Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty
Chapter 473: The Harder One to Deal With

"It's over."

What no one expected was that the afternoon match would also last a full three hours.

Although the ones most exhausted were undoubtedly the players who had been fighting on court all this time, the spectators too looked as if they had just come out of a fierce battle—completely drained. From the rousing cheers at the start to the hoarse cries during the most intense moments, their enthusiasm had never wavered for even a second.

Each spectacular spike, every thrilling save, and every clever set drew thunderous applause and cheers from the stands. The crowd had been just as much a part of this fierce match as the players themselves.

[DESEO Hornets 24 - 26 MSBY Black Jackals]

[DESEO Hornets 26 - 24 MSBY Black Jackals]

[DESEO Hornets 35 - 33 MSBY Black Jackals]

[DESEO Hornets 18 - 25 MSBY Black Jackals]

[DESEO Hornets 15 - 11 MSBY Black Jackals]

A gruelling five-set battle—judging by both the flow of the match and the final scoreline, the gap between the two teams wasn't nearly as wide as the spectators had imagined at the start.

As the noise in the arena gradually faded, players from both sides either sat down where they stood, gulping for air, or simply slumped in place. Meian Shūgo straightened his back and calmly gazed up at the scoreboard on the jumbotron. Though his heart brimmed with frustration and regret, he couldn't deny that he had given it everything he had.

Kaedehara Taichi looked around and stretched his arms with satisfaction.

As expected, volleyball was at its most enjoyable when facing an evenly matched opponent. It had been over a year since Taichi had experienced such an exhilarating match—ever since that showdown with the U.S. national team.

But today's match had been slightly different from that one.

The American players had possessed remarkable physical strength and overwhelming offensive power; their height and sheer force had pushed Team Japan to its limits at the time. That had been a strength visible to the naked eye. The Black Jackals, on the other hand, did not surpass DH in terms of physique or raw athleticism—their advantage lay in individual technique and the flawless coordination of their teamwork.

Taichi had been confident they could win this match—but that confidence came with pressure. And perhaps that was why he had been able to grow so much during the game.

"Taichi, I'll see you in the official match." Meian Shūgo held out a hand toward him.

Taichi blinked in surprise, then took it.

Nitta Asahiro stood by cautiously, watching the two of them with something on the tip of his tongue but unable to speak it aloud.

"Asahiro," Meian called past Taichi's shoulder, "don't slack off on offence just because DH's got a new ace now. Honestly, your attacks today were awful."

"???" What the hell? Was the opposing team's captain seriously throwing shade at their own main blocker right to his face?

Taking advantage of the still-gripped handshake, Taichi subtly squeezed Meian's hand with force.

"Yes, Meian-senpai!" Nitta replied earnestly, nodding his head.

"Ahem—hahaha..." Taichi finally released Meian's hand. "Meian-senpai's grip strength's no joke either."

Meian Shūgo: "…"

So Kaedehara Taichi's off-court personality was this different from his on-court self?

But on second thought, compared to his team's two resident weirdos, Taichi's personality was already about as normal as it could get.

-----

Professional matches were nothing like high school club activities—this was something Taichi had already come to realise in all sorts of ways.

For a professional athlete, the body was their most valuable asset—it was the foundation for their multi-million-yen salaries, the "commodity" that clubs painstakingly maintained. That was why the clubs and staff paid such close attention to the players' physical condition.

Of course, having a professional team doctor and physical therapist went without saying, but these locker room showers—specially equipped for post-game recovery—were also perfectly suited for the job.

Beyond just washing off sweat, a hot shower after a match promoted blood circulation, helped relax tense muscles, alleviated the fatigue and soreness built up during the game, and reduced discomfort—enabling the players to recover their energy more quickly.

Just thinking about how Kunimi and Kindaichi were probably splashing cold water on their faces right now and wiping off with a damp towel at most made the currently-showering Kaedehara Taichi want to break into song.

"A hot shower after a game really does hit the spot. If only there weren't interviews afterwards, it'd be perfect…"

Hot water washed away the fatigue and sweat clinging to Taichi's body, dripping from the tips of his hair and forming tiny streams along the tiles. With his eyes closed, his mind replayed every moment of the match.

Those five serves—each toss, each run-up, each leap and strike—played in slow motion across his memory. He could still feel the ball on his fingertips, as if the texture of the leather had been burned into his skin.

---

"This guy's really enjoying himself," Nitta Asahiro said with a laugh.

Truth be told, none of them had expected to win today. The longer you'd been on the team, the more you understood just how difficult it was to defeat a team like Black Jackals.

Kitajima Kippei sat on the bench with an ice pack on his knee, his gaze slightly unfocused. Kubo Wataru was holding a stats sheet and tactics board, his fingertips slowly tracing through the dense rows of data as if silently analysing every detail of the match. Yoshii Hiyu leaned against the wall, gripping a bottle of sports drink, but his eyes were fixed on something far off, lost in thought.

"Taichi's serving today really blew my mind," Kubo Wataru said as he looked up, a small smile tugging at his lips. "I bet Black Jackals still hasn't recovered from it."

"Forget Black Jackals—I still haven't recovered from it," Kitajima said quietly.

Even though he'd been subbed out in the third set due to exhaustion and had nearly 40 minutes of rest before the fifth set began, he had no confidence in how long he'd last or how well he could play once he returned to the court.

Come to think of it, including the regular season, DH hadn't beaten Black Jackals in five years. And last season, their losses to Black Jackals had been absolute blowouts. The only difference this time…was Kaedehara Taichi.

"At this rate, the other teams in the league are going to start keeping a close eye on us," Kubo said. "I can already tell how exhausting the regular season's going to be."

"AD and EJP were both watching from the sidelines today," Iizuna Tsukasa added. "Neither of them is any weaker than Black Jackals…"

Tom Wilde blinked in confusion as he looked around at his teammates.

Why did it feel like, after just one preseason match, everyone's mindset had shifted?

Every year they talked about winning the championship, but in all his years at DH, he'd never seen the team seriously treat teams like Black Jackals or AD as specific targets they had to defeat.

"But Black Jackals isn't a team that'll go down so easily," Yoshii Hiyu suddenly spoke up, his voice low but firm.

"Next time, they're going to be even harder to deal with."

"We've only won one match—we can't afford to let our guard down."

"Senpai's right," Kaedehara Taichi said, walking over while towelling off his damp hair.

"But next time…" He grinned.

"The ones who'll be harder to deal with—will definitely be us!"

_________

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