Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

Chapter 230: Unstoppable

"This match..."

On the sidelines, Inarizaki's head coach, Kurosu Norimune, stood with a heavy expression. His sharp instincts told him that Aoba Johsai's playing style had shifted once again.

That last point—no, to be precise, since the end of the first set, Aoba Johsai's approach had started resembling how they played against Nekoma.

Kurosu furrowed his brows. At the beginning of the match, Aoba Johsai's strategy had been more balanced, emphasizing teamwork, where every player contributed to the offence, showcasing a diverse tactical arrangement.

However, in critical moments, Aoba Johsai had begun rallying their attacks around a singular focal point—their ace. The roles of the other players became more defined, with a singular objective: get the ball to Kaedehara Taichi.

-----

Boom!

Oikawa Tōru launched his second serve.

Akagi Michinari received it cleanly. Miya Atsumu set the ball high in the middle, and Ojiro Aran leapt from the back row.

"Double block!"

Kindaichi Yūtarō and Iwaizumi Hajime jumped in front of him.

"Bang!"

"Touch!" Kindaichi called out.

It was a back-row attack, but he had managed to read Ojiro Aran's spike trajectory and make contact.

That was exactly why Kaedehara Taichi had chosen not to block—he trusted his teammates and was already moving into position for a counterattack.

The volleyball rebounded toward Aoba Johsai's backcourt at a manageable speed, steady and controlled.

"In that case—"

Kaedehara Taichi sprang into motion, dashing to the far left before taking off into the air.

"Oikawa-senpai, send it over."

"What the hell is he doing?!!" The collective outcry echoed through the court as both Oikawa Tōru and Miya Atsumu had the same thought flash through their minds.

"This reckless bastard!"

It was a perfectly good ball for a well-structured offensive play, yet Taichi insisted on forcing a set to that exact spot.

The most frustrating part?

Both Oikawa and Atsumu knew it was the right choice.

If they set the ball to Taichi—he would score.

Oikawa took a deep breath, jumped, steadied himself midair, and focused.

Whoosh—!

The ball rocketed out of Oikawa's hands, flying precisely toward Kaedehara Taichi.

The two connected seamlessly in midair.

Boom!

No blockers.

Miya Atsumu could only grit his teeth as he watched that figure slam the ball down.

Kaedehara Taichi—point scored.

[Aoba Johsai 2 – 0 Inarizaki]

"Taichi!" Oikawa Tōru growled through clenched teeth.

"What's wrong, Oikawa-senpai?" Taichi blinked innocently.

Oikawa froze. Beneath that innocent expression, he could almost see the devilish grin lurking beneath. There was definitely some sarcastic remark waiting to be unleashed!

"...Nothing. Nice spike." Oikawa chose to endure.

"Oh~ Oikawa-senpai's set was nice too." Taichi sounded disappointed—he had been expecting something.

"Heh." Seeing his reaction, Oikawa smirked smugly and strutted back to the service line.

"I thought Oikawa-senpai was afraid of messing up and didn't dare to set that ball." Taichi's taunting voice came in late, his signature mischievous grin appearing at last. "Back when I played with Kageyama, our connection was pretty solid."

"TAICHI!!!" Oikawa whirled around, eyes blazing.

"You two idiots, focus on the match!" Iwaizumi's bellow shut them both up instantly.

"Kunimi, have you noticed something?" Kindaichi muttered in a hushed voice. "Iwaizumi-senpai has been getting stricter with Taichi lately..."

"Why don't you just say it's because Taichi has been getting more—" Kunimi instinctively started to reply but caught himself mid-sentence when he felt a sharp gaze on them.

This time, his reception was much cleaner, and the ball sailed toward Oikawa Tōru.

But given its trajectory, even if Oikawa set it back to Taichi, there wouldn't be enough time for him to retreat and get a proper approach for an attack.

Oikawa was about to set it to Iwaizumi on the right when—

"Give me the ball!"

Taichi's voice rang out loud and clear.

If he didn't have time to retreat, then he'd just approach from the side!

Taichi sprinted toward the centre, and Oikawa instinctively adjusted, sending the set high into the middle of the court.

"You little brat! You think we're that easy to score against?!"

Three Inarizaki blockers leapt in unison.

"Triple block!"

Three pairs of hands stretched high over Aoba Johsai's side of the net, completely engulfing Taichi in their shadow.

"Crap, I got carried away!"

Oikawa cursed internally.

He should have made his own judgment instead of indulging this reckless idiot every time.

The ball was set too low, and Inarizaki's wall was airtight.

Kaedehara Taichi had no angle to attack.

But—

His mind was still racing, his vision crystal clear. At this moment, time itself seemed to stretch indefinitely.

"Not yet!"

Both Taichi and the Inarizaki blockers began to descend, and the ball followed suit.

"It's over!"

Ginjima Hitoshi, Aran, and Osamu locked onto Taichi's form.

He hadn't swung yet, which meant in the next moment, the ball would drop untouched—

A point for Inarizaki.

The ball dipped below the net's height.

At this point, Taichi had no space left for a proper spike.

And then—

He moved.

Just as Inarizaki's blockers momentarily loosened their focus, he caught a glimpse of an opening through their hands!

Boom!

Arching his back midair, Taichi engaged his core and whipped his hand through the ball in a last-second manoeuvre.

The ball shot upward—striking Ginjima's slightly relaxed fingers—

And flew out of bounds!

"What?!?!"

No one had expected it.

The ball soared beyond Inarizaki's backcourt, sailing far past the baseline—

Touch out! Point for Aoba Johsai!

[Aoba Johsai 3 - 2 Inarizaki]

Thud!

Taichi landed hard on the floor, but his grin was wider than ever.

"I told you," he said, breathless but triumphant.

"You can't stop me!"

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