Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

Chapter 175: Little Giant

"Tsukki—!" Tadashi Yamaguchi called out, overwhelmed with emotion.

"Now go earn another point with your serve," Tsukishima Kei said, calm as ever.

"Right!"

Yamaguchi stepped onto the service line again, his heart calmer than before. Even standing in this high-stakes position, he knew he wasn't fighting alone.

Bam!

Yamaguchi's second serve flew out, more precise than the first. Shiratorizawa quickly noticed the erratic trajectory of his jump float serve.

But—

Hayato Yamagata dashed forward, positioning himself perfectly before the ball's unpredictable movement could throw him off. He reached out and cleanly bumped it upward.

"Ushijima-senpai!" Shirabu Kenjir? set the ball high to the left wing.

Ushijima Wakatoshi approached the ball, taking off from the back row.

"Three-man block!"

Tsukishima Kei, Kageyama Tobio, and Ry?nosuke Tanaka jumped in unison, forming a wall.

Even for Ushijima, hitting through a triple block from the back row wouldn't be easy.

—Boom!

The ball slammed into Tsukishima's hands—but rebounded with such force that it flew into the second-floor stands.

[Karasuno 21 – 23 Shiratorizawa]

"This...this is insane..."

Blocking wasn't enough. Ushijima's incredible strength was just as formidable as his height.

"Tweet!—"

Karasuno called for a substitution—Sh?y? Hinata came back in, replacing Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi walked off the court with regret written all over his face. He'd served beautifully on the last play, yet it hadn't secured a point.

"Yamaguchi! That was an awesome serve! You'll get them next time!" Hinata cheered, his sincerity radiating.

"Yeah!" Yamaguchi replied with determination. "Next time, I'll score five points in a row!"

"Idiot! At least aim for ten!" Sugawara K?shi laughed, welcoming him back to the bench.

With the serve switching sides, Shiratorizawa took over again.

The two-point gap meant Karasuno still had hope, but just as that thought crossed their minds—

Goshiki Tsutomu unleashed a sharp line shot, skimming just inside the sideline and earning Shiratorizawa a set point.

[Karasuno 21 – 24 Shiratorizawa]

"Hmph!" Goshiki Tsutomu flipped his hair dramatically, casting a smug glance at Ushijima. "See that, Ushiwaka-senpai? My super line shot!"

"Mm. Good job," Ushijima replied stoically.

Goshiki's expression froze. "…."

While Shiratorizawa's morale seemed to skyrocket, Karasuno's energy grew heavy.

Shiratorizawa now had three set points. Just one more point and the first set would end.

Bam!

?hira Reon served again, his jump float spinning dangerously.

Nishinoya Y? received it perfectly, sending the ball straight to Kageyama. Karasuno's entire front row surged forward.

Multiple attackers sprang into action simultaneously!

In the air, Kageyama's movements were flawless, giving no hint as to where he would set.

Smack!

The ball was set to Tsukishima on the left. He struck, but a pair of hands rose to meet him.

Thwack!

The ball was blocked and fell back into Karasuno's court.

[Karasuno 21 – 25 Shiratorizawa]

"I may not talk much, but I hold grudges," Kawanishi Taichi smirked, directing his words at Tsukishima. "Consider it returned, first-year."

"Taichi, you're on fire today!" Tend? Satori exclaimed, his face lighting up with glee.

"Yeah," Kawanishi nodded briefly. Remembering Semi Eita's earlier advice, he bowed slightly toward Tend?. "Thank you, Tend?-senpai."

"Wha—?!" Tend? shrieked, leaping back. "What are you plotting?! You're not getting my pudding!"

Kawanishi walked off without another word, leaving Tend? scratching his head in confusion.

"I can't believe they stopped a multi-pronged attack!" Hinata exclaimed, still processing the final rally.

"There was nothing wrong with my set," Kageyama stated coldly, his stubbornness showing.

"Huh?!" Tsukishima shot him a glare. "So you're saying my spike was the problem, King?"

"It's not you," Kageyama responded, unbothered by the nickname. "It's their blocker."

Tsukishima fell silent, replaying the sequence in his mind.

"He guessed," Tsukishima muttered, his teeth clenched.

It was hard to believe, but Kawanishi had abandoned his usual tracking-style block and acted purely on instinct, just like Tend? would.

It wasn't just Ushijima they had to face.

Karasuno suddenly grasped the obvious but daunting reality—they had to contend with an entire team of threats.

After a short break, the second set began.

Shiratorizawa's rotation:

Front row—Middle Blocker Tend? Satori, Outside Hitter Ushijima Wakatoshi and Wing Spiker ?hira Reon

Back row—Middle Blocker Kawanishi Taichi, Wing Spiker Goshiki Tsutomu (Libero Yamagata Hayato) and Setter Shirabu Kenjir?.

Karasuno's rotation:

Front row—Wing Spiker Tanaka Ry?nosuke, Middle Blocker Hinata Sh?y? and Setter Kageyama Tobio

Back row—Wing Spiker Sawamura Daichi, Middle Blocker Tsukishima Kei (Libero Nishinoya Y? ) and Outside Hitter Azumane Asahi.

Both sides had adjusted their lineups.

Shirabu started the set with a sharp jump float serve, forcing Nishinoya into a diving receive.

"Get it up!"

Nishinoya managed to stabilize the ball, and Kageyama quickly moved to cover. But instead of rushing to set, he hesitated.

"Huh? No quick attack?" Tend? raised an eyebrow, surprised by Kageyama's change in tempo.

Smack!

The sound of sneakers squeaking drew Tend?'s attention. On the opposite side of the net, a small figure leapt into the air. Despite his height, the speed and power of his jump made him seem to defy gravity.

"Such height?!" Tend? barely had time to react. Acting on instinct, he jumped to block, stretching his arms high.

At the same moment, Kageyama's set reached its peak, perfectly timed with Hinata's ascent.

Bam!

The ball soared over Tend?'s outstretched fingertips and slammed into Shiratorizawa's court.

Hinata Sh?y?, standing at 163 cm, had just scored an over-the-block spike against the 188 cm Tend?.

[Karasuno 1 – 0 Shiratorizawa]

Tend? stared in disbelief. "That tiny guy…can jump that high?!"

The crowd erupted.

"Amazing!"

"He's like the Little Giant reborn!"

Cheers reverberated through the gym as the audience was swept up by the spectacle.

After five years, the title of Little Giant was being spoken again in Karasuno's matches.

Hinata's incredible leap erased the first set's gloom, filling the audience with hope for another miracle.

-----

In the stands, Oikawa T?ru's eyes gleamed with excitement.

"You're dying to set for him, aren't you?" Kaedehara Taichi smirked, glancing back at Oikawa.

Oikawa stiffened, worried he'd accidentally voiced his thoughts. "No, no, not at all, hahaha…"

Taichi turned back to the court, his tone light. "Well, it doesn't matter to me. Kageyama doesn't seem any worse than you, senpai."

"Taichi!" Oikawa bristled like a startled cat. "Kageyama is nowhere near as good as me!"

"Oh? Is that so?"

-----

Down on the court, Kageyama Tobio walked to the service line.

_________

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