Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

Chapter 91: Supression

"Nice serve, Taichi!"

"One more ball!"

Amidst the praise of his teammates, Kaedehara Taichi delivered his second serve, once again targeting ?hira Reon.

The volleyball seemed to wobble in the air, but it reached ?hira's position swiftly. To him, it still looked like it was going out of bounds.

However, having misjudged the previous ball, he didn't dare to take another gamble.

Smack!

Without much time to react, ?hira lunged forward in a desperate dive to receive the ball.

"Lucky!" Taichi, who had been watching the ball intently, noticed it veering slightly off-course. Close call.

"Cover!"

Shirabu Kenjir? sprinted outside the court to save the ball, and Tend? Satori sent it back over the net.

"Chance ball!"

Hanamaki Takahiro received the ball cleanly, allowing Oikawa T?ru to set it high.

Boom!

Ky?tani Kentar? executed a flawless cross-shot, stunning Shiratorizawa and scoring a commanding point.

[Aoba Johsai 9 - 5 Shiratorizawa]

"This new face….could he be a power hitter?"

Aoba Johsai's current form had left Shiratorizawa completely unprepared.

Beep! Shiratorizawa called for a timeout.

The turn of events in the match was unexpected! Many reporters on the sidelines deleted their prewritten articles and began scribbling furiously while watching the game unfold.

Aoba Johsai now had three players capable of scoring directly off their serves: the new player's powerful jump serve, Oikawa T?ru's increasingly formidable serves, and the surprising jump float serve from their first-year.

From the very start, Aoba Johsai had delivered nothing short of a spectacle.

If the ball couldn't be properly set to Ushijima Wakatoshi, even he wouldn't be able to do much!

"Looks like everyone assumed our strategy to counter Ushijima Wakatoshi was through serving," Coach Irihata said with a relaxed smile.

Even Aoba Johsai hadn't entirely expected this outcome. While Ky?tani Kentar?'s serving performance was part of the plan, Kaedehara Taichi's jump float serve was an unforeseen bonus.

Judging by his second attempt, though, there was still room for improvement.

"Maintain the lead. Don't let Ushijima Wakatoshi score easily. We have to take this first set!" Coach Irihata decisively instructed, determined to capitalize on the momentum.

"Yes!"

On the other side, Coach Washij? didn't resort to scolding his players. They had done all the necessary preparations during practice; now, it was simply about executing.

"Just focus on getting a high receive, then set it to Ushijima!" His instructions were straightforward. Washij? still placed his faith in individual strength.

"Yes!"

With the timeout over, the match resumed.

Kaedehara Taichi continued to serve. This time, the ball flew straight toward Ushijima Wakatoshi.

Ushijima stepped forward and expertly pushed the ball high. Without hesitation, Shirabu set the ball to the centre.

From the back row, Ushijima soared and spiked through a triple block.

Shiratorizawa regained a point.

[Aoba Johsai 9 - 6 Shiratorizawa]

Kunimi Akira, who had narrowly avoided injury during a training match against Ushijima a month ago, hesitated slightly while blocking, exposing a gap in the defence.

"Sorry!" Kunimi quickly apologized.

Iwaizumi Hajime hesitated briefly but didn't dwell on it. Instead, he gave Kunimi a light pat on the back.

"Don't worry. Next ball."

Both teams began to stabilize their rhythm.

Shiratorizawa relied on Ushijima Wakatoshi's dominating attacks to score, while Aoba Johsai gained ground through consecutive offensives led by Kaedehara Taichi and Ky?tani Kentar?.

Even though their serves didn't widen the score gap significantly in later rotations, they still managed to prevent Shiratorizawa from closing in.

Gradually, Aoba Johsai's score reached 20 points first.

[Aoba Johsai 20 - 17 Shiratorizawa]

Shiratorizawa called their second timeout. Coach Washij? furrowed his brows, deep in thought. The intensity of this match far exceeded his expectations. Aoba Johsai's performance was astonishing, going toe-to-toe with Shiratorizawa's offence.

Their resilience and strength were not to be underestimated.

"We can't let Aoba Johsai organize such effective attacks so easily anymore," Coach Washij? said sharply. "Kaedehara Taichi and Ky?tani Kentar?—focus on shutting down at least one of them."

If they wanted to claim the first set and gain an advantage, they had to disrupt Aoba Johsai's rhythm and weaken their offensive power.

"Let's also attack their receiving line."

The timeout ended, and the match resumed with Shiratorizawa's serve.

?hira Reon targeted Ky?tani Kentar? with his serve.

"Good, no time for a run-up now." With the left-side threat neutralized, Shiratorizawa shifted their attention to Kaedehara Taichi.

Oikawa T?ru quickly stepped in and sent a high set.

Kaedehara Taichi leapt into the air, carefully aiming to exploit a gap in Shiratorizawa's block before spiking the ball.

Smack!

"One Touch!"

Shiratorizawa had anticipated the attack, making it difficult for Taichi to find a sharp angle to push the ball out of bounds.

Yamagata Hayato steadied the ball with a dig, and Shirabu Kenjir? set it high.

As usual, Ushijima completed his approach and unleashed a devastating spike.

"Three-man block!" Iwaizumi Hajime, Kunimi Akira, and Kaedehara Taichi jumped together, forming a solid wall.

Boom!

Even though Kunimi had prepared carefully and maintained a solid blocking posture, Ushijima's spike tore through his defence, forcing his arms back.

The volleyball slammed onto Aoba Johsai's court.

Ushijima Wakatoshi scored.

[Aoba Johsai 20 - 18 Shiratorizawa]

"Nice one, Ushijima!"

"Shiratorizawa, push forward! Shiratorizawa, push forward!"

Although breaking through a three-man block was demoralizing, Aoba Johsai had already anticipated such situations and mentally prepared themselves.

The strategy was working! ?hira Reon's next serve again targeted Ky?tani Kentar?.

"Damn it!"

This time, the serve was even trickier, skimming dangerously close to the boundary line.

Frustrated, Ky?tani mishandled the ball, sending it straight toward Shiratorizawa's side.

Bang!

Tend? Satori capitalized on the opportunity and jumped to spike it down immediately.

Shiratorizawa scored again, narrowing the gap to a single point.

[Aoba Johsai 20 - 19 Shiratorizawa]

"S-sorry…" Ky?tani muttered, visibly upset. Even he knew that this misstep might shift the game's momentum entirely.

"Damn it!" His frustration boiled over, leaving him unsure of how to make amends.

"Move to the side." Hanamaki Takahiro spoke up unexpectedly. "I'm not as good at receiving as Watari or Iwaizumi, but I can at least help cover you."

Ky?tani didn't know how to respond, but he could sense that this was his teammate's way of lending a hand.

"You're not on the court for your receiving, are you? You and Taichi are Aoba Johsai's primary offensive weapons right now. If you can't give it your all, we're the ones who'll be in trouble."

Ky?tani stepped back quietly, processing Hanamaki's words.

?hira Reon's third serve once again targeted Ky?tani.

"I've got it!" Hanamaki called out, worried that Ky?tani might hesitate. He stepped across and received the ball cleanly.

Freed from the burden of receiving, Ky?tani started his approach. After holding back for two rotations, he was finally able to attack, leaping to the net with visible determination and anger.

"Guessed—wrong?" Tend? Satori, anticipating Ky?tani's attack, quickly extended his block in front of him.

The volleyball, however, landed squarely on Shiratorizawa's side.

"How could I not use such a perfect decoy?"

Kaedehara Taichi and Oikawa T?ru spoke in unison, their faces lighting up with mischievous, almost smug smiles.

Without any prior communication, just by observing Ky?tani's charged-up demeanour, Kaedehara Taichi had guessed that Oikawa would never send the ball in that direction.

"Right?"

Kaedehara Taichi grinned at Oikawa.

_________

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