Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 299: The Advancing Iron Wall

[March 18th, Sendai City Gymnasium]

The Prefectural Tournament final between Aoba Johsai and Date Tech was about to begin.

"This match is going to be exciting."

"But there's not much suspense, right? Shiratorizawa got completely crushed by Aoba Johsai—I can't even picture them losing."

"Honestly, Aoba Johsai isn't as strong as they were during Spring Nationals, but Date Tech has been steadily improving. I wouldn't say the outcome is that clear-cut."

"Then let me ask you—who's going to stop Taichi?"

"Well…Shutting him down completely is impossible, but Aoba Johsai didn't shut down Ushijima Wakatoshi either when they beat Shiratorizawa."

"That's because Aoba Johsai had Taichi to go head-to-head with Ushijima. And I don't see anyone on Date Tech who can do the same."

"Hmph. Just wait and see…"

-----

"Before we begin the Prefectural Tournament final, let's first take a moment to congratulate Aoba Johsai on their Spring Nationals championship victory! They have brought immense honour to Miyagi Prefecture!"

"Their victory was the result of relentless hard work, teamwork, and an unyielding fighting spirit. On the national stage, Aoba Johsai's players displayed exceptional skill and determination, overcoming formidable opponents one after another to claim the championship title—Miyagi's first in thirty years!"

The crowd erupted into applause.

Regardless of which team they supported, everyone was proud that Aoba Johsai had brought the national title home. Their victory wasn't just for themselves—it was a triumph for all of Miyagi.

"And today, Aoba Johsai returns to the Prefectural Tournament final to face off against none other than Date Tech—the Iron Wall of Date!"

"Both teams are long-established powerhouses in Miyagi, and from the packed stands, you can tell just how highly anticipated this match is!"

"I have a feeling this could be a preview of the Summer Interhigh Tournament. Will Aoba Johsai, despite their roster changes, continue to add to their legacy? Or will Date Tech rise as the ultimate dark horse?"

"Let's look forward to an incredible final and cheer for these players as they fight for victory!"

-----

"Wow, I didn't expect this whole ceremony before the match!" Kindaichi Yūtarō was feeling a little dizzy from all the cheers and praise.

"You won't be saying that if we lose," Kunimi Akira said flatly.

"Uh…" Kindaichi instantly sobered up.

"They're all so tall over there…" Honda Heisuke muttered, his expression tense. As a spiker who relied on technique and shot variation rather than power or height, Date Tech's towering blockers were a nightmare matchup for him.

"Don't worry, I'll break through their wall for you."

If Oikawa-senpai were here, he'd probably say something like that…

Yahaba Shigeru thought to himself.

Instead, what came out of his mouth was, "It's fine. They won't be able to stop Taichi."

"Yeah…that's true." Honda nodded.

At some point, Aoba Johsai's players had started speaking with Taichi less and less.

Part of it was because Taichi spent most of his time in solo training.

And part of it…was that the gap between them had grown too wide.

It was an invisible wall—a distance that couldn't easily be bridged.

Kaedehara Taichi always seemed lost in thought, making it difficult for most of his teammates to approach him. Only Oikawa Tōru or Kindaichi Yūtarō could casually strike up a conversation with him without hesitation.

Honda Heisuke glanced at Kaedehara Taichi. Ever since Spring Nationals, Taichi had been noticeably quieter. He wasn't sure if it was because he was about to move up to his second year or because their third-year seniors had graduated.

Yahaba Shigeru followed Wadata's gaze. "He looks scary, doesn't he? Like the calm before a storm."

"Yeah…but as his teammate, it's actually reassuring," Wadata replied. He felt that even though Aoba Johsai had undeniably weakened after the loss of their third-years, there was no sense of chaos or confusion within the team. And that was because Kaedehara Taichi was still there.

As much he hated to admit it, every player on the team shared the same belief, 'Even if the sky fell down, Taichi would hold it up'.

-----

At that moment, Taichi was staring at Date Tech's player data, lost in deep thought.

[Aone Takanobu—Middle Blocker: Overall Rating: 90; Height: 193 cm, Strength: 95, Jump: 88, Stamina: 88, Speed: 88; Key Attributes: Block: 92, Serve: 90, Spike: 90.]

With Washio Tatsuki from Fukurōdani and Kuroo Tetsurō from Nekoma having graduated, Aone Takanobu and Hirugami Sachirō were probably the top two middle blockers in high school volleyball right now.

Taichi glanced at Aoba Johsai's own middle blocker.

Kindaichi Yūtarō, for some reason, was nervously fidgeting by himself.

Sigh. When is this fool going to finally step up…?

[Futakuchi Kenji—Outside Hitter: Overall Rating: 88; Height: 186 cm, Strength: 88, Jump: 88, Stamina: 85, Speed: 90; Key Attributes: Block: 90, Serve: 88, Set: 85, Spike: 85.]

This guy looks like a setter—and he actually developed decent setting skills.

Wait a second—

Taichi's eyes flicked back and forth between Kunimi Akira and Futakuchi Kenji.

These two…look way too similar!

[Koganegawa Kanji—Setter: Overall Rating: 89; Height: 193 cm, Strength: 96, Jump: 90, Stamina: 90, Speed: 90; Key Attributes: Block: 90, Set: 78, Spike: 82.]

As a setter, his setting was actually his worst skill.

Koganegawa, what the hell are you even doing!?

Taichi could almost picture Futakuchi rubbing his temples in frustration.

Considering that Koganegawa's volleyball IQ was even lower than Kindaichi's, Taichi had a sudden and bold realization—

Anyone with "金" (gold) in their name was a complete idiot.

[Obara Yutaka—Outside Hitter: Overall Rating: 85; Height: 188 cm, Strength: 88, Jump: 85, Stamina: 85, Speed: 75; Key Attributes: Block: 88, Spike: 90.]

Finally—a normal outside hitter.

During Date Tech's match against Karasuno, he had already made his presence known as a key part of their blocking system.

[Onagawa Tarō—Outside Hitter: Overall Rating: 82.6 Height: 175.2 cm, Strength: 75, Jump: 88, Stamina: 80, Speed: 75; Key Attributes: Block: 88, Spike: 90.]

In a team full of physical monsters, there was one outside hitter who had honed his technique instead.

Given Aoba Johsai's current blocking lineup, he wouldn't be easy to stop.

[Sakunami Kōsuke—Libero: Overall Rating: 84 Height: 164.1 cm, Strength: 65, Jump: 90, Stamina: 85, Speed: 90; Key Attributes: Receive: 90.]

[Fukiage Jingo—Middle Blocker: Overall Rating: 82; Height: 185 cm, Strength: 85, Jump: 78, Stamina: 85, Speed: 78; Key Attributes: Block: 85, Spike: 75.]

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Taichi let out a long sigh.

"What the hell…if you didn't know any better, you'd think this was a nationals-level match."

Date Tech's strongest generation was Aone Takanobu's second-year group.

Now that their first-years had matured into solid players, there was no doubt—

This was a team built for the national stage.

Meanwhile, Aoba Johsai's height disadvantage was glaringly obvious.

Aside from Kaedehara Taichi and Kindaichi Yūtarō, every other player on their team was under 185 cm.

For Date Tech, only Onagawa Tarō and Sakunami Kōsuke were below that mark.

This wasn't just a test for Yahaba Shigeru—

This was a trial for all of Aoba Johsai.

_________

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