Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 518: Getting Interesting (Double-Length)

AD's players had witnessed firsthand in the regular season just how terrifyingly capable Kaedehara Taichi was when it came to ending matches.

If possible, they would rather not even give him the chance to attack.

And as it turned out—AD succeeded.

In the final two rallies of the first set, Kaedehara Taichi hadn't even touched the ball.

———

After a gruelling forty-plus minutes of battle, the score breaking past the thirties, they still lost the first set. It was only now that Kujō Reiji fully understood just how fatal his failure had been in those few rallies he played earlier.

It was a clear fact: DH's overall player quality wasn't on par with AD's. Though they couldn't match AD in all aspects, in certain areas, they weren't that far behind. Like Kitajima Kippei's defence and coverage, or Kujō Reiji's offence.

All Coach Nick could do was leverage substitutions to let players maximise their individual strengths—be it in the front or back row.

But because of volleyball's substitution rules, managing that timing was crucial. DH had to gain a significant lead during those rotations for the strategy to work.

"Sorry, I'll find a way to handle Ushijima's serve in the second set," Kubo Wataru said.

As a libero who could only focus on defence, this was simply his duty.

"There's no helping it. With that kind of serve speed, no one can guarantee a clean receive," Kaedehara Taichi waved it off. It wasn't just the speed that made Ushijima's serve terrifying—it was the fact that it came off his left hand. Even if his teammates could reach it, Taichi doubted they'd manage to dig it properly.

Serve rating: 95.

That meant Ushijima had made a breakthrough in this match. All they could hope for was that not every serve of his would hit that level.

"In the end, it was my service error that gave them the chance," Taichi said evenly. He didn't sound frustrated. Compared to Kujō Reiji failing to score during his time on court, what Taichi valued more was how long DH had managed to hold their own against AD during the rest of the set.

Which meant—things had actually become simple. All he had to do…was be stronger than he had been in the last set.

Then the win would come.

"For the second set, I'm sticking with the same rotation," Coach Nick announced. "Kippei stays in the starting lineup."

Considering AD's receiving ability, not even Kaedehara Taichi's serve could consistently score. Rather than put him in the back row from the start, it was better to capitalise on his front-row offensive pressure right away.

Kujō Reiji lowered his head. So it really was because of his poor performance that he wasn't starting the second set.

Kitajima Kippei hesitated, as if wanting to speak up. Coach Nick's decision was solid—essentially an extension of the first set's strategy. Stable and conservative. But—

"Coach, let's go with the regular rotation," Taichi said directly. "Let Kujō start. If we want to win this match, his firepower is indispensable."

Kujō Reiji took time to warm up. He needed minutes to sync with the rhythm of the game. If he didn't get those in the second set, it would be even harder for him to step up when the pressure spiked later on.

Not to mention, Kitajima Kippei's stamina was also a concern.

Now that they had lost the first set, the match was guaranteed to go to at least a fourth set. At this level of intensity, if Kippei played long minutes every set, his performance wouldn't hold up.

Coach Nick understood all this too. But his original plan was to secure the second set first, then give Kujō time to adjust…

"No worries," Taichi said with absolute confidence. "Even if I start in the back row, AD won't be able to stop me."

"And the front-row block—"

"Leave that to me!" Nitta Asahiro said, thumping his chest as soon as he caught Taichi's gaze. "I won't let them score so easily!"

Coach Nick blinked, then smiled.

What could matter more than a player's confidence? It was about time Nitta Asahiro stood up and took the lead.

"Well then—I'll believe in you guys. Let's take this second set!"

-----

Set break ended.

Schweiden Adlers' lineup:

Front row—Opposite Hitter Ushijima Wakatoshi, Outside Hitter Tsunotate Kazuki, Middle Blocker Hirugami Fukurō.

Back row—Middle Blocker Sokolov Tatsuto (Libero: Heiwajima Toshirō), Outside Hitter Hoshiumi Kōrai and Setter Matia Bottono.

DESEO Hornets' lineup:

Front row—Outside Hitter Kujō Reiji, Setter Iizuna Tsukasa, Middle Blocker Tom Wilde.

Back row—Middle Blocker Nitta Asahiro (Libero: Kubo Wataru), Opposite Hitter Yoshii Hiyu and Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi.

Match resumes—DH serves first.

Kaedehara Taichi stepped onto the service line.

AD didn't dare be careless—they immediately set up a five-man receive formation.

"Tweet!—"The whistle blew.

BOOM!!

Taichi launched the first serve.

Heiwajima Toshirō barely dug it, the ball angling forward.

Tsunotate Kazuki rushed in to set, and Ushijima leapt from the left for a spike!

"Reiji!"

"Double block!" Tom Wilde and Kujō Reiji jumped together.

BOOM!!

Smack!

"Touch!" Kujō shouted.

Taichi made the dig and sprinted forward.

Iizuna Tsukasa jumped in the front row for the set—Tsunotate kept his eyes locked on him.

Taichi soared on the right side for a spike.

"Double block!" Ushijima and Hirugami jumped.

Swoosh!—

The ball sliced toward the left.

"Damn."

Heiwajima moved up, Hoshiumi shuffled left to cover—

—BOOM!

Kujō Reiji rose straight up and slammed the ball down!

At 2 meters tall, a player didn't even need to take a run-up to punish an open net.

Thud!

Heiwajima couldn't save it.

Kujō Reiji's spike scored!

[DH 1 – 0 AD]

"I suggest you don't underestimate my teammates," Taichi said with a grin. "They're stronger than you think."

"We won't," Ushijima replied, face unreadable—though the corner of his mouth had curved into a subtle 1mm smile. That familiar energy…it was still Taichi.

Hirugami Fukurō looked intrigued by the youth before him. "Perfect. AD's never enjoyed playing against weak opponents. That's boring."

"What a coincidence," Taichi narrowed his eyes, "I feel the same way."

DH continued to serve.

Taichi fired his second serve.

BOOM!!!

SMACK!!

The ball struck Matia Bottono's arm and bounced back toward DH's side.

"Out!"

Tom Wilde stood right on the sidelines, watching the ball drop.

Kaedehara Taichi's service ace!

[DH 2 – 0 AD]

"He couldn't even pick that one up?" Miya Atsumu shouted. "Can't the others at least try to cover for him!?"

"First this…then that…" he muttered.

"Shut up, loser," Sakusa Kiyoomi said darkly.

"Jeez, Kiyoomi, can't you be a little more tactful?" Miya Atsumu grumbled.

Sakusa frowned, clearly uninterested in arguing. "Kindly shut up, loser."

"…." Miya was speechless. I really should've joined AD instead. Hoshiumi and Ushijima probably would've been way easier to deal with than these two.

On the sidelines, Bokuto Kōtarō turned his head toward Atsumu, eyeing him curiously. There was definitely an aura of deep resentment wafting off him.

"Let's take Atsumu to a food challenge event after the match," Bokuto thought with excitement. "He'll totally love it!"

-----

"Don't worry, it's just a service ace!" Hirugami Fukuro called out. "Focus on the next ball!"

"Yes!"

The AD players' mentality was like their defence—airtight, steady, and unshaken.

Kaedehara Taichi served again.

BOOM!!!

Smack!!!

The ball soared. Heiwajima Toshirō rolled sideways near the baseline and quickly scrambled back up. Tsunotate Kazuki jumped in the middle to assist and sent the ball forward. Hirugami launched a quick attack!

Iizuna and Tom Wilde were a beat too slow on their double block—the ball sailed over their hands and rocketed toward the three-meter line.

Smack!

Yoshii Hiyu was in place on the backcourt, and his dig sent the ball high once again—this time, back into AD's court.

"I got it!"

Hoshiumi Kōrai stepped up and bumped the ball toward the net. Tsunotate jumped again to set it.

Iizuna kept close, wary of a second-touch surprise.

Whoosh—!

The ball flew toward the left wing—Ushijima Wakatoshi leapt to strike!

"Double block!" Kujō Reiji and Tom Wilde jumped together to meet him.

BOOM!!!

The spike ricocheted off Tom Wilde's arm and deflected to the right side.

"Whoa!" The crowd gasped.

They'd seen this before—Ushijima's sharp-angle spike from the left flying out the right for a touch-out.

Taichi sprinted past the sideline and leapt to—

Set the ball!

"Kujō! Left wing!"

Hearing Taichi's shout, Kujō quickly pulled back to start his run-up.

Would the ball really come to him?

It didn't matter—Kujō never questioned things like that.

Over the past three months playing with Kaedehara Taichi, he'd learned one thing: as long as he followed Taichi's judgment, they would win.

The ball arced from outside the sideline toward the left wing—a long-distance set, hard to control with precision.

Thud!

Kujō jumped from the left.

"We have to follow!"

Ushijima and Hirugami leapt to block him.

But at that exact moment—

The ball dropped in height.

"A miscalculation?" Hirugami's eyes narrowed. "No—this ball isn't for him!"

Iizuna leapt from the left-middle position—right where the pass was aimed!

AD had placed too much faith in Taichi's setting ability. Combined with Kujō's imposing presence, they'd never doubted who the set was for.

"Damn it!"

Hirugami landed and lunged sideways, trying to reach Iizuna—

"As long as I cut off one direction, the backcourt should be able to handle Iizuna's attack!"

But—

Whoosh—!

Iizuna faked the spike and set the ball to the far right!

Only the second touch!

The ball zipped across court again—AD's front line was thrown into disarray!

—BOOM!!!

Tom Wilde hammered the ball down the right sideline.

On the line—direct point!

[DH 3 - 0 AD]

"Nice one!" DH's team manager pumped their fist from the sideline.

A 3–0 opening!

DH's morale had clearly not been shaken by the gruelling loss in the first set!

—"AD's defence gets toyed with by back-to-back sets from DH—point gap widens!"

"Beep! AD calls for a timeout."

"Iizuna-senpai, that was a beautiful set," Taichi said with a smile. "Didn't think you'd read my intention that clearly."

He had taken a gamble by setting directly during his save, hoping to create more variety in the front-row offence. What he didn't expect was that AD would fall for it so easily.

"Well, your long-range setting is good, but this was a bit of a stretch," Iizuna replied gently.

"Ohhh...so senpai doesn't trust my setting ability?" Taichi pouted, playfully dejected.

"That's not it." Iizuna waved it off. "Whether it's your set or Kujō's spike, someone has to cover. I just happen to be good at doing that."

-----

"...Iizuna-senpai wouldn't have made such a risky play before," Sakusa Kiyoomi said quietly from the stands.

"Risky?" Miya Atsumu blinked. "Wasn't that just textbook coverage?"

"Sure, but the whole sequence was pulled off beautifully," Atsumu admitted. "Taichi's ideas are always so bizarre—and his teammates actually keep up with him."

"That wasn't just a set," Sakusa said. "Back in Inarizaki vs. Itachiyama, Iizuna-senpai was always the one holding the defence together. He'd be in that position—but he would've just set the ball."

"Instead of faking a spike like that?" Atsumu recalled how he'd always seen Iizuna as a solid but slightly boring setter—strong, but never flashy.

"He's changed too…" Atsumu murmured. "Gotten more interesting."

Somehow, everyone around Kaedehara Taichi seemed to evolve. He remembered Kunimi Akira—once so forgettable, now considered Osamu's rival.

"Of course they'd change!" Bokuto Kōtarō jumped in from beside them, sounding completely unsurprised. "That's the only way to keep up with Taichi!"

----- fɾeewebnoveℓ.co๓

In the AD bench area:

"You're paying too much attention to him!" Coach Suzaku's brows furrowed deeply. His gaze swept sharply across every player as he said in a low, commanding voice, "Yes, he's a phenomenal player—no doubt about it. But our opponent isn't 'Kaedehara Taichi.' It's the team named DESEO Hornets."

Hirugami opened his mouth but shut it quickly when Coach Suzaku shot him a sharp glare.

Taking a deep breath, Suzaku continued, "We designed our game plan around him. That much is fine—he's too much of a threat to ignore. But if you focus all your energy on him alone, and forget the others, you're digging your own grave."

"If Taichi scores—fine. That's not what's dangerous. What is, is letting the others find gaps and take momentum."

"So here's what you'll do: keep your heads on straight and claw the score back. Mark everyone else like your lives depend on it!"

Then he barked, voice sharp and loud:

"Is that clear?!"

"YES!!" The players straightened their backs and answered in unison.

"Now go out there—and show them who the real kings of the V1 League are!"

"YES!!!"

Hearing the intensity from the AD bench, Kaedehara Taichi narrowed his eyes like a hawk and turned his gaze toward them, unbothered by distance or noise.

"So," he murmured, "which way will you choose to lose?"

_________

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