Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty
Chapter 482: I’ll Be Waiting (Double-Length)

In the blink of an eye, a month and a half had passed since the start of the regular season. The DH Club was on a roll—unstoppable like a runaway train. With a five-match winning streak under their belt, they were charging up the league standings at full speed.

So far, only three powerhouse teams—DH, Black Jackals, and EJP—had managed to start the season with five consecutive wins. Naturally, they had become the hot topic of discussion at this stage of the league.

However, a closer look revealed that the difficulty of achieving those five straight wins varied slightly among the three teams. Of them, DESEO Hornets arguably had the smoothest path. Reviewing their first five opponents, the strongest among them was Azuma Pharmacy Green Rockets—a team that only made it to the top eight last season.

Granted, making the top eight already indicated a certain level of strength. But compared to the league's perennial top four juggernauts, Green Rockets still fell a bit short.

In contrast, both MSBY Black Jackals and EJP Raijin had shown remarkable grit and resilience, managing to claw victories from their encounters with last season's top four teams—snatching wins from the jaws of formidable foes.

The Black Jackals faced off against Tachibana Red Falcons—one of the league's veteran powerhouses—in their third match. The Red Falcons, for context, were the team whose owner had publicly called for Taichi's transfer during the preseason.

This season, with the addition of Hakuba Gao, the Red Falcons had beefed up their blocking. Their rich experience and sophisticated tactics caught the Black Jackals off guard, allowing them to dominate the court early on.

The Wolves struggled right out of the gate and even dropped the first set. But this was the most aggressive offensive team in the league—playing passively only fueled the pack's bloodlust.

After losing the opening set, Coach Samson quickly analysed the opposing team's blocking patterns and adjusted their offensive strategies to tear open the Red Falcons' defence.

[MSBY Black Jackals 22 - 25 Tachibana Red Falcons]

[MSBY Black Jackals 30 - 28 Tachibana Red Falcons]

[MSBY Black Jackals 25 - 23 Tachibana Red Falcons]

[MSBY Black Jackals 25 - 22 Tachibana Red Falcons]

In the end, the Black Jackals pulled off a thrilling comeback, reversing the match 3–1 with a multi-pronged offensive led by Shūgo Meian, Kōtarō Bokuto, and Sakusa Kiyoomi.

Meanwhile, EJP Raijin hosted Schweiden Adlers in their fourth match—a game packed with both old grudges and new feuds. The entire match was neck and neck, with the scoreline swinging back and forth.

[EJP Raijin 25 - 22 Schweiden Adlers]

[EJP Raijin 25 - 27 Schweiden Adlers]

[EJP Raijin 28 - 26 Schweiden Adlers]

[EJP Raijin 21 - 25 Schweiden Adlers]

[EJP Raijin 20 - 18 Schweiden Adlers]

In the clutch fifth set, EJP's ace Akutsu Ao rose to the occasion. With his overwhelming individual prowess, he racked up a string of crucial points to steady the team's nerves and ultimately secure the win.

Compared to such intense matchups, DH's five-win streak began to raise some subtle doubts—was it truly as impressive?

Still, within the DH Club, external scepticism had no power to shake them.

The coaching staff continuously emphasised how hard-fought each victory truly was. They reminded everyone never to underestimate a single opponent. The players themselves understood that the difficulty of their schedule was only temporary. If they enjoyed a relatively easy run in the beginning, it only meant the upcoming stretch would be all the more brutal.

Take their upcoming fixtures, for instance:

November 19:Away match against top-eight team Tokyo Bears

November 26:Home game vs. MSBY Black Jackals

December 3:Away match vs. VC Kanagawa

December 10:Home game vs. Schweiden Adlers

And then: Tachibana Red Falcons, JT Thunder, EJP Raijin…

In the next seven matches, DH would face five top-eight teams, including four of last season's top four.

"Seriously, are those guys out of their minds? Who the hell makes a schedule like this?" slurred Kitajima Kippei, already a bottle of sake deep, at a pub in Aichi Prefecture.

"Ugh, the old man's at it again..." Tom Wilde rolled his eyes in disdain.

"Even if it's your day off tomorrow, could you show a little self-restraint?" Yoshii Hiyu muttered as he snatched the bottle away. "You're still a professional athlete. Can't you be a little more disciplined—like Kobayashi?"

"But I've been disciplined for over ten years and still haven't won a championship," Kitajima whined, nearly in tears.

Huh?

Hearing that, Kaedehara Taichi slightly raised his chin, eyes glinting with amusement. He felt like this was the perfect time to say something.

In an instant, as if drawn by some unseen force, the once-chatty group turned and locked eyes on him in unison.

One had to admit—Kaedehara Taichi, even on a regular day, exuded a natural-born confidence. And when it came to the topic of winning championships, his words always hit like a spell—bold, resounding, and strangely persuasive.

For most players on DH, winning a championship still felt like a distant dream. Of course, it was something they'd thought about. But to truly believe they could achieve it—that was a luxury reserved for fantasy.

And yet, after spending more time with Taichi, listening to him declare again and again that they would win, and watching how seriously he poured himself into every match, something in them had started to change.

A small seed of ambition, long buried deep in their hearts, had quietly taken root.

"…Huh?" Taichi blinked in confusion. "Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Nitta Asahiro smiled warmly, clearly waiting for Taichi to say something.

"Didn't Kitajima-san already win a championship though?" Taichi said innocently, blinking.

"…What?" Kitajima froze. He had a bad feeling about this.

"That year, weren't you the best outside hitter in the V2 League? A V2 championship is still a championship, right?"

Kitajima: "…"

This brat's heart must be made of coal, Kitajima thought bitterly.

-----

November 19th, DH hit the road to face Tokyo Bears, one of last season's top-eight teams.

Their home turf was the legendary Tokyo Dome Arena, a venue that could seat 15,000 spectators. On match days, not a single seat was empty. The fans' cheers thundered like a tidal wave, creating a red-hot home atmosphere.

Unlike the equally Tokyo-based Black Jackals, Tokyo Bears were a defence-oriented team. But that didn't mean their play was passive—their defence was fluid, with a speciality in lightning-quick counterattacks.

The Bears' team defence was incredibly cohesive, their players moving like tightly meshed gears—always covering for each other, always in sync. Though the team had only been founded a decade ago, they'd already made the top eight four times in the last five years.

But against the now vastly evolved DH Club, Tokyo Bears only managed to show their resilience in the opening set. Under Kaedehara Taichi's relentless bombardment, the Bears were forced to concentrate their defence on his side.

That, however, opened up the rest of the court. DH took full advantage with a multi-pronged attack that utterly shredded the Bears' defensive line.

[DESEO Hornets 28 - 26 Tokyo Bears]

[DESEO Hornets 25 - 22 Tokyo Bears]

[DESEO Hornets 25 - 20 Tokyo Bears]

With one strong push, DH sealed a clean 3–0 victory—picking up their sixth straight win.

EJP hadn't played their sixth match yet, so on the current standings, DH and Black Jackals were tied for first at 6–0.

This, in turn, gave a whole new weight to the upcoming match between DH and Black Jackals on November 26th.

It was no longer just another regular season game—it was a clash for the top spot, a battle to ignite team morale, and a statement match for the entire league.

Before the match even began, the media had already begun heavily hyping it up as the game to watch, and fans were eagerly awaiting the showdown. Tickets sold out in a flash.

For DH, defeating Black Jackals once again would prove that their rise was no fluke—it would instil even greater confidence in their quest for the championship. A second win would also give them a psychological edge in future encounters, a crucial breakthrough for a team that had often exited early in the playoffs.

As for Black Jackals, they had no intention of relinquishing their top spot without a fight. Their obsession with this match ran deeper than anyone could have imagined.

They had been stewing over that preseason loss to DH for two whole months. That defeat had lodged itself like a thorn in the hearts of every Black Jackals player, constantly pricking at their nerves. Over the past two months, the players had trained tirelessly, while the coaching staff obsessively reviewed every tactical detail—no aspect was left untouched. It was all for this one goal: to redeem themselves when they met the Hornets again.

As the regular season progressed and the long-anticipated clash between DH and Black Jackals loomed, social media practically exploded. The hashtag #DuelOfTheTitans shot to the top of trending lists like a rocket, triggering a tidal wave of discussion among fans.

It all started when Black Jackals' official account fired the first shot, posting an electrifying training video.

In the footage, Miya Atsumu stood at the service line. After a brief run-up, he leapt high into the air, and the ball in his hand became a bullet, crashing toward the opposite court at a speed too fast for the naked eye.

BOOM!!!—

Thud!!!

Two resounding blasts echoed through the screen, hitting every viewer right in the chest. The video then cut to a slow-motion replay of Atsumu's serve—the ball, spinning sharply with wicked sidespin, clipped the left sideline of the court and shot out. In the bottom-right corner of the video, a stat popped up: 121 km/h.

The caption from Black Jackals was just as aggressive:

"Heard someone's aiming for first?"

Just a few words, but the challenge was unmistakable. It immediately fired up Black Jackals' fanbase, who flooded the comments with cheers and support.

Fan A:"Didn't DH win last time because of some serve gimmick? As if we can't do that too. A 120+ km/h sidespin serve—can't wait to see how DH plans to receive that…"

Fan B:"Black Jackals for the win. Championship pedigree isn't just a slogan."

Fan C didn't even say anything—just posted photos of Black Jackals celebrating past title wins. Some tactical fans even wrote detailed breakdowns of Black Jackals' system, from offensive pacing to defensive positioning, ultimately concluding that DH's previous victory was a fluke—and this time, reality would come crashing down.

Caught off guard by Black Jackals's early media ambush, DH's PR team was quick to respond. They posted on their official account:

"Best server this season? No. Best server in history."

Their image? A stat sheet from the 2014–2015 regular season, with Kaedehara Taichi ranked No. 1 in average service points per set—8.5, well ahead of Akutsu Ao (5.6) in second, and Miya Atsumu (5.3) in third.

DH chose to respond with facts, not just bravado—shutting down the provocation while exuding absolute confidence.

The post quickly racked up likes, and DH fans swarmed the comments, listing their team's stellar stats this season and pledging their unwavering support.

Fan A:"By the way, Taichi just racked up 8 straight service points in one set against Tokyo Bears. Who else can do that?!"

Fan B:"Talk big all you want, but if you're gonna challenge us on serving? LOL. You've never seen someone beg to get wrecked."

Fan C:"Both teams are 6–0, sure. But DH has an 18–0 set record. Black Jackals? 18–2. No need to say who's stronger."

The result? A fiery war of words between both fanbases under the trending tag. And not just fans—players' personal social media accounts also got dragged into the storm.

Whenever Bokuto Kōtarō posted his training updates, DH fans flooded the comments with lines like, "Hope you don't get blocked off the court by our boys!" Meanwhile, under the video of Kaedehara Taichi from the DH press conference, Black Jackals fans left their own taunts.

-----

"Check this one out—'Win first, then talk.' Like I've never beaten them before," Taichi said, scrolling through his phone and showing the comment section to Sakusa Kiyoomi.

"Don't come so close to me," Sakusa replied with a frown, pushing him away.

"Taichi! Let me see too!" Bokuto chirped with interest. "My comment section's been going crazy lately—I can't even keep up with the replies!"

"Bokuto-san," said Akaashi Keiji in a low, warning tone, "I believe I've reminded you to be cautious with your words online."

"Ah—but isn't it rude not to reply at all?" Bokuto replied sheepishly. "Ugh, I feel like you've gotten even scarier since becoming a working adult."

"...Have I really?" Akaashi thought to himself.

November 25th, the day before the DESEO Hornets vs. MSBY Black Jackals match.

Though online they were at each other's throats, in reality, many of the players were gathered together now.

"Motoya told me you didn't even talk to him before deciding to play pro while attending university," said Iizuna Tsukasa, his voice gentle. "He really wanted to play on the same team as you, you know."

"He's not my mom," Sakusa Kiyoomi replied bluntly, though he did answer seriously. "And Motoya's lying. Even if he had known I was joining Black Jackals, he wouldn't have left EJP."

"Of course! Who could put up with being your teammate any longer?" Miya Atsumu declared dramatically.

"Do you have a death wish?" Sakusa glared coldly at him.

Atsumu quickly darted behind Iizuna: "Iizuna-senpai, the fact you managed to set for Sakusa for two full years—I respect the hell outta that."

"Haha, Sakusa's not so bad to get along with," Iizuna chuckled.

Atsumu's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Anyway, Motoya's made up his mind to beat you."

"Hmm. But I'm not going to lose."

"You're full of it," Atsumu said. "EJP just beat AD. Don't underestimate our Rintarō!"

"And our Tatsuki too!" Bokuto added.

"But honestly, neither of them had much to do with that win," Taichi interjected. "AD just took too long to warm up, and Akutsu Ao was in terrifying form. The fact that they couldn't shut him down was the real reason they lost."

Atsumu: "Heartless. So cold."

Bokuto: "Yeah, totally!"

Taichi: "…"

"I swear Bokuto-san's gotten even weirder after hanging out with all these oddballs…" Akaashi couldn't help but think.

"Taichi," Sakusa said with quiet intensity, "you're definitely losing tomorrow."

Still with that routine, huh?

Taichi smiled, downed the rest of his juice, and replied:

"I'll be waiting."

_________

[T/N] - If you guys want to read 50 Chapters in advance of the current story, you can support me on my Patreon. Trust me, it's awesome!

Link - (P)atreon.com/Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.