responded with determination.

"Tweet!—"

The whistle blew for the serve.

"Alright, let's start by scoring ten points with my serve," Kaedehara Taichi said lightly as he stepped up to the service line.

"Bring it on!" Nishinoya Yū shouted, ready to receive.

Taichi tossed the ball up, took a quick approach, and leaped—

BOOM!!!

A powerful left-handed jump serve!

Smack!

The ball struck Kita Seio's arm and flew out of bounds.

Taichi scored an ace.

[Aoba Johsai 4 - 3 Karasuno]

"What the—? He's ambidextrous?" Kita Seio exclaimed, shocked that the ball had flown in the opposite direction from what he had expected.

"Kita, just focus on attacking. We'll handle Taichi's serves," Nishinoya said firmly.

"Got it."

Taichi sent out his second serve.

Boom!!—

Smack!

Nishinoya received the ball cleanly.

Kageyama Tobio adjusted and set the ball toward the left. Tanaka Ryūnosuke sprinted along the sideline and jumped.

"Three-man block!" Kyōtani Kentarō, Kindaichi Yūtarō, and Kunimi Akira leaped up to stop him.

Tanaka aimed for the crosscourt and swung with full force.

Boom!—

Smack!

The ball shot upward.

Taichi flashed Tanaka a dazzling smile.

"Damn it!"

From the back row, Nakamori Daiki jumped and set the ball high to the right wing.

Kunimi jumped for the spike.

"Prepare to jump!"

"Double block!" Ennoshita Chikara and Tsukishima Kei went up together.

Kunimi aimed for Tsukishima's fingertips and lightly tapped the ball.

Thud!

Tsukishima moved his arms to the right.

"?"

The ball slipped through the gap he had just opened—landing on Karasuno's court.

Kunimi scored.

[Aoba Johsai 5 - 3 Karasuno]

"Oi, why are you blocking like that idiot Hinata?! Stop flailing your hands around!" Kageyama scolded, his expression dark.

"Hah? What are you so mad about now, Your Highness?" Tsukishima replied irritably. "Don't compare me to your peasants."

"You two! Knock it off during the match," Ennoshita said, asserting his seniority.

"Hmph!"

"Yamaguchi, were they just insulting me?" Hinata pouted.

"Now's not the time for you to get involved," Yamaguchi Tadashi said helplessly.

Despite Tsukishima's irritated expression, his mind was working at high speed. His brows furrowed slightly, his sharp gaze locked onto an unseen focal point as he analyzed the last play.

I definitely saw Kunimi's eyes aiming for my fingertips, trying to force a touch-out. That was just like that idiot Hinata...but he hit it straight at the last second.

Was he baiting me on purpose? Did I just get tricked?

"Taichi's words pissed you off, didn't they?" Kunimi smirked slightly. He could tell that glasses had a lot of confidence in his volleyball IQ.

"I underestimated you...hiding behind Taichi like that—" Tsukishima paused, as if deep in thought. "Ahh, my bad. I don't even remember your name."

Kunimi narrowed his eyes. "No worries. You just need to remember that Karasuno lost to Seijoh."

The two players—both known for their lack of enthusiasm—were now locked in a tense showdown. Their eyes met, filled with provocation and a hint of determination.

"Heh."

From the back row, Kaedehara Taichi smirked as if his plan had gone exactly as intended.

"Trying to slack off? Not happening."

Taichi served his third ball.

Boom!—

Smack!

Kageyama received it cleanly.

Karasuno's plan was to widen the score gap while Taichi was in the back row—not let the gap widen on them...

"Let's go!"

Nishinoya leaped to set the ball from the back row. Kageyama stabilized his footing and sprinted forward.

Karasuno launched a synchronized attack—five-man version!

Boom!

Kita Seio scored from the back row.

[Aoba Johsai 5 - 4 Karasuno]

"Nice set, Nishinoya-senpai!" Kageyama praised sincerely.

The first pass had been slightly off-angle, making it difficult for a setter to handle normally. Even though Nishinoya had signaled for a full-team attack, Kageyama hadn't expected him to actually send it to a back-row attacker—let alone one he had rarely set to before.

"Relax! You guys have senpai covering your backs!" Nishinoya said, standing confidently with his hands on his hips.

—How does he manage to say stuff that embarrassing with such a straight face? Yahaba Shigeru thought silently as he watched Nishinoya's unwavering confidence.

"Well said, Nishinoya!" Tanaka stepped up to serve. "We're Karasuno's shield now!"

Tanaka tossed the ball high.

Boom!!!

A powerful jump serve rocketed toward Aoba Johsai's backcourt.

—"I got it!"

Nakamori Daiki and Kaedehara Taichi called out simultaneously.

Smack!

When it came to receiving, Taichi naturally yielded his position.

Nakamori got the ball up cleanly. Taichi stepped in and set it to the right.

Kunimi went for the spike.

"Three-man block!"

Tsukishima organized another solid front-row wall against him.

Thud!

Kunimi gently tipped the ball over.

A feint!

Smack!

Kageyama saved it, and Nishinoya quickly set it to the middle. Tsukishima jumped again for the spike.

Boom!

Smack!

"First touch!" Kindaichi shouted.

"Damn it, even at this height, I still can't break through..." Tsukishima gritted his teeth.

"Chance ball!" Nakamori's perfect pass set up an opportunity.

Yahaba set the ball to the left. Aoba Johsai's true offensive weapon—Kyōtani Kentarō—charged into the court.

Thud!

Kyōtani's spikes always looked like he was putting his entire soul into them.

Bam!

"Three-man block!"

Tsukishima lost track of how many times he had jumped in a row. Defending, attacking—he wasn't a damn robot!

Boom!—

The ball landed just inside Karasuno's sideline and bounced out.

Kyōtani scored.

[Aoba Johsai 6 - 4 Karasuno]

"Even without Taichi in the front row, their lineup is still incredibly strong!"

Tsukishima Kei panted heavily, unwilling to accept this reality.

The serve rotated, and Kunimi Akira moved to the back row.

He glanced at Tsukishima deeply. Is it really about to end so soon? A strange sense of disappointment welled up within Kunimi.

On impulse, he decided to serve toward Tsukishima.

"That guy!"

"I've got it!" Ennoshita Chikara, who had been closely watching his teammates' condition, had noticed Tsukishima's incomplete jump earlier.

Smack!

Ennoshita lifted the ball with both hands, setting it up.

Kageyama Tobio leaped from the back row for an attack.

Boom!

Smack!

The ball slammed into Kyōtani Kentarō's arm and dropped straight down in front of him.

The ball hit the court on Aoba Johsai's side.

Kageyama Tobio had scored with a back-row spike.

[Aoba Johsai 6 – 5 Karasuno]

"You're not just at this level, are you?" Kageyama looked at Tsukishima and said.

It was a beautiful second attack. Tsukishima couldn't deny it.

As a setter, Kageyama wasn't just exceptional at setting—his serve was already formidable, and now even his spiking ability surpassed his own. A nameless fury suddenly surged within Tsukishima. So what if you're a genius?

After all, Kageyama Tobio and Kaedehara Taichi were the same kind of people. The rest of them were just along for the ride during high school, nothing more.

"Then why...why do I feel so frustrated?!"

Tsukishima couldn't quite understand the anger bursting from deep inside him—was it jealousy? Dissatisfaction? A desire to become stronger?

"You and that guy…are both equally annoying."

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"Hah?" Kageyama frowned. "I was literally encouraging you just now!"

"Oh yeah? Using that condescending tone?" Tsukishima scoffed. "Disgusting."

"You—!"

"You two—!" Ennoshita forcefully shoved them apart again. At that moment, his longing for Sawamura Daichi and Sugawara Kōshi peaked.

Tsukishima recalled that his last reception had been saved thanks to Ennoshita. He reluctantly swallowed his frustration.

Kageyama, who had always been an obedient "good boy" when it came to his seniors, also let it go. To him, playing the game was all that mattered.

Ennoshita let out a sigh of relief and stepped up to serve.

"Tweet!—"

Karasuno requests a substitution—Yamaguchi Tadashi IN. Ennoshita Chikara OUT.

If Karasuno couldn't gain an advantage with this rotation, it would be even harder once Kaedehara Taichi returned to the front row.

Coach Ukai Keishin made his decision—he was going to throw in every weapon they had and go all out!

[Yamaguchi Tadashi—Outside Hitter: Overall Rating: 82: Height: 180 cm, Strength: 78, Jump: 82, Stamina: 82, Speed: 80; Key Attributes:Receive: 82, Serve: 94.]

In his first year, Yamaguchi had only gotten a few chances as a pinch-server. Over the past year, he had dedicated himself almost entirely to reception and serving.

"The opponent is a pinch server who relies on technique. Stay sharp—end it in one shot!" Yahaba Shigeru called out.

"Yes!"

Yamaguchi stepped up to the service line.

Volleyball had originally been just a game to him, something he played for fun. But at some point, he had begun to truly want to stand on the court like everyone else.

The boy who once hid behind Tsukishima Kei had unknowingly found his own path.

As Yamaguchi looked at Tsukishima's back, he could tell that Tsukishima seemed dejected—but there was also a quiet defiance in his posture.

He knew that Tsukishima's unwillingness to lose ran deep in his bones. In the past, it had been that very trait that encouraged him.

Now, it was Yamaguchi's turn to help Tsukishima find his way again.

He was going to make him remember who he truly was!

—

Whoosh!

The ball was tossed lightly into the air.

Yamaguchi calmly took his approach, jumped, and struck.

This was the culmination of countless hours of training—the technique he had dedicated more time to than any of his peers.

Bang!

The volleyball, carrying Karasuno's hopes and Yamaguchi's determination, traced a slow yet sharp trajectory through the air.

"It's slow! But it's so low!"

The ball barely scraped over the net, heading toward Aoba Johsai's back row.

The low trajectory forced Nakamori Daiki to receive with an underhand pass.

Smack!

But as soon as the ball struck Nakamori's arms, he realized something was off—the impact wasn't as solid as he expected. The ball simply bounced lightly off, slipping away and dropping to the floor.

Yamaguchi had served an ace!

[Aoba Johsai 6 – 6 Karasuno]

"YESSSSSS!!!"

Both teams were stunned.

After all, Nakamori Daiki's reception skills were well-established. No one had expected an unremarkable pinch-server to score directly!

"Ho—?!" Even Taichi let out a surprised exclamation. This was probably the first time he had personally witnessed Yamaguchi's devastating float serve.

He's no joke, Taichi thought. Even Nekoma and Inarizaki have struggled against this serve.

Nishinoya Yū: "One—"

Tanaka Ryūnosuke: "More—"

Hinata Shōyō: "Time!!"

Tsukishima felt something stir within him.

He restrained the emotions rising inside and refused to look back.

Yamaguchi took a deep breath, steadied himself, and served again.

Bang!

The ball flew toward Kaedehara Taichi.

"Coming to me?" Taichi's eyes gleamed. "I just need to catch it before it changes trajectory."

He stepped forward, lightly balanced on his toes, and received.

Whoosh—!

But just as his hands made contact, the ball accelerated unnaturally. The downward arc he expected never came—the ball sailed past him before abruptly losing speed and dropping straight down.

Tap!

The ball landed cleanly on the baseline.

No touch!

Yamaguchi had served another ace!

[Aoba Johsai 6 – 7 Karasuno]

Karasuno had taken the lead!

"WAHAHAHAHA…!"

"DID YOU SEE THAT?! KARASUNO'S POWER SERVER!!!"

"Nice serve, Yamaguchi!!!"

"He scored directly off Taichi-senpai?!"

"That guy's in the same year as Taichi-senpai?"

Tsukishima finally turned around—only to meet Yamaguchi's unwavering gaze.

"If even someone like me can refine a weapon strong enough to stand on the same stage as geniuses…"

"Then you, who have always walked ahead of me, can definitely fight alongside them too, Tsukki."

"So that's how it is, huh? Yamaguchi…you've already surpassed me."

Tsukishima turned his attention back to Kaedehara Taichi, who stood frozen in thought.

"So…you're not invincible after all."

"Even if you're a genius, I'm going to block you at least once!"

His eyes scanned Aoba Johsai's lineup. Karasuno still held the lead—this was the opportunity they had fought for.

"Yamaguchi, one more!"

"Got it!"

Yamaguchi launched his third serve.

_________

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