Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 408: You Almost Blocked Me

The serve switched sides. It was Aoba Johsai's turn. Kaedehara Taichi walked up to the service line.

"Ah, come on, don't look at me like that," Taichi said lightly, then paused. "It's like...you think I'm some kind of monster."

Kamomedai had assumed that Aoba Johsai would start off with a powerful serve from Taichi, so they had placed their strongest receive formation in the first rotation. Thanks to this miscalculation, they had managed a solid opening few rallies. However, whether or not they could maintain their lead ultimately depended on their ability to handle Kaedehara Taichi's serves.

The entire atmosphere inside the gym shifted drastically the moment the serve changed hands.

Even the spectators on the sidelines could feel it—the tension was almost suffocating.

Clearly, it was Kamomedai who currently held the advantage, and yet from the looks on their players' faces, it was as if they were the ones under immense pressure.

"Hey, hey, something's not right here…" A few first-time spectators whispered in confusion. "Shouldn't the server be the one feeling more nervous?"

"Idiot, just watch closely," one of their companions muttered, immediately holding his breath.

Nearly every eye in the gym locked onto Kaedehara Taichi.

Yet Taichi simply smiled lazily, casually spinning the volleyball between his hands, utterly unbothered.

In stark contrast, the players of Kamomedai, ready to receive, bore expressions tinged with tension and unease—though what shone through even more clearly was their determination.

They leaned forward slightly, every step, every shift of their feet adjusted with the utmost care…

The air was so taut with nervous energy, it felt like a bowstring drawn to its limit, ready to snap at any second.

"Tweet!—"

The whistle for service blew, tightening everyone's chests.

The ball rose into the air as Taichi tossed it upward, his approach sounding in steady, rhythmic footsteps against the court.

Thump!

On his final step, just as the ball reached its peak, Taichi pushed off the ground, his arms swinging back before he rocketed into the air.

For a split second, the entire court's attention was consumed by the sight of his perfect, soaring form. Taichi's right arm tightened, and with one swift, brutal motion, he whipped it downward.

The instant his palm connected with the ball, it was as if thunder had exploded overhead— the volleyball visibly compressed under the force of the strike, a shockwave rippling outward through the air.

BOOOM!!!—

In an instant, the ball tore through the air with a faint, heated friction, screaming straight toward Kamomedai's backcourt.

CRASH!

A violent gust of wind slammed into Ogawa Ryūhei's face—and before he could even react, the ball crashed into the floor right in front of him.

Kaedehara Taichi had scored a direct service ace.

[Aoba Johsai 4 - 6 Kamomedai]

—"A-A direct point!"

—"Taichi's serve was so fast it left nothing but an afterimage!"

It had all happened in the blink of an eye.

Taichi's clean, decisive movements left everyone completely unable to react.

By the time Ogawa Ryūhei processed what was happening, the ball had already slammed into the ground.

"Tweet!—"

"Kamomedai requests a timeout!"

Coach Aaron had no choice but to call for a break.

The entire flow of the match had been overturned by that single serve.

One glance at the players' faces made it obvious that they had been shaken.

The purpose of this timeout wasn't to break Taichi's rhythm—it was simply to calm Kamomedai's rattled players.

Kaedehara Taichi did not return to the bench. Instead, he remained standing casually at the sidelines, idly flicking the ball between his fingers.

The familiar sensation seeped through his palm, sending a thrilling charge through every cell of his body.

-----

The timeout ended.

The match resumed.

Aoba Johsai's serve.

This time, Taichi's lazy smile disappeared, replaced by a blank, expressionless look.

He tossed the ball into the air.

The volleyball traced a perfect arc overhead, as if calculated down to the millimetre. Taichi stepped forward, leapt, and struck it.

—BOOM!!!—

A white streak blurred across the gym, carving a path of light through Aoba Johsai's court.

BANG!

Once again, the ball landed untouched, without a single fingertip grazing it.

Another service ace.

[Aoba Johsai 5 - 6 Kamomedai]

"Dammit, he can serve that twice in a row?!" Hakuba Gao gritted his teeth.

The good news was that he had kind of seen the ball's trajectory this time; the bad news was that knowing where it was headed didn't mean he could do a damn thing about it.

Right now, Kaedehara Taichi had no interest in chatting with his opponents. Still bouncing the ball lightly in his hands, he walked back to the service line once more.

When he looked up, his eyes were as sharp and frigid as a blade.

BOOM!!!

The third serve exploded from his hand.

In Hakuba Gao's wide eyes, the volleyball rapidly expanded, rushing toward him.

SMACK!

Desperately, he threw up both arms.

The ball slammed into his forearms and popped high into the air.

"LIAM—!" Hoshiumi bellowed.

Even a lucky bounce like this was a rare opportunity!

Tokura Liam scrambled into position, quickly pushing the ball up into a high set toward the middle.

The set's trajectory was clean and obvious—Aoba Johsai's front line immediately closed in.

"Triple block!" Kyōtani Kentarō, Kunimi Akira, and Yūki Yōji all leapt together.

Thud!

Hoshiumi launched himself upward.

In that split-second, his gaze snapped over the Aoba Johsai block.

"It's headed for the end line!" Tōma Kaoru shouted, scrambling backward.

Boom!!—

The ball dropped toward the centre of Aoba Johsai's court—completely undefended!

Smack!

A figure suddenly darted out from behind Yūki Yōji and received the ball.

"Daiki!"

Kaedehara Taichi didn't stop for even a moment. After picking up the ball, he kept running toward the left side, then leapt from the back row.

"Just what I wanted!"

Nakamori Daiki quickly moved up to cover, jumping to set the ball.

Kaedehara Taichi appeared at the front left wing, and unbelievably, all three Kamomedai front-row players kept up with him without missing a beat.

"Triple block!" Tokura Liam, Hoshiumi Kōrai, and Bessho Kazuyoshi all leapt simultaneously.

The ball flew precisely to Taichi's front, not a hair's breadth off!

"Beautiful set!"

BOOM!!!—

The ball zipped past Tokura Liam's left side, slamming hard onto Kamomedai's sideline.

Kaedehara Taichi scored with his spike!

[Aoba Johsai 6 - 6 Kamomedai]

—"They—they've tied it up!!"

—"Kaedehara Taichi single-handedly scored four points in a row and brought Aoba Johsai back level!"

—"The advantage Kamomedai built up at the start has been completely wiped out!!!"

"Damn it!" Tokura Liam clenched his fists. How could this guy still execute such a sharp spike after such a fast set?

"You blocked well. Being able to catch up to that kind of quick attack on the first try…I have to praise you." Kaedehara Taichi said in a calm tone. "Keep it up. You were just a little bit away from stopping me."

Aoba Johsai continued serving.

Kaedehara Taichi served his fourth ball.

BOOOM!!!

The ball surged with a fierce momentum, looking for all the world like it was about to fly out of bounds. Wakabayashi Hikaru hesitated for just a split second—

BANG!

The ball landed right on the back line, then bounced out of the court.

Kaedehara Taichi's serving streak hadn't ended yet!

[Aoba Johsai 7 - 6 Kamomedai]

Kaedehara Taichi served his fifth ball.

This time, a powerful left-handed jump serve slammed against Ogawa Ryūhei's arm and flew out of bounds.

[Aoba Johsai 8 - 6 Kamomedai]

Kaedehara Taichi served his sixth ball.

Suddenly, he switched to a float serve. Hakuba Gao was completely thrown off, and the ball hit him square in the chest and dropped.

In a desperate reaction, Hakuba Gao tried to kick the ball up.

The referee immediately called a double contact violation.

Aoba Johsai scored another point.

[Aoba Johsai 9 - 6 Kamomedai]

Kaedehara Taichi served his seventh ball.

BOOM!!!

Smack!

Finally, Kamomedai's libero, Wakabayashi Hikaru, managed to successfully receive the ball again.

"Save!"

Hakuba Gao moved in to cover, barely managing to push the ball toward the front row. Hoshiumi Kōrai leapt up to spike.

"Triple block!"

Boom!!

Smack!

The ball ricocheted off Yūki Yōji's hand and flew out of bounds.

Smack!

Kaedehara Taichi once again received Hoshiumi Kōrai's spike!

"Well, it's not like you had much choice in that situation," Kaedehara Taichi muttered, his gaze seemingly piercing right through Hoshiumi Kōrai.

Tōma Kaoru quickly stepped up, setting the ball toward the left wing. Kyōtani Kentarō sprinted forward and leapt to spike.

"Triple block!"

Kamomedai's blockers stayed tightly with him.

BOOM!!—

Kyōtani hammered out a straight-line shot right onto the sideline.

Smack!

The ball struck Wakabayashi Hikaru's arm and bounced out of bounds.

Kyōtani Kentarō scored with his spike.

[Aoba Johsai 10 - 6 Kamomedai]

"Damn it!" Wakabayashi Hikaru cried out, unwilling to accept it. He had finally caught an opportunity, only to let it slip through his fingers again...

As for the spectators, it seemed they had already been rendered speechless.

In just a few short minutes, Aoba Johsai, almost relying solely on Kaedehara Taichi, had completely overturned the situation.

Now, Aoba Johsai was leading Kamomedai by four points...

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