Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 276: This Works Too?! (Double-Length)

"Hurry and adjust your mindset! Stay focused!!"

The urgent shouts from the cheering squad echoed through the air. The first set had ended with Itachiyama losing by five points.

While losing the first set was already a rare occurrence for Itachiyama, what weighed even heavier was the sheer gap—it felt like a massive boulder pressing down on the hearts of their supporters.

"Why do I feel like our school's supporters are more stressed than we are?" Nishimura Hiroyuki glanced up at the crowd and let out a small sigh.

"That's because you let your emotions get the better of you. The audience can only see what happens on the court—they can't read your thoughts," Iizuna Tsukasa said as he returned to the bench, immediately rehydrating before stretching out his slightly stiff muscles.

"Alright, alright, no need to scold me. I get it." Nishimura grimaced. "But seriously, I never expected that guy to be so infuriating..."

"Hmm, now that you mention it, Omi used to say the same thing," Komori Motoya recalled. "Though back in his first year, he pretty much just attacked everyone indiscriminately. Haha..."

"Hmph. Just stating the truth counts as an attack now?" Sakusa Kiyoomi said flatly.

"See?! That's exactly what's annoying about you!" Komori really wanted to lock both Kaedehara Taichi and Sakusa Kiyoomi in the same room just to see who would lose their temper first.

"Ahem. Enough chit-chat," their coach's voice cut in. "At least it looks like your mindset is still intact."

"Yes!"

Now was not the time to dwell on losing the first set. The momentum of a match could shift in an instant.

"Oikawa Tōru and Kaedehara Taichi's serves are on par with Sakusa's. In the first set alone, we conceded five points directly from their serves."

"There's not much data available on this newly-risen Aoba Johsai. Given that the rest of their players also have solid serves, I doubt many teams in this tournament realized it, but they might just be the team with the strongest serves in the entire Spring High Nationals."

Itachiyama's players tensed. Even though they had just experienced Aoba Johsai's serving firsthand, it was still difficult to accept the fact—that a team they had barely paid attention to before was the best in an entire skill category among all the national contenders.

But the truth was undeniable. Reaching the finals meant Aoba Johsai had to be extraordinary in some regard.

Coach Yamazaki, however, didn't seem too concerned. Unlike "Nekoma's receiving" or "Kamomedai's blocking", Aoba Johsai's serving wasn't a structured system—it was carried by two exceptionally skilled individuals.

So, if nothing unexpected happened, "Aoba Johsai's serves" would only be a fleeting strength. The moment Oikawa Tōru, their third-year setter, graduated, the team would lose this key weapon.

The problem was, Itachiyama had to deal with those serves right now.

"If their advantage is built on individual skill, we'll counter it with our own individual talent. Don't forget—we have three players at the top national level."

Yamazaki's gaze swept over Sakusa Kiyoomi, Iizuna Tsukasa, and Komori Motoya.

"Heh!" Komori's thick eyebrows arched confidently.

They had spent an entire set adapting—now it was time to test the results.

"And one more thing: Kaedehara Taichi's playing style has changed significantly. I don't know why, but in the first set, he relied more on brute force than usual," Yamazaki analyzed calmly. "That's good news for us."

He's probably just trying to outdo Sakusa, Komori speculated.

"The finals are a best-of-five. Aoba Johsai might not have much experience with this format yet, so they may not fully understand the importance of pacing their stamina."

"No matter how strong a player is, their energy isn't limitless. His high-impact spikes might look flashy now, but as the match goes on, it'll only get harder to sustain."

"Take the second set. Let's show them the true strength of the reigning champions—Itachiyama!"

"Yes!!"

-----

The short break ended quickly, and both teams stepped onto the court once again. Their strides were firm, their eyes burning with determination.

Aoba Johsai's lineup:

Front row—Outside Hitter Kyōtani Kentarō, Setter Oikawa Tōru, Middle Blocker Kindaichi Yūtarō.

Back row—Middle Blocker Matsukawa Issei, Outside Hitter Iwaizumi Hajime (Libero: Watari Shinji) and Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi.

Itachiyama's lineup:

Front row—Outside Hitter Sakusa Kiyoomi, Setter Iizuna Tsukasa, Middle Blocker Sakano Sawaji.

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

Aoba Johsai had subbed in Kyōtani Kentarō, reinforcing their offensive power while also easing Kaedehara Taichi's workload. That was expected.

What they didn't expect was Aoba Johsai putting Kaedehara Taichi in the back row…

The reasoning was clear enough—Itachiyama had done something similar with Sakusa Kiyoomi against Inubushi Higashi. But still…Aoba Johsai was bold.

Weren't they afraid of a slow start?

Itachiyama's serve. Takeshita Yūshin stepped up to the service line.

Aoba Johsai's reception was solid—not particularly outstanding, but the entire team was well-adjusted to both jump float and power jump serves.

With that in mind, Coach Yamazaki instructed his players to use whatever serve they were most comfortable with.

Bang!

Takeshita sent a jump float serve across the net.

"I got it!" Iwaizumi Hajime called, tracking the ball and setting it up for the receive.

"Mad Dog-chan!" Oikawa called out—he wanted Kyōtani Kentarō to get fired up right from the start!

Kyōtani sprinted in from outside the sideline, launching himself into the air, body arching into a reversed "C" shape—

"That's insane!"

Itachiyama's front-row blockers reacted instantly.

"Triple block!!!" Sakusa, Iizuna, and Sakano jumped together.

They had been prepared for this wildcard player from the beginning—there was no way they were letting him score so easily!

Boom!—

The ball slammed down on Itachiyama's left sideline and bounced high into the air!

A perfect down-the-line shot!!!

"Wait, not a cross-court hit?!!"

Kyōtani Kentarō scored.

[Aoba Johsai 1 – 0 Itachiyama]

The serve rotated—Aoba Johsai's turn to serve.

And with that, Kaedehara Taichi moved to the front row.

Itachiyama's team manager stared at the scoreboard in disbelief. According to his data, Kyōtani Kentarō always hit cross-court for his first attack after subbing in—100% of the time!

Yet, right when they least expected it…he changed things up.

"Sorry," Sakusa muttered calmly.

Itachiyama's blocking strategy had been tailored to stop a cross-court shot, but as the left-side blocker, Sakusa wouldn't have left the down-the-line route completely open.

And yet, judging from Kyōtani's body position and arm movement, it should have been impossible for him to pull off such a sharp straight shot.

For a brief moment, Sakusa was reminded of someone else—someone equally unpredictable, equally troublesome.

Bokuto Kōtarō…

Had Itachiyama been underestimating Aoba Johsai all along?

"Mad Dog-senpai, serve us a good one!"

Kyōtani had spent months training alongside Kaedehara Taichi.

At first, he had looked down on him—thinking Taichi's success was purely a result of Oikawa's sets and some underhanded tricks.

But that belief hadn't lasted even a week.

One training camp over Golden Week had been enough to make him realize just how hard Kaedehara Taichi worked, and how fast he improved.

That was when he started questioning himself.

What am I lacking?

It took a long time, but eventually, he admitted it—being able to fully maximize one's existing abilities was a skill in itself.

And now, he had to grow stronger.

For himself, for his team, and for that stage.

Kyōtani tossed the ball. He had to think, not just act on impulse—

Boom!!!

The volleyball traced a sharp arc through the air, targeting the space between Nishimura Yūshin and Takeshita Hironobu.

"Did…did Mad Dog-senpai deliberately avoid Itachiyama's libero?!!"

On Aoba Johsai's bench, Kunimi Akira could hardly believe his eyes. Normally, Kyōtani Kentarō was the type to go straight for a head-on clash.

"Well, you first-years can't be the only ones stealing the spotlight," Yahaba Shigeru remarked, unsurprised. "Still the same rotten attitude, but at least Kyōtani knows what he needs to do now."

Smack!

Nishimura Hiroyuki shifted sideways and barely managed to receive the ball. This was ridiculous—Aoba Johsai's serves were all ridiculously powerful!

"Save it!"

Iizuna Tsukasa sprinted toward the right sideline, straining to send the ball back to the front row.

Sakano Sawaji took his approach and leapt for a spike.

"Three-man block!!!"

Oikawa Tōru, Kindaichi Yūtarō, and Kaedehara Taichi jumped in unison.

No space to swing!

Sakano Sawaharu suddenly realized that Aoba Johsai's block was impenetrable—like an iron wall!

Boom!—

—Smack!

The ball struck Kindaichi Yūtarō's arm and bounced straight back onto Itachiyama's court.

Aoba Johsai scores off a block!

[Aoba Johsai 2 – 0 Itachiyama]

"Aoba Johsai continues their scoring streak in the second set! After Kyōtani's devastating straight-line spike, he's now contributing with an incredibly strong serve!"

"And their blocking has become even scarier! They relied mostly on two-man blocks in the first set, but after changing their lineup, their three-man block is going to put immense pressure on Itachiyama's spikers."

"Kyōtani, one more!"

"Mad Dog-senpai, that was a beauty!"

"Nice one, Mad Dog-chan!!!" Oikawa Tōru threw Kyōtani a playful wink.

"You're disgusting." Kyōtani looked thoroughly unimpressed.

Even though it hadn't been a service ace, something inside him stirred—an inexplicable, burning emotion.

"Tweet!—"

The whistle blew, and Kyōtani stepped up to the service line again.

Itachiyama wasted no time adjusting their formation, shifting into a four-man receive. Sakano Sawaji retreated to the back row.

Boom!

Kyōtani fired off his second serve like a cannonball toward Itachiyama's backcourt.

Smack!

Takeshita Yūshin received it cleanly.

"Cover!"

Iizuna Tsukasa set the ball high toward the left wing.

Sakusa Kiyoomi soared for a spike.

"He's coming!"

"Three-man block!"

Aoba Johsai's iron wall rose in front of Sakusa.

No way out!

Sakusa hadn't expected Kaedehara Taichi, the blocker furthest right, to completely seal off his cross-court angle. If he swung through, he'd be stuffed!

Smack!

At the last moment, he leaned back midair, tapping the ball upward as he descended.

A high tip!

Even with his vision obstructed, the court layout hadn't changed. Relying on his jump's trajectory, Sakusa tipped the ball behind Kyōtani!

"I got it!"

Just as Kyōtani was about to retreat, he heard Watari Shinji's voice from his right.

Trust your teammates!

Kyōtani stepped aside and shifted left, preparing for the next attack.

Smack!

Watari cleanly set the ball.

"Nice one, Watari!" Oikawa quickly stepped in.

Kindaichi and Kaedehara both moved for an attack—

Whoosh—!

A back-set! The ball shot toward the left wing, where Kyōtani was already airborne!

Boom!

Smack!—

Itachiyama had only Sakusa blocking in front of him. The ball struck Sakusa's arm and ricocheted out of bounds.

"Out!" The referee signaled.

A blocked-out ball—Kyōtani scores!

[Aoba Johsai 3 – 0 Itachiyama]

"YEAAAHHHH—!!!" Kyōtani let out a triumphant roar.

"That was sick!!!" The team swarmed him, a large hand ruffling his hair.

Kyōtani snapped his head around, eyes flashing with irritation—only to go quiet when he saw Iwaizumi Hajime.

"…Huh, so realistic," Taichi thought to himself. "If it had been Oikawa-senpai, he probably would've bitten him."

"These savages—" Sakusa muttered, rubbing his arm as he shot Aoba Johsai a glare.

"Don't dwell on it! That was just luck!" Iizuna called out, trying to reassure his teammates.

But he knew the truth—Oikawa's set wasn't luck. Itachiyama had once again fallen behind at the start of a set.

Kyōtani fired off his third serve.

Boom!

Smack!

Takeshita once again received it, and Komori Motoya immediately rushed forward.

Itachiyama launched a simultaneous attack—a five-man combination play!

Taichi instantly ruled out Takeshita, who had just received. He focused on the two attackers to his right—Nishimura Hiroyuki and Sakano Sawaji.

Oikawa and Kindaichi each marked their respective opponents, Sakusa Kiyoomi and Iizuna Tsukasa.

Whoosh!— Komori jumped for the set.

Of course—it was going to Sakusa!

Kindaichi, having just landed, lunged left and leapt up again.

Boom!—

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Too late!

A single blocker wouldn't be enough to stop Sakusa's spike.

[Aoba Johsai 3 – 1 Itachiyama]

Itachiyama finally prevented the gap from widening further.

Serve rotation—Itachiyama's turn.

Sakano Sawaji stepped up to the service line. Aoba Johsai's fast lead had built pressure, but as long as Itachiyama caught up, the momentum would shift!

He targeted the diagonal with a float serve.

Kyōtani readied himself—

"Kindaichi!" Oikawa suddenly called out, urgent.

The ball dipped sharply over the net, heading straight for the middle—Kindaichi's position!

Smack!

Caught off guard, Kindaichi crouched down and barely lifted the ball.

It floated weakly toward the net, just high enough to cross over.

"I got it!"

"Move forward!"

Two voices rang out at once—but while others called, Kaedehara Taichi was already in motion.

No blockers in sight!

At that instant, Komori Motoya darted forward from the back row, planting himself directly in front of Kaedehara.

That height! That angle!

It HAD to be a straight shot!

Bang!—

Kaedehara barely flicked his wrist, his forearm locked at a right angle, tipping the ball downward.

It skimmed past the net, slamming directly onto Itachiyama's three-meter line!

"HE SCORED FROM THAT?!!"

Komori immediately turned to the referee.

"No overreach."

Kaedehara Taichi—a second-touch kill!

[Aoba Johsai 4 – 1 Itachiyama]

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