Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 347: Pegasus’ Flight (D-L)
Boom!!!—
The volleyball traced a perfect arc through the air.
An extreme sidespin!
Smack!
The ball struck Kunimi Akira's arm and flew out of bounds.
Bokuto Kōtarō scored directly with his serve!
[Aoba Johsai 0 – 2 Fukurodani]
"Hey! Hey! ! Hey! ! !"
Bokuto Kōtarō raised his right hand high, drawing enthusiastic cheers from Fukurodani's second and third years on the sidelines.
This was the feeling!
Fukurodani, too, was a team that possessed a nationally ranked ace!
A serve that could strike fear into opponents—Fukurodani could do it as well!
"That's basically cheating. The guy's not even a high schooler at this point." Kunimi Akira clicked his tongue in annoyance. That serve was absolutely infuriating—just predicting its landing spot was hard enough, and on top of that, the ball's trajectory and built-in spin made it even more unbearable…
"Ugh, no matter how you look at it, this is such a pain."
Beside him, Nakamori Daiki's eyes gleamed with excitement. "Tokyo really is a big city. There are so many interesting new serves here!"
"Nice look in your eyes!" Bokuto praised him with a grin.
"Here comes another one!"
Bokuto launched his second serve.
Boom!!!—
The ball shot between Kunimi Akira and Nakamori Daiki.
"I got it!"
Nakamori shouted as he slid left.
"Stay back!"
Kunimi's voice came at almost the same time as the ball suddenly changed direction.
Nakamori forcefully halted his movement. Only when he looked at the ball head-on did he fully grasp the massive horizontal displacement it had undergone in midair!
Smack!
The ball struck Nakamori's hastily outstretched arms, then ricocheted off his shoulder and out of bounds.
Bokuto Kōtarō scored again with his serve!
[Aoba Johsai 0 – 3 Fukurodani]
"That was amazing!!!"
Onaga Wataru yelled excitedly. To be able to stand on the same court as Bokuto-senpai—it was the best feeling ever!
Bokuto laughed heartily. That pure, unrestrained emotion washed away the lingering gloom Fukurodani had felt during the first set.
"This is what it's like to have Bokuto-senpai as a teammate…"
Sarukui Fūto watched the man who was changing the flow of the game.
—"Bokuto may act like a kid sometimes, but he's always been the ace we trust the most."
"A fair assessment, brother." Sarukui thought to himself.
Fukurodani continued serving. Bokuto Kōtarō stepped up for his third serve.
Boom!!!—
Nakamori Daiki locked his eyes onto the ball. The moment it swerved sideways, he immediately sprang into action.
Smack!
He received it?!
"Save it!" Nakamori could still feel the spin lingering on the ball.
The ball arched toward the backcourt, where Kunimi Akira was already in pursuit.
Smack!
He barely managed to send it back over the net.
At the net, Kaedehara Taichi leapt into the air.
At that height, he's going to force a spike?!
Sarukui couldn't understand the choice, but his body reacted without hesitation.
"Triple block!" Onaga Wataru, Akaashi Keiji, and Sarukui Fūto all jumped together.
They had completely sealed off his attack routes!
There was no way—
Bang!
The ball landed softly on Onaga Wataru's palm and bounced back into Aoba Johsai's court.
A rebound!
No way?!
Sarukui's eyes widened in shock. Did he plan that from the start?
Nakamori Daiki delivered a perfect first touch. Yahaba Shigeru set the ball to the left wing once again.
Thud!
Kaedehara Taichi executed a flawless approach.
"Again!"
"Triple block!" Fukurodani's front row assembled in front of him.
BOOM!!!—
Fujinomiya Yoshihiro had already stationed himself in the cross-court zone, but the ball's downward velocity was too fast—he still couldn't react in time.
Thud!
The ball slammed into the floor. Kaedehara Taichi scored.
[Aoba Johsai 1 – 3 Fukurodani]
Despite losing consecutive points, Aoba Johsai remained composed. Whether it was their defensive saves or their ability to rebuild attacks with rebound plays, the team showed no signs of panic.
"What a shame. How does Bokuto-senpai even hit a cross-court shot at that angle?"
Kaedehara Taichi's spike had landed on the three-meter line—a remarkable feat. But compared to Bokuto Kōtarō's earlier cross-court spike, there was still a noticeable gap.
The serve rotated to Aoba Johsai.
Yahaba Shigeru sent a jump float serve over.
"I got it!" Bokuto Kōtarō steadied himself and received the ball cleanly.
Akaashi Keiji set the ball to the middle.
Thud!
Smack!
"One touch!" Kaedehara Taichi called out from the back.
"He's still keeping up?!" Sarukui finally realised—he couldn't shake off Kaedehara Taichi.
Kyōtani Kentarō handled the reception with ease. Yahaba set the ball high to the middle.
BAM!
Kaedehara Taichi leapt for the spike.
"Triple block!" Akaashi Keiji, Sarukui Fūto, and Naganohara Yukawa jumped together.
So high!
Sarukui hadn't expected that someone only a few centimetres taller than him could feel so overwhelming in midair. He stretched his hands as high as possible—at the very least, I have to touch the ball!
BOOM!!!
He did get a touch.
A massive force surged through his hands. Sarukui's blocking stance completely collapsed.
Smack!
The ball easily ricocheted past his arms and crashed onto Fukurodani's floor.
Kaedehara Taichi scored.
[Aoba Johsai 2 – 3 Fukurodani]
As Sarukui landed, he nearly lost his balance. Akaashi Keiji caught his arm, steadying him.
"Don't think you can just beat Taichi with speed alone," Akaashi stated bluntly. "His attack speed is faster than yours."
Sarukui furrowed his brows. He had seen footage of Kaedehara Taichi's ultra-fast attack—the setter would send the ball precisely to a waiting spiker who was already mid-air, allowing for an almost instantaneous spike. But wasn't that more dependent on the setter's skill?
Sarukui really wanted to see that kind of attack with his own eyes. If others could pull it off, then he should be able to as well.
Akaashi-senpai was already the best setter he had ever met. Sarukui could hardly imagine what kind of pinpoint accuracy such a set would require.
Aoba Johsai continued serving.
Yahaba sent over another float serve.
Smack!
Fujinomiya Yoshiro received it cleanly.
"Sorry! Cover me!" Fujinomiya called out.
One of the most annoying things about volleyball—why did it feel like every high schooler could serve floaters these days?
Akaashi was already in position, smoothly setting the ball to the left wing.
Sarukui sprinted forward, but this time, he clearly saw Kaedehara Taichi keeping pace right across from him.
"I really can't shake him off!"
Sarukui Fūto leapt high on the far-left side.
"Double block!"
Kunimi Akira, stationed on the left, jumped up alongside Kaedehara Taichi, positioning themselves directly in front of him.
"But speed isn't my only weapon!"
A sharp glint flashed in Sarukui's eyes as he aimed for the gap to Kunimi's left, slamming the ball down with full force.
Bang!—
The volleyball shot straight toward Aoba Johsai's backcourt.
Smack!
Nakamori Daiki managed to dig it up.
"Cover!"
Kyōtani Kentarō sent the ball back to the front row, where Yūki Yōji leapt up for a spike.
Boom!
Smack!
"One touch!" Fukurodani's first-year middle blocker, Takeshima Kanjitsu, called out. He had a certain impression of Yūki Yōji—his height alone made him an intimidating blocker, even more effective than himself.
Naganohara Yukawa stepped in to set the ball toward the right wing. Bokuto Kōtarō soared from the back row and swung down.
Boom!—
The ball easily evaded Yūki's solo block.
Bokuto Kōtarō scored.
[Aoba Johsai 2 - 4 Fukurodani]
"Damn it, they're only targeting me!" Sarukui muttered, staring at the net.
"Well, defending against you is pretty easy~" Taichi beamed at him.
Fukurodani regained serve, with Akaashi Keiji stepping up.
Bang!
Smack!
Akaashi's floating jump serve skimmed off Nakamori Daiki's hand, landing just outside Aoba Johsai's baseline.
"I touched it."
Seeing the referee's uncertain expression, Nakamori raised his hand to acknowledge the touch.
Akaashi Keiji aced the serve.
[Aoba Johsai 2 - 5 Fukurodani]
"Nice serve, Akaashi!" Bokuto immediately praised.
"Thank you, Bokuto-senpai."
"Sorry, that trajectory was hard to read," Nakamori admitted.
"Don't sweat it. Akaashi-senpai's float serve is getting more dangerous." Taichi reassured him. "Let's focus on receiving the next one."
"Right!"
Akaashi launched his second serve.
This time, it targeted Yūki Yōji in the front row.
"Not good!"
Smack!
Yūki barely managed to set his hands under the ball before it changed trajectory. The moment it touched his palms, it still dropped backwards.
"I got it!"
Yahaba Shigeru leapt forward, diving to save it.
Kyōtani sent it over as a free ball.
"Chance ball!"
Fujimiya Yoshiro easily received it, delivering a perfect pass.
Sarukui and Bokuto launched themselves from the left and right simultaneously.
"Give it to me!"
Hearing Sarukui's call, Akaashi hesitated for a split second. But in the end, he knew—Bokuto had already graduated. Sarukui had to face these high walls himself.
Whoosh—!
The ball sailed toward the left wing. Sarukui rocketed upward, preparing to spike.
If I don't score now, I'll rotate to the back row…
"Double block!"
Kunimi and Taichi leapt to meet him.
Sarukui's eyes flicked past the block, scanning the empty space in Aoba Johsai's back row. This time, he had to account for both the blockers and the defenders behind them!
Bang!—
Sarukui's pupils shrank.
A pair of hands had suddenly materialised in the open path he'd targeted.
—Smack!
The ball struck Taichi's forearms and bounced back into Fukurodani's court.
Fujimiya dove, but the ball hit the ground just before he reached it.
Kaedehara Taichi scored with a block.
[Aoba Johsai 3 - 5 Fukurodani]
"Huh? I blocked it again?" Taichi exclaimed, sounding genuinely surprised.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you made it so obvious where you were aiming that I thought it was a feint." Taichi grinned mischievously. "Your spikes are really easy to block."
"Sarukui—" Takeshima called out, worried.
The focus on him was brutal. Sarukui had yet to score a single point in this set—all he'd done was lose them.
Smack!
A sharp, crisp sound echoed across the court.
Sarukui had slapped both hands hard against his cheeks.
"I won't let you scare me anymore." His face instantly turned red from the impact. "Taichi-senpai, bring it on!"
"Oh~?" Taichi smirked with interest. "Getting polite now, huh?"
But wow, those slaps looked painful.
Despite his now-calmed expression, Sarukui's lips curled ever so slightly when he wasn't forcing them into a neutral position. It wasn't a full smile, but that ghost of amusement was enough.
The Sarukui brothers are no joke. Facing them as an opponent is…intimidating.
Aoba Johsai took back serve.
Yūki Yōji unleashed a powerful jump serve.
Boom!!!—
"Out!"
Fujimiya Yoshiro stepped aside, making a perfect read.
Aoba Johsai's serve error handed Fukurodani the point.
[Aoba Johsai 3 – 6 Fukurodani]
"Sorry!" Yūki Yōji shouted loudly.
"Don't worry about it. Just make sure to practice your serves more when we get back!" Yahaba Shigeru reassured him.
"Yes!"
"Yūki," Kaedehara Taichi suddenly turned his head. "You're practising your serves in the wrong direction, aren't you?"
Yūki Yōji, who had been walking off the court, froze in place. His serve error rate had noticeably increased over the past few days, and he knew it was because he had been trying to change his serving style.
"I want my serves to be as threatening as my senpai's," Yūki said earnestly, looking straight at Taichi.
"So you just blindly increased your power?" Taichi frowned. Logically speaking, Yūki should have been playing more intelligently than this. "Even Mad Dog-senpai wouldn't do that."
"Taichi!" Kyōtani Kentarō shot him a fierce glare.
"Yeah, yeah, I know," Taichi waved his hand dismissively. "No comparison to senpai."
"But increasing power is the fastest way to make my serves more effective!" Yūki insisted, unexpectedly stubborn.
"What's a first-year like you getting so impatient for?" Taichi shot him a sidelong glance, unimpressed. "I'm here, and so is Mad Dog-senpai. You just need to take your time and improve gradually."
"If your so-called 'fastest way' just results in your serves going out of bounds, then forget it. In a set, you'll only get to serve maybe two or three times, and lately, you've been making at least one error per set. If this keeps up, I'll have you sit on the bench until you can serve properly!"
Yūki fell silent under Taichi's reprimand. If this was Taichi-senpai's warning, there was a good chance Coach Irihata really wouldn't let him play.
"Well? Answer me." Taichi shot him a sharp glare.
"Yes!"
"Go back and work on your ball control. Until you get that right, you're not allowed to serve like this again."
"Yes!"
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Taichi turned his gaze toward Sarukui Fūto, as if to show him what it meant to be a proper senpai.
Fūto, standing at the service line, was speechless. This had nothing to do with him, but somehow, it felt like he had been the one getting scolded.
The serve switched hands, and it was Fukurodani's turn. Bokuto Kōtarō rotated back to the front row.
Boom!
Sarukui Fūto launched a powerful jump serve, sending the ball flying at an extremely sharp angle.
Smack!
Yahaba barely managed to receive it. For most players, dealing with Fūto's serves was a serious challenge—especially considering he was only a first-year.
Kunimi Akira moved into position and set the ball toward the right wing. Kaedehara Taichi leapt for the spike.
"Three-man block!"
Takeshima Kanjitsu, Naganohara Yukawa, and Bokuto Kōtarō all jumped to form a wall.
"I can see it clearly!"
Fukurodani's blockers had completely shut down the straight path, while Fūto was lying in wait for Taichi to attack cross-court.
Boom!!!—
The ball shot toward the sharp angle between the three-meter line and the sideline.
Smack
Again!
The moment the ball made contact with his arms, Fūto's mind went blank.
There was no time to think—his body was already flipping backwards from the impact.
The ball soared high, and Akaashi Keiji chased it out of bounds.
Smack!
Akaashi dug it from below, sending it back into play above the net.
"Bokuto-senpai!"
"Taichi!"
On either side of the net, both players locked eyes on the airborne ball.
—"This one is mine!"
Both Taichi and Bokuto sprinted toward the falling ball.
BAM!
Both players jumped at the same time, their hands pressing against the ball midair.
"Go back!"
Taichi pushed down with all his might, forcing the ball back onto Fukurodani's court.
"No way…"
Bokuto had lost—both in height and raw strength.
But then—
Smack!—
Just before the ball hit the ground, it suddenly bounced back up!
Bokuto, still in midair from his descent, had hooked the ball up with his heel!
Fujimiya Yoshiro rushed in to set it toward the left wing.
Fūto, who had just scrambled to his feet and barely processed what had happened, suddenly saw the ball dropping in front of him.
BAM!—
A thunderous back-row attack—point for Fukurodani!
[Aoba Johsai 3 – 7 Fukurodani]
Without a moment's hesitation, Fūto's instincts as an outside hitter had taken over, earning him his first point of the set!
But right now, everyone's attention was fixed on the player who had refused to let the rally die—Bokuto Kōtarō.
Boundless energy, an unpredictable imagination, and an unwavering refusal to give up until the very last moment—
This was Fukurodani's ace!
"Bokuto-senpai, being able to face you again is amazing!" Taichi said sincerely.
"Which is why—I'll give it everything I've got to beat you again!"
_________
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