Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 529: I Will Defeat Everyone

April 2016, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The sea breeze carried waves of scorching sunlight, rustling the colourful flags fluttering along the streets. The entire city seemed to have been splashed with nature's palette—vibrant, wild, and brimming with untamed vitality—buzzing with anticipation for an upcoming major sporting event.

The South American Men's Volleyball Club Championship was about to begin.

The champion and runner-up of this tournament would earn a spot in the Club World Championship. Thus, top clubs from Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia had all gathered here.

Each one of them was a powerhouse in their home leagues. Carrying their own honours and dreams, polished skill sets, and unwavering determination to win, they converged on this passionate land to launch an all-out charge toward the peak.

"It's way too hot here, Taichi…" Oikawa Tōru groaned, wiping sweat from his forehead. If they were in Japan right now, he'd be bundled up in layers to fight off the cold.

"You're not here on vacation," scoffed Kaedehara Taichi.

"Eh? We're not?" Oikawa feigned shock. "Don't tell me there's actually a team here strong enough to beat us?"

"Of course not."

From behind, Agustín Loser threw his arms over the two of them with a loud laugh. "We're the strongest—no, the strongest in history! The greatest Argentine club ever!"

Since April last year, when Kaedehara Taichi joined CA San Juan as a foreign player, their record in the Argentine A1 League had been flawless—undefeated in every match.

And not just matches—not even a single set lost.

The only issue within San Juan now was the ace rivalry between Kaedehara Taichi and Facundo Conte.

If judged purely on ability, many believed the 18-year-old Kaedehara Taichi was stronger and had more potential. But Facundo Conte had played with San Juan for eight years—their own homegrown super ace. He had led the club to three league titles and was even captain of the Argentine national team.

In that sense, unless Facundo Conte voluntarily stepped down, he would always be considered San Juan's true ace.

After all, Kaedehara Taichi was still just a foreigner.

"Let's secure our spot in the Club World Championship first. Just being the best in Argentina isn't enough—our goal is to become the best in the world."

Facundo Conte spoke with a rare sternness.

When he set his eyes on the world stage, he no longer concerned himself with the internal ace rivalry—not when there was that man: Wilfredo León, the world's number one outside hitter.

Conte had never once defeated León in a head-to-head matchup.

When he led Argentina in the World Championship, they lost to Poland and finished fifth.

The only time he won the Polish Super League, León was out with an injury.

"Right now, the top-ranked clubs in the world are still from Poland and Italy…" Agustín Loser sighed. "And I heard they've strengthened their rosters again this year. That club, Lublin, just like us, is still undefeated in the Polish A1 League."

"I heard they also have a Japanese foreign player. Do you guys know him?" asked Santiago Danani, their libero.

"Heh. 'Know him'? He's one of my old rivals!" Oikawa said smugly.

"Oh? Then that Ushijima Wakatoshi must not be anything special," Agustín Loser laughed.

"…Didn't you lose to him 10 times and only win twice?" Kaedehara Taichi said flatly.

"Taichi!" Oikawa hurriedly clamped a hand over Taichi's mouth. He had worked so hard to keep his black history hidden from his South American teammates.

Santiago Danani raised an eyebrow. "Wait, did Taichi just say—?"

"Ahaha! Don't mind that," Oikawa said, grinning awkwardly. "We were fierce rivals back then. It's not very classy to badmouth someone behind their back, you know?"

Taichi rolled his eyes but didn't argue further.

"But compared to your rival," said Danani, "another guy on their team has been making even more waves in the league. That American setter, Micah Christenson—he joined Lublin alongside Ushijima, and now he's not only the number one setter in the U.S., but the best in the entire Polish League."

"Oh?" That caught Kaedehara Taichi's attention—another familiar name.

"You know him?" Oikawa was surprised. He didn't expect Taichi to know such a top-tier setter.

"I played against him two years ago in the Japan-U.S. exchange match," Taichi replied. "He's a very skilled setter."

"Ohh," Oikawa remembered now. He had even watched the match footage back then.

"So, who's better?"

"…Huh?"

"That Michael guy—or me?" Oikawa asked more specifically.

Taichi rolled his eyes again. "That was two years ago. How am I supposed to know who's stronger now?"

Oikawa: "…"

Couldn't this brat just say, "Oikawa-senpai is the best"? Still the same unadorable kouhai!

At that moment, Facundo Conte felt a strange sense of destiny.

The way he saw it, now that he had both Oikawa Tōru and Kaedehara Taichi—two top-tier foreign players—on his team, San Juan had become the strongest club in Argentina's history.

And at the same time, Wilfredo León had acquired Micah Christenson and Ushijima Wakatoshi as allies.

Maybe…this year's Club World Championship was the moment he would finally defeat León head-on—and become the number one outside hitter in the world!

Kaedehara Taichi and Oikawa Tōru exchanged a glance. They could both sense the fire building up in Conte.

As for Wilfredo León, the man they had heard about many times but never faced—Taichi was curious, but he didn't harbour the same burning obsession as Conte.

Almost subconsciously, Taichi glanced over at Conte. Under Oikawa's inquisitive gaze, he said offhandedly—

"Doesn't matter who's with who…"

"I'll defeat them all."

-----

"Hahaha, Taichi!" Oikawa Tōru clutched his stomach as he laughed. "Did you see Conte's face just now? You made him so mad it turned green!" frёewebnoѵēl.com

"I didn't do anything to him," Kaedehara Taichi said breezily. "I was just stating a fact."

"You don't get it, do you? It's that exact attitude that pisses people off even more—ahaha…" Oikawa said gleefully, clearly enjoying the chaos.

"Speaking of which," Taichi suddenly stopped walking and turned to glare at him. "Isn't the reason Conte's been hostile to me from the start not just because of the whole 'ace rivalry' thing—but also because you were stirring things up?"

"Eh-heh?" Oikawa dodged Taichi's gaze. "This genius, innocent setter has no idea what you're talking about."

"Hm?"

"Come on now, I was just helping you out—trying to line up a proper rival for you in advance." Oikawa said shamelessly, hands on hips. "He's the captain of Argentina's national team, after all. Pretty impressive, don't you think?"

"I thought it'd take you a while to catch up to him, so I made sure he noticed you early on…Who knew you'd grow this fast, you monster."

"…And your personal motive?"

"Taichi!" Oikawa huffed in mock offence. "As your senpai, how could I possibly have a personal agenda?"

"…Hm?"

"Ahem. Okay, maybe just a tiny bit." Oikawa mumbled, guilt creeping into his voice. "When I first joined the first-string team, Conte was kind of full of himself…so I just thought I'd remind him that there are even more talented players out there."

"I knew it." Taichi gave him a look of pure disdain.

Fortunately, the rivalry between Kaedehara Taichi and Facundo Conte remained a healthy one—something even San Juan's head coach was glad to see.

At 28, Facundo Conte was in his prime. With countless major tournaments under his belt and honours stacked higher than anyone else on the team, he was the undisputed core of San Juan, a pillar none could surpass.

No one could have imagined that an 18-year-old foreigner—Kaedehara Taichi—would come all the way across the ocean, join San Juan, and place such immense pressure on the already-established ace of Argentine volleyball.

Taichi's debut match in the Argentine A1 League had been nothing short of explosive:

– 5 consecutive service points in a single rotation,

– 12 spike attempts for 10 kills,

– 2 stuff blocks,

– 17 total points.

The entire stadium had erupted with chants of "MVP! MVP!"

"Is it true that Chibi-chan's joining São Paulo in Brazil?" Oikawa couldn't help but ask. That unforgettable little guy had grown so much—he was no less remarkable than anyone else now…

"Yeah." Taichi nodded. He was a little surprised too—he hadn't expected Hinata Shōyō to undergo such a transformation in just one year of beach volleyball.

"We're here."

They came to a stop.

Not far away, on the golden sands of the beach, a boyish figure leapt high into the air.

It was someone they both knew very well—Hinata Shōyō.

_________

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