Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 382: What Kind of Overtime Is This Even Supposed to Be? (D-L)

Thud!

The volleyball crashed onto the floor, followed immediately by the referee's whistle.

Kaedehara Taichi's serve brought in the fourth point.

[Aoba Johsai 7 – 3 Inubishi Higashi]

"He didn't aim for the libero…It dropped between Moriyama Makoto and Kumadō Sōichi?!"

"After targeting the libero several times, he suddenly copied Sanada Shunpei's serving style and scored…"

"How should I put it…That guy's serves are really nasty!"

Even the spectators on the sidelines could feel the mischievous intent behind Kaedehara Taichi's serves.

Naturally, the players from Inubishi Higashi felt it even more acutely—not just the playfulness, but the overwhelming pressure bearing down from above.

Taichi served again—the fifth ball.

BOOM!!!

Smack!

It was received!

Moriyama Makoto finally managed to touch the ball again on the fifth serve, successfully bumping it upward.

"Save it!"

But the ball was heading out of bounds. Setter Shimura Ryo scrambled to cover and barely managed to keep the ball in play. Naitō Tetsuto had no choice but to send it over without a proper attack.

"Chance ball! It's mine!"

The ball dropped in Taichi's direction, but Yahaba Shigeru moved across the court to receive it instead, leaving Taichi space to attack.

Kunimi Akira jumped to set it, and all three front-row spikers from Aoba Johsai launched into a synchronised attack.

"Right side,"

Muttered a spiky-haired first-year standing beside Coach Terashima.

Whoosh—!

The set went to the right. Kyōtani Kentarō jumped for the spike, facing only Akiha Kazuma at the net.

BOOM!!!—

The ball slammed inside the three-meter line on Inubishi Higashi's left side.

Kyōtani scored.

[Aoba Johsai 8 – 3 Inubishi Higashi]

"Ugh, that's terrifying…" The spiky-haired boy shuddered.

"So it was the right side…" Coach Terashima, by now, was used to Kai Suzuharu's uncanny intuition. Still—

"You okay? Need to go to the hospital?" he asked wearily. "Being so nervous you get constant diarrhoea is a bit much, you know. Weren't you really looking forward to facing Kaedehara Taichi?"

"Coach! Don't say it out loud!" Suzuharu's face was pale—whether from the diarrhoea or the mention of Taichi's name was unclear.

"How could I possibly block Taichi-senpai's spikes…? Seeing Seijoh in person is way scarier than on video!"

"I never said you could block Kaedehara Taichi," Coach Terashima muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Still, he held a glimmer of hope. Without a doubt, Kai Suzuharu was the most gifted middle blocker he had ever coached. Not gifted in size or skill, but with an instinctive wildness—an innate ferality.

"Can you go in now?" he asked.

Suzuharu blinked. "Huh? Me? Go in and do what?"

"To win the match. What else?" Coach Terashima deadpanned.

"Nope nope nope nope!" Suzuharu waved his hands frantically. "If even Kazuma-senpai and Heiji-senpai can't stop them, I'm just gonna drag the team down!"

"Is that so?" The coach didn't push further. "Then sit back and enjoy the match."

"Okay!"

Suzuharu nodded obediently.

-----

[Aoba Johsai 19 – 13 Inubishi Higashi]

Inubishi Higashi served.

Shimura Ryo delivered a basic standing serve. Kunimi Akira received it with ease, a perfect first touch.

"I got it!"

Kaedehara Taichi took a running start down the right sideline and leapt from the back row.

"Block him!"

"Triple block!" Sanada Shunpei, Kumadō Sōichi, and Narita Heiji all jumped.

Inubishi Higashi had stopped thinking about whether Taichi might set the ball instead of attacking. The way he had ended the first set purely through serving was something they couldn't accept.

"If we're talking pure offence and defence, we're not losing!"

"We have to stop him!"

BOOM!!!

BOOM!

The nearly back-to-back thunderclaps of impact made it clear—the block hadn't done a thing.

Kaedehara Taichi scored with a spike.

[Aoba Johsai 20 – 13 Inubishi Higashi]

"Damn it!" Narita Heiji shouted in frustration. "That monster!"

He and Taichi were about the same height, but the ball had grazed past his fingertips. And yet Taichi had jumped from the back row while he had been at the front.

"Senpai, your fingers—" Shimura Ryo's voice came from the back row, tense.

Narita looked down. The fingertip that had barely touched the ball was now bleeding.

His nail had cracked—but he hadn't noticed, too consumed by the heat of the moment.

"Tweet!—"

The match was paused due to unexpected bleeding, as required by the officials.

"You okay, Heiji?" his teammates asked, concerned.

"No problem, it's just a few drops of blood, but—" Narita was more worried about the match than his hand.

"Maybe I should go in?" Suzuharu asked nervously.

"You punk, you're finally alright again?" Narita snapped. "Then why didn't you get your butt in there earlier?!"

"Eh? But I'm not ready yet…" Suzuharu hesitated. "And if even you can't handle that guy, I'll just be a burden!"

"There he goes again!" Akiha Kazuma's large hand landed on Suzuharu's spiky head. "You should harden your personality to match your hair already!"

"Ugh, but I'm just being realistic…" Suzuharu's head bobbed as Akiha ruffled it aggressively. "Stop spinning me, Kazuma-senpai, I'm getting dizzy…"

"Suzuharu. I'm counting on you." With the medic urging him away, Narita gave his final word.

"Okay, but—"

"Stop fussing and get in already!" Akiha shoved him straight toward the court.

"Tweet!—"

Substitution for Inubishi Higashi—Kai Suzuharu IN, Narita Heiji OUT.

Then, something unexpected—

"Tweet!—"

Substitution for Aoba Johsai—Yamabuki Yūjin IN, Kaedehara Taichi OUT.

Right as Seijoh regained serve and Taichi was about to rotate back to the front row, they swapped him out for a first-year.

"…Taichi-senpai…" Suzuharu looked a little disappointed. He had just finished mentally preparing himself.

"Another first-year who wants to challenge Taichi, huh?" Yahaba Shigeru thought to himself. "How lucky…"

"Hey, kid—Taichi's clocked out for the day. If you want to see him back in, you better give it your all."

"Huh? Ah, y-yes! Thank you for the advice, senpai!" Suzuharu hadn't expected the enemy team to talk to him and bowed hastily.

Yahaba: "…?"

What a weirdo.

Seijoh served.

Kyōtani Kentarō launched a powerful jump serve. Moriyama Makoto barely managed to receive it.

This whole match felt like a receiving drill to him. Nearly every serve from Seijoh was a cannonball. There was no such thing as an easy ball.

Shimura Ryo quickly stepped in to cover. After spending an entire set adjusting to Seijoh's serves, he didn't have time to dawdle—IH season would be over before they knew it.

Whoosh!—

The ball was set to the left wing. Sanada Shunpei leapt to spike.

"Double block!" Kindaichi Yūtarō and Yamabuki Yūjin jumped together.

Now that Taichi had been replaced with Yamabuki on the front row, Sanada suddenly felt his vision open up. The match felt normal again.

Boom!—

Without hesitation, Sanada swung his arm. The ball avoided the block and flew toward Seijoh's back right corner.

Too easy.

Smack!

Nakamori Daiki received it cleanly.

If they were talking about adapting, he'd been doing the same—adjusting to Sanada's spikes.

"Nice receive!"

Yahaba quickly stepped in to set. The front-row Kindaichi and Yamabuki spread out, while the back-row Kyōtani and Kunimi surged forward for a synchronised attack.

Seijoh launched a four-way assault!

"Footwork…speed…the run-up…"

Since entering the game, Suzuharu had seemed frantic. But now, mumbling under his breath, he suddenly radiated eerie calm.

"Direction…line of sight…posture…"

Sanada Shunpei and Kumadō Sōichi were already familiar with their rookie teammate's strange sixth sense. The moment he shouted out, they swiftly shifted toward the left side.

Shoo—!

As expected, the ball Yahaba Shigeru had tossed flew toward the left wing.

"Back-row attack! Slow down the tempo!" Kai Suzuharu extended his left hand diagonally downward, signalling the two beside him not to act rashly.

Kindaichi Yūtarō had already begun descending from his jump, but the ball remained in the air.

"Jump!"

Kyōtani Kentarō launched forward from the back row, soaring up to the net—and on the opposite side—

"Triple block!" Sanada Shunpei, Kumadō Sōichi, and Kai Suzuharu jumped simultaneously.

The attack route was completely sealed?! Even though they had executed a simultaneous multi-position assault?!!

Kyōtani's gaze flickered with disbelief as his brows furrowed. He then relied on his immense core strength to pull his arm just one more inch backwards—before unleashing a sudden spike.

BOOM!

Smack!

The ball struck Sanada Shunpei's arm and soared high into the air.

"One touch!"

"Damn it!"

"Chance ball!" Naitō Tetsuto easily picked it up.

Shimura Ryo sent it back toward the left wing. Sanada Shunpei jumped for the spike.

"Double block!"

Boom!

Smack!

The ball ricocheted off Kindaichi Yūtarō's arm and out of bounds.

A touch-out.

Sanada Shunpei scored.

[Aoba Johsai 20 – 14 Inubishi-Higashi]

"Nice spike, Shunpei-senpai!" Kai Suzuharu shouted excitedly.

"Incredible! Despite Aoba Johsai's synchronised multi-point attack, Inubishi-Higashi managed to predict the final attacker!"

"They raised a three-man block in front of Kyōtani's back-row attack, successfully turning defence into offence to reclaim a point!"

"Did you hear that? The commentator's praising you," Sanada said with a chuckle.

"Ahh?!" Kai Suzuharu waved his hand bashfully while laughing, "But it was Shunpei-senpai who actually blocked the shot!"

Sanada simply shook his head with a smile, saying no more. This strange underclassman had an extraordinarily sharp intuition for blocking. Even his timing was spot-on—though he could only arrive at the conclusion, not articulate how.

But that was more than enough. Such inexplicable instinct was often called 'talent.' As long as Inubishi-Higashi's players followed his calls, it would work.

Kai Suzuharu—he was born to be the command tower of their blocking formation!

The serve rotated. Kai Suzuharu walked up to the service line.

He didn't understand why the coach and his senpai thought so highly of him (though he was happy, of course). Blocking wasn't something one person could pull off alone.

Kai Suzuharu simply watched the opponents' movements, and somehow, the answer to who would attack just popped into his mind. If it were just him alone, there was no way he could stop anyone. Back in junior high, he'd known what would happen—but still couldn't block it.

But now, thanks to this team of senpai who believed in his guesses and could react to his calls in time—it made him, the blocker among them, look amazing.

"Yeah, I have to do even better—I can't drag the team down!"

Kai Suzuharu tossed the ball up.

Boom!

It was a perfectly ordinary serve.

Kunimi Akira received the ball—perfect first touch. Yahaba set it to the left wing. Kindaichi Yūtarō jumped to spike.

"Double block!" Akiha Kazuma and Sanada Shunpei leapt.

No opening!

Tap!

Kindaichi gently tapped the ball over the block.

"Chance ball!" Naitō stepped up and picked it up. Shimura moved in and set the ball.

Sanada Shunpei scored again with a spike.

[Aoba Johsai 20 – 15 Inubishi-Higashi]

"Inubishi-Higashi scores again!"

"Looks like it may have been unwise for Aoba Johsai to sub out Taichi too early. Their offence and defence up front have clearly become unstable!"

"Will Coach Irihata bring Taichi back onto the court?"

"I'm sorry!" Yamabuki Yūjin clenched his fists. He'd only just come on and already they'd lost multiple points—it was painfully obvious.

"Relax," Yahaba said. "You played great earlier. Don't get discouraged over just two plays."

"Yeah, I didn't even get to play in my first Inter-High," Kindaichi added reassuringly. "This is Nationals—you're already doing amazing."

Yamabuki looked toward the bench. Coach Irihata and Taichi-senpai didn't look angry about the lost points, and Tōma Kaoru was waving enthusiastically in support.

"I understand now. Thank you, Yahaba-senpai. Thank you, Kindaichi-senpai," Yamabuki said, calming himself.

"Tweet!—"

The whistle blew for the serve.

Kai Suzuharu sent another average serve across.

"I got it!"

Nakamori Daiki received the ball. Yahaba jumped to set. Aoba Johsai launched another four-point synchronised attack!

"Suzuharu!" Akiha shouted.

Kai Suzuharu, standing in the back row, let his eyes scan rapidly between Aoba Johsai's attackers.

He couldn't tell!

No, that wasn't it—

"It's a second-touch!"

The moment the words left Kai's mouth, Yahaba had already dumped the ball with a sideways flick over the net.

It was too late.

The ball fell beside Sanada Shunpei.

Smack!

Sanada kicked his right foot back—the ball bounced off his heel.

"Saved!"

Kumadō Sōichi managed to dig the ball flying toward his chest.

Shoo—!

The ball soared high toward the left wing. Akiha Kazuma jumped to spike.

"Double block!"

"Damn it!" Kindaichi lost out due to height!

BOOM!!!

The ball pierced through the top of Aoba Johsai's block, slamming into the floor on their side.

Smack!

Nakamori Daiki rushed up to save it. "Think you can score? Not while I'm here!"

The ball popped up high.

Kunimi Akira hurriedly set it. Yamabuki Yūjin leapt up from the right for a spike.

This time, even without a prompt from Kai Suzuharu, Inubishi-Higashi's three front-row players moved in unison.

"Triple block!" Akiha Kazuma, Sanada Shunpei, and Kumadō Sōichi all jumped.

Yamabuki's silhouette was completely eclipsed by the block.

"I won't run away! I'm Kitagawa Daiichi's ace! I'm…Aoba Johsai's (future) ace!"

Boom!—

The ball slipped past Inubishi-Higashi's three-man block, soaring toward the left sideline.

Moriyama Makoto rushed forward—he hadn't expected a first-year to hit with such a sharp angle!

Thud!

The ball landed—

"Out!"

It missed the sideline by a hair's width.

Yamabuki Yūjin's spike went out of bounds. Inubishi-Higashi scored.

[Aoba Johsai 20 – 16 Inubishi-Higashi]

Three consecutive points for Inubishi-Higashi! The first set, which had seemed almost hopeless, now looked like it might turn around!

"How could this…" Yamabuki's hands fell to his sides. That spike felt like the final straw breaking his resolve.

"Great hit, Yūjin!" Taichi shouted from the sideline. "Keep spiking like that—you're starting to look like me out there!"

"Haha, the other side's blockers probably broke a cold sweat just now!"

"Taichi-senpai…" Yamabuki was overwhelmed by emotion.

"You really think so highly of Yūjin, senpai?" Tōma Kaoru said in surprise.

"Not really. He's still leagues behind me," Taichi muttered under his breath.

"Huh? But didn't you just say he was showing shades of your style…"

"That ball went out, didn't it? No way that's my style. More like Mad Dog-senpai's—totally reckless," Taichi replied airily.

"Then why'd you say all that to cheer him up…?"

"Well, if I don't, Coach Irihata might sub me back in. I already clocked out—don't see why I should be working overtime," Taichi said righteously.

Tōma Kaoru: "….."

As expected of Taichi-senpai.

_________

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