Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty
Chapter 478: I Wish…(Double-Length)

To many of the spectators, Green Rocket's second set looked decent—their offensive and defensive efficiency had noticeably improved compared to the first set.

After all, they had only scored 18 points in the first set, and the match was practically over when DH reached 20. But in the second set, they managed to score 22 points and even seemed to have a shot at fighting DH to the very end.

DH's most frequent attacker in the second set was Nitta Asahiro, who scored 7 points from 12 attacks. Next came Tom Wilde, who scored 4 points from 10 attempts.

In contrast, Kiryū Wakatsu scored 7 points out of 10 attacks—his presence on the court was overwhelming.

However, Green Rocket's Coach Hirakuchi didn't seem happy at all. In fact, his players also wore grim expressions.

And for good reason. Even in the second set, the match remained firmly under DH's control. After DH overtook Green Rocket's slight lead early on, the latter never managed to get ahead again.

The only reason the score looked close was because of one player on DH's side—the seemingly emotionless No. 10.

As the ace, Kaedehara Taichi only attacked 7 times in the second set, slightly more than Kitajima Kippei's 4 and Yoshii Hiyu's single attack.

Yet Taichi scored 3 points off his serves and a perfect 7-for-7 on spikes. Though it looked like he had "only" scored 10 points that set, his terrifying scoring efficiency sent a chill down people's spines.

He was simply unstoppable.

Green Rocket's blocking and receiving were considered decent by league standards—but just decent.

Coach Hirakuchi could do nothing about it. Even teams like Black Jackals, with players like Meian Shūgo and Inunaki Shion, struggled to contain Kaedehara Taichi. Green Rocket had no one who could even come close.

These two sets had made it painfully clear to Green Rocket's players how great the gap between the two teams was, even if some still found it hard to accept. After all, just last season, the two teams were practically neck and neck—inseparable during their matches. But now, it was as if an insurmountable chasm had suddenly opened up between them.

Listening to his teammates talk, Kiryū Wakatsu gave a helpless smile. Taichi had told him before the match—things were different now. And it was true. Completely different.

-----

In the third set, Coach Nick made a surprising decision—he didn't have Kaedehara Taichi start with a powerful serve. Instead, he positioned him at the number four spot.

In doing so, DH not only avoided Green Rocket's strongest reception formation but also kept Taichi in the front row for a longer stretch of time.

Green Rocket was a likely opponent for DH in the playoffs. And if that was the case, then DH would use this regular-season match to establish an overwhelming advantage—one that Green Rocket couldn't even dream of catching up to.

Crush them completely! Break their spirits!

-----

—"Kaedehara Taichi! He's back at the net!"

Green Rocket's captain, Kazama Hayato, attempted to break through DH's defence with a powerful spike, but Taichi had already predicted his move. He leapt high, arms snapping up like iron gates, completely sealing off Kazama's spike. The ball was blocked cleanly and slammed back down onto Green Rocket's court.

Thud!

"Kaedehara Taichi! It's him again! With another block, he scores another point for DH!" The commentator's voice cracked with excitement.

Taichi remained expressionless, his arms falling loosely to his sides, exuding a kind of effortless composure. But his gaze scanned across Green Rocket's side of the court—like a hunter waiting for his next prey.

"What a terrifying guy…" Nitta Asahiro swallowed hard.

Just who was supposed to be the team's main blocker again? Even standing next to him as a teammate, Nitta could feel that overwhelming pressure radiating off of him.

As the game progressed, Iizuna Tsukasa's sets almost always found their way to Kaedehara Taichi the moment an opportunity arose. His passes were precise and stable, always placing the ball in Taichi's hands at the most opportune moment.

—"Another pinpoint set from Iizuna Tsukasa! And Kaedehara Taichi scores again with a spike!!"

On the next play, while Iizuna was covering for a teammate, Taichi took his approach. He jumped—movements fluid, powerful.

"Triple block!" Kiryū Wakatsu, André Kovach, and Kazama Hayato all jumped together.

Taichi's eyes met theirs across the net. Their stares held defiance, anger, frustration—but he ignored it all. The moment the ball was in reach, he channelled all his strength into a devastating spike.

—BOOM!!!

The volleyball tore through the triple block and slammed onto Green Rocket's court.

The sheer sound of the impact was like a drug for the audience—the atmosphere in the arena surged to a fever pitch.

"This is Kaedehara Taichi!" the commentator cried, voice trembling with emotion. "The King of High School Volleyball has arrived on the professional stage!!!"

Coach Hirakuchi never imagined that a high schooler could wield such influence on the court. And more than Taichi's offence, what truly unnerved him was his defence—he played like a libero in the back and a blocking core in the front.

Looking at the entire history of volleyball in Japan, there were probably fewer than five players who could do what he did.

BOOM!!

"One touch!"

Kazama Hayato tried time and again to get past Taichi's defence, constantly changing the angle of his spikes. But no matter what he did, Taichi was always there—in exactly the right place at the worst possible moment.

"Chance ball!"

"Mine!"

The moment the play shifted, Taichi switched to offence. Kazama jumped to block him.

Smack!

Taichi merely flicked his wrist, tipping the ball to redirect it into an open space in Green Rocket's backcourt. Everyone had been too focused on his heavy spike threat and crowded the front.

Thud!

Kuga Sōichirō dove with all his might to save it, but the ball had already landed.

Another point for Taichi.

"Taichi! MVP!"

"Taichi! MVP!"

"This third set has turned into the Kaedehara Taichi Show!" the commentator said, awe creeping into his voice.

Kazama Hayato stood where he was, hands on his knees, panting hard. His eyes held both exhaustion and frustration. The ace of Green Rocket seemed to have lost his edge under Taichi's overwhelming defence.

This suppression wasn't just technical—it was psychological.

"Beep! Green Rocket calls a timeout."

It was their last one. Coach Hirakuchi didn't even call it to turn the match around—he just wanted to give his players a chance to breathe.

Losing to teams like Black Jackals or AD was painful—but losing to a single person? That was what made them feel utterly powerless...

-----

The timeout ended quickly, and both teams returned to the court.

But Green Rocket's stagnant offence didn't improve. Taichi's blocking was like an invisible wall, forcing their spikers to hesitate with every attack.

"Give me the ball!!!" Kiryū Wakatsu shouted.

Hadn't he already made up his mind? No matter what the situation was, he'd lead his team forward with his attacks!

Smack!

Kuga Sōichirō barely kept the ball alive.

Tsukishima Ren quickly stepped in to cover. But in the face of absolute strength, strategy meant nothing.

Kiryū Wakatsu charged toward the net with powerful strides. The trusting set flew perfectly into his path.

Thud!

Kiryū launched into the air from the left wing, his arms muscular and taut, veins bulging slightly.

"Double block!" Kaedehara Taichi and Nitta Asahiro jumped together, sealing off his line of attack.

BOOM!!!—

THUD!!!

Nitta's arm was violently deflected as the ball ricocheted sharply downward, clipping the net on its way down.

Off the block—into the net.

Kiryū Wakatsu Scores with a Spike!

The scoreboard for the Green Rockets, which had stalled for some time, finally moved.

However—

In the very next moment, Kaedehara Taichi soared higher than anyone else, and the volleyball flew over the blockers' hands, crashing instantly into the Green Rockets' court.

"Kaedehara Taichi!"

"Kaedehara Taichi!!"

"Kaedehara Taichi!!!"

The commentator had repeated that name so many times in this match that no one could forget the boy wearing jersey number 10. His name echoed throughout the entire arena for the past thirty minutes.

Kuga Sōichirō looked across the net at Kaedehara Taichi. The boy always wore that calm expression, his handsome face still bearing traces of youth. His features were refined and almost gentle. And yet, just standing at the net, he had become every opponent's nightmare.

Time ticked on, and for Green Rockets fans, the past half hour had felt excruciatingly long.

-----

Smack!

Kubo Wataru received the ball—first touch, perfectly in position.

Iizuna placed his hands for a set at the front row, and Kaedehara Taichi was already in the air.

"Triple block!"

But in truth, it didn't matter how many people were up there. The moment the volleyball arrived, Kaedehara Taichi's palm met it perfectly. In the next second—

BOOM!!!

The sound of the ball slamming into the floor was so loud it drowned out the cheers of the audience! For a moment, everyone fell silent.

It's impossible to receive that, Kuga Sōtarō thought.

The spike, launched from above the block, was so fast it vanished from the naked eye.

All he heard was the fierce rush of air past his ears, followed by a deafening bang—and then, just 0.1 seconds later, the crowd roared back to life.

"Tweet!—"

"Tweeet—!"

The referee's whistle reminded everyone—the third set was over.

[DH 25 – 15 Green Rockets]

"The winner of this match is—DESEO Hornets! Congratulations on claiming their first victory of the regular season!"

Kaedehara Taichi raised his arm to the sky and clenched his fist.

His teammates rushed toward him, surrounding him in a circle as they celebrated their win.

In the third set alone, Kaedehara Taichi had scored 6 points through serving, 3 through blocks, and 9 out of 12 spikes.

18 points in a single set!

Kaedehara Taichi had achieved this kind of stat in high school—but this was the professional league! And their opponents weren't some bottom-tier team—they were one of the V-League's top eight!

What's more, he had only attempted 12 spikes and still maintained a jaw-dropping 75% success rate.

That night, nearly every record in Japan for "youngest outside hitter" was broken.

Youngest player to start as a professional player: 17 years and 188 days.

Youngest to score the most points in a single set: 17 years and 188 days, 18 points.

Youngest to score the most service points in a single set: 6 points.

Youngest to score the most block points in a single set: 3 points.

And one more—

V-League's single-set scoring record: 18 points.

The previous record holder was Suzaku Banjō, the current head coach of AD, who had scored 17 points in a single set 15 years ago (1 from serve, 1 from block, and 15 from 24 spike attempts).

Scoring that much in a single set sounds difficult—but in reality, it's far from simple.

Against weak teams, it's easier to score—but that also means other teammates can score easily too, so the ball doesn't always go to one player.

Against strong teams, the ball tends to go to the ace—but points are harder to earn. The ace's job is often just to crack open the defence so the whole team can strike together.

But Kaedehara Taichi's serves and blocks were simply too sharp. In the third set, his service rotations just so happened to avoid the receive formation the opponents had set up for him. It was this mix of normal spike frequency and extraordinary efficiency that allowed him to break the record.

Given his age, most of the records he broke that night probably won't be broken again anytime soon.

After the match, the Green Rockets players stood on the sidelines, casting complicated glances in DH's direction.

After a long moment of hesitation, Kazama Hayato finally let out a sigh. He slowly walked up to Kaedehara Taichi and extended his hand. "Congratulations. You won today."

Kaedehara Taichi grasped his hand and gave a small smile. "Thanks. You guys were strong too."

Kazama stared into his eyes, trying to find a trace of arrogance or pride. But all he saw was calm composure. That calmness gave him an unexplainable pressure.

"Taichi, next time we meet—I'll be stronger." Kiryū Wakatsu broke the silence.

In the second set, Kiryū Wakatsu had scored 12 points from 18 spike attempts—a performance that had left a deep impression on fans.

"Alright, I'm looking forward to it."

---

The first match of the new season had caused such a sensation—it was no surprise Kaedehara Taichi found himself swarmed by reporters.

Outside the arena, the corridor was awash with flashing cameras and microphones. Reporters shoved and jostled to get close, desperate for a word from the young prodigy. Kaedehara Taichi stood in the middle of the crowd, his face still slick with post-match sweat—but his eyes were far too calm for a teenager who had just made history.

"Taichi, as the youngest ace in history, you broke multiple records in your debut match. How do you feel right now?" a reporter quickly fired off.

Kaedehara Taichi dipped his head slightly, taking a breath. When he looked up again, his gaze was firm and composed.

"Records are just numbers. My goal is to lead the team even further."

"Do you think your performance tonight matched your own expectations?" another reporter asked, following up.

Kaedehara glanced at him. "What do you think?"

"Then, what are your expectations for the upcoming matches?" yet another reporter pressed.

Taichi scanned the crowd, then allowed a small smile to tug at his lips.

"Every match is a new challenge. I'll give it my all—to live up to my teammates' and the fans' expectations."

His answers were concise and powerful. Not boastful, but not overly modest either. The reporters wanted to keep pressing, but Kaedehara Taichi gave a polite bow and turned to head toward the locker room.

"Taichi, considering how outstanding you were tonight, would you say you've already fully adapted to the pace of the pro league?"

Kaedehara Taichi paused in his tracks. Yeah…just sticking to the talking points the team manager gave him was starting to get boring.

He shook his head lightly, turned around, and flashed an innocent-looking smile.

"If possible, I hope the rest of the league can adapt to my pace soon."

-----

The next day, seeing the flood of interviews online, Kazama Hayato rubbed his temples and said with an exasperated sigh, "Wakatsu, which part of what that guy said is actually true?"

Kiryū Wakatsu shook his head. "Maybe…all of them."

_________

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