Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 383: Plan (Double-Length)

After conceding three consecutive points, the relaxed and carefree aura around Aoba Johsai vanished like mist before a sudden gust of cold wind. Even the confident expressions on their faces had begun to waver slightly.

Momentum could shift in an instant during a match. There had even been instances on the international stage where a team leading by nine points had still lost the set.

Though Aoba Johsai's players knew such a scenario wouldn't happen to them—after all, those three points had largely resulted from lineup changes on both sides—they still weren't eager to see Kaedehara Taichi return to the court so soon after being subbed out.

"Aoba Johsai is just a team that can only win with Kaedehara Taichi."

Even Taichi himself wouldn't want to hear something like that.

"So, they're finally getting serious?" Sanada Shunpei could clearly sense a renewed intensity in Aoba Johsai's eyes. "But unfortunately for them, the tide has already turned in our favour."

Kai Suzuharu served the third ball.

Boom!

Thud!

Kunimi Akira handled it with ease.

Aoba Johsai's recent offensive struggles were due, in part, to their current rotation—Kyōtani Kentarō and Kunimi were both in the back row. The only true front-row threats to Inubishi Higashi were Kindaichi Yūtarō and Yamabuki Yūjin.

Neither of them possessed particularly good setting skills. Even in situations where the first pass posed no challenge, expecting them to fool the block with a "fake spike into set" was pushing it.

Standing in front of Kindaichi was Akiha Kazuma, who was taller than him. His blocking might not have seemed too overwhelming when facing Kaedehara Taichi, but to anyone else, this 197cm giant was still a formidable presence.

Whoosh!—

Nakamori Daiki leapt from the back row and set the ball. The remaining five players on Aoba Johsai surged forward to the net.

A full five-man synchronised attack!

"They had the libero set, and the setter joined the offence too?!" Kai was stunned. It was his first time seeing such a reckless, all-out attack that completely abandoned defence. Even a regular synchronised play was information overload—but this? His brain was scrambling just to keep up.

"Middle! Back-row attack!" he shouted the moment Nakamori released the ball.

Akiha and Kumadō Sōichi, who had already started spreading out to the wings, instantly converged toward the centre.

Boom!

Kunimi launched himself from the back row. Waiting for him on the other side was a fully formed triple block.

"This guy...you really can't predict him with conventional logic, huh."

Kunimi didn't seem fazed in the slightest to see the wall of blockers in front of him. He had clearly anticipated it. Calmly, he slapped the ball upward at a diagonal angle.

Thwack! frёeweɓηovel.coɱ

"Let's see just how far you can predict ahead..."

The ball headed for Inubishi Higashi's deep back-left corner.

"It's coming to me?!" Kai panicked. His receiving wasn't quite as abysmal as his serving, but it wasn't far off either.

He stumbled backwards to get in position.

Thud!

The ball struck his arms and ricocheted out of bounds.

[Aoba Johsai 21 - 16 Inubishi Higashi]

"Oh? So your foresight ends the moment the ball is hit, huh." Kunimi's smile was layered with subtle implication.

"Sorry!" Kai quickly swapped positions with libero Moriyama Makoto. "If Aki-senpai had been there just now, he could've picked that up easily!"

"You already did great," Moriyama reassured him with a smile. This guy really had no idea how much he contributed.

"We'll get you back on the court soon!"

Service changed. Aoba Johsai to serve.

"Kindaichi, give us a good one!"

"Got it!"

Kindaichi jumped and fired off a powerful serve. Moriyama received it cleanly.

Shimura Ryō backed him up and set to the middle. Sanada Shunpei avoided the block and spiked for the kill.

[Aoba Johsai 21 - 17 Inubishi Higashi]

"Inubishi Higashi strikes back with a spike of their own!"

Another serve rotation.

Kumadō Sōichi launched a powerful jump serve, but Nakamori Daiki handled it without much trouble.

With Kai off the court, Aoba Johsai felt significantly less pressure from the block.

Yahaba Shigeru used a clever set to pull Akiha away, giving Yūki Yōji a clean lane on the far right. He spiked it over the block and scored.

[Aoba Johsai 22 - 17 Inubishi Higashi]

-----

Sanada scored with a sharp cross-court spike from the left.

[Aoba Johsai 22 - 18 Inubishi Higashi]

-----

Sanada's serve landed directly for an ace.

[Aoba Johsai 22 - 19 Inubishi Higashi]

-----

Another serve from Sanada threw Aoba Johsai's receive off balance. Kunimi had to adjust the attack, but his spike was stuffed by a three-man block.

Inubishi Higashi scored again.

[Aoba Johsai 22 - 20 Inubishi Higashi]

"Tweet!—"

"Aoba Johsai calls for a timeout!"

"It's their first timeout this set!"

"Inubishi Higashi saw their opportunity the moment Kaedehara Taichi stepped off the court, and they've mounted a fierce counterattack, closing the gap to just two points!"

"Coach Irihata of Aoba Johsai—how will he respond? Will Taichi return to the court?"

"I won't be putting Taichi back in this set." The moment the players gathered around, Coach Irihata laid it out plainly.

"Sanada Shunpei's already rotated to the back row. Once we weather his service rotation, their offence will weaken significantly." He pointed at the tactics board. "With Taichi off the court and Kyōtani in the back row, stop thinking about ending the play in one attack."

"Be patient. Don't rush."

"Kunimi, share the offensive burden more when you're in the front row."

"Yes, sir!" Kunimi responded with a serious expression.

"They were Spring High's top four last year. Their core second-years have only gotten stronger since. But the same can be said for all of you." Coach Irihata's tone hardened slightly. "Kyōtani, Kunimi, Kindaichi—show me how much you've grown."

"YES, SIR!!!"

-----

The timeout ended, and the match resumed.

Sanada served his third ball, targeting Kyōtani Kentarō on the right with a nasty sidespin.

Boom!—

The ball soared upward. Nakamori moved in quickly to cover.

"Right wing!"

Kunimi jumped on the right. The ball was already at his fingertips.

"Double block!" Naitō Tetsuto and Akiha Kazuma rose in unison.

Smack!

Another tip!

The ball floated toward Inubishi Higashi's back-left corner.

"I got it!"

Moriyama dove backwards and bumped it back to the net.

Shimura scrambled into position and set it. Akiha leapt and attacked.

"Double block!" Yūki and Kunimi jumped to meet him.

BOOM!

The ball soared over Kunimi's hands, heading straight for Aoba Johsai's backcourt.

An over-the-block kill!

Smack!

After Nakamori Daiki received the ball, he flipped backwards to regain his balance. While the towering player from Inubishi Higashi had a rather straightforward playing style, his power was nearly on par with Taichi at full force.

"Cover!"

Yahaba Shigeru moved to support and set the ball, sending it to the right where Yūki Yōji jumped to strike.

"Double block!" Akiha Kazuma and Naitō Tetsuto both leapt in front of him.

Boom!

Yamabuki Yūjin spiked the ball and scored.

[Aoba Johsai 23 - 20 Inubishi Higashi]

"Akiha-senpai's spike got received?!"

Inubishi Higashi's cheering section gasped in disbelief.

Akiha Kazuma and Sanada Shunpei were two very different types of attackers—one technical, the other power-oriented. But there was no denying that the threat their spikes posed was equally dangerous. In previous matches, opponents had been most helpless when faced with Akiha Kazuma, who combined height and strength.

And yet today, the 197 cm-tall Akiha Kazuma was being repeatedly denied by Nakamori Daiki, who stood at just 168cm. Nearly thirty centimetres of height difference had brought no advantage for Akiha Kazuma.

Service change—Aoba Johsai to serve.

Yamabuki Yūjin launched a powerful jump serve. Moriyama Makoto received it.

"Mine!"

Shimura Ryo followed up and set it toward the centre. Sanada Shunpei attacked from the back row and scored.

[Aoba Johsai 23 - 21 Inubishi Higashi]

Right now, Sanada Shunpei was the unstoppable force on the court.

Even so, the fighting spirit in Nakamori Daiki's eyes only burned hotter.

The serve changed hands again, and Inubishi Higashi's front-row attack lost another bit of edge. Akiha Kazuma stepped up to serve.

But at that moment, Kai Suzuharu finally returned to the court. The atmosphere on the court shifted the moment his figure appeared.

It was his presence alone that had kept the first set from ending earlier. With his return, the air was charged with tension.

The players of Inubishi Higashi felt their spirits lifted, while the members of Aoba Johsai instinctively grew more vigilant. This time, they weren't going to treat him like just another first-year.

"Tweet!—"

The whistle for serve blew.

Akiha Kazuma executed a powerful jump serve.

BOOM!

Smack!

His serve was similar to Kindaichi Yūtarō's—its sheer force alone made it a threat.

Nakamori Daiki received the ball. Yahaba Shigeru jumped to set it.

"Right side!" Kai Suzuharu called out loudly.

Whoosh—!

The ball flew to the right side. Kyōtani Kentarō sprinted in from outside the sideline, almost parallel to the net, and leapt in a single motion.

"Triple block!" Kai Suzuharu, Shimura Ryo, and Naitō Tetsuto all jumped to intercept.

BOOM!!!—

Kai Suzuharu forced his hands downward, trying to push over the ball—but he didn't even make contact.

WHAM!

The ball slammed down inside Inubishi Higashi's three-meter line on the left.

A super sharp cross-court spike!

Kyōtani Kentarō scored.

[Aoba Johsai 24 - 21 Inubishi Higashi]

"Triple block? Please, not like I haven't smashed through that before." Kyōtani sneered, glancing coldly in Kai Suzuharu's direction. Even if the opponent knew exactly where he was going to attack—if he scored, that was all that mattered!

"Ugh—" Kai Suzuharu sucked in a breath. That was terrifying…For a second, he thought Kyōtani was about to leap over the net and deck him.

"Kyōtani's cross-court is still as savage as ever! The angles he finds are just incredible!"

"With Taichi off the court, he's undoubtedly the ace right now!"

"Aoba Johsai has reached 24 points first and holds three set points. Every play counts for Inubishi Higashi from here!"

"Don't let it get to you, Suzuharu!" Kumadō Sōichi offered a consoling pat. "You read that ball perfectly—they were just too strong this time."

"Yes!"

Kai Suzuharu nodded, replaying Kyōtani's spike over and over in his mind.

"If he can hit it at that angle…then the block has to shift a full step to the left…" he murmured to himself, already making mental notes.

Service change—Aoba Johsai to serve.

Yūki Yōji stepped up for a powerful jump serve.

BOOM!

Smack!

Sanada Shunpei's brows furrowed. Though he managed to receive the serve, its sheer force locked him in place, stopping him from launching a follow-up attack right away.

Shimura Ryo stepped in to set the ball. Kai Suzuharu leapt to spike.

Boom!

Smack!

"Touched once!" Kunimi Akira called out clearly. Compared to blocking, that spike wasn't anything special.

"Chance ball!" Yamabuki Yūjin received it, and his first touch went straight to centre court.

Kunimi Akira jumped to set it.

"He's spiking! Block him!"

"Double block!" Kai Suzuharu and Shimura Ryo both jumped.

"How strange…I can't even fool them with a feint?" Kunimi gave a subtle glance toward the back corner of Inubishi Higashi's court and swung in a side attack.

Another soft drop shot?!

Kumadō Sōichi had been waiting for exactly that. The moment he saw it, he darted backwards.

Tap!

The ball just barely cleared the block and dropped behind the two front-row players.

"It's a front-court ball?!"

Kumadō Sōichi could only stand frozen at the baseline, watching as the ball landed.

Thud…

Kunimi Akira scored with the drop shot.

[Aoba Johsai 25 - 21 Inubishi Higashi]

Tweet—! A long whistle sounded.

End of Set One.

Winner: Aoba Johsai.

-----

"Damn it, I totally fell for it!" Kumadō Sōichi glared at Kunimi Akira's retreating back. "I swear, if I'd just stayed in place, I could've picked that ball up…"

"No wait…Why did I move back so early…? When did…?"

He finally realised—this wasn't just a simple misread. "All of those earlier spikes…he planned all of that for this moment…"

"Is this what Aoba Johsai really is?" Sanada Shunpei was already looking ahead with anticipation for the next set.

The break between sets was over in a flash.

Both teams switched sides, and Set Two began.

Inubishi Higashi's formation:

Front row—Setter Shimura Ryo, Middle Blocker Akiha Kazuma, Outside Hitter Naitō Tetsuto.

Back row—Outside Hitter Kumadō Sōichi, Middle Blocker Kai Suzuharu (Libero: Moriyama Makoto) and Outside Hitter Sanada Shunpei.

Aoba Johsai's formation:

Front row—Outside Hitter Kyōtani Kentarō, Outside Hitter Kunimi Akira, Middle Blocker Yūki Yōji.

Back row—Middle Blocker Kindaichi Yūtarō (Libero: Nakamori Daiki), Setter Tōma Kaoru and Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi.

"Thank goodness…" Coach Terashima exhaled in relief after seeing Aoba Johsai's lineup. He hadn't expected them to switch in a first-year setter, but at least they were keeping their usual opening with Taichi starting strong on serve.

Not wanting to repeat the disaster of the first set, Coach Terashima had arranged Inubishi Higashi's most reliable serve-receive formation to deal with Taichi. From the looks of Set One, the key to pulling ahead in score was still during Taichi's serving rotation.

Aoba Johsai to serve first.

Kaedehara Taichi walked up to the service line.

The players of Inubishi Higashi instinctively tensed, every eye locked on him.

Taichi tossed the ball, approached, jumped, and swung.

BANG!

The ball dropped toward the front of the court—a float jump serve!

Akiha Kazuma's large frame froze up. The ball flew toward him almost instantly.

Whack!

The ball slammed into his face, ricocheted off the top of the net, and fell back to Aoba Johsai's side.

"…That counts?!"

Kunimi Akira dove forward but failed to recover the ball.

The ball hit the floor—Akiha Kazuma had 'received' it with his face.

[Aoba Johsai 0 - 1 Inubishi Higashi]

Kaedehara Taichi: "???"

Aoba Johsai: "???"

Inubishi Higashi: "???"

Akiha Kazuma: "Hahaha! Your serve's nothing special! All part of my plan!"

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