Haikyuu: Zero to Almighty

"Oikawa, when Taichi gets on the court later, focus the sets on him. I want to see how his offence holds up as we approach the endgame." Oikawa Tōru recalled the coach's words as Kaedehara Taichi stepped onto the court.

Standing at the net, Taichi noticed Oikawa staring at him.

"What is it, Oikawa-senpai? Thinking about whose head to blast open with your serve again?"

"Hmph, if we're talking juniors, Kageyama's still the cuter one."

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Aoba Johsai served, and Hanamaki Takahiro sent the ball over.

"Naruko, nice receive!"

"Shun, spike it!"

"Great dig, Hanamaki!" The volleyball arched high above Oikawa.

The moment Taichi entered the game, the opposing defence began targeting him. At this point, Iwaizumi was in the back row. If the ball were set to Iwaizumi for a back-row attack, it might catch them off guard.

But, after observing for so long….Don't you want to challenge their blockers?

Oikawa glanced at the intensely focused Taichi and set the ball to him.

"Three-man block!" Shiroishi Yūki, Naruko Teppei, and Kawatabi Shunki lined up at the net.

This is the feeling! Kaedehara Taichi jumped, his senses heightened, as if the movements of the blockers had slowed. Aiming for the edge of Shiroishi Yūki's palm, he unleashed a powerful spike.

The ball grazed Shiroishi's fingers and flew to Wakunan's backcourt.

He really went for it! Watching Taichi's jump, Nakashima Takeru had an inkling of his intent. Reacting swiftly, Nakashima sprinted to the back to save the ball.

A setter and a middle blocker from Aoba Johsai daring to play like this at such a crucial moment….They've got nerves of steel, these bastards!

Despite his valiant dive, Nakashima failed to reach the ball before it hit the floor.

Kaedehara Taichi scores!

[Aoba Johsai 23 – 20 Wakunan]

"Aoba Johsai scores consecutively!" Cheers erupted from the sidelines.

"Taichi, that was a beautiful spike!"

"Another point, great job…" Taichi stared at his hand, exhilarated. To score with a play executed just as he envisioned—it felt amazing!

Hanamaki Takahiro stepped up to serve again.

"Hanamaki-senpai, give us a good one…"

The ball skimmed the top of the net and dropped into Wakunan's court.

"Argh!" Naruko Teppei dove, managing a miraculous save.

Kazeteru Akiu followed up with a bump. "The ball's drifting—cover it!"

The volleyball floated directly above the net.

"Takeru, push it over!"

"Taichi, push it back!"

Nakashima and Taichi jumped simultaneously to contest the ball. With a slight edge, Taichi pressed the volleyball downward into Wakunan's court.

Nakashima landed heavily, sitting on the ground, staring up at Taichi across the net with a look of frustration. Moments like this reminded him of that insurmountable wall called 'height'—an iron wall he loathed!

Aoba Johsai reached the match point!

[Aoba Johsai 24 – 20 Wakunan]

"Sorry…" Kazeteru Akiu lowered his head. As the team's libero, he had failed to deliver a solid pass.

"Just get the next one!" Nakashima stood, ruffling Akiho's hair with surprising determination.

"Oi, Kazuhiro, miss another and you're buying me ramen!" Kawatabi Shunki chimed in teasingly.

"Y-Yes!"

Hanamaki served for the third time.

This time, Akiho's receive was solid. For the crucial point, the set naturally went to Nakashima Takeru.

Taichi and Oikawa rose to block, with Iwaizumi ready to defend the straight shot.

"I can't back down now!" Seeing an opening, Nakashima aimed diagonally, targeting Taichi's wrist instead of going for a clean spike.

Kaedehara Taichi didn't have enough time to react. He could only try his best to push his palm upward.

The ball grazed the edge of Taichi's hand and bounced high into the air.

As long as the ball hasn't touched the ground, there's still a chance!

"First touch!" Taichi shouted loudly.

Hanamaki Takahiro sprinted in the direction of the ball's trajectory and managed to send it flying back toward Oikawa Tōru.

Oikawa jumped near the net, hands ready to set, his eyes scanning the court for the attackers.

After landing from his block attempt, Taichi quickly sprinted across the court to the opposite side, leaping into the air with all his might.

"Again?"

At that moment, the same thought crossed the minds of both Wakunan's players and Oikawa Tōru:

This guy runs wayyy too much!

The front-row players of Wakunan had no time to think further and scrambled to keep up with Taichi. Nakashima Takeru, meanwhile, stepped back slightly, predicting that Taichi wouldn't go for a straight-line shot. He decided to defend against an angled spike aimed at the blockers' hands.

Kaedehara Taichi had reached the peak of his jump. He turned to look at Oikawa, his eyes filled with hunger for the spike.

"This kid…" Oikawa was momentarily taken aback by Taichi's intensity. But you're not getting it this time!

In midair, Oikawa suddenly changed his setting motion. Instead of passing, he used his left hand to push the ball directly into Wakunan's court.

Tap.

The volleyball landed squarely on Wakunan's side, leaving even the referee stunned for a moment.

[Aoba Johsai 25 – 20 Wakunan]

Tweet! Tweet!

The whistle blew, marking the end of the first set.

The abrupt conclusion left the gymnasium in stunned silence for a moment. Then, the arena erupted in deafening cheers.

"They actually ended the game with a setter's dump!"

"Oikawa-senpai is so cool!"

"Wow! I really thought that last ball would go to Taichi!"

Even Oikawa felt a bit shaken. That intense look from Taichi had almost convinced him to set the ball his way.

But hearing the wave of praise and cheers around him, Oikawa felt vindicated. This outcome was far more satisfying.

He turned to Taichi with a smug expression, raising an eyebrow and sending a challenging look that clearly said, I won.

"What's wrong, Oikawa-senpai? Do your eyes hurt?" Taichi teased with a bright smile.

Oikawa's face froze momentarily. "Hmph, ignorant brat."

Kaedehara Taichi, however, was still savouring the thrill of his earlier movements. Although it was Oikawa who had scored, seeing the opposing blockers chase after him in vain and then react with shock had filled him with satisfaction.

Of course, he understood Oikawa's look—it was pure teasing. But he chose to ignore it. What a child.

"Everyone did a great job. Take a breather and get ready for the second set," Coach Mizoguchi called from the sidelines.

"Yes!"

As Taichi walked to the bench, a mechanical voice suddenly sounded in his head.

[Ding! Temporary Mission: 'Successor of the Little Giant' Progress Updated.]

[First set completed. Nakashima Takeru scored 3 points via touch-outs. Host scored 1 point via touch-out.]

Huh???

Taichi froze mid-step. Oh no, he had completely forgotten about this mission!

Hurriedly, he glanced at the system interface. Fortunately, the mission hadn't failed yet. Taichi breathed a sigh of relief—the task lasted the entire match.

He quickly approached Gouchi Sadayuki. "Coach Mizoguchi, could I see the score sheet?"

"Sure." Mizohuchi handed him the sheet.

Taichi found Nakashima Takeru's stats: 14 attack attempts, 9 points scored.

Ridiculous. He scored nearly half of his team's points—and that's not even counting his contributions on defence.

Then, he looked at Oikawa's and his own stats.

Oikawa Tōru: 6 points (2 dumps, 4 service aces).

Kaedehara Taichi: 3 points from spikes.

Taichi sighed. Whether in terms of raw points or efficiency, he was still far behind.