Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 514: Beyond the Norm (Double-Length)

DH to serve.

Nitta Asahiro launched a powerful jump serve.

On the other side, Kitō Yūkan received it solidly. Sengoku Chisato set the ball high in the middle—Akutsu Ao with a back-row quick!

"Nice receive!"

The ball soared over DH's double block. Kitajima Kippei picked it up cleanly!

It flew high. Iizuna Tsukasa moved into position and sent it toward the left wing—Tom Wilde took to the air for the spike!

BOOM!!—

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

—Smack!!!

The ball slammed into Evan Krauss's forearm and bounced back into DH's court!

Momentum wasn't something that could be switched on instantly—right now, EJP clearly had the better rhythm!

Smack!

Kaedehara Taichi saved the ball.

Iizuna Tsukasa followed up just in time and sent it to the right wing—Nitta Asahiro launched a back-row attack!

BOOM!!

The ball evaded the double block of Evan Krauss and Sengoku Chisato, shooting toward the far-left corner of EJP's court!

Smack!

Once again, Kitō Yūkan received it.

"I got it!" Komori Motoya jumped from the back row and sent it to the middle.

Akutsu Ao followed with another back-row quick!

—BOOM!!

Thud!!!

The ball slammed to the floor near Kitajima Kippei's foot and bounced away.

Point for Akutsu Ao!

[DH 20 - 23 EJP]

—"EJP is playing with remarkable patience! DH's last two attacks—one blocked, one defended—and in the end, it's Akutsu Ao who clinches the point with relentless pressure!"

Serve switches—EJP now serving.

Suna Rintarō with a powerful jump serve, but Kitajima Kippei received it cleanly.

"Tsukasa!"

Whoosh!—

BOOM!!!

Kaedehara Taichi reached the peak of his jump before EJP's blockers—middle quick, and he scores!

[DH 21 - 23 EJP]

DH pulled one back quickly, but the real question was whether they could hold off EJP's offence in the next rotation.

Serve switches—DH now serving.

"We have to catch up during this rotation—otherwise, Taichi will rotate to the back row again…" Yoshii Hiyu launched a short serve aimed at Washio Tatsuki.

"I got it!" Sengoku Chisato shielded Washio, helping him receive the ball. Kitō Yūkan rushed forward to set.

Whoosh!—

BOOM!!—

Akutsu Ao struck back with another blazing back-row spike!

"Not on my watch!"

Kaedehara Taichi got his hands on it!

—Smack!

The ball fell back onto EJP's side!

Washio's body reacted faster than his brain—on instinct, he reached out with one hand and scooped the ball up.

Sengoku Chisato was already moving into position, and Akutsu Ao quickly retreated to the back row for another approach!

Whoosh—!

The ball was sent flying toward the left wing—a back attack across the full width of the court!

Evan Krauss jumped to spike!

"Crap!" Iizuna Tsukasa leapt up alone to block.

"Tsukasa, hang in there!" Tom Wilde sprinted laterally and jumped—colliding with Iizuna in midair.

They barely formed a makeshift double block!

—BOOM!!

But the ball soared past their right side—unstoppable!

Overhand spike!

"It's not over yet!"

Smack!!!

Kubo Wataru dove and made the save!

"Kippei, get it—!"

The ball flew toward the sideline. Kitajima Kippei sprinted after it.

"Too far!!!" Kitajima was desperate. "If only I were a little younger, a little faster…"

Whoosh—!

A blur raced past him.

"Taichi?!!"

"Wasn't he just at the net?! When did he—?!"

Kitajima's eyes widened. "Still a step too late…"

The ball was about to fly over the sponsor board. Behind it, the photographers scrambled to get out of the way before Kaedehara Taichi could crash into them trying to save it.

Thump!

Taichi took one leap in front of the sponsor board.

"——?!"

"What the hell is he doing?!"

From this close, the photographers could feel the full force of Taichi's jump—his feet soared above their eye level!

Twisting midair, Taichi lashed his arm out, spiking the ball cleanly from nearly 3 meters in the air!

—BOOM!!

The ball arced beautifully—aimed straight at the back-left corner of EJP's court!

"This monster…"

Nobody expected Kaedehara Taichi to chase the ball from the front line all the way back there—let alone launch a direct attack from that impossible position!

Komori Motoya, predicting the trajectory, turned and dove for the endline.

Smack!

He managed to return it toward the net!

"Fantastic save!" A solid but off-mark first touch.

"We can build an attack!" Sengoku Chisato signaled.

EJP launched a four-point offence: Evan Krauss and Washio Tatsuki in the front, Kitō Yūkan and Akutsu Ao in the back—all of them moving in.

They were determined to take this point.

Tom Wilde's palms were slick with sweat. Taichi probably couldn't make it back to the front in time—meaning he was alone on the block.

"If I can guess right, we still have a chance…"

But this time, Sengoku Chisato's set was flawless—no tell, no weakness.

"No choice then!"

Tom Wilde committed to the right, hoping to at least block Akutsu Ao.

Whoosh!—

The ball flew high toward the right wing.

Of course—it had to go to their ace!

Akutsu Ao launched from the back row. Tom Wilde jumped to meet him.

The DH back row held their breath, eyes glued to Akutsu's every move.

BOOM!!!—

The ball collided with Tom Wilde's block—he clenched his jaw, but the force still pushed his arms wide apart!

The ball rocketed into DH's court.

Smack!!

Kaedehara Taichi, who had just sprinted back into the front, lunged forward at the last second—his upper body leaning back, right leg extended, lifting the ball into the air.

At the same time, he braced himself with his left hand and used the momentum to twist around, standing up without pausing, already sprinting left.

"Tsukasa!!!"

"Set it to me!"

Iizuna Tsukasa quickly positioned himself under the ball.

There was no time to even process Kaedehara Taichi's unreal sequence—his only job now was to get the ball to him cleanly.

Whoosh—!

The ball rose high over the left wing. Kaedehara Taichi leapt again to attack!

"Block him!"

"Triple block!" Evan Krauss, Sengoku Chisato, Washio Tatsuki all jumped together.

From the EJP back row, Komori, Kitō, and Akutsu watched Taichi like hawks—they couldn't let him score!

Taichi's jump wasn't perfect. Evan Krauss, at two meters tall, had a clean read. The triple block showed no obvious holes.

Time seemed to slow down. Kaedehara Taichi hovered in the air, frozen—no opening, no shot.

"Kubo!"

Kitajima Kippei and Kubo Wataru rushed forward to support him.

"Hit it anyway! Even a rebound is fine!"

"...Heh."

Just as they began descending, Taichi's body twisted slightly right—his right arm snapping forward like a whip.

That incredible flexibility—graceful, unexpected, impossible!

BAM!—

The ball skimmed the net's edge—then suddenly dropped just beyond the triple block!

"Shit!"

Kitō and Akutsu had already started charging the net the moment Taichi turned his body.

Thud!

The ball hit the floor.

Both of them sprawled toward it—but as they looked up, they locked eyes with Kaedehara Taichi, towering above, cold and composed.

"Not giving you even a single set."

Point for Kaedehara Taichi!

[DH 22 - 23 EJP]

"Two-way brilliance! An absolutely unreal sharp cross!!"

The commentator shot to his feet, screaming into the mic, "After a gruelling rally, it's DH who takes the point!!!"

-----

Schweiden Adlers.

Ushijima Wakatoshi abruptly stood up. Under the surprised gazes of his teammates, he slowly sat back down again.

"Heh." Hoshiumi Kōrai understood what was on Ushijima's mind—because he too was getting restless after seeing that point.

The finals—can't come fast enough.

"EJP's triple block was executed almost perfectly," said Hirugami Fukurō gravely. "Their timing was synchronised, and their arms were angled forward over the net. Under normal circumstances, Taichi shouldn't have had any room to cut it inside."

"It must've been that final body twist," Sokolov Tatsuto commented with awe. "He created just enough of an angle…but is his core really that strong?"

"Not just strong," said Tsunotate Kazuki, leaning forward toward the screen, trying to get a closer look. "If that was all there was to it, that ball should've flown out of bounds."

"EJP's defence this rotation is just as strong as ours," he added. "And by their judgment, that shot shouldn't have been possible."

"The sudden dip at the last second—Taichi added spin at the moment of contact to force the trajectory downward."

Heiwajima Toshirō, as a libero, had a different perspective from his teammates. "And before all of that, he had already saved that ball flying out past the baseline…then saved Akutsu's spike too…"

"No weaknesses…?" Hirugami Fukurō slumped against the back of his chair, covering his face with one hand.

—"The finals? Of course Taichi's going to make it," Hirugami Sachirō had said two nights ago over dinner, during a conversation with his older brother, Hirugami Fukurō.

Sachirō had been absolutely certain that DH would advance to the finals—even more confident than he'd been about their match against the Black Jackals. That smug certainty had rubbed his older brother the wrong way.

"Heh…he's going to exceed all your expectations," Sachirō had said with a grin.

-----

DH continued to serve.

Yoshii Hiyu sent out his second serve.

This time, with Sengoku Chisato screening in front of Washio Tatsuki, Yoshii aimed directly at the left side—at Evan Krauss.

BOOM!!

Smack!

Evan Krauss was forced to take the serve overhead—a shaky first touch.

Sengoku covered, but back-to-back failed attacks left him slightly hesitant.

"Send it to me!"

Akutsu Ao shouted, accelerating down the right sideline.

Fwoosh—!

The ball sailed to the right wing.

Thud!

Akutsu leapt to spike!

"Double block!" Tom Wilde and Kaedehara Taichi jumped simultaneously.

Iizuna Tsukasa dropped back to the left 3-meter line, ready to cover any sharp-angle spikes.

BOOM!!!

BANG!!!

The ball smacked off Kaedehara Taichi's hand, soaring high back toward EJP's side.

Thud!!!

It landed out of bounds—block-out.

Akutsu Ao scored!

[DH 22 - 24 EJP]

EJP reached 24 first, clinching set point!

"YES!!!" Akutsu bellowed.

Scoring against Taichi lifted the entire team's morale again. EJP still held the momentum!

"Beep! DH calls a timeout."

Despite the tension, the players stayed relatively calm. Coach Nick laid out what could be their final defensive formation. As for the attack—

"I want every last ball," Taichi said simply.

-----

Timeout over. Play resumed.

Serve rotated to EJP. Akutsu Ao returned to the front row.

Evan Krauss jump-served with full power!

BOOM!!

Smack!

Kubo Wataru received the serve—a slightly off-target pass.

Iizuna adjusted and pushed it to the right wing—Taichi launched up for the spike!

"Triple block!" Sengoku Chisato, Washio Tatsuki, and Akutsu Ao jumped in unison.

EJP's block line had never looked tighter!

BOOM!!!—

Taichi's arm coiled like a spring as he fired back a brutal spike—straight at Akutsu!

SMACK!!—

But Akutsu's arm, angled forward, snapped upward at the last second. His wrist flicked, palm now facing the sky like a tray.

"I'm here to win!" he shouted.

The ball deflected high toward the EJP back row.

"I got it!" Komori Motoya called out.

It wasn't a chance ball—but it was a golden opportunity.

Smack!

Komori passed it cleanly—perfect first touch!

Sengoku Chisato stepped up confidently and set the ball to the right wing.

They had their own ace to trust in.

Akutsu Ao rose to spike!

"Double block again." Wilde and Taichi took positions in front of him.

Cross? Line? Off-the-block?

Akutsu aimed for the narrow space to the right of Taichi—right near the antenna—and hammered the ball!

BOOM!!!—

Taichi's arm slammed diagonally downward in response.

—SMACK!!!

The ball struck Taichi's forearm and ricocheted hard, landing squarely on EJP's sideline.

Direct block kill!

Taichi scored on the block!

[DH 23 - 24 EJP]

"You think I'd hesitate to block after letting one go?" Taichi said coolly. "If I lose a point with a block, I'll win it back with a block."

Serve rotated—DH to serve.

Taichi walked to the service line.

—"Whether EJP can close out this set now depends entirely on whether they can survive Kaedehara Taichi's serve."

Everyone knew it.

The outcome of the set—maybe even the match—hung on this rotation.

"Beep! DH calls a substitution."

"Kujō Reiji IN, Kitajima Kippei OUT!"

Coach Nick reinforced the front line—doubling down on both block and offence. This was going to be a final gamble.

"Tweet!—" The whistle for serve blew.

Kaedehara Taichi tossed the ball, sprinted, jumped, and struck!

BOOM!!!—

Smack!!!

Komori Motoya received the serve and dropped to one knee as he did.

"Cover it!"

The ball ricocheted off the net and came back toward EJP's side—a lucky chance. Akutsu Ao charged up, then leapt!

"Tom—!!" Kaedehara Taichi shouted.

BOOM!!!

Akutsu took a risk and slammed down a second touch spike!

Smack!

Kubo Wataru caught the ball—Taichi's warning had saved him. If not for that shout, he too would've assumed Akutsu was just setting.

Iizuna Tsukasa stepped in and set the ball up on the right sideline. Kaedehara Taichi ran in for the attack!

"Double block!" Washio Tatsuki and Akutsu Ao both went up.

Whoosh—!

But instead, Iizuna sent a back set—to the left wing!

Kujō Reiji soared up and spiked!

—BOOM!!!

The ball zipped just above Sengoku Chisato's block and smashed into Evan Krauss's arms, ricocheting out of bounds.

Kujō Reiji scores!

[DH 24 - 24 EJP]

DH ties the score!

Although Kaedehara Taichi had declared he wanted every last ball, this was exactly why Coach Nick had subbed in Kujō Reiji at this critical moment.

Iizuna Tsukasa had made his call.

"Nice set," Taichi said flatly. For a second there, even he had believed the ball was for him—and perhaps that was why they'd fooled the EJP blockers, too.

DH to serve again.

Taichi stepped up and fired his second serve!

—BANG!!!

—a jump float?!

EJP's back row formed a five-man receive formation. But the front row was completely empty!

Sengoku Chisato sprinted forward as fast as he could—he remembered how, in the first set, Taichi never float-served even once during that ten-point streak!

The ball dipped sharply just past the net.

Jump floats were rare in the pros for a reason—their speed and force couldn't compare to a proper power jump serve. For professional players, they were easier to receive.

But this serve—was fast.

Too fast.

And the short distance meant that even Sengoku's reflexes weren't enough to close the gap!

He dove.

Smack!

His arm made contact—

But the ball didn't lift. It skimmed across his arm and hit the floor.

Thud!

Ace serve—point DH!

[DH 25 - 24 EJP]

Lead switch!

"Just how many tricks does Kaedehara Taichi still have up his sleeve?!" Heiwajima Toshirō exclaimed. "Even his jump float has that much speed—guess the only way to receive it cleanly is with an overhead pass from the front row!"

"But if they can receive it," Tsunotate Kazuki added, eager now, "then it's a perfect counterattack opportunity."

"Tweet!—"

Taichi launched his third serve—this time, a power jump serve with his left hand!

BOOM!!!

Kitō Yūkan dropped low—almost to a crouch.

Smack!!!

The ball flew high as Kitō fell backwards.

The serve went straight toward the right front zone—but EJP's all-hands-on-deck receiving formation left them unbalanced. Sengoku Chisato couldn't make it in time from the left—no one was in place to properly set!

Whoosh—!

Akutsu Ao had no choice but to toss the ball leftward—Evan Krauss jumped from the back row for the spike!

"Double block!" Kujō Reiji and Tom Wilde went up together!

BOOM!!

Smack!

"Touch!" Kujō Reiji shouted.

The ball popped up high—Iizuna Tsukasa sprinted under it and jumped for the set!

Thump!

Taichi launched from the back row—

No more hesitation. The set flew high over the right wing.

—BOOM!!!

Kaedehara Taichi met EJP's triple block in mid-air and fired a cannon shot over their hands!

The ball slammed into Komori Motoya's arm and soared out of bounds!

Spike point—Taichi!

[DH 26 - 24 EJP]

"BEEEEP—!"

Set and match!!

DESEO Hornets defeat EJP Raijin 3–0 and advance to the finals!

_________

[T/N] - If you guys want to read 50 Chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on my Patreon. Trust me, it's awesome!

Link - (P)atreon.com/Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]

New novel 𝓬hapters are published on fre ew𝒆bnovel.com