Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 424: Lingering Shadow (Triple-Length)

"Ohhh! Even though the American team looks big and tough, we're not losing out at all!"

"Hmph, this is exactly what you'd expect from Miya Atsumu and Taichi! Look at that—they didn't react at all!"

"Their offence is scary, sure, but our defence is famously annoying, heh!"

After the initial shock wore off, the audience realised that Team Japan wasn't at a disadvantage against the Americans. The difference seemed to lie solely in height and strength. In terms of technique, since both sides were composed of high school players, there wasn't much separating them.

"Tweet!—"

The whistle for service rang out.

Hirugami Sachirō launched a powerful jump serve.

The sharply spinning ball rocketed toward the American back row.

Thwack!

Taylor Sander failed to receive cleanly, the ball ricocheting out toward the baseline.

"Cover it!"

Erik Shoji quickly shifted into position, barely managing to send the ball back to the net.

Torey DeFalco leapt up for the spike.

"Triple block!" Hyakuzawa Yūdai, Kaedehara Taichi, and Hoshiumi Kōrai all jumped in unison.

Erik Shoji's pass from beyond the baseline was too low, and Japan's triple block was perfectly in place in front of DeFalco.

These guys...their vertical jump is better than I expected...

Instinctively seeking out Hoshiumi's position, DeFalco swung toward that side—

BOOM!!!—

—Smack!

"What?!"

Before the block had gone up, Taichi and Hoshiumi had switched places.

The ball slammed right into Taichi's firmly-pressed arms. The block didn't budge an inch—it was like striking a wall of iron.

The ball dropped back into the American court.

Thud!

Japan scored off the block!

[Japan 4 – 2 USA]

"A-A block?! Japan scores the first block point!" the commentator cried in disbelief.

Despite being nearly ten centimetres shorter on average, Japan had scored off a block—an even more exhilarating feat than a spike.

"That's Taichi for you!"

"Because America's last attack blew right through Hoshiumi's block, they instinctively targeted him again this time."

"Hmph, too bad Taichi anticipated that."

"But he only managed to pull it off because the front row block created serious pressure. The U.S. probably didn't expect that anything less than a perfect spike would get followed so tightly."

Japan served again.

Hirugami's second serve flew.

BOOM!!

Smack!

This time, the Americans were clearly more focused. Ethan Champlin received cleanly.

Micah Ma'a, in the front row, jumped and set the ball.

Torey DeFalco and David Smith both launched attacks from opposite sides.

Japan's blockers were instantly spread out. Against America's speed and verticality, they had no confidence they could chase down a spike after predicting the setter's direction.

Bang!

A second attack!

Micah Ma'a twisted his body midair and spiked the ball himself!

Smack!

The ball struck the upward-tilted hand of Hoshiumi Kōrai.

This little shorty again?!!

Ma'a hadn't expected his dump to be read so easily. Especially since that little shrimp was so hard to spot visually.

"First touch!" Hoshiumi shouted.

Smack!

Sakuza Kiyoomi smoothly passed the ball, a perfect first touch.

Miya Atsumu was already under it. Kaedehara Taichi had already taken to the air.

"Not good!"

"It's that move again!"

"No way!"

Middle blocker David Smith was laser-focused. Japan's core attacker was obvious, and now that they were aware of Taichi's speed, it was only natural for the Americans to lock in on him.

"Double block!"

Micah Ma'a also responded instantly. Even as a setter, his 190cm height still made him a viable blocker.

BOOM!!!

But the ball blasted past David Smith's right side.

Smack!

It deflected off Ethan Champlin's arm and flew out of bounds.

Kaedehara Taichi scored with a spike!

[Japan 5 – 2 USA]

"To think they could adjust the attack even at that speed..."

"America's stuck in a rotation…"

Japan's consecutive points had already opened a gap right from the start!

"What a joke," Aaron Russell muttered flatly, then glanced toward the bench.

Sure, they were just playing around, but a match was never something to lose.

"Don't be so tense, Aaron." Matt Anderson still wore a casual smile. "The match just started, right?"

"We should be happy," he continued, "These Japanese high schoolers seem to have some professional-level skill. At least the game won't be boring, don't you think?"

"Evaluating the opponent is also a key part of competition," said Micah Christenson. "Underestimating them only leads to consequences."

"Calling your own teammates useless without acknowledging the opponent's excellence—"

"Aaron, that's arrogance."

Aaron Russell listened to Christenson quietly. He acknowledged him as a worthy opponent.

"I only recognise those equal in strength to me. If I have to pay a price, then let that be their reward for standing in front of me."

On the court, the Americans' expressions had clearly changed after those successive points. The confident smiles were gone, replaced by furrowed brows and simmering frustration.

They weren't exactly the warmest group of teammates either—the atmosphere was tense and ready to explode.

Torey DeFalco's eyes turned razor-sharp as he glared at his setter. Without holding back, he snapped, "Ma'a, stop doing unnecessary things. Just give me the damn ball."

"Understood."

This bastard...he'd never say that to Christenson! Micah Ma'a thought bitterly, fists clenched tight enough that his knuckles turned white. His body trembled faintly.

"Ethan, even that straight-on ball went flying. One more screw-up and you're getting benched." Taylor Sander didn't sugarcoat it.

"I got it," Ethan Champlin mumbled with his head down.

Thank God this was just a friendly match in Japan—if more Americans were watching, he'd want to dig a hole and hide in it.

Trailing by three points right at the start…unacceptable.

-----

Meanwhile, Team Japan was riding high.

"They're not as scary as they looked…"

After the string of points, Kaedehara Taichi could clearly feel the team starting to relax a little.

Japan continued to serve.

Hirugami fired off his third serve.

BOOM!!

Smack!

Ethan Champlin received the ball, Micah Ma'a quickly moved in for the set.

Torey DeFalco ran up the left sideline and took off.

Thud!

"Terrifying…"

"Triple block!" Hyakuzawa, Hoshiumi, and Taichi jumped together.

BOOM!!!

Smack!

The ball blasted over the top of the three-man block and slammed off Hirugami's right arm in the back row, flying out of bounds.

A violent cross-court blast that went right over the blockers.

Torey DeFalco claimed the point with overwhelming force.

[Japan 5 – 3 USA]

Service change. Team USA to serve.

Torey DeFalco tossed the ball, took his approach, leapt, and struck.

Compared to earlier, Team USA's serve didn't pose much threat—Miya Atsumu received the ball cleanly.

Hoshiumi Kōrai moved to the front and jumped to set the ball.

Hyakuzawa Yūdai and Kaedehara Taichi launched their attacks simultaneously from the left and right sides.

Whoosh!—

The volleyball flew toward the right. Kaedehara Taichi jumped up to spike.

"Double block!" David Smith and Ethan Champlin both leapt to intercept.

—BOOM!!!

The volleyball shot past the top of Ethan Champlin's block, slammed hard onto Team USA's backline, and bounced out.

Kaedehara Taichi scored with a spike over the block!

[Japan 6 – 3 USA]

Service change. Team Japan to serve.

"Taichi! Taichi! Awesome spike!"

"Taichi! Taichi! What a jump!"

Waves of cheers erupted from the crowd, drawing glances from the American players.

Eric Shoji turned his head toward the back, where a faint white mark lingered on the endline from the ball just now.

"That guy…His spike speed and power have clearly increased…"

Suddenly—

"OHHHHH!!"

"Hahaha…!"

"That guy finally snapped, huh?!"

A buzz ran through the crowd. Eric Shoji noticed the audience's attention seemed to converge on him, though he didn't yet understand why.

When Eric looked forward again, he was met with a pair of smiling eyes.

Kaedehara Taichi stood on the Japanese service line, holding the ball in one hand and pointing directly at Eric Shoji.

"Let's see how well you can receive this."

"This guy…is provoking me?" Eric Shoji let out an incredulous laugh. "Should I say this is what you get from a high schooler who's never played pro? Provoking the opposing libero in the middle of a match? Seriously…"

He widened his stance slightly, leaned forward, and lowered his centre of gravity—completely focused and ready to receive.

"If he thinks a left-handed serve makes him invincible, I'll show him what reality looks like."

"Tweet!—"

The whistle blew just as the ball was tossed into the air. Kaedehara Taichi charged forward, staying under the ball—and at the exact moment it began to fall from its peak—

Thump!

Taichi jumped.

"That takeoff? Wait, it's not a left-handed serve?!"

Eric Shoji instinctively adjusted his position.

"Did I overestimate him—?"

BOOOM!!!—

A sonic boom rang out—the volleyball became a blur.

To the audience, the ball seemed to vanish. One moment it was at Kaedehara Taichi's palm, the next, it slammed down on Team USA's baseline.

Eric Shoji hadn't even begun to move. The breeze stirred by the ball's flight ruffled his hair—and it was only then that he reacted.

Kaedehara Taichi with a monstrous service ace!

[Japan 7 – 3 USA]

"This guy—"

"No way?!"

Even the American bench couldn't stay seated. The smile on Matt Anderson's face disappeared for the first time.

"How fast was that?" Aaron Russell's voice remained steady, but his tone betrayed unease. "120? Or 130?"

"Not quite 130 km/h. Roughly 125," Micah Christenson replied, arms crossed and fingers drumming against his forearm. "The good news? Looks like Coach won't wait until Set 2 to send us in."

"So fast!!"

"The camera couldn't even catch it!"

"The first ace of the match goes to Team Japan's Kaedehara Taichi!!!"

Even Komori Motoya was certain of one thing: he'd never seen Taichi serve at that speed before.

Taichi rotated his right shoulder slightly—he might've used too much power. For a split second, he felt a loss of strength.

"Damn, I wanted to hit a few more like that."

Although he enjoyed the shock on his opponents' faces, only Kaedehara Taichi himself knew that he had lost some control on that serve. He had aimed for the space between Eric Shoji and Taylor Sander, closer to the front—but the ball had veered behind them instead.

Fortunately, it barely kissed the line.

"Lucky." He deliberately said it in English.

Team USA quickly adjusted their formation. Ethan Champlin dropped back to the far-right edge of the court in the back row.

Four-man receive.

They now saw Kaedehara Taichi as a true professional-level threat.

Team Japan continued to serve.

Taichi tossed the ball, approached, leapt, and struck.

BOOM!!!

This time, a powerful left-handed jump serve.

The ball was clearly slower than before.

Smack!

Torey DeFalco received the ball.

"Save it!"

Aaron Russell—also a left-handed spiker—managed to read the serve thanks to his experience in American matches, even though their training time in Japan over the past six days had totalled less than a day.

Micah Ma'a dove to keep the ball in play, barely returning it to the front. David Smith jumped to make an offensive adjustment.

"Triple block!" Sakusa Kiyoomi, Hyakuzawa Yūdai, and Hoshiumi Kōrai jumped together.

"Persistent!"

Team USA rarely used triple blocks—they usually didn't need to, given their height and defensive pressure. Japan's insistence on triple-blocking, even when it seemed excessive, was baffling.

BOOM!!

Smack!

"One touch!" Sakusa shouted.

Kosugi Motoya made an easy receive, and Miya Atsumu rushed in to set.

All three Japanese front-row players launched at once.

"What the hell?!"

Atsumu's setting posture was flawless—completely unreadable.

Whoosh!—

To the Americans' surprise, the ball flew to the right side—precisely where they least expected it.

THUD!

Hoshiumi Kōrai leapt to spike.

Ethan Champlin jumped to block—"Something's off!!!"

Hoshiumi seemed to soar with wings. His spike height was no less than that of David Smith earlier.

BOOM!

The ball arced perfectly through the air, descending sharply toward the back-left corner of Team USA's court.

Smack!

Torey DeFalco jumped up and made the save midair.

Hoshiumi's eyes widened—that spike should've gone clean over the back-row defenders, but somehow it had been neutralised midair.

Micah Ma'a repositioned and instantly sent the ball high to the middle.

Whoosh!—

BOOM!!!

Before Sakusa and Hyakuzawa's block reached its peak, the ball had already bounced behind them.

David Smith scored with a quick spike.

[Japan 7 – 4 USA]

"Even in that situation, he managed to set up a middle quick attack…this guy's setting is by no means bad at all…"

Miya Atsumu stared fixedly at Micah Ma'a.

Though the latter wasn't considered a standout player on Team USA, his individual skills were anything but weak.

The serve switched. Team USA to serve.

The American players quietly breathed a sigh of relief, only to feel irritated with themselves for fearing Kaedehara Taichi's serve.

Micah Ma'a launched into a powerful jump serve, aiming straight at Kaedehara Taichi.

Smack!

Taichi received it with ease. A perfect first touch.

Atsumu jumped and set the ball. Once again, all three front-row attackers for Team Japan initiated their run-up at the same time.

"Still haven't learned their lesson."

Team USA didn't bother to adjust their defensive strategy. One-on-one man-to-man was more than enough, or so they thought.

Fwoosh!—

The ball arced toward the right wing once more. Hoshiumi Kōrai's eyes lit up.

"Reckless setting," Micah Ma'a muttered, frowning.

As a fellow setter, he acknowledged Atsumu's technique. But in terms of decision-making, the guy was laughably naive. When Kaedehara Taichi had been in the front row, Atsumu had repeatedly set to him. Now that he wasn't, he just blindly fed everything to that jumpy little bean.

"Double block!" Ethan Champlin and Taylor Sander leapt simultaneously.

Team USA had adjusted faster this time. Two blockers now loomed before Hoshiumi. Though surprised, this should be the end of the line.

Even the American back-row crept forward slightly in case of a tip.

And that—

That single step forward—

Boom!!—

Smack!

The ball skimmed the very tips of Taylor Sander's fingers and flew far toward the back corner.

"Dig it!"

Erik Shoji twisted around, racing toward the sideline.

Thud!

The ball hit the floor just as Shoji dove forward, his outstretched hand missing it by barely an inch.

Off the block and out of bounds!

Hoshiumi Kōrai scores!

[Japan 8 – 4 USA]

"Hoshiumi Kōrai—!!"

"The Little Giant fears no giants!"

USA's head coach, Karch Kiraly, snatched up his tactical board and furiously began scribbling. These idiots who had underestimated their opponents had thrown all his strategy into disarray. His face darkened visibly.

Serve switch. Team Japan to serve.

Hoshiumi tossed the ball into the air, sprinted forward, jumped, and smashed it.

BOOM!

The volleyball cut through the air like a meteor, leaving a stunning arc in its wake.

—"Mine!"

Micah Ma'a and Torey DeFalco both called out.

They hesitated for a split second. Ultimately, Torey DeFalco stepped left to receive it.

"Wait, no—it's going out!"

DeFalco hesitated again.

Thud!

The ball plummeted right at the baseline—barely touching the line.

Line shot.

Hoshiumi scored another service ace!

[Japan 9 – 4 USA]

"Challenge! I want a challenge!"

DeFalco shouted toward Coach Kiraly.

From his perspective, most of the ball had landed beyond the line. There was no way the opposing team could be that lucky.

"Tweet!—"

But instead of a challenge, the referee's whistle signalled a substitution.

"Team USA has requested substitutions."

"Torey DeFalco OUT, Garrett Muagututia IN."

"Ethan Champlin OUT, Aaron Russell IN."

"David Smith OUT, Jeff Jendryk IN."

Just like that, the Americans swapped out three players.

(Note: Each team is allowed a maximum of six substitutions per set in volleyball.)

"Torey, don't talk nonsense," Aaron Russell said coldly.

"Sit down and reflect on your mistake."

Though Team USA was five points behind, the moment these three stepped onto the court, the anxious tension hanging over their side vanished completely.

No—

It wasn't really all three of them.

The players' eyes were obviously fixed on just one: Team USA's ace wing spiker—Aaron Russell.

The Japan squad immediately felt a shift in pressure. The reason was simple. Physically speaking, both Aaron Russell and Jeff Jendryk were over 2 meters tall. Even Sakusa Kiyoomi now found himself dwarfed by them.

Kaedehara Taichi glanced at the data of the three new entrants, his expression hardening.

[Aaron Russell—Outside Hitter:Height: 207 cm

Serve: 92 | Receive: 85 | Dig: 78 | Set: 88 | Spike: 95| Block: 88

Spike Reach: 363 cm /Block Reach: 333 cm.]

Torey DeFalco's maximum spike reach had been 366 cm, yet his spike rating hadn't hit 95. That alone proved this spiker's power went far beyond just height…

[Jeff Jendryk—Middle Blocker:Height: 208 cm

Serve: 80 | Receive: 70 | Dig: 62 | Set: 60 | Spike: 93| Block: 90

Spike Reach: 358 cm /Block Reach: 337 cm.]

With just one substitution, Team USA's front row had gained 10 more centimetres in height. Now, even Sakusa was being stared down from above.

[Garrett Muagututia—Opposite Hitter:Height: 196 cm

Serve: 88 | Receive: 90 | Dig: 88 | Set: 88 | Spike: 88| Block: 84

Spike Reach: 346 cm /Block Reach: 320 cm.]

Clearly a support-style opposite hitter.

DeFalco had already been a huge threat to Team Japan. With his 366 cm spike reach, as long as the first pass was clean, Japan couldn't limit him at the net. Originally, him rotating to the back row had reduced the danger. Yet unexpectedly, they still chose to swap him out.

With the substitutions complete, the match resumed.

Hoshiumi served again.

BOOM!

This time, the ball flew between Garrett Muagututia and Erik Shoji.

"Mine!"

Shoji shouted, sliding over to receive.

Muagututia didn't even move. From the start, he hadn't planned to touch this serve. If the ball dropped, it would just be the libero's error—not his.

Smack!

The ball flew high into the air.

Only then did Muagututia move.

"Aaron!"

With that call, the ball soared high over the middle. Aaron Russell took his approach and jumped.

"Triple block!" Atsumu, Sakusa, and Hyakuzawa all went up.

"Left-handed spike!" Kaedehara Taichi shouted.

BOOM!!!

"Probably an over-the-block swing…No way it'd be that fast otherwise…" Taichi realised.

The ball struck his arm and deflected out of bounds.

Aaron Russell scores!

[Japan 9 – 5 USA]

_________

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