Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 501: The Playoffs Begin (Double-Length)
"Mad Dog-senpai, have you ever thought about joining our team?" Kaedehara Taichi asked with a grin. "I could take you to the top of the V1 League~"
"You're still as irritating as ever. Clearly, you're doing just fine," Kyōtani Kentarō replied coldly.
"Hehe, VC Kanagawa is currently ranked ninth in the regular season," Taichi added slyly. "If you guys push just a little harder and break into the top eight, you might get to face us in the playoffs."
"You're as cocky as ever, Taichi." Kuroo Tetsurō slung an arm around Taichi's shoulder. "How about you bring our Shibayama with you? You know what they say about Nekoma-bred liberos."
"Ah, um, I've already accepted an offer from Tokai Heavy Industries, Kuroo-senpai," Shibayama Yūki said, blushing. "Although…I really do want to play with Taichi again…"
His voice gradually trailed off.
February 25th. DESEO Hornets defeated VC Kanagawa—home to Kyōtani Kentarō and Yamamoto Taketora—once again with a clean 3–0 sweep. Following the match, a small reunion was organised by Kuroo Tetsurō, bringing together a few alumni from Aoba Johsai and Nekoma.
Not many could make it. After graduation, everyone had gone down different paths, and getting the old group together was no easy task.
Oikawa Tōru (now in Argentina) and Yaku Morisuke (in Russia) were still playing in top-tier overseas leagues—it had been almost two years since either of them last returned.
Only three had followed the "normal" path and gone to university: Iwaizumi Hajime, Kuroo Tetsurō, and Kozume Kenma. Iwaizumi was studying hard to obtain certifications in sports training and nutrition, preparing for an eventual move abroad. Kenma had become a gaming streamer. Kuroo, meanwhile, hadn't joined his university volleyball team at all; instead, he was working as an intern at the Japan Volleyball Association.
As for the rest:
Yahaba Shigeru, introduced by Kyōtani, had become a fitness coach at a local community gym near Aoba Johsai. Watari Shinji was working at an aquarium in Kanagawa. Hanamaki Takahiro and Matsukawa Issei were both in between jobs, actively hunting for something new.
On Nekoma's side, Haiba Lev had started an apprenticeship in landscape design, while Fukunaga Shōhei was juggling part-time shifts at a convenience store while chasing his dream of becoming a comedian.
"Huh? Kenma, did you just say a pro team invited you to join them?" Kaedehara Taichi stared at him, stunned.
"Uhh, Taichi, can you not say that so loud?" Kenma muttered awkwardly.
Everyone turned to stare. Kenma looked visibly uncomfortable under the sudden attention.
"Didn't you quit volleyball in college? That's even possible?" Yahaba asked, eyes wide.
"It's not volleyball," Taichi interjected, his voice rising in excitement. "It's Super Smash Bros.!"
"???"
"What even is that?"
"Sounds like some game title…"
"Exactly!" Taichi announced like a commentator. "DFM—a Tokyo-based esports team—just invited Kenma to join them. That's right—he's becoming a pro gamer!"
"Hsssss—!" Hanamaki gasped, sucking in a sharp breath.
"Wait, you understand that?" Matsukawa asked in disbelief. Back in their third-year days, Hanamaki had been the worst at video games.
"Not really. But it sounds super impressive!"
Matsukawa: "…"
"Kenma! You didn't even tell me!" Yamamoto shouted, clearly indignant.
"Because…I haven't decided if I'll accept yet," Kenma replied softly, looking down.
"Is this what talent looks like? Even if it's not volleyball, he still gets to go pro in another field…" Yahaba downed a cup of sake in one go. "Damn it—I don't even have a girlfriend!"
"What does that have to do with anything, you idiot?" Kyōtani deadpanned with perfect timing.
"Pfft." A sudden, sharp laugh broke the moment—it was Fukunaga.
Only Haiba Lev seemed to get it.
"I get you," Lev said, giving Fukunaga a thumbs-up.
Taichi was absolutely intrigued by the fact that Kenma got scouted just by streaming games. The two huddled together in private conversation. Everyone else could only catch random words drifting over—Monster Hunter 4G, Puzzle & Dragons Z, Guilty Gear—a series of unfamiliar game titles, and soon they gave up on trying to follow.
-----
Later, Kaedehara Taichi walked home alone.
The city lights glittered in the night, and the hum of traffic buzzed steadily in his ears.
Now that he knew what paths everyone had taken, a wave of emotion swelled quietly in his chest—there was so much more to life than just volleyball.
People like him, who treated volleyball as everything, were truly the minority. Life held countless possibilities. It wasn't just about winning or losing on the court. There were dreams, pursuits, and entire worlds outside the gym.
These different experiences had led them all down different roads.
But Taichi felt grateful—grateful that the thing he loved most happened to be volleyball.
No matter how many faces life could wear, volleyball remained a constant. It was a part of him that could never be replaced.
Every time he stepped onto the court, every time the ball rested in his hands, the world seemed to shift. Everything sharpened into focus. Competing alongside his teammates, pouring their hearts into every point, chasing victory with everything they had—that joy, that rush—nothing else could compare.
Thinking of this, Taichi looked up at the starry night sky, the corners of his lips lifting ever so slightly.
"That's why—I'll stand at the very top of the world."
----
The latter half of the regular season passed more quickly than anyone had anticipated. As teams fought fiercely to climb the rankings, the race to the playoffs reached a fever pitch.
DESEO Hornets, EJP Raijin, Schweiden Adlers, and MSBY Black Jackals—these four teams secured playoff spots early on thanks to consistent performance and key player breakouts. The battles between them only grew more intense, with every win or loss carrying significant weight in the race for the regular-season crown.
The mid-tier competition was even more brutal. Tachibana Red Falcons and Azuma Pharmacy Green Rockets held their ground with the pedigree of seasoned powerhouses. The final two playoff tickets would come down to a four-way struggle between NSC Rootless Birds, Tokyo Bears, VC Kanagawa, and Toray Arrows.
Among them, Toray and Tokyo Bears played it safe, climbing steadily thanks to strategic mid-season reinforcements. Rootless Birds, led by ace Takuma Kobayashi, constantly staged dramatic comebacks. But the most surprising of all was VC Kanagawa. Their "rookie twin stars"—Kyōtani Kentarō and Yamamoto Taketora—were wreaking havoc on opponents' defences, averaging a staggering 18.2 points per set combined.
Every team pursued their goals with everything they had. The players gave their all on the court—battling with tactics, technique, and willpower—pushing themselves to the limit.
When the dust finally settled, the regular season standings were revealed:
Champion: MSBY Black Jackals, 24 wins – 2 losses (swept AD, went 1–1 against EJP and DH)
Runner-up: DESEO Hornets, 24 wins – 2 losses (swept EJP, went 1–1 against AD and Black Jackals); tied in match record with Black Jackals, but lost on set-point differential
Third place: EJP Raijin, 22 wins – 4 losses
Fourth place: Schweiden Adlers, 22 wins – 4 losses; lost on set-point differential to EJP
Fifth place: Azuma Pharmacy Green Rockets, 18 wins – 8 losses
Sixth place: Tokyo Bears, 16 wins – 10 losses
Seventh place: Tachibana Red Falcons, 16 wins – 10 losses; lower set-point differential than Tokyo Bears
Eighth place: VC Kanagawa, 15 wins – 11 losses
-----
"Is Taichi still sulking?" Asahiro Nitta asked Tom Wilde.
"Yeah. It's a shame, really—we were so close to the title."
In the early part of the season, DH had been sitting comfortably at the top of the standings. It wasn't until they lost to Black Jackals and AD that they were knocked off the top spot. Meanwhile, Black Jackals had gone on a rampage—taking down AD, DH, and EJP back-to-back—racking up a 16-game winning streak before finally losing to EJP in the rematch.
No one at DH had expected that they'd still be in contention for the top spot by the end. During the latter half of the season, DH experimented with a variety of rotations—including lineups with both Kujō Reiji and Kitaijima Kippei on the court at the same time.
While they won all those matches, there were still quite a few dropped sets.
As a result, despite scoring a crucial revenge win against both AD and Black Jackals and sweeping EJP, they ended up tied in overall match record with Black Jackals but lost out on the title due to a lower set-point differential. And by that point, it was too late to adjust or make up the deficit—though trying different lineups was always part of DH's plan for the playoffs.
For most people, this outcome was more than acceptable. Especially for the DESEO Hornets' owner, who, upon learning the team had climbed from playoff bubble to second place—only trailing the champions by a few sets—rewarded every rostered player with a 200,000 yen bonus.
Only Kaedehara Taichi remained visibly upset over not clinching the title.
"This is a stain on my professional record!" he declared with conviction.
Kitaijima Kippei: "…If that's a stain, then I guess my career is just a giant inkblot."
"I'm sorry…It's my fault we dropped so many sets," Kujō said seriously.
Despite being seven years older than Taichi, Kujō Reiji got along surprisingly well with him. Over the past three months, he had reviewed matches and studied tactics with Kitaijima off-court, and followed Taichi's commands to the letter on the court. Compared to his earlier substitute appearance months ago, he was now practically a different player.
"It's not Kujō-senpai's fault," Taichi replied offhandedly. "In the end, losing to Black Jackals and AD was what cost us. Even if we had won the title through set-point calculations, I wouldn't have been happy about it."
"This little brat is really playing the long game with his dramatics…" Kitaijima muttered helplessly.
"Bokuto Kōtarō, Miya Atsumu, Ushijima Wakatoshi, Hoshiumi Kōrai…" Taichi sighed. "I swore I'd be their nightmare for life."
"Nobody asked you to do that!" Kitaijima clutched his head. What kind of personal vendetta even was that…?
After nearly a year together, DH's players had gradually become familiar with Taichi's eccentric personality. Or so they thought. In reality, his antics still left most of them utterly baffled.
For example—off the court, Taichi would call every player in the club "senpai" regardless of whether they were in the first or second team. But during matches? Not only would he provoke and psychologically pressure his opponents, but even his teammates weren't spared.
"Tsukasa-senpai" would turn into "Tsukasa," and "Senpai" became just "Kitaijima" or "Kujō"…
Especially in clutch moments, Taichi's intensity and laser-sharp focus exerted such pressure on the court that it was hard to believe he was still a rookie.
"Taichi, have you seen the online rumours about the Tachibana Red Falcons?" Yoshii Hiyu asked.
"Nope," Taichi replied. These past few days, outside of training, he'd been gaming with Kenma Kozume. "Anything interesting?"
"Not much, just a theory—that the Red Falcons chose us as their playoff opponent on purpose."
Kitaijima shot a glance at Kō Watanabe, who nodded silently.
At this point, Kitaijima was certain: Yoshii had a grudge against the Red Falcons. Before Kitaijima joined DH, the team had failed to make the playoffs several times—likely thanks to Tachibana Red Falcons.
"They picked us on purpose?" Taichi echoed.
Among the lower-ranked teams, the only one he'd paid attention to was VC Kanagawa—purely because of Kyōtani's presence. He hadn't looked too closely at the rest. All he knew was that Tachibana was their first opponent.
But now that Yoshii mentioned it, Taichi recalled something.
Tachibana had made the final four last season—their current 7th place finish felt out of character. With their strength, they shouldn't have dropped that far.
Taichi pulled up the season schedule. Tachibana's last two matches were against NSC Rootless Birds and JT Thunder. Losing to Rootless Birds wasn't that surprising—but it was suspicious that they went to five full sets against JT Thunder before narrowly winning.
"If they had placed sixth, they'd be facing EJP…" Taichi muttered. "So they think we're easier prey? That they have a better shot against us?"
"Well, to be fair, both our regular-season games against them went to five sets," Yoshii said with a small smile. "Maybe that gave them some hope."
"Heh." Taichi's eyes lit up with amusement. "In that case, we'll have to give them a warm welcome."
"I'd like to show them just what kind of 'hope' they were looking forward to."
-----
Nearly a year had passed, and the DH players were already quite different from the ones Taichi remembered at the beginning.
[Nitta Asahiro—Middle Blocker:Height: 196 cm
Serve: 92 | Receive: 88 | Dig: 86 | Set: 86 | Spike: 93| Block: 95
Spike Reach: 350 cm /Block Reach: 330 cm.]
Nitta Asahiro had improved primarily in serving and receiving—mostly due to not being part of the back row rotation for an extended period.
[Iizuna Tsukasa—Setter:Height: 186 cm
Serve: 88 | Receive: 92 | Dig: 88 | Set: 97 | Spike: 75| Block: 80
Spike Reach: 332 cm /Block Reach: 318 cm.]
Iizuna had grown by 1 cm. His reception and setting had both made notable progress. All thanks to Taichi's relentless pressure—over the past year, Iizuna had dished out more types of sets than he ever had in his three years of high school.
[Tom Wilde—Middle Blocker:Height: 202 cm
Serve: 88 | Receive: 82 | Dig: 70 | Set: 70 | Spike: 92| Block: 92
Spike Reach: 358 cm /Block Reach: 338 cm.]
Tom Wilde's numbers made Taichi speechless. His serve, receive, and spike had seen slight improvements—but his digging and setting had actually declined…He hadn't even reached his peak yet, and he was already trending downward?
Speaking of decline—among the other three regular starters, 28-year-old Yoshii Hiyu and 32-year-old Kubo Wataru had shown little change. But 30-year-old Kitajima Kippei's attacking power had clearly taken a dip.
[Kitajima Kippei—Outside Hitter:Height: 190 cm
Serve: 86 | Receive: 94 | Dig: 80 | Set: 88 | Spike: 85| Block: 85
Spike Reach: 346 cm /Block Reach: 318 cm.]
This was related to the amount of court coverage expected of an outside hitter, as well as lingering minor injuries. Even so, Kitajima had made significant breakthroughs in his receiving skills—making Taichi deeply impressed by just how smart of a player he was.
Kitajima Kippei understood exactly what the team needed—and more importantly, what he could still contribute.
Lastly, there was the newest regular rotation player—substitute outside hitter Kujō Reiji.
[Kujō Reiji—Outside Hitter:Height: 201 cm
Serve: 90 | Receive: 88 | Dig: 80 | Set: 85 | Spike: 95| Block: 90
Spike Reach: 352 cm /Block Reach: 334 cm.]
Three months of focused adjustment had been enough for him to fully synchronise with the team's rhythm. While his technical stats hadn't changed dramatically, his on-court presence had become a whole different force altogether.
However—none of this was the real reason for Taichi's confidence about winning the championship.
His unshakable belief came solely from himself.
He had undergone the biggest transformation of all in the past year.
[Kaedehara Taichi—Outside Hitter:Height: 196 cm
Serve: 99 | Receive: 95 | Dig: 93 | Set: 92 | Spike: 98| Block: 98
Spike Reach: 368 cm /Block Reach: 345 cm.]
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