Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 221: A Victorious First Battle!

The entire Nekoma team heard that sentence.

Even though it was Aoba Johsai who had been trailing and just managed to tie the score, Nekoma found themselves unable to refute those words.

Everyone was exhausted…

Oikawa Tōru glanced at the opposing team with an amused look in his eyes. Nekoma's greatest strength lay in their ability to maintain stability.

While these feline players displayed remarkable offensive awareness, the fact remained—they didn't have a single spiker who could match Taichi head-on.

Their ace, Yamamoto Taketora, had a ceiling comparable to Tanaka Ryūnosuke. Meanwhile, Lev Haiba was still far from reaching his full potential.

And that was the limit of Nekoma's team.

Aoba Johsai's serve. Oikawa Tōru stepped onto the service line.

Just as their little monster had said—the game was already over.

BOOM!

With a thunderous crack, the volleyball seemed to vanish from Oikawa's hands, only to reappear at Yamamoto Taketora's feet.

For a brief moment, the ball remained pressed against the court surface, the impact causing it to deform slightly before launching off with even greater force.

Nekoma had no time to react—

Oikawa Tōru's ace serve!

[Aoba Johsai 21 – 20 Nekoma]

This was the first time in this match that someone other than Kaedehara Taichi had scored directly with a serve—and Oikawa's first service ace in this game.

But to the spectators, Aoba Johsai's comeback seemed almost too easy.

"That serve was insane…"

"Could they seriously end the game with a five-point service streak?"

The power of Aoba Johsai's captain was enough to strike fear into anyone. Daishō Suguru had personally experienced this feeling before.

But…this was Nekoma.

And Nekoma would never allow someone to say—"One more serve!"

Daishō Suguru stood up, took a deep breath, and shouted toward the court:

"You guys better not give up!!!"

"Eh…? But why?" Yamaka Miwa turned to her boyfriend in surprise. His school, Nohebi Academy, had been eliminated by Nekoma, causing them to miss out on Nationals. Shouldn't he resent them?

Suguru's face turned slightly red—perhaps from the strain of shouting or perhaps from embarrassment at what he'd just blurted out.

"…How should I put it? Maybe I just want them to win for our sake, too…"

Kuroo Tetsurō smirked mischievously. He never expected that guy to be the one to cheer them on.

"Yaku! Did you hear that?" Kuroo called from the sidelines.

With his back turned, Yaku Morisuke simply raised a fist and gave a thumbs-up.

"Nekoma's backcourt is my responsibility. Leave it to me!"

[Ding! Yaku Morisuke has entered Burst Mode]

[Yaku Morisuke (Burst Mode)—Libero: Overall Ability Rating: 89

Height: 163 cm | Power: 70 | Jump: 88 | Stamina: 97 | Speed: 95

Technique: Receive: 100]

"Oh?"

Kaedehara Taichi glanced at Yaku, though his expression carried a hint of regret.

"So…Kuroo Tetsurō and Kozume Kenma still aren't quite at this level yet?"

If that's the case, then nothing changes.

Oikawa tossed the ball up for his second serve.

BOOM!—

This time, not only did the ball pack power and speed, but it even had a subtle curve!

Oikawa Tōru had never stopped improving!

Pop!

The ball didn't head toward Yaku—it was Haiba who stepped in to receive it.

The moment his teammate made contact, Yaku had already sprinted toward the sidelines. The ball ricocheted in his direction—

Smack!

Yaku adjusted his body mid-run and sent the ball toward the net.

Boom!

Fukunaga Shōhei leapt and spiked, his shots often landing at tricky angles.

The ball dropped toward Aoba Johsai's baseline—Watari Shinji barely managed to dig it up.

The ball veered right, sailing toward the out-of-bounds area. Nekoma players were just about to breathe a sigh of relief when—

Oikawa Tōru rushed out.

Still airborne, his body twisting midair, he sent a precise set toward the left side of the net!

No breathing room for Nekoma—the pressure was relentless!

A set like this could only mean one thing.

"Do you even need to ask?"

Kaedehara Taichi charged along the sideline, leaping high on the left wing.

"Three-man block!"

In these final moments of the match, Lev Haiba had returned to the net.

A pair of outstretched hands suddenly emerged before him. If Taichi had blindly spiked without preparation, this would have been bad news.

Boom!

Smack!

Instead of forcing his way through, Taichi targeted Fukunaga's hands, using a block-out technique. The ball ricocheted off the blockers, bouncing at a sharp downward angle.

Pop!

Having just sprinted back onto the court, Yaku dove forward, saving it yet again.

Kenma positioned himself beneath the ball. Nekoma launched a full-team counterattack!

Even if they collapsed after this match, they would run, they would jump—

"Leave the front to me!"

Kaedehara Taichi and Kindaichi Yūtarō both called out, sealing off Fukunaga and Haiba on either side.

Aoba Johsai's iron wall was beginning to take shape!

Kenma's gaze swept across the Aoba Johsai court. With Oikawa keeping a close eye on potential setter dumps, there were no easy openings left.

Even with Nekoma's full offensive lineup in play, they couldn't find a single guaranteed scoring option!

Boom!

Haiba soared from the back row and spiked—

Iwaizumi Hajime dug it up effortlessly!

Oikawa delivered a perfect set.

Nekoma's three-man block formed once more.

BOOM!

"What a ruthless attack! The ball drops directly onto Nekoma's baseline!"

"Even against a triple block, Kaedehara Taichi still managed to spike an on-the-line winner! His ball control is absolutely terrifying!"

[Aoba Johsai 22 – 20 Nekoma]

"So cool!!!"

Yamamoto Akane struggled to suppress the furious pounding of her heart, her face flushing bright red.

Alisa, who had little understanding of volleyball, was only here to support her younger brother, Lev.

Even so, she could tell just how difficult that last play was—clearing the blockers, avoiding every defender, and landing it precisely on the baseline for a direct point.

Though Akane's love for volleyball had already made her swoon over numerous impressive players, seeing her in this state, Alisa couldn't help but wonder—

"Akane, you don't have to fight it! Even if he's the opponent, love is always an option!"

"What the hell are you talking about?!?!" Akane fired back without hesitation.

-----

The expression on Kozume Kenma's face twisted in frustration.

If it were only Taichi Kaedehara, perhaps Nekoma could still find a way to contain him.

But Aoba Johsai had Oikawa Tōru as well.

Nekoma had practically given up on the third set already—there was no other choice. If they didn't go all in for the second set, there wouldn't even be a third set.

Even Kenma himself had started running more, covering for his teammates mid-game.

Before, he avoided doing so—partly out of laziness, partly because he lacked the stamina to sustain that level of play for three full sets.

For just a moment, he had dared to believe that he could push himself a little further, that Nekoma might have a chance…

But in the end, he was still a step behind someone who had always played at that level.

"I don't want the game to end like this…"

—

Aoba Johsai continued their serve.

Oikawa Tōru launched his third serve.

BOOM!!

The power behind it was immense—but this time, he sent it directly toward Yaku Morisuke.

SMACK!

A perfect pass. Kenma quickly set the ball to the right wing for a quick attack. Lev Haiba leaped—

…Too high? No—he had jumped too low!

In such an intense match, the first to reach his limit was the first-year, Lev Haiba.

"No way!"

Lev's eyes remained locked on the ball as it sailed past his fingertips. As he and the ball descended together, he swung his left arm up in desperation.

Smack!

He made contact!

But before he could even feel the excitement—

A massive hand from the other side of the net smothered the ball.

BAM!

Kindaichi Yūtarō's block scores the point.

[Aoba Johsai 23 – 20 Nekoma]

"HAHAHA! Nice one, Kindaichi!"

"Thank you, Oikawa-senpai!" Kindaichi beamed.

Aoba Johsai's first-year talent wasn't limited to just Taichi.

—

Oikawa's fourth serve.

A jump float—aimed straight at the front-row Lev Haiba!

Still distracted by Kindaichi's block, Lev reacted half a beat too slow.

THUD!

An ace.

Oikawa Tōru scores another direct point.

[Aoba Johsai 24 – 20 Nekoma]

Ever since Taichi declared, "The game is over," Nekoma hadn't won a single point.

Aoba Johsai now the match points by four.

"I'm sorry!" Lev shouted.

It suddenly dawned on him—one more point and Nekoma's journey in the Spring High tournament would be over.

They had fought through so many matches, and endured so many hardships to reach this point…

But what terrified him the most was that only now—only at this very moment—did he realize…

This might be the last high school match for his third-year senpai.

No—not might be.

It definitely was.

Lev hung his head. What have I even been doing in this match?

His senpai were so strong. He had wanted to become Nekoma's ace, to be their pride.

And yet, in this crucial match—he had been the weakest link.

"Lev!" Kuroo Tetsurō called from the sidelines.

Lev turned.

What he saw was Kuroo's familiar smirking expression—but this time, there was no trace of anger or disappointment.

Only acceptance.

"Don't overthink it," Kuroo said. "Just play with no regrets."

"Yeah, idiot!" Yaku shouted behind him. "What the hell are you still worrying about? If you're on the court, then focus on playing!"

"…Seriously," Kenma mumbled, clicking his tongue. "This is why you should practice more than just spiking…But it's not your fault we're being targeted. It just means your offence is a threat."

"Senpai…" Lev's voice trembled.

But there was no more time for Nekoma to reflect.

The whistle blew.

Oikawa Tōru's next serve came rocketing in.

Everyone on Nekoma knew—this was probably the last ball.

So they pushed their bodies to the limit—receiving, running, jumping, attacking—giving everything they had left.

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Pop!

The ball soared high above Aoba Johsai's side of the court.

For a moment, time seemed to slow.

And then—

Through the air, Taichi Kaedehara's figure appeared.

Kenma, too exhausted to even jump for a block, simply lifted his gaze.

"You really are incredible, Taichi."

BOOM!!!

The ball slammed into the dead centre of Nekoma's court, bouncing high into the air.

[Aoba Johsai 25 – 20 Nekoma]

"Tweet—!"

The referee's whistle blew long and sharp.

Set 2: Over.

Match Winner: Aoba Johsai.

_________

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