Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 509: Three Liberos?
"Why didn't they mention me? I was a national-level ace in high school too…" Bokuto Kōtarō muttered gloomily.
"Were you even in the top three?" Miya Atsumu asked, feigning ignorance.
"Does that even matter!?" Bokuto grumbled in protest.
"You're just like Aran—barely top five. It's no wonder no one talks about you," Atsumu replied with a smug smile.
"Ugh, damn it!" Bokuto shouted, unwilling to concede.
But soon, a thought struck him.
"Hey, Sumu-sumu, how about you toss me more balls later?" Bokuto said, blinking his beady eyes expectantly. "Omi-Omi doesn't really like being in the spotlight, you know."
"...I guess I could," Atsumu replied. But then his tone turned stern, "But if you get my perfect set and still can't score, you better not blame it on a 'bad day' or some excuse like that!"
"Huh? Hahaha! Of course not!" Bokuto beamed confidently. "I'm just an ordinary ace, after all~"
Atsumu: "???"
What the hell does that even mean? Are all these outside hitters this cryptic when they talk…?
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Black Jackals serve.
Bokuto Kōtarō launched a powerful jump serve.
"Spirit Bomb—!"
BOOM!!—
Smack!
Tsunotate Kazuki barely managed to receive the ball. Matia Bottono stepped in and sent it soaring high to the right wing.
Ushijima Wakatoshi sprinted in and leapt to spike!
"Triple block!" Meian Shūgo, Oliver Barnes, and Sakusa Kiyoomi all jumped up together.
Once again, Ushijima and Sakusa locked eyes across the net.
BOOM!!!—
SMACK!!!
The ball blasted through Sakusa's arms, bounced hard off the court, and shot into the air.
Block break!
Ushijima scored with a thunderous spike!
[Black Jackals 15 – 17 AD]
—"AD fires back with precision and power!"
AD serve.
Hirugami Fukurō jumped and smashed the ball into play.
BOOM!!
"I got it!"
Smack!
Bokuto barely managed to dig the serve.
Atsumu moved into position and tossed the ball. Oliver Barnes sprinted in for a quick spike from the middle.
"Triple block!" Sokolov Tatsuto, Hoshiumi Kōrai, and Ushijima jumped in sync.
—BOOM!!
Over-the-block spike!
The ball soared just over Hoshiumi's block and smashed into Hirugami's shoulder before ricocheting out of bounds.
Oliver Barnes scores!
[Black Jackals 16 – 17 AD]
"You okay, Fukurō?" Tsunotate asked.
Hirugami rolled his shoulder a bit and flexed, checking for pain. "I'm fine. I'll return the favour in a minute."
AD serve.
Hoshiumi Kōrai unleashed a fierce jump serve.
The trajectory was sharp and tricky, targeting Oliver Barnes in the Black Jackals' back row.
Black Jackals stuck with their four-man receive formation. Sakusa and Inunaki's positions subtly shielded Barnes.
"I got it!"
Inunaki stepped up and received the ball cleanly.
Atsumu quickly stepped in and tossed the ball high to the middle. Adriah Thomas rushed in for a quick attack.
"Not happening!"
Sokolov leapt up to solo block.
The ball slipped past the right edge of the block. Ushijima dug it up with a clean reception.
"Cover!"
Hoshiumi came in as setter, tossing the ball from the far-right baseline all the way to the high left wing—perfect, no margin for error!
Tsunotate Kazuki charged down the sideline and leapt to spike.
"Double block!" Sakusa and Adriah jumped together.
At 185 cm, Tsunotate was completely overshadowed by the wall in front of him.
BANG!!—
Smack!
The ball struck Sakusa's arm and bounced back—
Thud!
The ball hit the ground.
"Out!"
Block-out!
Tsunotate Kazuki scores!
[Black Jackals 22 – 23 AD]
AD continued to serve.
Hoshiumi Kōrai sent out his second serve, and Inunaki Shion received it cleanly.
Miya Atsumu, now in the front row, jumped to set the ball—
BOOM!
Sokolov Tatsuto was too slow to block—Atsumu's surprise second-touch attack shot straight toward AD's backcourt.
Smack!
Hoshiumi lunged and saved it with a diving receive.
"It's him again! AD might as well have three liberos out there!" the commentator shouted.
Matia Bottono moved in to cover and set. At the same time, Tsunotate Kazuki and Sokolov Tatsuto both launched into their approach from the front row.
Whoosh—!
But the ball instead went to the back row—Ushijima Wakatoshi had already leapt for a pipe attack!
BOOM!!!
Adriah Thomas went up for a solo block!
BAM!!!
The ball soared high and veered toward the media zone on the sidelines.
"Damn it!"
Bokuto Kōtarō chased after it, leapt off an advertisement board, and somehow sent the ball flying back into play.
For the final touch, Miya Atsumu pushed the ball gently toward the far back corner of AD's court—position six.
Smack!
Ushijima turned and dove, digging it up just in time.
Hoshiumi stepped in once more as a makeshift setter and sent the ball soaring to the right wing.
Sokolov Tatsuto jumped—and slammed the ball down with full force.
"Double block!" Sakusa Kiyoomi and Adriah Thomas went up together.
—BOOM!!
Over-the-block spike!
The ball smashed hard into the floor of Black Jackals' side.
Sokolov Tatsuto scores!
[Black Jackals 22 – 24 AD]
AD reaches set point first!
"The biggest difference between these two teams right now is defence," said Kaedehara Taichi, seated inconspicuously in a corner of the stands wearing sunglasses and a mask.
"Once Black Jackals' front-row block broke down, AD immediately pulled ahead."
"Taichi, I get all that," said Tom Wilde, seated next to him. "But remind me again—why exactly did we have to come watch this live?"
"For the atmosphere—I mean, for scouting the potential opponent in the finals, obviously," Taichi replied.
"We haven't even made it to the finals yet. Besides, Asahiro and the others are watching from the club on livestream—with a coach explaining everything too," Tom said flatly.
"You don't get it." Taichi shook his head. "The livestream only shows you what the camera chooses. But when you're here, you choose what you want to watch."
"And?" Tom asked.
"So," Taichi said seriously, "you can imagine who you'll be up against in the finals—and in this match, just focus entirely on that player."
"Hmm…really?" Tom looked skeptical.
"Of course! Guaranteed. Satisfaction for all ages!" Taichi said confidently.
Tom turned back toward the court, hesitant. "But if we make it to the finals, I'll be facing their setter…"
Taichi: "…"
Now he was starting to feel worried about the finals.
"…Then how about you start thinking about how to score against these guys instead."
"Okay." Tom nodded seriously. Truth be told, that had been on his mind the entire time anyway.
Kaedehara Taichi turned his attention back to the court and realised: AD's coach hadn't been bluffing at all during the pre-match press conference.
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[Hoshiumi Kōrai—Outside Hitter:Height: 172 cm
Serve: 90 | Receive: 94 | Dig: 92 | Set: 92 | Spike: 94| Block: 80
Spike Reach: 355 cm /Block Reach: 322 cm.]
[Tsunotate Kazuki—Outside Hitter:Height: 185 cm
Serve: 88 | Receive: 96 | Dig: 90 | Set: 94 | Spike: 92| Block: 82
Spike Reach: 352 cm /Block Reach: 325 cm.]
[Heiwajima Toshirō—Libero:Height: 176 cm
Serve: 66 | Receive: 99 | Dig: 95 | Set: 88 | Spike: 66| Block: 62.]
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AD's performance hinged entirely on these so-called "three liberos."
And the playoffs were, without a doubt, when they began to go all-out…
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