Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 526: Greater Dreams (Double-Length)
[Real Chapter Title]-Chapter 526: The Youngest League Champion in History!
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[DESEO Hornets 33 - 35 Schweiden Adlers]
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As the final spike smashed into AD's court and bounced back high into the air, the 2014–2015 V1 League season officially came to an end.
A reverse sweep!
In a heart-stopping final match, DH pulled off a miraculous comeback, seizing the V1 League championship trophy!
"Kippei!" Kubo Wataru looked at the scoreboard, then at his longtime friend.
Usually the calmest member of DH, Kubo Wataru's voice trembled slightly. He was already thirty-two years old. Even though he had kept going on this path, he no longer knew how much farther he could walk it.
From the V3 League to where he stood today, a full ten years had passed. Kubo Wataru had no eye-catching talent—only unrelenting dedication, day after day.
But today, he suddenly understood. Maybe opportunities had always passed him by, but luck, in the end, had not abandoned him.
Meeting Kaedehara Taichi—perhaps that was volleyball's way of rewarding him for never giving up through all those years.
"Kubo, we actually won," Kitajima Kippei murmured.
Even though this moment felt like a dream, a surprisingly clear thought surfaced in Kitajima Kippei's mind—he could finally retire with no regrets.
The two veterans embraced tightly, unable to hold back the surging emotion inside them any longer.
The entire arena seemed to explode in an instant. The deafening cheers of the crowd surged like a tsunami, overwhelming and earthshaking. The chorus of voices became a triumphant anthem of victory. DH's fans waved their flags, colourful streaks swirling through the air like a vibrant archway of glory.
"DH! Champions! Taichi! MVP!"
"DH! Champions! Taichi! MVP!"
"DH! Champions! Taichi! MVP!"
The chants rose again and again, echoing through every corner of the stadium. This was AD's home court, so the DH fans who had made the trip were the hardcore die-hards. To witness DH win their first V1 League championship with their own eyes—the passion they had held back for so long now burst forth completely. Their cheers and wild celebration were the purest expression of their love and respect for the team.
Kaedehara Taichi stood in the centre of the court, letting the joy of victory wash over him. No matter the scale of the competition, the rush of emotion after a win always surged like a tidal wave. Still, more than this moment, he preferred the thrill of the match itself.
Surrounded by his teammates, the entire DH squad made their way to the awards podium.
The trophy—a golden cup symbolising the highest honour—glinted brilliantly under the lights, as if quietly awaiting its rightful owner.
When team captain Nitta Asahiro touched the trophy, a jolt seemed to race through his body. This was the fruit of countless hours of effort and sweat. He carefully lifted it, and his teammates immediately reached out, hands together, holding up this symbol of glory and presenting it proudly to the audience.
Finally, the trophy was passed into Kaedehara Taichi's hands.
The Best Player of The Season.
The MVP of the finals.
The youngest V1 League champion in Japan.
Kaedehara Taichi raised the trophy high. Below the stage, flashbulbs went off nonstop as reporters scrambled to capture this historic moment.
"Taichi-san! Tell us how you're feeling right now!" a veteran journalist shouted.
From their pens would be born one story after another about DH's legendary victory—stories that would carry the blood, sweat, and fire of this night to every corner of the Japanese volleyball world.
"There's nothing special to say," Taichi said calmly. "The ones who should win the match simply did what was natural and won the match."
"Taichi-san, are you saying you believed from the start that your team would take the championship?" another reporter asked.
"What else would I be saying?" Taichi replied with a small smile. "I believe I said something similar at the DH signing press conference."
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"Our goal is the championship.
And me? I'm naturally the MVP of a champion team."
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Winning a professional league really was a whole different experience compared to high school.
After the local team's victory, the entire city was swept up in a celebratory mood. The DH Club was surrounded by fans for days on end. They brought flowers, intricately crafted posters, and banners full of heartfelt blessings.
DH quickly took advantage of the momentum, organising a grand championship celebration and planning a series of events to give back to their supporters.
All across the downtown shopping centre, photos of the team's victory and golden ribbons symbolising triumph were proudly displayed. The DH Club hosted a fan meet-and-greet right there, with coaches and players entering one after another in custom-made championship T-shirts to deliver thank-you speeches.
Then the players split into groups to interact closely with fans—signing autographs, taking photos, fulfilling every little wish with genuine smiles.
On social media, the club launched a championship hashtag challenge, encouraging fans to share their stories with the team. Winners would receive limited-edition merchandise, and in no time, the DH championship buzz dominated the online world.
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And amid all the excitement, April 10th quietly arrived...
From the morning, Kaedehara Taichi noticed his teammates seemed a little distracted—but it was understandable. He could already guess the reason.
In past years, DH—like most other clubs—would have started preparing for the offseason a month earlier.
But this year, they had fought all the way to the end, lifting the championship trophy. The extended season meant many matters had been delayed. Now, it was finally time to deal with contract renewals and roster upgrades.
Iizuna Tsukasa, Nitta Asahiro, and Yoshii Hiyu were all on long-term deals—no issues there. Kubo Wataru and Kujō Reiji quickly reached new agreements with the club.
Of the remaining players, Tom Wilde still had one year left on his contract. As a member of the championship roster, the DH Club made it clear they wanted to extend his stay without hesitation. However, Tom Wilde—having finally claimed a title—wanted to earn a little more before retirement and politely declined the offer.
Still, he would remain with DH for this final year. After all, he was emotionally attached to the team, and the two new middle blockers still needed time to adapt to the professional stage. The team needed his experience and strength to help during the transition.
What came as more of a surprise was Kitajima Kippei's decision.
Though his attacking ability had continued to decline, Kitajima remained the cornerstone of DH's backcourt defence. His defensive skills had even improved during the playoffs, where he made several critical saves against powerful spikes.
Kubo Wataru, at thirty-two, had chosen to keep going. But Kitajima Kippei, at thirty, truly decided it was time to retire.
"Uncle, are you really not going to keep playing for a few more years?" Nitta Asahiro asked, still unwilling to let him go. "The team still needs you. You're still strong—"
"Asahiro, you've grown so much," Kitajima said, patting his shoulder with a smile. "But it's time you took on more responsibility for the team."
"It's time to pass the stage to you younger guys now."
"Kippei, are you really not going to reconsider?" Kubo Wataru asked after Nitta Asahiro left.
"Why are you asking too?" Kitajima Kippei chuckled. "You know this isn't a new thought for me…"
"I'm only asking one more time, so you don't regret it later when you see me lifting a second championship trophy," Kubo Wataru shot him a glance.
"Maybe it's also because this championship feels like the perfect punctuation mark for my career," Kitajima paused, then said with a hint of melancholy, "As a wing spiker, as a former ace, I just can't accept being a player who's stuck on the ground."
"And besides," he added with a laugh, easily lightening the moment, "you've seen the rookies these past few years—they're all monsters."
"Isn't that why they're called the Monster Generation?" Kubo laughed too.
"Among the new guys, Kunimi is…pretty terrifying, don't you think?" Kitajima said. "No wonder he was Taichi's teammate in high school. Took him less than a day to adjust to the pro-level intensity."
"If I didn't already know he spent so much time around Taichi, I'd be calling him a once-in-a-decade volleyball genius," Kubo Wataru chuckled.
"There've been way too many 'once-in-a-decade' geniuses these past two, three years though. Hahaha…"
They exchanged a glance—and burst into laughter.
After all, even though neither of them were prodigies, they had once joined in this glorious celebration too.
"Don't lose, Wataru."
"…Yeah," Kubo Wataru replied softly. "I won't."
A short silence followed.
"How about we grab drinks tonight!" Kitajima suddenly jumped tracks.
"Isn't there a scheduled event tonight, idiot—" Kubo Wataru muttered.
"C'mon, of course I remember that," Kitajima clapped a hand over his friend's mouth. "I mean after that. Like in a day or two."
"Mmph…" Kubo Wataru nodded as he was muffled.
———
The matter of Kaedehara Taichi's contract not being renewed had been floating around, and though many teammates had their suspicions, no one brought it up aloud.
(A/N: In Japan's V.League, contract disclosure is not mandatory. While teams often publicly announce star signings as a PR move, some contracts—especially short-term or special-clause deals—remain confidential at the request of players or agents.)
"Don't you think it's weird?" Kaedehara Taichi muttered, a hint of solitude in his tone. "Even if I've already made up my mind, couldn't they at least come and ask me something? That'd be less depressing."
"What's there to ask?" Kunimi Akira glanced at him. "If you renewed your contract, the team's official site would've posted it by now. If you didn't, what good is it for them to ask?"
"You think you're so smart?" Taichi grumbled inwardly.
"The club's management obviously already talked to you. Since your contract is confidential, the rest of us are just waiting for you to go public…" Kunimi continued logically.
"Well, maybe, but—"
Taichi had just cut in when he noticed Kunimi's completely deadpan expression.
"You're such a pain," Kunimi said coolly.
"…."
Taichi felt deeply conflicted—when exactly did Kunimi's personality change so much? He used to be—
…Actually, never mind. Kunimi had always been like this.
———
It was almost six in the evening when Taichi finally remembered to eat dinner.
On match days, club members typically ate about 1.5–2 hours before the game (around 5:00–5:30 PM) to avoid playing on a full stomach. They'd then have a custom post-match recovery meal 30–60 minutes after the game. If there was evening practice, this timing still applied.
But normally, dinner happened around 6 PM. Any later, and the assistant coaches would start nagging.
"Kunimi, hurry up!"
Taichi jogged ahead. Usually, it was Nitta Asahiro or Iizuna Tsukasa who came to call him, but lately, he'd been having too much fun—maybe they'd forgotten about him.
"Seriously, how could they forget the great MVP himself?"
Kunimi followed behind with a smirk tugging at his lips, a hint of mischief in his eyes.
The cafeteria doors were oddly shut. Taichi frowned but didn't think much of it. "Did they all run off to celebrate without telling me?"
Bang!
The moment he pushed the door open, every light in the slightly dim cafeteria turned on at once, illuminating the entire space.
"Huh? What's going on—?"
Before he could react, his teammates surged toward him. Nitta and Iizuna quickly pinned his arms.
"Wait, what—?"
Taichi hadn't even seen clearly before something flew straight at his face. He instinctively tried to dodge, which explained why his teammates had pinned him down.
Splat!
A six-inch mini cake smacked him in the face.
Taichi licked the cream.
…It was sweet.
"Taichi! Happy birthday!!"
He shook his head hard, sending cream and chocolate flying off. His teammates let go at the same time.
Only then did he take in the full sight of the cafeteria—at the centre of the hall was a giant custom-made cake.
It had three layers, exquisitely designed. The base layer was a massive volleyball; the middle, a replica of the championship trophy.
At the top, delicate cream frosting portrayed Kaedehara Taichi mid-air in a spike.
Surrounding the cake were golden, edible letters that read:
"Happy Birthday Taichi"
"The Greatest MVP"
"You guys…"
Taichi stood speechless for a moment, genuinely moved. He had turned 18 today.
"Guess you can legally drink now," Kitajima Kippei teased. "No more calling you 'kid'."
Pop!
Kujō Reiji and Tom Wilde popped open their party cannons, sending streamers and balloons flying. Kubo Wataru eagerly uncorked the champagne—bubbles spilt out, spraying everyone in a burst of celebration.
A smile bloomed across Taichi's face. This whole scene reminded him of the day he'd first arrived at the DH Club.
All the moments from this past year—tense matches, seamless teamwork—now shimmered in his memory as precious gems.
"Taichi, go fly toward the world!" freewebnoveℓ.com
Coach Nick handed him a thick scrapbook filled with match photos, post-game notes, and handwritten letters from teammates, messy but sincere. Whether funny or touching, every word captured the storms they had weathered together.
The team gathered around him, singing the birthday song in unison. The melody echoed in the room, filled with heartfelt wishes and profound camaraderie.
The lights dimmed again.
Kaedehara Taichi closed his eyes—and blew out the candles.
His volleyball journey was far from over. He was grateful that his first professional year brought him such warm, unforgettable teammates. With this love and strength, he would continue to fight on the court—
Chasing even greater dreams.
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