Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 498: Three to Zero? (Double-Length)

"So that's why Kunimi-senpai said DH's starting rotation was already locked in from the very beginning," Yamabuki Yūjin commented, eyes fixed on the court.

Kunimi nodded slightly. Right now, DH reminded him of a certain phase Aoba Johsai had once gone through—but the opponent they were facing was even stronger.

"If DH wants to rely on lineup adjustments to counter EJP's setup, then inevitably, they'll expose a weakness at some point."

[DH 17 - 18 EJP]

In terms of score, it wasn't yet a critical juncture. Both teams were neck and neck. But for those who understood the game deeply, it was clear: this moment could change the tide of the third set.

Nitta Asahiro launched a powerful jump serve.

BOOM!!!

Smack!

Akutsu Ao managed to receive it, and Sengoku Chisato quickly filled the gap, sending the ball high above the middle.

Evan Krauss leapt up, his arm slicing through the air.

"Triple block!"

Tom Wilde and Kitajima Kippei switched positions to cover the middle, doing their utmost to shut down Krauss' spike route.

BOOM!!!—

The ball pierced straight through Yoshii's block, slamming towards the right corner of DH's court.

"I got it!" frёewebnoѵēl.com

At the same time, Taichi and Nitta Asahiro had already swapped places in the back row. Since the middle was their strongest defensive zone, they had shifted Taichi to where he was most needed.

Smack!

The ball bounced off Taichi's arm and soared high. Yoshii backed off to the three-meter line and set the ball.

They had barely weathered EJP's offensive wave—but now DH faced a harder question: How to organise an effective counterattack?

Whoosh—!

Yoshii sent the ball to the far left. Tom Wilde sprinted down the sideline and launched into a spike.

"Double block!" Suna Rintarō and Evan Krauss rose together.

—BOOM!!

Tom Wilde smashed the ball past Suna's outstretched hands in an over-the-top spike.

His attacking form had improved recently. Though still struggling against the likes of Krauss and Akutsu in blocking duels, bullying a first-year like Rintarō wasn't much of a challenge yet.

"Well done, Rintarō."

Smack!

Kitō Yūkan received the ball with ease, neutralising the impact.

Now that they had seen Tom Wilde only go for straight-line attacks along the edge, it was easy to tailor a defensive response.

Sengoku jumped at the front row to toss the ball. In the middle, Krauss rose again to attack—but this time, Akutsu Ao came in from the right as a decoy.

"Tom, cover the line!" Taichi shouted.

Tom moved swiftly to the middle, teaming up with Kitajima to block Krauss.

Whoosh—!

But the ball soared toward the right wing, and Akutsu Ao ignored Yoshii's block entirely, spiking from a high point.

—BOOM!!!

SMASH!!!

The ball slammed down just past Yoshii, landing cleanly on the three-meter line.

Not only had it cleared the block, the angle of Akutsu's spike barely reached 45 degrees off vertical.

Akutsu Ao scored.

[DH 17 - 19 EJP]

The serve changed hands—EJP now serving.

DH's crisis had not yet passed. Only EJP's formation had rotated. For DH, if they wanted to break this deadlock, they might still have to rely on Taichi's back-row attacks.

"…If only I could be of use now…" Kujō Reiji had never wanted to be subbed in as badly as he did at this moment. But he also understood—if he couldn't match the pace of this match, his presence would do more harm than good.

Coach Nick made no move. He was still waiting to see whether the current lineup could turn things around.

Suna Rintarō launched a jump serve.

Oddly enough, this was probably the best possible shift for DH—first, because Suna's serve lacked threat, meaning DH's rhythm wouldn't be disrupted and Taichi could still attack from the back row. Second, if Suna was at the service line, it meant Komori Motoya was off the court, weakening EJP's defence.

Smack!

Kubo Wataru received the ball cleanly. The pass was perfect.

Iizuna jumped in the front row and tossed the ball. Taichi launched from the back row into a full-speed spike.

"Triple block!" Evan Krauss, Sengoku Chisato, and Washio Tatsuki jumped together, cutting off his angle toward Suna.

—BOOM!!!

The ball shot over Sengoku's block and slammed right between Kitō and Akutsu.

"I got it!" Akutsu slid sideways and managed to make contact—

Smack!

But the ball flew out of bounds.

Luckily, Kitō had been ready. He chased it past the sideline and popped it back into the air toward the right wing.

With just one touch left, EJP didn't try to force a score—but they weren't going to give DH an easy counterattack either.

Washio went up for a powerful spike, aiming for one target: Kaedehara Taichi.

Smack!

Taichi received it smoothly, sending the pass straight to the net.

If brute-force spikes weren't cracking EJP's defence, then they had to leave more options open at the net. Just like back in Aoba Johsai, Taichi once again chose to trust his teammates in a crucial moment.

Yoshii moved to set the ball—but saw Kitajima Kippei already in position.

"I got it!"

Kippei leapt. Compared to Yoshii, he offered more offensive variety—he still had some scoring threat of his own.

Across the net, Washio jumped for a solo block. There was no way they'd let Kippei spike into an empty net.

BOOM!—

"—?!"

The ball ricocheted off Washio's arm and out of bounds.

Off-the-block point.

Kitajima Kippei scored.

[DH 18 - 19 EJP]

"He actually spiked it?"

Krauss and Sengoku were still expecting Kippei to pass the ball to the left.

"That second-touch attack…didn't feel spontaneous at all. He'd planned to spike from the very beginning."

"Hey, don't underestimate your senpai, rookie," Kippei smirked at the stunned Washio.

The serve switched. DH to serve.

Iizuna rotated to the front row. One more rotation, and Taichi would be back at the net.

Yoshii launched a powerful jump serve.

Komori Motoya returned to the court. With him there, EJP's back-row became flawless again. He received the ball with ease, perfect pass.

Sengoku jumped and tossed in the front. All three front-row spikers launched into motion.

BOOM!

Sengoku returned the favour with a second-touch attack of his own.

[DH 18 - 20 EJP]

With a two-point lead, EJP reached 20 first.

The serve changed hands again. Akutsu Ao rotated to the front row. Krauss stepped to the service line.

"Tweet!—" The whistle blew.

Evan Krauss targeted Taichi with a powerful jump serve.

BOOM!!

"Again?" Taichi frowned. "Do they really think I'm the weak link…?"

Smack!

He received the ball cleanly, perfect pass.

Iizuna jumped in the front row, ready to toss. Tom Wilde and Kippei both made moves to spike.

Taichi's reception had been pinpoint accurate. In this scenario, EJP had to watch out for a possible second-touch attack from Iizuna—but that was the least of their worries compared to what came next.

"Tsukasa!!!"

Whoosh—!

Iizuna fired a back set to the left wing.

"What's he thinking? There's no one there—" Krauss frowned. That side was completely empty. The only person nearby was Taichi, who had just received the serve…

"Wait! No way he got there already—!!"

Taichi's figure appeared on the left wing, moving with such speed that it made the ball seem frozen in mid-air.

"This monster!"

Even though Sengoku was already in the front row, he couldn't keep up with Taichi's acceleration.

WHAM!!!—

The spike smashed straight down along the net, burying itself in EJP's court.

Kaedehara Taichi scored!

[DH 19 - 20 EJP]

"He really did it…" Iizuna Tsukasa couldn't help but marvel. Even though he was the one who had set the ball, he still found himself surprised.

"It's been a long time since I've seen that kind of speed." A creeping sense of unease rose in Komori Motoya's chest.

Rotation. DH had the serve. Kaedehara Taichi rotated back to the front row.

"It's a shame you didn't seize your last chance," Taichi said, knees bent slightly, body tilted forward, eyes locked onto the EJP players. "Because I've already seen how this match ends—"

"Three sets to none."

"The hell are you on about?" Chisato Sengoku snapped. "Need me to remind you that you're the ones trailing?"

"Come try me, senpai." Taichi grinned brightly. "And let me remind you—don't even think about scoring off me."

"Tweet!—"

The whistle for serve blew.

Kitajima Kippei launched a powerful jump serve.

DH's serving strategy in the third set had remained consistent—target the EJP wing spikers: Evan Krauss and Akutsu Ao. Whoever was in the back row would be the chosen target.

"I got it!"

Smack!

Komori Motoya received the serve with Evan Krauss shielded behind him.

Chisato Sengoku stepped in to set the ball—but just as he did, Taichi's words echoed in his head for no reason he could explain.

"Damn it! I'm not falling for that!"

He pushed the set to the right side. No matter how you looked at it, Ao Akutsu at the net was more threatening than Evan Krauss in the back row.

Thud!

Akutsu rose to spike.

"Double block!" Iizuna Tsukasa and Tom Wilde jumped up together.

"No—triple!"

Kaedehara Taichi leapt from the left and joined them in perfect sync.

"Hmph, pointless!" Akutsu didn't care. His way of breaking through a block wasn't by width, but by height.

—BOOM!!

The ball cleared Iizuna's hands.

Smack!

Yoshii Hiyu received the ball. "Sheesh, talk about heavy…"

The ball ricocheted toward DH's back left corner. Iizuna had no time to reposition. Kubo Wataru stepped in to cover the dig.

"Wataru-senpai! Left!"

Fresh off the block, Taichi sprinted from the right side and shouted loudly.

Kubo Wataru set the ball high to the left wing—but without a hitter in place as reference, the ball ended up slightly too tight to the net, and a bit low for Taichi.

"That guy's speed freaked me out earlier—but if I can just track the ball, there's no problem."

"Double block!" Chisato Sengoku and Tatsuya Washio went up together.

As expected, Taichi had arrived just in time to the left wing. And just as Sengoku thought, all they needed to do was position themselves between him and the ball.

BOOM!!

Smack!—

The ball barely grazed Sengoku's arm before bouncing straight up above the net.

A joust!

—"Take it down!"

—"Block it!"

Taichi, Sengoku, and Washio all landed and jumped again in perfect unison.

But the difference—

Even though there was only a 5cm height difference between them, when Taichi reached his peak, Sengoku and Washio's hands were a full half forearm lower than his spiking point.

BOOM!!

The ball landed behind both blockers.

Kaedehara Taichi scored.

[DH 20 — 20 EJP]

"See? All tied up now," Taichi said with a soft smile.

———

[DH 24 — 24 EJP]

The match was in a deadlock. The atmosphere was suffocatingly tense. But there was one person on the court whose demeanour stood out starkly from the rest.

Ever since Taichi had returned to the front row, a faint, enigmatic smile had lingered on his face. While both teams strained every nerve and fiber for each point, he alone seemed unfazed—almost leisurely. And yet, that very composure radiated an overwhelming presence.

Now, Akutsu Ao stepped up to the service line.

If Taichi's aura was one of calm dominance, Akutsu's was a storm of murderous intent.

BOOM!!!—

Under this clash of extremes, DH dropped into a five-man receive formation.

Akutsu's first serve was a bullet—Kubo Wataru barely managed to dig it up.

But—

"Chance ball!" The ball clipped the tape and floated back over to EJP's side.

Sengoku easily received it. The pass was perfect. On the front row, Kitō Yūkan leapt—but instead of setting, he spiked.

BOOM!

It was another surprise attack from Kitō. He didn't swing often, but when he did, his timing was deadly. His scoring rate was terrifyingly high.

Smack!

Out of nowhere, Taichi slid into place and scooped the ball up with surgical precision. With a flick of the wrist, he sent it sailing toward the front row.

"Tsukasa!"

Iizuna Tsukasa was now used to Taichi's sudden shouts. He set the ball up the middle with practised ease.

"This rhythm is off…"

Even the spectators on the sidelines felt something uncanny. Taichi's movement was smooth, unhurried—but also unbelievably fast. The visual disconnect made EJP's players visibly uncomfortable.

Thud!

Taichi gathered momentum—approach, jump, spike—a single fluid motion. Soaring into the air, his body stretched to its full extent, muscles taut like a bow drawn to the limit. Then—

A brutal swing.

"Double block!" Evan Krauss and Suna Rintarō went up together—but they couldn't catch Taichi's rhythm.

BOOM!!!—

A spike that didn't even match Taichi's usual tempo. The ball slipped perfectly through the narrowest seam between the blockers.

Komori Motoya, whose vision had been partially obscured by the blockers, only saw the ball emerge at the last second. It was far too late.

Thud!

The ball hit the floor.

Point: Kaedehara Taichi.

[DH 25 — 24 EJP]

"I told you. Three sets to zero." Taichi tilted his head, smiling.

Rotation. DH serve.

Taichi slowly made his way to the service line. His chest rose and fell in steady rhythm, breath calm and even. In EJP's back row, all five players stood ready, as if preparing for a war.

"So nostalgic...this feeling."

Taichi's aloofness wasn't an act. It wasn't arrogance. He simply had a sudden, overwhelming sense of control—like he held the match in the palm of his hand.

Tap.

He stood at the service line, tilting his head slightly upward, eyes drifting shut.

"Tweet!—"

The whistle blew.

Taichi opened his eyes. In that instant, a sharp glint—like a shooting star—flashed across them. Brief, but impossible to miss.

The ball arced high into the air.

Taichi took off. Each step seemed to echo inside the hearts of the EJP players.

Fifth step—he launched himself skyward. His arm whipped forward like a blade, hand fully wrapping the upper half of the ball. A twist of the wrist, and the ball compressed under the force, spinning violently as it shot away.

"It's coming," Komori muttered.

—BOOM!!!

A deafening roar echoed through the stadium. The ball drew a low, flat arc through the air.

"Going out?!" Kitō's first instinct was to let it go—but immediately shook his head. "No, no way!"

The ball was too low. Kitō had no choice but to hold his arms horizontally across the path to try and dig it—

In the next instant, as if the ball had a will of its own, it dipped sharply, ducking right under Kitō's arms.

Thump!

The ball hit the backline and bounced.

No one touched it.

Ace. Kaedehara Taichi.

[DH 26 — 24 EJP]

"Three to zero…?"

Chisato Sengoku couldn't believe what just happened. He looked across the court at Taichi, still standing calm and composed on DH's baseline, completely unsurprised. For the first time, a chill of fear crept into his chest—fear of a single player.

"Beeep—!"

Set 3 was over.

Winner: DESEO Hornets.

_________

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