Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 371: The One Standing at the Pinnacle of High School Volleyball (Quad-Length)
"Kamihara, that first-year on the court—he used to be your teammate back in junior high, right?"
In one corner of the spectator stands, Shirabu Kenjirō, Goshiki Tsutomu, and Kamihara Atsushi of Shiratorizawa Academy were intently watching the match.
To Kamihara Atsushi, one of them was a stern, no-nonsense setter and the other, the team's ace he looked up to. Frankly, their relationships weren't exactly the type where you'd sit around sharing snacks together, so he couldn't understand why they'd dragged him along to watch the match in person.
Still, since it was Shirabu-senpai asking the question, Kamihara answered obediently,
"His name's Kimura Ryōta. He was the ace of our team at Kōsen Academy."
"You guys were the prefectural champions last autumn, and he was named best player in the prefecture." Shirabu paused, then added, "So he must be really strong, right?"
"Yeah."
Kamihara recalled the days when he and Kimura Ryōta had fought side by side in junior high. They had defeated powerhouses like Kitagawa Daiichi and even the junior division of Shiratorizawa, leading Kōsen Academy to its first-ever national appearance. At the time, the two of them were known as the Twin Stars of Kōsen—their brilliance unmatched.
Although they hadn't gotten a chance to face the player then known as the strongest junior high student—Sarushiro Fūto—before being eliminated by Yūki Yōji's Rakunan Academy, Kamihara had always believed that Ryōta was by no means inferior to Fūto.
However, after entering high school and facing off against powerhouse teams, Kamihara realised just how far removed they were from those glory days.
He hadn't become the breakthrough player Shiratorizawa needed. His once-formidable height—190 cm—proved ineffective in the face of Date Tech's Iron Wall. Yet now, that same Date Tech, who had beaten Shiratorizawa 2–0, was struggling against Aoba Johsai.
"Honestly, even though we dragged you here to watch the match," Shirabu said calmly, "you'll never truly understand the pressure those players are facing unless you stand on the court opposite Kaedehara Taichi."
Kamihara fell into deep thought.
Up until yesterday, he had believed Shiratorizawa was still a strong team. They had an excellent setter, a skilful ace, and agile middle blockers. With new additions like himself, Nagamatsu Muto, and Matsudaira Kiyomasa joining the team, everything had seemed on track.
Even after their loss to Date Tech, he still thought they were the frontrunners for the prefectural title—maybe only Aoba Johsai could give them a challenge. After all, hadn't Seijoh lost to them in the training match before? Sure, Kaedehara Taichi hadn't been on court back then, but since then, everyone had grown a lot. The team was absolutely stronger than it had been then.
And yet—
They had been crushed in the semifinals.
Date Tech's front line was stacked with blockers over 185 cm, including the terrifying twin towers Aone Takunobu and Koganegawa Kanji, both at 193 cm. After Shiratorizawa's loss, Kamihara was convinced that Date Tech would go all the way.
But just by adding one player—Kaedehara Taichi—Seijoh's momentum had transformed completely. From the first set to now, Date Tech hadn't once taken the lead.
"Put away that meaningless pride," Shirabu said with calm certainty. "Even if it's just a prefectural final, there's no doubt—Kaedehara Taichi is the one standing at the very pinnacle of high school volleyball right now."
-----
"Tweet!—"
The whistle for the serve blew.
Kindaichi Yūtarō sent out his second serve.
Boom!!
"I got it!"
Sakunami Kōsuke received cleanly—an on-point first touch.
From the back row, Koganegawa Kanji leapt high, posturing for a powerful spike.
"Are you actually gonna go for a back-row attack—no, a fake spike into a set?"
Kaedehara Taichi's expression twisted strangely as he jumped up directly in front of Koganegawa.
BOOM!!!
A devastating spike slammed hard into Kaedehara's arm.
SMACK!
"Ow—!"
Taichi winced from the impact, his arm jolting backwards.
"One touch!"
Kyōtani Kentarō managed to save the ball from the baseline. No one had expected Koganegawa's straightforward-looking back-row hit to pack that kind of power.
Yahaba Shigeru was preparing to make the next set.
"I got it!"
Taichi leapt up with his back to the net, ready to set.
On the left, Yūki Yōji. On the right, Kunimi Akira.
Both spikers launched their approach at the same time.
Kimura Ryōta locked eyes on Taichi, prepared to cover either side the moment the ball left his hands.
Thump!
"???"
"It's a setters dump!"
Taichi chuckled, flicking his wrist and spiking the ball behind him while still mid-air.
The ball zipped past Kimura Ryōta's ear and hit the court behind him.
Kaedehara Taichi scores.
[Aoba Johsai 20 - 14 Date Tech]
"Th-they already reached 20 points?"
Even the crowd could hardly believe it. The scoreboard had jumped from 14–12 to 20–14 in what felt like the blink of an eye.
"Does that guy have eyes in the back of his head or something?"
Despite having the opposing ace trailing him the whole time, he still pulled off a move that bold…
Just a little more—Kimura Ryōta had almost gotten it.
"Don't worry about it! Next ball!"
Futakuchi Kenji tried to reassure his teammates.
Just give them a bit more time, and Date Tech's blockers will catch up to him!
"Tweet!—"
The next whistle sounded.
Kindaichi Yūtarō sent out his third serve.
Boom!!
His serve had noticeably more power than the last.
Smack!
Once again, Sakunami Kōsuke received it cleanly. In a team that prided itself on blocking, it was easy to forget just how solid their libero truly was.
"I got it!"
Date Tech switched things up. Futakuchi Kenji stepped in as the secondary setter from the front row.
Kunimi Akira jumped to block directly in front of Futakuchi, anticipating a second-touch surprise.
Whoosh—!
The ball flew to the left wing. Kimura Ryōta sprang up to spike.
"Double block!"
Yūki Yōji and Kaedehara Taichi both jumped to intercept.
Back in junior high, when Kimura Ryōta's Kōsen Academy lost to Yūki Yōji's Rakunan, he hadn't been shut down by Yūki's blocks.
Not once.
And yet now—despite knowing that even two blockers wouldn't rattle him—after just one successful block by Taichi in the last play, Kimura was hesitating. There was a shadow in his mind.
Boom!—
The ball cut past Yūki's left side, sailing into Aoba Johsai's back row.
Smack!
It struck Yahaba's arm and bounced out of bounds.
Kimura Ryōta scores.
[Aoba Johsai 20 - 15 Date Tech]
"That was close..."
From Fukiage Jingo's perspective, it was hard to tell if the ball was actually in or out.
Yahaba had avoided gambling on the trajectory and went for the save, but ultimately failed.
Kimura Ryōta gasped for breath, still shaken. Every time he thought of Kaedehara Taichi, he pictured those impossible-to-stop spikes. No one had ever warned him that Taichi's blocking was just as elite.
Date Tech regained serve.
Aone Takunobu rotated into the front row, giving them a small sense of reassurance.
Fukiage Jingo launched a powerful jump serve. Nakamori Daiki received it cleanly.
"No good! He's coming again!"
Kimura Ryōta felt his heart lurch—Kaedehara Taichi was already airborne on the right side.
Too fast!
Take your eyes off him for even a moment, and he vanishes.
BOOM!
SMACK!
"Blocked it?!!"
Futakuchi Kenji and Aone Takunobu's double block successfully stopped Kaedehara Taichi's rapid-fire attack!
"One touch!"
Aone's eyes locked in, fearless.
"Chance ball!"
Obara Yutaka passed the ball securely to the net. Koganegawa Kanji jumped to set.
Date Tech launched a synchronised three-man attack with Kimura, Futakuchi, and Aone all approaching from different angles!
Aoba Johsai's blockers chose reading-based defence—because Koganegawa rarely went for a second-touch attack, they could afford to focus entirely on the hitters.
Whoosh!—
BOOM!!!
Something was different…
Even though Aoba Johsai had read Koganegawa's setting direction correctly, they simply couldn't react in time.
From one high point to another, Date Tech's tempo was no slower than Aoba Johsai's own quick attacks.
Aone Takunobu spiked the ball cleanly above Kaedehara Taichi—score!
[Aoba Johsai 20 - 16 Date Tech]
"Nice One, Koganegawa!"
Coach Oiwake clapped his hands together in excitement—the power of their towering setter was finally showing its edge!
"Go, Koganegawa!" Date Tech's graduated trio shouted from the stands. They had a feeling—the time for Date Tech's counterattack had come!
Date Tech continued serving.
Fukiage Jingo served the second ball, and once again, Nakamori Daiki received it.
Kaedehara Taichi slowed down his pace. Kunimi Akira understood instantly and sent a high ball to the left wing.
"Ryōta, switch!" Futakuchi Kenji shouted in place of the silent Aone Takanobu.
BAM!
Kaedehara Taichi leapt into the air.
"Triple block!" Aone Takanobu, Kimura Ryōta, and Futakuchi Kenji jumped simultaneously.
One of Date Tech's blocking strategies: make sure Aone was always directly in front of Taichi.
The straight shot was completely sealed, and even the cross-shot angle was well guarded by Futakuchi Kenji.
BOOM!!!
Kaedehara Taichi chose the same path as Kyōtani Kentarō—targeting the gap in the "Iron Wall!"
BANG!
Aone's arms wavered ever so slightly, and the ball squeezed past Kimura's block once again!
It broke through!
Date Tech's Iron Wall was left in a million pieces!
The ball slammed into Date Tech's court.
Smack!
Obara Yutaka dove to receive it, but the ball struck his arm and flew out of bounds.
Kaedehara Taichi scored with a spike.
[Aoba Johsai 21 – 16 Date Tech]
"Oh?" Taichi's eyes lit up in surprise—he hadn't expected Date Tech to still be ready for a defense after the block.
Obara climbed to his feet, and the entire Date Tech team locked their eyes on Taichi.
"Next time—we'll block you for sure!"
"Well now, I'll be look-ing for-ward to that," Taichi replied, pausing after every word as he accepted their challenge.
Serve possession switched. Kunimi aimed a jump serve at Koganegawa Kanji.
Bang!
Smack!
Obara stepped in to receive in place of Koganegawa, but doing so also obstructed Koganegawa from moving forward to cover.
"I've got it!" Futakuchi moved into position and jumped for the set.
Taichi was positioned directly in front of Aone again, while Yūki Yōji leapt to block Futakuchi.
Whoosh—!
The ball flew toward the left wing—Kimura Ryōta now had only Yahaba Shigeru in front of him!
"Ryōta!" Futakuchi called out anxiously. Just as the ball left his hand, Taichi had already drifted closer to the centre and almost instantly launched himself toward the left.
He was going to catch up!
Kimura forced himself to stay calm and spiked the ball with power.
Boom!!
The ball flew just ahead of Taichi's block and dropped into Aoba Johsai's court—but—
Smack!
Nakamori Daiki received it cleanly. "A half-hearted spike like that—I'm taking it."
Kunimi came in for the set, and Taichi dashed to the right side and jumped again.
"Double block!" Futakuchi and Aone jumped in front of him.
Whoosh—!
The ball flew toward the left side. Yuuki Yōji jumped and slammed it down.
Boom!!!
The ball dodged Kimura's block and crashed straight into Date Tech's court.
Yuuki Yōji scored with the spike.
[Aoba Johsai 22 – 16 Date Tech]
"Damn it!" Kamasaki Yasushi shouted in frustration.
Every time Taichi pulled off a jaw-dropping play, Date Tech's focus shifted to him almost automatically.
But to predict and read the opposing offence, they needed to keep their eyes on the setter instead.
It felt like as long as Kaedehara Taichi was on the front line, Date Tech's blocking couldn't function at full power—it always ended up in chaos.
Aoba Johsai continued serving.
Seeing how effective the strategy was, Kunimi aimed his second serve straight at Koganegawa again.
As expected, Obara once more stepped up for the receive.
But this time, Koganegawa crossed paths with Obara during the run-up, launching from the back row through the middle.
Futakuchi still acted as setter, but Date Tech now had three attackers ready!
Whoosh!—
The ball was set to the middle—Koganegawa and Yuuki squared off one-on-one at the net.
BOOM!
Koganegawa avoided the block and sent the ball flying into the left corner of Aoba Johsai's court.
It landed clean—back-row attack, Koganegawa Kanji scored.
[Aoba Johsai 22 – 17 Date Tech]
"Amazing…"
Kaedehara Taichi couldn't help but feel that although Koganegawa had the occasional flash as a setter, his talent as a spiker was undeniable to the naked eye.
Date Tech snatched back the serve.
Kimura Ryōta stepped up to the service line, and Koganegawa returned to the front—Date Tech's strongest Iron Wall was back on the court.
Having experienced Kaedehara Taichi's power firsthand, Kimura felt a sense of peace.
His calm, unpredictable attacks were even more astounding than what Kimura had seen on video.
He couldn't do it!
Kimura's instincts screamed that truth at him—he couldn't become that.
No matter how much he tried to imitate Taichi's technique, fundamentally, they were two different kinds of players.
Kaedehara Taichi's playstyle drew the attention of both teams, of the entire court—it was like a black hole.
Everyone's eyes were locked on him, unable to look away.
But Kimura was different. What he wanted had always been to support his teammates—to shine together as a unit.
"I can't become like Taichi-senpai. But—there is something only I can do."
"The strongest Iron Wall…"
"I can do this…"
Bang!
After a whole match of Date Tech's powerful jump serves, Kimura's sudden jump floater completely disrupted Aoba Johsai's rhythm.
The ball dropped near the front row—Yuuki Yōji had to tip it up with his hands.
"Cover!"
Yahaba was pinned down, so Kunimi rushed forward from the back row to make the set.
The ball flew toward the right—Kaedehara Taichi jumped to spike.
"Triple block!" Futakuchi, Aone, and Koganegawa all jumped at once.
Perfect seal—no space at all.
Midair, Taichi locked his eyes on Aone's fingertips and swung hard—
"!!!"
Aone pulled his arms back at the last second. Taichi, realizing it mid-swing, adjusted just in time and softened the blow.
Smack!
"He held back?!"
The ball didn't fly out like a cannon—it floated gently toward the back of Date Tech's court.
"Well…this still counts as a defence, doesn't it?"
Smack!
Sakunami Kōsuke passed it perfectly. Koganegawa jumped for the set at the net.
Taichi leapt again, trying to block him.
Whoosh!—
BOOM!
Another lightning-quick set, hand-to-hand in midair.
As Taichi dropped, Aone spiked the ball cleanly past him.
Aone scored.
[Aoba Johsai 22 – 18 Date Tech]
"Nice one!"
Date Tech's morale surged. It was a three-on-one point, sure—but volleyball was never a solo game to begin with.
Updat𝒆d fr𝑜m freewebnøvel.com.
Just four more points!
Even now, Date Tech still saw hope!
"Tweet!—" The whistle for serve rang out.
Kimura Ryōta sent the second ball flying!
Boom!!
A powerful jump serve!
The ball zoomed between Kyōtani Kentarō and Nakamori Daiki.
Smack!
It landed on Aoba Johsai's endline and flew out.
Both players had hesitated—Kimura Ryōta scored directly with his serve!
[Aoba Johsai 22 – 19 Date Tech]
Only Three Points Away!
"Tweet!—"
Aoba Johsai calls a timeout.
That Aoba Johsai's first timeout was forced out of them by a first-year's serve—Kimura Ryōta's—sparked a buzz in the audience stands.
"Call it out! You have to shout when receiving the ball!" Before the players even reached the bench, Coach Mizoguchi Sadayuki couldn't help but shout in frustration.
"Sorry."
"My bad."
Kyōtani Kentarō and Nakamori Daiki both admitted fault without hesitation.
While Kimura's serve could be considered a decent jump serve, it was still unacceptable for Aoba Johsai to lose points so easily.
"Don't let your guard down just because we're ahead!" Mizoguchi warned sternly. "We've already lost to Date Tech once—today is about revenge!"
"Revenge…"
As the match dragged on, the players had almost forgotten about that.
"We don't just want to win—we want to win in style," Coach Irihata said calmly from the bench. "Taichi, Date Tech is also a team we might face at Nationals. Don't overthink it. Just play your game."
Kaedehara Taichi glanced toward the scoreboard on the sideline and nodded seriously.
-----
The timeout ended, and the match resumed.
Kimura Ryōta's heart burned with excitement—he had finally contributed something meaningful in this match.
"I can do this!"
"Tweet!—"
Date Tech to serve. Kimura pressed the ball between his palms, trying to recall the feel of his last touch.
Which serve should I go with?
Though practising two kinds of serves had been painful, being able to experience even a sliver of what Taichi-senpai felt on court made it all worthwhile.
Then, suddenly, he noticed a gaze from Aoba Johsai's back row.
That first-year libero from Aoba Johsai…?
Before the match, Obara-senpai had mentioned that the strongest rookie in the prefecture had another major contender—Nakamori Daiki.
For a libero to earn that kind of praise wasn't easy. Defensive specialists often got overlooked, especially when playing for strong teams.
Alright then—let's test him out!
Kimura tossed the ball, stepped into his approach, leapt, and swung—
Boom!
The ball zoomed between Nakamori Daiki and Kunimi Akira.
You're not getting a clean receive from the front this time!
"I got it!" Nakamori Daiki shouted.
With a light step, he launched himself sideways, two quick strides to the right. Even as he moved, his arms were already positioning to receive. At the last moment, his right foot planted, his centre of gravity dropped, and his body adjusted precisely to meet the ball.
Smack!
A clean receive. The ball was perfectly passed.
"Watch out! They're setting up a quick!"
Date Tech's front line instantly caught on, their eyes locking onto Kaedehara Taichi.
Both Taichi and Kunimi moved simultaneously—but there was no exaggerated running path.
Whish—!
Kunimi sent up a soft high set, and Taichi began his approach along the sideline.
BAM!
He planted his last step, swung his arms back, and leaned forward as he jumped straight up. His body fully extended in the air—core engaged—his left arm pulled back. The moment he reached the peak, he twisted from the waist and whipped his arm forward.
"Triple block!"
Aone Takurō, Futakuchi Kenji, and Koganegawa Kanji jumped up together.
Taichi's hand struck the upper back side of the ball. With a twist of the wrist, he added a powerful topspin as he spiked down.
B-O-O-M ! ! !
The ball visibly warped in the air from the force. Before the block could fully form, it had already burst through, smacking away Futakuchi and Koganegawa's arms.
The high-speed ball carried a faint white mist of friction—
BANG!
Sakunami Kōsuke froze with his arms extended.
Even with the block slowing it down, the ball came too fast to be handled.
It shot back up high—so high that Kimura Ryōta, tilting his head back, felt like it would never come down.
Bang!
Another high bounce.
All eyes followed the flight of the ball as silence fell over the arena.
"Tweet!—"
The referee's whistle snapped everyone back to reality.
Kaedehara Taichi scores with a spike.
[Aoba Johsai 23 – 19 Date Tech]
"What the hell was that?!"
"Even after getting through Date Tech's block, it still had that much power?!"
"How do you even stop that…"
In this tight, evenly-matched battle, one player suddenly stepped forward—his strength clearly belonging to another level.
This so-called "Final of the Prefecture" was starting to feel…unfamiliar.
Service change. Kaedehara Taichi walked to the service line.
Date Tech's players immediately tensed up again—that suffocating pressure was back. Except this time, it felt even heavier than before...
Kimura Ryōta's forehead broke into a cold sweat, droplets sliding slowly down his cheek. The pressure felt almost physical, wrapping tightly around him, making him unable to move.
"Tweet!—"
BOOM!!!—
The whistle had barely sounded when the ball exploded across the court like a cannon blast.
Kimura Ryōta felt all strength leave his body. His legs were like lead—he couldn't even move.
Thud!
The ball hit the ground.
Kaedehara Taichi scores with a service ace!
[Aoba Johsai 24 – 19 Date Tech]
Aoba Johsai continued to serve.
Kaedehara Taichi once again stepped up to the line.
The audience held their breath, eyes glued to the court. Most of them hadn't even seen what happened with the last serve.
"Tweet!—"
Taichi tossed the ball, approached, jumped, and struck—
BOOM!!!—
Like a lightning bolt, the ball tore across the net.
"Damn it!"
At the last second, Sakunami Kōsuke finally shook off his fear and moved. His legs propelled him toward the ball. He brought his hands together—
BANG!
But the ball shattered his still-forming receive stance and crashed to the floor.
Kaedehara Taichi scores again with a serve.
[Aoba Johsai 25 – 19 Date Tech]
"Tweet—!"
End of the first set.
Winner: Aoba Johsai.
_________
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