Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty
Chapter 461: Breaking Records (Double-Length)

364cm!

Kaedehara Taichi's maximum spike height had been updated—again!

Professional matches employed dynamic image recognition technology, using multiple high-speed cameras set up around the court to capture the game from various angles.

These feeds were then analysed using image recognition software, identifying the exact moment of a player's spike and pinpointing the centre of the volleyball. With the aid of a preconfigured court coordinate system and camera parameters, the software could calculate the ball's position in three-dimensional space—thus determining the spike height.

Everyone's instincts had been right—his spike was indeed higher than Akutsu's!

"That little brat…" Akutsu grinned menacingly. "He really is worth destroying."

DH continued their serve rotation. Iizuna Tsukasa unleashed his third serve.

"I got it!" Inunaki Shion called out loudly.

Targeting Oliver Barnes with their serves was well within the Black Jackals' expectations. Previously, they had chosen to let Sakusa Kiyoomi cover for him. While that allowed for a stable receive, it also meant they lost a point of attack in the process.

But since DH was focused solely on Oliver Barnes and not on Miya Atsumu, Inunaki Shion no longer had to stay near Atsumu and could step in to take the serve in Sakusa's place.

Smack!

The serve was trickier than expected—Inunaki Shion failed to receive it cleanly.

The ball soared toward the right wing, falling close to the net.

"I've got it!"

In what seemed like a stroke of luck, Sakusa Kiyoomi leapt into a follow-up attack.

Kaedehara Taichi jumped to solo block.

BOOM!!—

Unexpectedly, Sakusa didn't redirect the ball—he spiked it straight down!

A one-on-one at the net?

That wasn't the best timing for it.

—Smack!

Trying to slip the ball past Taichi's right hand, Sakusa's spike was stuffed cleanly. However—

The ball spun out of bounds.

"Even at that short distance, he still managed to create spin?"

But what surprised Taichi even more was the power behind Sakusa's spike. It was clearly stronger than back in high school.

Looks like he's been training specifically to build more power…

That made sense. The Black Jackals' club training programs were likely just as good as—if not better than—DH's.

Smack!

Iizuna Tsukasa popped up outside the right sideline and dug the ball.

No one knew Sakusa's habits better than him—the direction of his body, the angle of his swing…Once a setter and ace duo with unmatched chemistry, now they were each other's most well-versed opponents.

After landing, Kaedehara Taichi stepped laterally, positioning himself directly beneath the ball.

Whoosh—!

A flawless set sailed to the centre of the net. Nitta Asahiro jumped up to spike.

"Double block!" Meian Shūgo and Oliver Barnes leapt together.

Watching Taichi spike didn't feel this terrifying from the side…

Nitta's vision was nearly completely obscured—the defensive coverage in front of him was massive. There was practically no angle left to spike through.

BOOM!

The ball flew straight into Meian Shūgo's block.

Swoosh!

Meian dropped his arms at the last second, deliberately letting the ball go through.

Was it a missed read? No—it was a prediction.

He'd seen right through Nitta's intent to go for a rebound off the block. The moment Nitta adjusted his strength, Meian had already made his decision.

"Chance ball!" Inunaki Shion shouted. The ball was passed perfectly.

Finally, the Black Jackals had a clean opportunity to execute their offence.

Miya Atsumu jumped to set. All four attackers moved into position simultaneously.

BOOM!!!

Meian Shūgo spiked past Yoshii Hiyu's block, scoring with a high-angle cross.

[DH 14 - 17 Black Jackals]

"Whew…" Inunaki Shion let out a sigh of relief.

DH's sudden counterattack had been a bit alarming—but thankfully, the momentum had been halted.

Possession switched—Black Jackals to serve.

Meian Shūgo leapt into a powerful jump serve, aiming with precision.

BOOM!!!

Smack!

Iizuna Tsukasa was forced to receive the ball.

With Yoshii Hiyu in the front left position, he wasn't in a position to follow up. Kitajima Kippei stepped in to set.

Other than setter Iizuna Tsukasa and opposite Yoshii Hiyu, the rest of DH's players had only one requirement when setting for Kaedehara Taichi—just make it high enough.

Whoosh—!

The ball flew high toward the right wing.

Kaedehara Taichi began his approach from the baseline.

He was coming!

The Black Jackals tensed as one.

Thump!

Kaedehara Taichi leapt for the spike.

"Triple block!" Oliver Barnes, Sakusa Kiyoomi, and Adriah Thomas jumped together.

Oliver and Sakusa had switched positions to form the central axis of the block. With 201cm middle blocker Adriah Thomas joining in, they had formed a literal twin tower—two meters tall.

"Damn it!"

"This monster…"

"He's over the block again…!"

Bokuto Kōtarō and Miya Atsumu scrambled to cover the backcourt the moment they saw Taichi soaring above the triple block.

High-contact spikes were terrifying, but the towering block did limit Taichi's angles. It wouldn't be easy to land such attacks accurately every time.

Taichi glanced past Bokuto and Atsumu, pulling his arm all the way back. Muscles taut, he swung from behind with explosive force.

Miya Atsumu dropped his centre of gravity, feet planted firmly on the floor.

Smack!

"—!?"

"This bastard?!"

Just as Taichi's palm was about to smash the ball, he stopped short—and tapped it gently instead.

A tip!

The ball floated past the triple block and dropped toward the Black Jackals' front row.

Miya Atsumu's body locked up—he couldn't move. Bokuto Kōtarō dashed forward and dove to save it.

Thud!

Tap, tap, tap...

Bokuto's hand was still a distance from the ball.

The volleyball hit the floor—Kaedehara Taichi scored.

[DH 15 - 17 Black Jackals]

"Hmph, such a cheap trick." Akutsu Ao scoffed with disdain.

In professional men's volleyball, tip shots rarely scored.

With an average player height of around 195cm, and a 9-by-9-meter court shared by six defenders, there was neither too much nor too little space. Tips travelled slower than spikes, giving defenders more time to predict the drop and react.

While tipping looked simple, scoring with it required exceptional technique and touch. It demanded accurate reads of defensive gaps, perfect control over power, angle, and placement. Any slight miscalculation meant the tip would be dug up easily—essentially gifting the opponent a free transition opportunity.

"A tip shot to score? Looks like Taichi's really putting serious pressure on the Black Jackals' defence…"

"And no wonder—his approach and takeoff looked like a full-force spike. That last hit must've left a deep impression on their minds. Seeing him leap that high again probably rattled them."

Scoring with a tip wasn't easier than spiking—but it sure made it feel like Kaedehara Taichi had the Black Jackals' defence dancing in the palm of his hand.

"Taichi, your smile's way too evil right now," Iizuna Tsukasa hesitated, but still gave him a heads-up.

"Huh? Was I smiling?"

His teammates all shot him a look of utter disdain.

"Oh, whoops, I guess I was~" Kaedehara Taichi rubbed his face, replacing his wicked grin with a radiant one.

"First, you have to stir up their anxiety."

Rotation Exchange, DH Serves Again

Inunaki Shion rotated with Meian Shūgo and returned to the court.

"Thank goodness this guy finally rotated to the back row…" Just as he was about to breathe a sigh of relief, he noticed that both Bokuto Kōtarō and Miya Atsumu were wearing grim expressions.

"Bokuto—"

"Inunaki-senpai!"

Inunaki Shion had just opened his mouth to speak to a teammate when a voice from across the net cut him off.

Kaedehara Taichi stood at the service line, holding the ball in one hand and pointing straight at him from a distance.

"Your real trial begins now!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Tweet!—"

The referee's whistle blew for service.

Kaedehara Taichi's smile vanished. He drew in a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes again, the black in them had turned devoid of emotion.

"…What the hell?"

As Inunaki Shion felt the weight of Taichi's gaze lock onto him, even the air seemed to grow thick and heavy. He couldn't help but swallow hard, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

How had he ended up feeling breathless under the pressure of a kid five years younger than him?

Taichi took the first step and tossed the ball forward, letting it rise just past his right shoulder.

On the second step, his arms swung naturally, his eyes fixed intently on the ball.

The third step came with a thunderous stomp as Taichi pushed off the ground with force, bending his knees and channelling that power into a full leap.

"He's coming!!"

Inunaki Shion braced himself. Kaedehara Taichi wasn't bluffing—this pressure was real.

He dropped his centre of gravity, feet rooted firmly like deep stakes in the court. His knees bent slightly, ready to spring into motion. His arms hung loose, yet his entire posture was a balance of tension and readiness.

On the opposite side of the net, suspended in midair, Taichi's body stretched to its full extent, his powerful core muscles driving his arms in a devastating swing.

BOOOM!!!

Inunaki Shion's eyes strained to track the ball.

"You've got to be kidding me—!"

The volleyball left nothing but an afterimage in his pupils.

THWACK!!!

Like a clap of thunder, it shook the air.

For a second, the arena went silent.

"D-Did he score?!"

The sudden shift in momentum brought an overwhelming visual impact—no one had actually seen the serve clearly.

The first referee looked to the line judge. The latter held the signal flag midair, stunned, before finally motioning: Check the replay!

The match was momentarily paused.

But even in the slow-motion replay, the crowd could only barely make out the ball's trajectory.

A line shot.

Kaedehara Taichi had scored directly off the serve.

[DH 16 – 17 Black Jackals]

Ba-dump, ba-dump, ba-dump…

Inunaki Shion's heart pounded with unease.

He was once a prodigy libero in university, and after graduating, naturally joined the powerhouse team Black Jackals. He'd already played against pro teams during the Black Eagle Cup. In his eyes, although there was still a gap between himself and Japan's No.1 libero, Heiwajima Toshirō, he believed he could close that gap in one year—three at most—and become the top libero in Japan.

---

[Inunaki Shion—Libero:Height: 174 cm

Serve: 72 | Receive: 96 | Dig: 95 | Set: 85 | Spike: 62| Block: 60.]

---

So then—

How the hell was this freak across the net even real?!

"128 km/h!!!"

"In just this one moment, history has been rewritten!"

"Kaedehara Taichi, in his very first professional match, has shattered the decade-long standing record for fastest serve in Japanese pro volleyball!!"

"This is a moment of transcendence—Kaedehara Taichi has done it!!!"

The second the commentator's voice landed, the audience erupted like a powder keg, unleashing thunderous cheers and piercing screams.

"I knew it! I knew even the pros wouldn't be able to stop him!"

"He's amazing…No wonder we couldn't even see the ball just now!"

"He's only 17!! He's going global!!"

"Taichi!! Taichi!! TAICHI!!!"

Fans leapt out of their seats, waving their cheering gear wildly above their heads, their excitement written all over their faces as they chanted Kaedehara Taichi's name over and over.

At the sidelines, the press swarmed into action. Camera shutters fired nonstop—click click click. Their lenses focused not just on Taichi but also on the other players—some shocked, some awestruck…and some furious.

A cup in Akutsu Ao's hand had been crushed into a twisted mess. He had never cared about the outcome of this match.

But now—

"I'll be looking forward to meeting you on the court one day…brat."

Meanwhile, DH's players, including Taichi himself, showed barely any reaction.

They were already used to seeing serves at this speed.

DH continued serving.

Kaedehara Taichi's second serve was a powerful jump serve from his left hand.

BOOM!!!

Smack!

The ball smashed into Inunaki Shion's arm and flew clean out of bounds.

Kaedehara Taichi scores again!

[DH 17 – 17 Black Jackals]

"They've tied it up?!"

From trailing by five points to catching up—Black Jackals had only scored once during that entire stretch.

The momentum had completely swung in DH's favour. The arena was now flooded with cheers for Kaedehara Taichi.

"Beep! Black Jackals requests a timeout!"

Inunaki Shion's state was visibly unstable. Taichi's left-handed serve was something they'd known about going into the match—someone of Inunaki's calibre shouldn't have misread it so badly.

"I'm joining the back row to receive," Sakusa Kiyoomi declared. "If Taichi's targeting Barnes, as long as we get the ball up, the rest's up to Miya."

"Oh, me? You finally admit I'm reliable, huh, Sakusa?" Atsumu grinned.

"As a setter, isn't your job to serve the ace properly?" Sakusa shot him a cold glare. "Otherwise, what makes you different from dead weight?"

"Hah?! You bastard—!"

"Enough! Stop fighting!" Bokuto Kōtarō wedged himself between them. "Focus on how to receive Taichi's serve!"

"You three really aren't fazed at all that he just broke a national record," Meian Shūgo said with a chuckle.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later," Atsumu replied matter-of-factly.

Meian paused, then gave a wry smile. "Bound to break the record, huh? That's a terrifying level of confidence."

"Don't be surprised by anything he does," Sakusa said with a grim look. "And bring your absolute best—only then can you hope to beat him. That's experience talking."

"What experience?" Atsumu snorted. "It's not like Itachiyama ever beat Aoba Johsai."

"At least we didn't lose as much as Inarizaki did," Sakusa retorted.

"Hey, hey, quit it already!" Inunaki Shion cut in. "Weren't you guys the so-called 'Avengers'?"

Bokuto Kōtarō: "?? What's that?"

Sakusa Kiyoomi: "…"

Miya Atsumu: "Not the time for that kind of cringe, man!"

"Still…can't believe you guys had to play with that kind of monster in high school." Inunaki finally regained his usual composure. "We haven't even finished a set and I'm already worn out."

"Monster, huh…" Atsumu murmured. "Aren't we all?"

"I joined the pros early just to beat Taichi," Sakusa stated. "A match without him would be boring."

"Omi-Omi, I'm not a monster!" Bokuto leaned into Atsumu with a grin. "I'm a totally ordinary ace!"

Atsumu: "…Sure, sure. I'm not even gonna argue anymore."

-----

The timeout ended. The match resumed.

Both teams returned to the court.

Kaedehara Taichi stood silently at the service line, expressionless. His fingers dug hard into the volleyball, kneading its surface.

Inunaki Shion, who had just barely managed to collect himself off-court, suddenly tensed up again. His breathing grew heavy once more.

—"Bring it on!!!"

From the back row, Sakusa Kiyoomi, Bokuto Kōtarō, and Miya Atsumu shouted in unison.

Kaedehara Taichi lifted his head and smiled brightly.

They were all thinking the same thing:

High school was never the end.

Let's go again—

This time, I'll be the one who wins!

_________

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