Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 507: You Picked the Wrong Opponent
Zero to two.
The glaring scoreline was like a heavy hammer, smashing down mercilessly on the hearts of every Tachibana Red Falcons player.
DH was a textbook example of a star-focused team. Based on the data from the regular season, it was clear that Kaedehara Taichi carried the team to victory through high usage and an extraordinarily efficient scoring rate. That's what the Red Falcons coaching staff had concluded after their detailed analysis.
They had poured over DH's match footage again and again, especially rewatching the two games DH had lost—one to MSBY Black Jackals, the other to Schweiden Adlers.
Black Jackals didn't manage to contain Taichi, but they overpowered DH with sheer offence. That gave the Red Falcons confidence—after all, they believed in their own attacking prowess.
As for the AD match, it looked like they had shut Taichi down. DH's other players hadn't done much at all. Coincidentally, while the Red Falcons weren't known for their defence, their blocking was among the best in the league.
So, the coaching staff had come to this conclusion: if the Red Falcons went all out in the playoffs, they stood a fair chance of beating DH.
(At the very least, they figured it was a better matchup than facing EJP.)
But now, DH was playing with a completely different intensity compared to the regular season. It left the Red Falcons utterly shaken. Panic took root like wild weeds, spreading uncontrollably in their hearts.
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Forty minutes later, the final whistle blew.
[DESEO Hornets 25 – 19 Tachibana Red Falcons]
[DESEO Hornets 25 – 23 Tachibana Red Falcons]
[DESEO Hornets 25 – 20 Tachibana Red Falcons]
DH had swept the Red Falcons in three clean sets, effortlessly advancing to the semifinals.
"I heard you deliberately picked us as your playoff opponent?" Kaedehara Taichi said with a casual smile. "Hope you're satisfied with how that turned out."
In the third set alone, Taichi scored 6 points off 6 attacks and earned 1 point off a block—7 points total. Kujō Reiji had 6 points from 10 attacks. Nitta Asahiro also scored 6 points from 8 attacks, with 1 point from blocking—again, 7 total. Tom Wilde had 4 points from 5 attempts.
For Taichi, this was one of the rare matches he could describe as easy. He almost felt unsatisfied.
On the other side of the net, the Red Falcons players stood with their hands limp at their sides, struggling to comprehend how they'd been eliminated so decisively.
Especially Adam Schmidt. Thinking back on how confident he'd felt before the match now seemed like a cruel joke. The bitterness of failure surged like a tide, drowning him completely—he couldn't shake it.
"Now we just wait for our next opponent," Taichi thought. "Though I doubt there'll be any surprises."
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In the other quarterfinal matches, Black Jackals had played a day earlier than DH.
[MSBY Black Jackals 25 – 20 VC Kanagawa]
[MSBY Black Jackals 25 – 18 VC Kanagawa]
[MSBY Black Jackals 25 – 22 VC Kanagawa]
Black Jackals easily defeated VC Kanagawa.
Like Black Jackals, VC Kanagawa—a team featuring Kentarō Kyōtani and Yamamoto Taketora—focused on offence. They'd clinched a playoff spot at the very last moment of the regular season, narrowly surpassing NSC Rootless Birds in set-point differential. It was already the best performance in team history (though they'd only recently been promoted to Division 1).
No one seriously expected VC Kanagawa to pull off a miracle upset against Black Jackals. And in the end, they didn't.
Still, their tenacity in the face of overwhelming odds earned them wave after wave of applause and respect from the crowd. This match showed everyone just how much potential this young team held.
The postseason had only just begun, but most clubs had already started bolstering their rosters as early as January—right after Spring High concluded.
VC Kanagawa continued to place their faith in high school talent. In the coming season, they would be joined by Riseki Heisuke (from Inarizaki) and Chigaya Eikichi (from Shinzen). This gave their fans hope—hope that in the league seasons to come, this young squad would evolve into a force to be reckoned with.
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By March 28th, the remaining two quarterfinal matches had also concluded:
[EJP Raijin 25 – 23 Tokyo Bears]
[EJP Raijin 25 – 21 Tokyo Bears]
[EJP Raijin 25 – 18 Tokyo Bears]
As expected, EJP Club secured a clean sweep. With their deep-rooted legacy, polished team coordination, and players of exceptional individual calibre, their victory had never really been in doubt.
But while the match outcome drew little debate, one figure successfully captured the attention of every fan in the arena—EJP's newly added middle blocker this season: Suna Rintarō.
He had entered the team as a virtual nobody, yet now stood as a top contender for Best Rookie Middle Blocker. With his laid-back demeanour and that occasional sly "fox smile," Suna had amassed a considerable following.
Of course, what truly made fans love him wasn't just his charm—but his rapid growth. He was strong.
Across the three sets, it wasn't so much that EJP's overall performance improved—it was Suna Rintarō who steadily got better. He was the textbook definition of a slow starter.
As the match progressed, he became more composed. No matter what tactical shifts the Tokyo Bears threw at them, Suna adapted quickly and moved fluidly between blocking and attacking roles.
On defence, if you couldn't manage a wipe-off shot against him, he became a nightmare for spikers.
And on offence, his bizarre tempo and unpredictable hitting angles always made opponents uncomfortable.
Though EJP had been swept by DH in the regular season, Suna's remarkable improvement had renewed their fans' hopes. The team was still young, after all—and this was the stage where players grew the fastest.
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The final match of the first round of the playoffs was Schweiden Adlers versus Azuma Pharmacy Green Rockets:
[Schweiden Adlers 28 – 30 Azuma Pharmacy Green Rockets]
[Schweiden Adlers 28 – 26 Azuma Pharmacy Green Rockets] fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
[Schweiden Adlers 25 – 22 Azuma Pharmacy Green Rockets]
[Schweiden Adlers 25 – 23 Azuma Pharmacy Green Rockets]
AD had been inconsistent throughout the regular season. So when they dropped the first set, Green Rockets fans thought—maybe this is our chance.
But AD quickly regained control. With three straight set wins, they pulled off a reverse sweep.
One notable moment came when Ushijima Wakatoshi slammed down the match point—at that exact moment, Goshiki Tsutomu was in the stands watching.
A fellow Shiratorizawa graduate, Goshiki would be joining the Green Rockets next season.
-----
April 1st.
MSBY Black Jackals versus Schweiden Adlers.
Compared to last year's defending champions EJP or this season's breakout sensation DH, it was this clash of titans that truly captured everyone's attention.
"Coach Samson, in the regular season, AD lost to Black Jackals in both encounters. Now you're facing them again in the semifinals. Is the pressure on?"
Coach Samson Foster responded with a calm expression, "Our regular-season losses came from a variety of factors. We typically use that phase to adjust our lineup and test different tactical systems. So those two defeats won't affect us in the slightest."
"As for pressure? No one understands the playoffs better than we do. Perhaps you've forgotten—in all our postseason matchups against Black Jackals so far, AD leads with six wins to three. If anyone should be under pressure, it's them."
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