Haikyuu: Zero to Almighty

"I'm fine..." Kaedehara Taichi forced himself to stand up, trying to appear nonchalant.

The teammates, for once, decided to spare his dignity and refrained from mentioning his earlier slip and slide.

"Pfft, don't worry. After our matches, Shiratorizawa has a dedicated cleaning staff to mop the floor. No need to rush to do it yourself," Tendō Satori teased from the bench.

Taichi pretended not to hear him.

[Aoba Johsai 17 - 18 Shiratorizawa]

[Ding, Oikawa Tōru's burst state deactivated.]

[Ding, Ushijima Wakatoshi's burst state deactivated.]

Perhaps Taichi's comedic accident lightened the tense atmosphere on the court, leading to both Oikawa and Ushijima unexpectedly exiting their heightened states.

Hearing the system's notifications, Taichi's emotions wavered.

Only after confirming no further prompts appeared did he let out a breath of relief.

It was a bit disappointing not to witness Ushijima's full-powered performance, but in this situation, it was probably for the best. If Ushijima had gone all out, Aoba Johsai would've been crushed without mercy.

The taut tension on both sides eased slightly, but the match was far from over.

Iwaizumi Hajime seized an opportunity in the middle and spiked the ball for a point.

[Aoba Johsai 18 - 18 Shiratorizawa]

Unexpectedly, Kindaichi Yūtaro launched an attack from the left and secured another point.

[Aoba Johsai 19 - 18 Shiratorizawa]

Hanamaki Takahiro's serve went astray, giving Shiratorizawa the point. Ushijima rotated to the front row.

[Aoba Johsai 19 - 19 Shiratorizawa]

Ushijima's spike deflected off Matsukawa Issei's hands and went out of bounds. Shiratorizawa scored again.

[Aoba Johsai 19 - 20 Shiratorizawa]

Ushijima delivered a crushing spike that broke through the blockers, earning another point. Watching from the front row, Taichi felt his scalp tingle. Even this late in the first set, Ushijima's power showed no signs of waning.

[Aoba Johsai 19 - 21 Shiratorizawa]

Goshiki Tsutomu's spike went out of bounds, giving Aoba Johsai the point. Taichi rotated back to the front row.

[Aoba Johsai 20 - 21 Shiratorizawa]

The first set remained neck-and-neck. Taichi knew the scoreline reflected countless factors: Aoba Johsai's novel quick attacks, Watari Shinji's solid defence, his own system-assisted bursts, and Oikawa Tōru's exceptional leadership.

Even so, as the set neared its end, Aoba Johsai trailed by one point. The gap between the two teams was evident.

At this rate, even if they managed to scrape a win in the first set, the odds of taking the second and third were slim.

So, does it even matter?

"Serve it well!"

His teammates' encouraging voices rang out. Turning back, Taichi saw not a single face marked by defeat.

A smile crept onto Taichi's face. He really was overthinking.

What was the point of worrying so much? Winning the first set carried immediate meaning: First, Aoba Johsai would defeat Shiratorizawa in this set. Second, even if they lost the second set, he would still get to fight in the third!

Aoba Johsai served.

Yamagata Hayato received the ball, and Shirabu Kenjiro set it up for Ushijima to spike.

Watari made a clean receive, and Oikawa set the ball to Taichi.

"The Taichi Quick," he mused mid-air, mentally naming the manoeuvre as he smashed the ball.

Yamagata received again.

Shirabu, noticing Aoba Johsai's defenders converging on Ushijima, set the ball to the left for Goshiki.

Goshiki had been off his game today, with his previous straight shot also going out of bounds.

Taichi jumped for a solo block, shifting his arms to cover the straight shot path.

"Knew you'd go for the line shot, hardhead."

Taichi scored with the block!

[Aoba Johsai 21 - 21 Shiratorizawa]

"Taichi, brilliant block!"

Matsukawa served the next ball. Ōhira Reon received it cleanly, and Shirabu, no longer trusting Goshiki, sent the ball to their ace.

"Double block!" Kindaichi and Iwaizumi jumped together.

Ushijima's spike was blocked again.

"One touch!"

Hanamaki scrambled to save the ball. Oikawa set it high above Taichi's head.

Shiratorizawa responded with their own double block, with Goshiki and Kawanishi Taichi forming a wall in front of him.

Perfect. Taichi aimed for the edge of Goshiki's palm and spiked the ball with force.

The ball ricocheted off Goshiki's hand and went out of bounds.

Taichi scored with the spike!

[Aoba Johsai 22 - 21 Shiratorizawa]

Coach Washijō rose from his seat once more.

Goshiki Tsutomu stood frozen after landing. Both he and Kaedehara Taichi were first-years, but Taichi had outpaced even Ushijima during endurance training and was holding his own against the ace during the match.

In contrast, all Goshiki seemed capable of was boasting in front of Ushijima and becoming a weak point the opponent exploited.

"Smack! Smack! Smack!" Goshiki slapped both sides of his face hard, turning his cheeks bright red.

Seeing this, Coach Washijō sat back down.

"Should've gotten your head in the game sooner. This is a match," Shirabu's calm voice came from behind him.

"Yes!" Goshiki refocused and threw himself back into the game.

Matsukawa Issei served his third ball.

The ball clipped the net, and Kawanishi Taichi's awkward reception sent it straight into the net!

The ball landed on Shiratorizawa's side.

Aoba Johsai scored again!

[Aoba Johsai 23 - 21 Shiratorizawa]

The tighter the situation, the more mistakes crept in. Shiratorizawa faltered under the pressure they were unfamiliar with.

Just two more points!

Aoba Johsai's players were more focused than ever.

Aoba Johsai served again.

Ōhira Reon received it cleanly. Shirabu, showing unwavering trust, set the ball to Ushijima—because an ace needs no justification.

"Double block!" Kindaichi and Iwaizumi leapt into position with practised synchronization.

Boom!

Ushijima's spike powered through, prying apart Kindaichi's hands before crashing into Aoba Johsai's court.

Shiratorizawa refused to back down!

[Aoba Johsai 23 - 22 Shiratorizawa]

"Damn it!" Kindaichi gritted his teeth. His sole role on the court was to counter Ushijima's spikes with raw power, but standing in the game's heat, he could feel the crushing weight of the ace's relentless pressure.

There was no room for even a moment's lapse. One mistake, and they'd be torn apart by the fearsome white eagle.

"It's fine, let's stop the next one," Iwaizumi said, patting Kindaichi on the back.

"Got it!"

Aoba Johsai's long-serving streak ended as Goshiki stepped up to the service line.

Shiratorizawa's serve.

The score stood with Aoba Johsai leading by one. A single serving error would bring Aoba Johsai to match point.

Goshiki tossed the ball high, took his approach, jumped, and smashed it with all his strength.

"Out!" Watari Shinji made a sharp call, quickly stepping aside.

And surely, the ball landed outside Aoba Johsai's boundary.

[Aoba Johsai 24 - 22 Shiratorizawa]

"Sorry!" Goshiki shouted loudly.

"Your decision was right. If you didn't serve that way, Coach Washijo would've yelled at you again," Ōhira said with a lighthearted grin.

"Goshiki, make sure to work on your serves after the match," Ushijima said calmly.

"Understood!"

One point left! Even luck seemed to favour Aoba Johsai!

Aoba Johsai served. Iwaizumi's powerful jump serve was received by Shirabu, with Ōhira Reon barely managing to set the ball up for Ushijima.

The set was too low! Kaedehara Taichi held his breath.

"One, two, jump!" Oikawa, Taichi, and Kindaichi formed a three-man block.

Ushijima's spike slammed into Taichi's arm.

So heavy! It was Taichi's first time successfully intercepting Ushijima's spike.

"One Touch!" Taichi shouted as he landed and sprinted to the right.

Using the court's width, Taichi leapt from the far-right side. Ōhira, already tracking him, scrambled into position and stretched his hands to block.

In Taichi's view, Yamagata Hayato was ready behind Ōhira to receive the spike.

In that instant, Taichi lightly pushed the ball with his fingers, tipping it just behind Ōhira Reon.

If the quick attack doesn't work, then let's go for a tip.

Yamagata lunged forward, but the ball dropped just out of his reach.

[Aoba Johsai 25 - 22 Shiratorizawa]

"Tweet, tweet—" The whistle sounded, signaling the end of the first set.

_________

[T/N] - We are back guys!!! Tho it hurts to lose all the progress, but if we can do it once, we can do it again! Let's go!!! You guys know the drill by now! VOTE Powerstones for Extra chapter!

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