Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 450: He Doesn’t Deserve It (Double-Length)

"…As expected, we're no match for Taichi at all," Nakashima Takeru said with a wry smile.

Even though he had mentally prepared himself for this outcome, Nakashima still felt complicated emotions when the match finally ended.

[DESEO Hornets 25 - 18 Kiniro Sports Jumpers]

[DESEO Hornets 25 - 16 Kiniro Sports Jumpers]

[DESEO Hornets 25 - 20 Kiniro Sports Jumpers]

In just an hour and a half, DH Club had swept Kiniro Club 3-0 with ease.

Unlike the friendly match against Nagoya University, DH may have held back a little against Kiniro—another professional league team—but they weren't about to hand over even a single set.

"Thanks for the match!" The players bowed to each other respectfully.

"Taichi, I'm really glad I got the chance to face you again," Nakashima said earnestly. "It felt like being back in high school—everyone going all-out for the win. Only this time, you've gotten way too strong."

"I'm also happy to share the court with you again, Senpai," Kaedehara Taichi replied sincerely.

No matter what position Nakashima played, that pure love for volleyball had never changed.

"I hope you can make it to the V2 or even the V1 League soon. I'd love to see you again on an even bigger stage."

Nakashima nodded firmly. "I will!"

"Taichi, keep doing your best," said Ōhira Reon, patting him on the shoulder. His tone was full of emotion. "Last year, when we ran into Wakatoshi, he mentioned that V1 didn't have anyone as interesting as you. Said it made things a little boring."

"Huh? Ushijima-senpai would say something like that?" Taichi blinked in surprise.

"Oh, that's what Tendō translated it as," Ōhira said. "But Wakatoshi didn't deny it, so he probably really meant it."

"Heh, I'll make sure Ushijima-senpai doesn't get bored then," Taichi grinned like a fox.

"By the way, I ran into Shirabu-senpai at Nagoya University last week," Taichi added. "But it seemed like he hadn't even joined the school's volleyball club."

"I know," Ōhira laughed. "He sent us a picture of you sitting on the bench. Said he didn't even get the chance to snap a photo of you playing because you were subbed out after just two points."

"Ahem." Taichi scratched his head sheepishly.

"Wakatoshi's on Schweiden Adlers, so you probably won't face him until an official match. But Hayato's on the V2 team Hiashi Automotive Lions. You might run into him during a practice match," Ōhira continued, filling Taichi in on how the Shiratorizawa guys were doing. "Everyone's looking forward to playing you again."

"They're not all out for Goshiki's revenge, are they?" Taichi joked.

"Haha, if anyone's going to avenge Goshiki, it's gotta be Goshiki himself. When he heard you suddenly went pro, he was down for quite a while."

"I thought he'd be happy. I mean, it increases his chances of making nationals," Taichi said with a mischievous grin. "Oh, and Senpai, tell Goshiki he can come challenge me after he's led Shiratorizawa to a national championship."

Ōhira gave a helpless smile. Winning the prefectural championship might be more realistic. No—actually, even without Kaedehara Taichi in high school anymore, the Miyagi representative slot was no easy thing to secure.

Aoba Johsai, Date Tech, Karasuno…Shiratorizawa would have to beat at least two of those three.

"You'd better tell him that yourself," Ōhira said, shaking his head. Now that he thought about it, Goshiki's pressure might actually be worse than his own in the pros.

On the other side of the court, Kubo Wataru hesitated for a long moment before finally calling out:

"Nakashima Takeru!"

"…Kubo-senpai." Nakashima quickly greeted him with respectful formality.

Kubo Wataru might not be the most skilled libero, but he was certainly one of the most inspiring. Middle school, high school, university—he had never achieved standout results, a rarity among professional athletes.

Even so, starting from the V3 league didn't stop him from moving forward.

He joined V3 at age 22, advanced to V2 at 25, and reached V1 at 29.

For most players, 28 is already past their peak, when physical capabilities begin to decline. But for Kubo Wataru, his growth still hadn't stopped.

Last season, at 31 years old, he had the best performance of his career. Now at 32, no one could say for sure whether he had already peaked.

"Nakashima—what's it like giving up the ace position to become a libero?" Kubo asked bluntly.

Nakashima Takeru froze for a moment. A complicated expression flickered in his eyes, like he had been dragged back to those difficult days of indecision. After a brief silence, he answered slowly:

"Painful."

"Oh?" Kubo was slightly surprised. He hadn't expected such an honest answer—especially not from someone speaking to a senior libero. Nakashima hadn't tried to sugarcoat the truth at all.

"In high school, I was the ace of the team. I loved that feeling—controlling the rhythm of the game with my spikes, deciding the outcome," Nakashima said, pausing with a wistful look in his eyes. "But there are some things you just can't achieve through effort alone."

Nakashima was finally saying the words he hadn't been able to in front of Kaedehara Taichi.

"What made me give up being an ace were two of Taichi's matches. One was the Miyagi prefectural final—Aoba Johsai vs. Shiratorizawa. The other was the Spring High semi-final—Aoba Johsai vs. Kamomedai Academy."

"Kaedehara Taichi, Ushijima Wakatoshi, Hoshiumi Kōrai…Watching them made me realise that being an ace isn't just about height. I lacked in a lot of areas."

Kubo glanced at Nakashima, who was a few centimetres shorter than himself, and nodded without mercy. "You're right. Speed, power, height, technique—lacking even one of those is fatal for an ace."

"Especially in pro leagues."

"Exactly…" Nakashima took a deep breath. "Still, after countless sleepless nights, I eventually chose to stay on the court as a libero."

"Not for survival? For the paycheck?" Kubo asked directly.

"Maybe a little. I've got a lot of siblings, so there's definitely some financial pressure," Nakashima chuckled. "But honestly, if I went into any other job, my life would probably be a lot easier."

"In the end, I just couldn't bring myself to leave the court."

"And now?" Kubo asked.

His question was vague, but Nakashima surprisingly understood exactly what he meant. Maybe this was just the kind of tacit understanding liberos shared…

"Not long after switching positions, I discovered something—saving those impossible-looking balls, holding the line for the team…that sense of accomplishment is just as great as scoring points. So—"

"So?"

"I'm going to become the world's number one libero!" Nakashima Takeru declared with unwavering determination. Even though he was currently just a libero in the Japan V3 League, even though the person standing before him was a senior from the V1 League…

Kubo Wataru was momentarily stunned. He finally understood why he had instinctively called out to Nakashima Takeru—

That look in his eyes…it was exactly the same as his own back in the day.

"You've got some guts, saying that," Kubo said with a laugh.

"This is the path I've found to reach the top. And if it means burning myself out completely, so be it!" The fire in Nakashima's gaze blazed forward, lighting the way ahead.

"Hmph. I was originally planning to give you a few libero tips," Kubo said slowly. "But since your goal is to become the world's number one…"

"From now on, we're rivals."

"Huh? Wait, does that mean—"

Kubo turned away, leaving just one sentence drifting in the air behind him:

"Kid, hurry up and climb your way to V1."

"Thank you, Kubo-senpai!"

Later that same day, after returning to the club, Nakashima Takeru received a message from Kaedehara Taichi:

"Kubo-senpai said: Since you used to be an outside hitter, try stepping into your opponent's shoes during defense. Imagine what kind of attack you would use in their position. That unique mindset—that perspective—is a gift from your past self."

-----

EPJ Raijin. Last season's championship team.

No. 7, Ace, Outside Hitter, Akutsu Ao, Age 25, Height 196 cm.

Joined the V1 League in his junior year of university. At 20, he won his first V1 League championship. After graduating, he went on to play in the Polish professional league, claiming a championship title at age 24 before returning to Japan. He led his team to another championship last season, marking his second V1 title.

No. 4, Captain, Kitō Yūkan, Age 27, Height 181 cm.

Starting opposite hitter for Japan in two consecutive World Championships. He had two V1 League titles and three Black Eagle Cup championships under his belt.

No. 10, Setter, Sengoku Chisato, Age 25, Height 190 cm.

A graduate of Itachiyama Academy. After high school, he entered the V1 League directly. He had two V1 titles and three Black Eagle Cups.

No. 20, Outside Hitter, Evan Krauss, Age 27, Height 205 cm.

A foreign player from France. His best achievement by age 25 had been a silver medal in the French league.

No. 9, Middle Blocker, Washio Tatsuki, Age 20, Height 192 cm.

A graduate of Fukurōdani Academy. After high school, he joined the V1 League. Last season, he played as a substitute for two-thirds of the regular season, but in the playoffs that began in March, he gradually became a starting member.

No. 13, Libero, Komori Motoya, Age 19, Height 181 cm.

A graduate of Itachiyama Academy, often called the 'Best High School Libero' during his high school years.

No. 18, Middle Blocker, Suna Rintarō, Age 18, Height 190 cm.

A graduate of Inarizaki High School.

"Rookies, what's wrong? Get moving!" Akutsu Ao barked from the sidelines. "You think you can slack off?"

"Yes, sir!"

Komori Motoya, gasping for air, forced himself to start the next round of shuttle sprints.

"Hang in there, Komori! This is just the beginning—stay sharp!" Sengoku Chisato shouted. "Let them see what kind of grit Itachiyama produces!"

"Suna, you're slowing down again," Kitō Yūkan called out. "Lift your legs higher. Pick up the pace!"

"D-dammit…I'm so…tired…" Suna Rintarō's breath had already become ragged. "Do we… have to do this…every single day…?"

"Washio, they really remind you of yourself when you first got here, huh?" Evan Krauss laughed. "First hurdle for a high schooler is always stamina."

"Yeah, but I trained with a total workout maniac in high school, so my endurance was a bit better than most." Washio Tatsuki replied.

"Oh! I know who you're talking about!" Evan shouted dramatically. "Bokuto Kōtarō! That guy's a walking energy bomb!"

"Yeah, though when we faced him last season, he was clearly more composed than he was in high school."

"Haha, your school's volleyball team did have a pretty relaxed atmosphere."

"Come on! Just ten more laps!" the supervisor's voice rang out again.

-----

Thirty minutes later…

"Dammit!"

While the starting players began their scrimmage, Suna Rintarō and Komori Motoya—completely drained from physical training—could only stand on the bench.

"You okay, Suna?" Komori asked. He was sore all over too, but Suna almost always got pushed to the brink of vomiting from these workouts.

"That bastard…I swear I'm gonna take his jersey number one day." The trademark "Fox smile" was long gone from Suna Rintarō's face. He had thought about quitting more than once, but what kept him going was the fire of resentment burning in his chest.

"He may be a jerk, but he's seriously strong…" Komori sighed. "I watched last season's finals footage—his offence is even more aggressive than Ushijima Wakatoshi. Kinda terrifying, really."

"That bastard…" Suna kept grumbling under his breath.

Komori let out another sigh. Clearly, Suna wasn't going to calm down anytime soon.

Come to think of it, their current suffering had something to do with Kaedehara Taichi.

Akutsu Ao was a rough and domineering player. He only respected the strong. It wasn't just Komori and Suna—new recruits, even second-team players—were all put through harsh training regimens under his relentless demands.

What truly brought about Komori and Suna's "special treatment" was what happened during Kaedehara Taichi's press conference when he joined DH Club.

Taichi had declared he would lead DH—originally just a top-eight team—to a championship and become league MVP. It was, without a doubt, taken as a direct provocation against Akutsu Ao.

Worse, both Komori and Suna had publicly supported Taichi's words.

"Friendship between high schoolers? Don't make me laugh. This is a battlefield—only the strong survive," Akutsu had sneered. "That's why you kids are so hopelessly naive. The pros aren't a place for dreams. They're a place where the weak get crushed."

"Akutsu," Kitō Yūkan said, "didn't you watch those guys during the Japan–USA exchange match? They were interesting."

"I saw it," Akutsu said coldly. "The American setter was decent. The others…just average."

"What about Kaedehara Taichi? I want to hear your take on him."

"That little punk?" Akutsu looked unusually calm in front of Kitō. "For a high schooler, yeah, he's strong. If he were our age, maybe he'd be my rival."

"But right now? He's not even close."

"Ushijima Wakatoshi, Bokuto Kōtarō, Kiryū Wakatsu…There are a few decent players who entered the V1 League last year," Akutsu said with a sneer. "The media calls them the future of Japanese volleyball, right?"

"But who the hell's gonna sit still and wait for them to catch up?"

"You want the league championship? You want the MVP?"

"Too bad. As long as I'm here, none of you are getting it!"

_________

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