Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 219: Kozume Kenma Can…
Losing the first set wasn't anything unusual for Nekoma.
Whenever they faced a strong opponent, their first set was always a struggle. This was because Nekoma's rhythm was naturally slow to warm up, and they also needed time for Kozume Kenma to analyze their opponent.
However, today was different.
Forget about gradually adapting—the so-called "defensive Nekoma" had been torn apart by a single player at the end of the first set.
This feeling...was eerily similar to facing Sakusa Kiyoomi.
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"No, no," Kuroo Tetsurō shook his head. "He's just a first-year, and he's already at this level?"
Kuroo glanced toward the Aoba Johsai bench. That figure sitting there...he really was like a monster.
"Kenma, do you know how to stop Taichi?" Kuroo turned to Kenma, who was slouched on the bench, gulping down water.
"I don't know." Kenma shook his head.
"Then why do you look so happy?" Kuroo asked, exasperated.
"You know, Kuro," Kenma's golden eyes sparkled with excitement, his smile unusually bright. "Sometimes, compared to game over...clearing the game is even more frustrating."
The teams switched sides. The second set began.
Aoba Johsai's lineup:
Front row—Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi, Middle Blocker Yūtarō Kindaichi, Outside Hitter Kentarō Kyōtani.
Back row—Outside Hitter Hajime Iwaizumi, Middle Blocker Issei Matsukawa (Libero: Shinji Watari) and Setter Oikawa Tōru.
Nekoma's lineup:
Front row—Setter Kenma Kozume, Middle Blocker Lev Haiba, Outside Hitter Taketora Yamamoto
Back row—Outside Hitter Nobuyuki Kai, Middle Blocker Tetsurō Kuroo (Libero: Morisuke Yaku) and Outside Hitter Sōhei Fukunaga.
Nekoma served first.
"The second set officially begins with a float serve from Nekoma's Fukunaga!"
"It's a short drop shot aimed at the front row!"
"The ball barely clears the net—an incredibly tricky placement!"
"As we can see, Nekoma is clearly targeting Taichi! Unlike receiving in the back row, where he can still adjust his rhythm and participate in the offence, if a front-row player is forced to receive, they'll struggle to retreat and gain momentum for their approach."
"By restricting Aoba Johsai's ace, Nekoma can significantly ease the burden on their defence—"
"But—"
"Kaedehara Taichi receives the ball and, in one fluid motion, sprints straight to the right-wing!"
Taichi leapt on the right side, his arm swinging back fiercely!
"Damn! He can still do that?!" Lev and Yamamoto scrambled to follow and jumped diagonally to block.
Bam!
Taichi's swing hit nothing but air.
The sound came from the left wing—Kindaichi had spiked the ball!
[Aoba Johsai 1 – 0 Nekoma]
"A clean and decisive point!"
"Aoba Johsai's offensive threats go beyond Kaedehara Taichi!"
"Oikawa Tōru silently counters Nekoma's strategy with his actions—this kind of trickery is completely ineffective against Seijoh!"
"Aoba Johsai takes the first point of the second set!"
The serve switched sides.
Kyōtani Kentarō unleashed another powerful jump serve.
Kai received it cleanly. Kenma set the ball high. Lev sprinted and jumped.
"Double block!"
Taichi and Kindaichi formed a wall in front of him.
"Damn it!"
The two blockers completely sealed off Lev's angle. He twisted his wrist and barely managed to angle the ball cross-court.
Watari easily dug it up.
"Again?!"
As soon as Taichi landed, he dashed laterally, leaping up on the far left.
Boom!
Oikawa's set was pinpoint-accurate.
The ball soared over Kenma's head, slamming into Nekoma's court.
[Aoba Johsai 2 – 0 Nekoma]
"Damn it, Lev can't keep up with his speed after attacking..."
"We need to disrupt their first touch—if we let them receive too easily, we'll be crushed by their rapid offence..."
Kyōtani served again.
Pop!
Yaku delivered a perfect reception.
"Yamamoto!" Kenma set the ball to the far right.
"Double block!"
Yamamoto jumped—and when he saw Taichi and Kindaichi towering in front of him, he finally understood the suffocating pressure Lev had been facing.
This was a solid iron wall!
Boom!
Yamamoto Taketora's powerful spike blasted against Kindaichi's hand.
Smack!
"One touch!"
Kyōtani Kentarō scrambled to save the ball, and Oikawa Tōru quickly stepped in to set it high.
Kaedehara Taichi leapt, his arm tensed, fully charged with power, before swinging down with force.
"Triple block!" Kozume Kenma, Haiba Lev, and Yamamoto Taketora all jumped up together.
Boom!
Taichi adjusted his spike mid-air, smashing the ball straight against Kenma's arms.
Pa!
The volleyball ricocheted off Kenma's forearms, bouncing directly onto Nekoma's court.
[Aoba Johsai 3 – 0 Nekoma]
"This way, you can feel it more clearly, right, Kenma?" Kaedehara Taichi grinned. "Do you have a way to stop me?"
Kenma lowered his arms, which were slightly red and tingling from the impact.
In the first set, Nekoma failed to adapt to Aoba Johsai, but Aoba Johsai had already adapted to Nekoma.
Rather than focusing on disrupting Nekoma's receptions, they were now attacking through blocking instead. It wasn't like no team had ever tried to target Nekoma this way before.
But how many had actually succeeded?
And right now, Nekoma's current offensive strategies could no longer break through Aoba Johsai's block…
There were more issues to solve.
Kenma let out a sigh. This was not the time to conserve energy for a possible third set.
At the very least, they had to take a set from Aoba Johsai.
—
Boom!
Kyōtani Kentarō's serve.
"Out!"
Nekoma managed to take back a point.
[Aoba Johsai 3 – 1 Nekoma]
For Aoba Johsai, serving was where they felt the most pressure. Their previously dominant serves were much less effective against Nekoma's reception.
The more they tried to sharpen their serve trajectories, the higher the risk of errors.
Of course, if they completely gave up on targeting, it wouldn't matter.
—
Serve rotation.
Kenma aimed his serve at Oikawa Tōru's front zone.
Pa!
Oikawa stepped forward and received the ball.
"How obvious…This kid…"
Watari Shinji jumped from the back row, setting the ball high.
Kaedehara Taichi took his approach and soared—any high set would do!
"Double block!" Yamamoto Taketora and Kai Shinsuke jumped up.
Fewer blockers?
Taichi glanced to the side and smirked—Haiba Lev was standing all the way at the left sideline.
Looks like he was entirely focused on attacking.
Boom!
Taichi avoided the block, spiking a sharp diagonal shot.
Smack!
Fukunaga Shōhei received it cleanly.
"You're really amazing!" Taichi couldn't help but praise.
Kenma stepped up to cover, and all of Nekoma's players rushed toward the net.
Multi-position simultaneous attack!
They had to split Aoba Johsai's blockers—this was the only way.
Kenma's movements remained flawless.
Bang!
Haiba Lev smashed an over-the-block spike over Iwaizumi Hajime's head for the point.
[Aoba Johsai 3 – 2 Nekoma]
"Yeahhhh!" Haiba Lev shouted, exhilarated.
Just moments ago, Kenma-senpai had told him not to block Taichi. He had been holding a bit of a grudge over that, but now he realized—his senpais really knew their stuff!
Kenma's second serve maintained the same strategy.
Oikawa received it again, and Watari set the ball high.
"They wouldn't keep attacking like this every time…right?" Oikawa eyed the formation across the net, sensing that Nekoma was dead serious.
Kaedehara Taichi took flight, increasing the power in his swing yet again.
Boom!!
Fukunaga predicted the shot correctly but couldn't absorb all the force—
The ball bounced high into Aoba Johsai's court!
"Lev!" Kenma called out.
Kenma-senpai was actually this proactive?!
Lev was so moved he nearly teared up. He sprinted in from the sideline and leapt up.
Kenma was already moving, jumping near the net with one hand reaching for the ball.
"You wish!"
Iwaizumi and Kindaichi jumped as well, their arms reaching over the net, completely covering Kenma's angle.
Pa!
Kenma abruptly withdrew his hand—
The ball struck Kindaichi's arm and fell onto Aoba Johsai's court.
Kindaichi Yūtarō: "???"
"Tweet! Over-the-net violation. Point for Nekoma."
[Aoba Johsai 3 – 3 Nekoma]
Kenma flashed a triumphant smirk at Kaedehara Taichi.
"Wait, Kenma—" Taichi stared at him in shock.
"You can actually…move?!"
"Mm…I am a living person, you know."
_________
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