Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 506: A Mistake? (Double-Length)
A poor long pass followed by a forced back-row attack—DH quickly formed a triple block. On top of that, Nitta Asahiro had already switched positions with Yoshii Hiyu, standing directly in front of Hondo Sakuma.
DH had no intention of letting the crack in Tachibana Red Falcons' armour slip by. Their intent to kill the point was clear from the start.
As a result, Hondo Sakuma was forced off the court. And—
Service changed hands. DH to serve. Kaedehara Taichi rotated back to the front row.
"DH's rotational weakness has now been covered," Kitō Yūkan said grimly. "From here on, trying to close the point gap during their 'weak rotation' probably won't be as easy as before."
"I know," Akutsu Ao replied stiffly. Otherwise, EJP wouldn't have lost to DH twice.
The first time had been a clean sweep, thanks to Kaedehara Taichi's explosive debut. The second time went the full five sets—but DH's team synergy had already begun to take shape.
Komori Motoya wore a bitter expression. He had known all along that the best time to beat Taichi was right after he joined a new team. The more time passed, the more fearsome the team led by Taichi became.
Back when EJP had faced Black Jackals in the regular season, Atsumu had bragged to Komori and Rintarō with smug delight—beating Kaedehara Taichi both in high school and as a pro was already a rare achievement among their generation of players.
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"Tweet!—"
The whistle blew for serve.
Kujō Reiji leapt up and unleashed a powerful jump serve.
BOOM!!
The ball struck the backcourt of Tachibana Red Falcons like a cannonball.
Smack!
Ulrich received the serve cleanly. Akutagawa Jirō stepped up from the three-meter line to set.
Fwoosh—!
"Right side!"
Hakuba Gao soared for the spike—but Nitta Asahiro jumped up in front of him to form a solo block.
"Hakuba! Watch out!"
Just as Hakuba prepared to dodge the block and angle the ball crosscourt, something suddenly tore across his field of vision—
A presence so intense it felt like it ripped open space itself—
A figure materialised across the net.
"He was just in front of Aran a second ago—how is he here this fast?!"
Too late to adjust, Hakuba gritted his teeth and swung with all his might.
BOOM!!!—
—Smack!!!
The ball smashed into Kaedehara Taichi's arm and was instantly slammed back onto Tachibana's court.
Ulrich and Akutagawa Jirō both dove to save it—but failed.
Another point for DH's block!
[DH 5 - 3 Red Falcons]
"Wait…which side is the actual blocking powerhouse here…?"
Tachibana's seemingly aggressive spikes had been shut down—one after another!
"Hakuba-senpai, you can't just spike like that when I'm in the front row~" Taichi said softly, chin slightly raised. "Looks like you've been away from high school volleyball too long—you've forgotten what it feels like."
"Don't let him get in your head, Gao!" called out Ojiro Aran. If the match started following Taichi's rhythm, Tachibana Red Falcons would lose any chance of turning it around!
"Oh?" Taichi turned and glanced sideways. "Ojiro-senpai, I was just saying hello. No need to be so tense."
He smiled, serene as ever.
"By the way, I thought your spiking has improved quite a bit lately. Let me block a few and find out for myself."
Akutagawa Jirō's face had gone pale. For Taichi to reach from the left side all the way to the right for that block…It wasn't just his raw speed.
No doubt about it—the issue lay with him as the setter. His intentions had been read. His set had been too slow.
"Tweet!—"
The serve whistle blew again, interrupting the heavy atmosphere weighing over Tachibana.
From Kujō Reiji's view, his admiration for the boy seven years his junior only deepened. Taichi's block had been nothing short of unbelievable. From the moment he launched his body to the moment the ball was sealed, his perception, anticipation, movement, speed (including takeoff speed), and form—everything was flawless.
Reiji had no doubt. Kaedehara Taichi was the strongest blocker he had ever seen.
It was just that, as a wing spiker, most people focused only on his scoring—his spikes and serves—ignoring this side of his game.
The ones feeling the most pressure right now weren't just the attackers. The setter that Taichi had just completely dismissed was probably in for a mental breakdown.
BOOM!!!
Reiji's second serve carried even more power, but the ball flew on a straight and predictable path.
Smack!
Sakata Hajime received it. Akutagawa Jirō jumped to set.
But—who to set to?
As the ball drew closer, a flash of memory crossed Akutagawa Jirō's mind—Hakuba Gao's spike, crushed by Taichi moments ago.
"Damn it…"
Out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't see Kaedehara Taichi at all, yet he felt the faint smirk on that boy's face.
Time waited for no one. The longer he thought, the fewer his options.
But every decision was buried by self-doubt welling up from deep within.
"Jirō-senpai! Right side!"
Hakuba raised his right hand, eyes burning with resolve.
Fwoosh—!
The ball was clearly set high to the right.
DH's blockers had no hesitation—they all surged toward the right.
Thud!
Hakuba Gao leapt high.
"Triple block!" Kaedehara Taichi, Yoshii Hiyu, and Nitta Asahiro rose in sync.
BOOM!!—
Smack!!!—
The ball smashed through Yoshii's arm, slipping between him and the net—
Off the block and down!
Even when the lane was sealed and defenders surrounded him, Hakuba had found the only gap.
The ball hit the floor. Hakuba scored!
[DH 5 - 4 Red Falcons]
"I…I did it…!"
Hakuba's hands still trembled slightly—he had clearly not been as calm as he looked.
Kaedehara Taichi was his mental nemesis, after all—and Taichi had just blocked him point-blank mere minutes ago.
But he couldn't run anymore.
If Hoshiumi were here, he would've shouted, "One more time!"
What lingered in Hakuba's heart wasn't just fear of Kaedehara Taichi—
It was also the unresolved regret of losing twice to Aoba Johsai at Nationals with Kamomedai High.
"Let's gooooooo!!!"
Hakuba Gao roared, overflowing with hunger for victory.
"Tch, that guy's lucky." Yoshii rubbed his arm and glanced toward Tachibana's setter. "If it weren't for that tall bastard, he'd probably be subbed out by now."
"Beep! DH calls a substitution."
"Kitajima Kippei IN. Kujō Reiji OUT."
Surprisingly, it was DH who made the first move.
Since Tachibana had rekindled their spirit, Coach Nick chose to cut the momentum right there.
The Red Falcons wanted to fight. Coach Nick simply refused to give them even the chance to overtake.
Service changed hands. Tachibana now serving.
Ojiro Aran's jump serve was powerful—but even with Kitajima Kippei in the back row, there was not a single flaw in DH's formation.
Smack!
Iizuna Tsukasa received the serve. Yoshii set the ball toward the left.
With Taichi present, DH's setter had no room for hesitation.
Thud!
Taichi leapt for the spike.
"Triple block!" Akutagawa Jirō, Hakuba, and Adam Schmidt jumped together.
—BOOM!!!
Smack!
The ball soared just over Hakuba's block, ricocheted off Ulrich's arm, and flew out of bounds.
Kaedehara Taichi scored again.
[DH 6 - 4 Red Falcons]
"Nice spike just now, Hakuba-senpai," Taichi said sincerely.
"But I hope you haven't forgotten something."
"You didn't lose because we blocked you," he said, voice calm but absolute—"You lost because you've never been able to block me."
DH regained serve. Nitta Asahiro stepped onto the service line.
BOOM!!
His jump serve flew straight at Ojiro Aran.
Smack!
Aran received it smoothly.
"Huh~" Nitta blinked. That guy was performing a lot better than he'd expected.
Akutagawa Jirō moved to set without hesitation. Both Hakuba and Adam Schmidt launched for the attack.
Whoosh!—
The ball passed in front of Hakuba—headed for the right.
Adam Schmidt jumped. Kaedehara Taichi was the only blocker.
BOOM!!—
Thud!
A perfect cross shot pierced between Tom Wilde and Iizuna Tsukasa, landing squarely on DH's left-centre line.
Adam Schmidt scored!
[DH 6 - 5 Red Falcons]
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In the second set, the Tachibana Red Falcons fought with remarkable resilience. Every time DH attempted to widen the lead, the Red Falcons' offence bit back hard and held the line.
But at the same time, they never found a single real chance to turn the score around.
DH played with even more composure and discipline than during the regular season. The moment Tachibana's defence began focusing too heavily on Kaedehara Taichi's side, Nitta Asahiro or Tom Wilde would step up effortlessly to secure the point.
Though the score remained close, the momentum felt entirely one-sided.
"Damn it…!" Adam Schmidt gritted his teeth. He didn't want to believe it—but the reality couldn't be denied.
There was only one reason for the current situation: a clear gap in raw ability.
BOOM!!—
Smack!
Hakuba Gao aimed a sharp cross-court shot to avoid the block—but Yoshii Hiyu picked it up cleanly.
Kaedehara Taichi quickly moved into position to set. After drawing the block with a feint, he redirected the ball to the left wing. Tom Wilde sprinted along the sideline and launched into the air.
"Double block!" Hakuba and Adam Schmidt leapt to intercept.
BOOM!!—
The ball cut through the air, slipping past Hakuba's left side—
Smack!
Akutagawa Jirō barely managed to receive it.
"I've got it!" Ojiro Aran backed up to cover and quickly sent the ball high toward centre court.
Adam Schmidt leapt up to spike!
"Double block!" Both Tom Wilde and Kaedehara Taichi sprang up.
BOOM!!
Smack!!!
"Touch!" Taichi shouted.
"Chance ball!" Yoshii Hiyu stabilised the receive—perfect pass.
But with Tachibana's front line stacked with tall players, Iizuna Tsukasa couldn't find a chance for a second attack.
Whoosh!—
He sent the ball high to the right.
Kaedehara Taichi sprinted in and jumped.
"What?!"
Tachibana's triple block was already coming down—but the ball had only just crossed the net.
—BOOM!!
Adam Schmidt's relaxed block form disintegrated in an instant as the ball slammed down behind him.
Kaedehara Taichi scored with a delayed swing.
[DH 24 – 22 Red Falcons]
Set point for DH.
"Don't panic! We'll take it back point by point!" Akutagawa Jirō shouted.
But Adam Schmidt looked dazed.
In both previous regular-season matches, the Red Falcons had gone to five sets against DH. By all logic, this should've been the set they claimed.
"That's right. Give me the ball!" Adam Schmidt turned and roared at Jirō.
He was the Red Falcons' ace—there had to be a turning point somewhere.
Adam Schmidt was going to be the Red Falcons' saviour!
DH resumed serving.
Yoshii Hiyu aimed a heavy jump serve at Akutagawa Jirō.
BOOM!!
"I got it!"
Smack!
Ojiro Aran covered the setter and received the ball cleanly.
In truth, only Jirō could run the offence now—no one else could take his place.
Whoosh—!
Akutagawa Jirō jumped from the three-meter line and sent a high ball toward the middle.
Adam Schmidt began his run-up from the back row and leapt.
So high!
Had it not been a set point—and had Adam Schmidt not worn that fierce look of determination—Tom Wilde would've assumed Jirō had mis-set the ball.
"Double block!" Taichi and Wilde both jumped.
Mid-air, Adam's expression was firm, his arm tensed—he swung forcefully from the rear—
"—?!"
"What the…?"
Swish!
Adam's arm whiffed through empty air.
"He didn't spike?!" Tom Wilde's eyes went wide.
And then—a figure burst out from behind Adam Schmidt.
—BOOM!!!
The DH blockers were already falling. The ball flew over their hands and pounded into DH's court.
Ojiro Aran scored on a back-row attack!
[DH 24 – 23 Red Falcons]
It had been Aran, not Adam, who spiked?!
Tom Wilde turned to Taichi, who looked equally surprised.
But the most stunned expression of all…belonged to Adam Schmidt himself.
He stared, mouth slightly open, eyes wide. Slowly, he turned toward Jirō.
"That set…wasn't for me?"
"Ahem," Akutagawa Jirō scratched his cheek. "Well, with the way you looked—so full of conviction—you were just perfect as a decoy."
In truth, the decision had been made in the moment Aran covered for him. After seeing that Aran, even after receiving the serve, hadn't given up on attacking from the back row, Jirō had made his choice.
Aran had hidden himself behind the front-row hitters, adjusting his approach mid-run—and nailed the finishing spike.
Service change. Tachibana regained serve. Hondo Sakuma rotated to the front row.
Just one more point to equalise.
The Red Falcons had returned to their strongest formation—and suddenly, the situation looked far more promising.
BOOM!!
Hakuba launched a powerful jump serve.
Smack!
Kubo Wataru received it cleanly and passed perfectly.
"Looks like you'll need to really work on your serves next season, huh, Hakuba-senpai?" Taichi said quietly.
Iizuna Tsukasa calmly set a high ball to the right.
It was high—very high.
But everyone could tell—this wasn't a mistake.
Thump!
Kaedehara Taichi ran along the sideline, then exploded upward.
"Triple block!" Adam Schmidt, Ulrich, and Hondo Sakuma leapt together.
But from the moment Hakuba saw Taichi rising above the block, he already knew how it would end.
—BOOM!!!
The ball screamed over the triple block, shooting straight into the deep left corner of Tachibana's court.
A massive cross shot!
Smack!
The ball bounced off Hakuba's arm and out of bounds.
Kaedehara Taichi scored again.
[DH 25 – 23 Red Falcons]
"I told you," Taichi said casually, waving his hand, "you can't stop me."
Then, as if nothing had happened, he turned and walked away. His eyes briefly flicked to the scoreboard, where DH's points now clearly read 25.
"365cm!!"
That final set from Iizuna Tsukasa to Kaedehara Taichi had been even higher than the fake-out pass Jirō had given Adam earlier.
"No wonder Taichi had jumped at the block without hesitation," Tom Wilde thought blankly. "To him, that height was nothing."
"BEEEEEP—!"
The whistle rang long and clear.
Set Two: Game Over.
Winner: DESEO Hornets.
_________
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