Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 409: You’re Not Kaedehara Taichi

Finally, Kaedehara Taichi made an error on his eighth serve, the volleyball bouncing out past the baseline of Kamomedai's court.

[Aoba Johsai 10 - 7 Kamomedai]

The players from Kamomedai let out a collective sigh of relief, as every second Taichi stood behind the service line had been pure torture for them.

-----

BOOM!!

A tandem attack.

Hakuba Gao leapt from the back row and spiked the ball down for a point.

[Aoba Johsai 20 - 16 Kamomedai]

The serve switched over—Kamomedai's serve.

Tokura Liam sent a floating jump serve over. Kaedehara Taichi received it cleanly.

Tōma Kaoru stepped in to set the ball to the right wing, and Kunimi Akira jumped up for the spike.

"Triple block!" Hoshiumi Kōrai, Bessho Kazuyoshi, and Ogawa Ryūhei all sprang up together.

Bang!—

The ball whizzed past Ogawa Ryūhei's left side and flew toward the back row of Kamomedai.

Smack!

Hakuba Gao barely managed to dig it up, and Tokura Liam moved in to set the ball.

Whoosh!—

Thud!

Hoshiumi Kōrai leapt up from the left side for the attack.

"Double block!" Yūki Yōji and Kyōtani Kentarō went up together.

Boom!!—

The ball slammed into the baseline of Aoba Johsai's court and bounced out.

Hoshiumi Kōrai scored with his spike.

[Aoba Johsai 20 - 17 Kamomedai]

—"Kamomedai scores another point!"

—"Even though Taichi's service run once pushed Kamomedai to the brink, they're stubbornly clawing their way back!"

—"Aoba Johsai has Kaedehara Taichi and Kyōtani Kentarō's powerhouse serves, but Kamomedai boasts Hirugami Sachirō and Hoshiumi Kōrai's big guns too!"

—"This is a feast of champions! Kamomedai's fighting spirit hasn't waned—the match is still wide open!!!"

Tokura Liam served his second ball.

Bang!

Smack! Nakamori Dai made the reception—perfect first touch.

Tōma Kaoru jumped to set. All three of Aoba Johsai's front-row attackers charged at once.

One of the most difficult parts about facing Kamomedai's blocking was their exceptional discipline.

Every player followed the blocking signals to the letter, while also thinking independently.

As long as it was even remotely possible to put up a triple block, Kamomedai's players always got into position.

For Aoba Johsai, this was a major headache.

After all, not everyone was like Kaedehara Taichi, who could force his way through even a three-man wall.

For most hitters, a triple block was enough to completely shut down their angles.

As a result, when Taichi rotated to the back row, Aoba Johsai's remaining attackers had less than a 50% chance of scoring against Kamomedai's block and defence.

Of course, it was just as hard for Kamomedai to score. Aside from Hakuba Gao, Hoshiumi Kōrai, and Hirugami Sachirō, Kamomedai barely had a fourth reliable scoring option.

In this first set, the star players from both sides stood out starkly.

Whoosh!—

The ball was set wide to the left. Kyōtani Kentarō sprinted up and launched into his spike.

"Double block!" Hoshiumi Kōrai and Bessho Kazuyoshi went up together.

Even with multiple attack points launching simultaneously, Kamomedai was able to rapidly assemble a tight two-man block.

BOOM!!!—

The ball blasted past the two blockers, slamming into the far three-meter line on Kamomedai's court.

Kyōtani Kentarō scored with his spike.

[Aoba Johsai 21 - 17 Kamomedai]

"Hey, next time I'm definitely going to shut you down," Hoshiumi Kōrai said, fixing his eyes seriously on Kyōtani.

"Hah?!" A vein popped on Kyōtani's forehead.

Did this pipsqueak just have the nerve to challenge him outright?!

"Shorty, if you think you can, then just try it!"

"You're not even that tall yourself!" Hoshiumi shouted back indignantly—but Kyōtani simply ignored him.

By objective standards, 180 cm was still 10 centimetres taller than 170 cm.

The serve switched again—Aoba Johsai's serve.

Yūki Yōji grabbed the ball tightly in both hands, squeezing it until it slightly deformed.

It was a technique Taichi-senpai had taught him: a way to shake off nerves and find his serve rhythm.

"Tweet!—"

As the whistle sounded, the volleyball was tossed into the air.

Yūki Yōji took a running start, leapt up, and struck the ball with everything he had!

BOOM!!

Smack!

"Damn, what a monster!" Wakabayashi Hikaru cursed as he received the ball, stumbling backwards.

The volleyball was about to fly back into Aoba Johsai's court—

Thud!

Hoshiumi Kōrai sprinted sideways and jumped, managing to send the ball to the right wing with one hand.

Kyōtani Kentarō clenched his teeth as he watched that figure soaring in midair. He had to admit, at that height, there was no one who could perform better than Hoshiumi Kōrai...

No—that wasn't right. He shouldn't limit it to height alone.

Even among all outside hitters, there were few who could be as all-rounded as him!

Thud!

Hakuba Gao sprang up from the back row.

Ever since he had mastered the correct form for back-row attacks, with his long limbs, there was barely any difference in his performance between front-row and back-row spikes.

"Triple block!"

Kindaichi Yūtarō, Kyōtani Kentarō, and Kunimi Akira jumped together to form a wall.

BOOM!!

Even attacking from the back row, Hakuba Gao still managed to complete an over-the-block spike right above Kunimi Akira's head.

Smack!

The ball deflected off Yūki Yōji's hand and flew out of bounds.

Hakuba Gao scored with a spike.

[Aoba Johsai 21 - 18 Kamomedai]

"Beautiful spike, Gao!" Hoshiumi Kōrai raised his eyebrows and shouted loudly in praise.

"Nice set..." Hakuba Gao muttered under his breath, sounding somewhat frustrated. Even though he was two meters tall, there was no way he could wrest the ace position away from Hoshiumi Kōrai. That last play alone was enough proof.

The serve switched again—Kamomedai's serve.

Hoshiumi Kōrai walked to the service line, spread his arms wide, and shouted loudly:

"Watch me end this match with my serve!"

"Huh?"

Kyōtani Kentarō tilted his head up, checking the electronic scoreboard as if to double-check—Kamomedai indeed only had 18 points.

"What the hell's wrong with his brain, talking about ending the match with a serve now?" he muttered.

"Tweet!—"

The referee blew the whistle.

Hoshiumi Kōrai tossed the ball up, sprinted forward, leapt, and spiked the serve!

—Boom!!

The ball zipped over the net just barely above net height and plummeted sharply toward Aoba Johsai's back court.

"What a nasty serve..."

Kaedehara Taichi dove forward and barely managed to receive it.

Tōma Kaoru moved in to set the ball up, and Kyōtani Kentarō attacked from the right.

"Triple block!" Bessho Kazuyoshi, Ogawa Ryūhei, and Hakuba Gao all jumped to block.

With two meters of blocking height looming in front of him, it was practically impossible for Kyōtani Kentarō to break through directly—but that wasn't his style anyway.

Straight-line spikes were never his speciality.

BOOM!!!—

The volleyball shot past the block, slamming down along the three-meter line on Kamomedai's left side.

Smack!

Hoshiumi Kōrai managed to dig it up!

"Hey-ya!" He even threw a provocative glance at Kyōtani Kentarō.

Tokura Liam quickly set the ball to the right—Hakuba Gao launched a spike!

"Triple block!"

Now that Hakuba Gao was in the front row, Aoba Johsai's block couldn't hold him back at all.

He soared up once more for another over-the-block spike.

BOOM!!

But this time—

Smack!

Nakamori Daiki received it cleanly!

Tōma Kaoru shifted in and set the ball to the left—Kindaichi Yūtarō sprang up for the attack.

Ogawa Ryūhei and Hakuba Gao rushed to the left to block, but strangely, Bessho Kazuyoshi, who was originally lined up against Kindaichi, didn't jump.

"Did they read me? Or Kaoru?"

Kindaichi Yūtarō furrowed his brow.

From the back row, Kaedehara Taichi leapt into the air—it was obvious. This was Aoba Johsai's real finishing move.

"Triple block!"

Even with a layered attack strategy, they still couldn't shake Kamomedai's blocking.

But—

The excitement in Taichi's eyes only deepened.

BOOM!!!—

The ball flew over Ogawa Ryūhei's block, heading toward the seam between Tokura Liam and Wakabayashi Hikaru.

"I got it!"

Wakabayashi Hikaru dove forward without hesitation—but he was still a step too late.

Thud!

The ball hit the floor.

Kaedehara Taichi scored with a spike!

[Aoba Johsai 22 - 18 Kamomedai]

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