Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

Kaedehara Taichi stood at the front row, unable to see how Sakusa Kiyoomi's serve
after crossing the net. The frustration gnawed at him.
Every player on the court had a reception ability of at least
, and yet, of the three currently in Team A's back row, the
was—shockingly—the libero, Hirao Jin.
Even so, Sakusa had already scored
consecutive service aces.
It was absurd.
Sakusa stepped up to serve again.
Kaedehara Taichi took two steps back, nearly standing in the back row himself.
Miya Atsumu's voice was uncharacteristically sharp—even
was him trying to control his emotions.
Sure enough, Sakusa's third serve
into the front row!
The ball
after clearing the net at an alarming speed.
Taichi had been waiting for this.
His body lowered into a deep lunge.
However—
As the ball fell, it suddenly
.
The ball grazed his palm and continued plummeting toward the ground.
Hoshiumi Kōrai dove and barely managed to save it!
But—
The counterattack was weak.
Kondō Masato had no choice but to send the ball over the net without a proper attack.
Komori Motoya received it with ease.
The first pass floated directly to the setter's position—
And before Mochida Riei even realized it, Kageyama Tobio had
set the ball.
He was momentarily surprised.
But then again, Mochida
a naturally gifted outside hitter—he quickly recovered from the surprise, using the final moment to
into an awkward spike.
That slight delay gave Team A
enough time to react.
Hirao Jin dug the ball out.
Miya Atsumu jumped for the set.
Hoshiumi Kōrai sprinted from the baseline, preparing for another
.
And then—
From the right side—
A presence impossible to ignore surged forward.
Kaedehara Taichi's eyes locked onto the airborne ball like an eagle hunting its prey.
His entire demeanor radiated an undeniable
over the play.
That
figure, filled with silent intensity—
It was a declaration:
Kaedehara Taichi's voice was steady and calm, carrying a weight of authority that
.
Time had changed him.
He was no longer the brash, loudmouthed rookie who constantly
sets.
Currently, he was the
Aoba Johsai placed their absolute
in.
Now—
He was the
Miya Atsumu glanced at Hoshiumi, who had momentarily hesitated—then smirked.
Without a second thought, he sent the ball to the right wing.
Kaedehara Taichi sprinted from the back row.
His
airborne moment was still
in everyone's minds.
Team B's blockers reacted immediately.
Sakusa Kiyoomi and Komori Motoya readied themselves for the reception.
"Triple block!"
Mochida Riei, Nakamoto Shigeru, and Kageyama Tobio all jumped together!
The ball
off Mochida's hands and flew out of bounds.
A
tool-out spike.
But—
Sakusa Kiyoomi's eyes were filled with
.
As someone who
in tool-out shots, Sakusa found nothing particularly
about that spike.
Honestly?
Even Hoshiumi Kōrai's attack had been
.
.
His expression laid his thoughts bare.
Hoshiumi clenched his jaw,
of his moment of hesitation earlier—
That spike had been far less
than Taichi's first one.
But—
Two people
share Sakusa's disdain.
Miya Atsumu and Kageyama Tobio.
Because they
.
No one could predict how much Kaedehara Taichi was
No one knew—
When his next evolution would come crashing down on them all.
-----
Team A's serve.
Katayama Akira's
was effortlessly received by Sakusa Kiyoomi.
Komori Motoya leapt, skillfully setting the ball to the right wing—
Kageyama Tobio spiked for the kill.
"Beautiful set!"
With such strong teammates around him, Kageyama's form only
as the match progressed.
Team B's Mochida Riei stepped up for a
—
Miya Atsumu received the ball cleanly.
It soared toward the net—
Hoshiumi Kōrai took flight from the left flank.
"Double block!"
But—
—
Hoshiumi redirected the ball to the
!
Breaking free from the blockers, Kaedehara Taichi
it down with ease.
Sakusa Kiyoomi's frown deepened.
That was the second time.
And yet—
The power was slightly greater, the speed marginally faster—
But nothing extraordinary.
It wasn't even as
as Hoshiumi's quick set.
"Nice set, Hoshiumi-senpai." Kaedehara Taichi praised.
After facing numerous opponents with
athleticism, he found himself unexpectedly refreshed by these two players—
Physically
, yet standing at the absolute
of high school-level skill.
Hoshiumi huffed.
He wasn't particularly close to Kaedehara Taichi—
But
, did he
the condescending look on Sakusa's face.
The serve rotated.
Kaedehara Taichi stepped up to the service line.
He caught sight of Sakusa's expression—
That air of
bordering on arrogance.
Like no one but Ushijima Wakatoshi was
his attention.
Kaedehara Taichi loosened his shoulders, joints
slightly as he stretched.
Only now—after all this time—did his body feel like it had reached
.
His gaze shifted back to Sakusa.
A
Taichi tossed the ball high into the air.
His approach was steady and powerful, footsteps
into the floor.
And then—
He
himself upward, muscles
as his left arm swung through in a devastating arc.
A thunderous crack echoed through the gym.
Sakusa reacted instantly.
He had already calculated the ball's trajectory—
A slight sidestep, positioning himself directly in front of it.
Of course.
Kaedehara Taichi's serve had
The moment Sakusa's hands came together for the reception—
The
of the serve blasted through his unformed platform, slamming against his wrist—
And then—
The ball hit the ground right in front of him.
Kaedehara Taichi had scored a
A slight hush settled over the court.
The space that had once been filled with technical discussions now felt like it had been invaded by something wild.
Something monstrous.
A raw,
force.
power.
Among these first and second-years, it was a number that stood alone.
The next closest?
Kageyama Tobio—who hadn't even
to serve yet.
The
of Miyagi's power volleyball—
Today, the so-called
were getting a first-hand demonstration.
Sakusa flexed his wrist, shaking off the slight sting.
He hadn't expected that kind of power to be packed into a first-year's body.
And more than that—
For someone
of Ushijima Wakatoshi, that fact stood out
.
Kaedehara Taichi picked up the next ball, tapping it lightly against his palm.
Then—
Holding it up in one hand, he pointed toward the opposite baseline.
His gaze locked onto Sakusa.