Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

Chapter 120: The Decider

First-year setter Fujii Fuku stood on the court, overwhelmed and at a loss. In his mind, the position of Mujinazaka's setter had always seemed relatively simple.

With Kiry? Wakatsu, one of the top three ace spikers in the nation, and their towering 190cm twin blockers, all the setter had to do was feed the ace. After all, Kiry?-senpai was famous for being able to hit any ball, even if the set wasn't perfect.

"That's how it should've been…"

"That's how it was supposed to be!"

"Chance ball!" Hondo Subaru called as he easily received a pass, sending the ball high above Fujii Fuku.

Who should I set to?! Fujii's mind raced, his thoughts clouded by the looming presence of the Aoba Johsai players watching his every move.

A chilling sensation crept through his limbs. I warmed up properly…so why? Why is this so different from practice matches?!

"Fuku!" Kiry? Wakatsu's voice cut through the fog in his mind.

"A-Ah, Wakatsu-senpai!" Fujii's voice cracked, hoarse and uneven as he called out.

With trembling hands, he set the ball to the right wing, where Kiry? was already waiting.

But the set was too low.

Both Aoba Johsai and Mujinazaka players immediately recognized the misstep.

Kiry? adjusted his approach, leaping high and swinging with all his might.

"Double block!" Kindaichi Y?tar? and Ky?tani Kentar? shut down the line.

Bang!

"One touch!" Ky?tani shouted as the ball ricocheted off his block. For the first time, they successfully stopped Kiry?'s spike.

Oikawa T?ru, positioned in the back row, sent a perfect dig to the net, allowing Kindaichi to soar up and spike decisively.

To Fujii, everything happened in the blink of an eye. The moment his set left his hands, his teammates had already switched into defence.

And then, before he could react, the volleyball whizzed past his ear.

Boom!

Kindaichi's spike landed cleanly on the court.

[Aoba Johsai 25 – 20 Mujinazaka]

Tweet! The referee's whistle signalled the end of the second set.

Winner: Aoba Johsai.

It was precisely because Mujinazaka had a powerful ace and exceptional blockers that their opponents chose to exploit the setter as the weak point.

In just a few short minutes, Fujii Fuku came to understand this harsh reality.

------

[A few minutes earlier, Mujinazaka's bench]

"Usuri, Wakatsu needs you. Mujinazaka needs you," Coach Michiko said softly, sitting beside him. "Fuku is only a first-year; expecting him to handle the pressure of a high-stakes match like this is too much."

Usuri Mitsuru stared at the court, silent for a long while, before muttering to himself:

"After playing alongside Wakatsu-senpai for so long and winning match after match against powerful opponents, I started to believe…that I was strong too."

"I began to think I was special…How utterly delusional of me."

"Mitsuru!" Coach Michiko interjected, thinking he was losing confidence.

But Usuri raised his head and stared at her with a steady gaze. "The opposing setter is a third-year. I've never even heard of his name, yet the commentators are praising him as incredible. At first, I couldn't accept it."

"But now I understand. That setter is no ordinary player. And I've been foolishly fixated on proving that I'm better than him…"

The commentator's voice echoed through the arena, pulling them both back to the match:

"Aoba Johsai regains their footing in the second set! With Mujinazaka's starting setter benched, their momentum has waned. The score is now tied, and we're heading into the decider! Stay tuned for the thrilling conclusion of this match!"

Usuri clenched his fists. This isn't right. I need to reset my mindset. Dwelling on personal battles is meaningless right now. Stop it. Stop it immediately.

He slapped his cheeks hard, the sharp sound reverberating in the quiet of the bench. His face flushed red, but when he reopened his eyes, all traces of hesitation had vanished.

"Once the score changes, we only have about ten seconds before the next serve. There's no time for me to brood over personal victories or defeats. All I can do is focus on what needs to be done."

------

[Aoba Johsai's Bench]

"When Kiry? forces an attack, the blockers must make a quick read!" Coach Irihata instructed during the brief respite.

"Yes!"

"Also, keep up the aggressive serving!"

"Yes!!"

"Alright, go out there and take the final set!"

"Yeah!!!"

The players from both teams returned to the court for the deciding set.

"Both teams are now taking their positions for the third set," announced the commentator. "We can see Mujinazaka's second-year setter, Usuri Mitsuru, has returned to the starting lineup."

Aoba Johsai's lineup:

Front row—Middle Blocker Kindaichi Y?tar?, Opposite Hitter Ky?tani Kentar?, Setter Oikawa T?ru

Back row—Wing Spiker Hanamaki Takahiro, Wing Spiker Iwaizumi Hajime and Middle Blocker Kaedehara Taichi (Libero: Watari Shinji).

Mujinazaka's lineup:

Front row—Wing Spiker Hondo Subaru, Middle Blocker Unnan Keisuke, Wing Spiker Naoharu Ezota

Back row—Wing Spiker Kiry? Wakatsu, Middle Blocker Nozomu Mami (Libero: Bishin Haruma), Setter Usuri Michiru

The match began with Mujinazaka serving.

Usuri's serve targeted Kaedehara Taichi.

"Still holding a grudge, huh…" Taichi muttered as he dove low, extending one arm to keep the ball in play. The pass stayed low, forcing Iwaizumi to bump it higher. Kindaichi launched a straightforward spike across the net.

"Chance ball!" Mujinazaka's libero, Bishin Haruma, received it cleanly.

"Wakatsu-senpai!" Usuri sent a high set to the center.

Kiry? executed a three-step approach, leaping from the back row to deliver a devastating spike.

"Touch!" Kindaichi managed to get a hand on it, softening the blow. Iwaizumi scrambled to dig it, sending the ball toward Oikawa.

"Mad Dog-chan!"

Oikawa quickly set the ball to the right wing. Ky?tani Kentar? sprinted into position, his arm snapping like a whip as he unleashed a ferocious straight-line spike.

Smack!

Once again, Bishin was ready, digging the ball perfectly.

Usuri jumped at the center and sent a clean set to the left. Unnan Keisuke hammered the ball straight through Aoba Johsai's blockers.

Smack!

Iwaizumi dived and managed to save it, the ball veering toward the sideline. Taichi dashed after it, barely keeping it in play with an acrobatic return.

"They saved that?!" Mujinazaka's players were visibly stunned.

Hanamaki sent the ball back over the net with a soft bump.

"Free ball!"

Bishin's perfect reception allowed Usuri to orchestrate a multi-pronged attack.

Boom!

Kiry? spiked ruthlessly from the back row, the ball ricocheting off Iwaizumi's arm and flying out of bounds.

[Aoba Johsai 0 – 1 Mujinazaka]

"Kiry? Wakatsu! Once again, it's Kiry? Wakatsu with the unstoppable cannonball!"

"Even the best aces can't stay on fire every single match, but Kiry? Wakatsu's form today is absolutely unstoppable!"

"Wakatsu-senpai today is the strongest!"

Usuri stepped up for his second serve.

Hanamaki handled the reception, and Oikawa quickly set it to Kindaichi for an A-tempo quick attack.

Smack!

Unnan Keisuke reacted instantly, blocking the ball straight back over the net.

Ky?tani reflexively dove to keep it alive, and Oikawa jumped high, delivering a flawless backset to the right wing.

"Such a beautiful set!" Usuri couldn't help but admire Oikawa's precision.

Ky?tani, already in position, unleashed a diagonal spike aimed at waist height.

Smack!

Bishin was ready again, digging the ball with impeccable timing.

Usuri responded with a flat, rapid set to the far right. From the back row, Kiry? leaped effortlessly into position.

"Triple block!" Kindaichi, Ky?tani, and Oikawa rose together to form an imposing wall at the net.

Bang!

The ball collided with Oikawa's arms and ricocheted backward.

"They blocked it!"

But before Aoba Johsai could celebrate, the line judge raised a flag to signal the ball had gone out of bounds.

The ball had deflected off their block and landed outside the court. Mujinazaka scored.

[Aoba Johsai 0 – 2 Mujinazaka]