Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 431: World-Class (Double-Length)

"That was insane—!"

Taylor Sander had never imagined anyone could break through their block like that. The ball landed behind him, and he stiffly turned his head to look.

"Out!" the line judge announced, raising the flag.

The volleyball had landed just outside the baseline—by no more than two fingers' width.

"Phew..." Taylor Sander exhaled in relief. Judging from the trajectory, the spike hadn't been angled down enough after Taichi went over the block at that height.

Kaedehara Taichi's spike had missed. A point for Team USA.

[Japan 10 – 13 USA]

"Ah, so close!"

"Even though Taichi didn't completely shake off the block, he reached his peak faster. For him to spike over Team USA's two-meter wall—it's truly astounding!"

"Now that they've seen what he can do, Team USA will definitely tighten their defence on him!"

The Americans still had the serve.

Taylor Sander sent out the fourth ball.

BOOM!!!

"I got it!" Nakamori Daiki quickly stepped in to receive.

The ball soared into the air. Miya Osamu moved in to set it, and Miya Atsumu was already leaping in the front row.

"Again?"

Jeff Jendryk reacted swiftly, sticking close to Atsumu and jumping to block him.

Whoosh—!

The ball shot toward the right side. Kaedehara Taichi rose and spiked.

Though the twins could still pull off their quick combo after switching roles, Osamu's set lacked precision, and Atsumu's spike didn't have its usual bite. Against a team like the US, they had no room for theatrics.

"Double block!" Aaron Russell and Torey DeFalco jumped together.

BOOM!!!

Taichi's powerful diagonal spike slammed toward the far corner.

Smack!

The ball struck Micah Christenson's arm and ricocheted out of bounds.

Kaedehara Taichi scored with a spike.

[Japan 11 – 13 USA]

"Was that spike...aimed at me?"

Micah Christenson stared across the net at Kaedehara Taichi and couldn't help but smile.

"I accept your challenge."

Japan had finally broken the serve. Their turn now.

Kai Suzuharu stepped up to serve, though his serve posed little threat. Erik Shoji received it cleanly, a perfect pass.

Without hesitation, Micah Christenson jumped from the back row to spike.

The ball shot past Miya Atsumu's left side and slammed into Japan's back-line edge.

Kai stood frozen.

Micah Christenson once again showcased his signature left-handed spike, scoring cleanly on the line.

[Japan 11 – 14 USA]

"This tension...it's nostalgic."

Taichi knew—Micah Christenson was responding to his invitation.

-----

BOOM!!!

Torey DeFalco scored on a spike.

[Japan 18 – 21 USA]

"Beep! Japan requests substitutions."

"Miya Atsumu OUT, Kageyama Tobio IN."

"Miya Osamu OUT, Hoshiumi Kōrai IN."

Coach Hibarida Fuki had just used Japan's final two substitutions.

Team USA served. Torey DeFalco launched a powerful jump serve.

BOOM!!!—

Smack!

Nakamori Daiki received it smoothly, a perfect pass.

"Okay, I know we shouldn't underestimate these guys," Jeff Jendryk muttered, eyes full of doubt. "But that setter they just subbed in—he's shaking. You sure he's okay?"

Kageyama Tobio jumped, his hands rising steadily to meet the ball.

His mind was clear, his body devoid of any unnecessary movement.

Whoosh!—

BOOM!!!

The ball whipped past Taichi, soaring to the far right where Aone Takanobu was waiting to spike.

Jeff Jendryk had just shifted toward the middle when he realised the trap—he ground to a halt and pivoted back to the right.

But it was too late. The spike smashed past his block and hit the court.

Aone Takanobu scored.

[Japan 19 – 21 USA]

"That little punk's faking it?!" Jeff glared at Kageyama Tobio.

Kageyama's expression didn't twitch—face taut, zero reaction.

"You didn't really think our setter was scared, did you?" Taichi's voice brimmed with amusement. "He's been dying to play you guys. He's shaking from excitement."

"You cocky little—!" Jeff felt genuinely provoked now.

Serve rotation. Japan was up.

Kageyama Tobio walked to the service line, brows slightly furrowed—he looked angry. But anyone who knew him would understand: that was just his focused face.

"Tweet!—"

The whistle blew.

The dead stillness around Kageyama vanished—replaced by a deadly sharp presence.

"The King's killer serve"—that's what Hinata Shōyō or Tsukishima Kei would've called it if they were here.

Expressionless, Kageyama tossed the ball, stepped forward, leapt, and struck.

BOOM!!!

The serve came crashing toward the American back row.

Smack!

Torey DeFalco barely managed to keep it in play.

"Cover!"

Taylor Sander scrambled to the back, keeping the ball in the air.

Last touch—Torey DeFalco struck from the back row, forcing a spike.

"I got it!" Nakamori Daiki received and passed it perfectly.

Kageyama Tobio jumped to set. All three front-row attackers sprang forward.

Team USA had no choice—they had to spread their blockers.

Whoosh!—

The ball flew high to the right. Hoshiumi Kōrai leapt for the kill.

Jeff Jendryk jumped too, completely shadowing Hoshiumi with his block.

Boom!!—

The ball slipped past Jeff's right side—

Smack!

—and a pair of hands redirected its path at the last second.

Bang!

The ball was blocked back toward Japan's side.

"Out!"

The block had gone out of bounds.

Hoshiumi Kōrai scored.

[Japan 20 – 21 USA]

"You really are strong," Hoshiumi said, locking eyes with Jeff Jendryk. "But even in the air, victory doesn't come from height alone."

Jeff looked down—this tiny body was staring him down without flinching.

"Come on, show me what other little tricks you've got."

Japan continued to serve.

Kageyama's second serve—

BOOM!!!

Smack!

This time, the trajectory was clean. Erik Shoji received it easily.

Micah Christenson jumped to set. Kaedehara Taichi stepped in front of him.

"I see now..." Micah murmured in admiration. "Up close, his blocking form is excellent."

Whoosh—!

The set went to the middle. Aaron Russell jumped to spike.

"Double block!" Aone Takanobu and Hoshiumi Kōrai leapt together.

BOOM!!!—

A powerful spike over the block!

Smack!

The ball hit Sakusa Kiyoomi's arm and flew out of bounds.

Aaron Russell scored.

Receiving a spike from Team USA's ace was no easy feat.

[Japan 20 – 22 USA]

Serve rotation. Team USA served.

Jeff Jendryk unleashed a jump serve. Sakusa Kiyoomi received it calmly.

Kageyama moved in for the set.

Whoosh!—

The ball flew sharply to the left wing. Kaedehara Taichi leapt to strike.

"Triple block!" Taylor Averill, Micah Christenson, and Aaron Russell all jumped to stop him.

BOOM!!!

Another powerful spike over the block!

Micah Christenson stared hard at Kageyama Tobio. So they had switched in a setter with a completely different style—but just as troublesome. Compared to Miya Atsumu, Kageyama's sets were faster, and far more precise.

If Miya Atsumu specialised in orchestrating attacks, then Kageyama Tobio was the type to unleash the full potential of his ace.

Kaedehara Taichi's attack rhythm had clearly picked up speed.

Luckily, this time, Team USA had already prepared—

Smack!

Eric Shoji lunged and saved the ball.

Team USA's block was highly effective. Even if someone could spike the ball over such a tall block, a ball descending from that angle would only ever land near the end line.

Micah Christenson quickly moved into position and jumped to set.

"Not good!"

"Double block!" Kaedehara Taichi and Aone Takanobu leapt simultaneously.

In mid-air, Micah Christenson rotated his upper body and swung one hand at the ball—

Whoosh—!

At the very last instant of contact, his wrist twisted deftly, and the ball that had appeared to be a spike suddenly changed trajectory, soaring high toward the right wing.

BOOM!!!

Aaron Russell spiked the ball down from directly above Hoshiumi Kōrai's head.

Thud!

The ball crashed to the court behind Hoshiumi and bounced high.

Aaron Russell scored.

[Japan 20 - 23 USA]

"How did the ball end up there? What just happened?" Shirakawa Kaito, a setter who had nearly made it onto the Japanese national team, asked from the sidelines. The skill gap was so vast that even from outside the court, he couldn't understand what the opposing setter had just done.

"Did he fool Taichi with a string of fakes...?" Kunimi Akira muttered, his voice full of disbelief. If he hadn't witnessed it himself, he would never believe someone could pull off such a move.

When Micah Christenson jumped to 'set' the ball, he had already initiated a spiking motion. Given the threat he posed as a hitter, Kaedehara Taichi and Aone Takanobu immediately reacted to block.

Up to this point, it was still a textbook fake set–spike combo.

But what came next—

At the last second, Micah passed the ball with one hand instead of spiking it.

Even the spike was a decoy.

That entire sequence of fake-outs happened in just a single moment.

Kunimi couldn't believe Micah had made that decision purely in reaction to Taichi's response—that would be terrifying. But even if it had been planned in advance, pulling it off during a match was still beyond comprehension.

"Japan's setters are fun to watch—very talented players," Karch Kiraly watched the scene unfold in silence. "But Micah Christenson...he's a world-class setter, and he's destined to stand at the very top."

USA continued to serve.

Jeff Jendryk sent out his second serve.

"I got it!"

Smack!

Nakamori Daiki received the ball cleanly and perfectly.

Kaedehara Taichi had already soared into position on the left wing, and Kageyama Tobio leapt to set.

WHOOSH!—

The ball zipped in a laser-straight line. Its trajectory was so fast it left only an afterimage.

"No way!" Taylor Averill didn't even glance at the ball—his full attention was locked on Kaedehara Taichi.

After all, it was still the attacker who would land the final blow.

"How moving," Kaedehara Taichi murmured as he locked eyes on the incoming ball. "So Shōyō's always been spoiled by such delicious sets?"

Though the ball travelled fast in the air, it felt like it slowed down just as it reached his hands.

That brief moment of stillness—was enough for an attacker to toy with any blocker.

BOOM!!!

Before Taylor Averill could react, the ball blazed past him and slammed hard onto the American team's right-side three-meter line.

Kaedehara Taichi scored.

[Japan 21 - 23 USA]

"Those two are monsters—Tobio-chan and Taichi," Miya Atsumu murmured, dazed on the sidelines.

"If it's this kind of lightning-speed quick attack, paired with Taichi's nearly omniscient attacking range...I honestly can't think of a way to stop it."

But just then—

Japan's serve.

Kaedehara Taichi stepped up to the line.

"My little shrimp said we're ending this in two straight sets!"

He tossed the ball, ran up, jumped, and struck. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

BOOOM!!!

Smack!

The ball slammed into Taylor Sander's forearm and flew out of bounds.

Kaedehara Taichi scored with a service ace.

[Japan 22 - 23 USA]

There it was again…

That terrifying ball speed.

Taylor Sander had instinctively reached out to receive it, but he couldn't control the ball's rebound at all.

Even though this serve wasn't quite as shocking as the ones in the first set, it was still unbelievably fast.

"Probably around 120 km/h again," someone whispered.

Team USA quickly adjusted their formation, with Micah Christenson rotating to the back row.

Japan continued serving.

Kaedehara Taichi's second serve.

BOOM!!!

Like a bolt of lightning, the ball tore across the sky with a whistling sound, roaring toward Team USA's court.

Smack!

Micah Christenson received it cleanly.

Torey DeFalco quickly moved to set. Micah adjusted his posture and began the attack, with Taylor Averill and Aaron Russell slowing slightly to sync up with him.

Team USA launched a triple-point attack from the front row!

Whoosh—!

BOOM!!!

Aaron Russell easily spiked and scored.

[Japan 22 - 24 USA]

USA reached 24 points first, holding two set points.

Serve change. Team USA to serve. Aaron Russell stepped up to the line.

Japan had exhausted all substitutions and timeouts. Despite all their rotations and tactics, the second set had still come to this.

And on the bench, USA still had one more weapon: Matt Anderson, the 210 cm giant.

"Finish it with one ball!" Kaedehara Taichi shouted.

"Got it!" Nakamori Daiki echoed, eyes gleaming with hunger.

"This feeling...is disgusting," Aaron Russell muttered coldly.

"Tweet!—"

The whistle blew.

Aaron Russell tossed the ball, ran, leapt, and struck.

BOOM!!!

The ball flew directly toward Kageyama Tobio.

"I got it!"

"I got it!"

Kaedehara Taichi and Nakamori Daiki shouted in unison—they had intentionally moved closer to Kageyama from the start.

Smack!

Taichi received the ball and, in the same motion, flashed a coded signal to Kageyama.

Kageyama's eyes widened—then immediately darted forward.

Whoosh—!

From the back row, Nakamori jumped and set.

Japan launched a multi-position attack—a five-man assault!

"This is insane!" The USA front line hesitated, their blockers split apart.

BOOM!

Sakusa Kiyoomi slammed a perfectly placed spike along the line—right on the edge.

Sakusa Kiyoomi scored.

[Japan 23 - 24 USA]

Serve change. Japan to serve.

"Let's win it in this set!"

"Yes!!!"

Aone Takanobu leapt into a powerful jump serve. Aaron Russell received it.

"Cover!"

Micah Christenson stepped in and flawlessly set the ball high to the left wing.

Japan's front row of three immediately shifted left—

"Wait!" Kai Suzuharu suddenly shouted.

Team USA still had Taylor Sander and Taylor Averill in the front. But Kai's instincts screamed they wouldn't be the ones to take the final shot.

"One—Jump!"

Taylor Sander swung and missed—it was a decoy!

From the back row, Torey DeFalco soared even higher.

"Triple block!" Hoshiumi Kōrai, Sakusa Kiyoomi, and Kai Suzuharu jumped together.

BOOM!!!—

A devastating spike over the top!

Torey DeFalco aimed precisely for Japan's back-left corner—where their libero was off the court. The rotating middle blocker who served was the weak link!

Smack!

But the one who appeared at that exact spot—

Was Kaedehara Taichi!

"Sorry, your plan didn't work out."

He received the ball cleanly. Kageyama was already in place.

Whoosh!—

Kageyama's back set was a work of art—the ball soared toward the right wing. Sakusa Kiyoomi jumped for the spike!

"Double block!" Taylor Averill and Micah Christenson jumped together.

—BOOM!

Sakusa twisted his wrist at the last moment and sent the ball the opposite way—toward the U.S. right-side three-meter line!

Smack!

The ball grazed Taylor Sander's hand and flew out of bounds.

Sakusa Kiyoomi scored again!

[Japan 24 - 24 USA]

Tied again. Both teams were back at the starting line!

After blocking on the left side, he dashed to the right wing to launch an attack, spiking the ball precisely in the opposite direction of his body. Sakusa Kiyoomi's extraordinary flexibility and breathtaking ball control allowed him to strike right at the heart of the American team's defence!

"Nice spike!"

"That's Sakusa for you!"

Cheers erupted from the sidelines, but the man himself remained completely unfazed.

"Hey, you lot better put up the same kind of block against me that you do against Taichi," Sakusa Kiyoomi said darkly.

_________

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