Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 557: Have You Had Enough Yet (Double-Length)

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From the starting formations, the audience could only think of one word to describe Nizhnev—stubborn.

For the third straight set, they had matched Mikhail directly against Kaedehara Taichi, even going so far as to swap Ivan from position 2 to position 5 and Viktor to position 2. Their intention to specifically target Taichi was painfully obvious.

Yet, they had done the same thing in the first two sets—and lost both. In this third set, they just pushed the tactic even further. To the fans, this inflexibility seemed like a sign of Coach Maksim's incompetence.

"If it were me, I would make the same choice," Coach Jose commented to his assistant, Frey. "If you can't stop Taichi anyway, would you rather let him attack freely and completely dominate, or try to disrupt him and make him at least a little uncomfortable? There's a world of difference."

Having watched so many of San Juan's matches, Frey fully understood Jose's point.

"As an opponent, no one wants to see Taichi rack up 10 straight points and end the set in one-sided fashion…"

-----

"Tweet!—" The serve whistle blew.

Conte's powerful jump serve came flying in, Ivan barely managed to receive it.

—"Nizhnev's reception is still shaky—San Juan's aggressive serves are really working!"

Kobzar rushed in to set, pushing the ball high to the right side. Mikhail leapt for the spike!

"Double block!" Taichi and Ramos jumped in perfect sync, but the ball squeezed over Ramos's palm.

Santiago dove forward, sliding to dig it up.

Oikawa moved into position to set, Taichi soared in for the attack!

"Triple block!" Viktor, Igor, and Mikhail all rose together.

They wanted to hit Taichi with their strongest block from the very start.

BOOM!!!—

SMACK!!!

The ball ricocheted off Igor's hand, shooting past the baseline.

"Mine!"

Yaku firmly returned it to court, Kobzar set it up again.

—BOOM!!!

Igor smashed it with an over-the-block spike—point scored!

[San Juan 0 – 1 Nizhnev]

When Oikawa was in the front row, San Juan's blocking was weaker, and Nizhnev's attacking advantage showed.

Serve change—Nizhnev to serve.

Viktor delivered a powerful jump serve, Conte received it.

Oikawa jumped in the front to set, the ball floating steadily toward the middle.

Thud!

Taichi soared for the spike.

"Triple block!"

—BOOM!!!

The ball slipped over the block, Yaku received it!

Smack!!

"Cover!"

The ball popped back near the net, Kobzar tried to jump and set it with one hand.

—BOOM!!!

A mistake!

Kobzar couldn't quite reach it—instead, Taichi pushed it straight down!

BANG!

The ball slammed into Nizhnev's court.

Point for Taichi!

[San Juan 1 – 1 Nizhnev]

"Don't mind it! Don't mind it!"

Coach Maksim shouted from the sideline.

Looking back at the second set, Nizhnev had actually held a lead for quite a while. Coach Maksim's decision to keep focusing on Taichi was partly because they had shown it was possible to restrain him earlier.

Serve change—San Juan to serve.

Oikawa tossed the ball, sprinted forward, jumped, and smashed it down!

BOOM!!!

The ball wobbled unpredictably as it crossed the net.

"Mine!"

Yaku shouted, moving in to receive.

Smack!

"Nice pass!"

Kobzar set it high in the middle.

Thud!

Mikhail went head-to-head against Taichi!

BOOM!!!

SMACK!

The ball deflected off Taichi's arm and shot far out of bounds.

Santiago chased after it, diving to save it just before it fell.

Oikawa set it high to the right side, Ramos leapt in!

BOOM!!!—

—SMACK!!!

The ball hit Nizhnev's triple block and dropped!

Smack!

Conte reached out to save it one-handed, Oikawa quickly closed in.

"Slower—!"

Whoosh!—

The ball soared steadily to the middle.

Thump!

Taichi jumped for it!

"Triple block!" Igor, Mikhail, and Ivan all jumped together.

—BOOM!!!

A crushing spike over the block!

The ball shot to the back row, bounced off Yaku's arm, and flew out.

Point for Taichi!

[San Juan 2 – 1 Nizhnev]

—"Incredible! Mikhail's spike height reached 368 cm, yet even so, Taichi's block held!"

—"And Taichi delivered yet another spike over 370 cm!"

—"374 cm!"

—"For him, these heights seem completely routine!"

San Juan continued serving.

Oikawa served again!

BOOM!!!

The ball fell deep on Nizhnev's left baseline, Viktor received it with a half-perfect pass.

Kobzar moved to set, Mikhail once again charged in the middle!

"Double block!" Taichi and Ramos jumped.

BOOM!!!

The ball brushed Taichi's fingers and flew far out.

Off the block and out—point for Mikhail!

[San Juan 2 – 2 Nizhnev]

—"An intense duel of aces! Trading blows back and forth, neither side yielding!"

Serve change—Nizhnev to serve.

Igor's powerful jump serve.

Santiago received it, not a perfect pass.

"Set it to me!"

Taichi soared from the middle, Oikawa's set landed precisely in front of him.

"Triple block!" Mikhail, Ivan, and Volvich all jumped.

BOOM!!!

The ball slammed off Mikhail's arm and flew out.

Off the block—point for Taichi!

[San Juan 3 – 2 Nizhnev]

Serve change—San Juan to serve.

Ramos's powerful jump serve, Yaku received it, Kobzar set it high in the middle.

They showed no intention of avoiding Taichi—Viktor planted his feet, launching into a huge back-row attack!

"Double block!" Loser and Taichi rose together.

BOOM!!!—

Viktor's arm whipped forward fiercely.

The ball ricocheted off Loser's arms and bounced back toward Nizhnev's side.

However—it landed out, beyond their baseline.

Block out—point for Viktor's back-row attack!

[San Juan 3 – 3 Nizhnev]

If one-on-one couldn't beat Taichi, then three-on-one!

Taichi vs. Nizhnev's "Big Three"—this was the scenario Coach Maksim had been aiming for all along.

-----

Mikhail's powerful jump serve!

BOOM!!!

Santiago received it, but the pass was off, the ball flying toward the sideline.

Oikawa hustled over and quickly set it to Taichi.

BOOM!!!—

"Triple block!" Ivan, Volvich, and Kobzar all leapt.

THUD!!!

The ball threaded the gap between Kobzar's right hand and the antenna, landing hard on Nizhnev's sideline.

Line shot—point for Taichi!

[San Juan 13 – 13 Nizhnev]

—"Another attack point from Taichi! He's San Juan's saviour! Any ball, no matter how poorly handled, turns into a beautiful score in his hands!"

Out of San Juan's 13 points in the first half, Taichi had scored 9 through spikes; on Nizhnev's side, Mikhail had 5, Viktor 4, and Igor 3—these three combined for 12 points.

Serve change—San Juan to serve.

Taichi tossed the ball, launching into a left-handed jump serve!

"Mine!"

Smack!!

Even Yaku couldn't control it well, the ball flying diagonally toward the net.

Kobzar jumped and pushed it high, Volvich attacked from the middle!

—BOOM!!!

An almost 3.7-meter contact point, the ball cleared Loser's block.

Smack!

Santiago strained to receive it, rolling backwards to absorb the impact.

"Conte!"

Taichi stepped in to set, delivering it precisely to the right wing.

Thump!

Conte sprinted and leapt.

"That guy's setting is way too steady!"

The ball rose almost to Conte's maximum reach. He drew a full semicircle with his arm and swung down hard.

—BOOOM!!!

"Triple block!"

The ball shot past the block, smashed into Mikhail's arm, and flew out!

Point for Conte!

[San Juan 14 – 13 Nizhnev]

"369 cm!!!"

—"The coordination between San Juan's two outside hitters is absolutely flawless!"

Conte frowned. Even though they had scored, he could sense danger looming.

Nizhnev's overall reception wasn't strong, but they had a few exceptional defenders—like Yaku, Mikhail, and, at a stretch, Viktor. Combined with the front-row block, these three were starting to receive more and more balls.

"Tweet!—" The whistle sounded for the next serve.

Taichi served again!

BOOM!!!

Smack!

Yaku received it perfectly, a beautiful first pass.

Kobzar leapt from the front row and spiked!

Bruno jumped alone to block.

BOOM!!!

The ball shot past Bruno's left side, bouncing off Oikawa's hand in the deep corner and flying out.

Point for Kobzar!

[San Juan 14 – 14 Nizhnev]

Though Kobzar's setting technique might not be top-tier, his spiking ability easily outclassed most setters.

That sharp, powerful cross-court spike left Bruno's single block completely helpless.

"Don't even think about shaking us off!"

Serve change—Nizhnev to serve.

Ivan's powerful jump serve flew over. Taichi received it cleanly, perfect first pass.

Oikawa faked an attack from the back row. Volvich went up alone to block.

Whoosh—!

The ball flew to the middle. Oikawa's choice was the complete opposite of Kobzar's.

Loser leapt to spike!

"Double block!" Kobzar and Viktor jumped up together.

BOOM!!!

The ball deflected off Kobzar's arm and slammed toward the floor on Nizhnev's side.

Smack!

Yaku dove and saved it!

"Nice save, Yaku-san!" Ivan shouted.

Mikhail moved in to set, tossing the ball high to the left. Volvich leapt to spike!

"Double block!" Conte and Loser jumped together.

—BOOM!!!

The ball soared over the block.

Smack!

The ball hit Oikawa's arm and shot out of bounds.

Point for Volvich!

[San Juan 14 – 15 Nizhnev]

"Tch, how annoying…"

Oikawa rubbed his arm. It wasn't that his reception skills were weak—it was simply that Nizhnev's spikers were hitting at incredibly tough angles and with immense power.

Spikes that cleared the block at steep angles and with such force—Nizhnev was putting every effort into targeting San Juan's core.

Nizhnev continued serving. Ivan served again!

The ball flew straight at Taichi.

Smack!

Taichi calmly took it with an overhand receive, pushing it toward the net.

Bruno ran along the right sideline, preparing to spike!

Viktor went up alone to block.

Whoosh!—

The ball was sent to the middle, Conte leapt high, facing a double block.

—BOOM!!!

The ball crashed down near Mikhail's feet and bounced high into the air.

Point for Conte!

[San Juan 15 – 15 Nizhnev]

—"Nizhnev's attempt to target Taichi backfired, opening up a chance for San Juan to organise an attack."

—"Bruno's fake spike and quick set gave Conte the perfect opportunity to finish."

—"It looks like this third set will remain tight all the way to the end, just like the second set—it might even come down to a deuce fight for the final points!"

Serve change, Bruno to serve.

BOOM!!!

Smack!—

The ball hit the net and dropped.

Bruno had tried to lower the trajectory too much, resulting in a service error.

Free point for Nizhnev.

[San Juan 15 – 16 Nizhnev]

"Beeep!—"

Technical timeout.

"Sorry…"

Bruno apologised, looking embarrassed. He had hoped to open up the game for his team, but instead gave away a point.

"Don't worry about it."

The teammates remained relaxed. After all, they were already up by two sets. Even if they lost the third set, it wouldn't be the end of the world.

San Juan still had plenty of margin for error.

"Oikawa-senpai."

Taichi looked toward Oikawa, who was drinking water.

Before Taichi could speak, Oikawa had already set down his bottle and nodded.

"I know. I also want to finish this quickly so I can go watch Kunimi's match." Oikawa winked playfully.

-----

Timeout over. The match resumed.

Serve change—Nizhnev to serve.

In the first half, Nizhnev hadn't completely shut down Taichi, but they had successfully prevented San Juan from scoring in quick succession. As the match progressed, they were gradually able to counterattack through blocks and receptions.

The players' confidence continued to build. Right now, the momentum clearly favoured Nizhnev.

Volvich held the ball in one hand, eyes locked on Taichi.

They wouldn't give up targeting Taichi just because he managed to organise one successful attack. The most effective way to contain him was to limit his involvement through serving!

BOOM!!!

The ball flew fast and hard straight at Taichi.

Smack!

Taichi calmly received it, perfect pass.

"Perfect!"

Seeing Taichi's knees bend, Volvich was overjoyed—after the receive, Taichi's weight had shifted backwards.

Their goal was achieved.

Oikawa jumped in the front to set.

Even if they slowed the tempo, Taichi wouldn't have enough time to join the attack.

Oikawa glanced to the right—Conte and Loser were both ready to strike.

"Too bad. This ball was reserved for Taichi from the start."

Mid-air, Oikawa's hand shape suddenly changed. His torso twisted, and his right arm swung forward!

"A setter dump?!"

Kobzar jumped up alone to block.

"Wait…why such an obvious setter attack? If it's just to add power, this makes no sense…"

Kobzar was full of doubt. Then, the moment he touched the ball, realisation struck.

A rebound play!

SLAP!

The ball bounced straight back over the net to San Juan's side. Santiago easily received it.

"Thanks for the assist~"

Oikawa grinned gleefully, leaping again to set.

THUMP!

Taichi charged in from the back row.

"Block him!"

"Triple block!" Kobzar, Viktor, and Igor all jumped.

—BOOOM!!!

The ball zipped through Viktor's fingertips, landing perfectly on Nizhnev's baseline and bouncing high.

Taichi's back-row attack—over-the-block spike—point!

[San Juan 16 – 16 Nizhnev]

"378 cm?!!"

—"A back-row attack with that kind of height?!!"

—"Is there even a difference between front row and back row for him?"

-----

"Wait…did that setter deliberately create a rebound to set up Taichi's attack?"

Christenson sat hunched forward on his bench, staring intently at Oikawa. It was the first time during this match that he looked genuinely surprised. Even after watching Taichi's absurd spikes, he had remained unfazed—but this time, he reacted.

"Mm."

Ushijima replied calmly. In his eyes, it was only natural that Oikawa could pull this off.

"Man, what an interesting setter and ace combination." León yawned, looking as if he had just woken up.

"Seems like this match is about to wrap up."

"Huh? Didn't they just tie?" Jacob, the middle blocker, asked.

"Also, León, you were totally asleep just now!"

"No, I wasn't." León yawned again. "It's a bit boring, but I was still watching…sort of."

"Man…if only we were in Group A…"

-----

On the court, Taichi landed and turned to face Nizhnev's players with a provocative look.

"Had enough yet? This match is over."

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