Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 346: The Ultimate Attack Called a Serve (D-L)

Sarukui Fūto's growth rate far exceeded that of his peers.

Ever since elementary school, when he first watched his older brother, Sarukui Yamato, play volleyball, Fūto had been captivated by the sport. Not only had he inherited his brother's athletic talent, but his sense of the game was also exceptional.

On top of that, he had built a strong foundation early on, surpassing even his brother in terms of physical ability.

Every day, Fūto practised with his brother, starting from mimicking his movements to gradually developing his own unique volleyball style. By his third year of junior high, his height had already edged past Yamato's, and even their skill levels were nearly on par.

A national semifinalist as a first-year, then leading his team to consecutive championship victories in his second and third years.

Sarukui Fūto's pride was built upon proven strength.

Which was why, at this moment, he stood frozen in place, his face filled with disbelief.

Blocking, receiving, even the difficult set from Akaashi-senpai just now—none of these had been a problem. And yet, the one to make a mistake in the end…was himself?

Logically speaking, even a high schooler shouldn't have been able to catch up to his speed so easily—

The guy who had once defeated his brother was looking at him now with an irritatingly smug smile.

"You had two other guys with you, didn't you?" Kaedehara Taichi asked with a grin. "National champion in junior high, huh? I've got to say, that's an enviable record. I never managed to get one myself."

"Don't pay attention to him," Akaashi Keiji said as he returned to his position.

"Getting blocked is a normal part of the game. Every player experiences it." His voice was calm and steady. "Focus. Let's take the next point."

"Yes!"

Fūto nodded seriously. The match had only just begun.

-----

Serve change. Aoba Johsai to serve.

"You're probably thinking, 'The match has only just begun,' aren't you?" Kaedehara Taichi muttered nonchalantly as he walked to the service line.

"Tweet!—"

The whistle blew, and the volleyball was tossed lightly into the air.

Taichi took a slow approach, jumping just as the ball dropped into position. His body extended in a perfect arc, and his left arm swung from behind with a sharp, forceful motion. The moment his palm made contact, the ball seemed to warp against the impact—then it shot across the court like a bolt of lightning.

BANG!!!

A powerful gust of wind rushed past his ears, and first-year libero Fujimiya Yoshio stood rooted to the spot.

He had heard from Akaashi-senpai about how to handle Kaedehara Taichi's serves—powerful jump serves, floating jump serves, and ambidextrous attacks. All of it sounded like a headache to deal with. But in the end, a serve was still a serve. It could be received, no matter how long it took to adjust to it.

After all, he'd never heard of anyone winning 25 points off just their serve before.

That was what Fujimiya Yoshio had thought.

"Tweet!—"

Kaedehara Taichi, service ace!

[Aoba Johsai 2 – 1 Fukurodani]

Fujimiya stared at the faint white mark near his feet.

From the toss to the approach, even up until the moment before Taichi struck the ball—it had all looked normal. In fact, just as Akaashi-senpai had warned, he had correctly identified it as a left-handed power jump serve.

Then, in the very next instant, the ball vanished from his vision.

"Is this…really something I can even receive?" Fujimiya muttered, uncertainty flickering in his eyes.

"Tweet!—"

The whistle blew again.

Kaedehara Taichi served his second ball.

BANG!!!

The ball zipped past once more.

"I got it!"

The voice belonged to Fukurodani's second-year, Nakamura Tomohisa. Last year, he had only been able to watch from the bench as his upperclassmen fought against Aoba Johsai. This was his first time facing Kaedehara Taichi on the court.

"I won't have any regrets!"

Smack!

The ball struck Nakamura's arm—

"Oh? You actually managed to react," Kaedehara mused.

—but it flew out of bounds.

Kaedehara Taichi, service ace!

[Aoba Johsai 3 – 1 Fukurodani]

Even though it stung, Akaashi Keiji knew deep down that winning this first set against Aoba Johsai was an impossible task for Fukurodani.

Only two players on their side had experienced Kaedehara's serves firsthand. The rest would need time to adjust.

The only silver lining was that this was just a practice match. They still had many opportunities to improve.

Kaedehara Taichi's expression was unreadable as he gazed at Akaashi.

Practice matches were a chance to learn about one's opponents, true.

But Aoba Johsai's goal was to plant an unshakable seed of defeat in their hearts.

"Struggle with everything you've got."

Taichi tossed the ball into the air once more.

BANG!!!

The third serve landed between Fujimiya Yoshio and Nakamura Tomohisa.

"I can see it now!"

Fujimiya moved to his left—only to realize that Nakamura was also heading for the ball.

They locked eyes, both hesitating at the last moment.

Thud!

The ball bounced off the ground between them.

Kaedehara Taichi, service ace!

[Aoba Johsai 4 – 1 Fukurodani]

"What are you guys thinking?! Call for the ball when you're receiving!"

"—Yes!"

Kaedehara Taichi muttered to himself, "I'm feeling pretty good today."

Nearby, Kunimi Akira scoffed and rolled his eyes. "As if you ever have an off day."

At this rate, Fukurodani's players were in for a rough time.

Taichi spun the ball in his hands before pointing a single finger at Fujimiya.

"Firstie, let me train you properly."

He tossed the ball, took a running start, and leapt into the air—

"He's switching to his right hand?" Fujimiya's eyes widened as he watched Kaedehara's motion.

BOOM!!!—

Thud!

Fujimiya barely caught the moment the ball hit the ground.

It was even faster than before!

Kaedehara Taichi, service ace!

[Aoba Johsai 5 – 1 Fukurodani]

Had they already run out of options?

A heavy tension settled over Fukurodani's side of the court.

Even if this was just a practice match, failing to receive even a single serve—what was the point of playing at all?

"Akaashi! Coach! Let me play!" Bokuto Kōtarō pleaded desperately from the sidelines.

At the same time, Coach Takeyuki furrowed his brows. Against Aoba Johsai, overcoming their serves was a necessity.

"Bokuto, don't you trust your teammates?"

"Huh? Of course, I do." Bokuto blinked, caught off guard. He just wanted to play, that was all…

"Then believe that they'll overcome this on their own. That's the only way they'll grow."

"…I see…"

"Now, watch them carefully."

"…Right…"

Bokuto: "???" But I just wanna play…

-----

"Akaashi-senpai! Let me move to the back row and help with the receive!"

Sarukui Fūto couldn't hold back any longer. If this continued, the score gap would only widen!

Akaashi hesitated. Taichi had only shown his power jump serve so far, and Fukurodani's back row was already struggling.

But if they weakened their front-line defence—

Kaedehara Taichi wasn't someone with only one weapon.

"Akaashi-senpai!" Fūto called again.

Akaashi let out a sigh. Fine. If nothing else, a practice match was the time to make mistakes.

"…Go ahead and try."

"Yes!"

Fūto moved to the back row, while Akaashi and Onaga each widened their receiving ranges.

"You ready?" Taichi asked cheerfully.

"That bastard…" Fūto locked eyes with him. "Bring it on!"

Kaedehara smirked. He tossed the ball lightly into the air.

BANG!!!

The trajectory of the ball was straight, and with Sarukui Fūto's quick reflexes, he only needed to shift slightly to position himself in front of it.

Smack!

The volleyball struck Sarukui's arm and deflected out of bounds.

[Aoba Johsai 6 – 1 Fukurodani]

"So this is the spin from a left-handed serve?" Sarukui's expression carried a faint trace of excitement. "One more time!"

He would definitely receive the next one!

Coach Takeyuki closed his eyes in resignation. There was no need to call a timeout—this first set might as well serve as receive training.

Taichi blinked, then broke into a familiar mischievous grin.

"This brat really thinks I'm just his practice dummy, huh?"

Taichi served for the sixth time.

Bang!—

"Wait—no!"

Sarukui, who had been preparing to receive from the back row, suddenly dashed forward.

This time, it was a jump float serve aimed at the front row!

Tap, tap, tap…

The ball landed on the court. Another ace.

Taichi had now scored six consecutive points on serve.

[Aoba Johsai 7 – 1 Fukurodani]

"Oi, kid, are you even trying?" Taichi teased, his tone laced with amusement. Then, as if something had suddenly dawned on him, his expression lit up.

"Ohhh, I get it now! This is how you're trying to surprise me, huh?"

"You've gifted me six points already—how generous~"

"You—!" Sarukui clenched his fists, his chest rising and falling sharply in frustration.

"Sarukui, focus," Akaashi Keiji's calm voice cut in.

"Akaashi-senpai really is a true captain, huh? So composed." Taichi chuckled.

But Akaashi refused to engage in conversation. Composed? Even he wasn't sure about that himself. His gaze drifted to the sidelines, where Bokuto Kōtarō was watching with a tense expression.

"Bokuto-senpai, Komi-senpai, Washio-senpai, Konoha-senpai, Sarukui-senpai…"

Now, Fukurodani's only remaining third-year was Akaashi. There were no upperclassmen left behind him to rely on.

That was why—he could not waver.

Clap, clap, clap…

Akaashi clapped his hands, drawing his teammates' attention.

"Don't dwell on it! Stay calm! Let's take the next point!"

"Yes!!!"

It didn't matter if they lost the first set. As long as they could handle Kaedehara Taichi's serve, Fukurodani would have taken a huge step forward.

-----

Bang!—

The ball wobbled in mid-air, barely crossing the net before dropping sharply.

Sarukui rushed forward to receive.

Smack!

The ball grazed his fingertips and veered off to the right.

Another service ace for Taichi.

[Aoba Johsai 10 – 1 Fukurodani]

Just then, Taichi signalled toward the sideline.

"Tweet!—"

Aoba Johsai requests a substitution—Shishin Tochi IN, Kaedehara Taichi OUT.

As Taichi walked off the court, he suddenly paused as if remembering something. Turning back, his bright smile was almost dazzling.

"Welcome to high school, junior champions."

Crack!

Sarukui swore he heard something shatter within him.

-----

The first set's outcome was no longer in question.

After Shishido served, Coach Irihata subbed in Yamabuki Yūjin for the next rally.

Even so, Fukurodani couldn't make much of a comeback.

Sarukui struggled throughout, his performance riddled with errors, and the entire team's energy grew increasingly heavy.

[Aoba Johsai 25 – 16 Fukurodani]

With Taichi absent from the court, the first set ended quickly.

-----

"Bokuto, you're going in for the next set," Coach Takeyuki said flatly.

At this rate, there was no point in calling it a "practice match." What Fukurodani needed now was an ace to step up and lead them forward—something Sarukui Fūto clearly wasn't capable of yet.

"Is now the right time?" This time, it was Bokuto who hesitated.

"There's no better option," Coach Takeyuki said slowly. "Bokuto, you have to win."

"No problem!"

Watching Bokuto's broad back—now even more defined and muscular after training with a professional team—Coach Anro suddenly felt reassured.

Maybe I should have let Bokuto play from the start. There's no better way to pass on Fukurodani's legacy than having its ace set the example.

-----

The teams switched sides, and the second set was about to begin.

Fukurodani's lineup:

Front row—Outside Hitter Bokuto Kōtarō, Middle Blocker Onaga Wataru, Setter Akaashi Keiji.

Back row—Outside Hitter Naganohara Yukawa, Middle Blocker Takeshima Kanjitsu (Libero: Fujimiya Yoshiro) and Outside Hitter Sarukui Fūto.

Aoba Johsai's lineup:

Front row—Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi, Middle Blocker Yūki Yōji, Setter Yahaba Shigeru.

Back row—Outside Hitter Kunimi Akira, Middle Blocker Kindaichi Yūtarō (Libero: Nakamori Daiki) and Outside Hitter Kyōtani Kentarō.

"Taichi, we finally get to go head-to-head again," Bokuto grinned. "I've seen some really interesting players in the pro league, you know."

"I'm looking forward to it," Taichi replied, his gaze flickering toward Sarukui. "After all, playing against kids is just boring."

Sarukui shut his eyes.

Even with Bokuto now on the court, he was still the one assigned to mark Kaedehara Taichi.

Aoba Johsai had the first serve. Kyōtani Kentarō stepped up to the line.

Fukurodani's players visibly exhaled. If they had to start the set dealing with Taichi's serves again, they might've developed actual trauma.

"Hmph!"

Kyōtani tossed the ball up, ran forward, jumped, and struck.

Boom!!!—

"I got it!"

Sarukui lunged forward.

They had learned from the first set—Aoba Johsai's dangerous servers weren't limited to Taichi.

Smack!

The ball soared high.

"Cover!"

Akaashi adjusted his position. With Bokuto now on court, he instinctively knew exactly what to do next.

"Left wing!"

Bokuto raised his right hand and shouted.

Whoosh—!

The ball flew toward the left wing without any attempt to disguise it. Bokuto had already started his approach from the back row.

Thud!

"Three-man block!"

Taichi, Yūki, and Yahaba all jumped simultaneously.

Yūki widened his eyes, eager to see how the renowned ace would execute his attack.

BOOM!!!—

The ball shot through the air like a laser, slipping past all three blockers.

Smack!

No one even touched it. It landed between the three-meter line and the net.

A super tight-angle spike!

Bokuto Kōtarō scores!

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

[Aoba Johsai 0 – 1 Fukurodani]

"Hey! Hey!! HEY!!!"

With just one hit, Bokuto seemed to have swept away Fukurodani's gloom.

He's so strong—!

Sarukui's eyes shone. If he could reach this level, he could face Kaedehara Taichi head-on!

Meanwhile, on the opposite side, Nakamori Daiki stared at the ball's landing spot with a heavy expression.

That sharp diagonal…It fell at least a meter in front of the three-meter line. Not even Taichi or Kyōtani have hit at this angle before!

"You've gotten stronger, Bokuto-senpai," Taichi said with a grin.

"Hahaha!" Bokuto laughed heartily. "I've been training hard, after all!"

"Taichi, let me show you my serve next!"

Kaedehara Taichi chuckled. "Unfortunately, Bokuto-senpai's serve probably won't come my way." He then turned to Nakamori Daiki, his smirk deepening. "Daiki, it's not every day you get to experience a live lesson from Bokuto-senpai. Make sure to treasure the opportunity."

"Of course."

Nakamori Daiki crouched slightly, preparing to receive. He had barely touched the ball in the first set—of course, he was itching to get involved now.

Both Sarukui Fūto and Nakamori Daiki were considered prodigies of their year, yet they could never see eye to eye.

The serve rotated, and Bokuto Kōtarō stepped up to the service line.

If possible, he wanted to rack up points just like Taichi had. No, he had to surpass him—if Taichi had scored nine, then he would aim for ten!

With his goal set in his heart, Bokuto gave a firm nod.

"Tweet!—"

The referee's whistle blew.

Bokuto Kōtarō gently tossed the ball into the air…

_________

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