Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 314: What It Means To Be A Genius (D-L)

The story rewinds to last year's Junior High Autumn Nationals, where Miyagi's representative, Kōsen Academy, faced off against Tokyo's representative, Rakunan Academy, in the quarterfinals.

"Wow, are they really junior high students?"

"Their height is totally unfair!"

As one of the most anticipated matches of the tournament, what drew the most attention was the height of Kōsen Academy's outside hitter, Kamihara Atsushi (190 cm), and Rakunan Academy's middle blocker, Yūki Yōji (193 cm).

"It's a shame they play different positions."

"If one's an outside hitter and the other's a middle blocker, that means one specializes in attacking while the other focuses on blocking, right?"

"Well—"

For junior high players whose techniques were still developing, height and power were their greatest weapons. Even though Yūki Yōji's spikes seemed straightforward, lacking finesse, his sheer reach allowed him to hit over the block, making it nearly impossible to defend against.

Each team won a set, and in the deciding set, the two finally faced off head-to-head.

"Your attacks end here." Yūki Yōji stood directly in front of Kamihara Atsushi.

"Hah? What kind of dumb crap are you spouting, idiot?" Kamihara scoffed.

To him, middle blockers had always been a low-skill position. They couldn't serve or receive well and were only chosen for their height. This guy in front of him was just a slightly taller version of those rookie middle blockers…

"Left wing, high ball!"

Whoosh!—

The ball soared steadily from the right side, landing perfectly in front of Kamihara Atsushi. This was a textbook toss for an outside hitter—slow, accurate, and easy to hit.

"Now it's time for the ace to put on a show."

Thud!

On the other side of the net, Yūki Yōji leapt up to block. His blocking point was slightly higher than Kamihara's contact point, completely sealing off the direct angle.

"So tell me, who's the real idiot that only goes straight on?"

Boom!—

Kamihara Atsushi adjusted mid-air, avoiding the block and sending a sharp cross-court spike past Yūki Yōji for the point.

"Tch." Kamihara shot a disdainful glance. "And you were saying my attacks were over?"

Yūki Yōji didn't respond. Instead, he carefully replayed the exchange in his mind.

—

"Touch!" Yūki Yōji called out to his teammates.

Kamihara's spike ricocheted off his hands, and Rakunan quickly launched a counterattack.

Kamihara's guess wasn't wrong—Yūki Yōji's offensive skills were limited, and the ball wasn't set his way at all. Yet, Kamihara found himself stuck on the far left, unable to reposition in time.

Rakunan scored.

"So in the end, you still have to rely on your teammates to score, huh?" Kamihara muttered in frustration. What was this? Fight him head-on!

Yūki Yōji remained unfazed. Sure, his attacks were straightforward, but this loudmouth on the other side seemed to have a brain just as one-track as his spikes.

—

Match point.

Kōsen Academy's front line featured Kamihara Atsushi and Kimura Ryōta, but Kimura was already marked by two blockers.

"Give me the ball!" Kamihara called from the left.

Without hesitation, the setter lofted the ball high above the left wing.

Kamihara shot a provocative look at Yūki Yōji. A guy who could only rely on his teammates—wasn't he just going to end up facing him one-on-one in the end?

He accelerated down the sideline, took off, and spiked.

Only Yūki Yōji stood before him.

Boom!—

—Smack!

Kamihara's eyes widened.

The ball, which was supposed to bypass the block, slammed into Yūki Yōji's arm and fell back onto Kōsen Academy's court.

"Tweet—!"

As the final whistle blew, Kamihara faintly heard Yūki Yōji's last words.

"Your attack patterns have been predictable from start to finish."

-----

"You really haven't improved at all, have you? Acting all high and mighty just because you think you're a little clever."

Six months later, now in high school, the two met again.

Kamihara Atsushi's very first attack was stuffed by Yūki Yōji.

"You—why the hell are you in Miyagi?!"

"Why would I discuss that with you?" Yūki frowned. "We're not close enough for that kind of conversation."

Kamihara's confidence wavered. This guy was just as infuriating as ever.

"Kamihara, focus on the match." Shirabu Kenjirō's cold voice cut through the air.

Both teams were using this practice game to test their new lineups. Aoba Johsai, in particular, was evaluating their roster for the upcoming season. However, leaving Kaedehara Taichi on the bench was still a bold move.

Shirabu lowered his gaze. This set—they wouldn't just win. They had to win convincingly.

-----

The serve rotated to Aoba Johsai.

Yahaba Shigeru tossed the ball.

Bang!

It was a jump float serve. The ball's trajectory barely shifted in the air, making it clear that Yahaba wasn't fully comfortable with this technique yet.

But this was proof that Yahaba was changing.

"I won't give up the setter position that easily!"

Smack!

Akakura Sō easily received the serve, and Shirabu quickly stepped in to set.

Three Shiratorizawa players charged forward simultaneously.

"Go for it, our ace!"

Goshiki Tsutomu soared from the middle to spike.

"Three-man block!"

Kunimi Akira, Yamabuki Yūjin, and Yūki Yōji leaped up.

Goshiki remained composed, tipping the ball off Yūki's fingertips.

Tap!

Smack!

The ball softly rebounded to the right side of Shiratorizawa's court.

Shirabu was already in position.

Whoosh!—

Boom!

Kawanishi Taichi's quick attack from the right scored.

[Aoba Johsai 1 - 2 Shiratorizawa]

"A remarkably calm decision," Kaedehara Taichi observed. "That show-off Goshiki actually went for a tip."

"Don't dwell on it—next point!"

-----

The serve rotated again.

Kamihara Atsushi stepped up to the service line.

"Six months…and you say I haven't improved at all?"

An outside hitter typically spent more time on court than a middle blocker. There was more to learn, more to master—he was only just getting started.

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.

Kamihara tossed the ball, took a running start, and leapt.

Boom!

A powerful jump serve traced a high arc across the court.

Smack!

Kyōtani Kentarō received the ball. Yahaba quickly positioned himself and set it to the middle. Yamabuki Yūjin jumped to spike.

"One, two, jump!"

"Three-man block!"

With Kawanishi Taichi at the core, Goshiki and Matsudaira Kiyomasa joined him at the net.

Boom!—

—Smack!

Shiratorizawa scored with a block.

[Aoba Johsai 1 - 3 Shiratorizawa]

"How…?" Yamabuki Yūjin was in disbelief. He was the ace of Kitagawa Daiichi, while his opponent was just an ordinary high schooler, wasn't he?

It wasn't like the guy was a genius on the level of Kaedehara Taichi, so how had his very first attack been completely shut down?!

"Hey, Kitagawa Daiichi kid." Kawanishi Taichi looked at him with an impatient expression. "Do you have some kind of misunderstanding about Shiratorizawa?"

He was just a first-year, yet he looked utterly shocked after having his spike blocked…

Had Aoba Johsai's newcomers really become this arrogant?

Yamabuki Yūjin snapped back to reality.

This was the first lesson for junior high players transitioning into high school volleyball—acknowledge your own strength and face your shortcomings.

Although Aoba Johsai's freshmen had already gotten a glimpse of the skill gap between them and the upperclassmen during their brief red-and-white match, they had subconsciously attributed the difference to playing against a championship-winning team or a national-level ace.

They had yet to realize the true meaning of starting as a substitute in a high school team.

The word 'genius' was always relative.

It was only ever used to describe the very top few within a group.

"No problem, no problem!"

"Keep your head in the game! Let's close the score gap!"

"Yes!" Yamabuki Yūjin responded loudly. He wasn't an ace right now—just a regular wing spiker. No, not even that. He was still just a substitute. This match was his chance to become a starter.

"Tweet!—"

The whistle blew for the next serve.

Kamihara Atsushi tossed the ball into the air.

Boom!

Yahaba Shū effortlessly received the serve, and Kunimi Akira quickly moved into position.

Even though Kyōtani Kentarō was in the back row, he was still Aoba Johsai's most powerful attacker on the court. However, Kunimi knew that winning wasn't the main objective of this practice match.

"Adapting to the situation is just as important."

Kunimi set the ball to the right wing. Yūki Yōji sprinted forward and leaped to spike.

"Three-man block!"

Shiratorizawa's blockers reacted instantly.

Bang!

Yūki swung with full force, sending the ball just past the outstretched hands of the blockers.

A high-reach spike!

Smack!

Yet again, Shirabu Kenjirō dug the ball up!

Yūki frowned slightly. Back in middle school, that attack would have scored. But now, in this practice match, his spikes kept getting picked up.

"Goshiki-senpai!" Kamihara called out, setting the ball to the left wing.

Goshiki Tsutomu sprinted along the sideline before leaping into the air.

"Double block!"

Boom!—

Goshiki used his signature move—a sharp, down-the-line spike—aimed right at the sideline.

[Aoba Johsai 1 – 4 Shiratorizawa]

"Kamihara, stabilize yourself before setting. That last one was too close to the net," Shirabu instructed.

"Yes!"

Kamihara had noticed that Goshiki's accuracy with down-the-line shots was remarkable. Even though the defenders had tried to take away his left-side angle, the ball had still squeezed through the tiny gap between the antenna and the blockers, landing just inside the sideline.

"Goshiki-senpai is amazing!" Kamihara couldn't help but admire.

"Really?" Goshiki tried to keep his voice calm, but internally, he was thrilled. "Let's go again!"

"Yes!"

Kamihara tossed the ball for his next serve.

Boom!

Whack!

"Out!"

Trying to add more power after his previous serves were ineffective, Kamihara ended up hitting the ball out of bounds.

[Aoba Johsai 2 – 4 Shiratorizawa]

"Sorry!" Kamihara immediately apologized. After just a little over a week of training, Shiratorizawa's freshmen were already growing wary of their seemingly mild-mannered captain.

"Don't worry about it. Keep attacking aggressively—you're doing fine," Shirabu reassured him calmly.

"Yes!"

The serve switched sides, and Aoba Johsai finally regained control.

Yūki stepped up to the service line. Unlike Kamihara, he was well aware of his own weaknesses. Serving wasn't his strong suit, but that didn't mean he would hold back.

Bam!

Yūki used an overhand standing serve, targeting Kamihara.

Smack!

Kamihara received the ball, and Shirabu quickly stepped in to set it toward the middle.

"Oh, this guy's pretty good," Kaedehara Taichi chuckled from the sidelines. "Technically solid."

Boom!—

Kawanishi Taichi used a delayed attack to shake off the front-row blockers before spiking cross-court.

Smack!

The ball struck Yūki's arm and ricocheted out of bounds.

Point for Kawanishi Taichi.

[Aoba Johsai 2 – 5 Shiratorizawa]

Shiratorizawa was completely in control of the game.

"Coach." Kaedehara Taichi leaned in toward Irihata.

"Get ready to go in." Irihata glanced at the bench.

On the court, Goshiki, Shirabu, and Kawanishi all turned their heads the moment they noticed movement from Aoba Johsai's substitutes.

"Tweet!—"

"Aoba Johsai requests a substitution."

"So they finally couldn't hold back, huh?" Goshiki muttered, eyes filled with anticipation.

"Watari Shinji OUT, Nakamori Daiki IN."

Shiratorizawa players: "???"

Instead of putting in Kaedehara Taichi, they subbed in another first-year?!!

As the 168 cm-tall Nakamori Daiki took his position in the back row, even Washijō Tanji glanced over at Irihata with suspicion.

"That old fox…is he just trying to mess with our players' heads again? Hmph—!"

On the court, Nakamori took a deep breath. This was his first real practice match—finally, a taste of true competition.

"Senpai, go ahead and attack without worry." Nakamori beamed. "We're going to catch up!"

His confident smile immediately put his teammates at ease. Besides, everyone was looking forward to seeing what he could do.

Ever since the red-and-white match, where he had been able to receive Kaedehara Taichi's spikes, and throughout recent training sessions, where Taichi had personally guided him through indoor volleyball's speed, power, and spin—no one in Aoba Johsai knew exactly how much he had improved.

"Alright, let's test you out then!" Goshiki balanced the ball on his palm, aligning his gaze with the ball and Nakamori in a straight line.

Shiratorizawa was just as curious to see what impact this libero substitution would have.

Goshiki tossed the ball into the air, took three steps, and swung his arm forward.

Boom!—

The serve traced a perfect arc, flying toward the right side of Aoba Johsai's backcourt.

Nakamori moved in a flash.

Smack!

On the sidelines, Watari Shinji's eyes narrowed. Is this what natural talent looks like?

Nakamori's reception was smooth and effortless. From the moment the ball touched his forearm, to the way he absorbed its impact, and finally, the soft rebound as he directed the ball precisely to the setter—

It was seamless.

A flawless pass.

"That kind of coordination…It's honestly unfair," Kunimi muttered. Now he understood why Kaedehara Taichi saw something special in this guy.

This was what it meant to be a genius.

You could see it at first glance.

Kunimi jumped in the middle, and the only one on Shiratorizawa's side who reacted in time was Kawanishi Taichi.

Boom!

Kunimi sent the ball past the block, scoring.

[Aoba Johsai 3 – 5 Shiratorizawa]

A libero couldn't score points directly.

But a single good reception could determine the entire quality of a team's offence.

"Daiki! Nice receive!"

Kaedehara Taichi gave a wide grin from the sidelines, flashing a thumbs-up.

_________

[T/N] - If you guys want to read 50 Chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on my Patreon. Trust me, it's awesome!

Link - (P)atreon.com/Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]