Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

Judging by the score alone, Date Tech's performance was arguably even
than Karasuno's in the semifinals. But Miyagi's tournament structure didn't include a losers' bracket—sometimes, luck
was simply part of one's strength.
Karasuno's players sat silently in front of the small TV inside the Sakanoshita convenience store, watching Aoba Johsai's players cheer in victory.
Complex emotions were written all over their faces.
"If only we had played Date Tech first—" Hinata Shōyō tried to lighten the mood.
"Don't say
things like that, idiot," Kageyama Tobio snapped.
"I know..." Hinata drooped his head. "It's just...I'm
jealous. Date Tech still got to play another match."
Ukai Keishin frowned. Aoba Johsai's strength felt like a mountain—
and
weighing heavily on their hearts.
Aoba Johsai was by no means flawless.
their two most recent matches had clearly exposed their weaknesses. Their overall height had dropped, forcing their blocking to rely on individual ability rather than a cohesive wall. And compared to last year, their setter had lost his offensive edge and his overall command of the game had weakened considerably.
Kyōtani Kentarō on the offensive end and Nakamori Daiki on the defensive end had significantly raised the team's baseline. Kaedehara Taichi and Kunimi Akira could both attack and defend—
Whatever weaknesses the team had seemed insignificant under the brilliance of these players.
"Being in the same prefecture as a team like that...not sure if it's a
or a
…"
Being close to strong rivals pushed players to grow rapidly. It gave them a clear look at the distance between themselves and the very best.
—it was also the best kind of training.
But on the flip side, it made breaking out onto the national stage
more difficult.
Even under Ukai Keishin's sharp and critical eye, Karasuno now had the strength to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with other teams across Japan.
"…
." Ukai stepped out of the convenience store and instinctively lit a cigarette. "In the end, this loss was on me
I held these guys back."
"Let's all get stronger—see you at Spring Nationals!"
-----
"Sorry for calling you in so early, Taichi." A man unfamiliar to Taichi greeted him from the couch as he entered the room.
"Good morning," Taichi replied politely.
The man appeared to be in his forties, his accent hinting that he was from the Tokyo area.
"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Katase Jun, the
," the man said cheerfully, eyeing Taichi with interest. "First of all, congratulations on leading your team to defend the IH prefectural title and becoming Miyagi's top representative. Yesterday's match was
."
"Thank you. Winning was the result of everyone's efforts on the team," Taichi replied calmly.
So this
about
. The Japan national volleyball team was under the umbrella of the Japan Volleyball Association. If someone like this had come all the way here, it had to be about that matter.
Katase blinked in surprise.
He wasn't loud like the previous candidates they'd met—just a
kid.
"Well then, let's get straight to the point," Katase said, clearing his throat. "Coach Irihata may have already mentioned it—around mid-July, we're holding a J
, jointly with the American side."
"It's going to be an important match. We're putting together the strongest youth team we can and taking this very seriously."
"Taichi,
I'd like to officially invite you to join."
"…."
So it really
"Taichi?" Coach Irihata gave a small cough, trying to nudge him back to reality.
Taichi shouldn't have been this surprised. Irihata had already told him he would definitely be invited.
having the vice president himself show up…maybe that title had caught him off guard?
"Oh, this kind of match sounds
—I'll definitely join," Taichi said cheerfully as he came back to his senses.
Katase nodded. Then, Taichi suddenly asked, "Mr. Katase, can you tell me
is on the team?"
"Taichi!" Mizoguchi Sadayuki, who had been sitting quietly in the corner, looked alarmed.
"Hm? Is that
allowed?"
"Haha, it's not that," Katase chuckled. "We've only
confirmed the starting lineup."
"Really?" Taichi leaned forward with interest.
Katase couldn't help but laugh.
"The starting lineup currently includes Sakusa Kiyoomi and Komori Motoya from
, Miya Atsumu and Suna Rintarō from
, Hoshiumi Kōrai and Hirugami Sachirō from
—and
."
"All third-years, huh." Taichi nodded thoughtfully.
. But if they included the bench, there were
some underclassmen who deserved a spot—like his own team's prodigy, Nakamori Daiki.
Actually, Katase already had a reserve list. Players like Miya Osamu from
, Hakuba Gao from
, Sanada Shunpei and Akiha Kazuma from
, and even Aone Takanobu—
Aside from those third-years, they were also considering second-years like Riseki Heisuke
, Kunimi Akira
, Kageyama Tobio
, Hyakuzawa YÅ«dai
; and first-years like Sarukui FÅ«to
, Nakamori Daiki
, Kai Suzuharu
, Kimura Ryōta
, and Nagamatsu Muto
.
But the final roster was limited to just
players. The rest had to be carefully selected—and there was no need to explain it all to the boy in front of him.
"If you haven't decided on the reserves yet, I'd like to
Aoba Johsai's Kunimi Akira and Nakamori Daiki. If you've watched our matches, you'd know how good they are," Taichi suddenly said, unprompted. "Also, Kyōtani Kentarō, Aone Takanobu, Kageyama Tobio, Nishinoya Yū…
—but they're still
strong."
"Taichi!" Even Coach Irihata covered his face this time.
"Hahaha!" Katase burst into laughter.
"You really are something else. Don't worry, I've already noticed that Miyagi has a lot of players who've been overlooked," he said. Back when Ushijima Wakatoshi dominated the region, they'd completely missed out on players like Oikawa Tōru.
Now, Ushijima had been replaced by Taichi.
.
"We'll finalise the team based on how everyone performs at the Inter High Nationals. After the tournament, you'll join a two-week training camp, and then represent Japan in the match against the U.S."
"We're hoping you all achieve a great result."
"To put it simply,
right?"
Taichi's confident tone caught Katase off guard—then he laughed.
"Exactly. Just win the match."