Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty
Chapter 489: A Flash of Insight

January 8th—The day before DH's away game against EJP.

All of DH's players were originally supposed to be en route to Nagano Prefecture by now. However, Kaedehara Taichi had something else on his schedule.

[Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Day 4 of Spring High Nationals]

"You're facing the reigning champions EJP tomorrow, and you still have the nerve to come watch a match?" Kunimi Akira frowned. "Your condition's been terrible lately. Don't tell me you came here just to find yourself another excuse."

"Wow, Kunimi, you've gotten so strict now~ Is this the aura of a team captain?" Kaedehara Taichi replied with a breezy smile.

"Hmph. You ditched us for the pro league, leaving a mess behind for me to clean up. And now you expect me to welcome you with open arms?" Kunimi grumbled in frustration.

"But aren't you doing a great job?" Taichi remained as lighthearted as ever.

"Don't you have an away match? Isn't it risky to be here?"

"I'll head to Nagano tonight. I won't be late."

"Still, why come all the way here in person? Can't you just watch the match on your phone?" Kunimi shot him a sideways glance. "Tomorrow's game is a big deal for your team, right? I can't imagine why you'd feel the need to be here."

"Ah, it's really been a while—look at you now, so cold and distant," Taichi said, feigning a wounded expression.

"Be serious," Kunimi pressed him.

"It's important, but not that important," Taichi replied casually. "It's just a regular season game…"

"Taichi!" Kunimi's voice suddenly sharpened. "That doesn't sound like something you would say."

Taichi froze for a moment, then smiled and said, "Well, pro volleyball isn't like a high school club, is it? No one can win all the time. Besides, a loss in the regular season doesn't affect the playoffs. As long as we beat them then, the championship will still be mine."

"Do you even hear yourself right now?" Kunimi stared straight at him.

Taichi fell silent.

"With that mindset, you won't win—not against Bokuto, not against Ushiwaka, not even that Akutsu guy."

"You've been watching DH's matches, haven't you?" Taichi said. "I've done everything I possibly can! Serving, receiving, blocking, spiking—I've been doing it all! I'm stronger now than I ever was at Aoba Johsai—much stronger!"

"But that's still not enough! That's not how you win!" Taichi's voice suddenly rose. "Volleyball isn't a one-man game, I know that. And my current teammates aren't weak, but it's not enough! There's still something missing between me and victory. Kunimi—can you tell me what it is?!"

"Uh, Kindaichi-senpai…it looks like Taichi-senpai and our captain are arguing. Is that okay?"

From Aoba Johsai's bench, first-year rookie Ueda Ritsu whispered with concern.

"It's fine, it's fine," Kindaichi Yūtarō replied earnestly. "Those two are the smartest guys from Aoba Johsai. If they're arguing, it probably means there's something worth arguing about."

Still, even his eyes betrayed a hint of worry as he watched them.

Kunimi took hold of Taichi's hands, which had grabbed his shoulders in frustration, and slowly moved them aside.

"Taichi. There's still one thing you haven't done."

Taichi let out a short, frustrated yell, then quickly calmed down again.

"What is it?"

"You haven't started thinking of them as us. Taichi—you're their leader now. Just like you led us, you need to lead them."

"Tweet—!"

The referee's whistle signalled both teams to prepare to take the court.

"You will win, Taichi," Kunimi said, turning back toward Aoba Johsai's bench. "Everyone at Aoba Johsai believes that."

"Kunimi," Taichi called out, "good luck in the match."

"Oh, and—congratulations on beating Karasuno and becoming prefectural champions."

-----

On the court, both teams began their warm-ups, and before long, the match officially started.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine now."

Chiba Kaho approached Kaedehara Taichi. The two hadn't seen each other in a while, and a slight awkwardness lingered between them. 

However, once they started talking about the team, they quickly regained the rhythm they used to have back when Taichi was still at Aoba Johsai.

Kaho told Taichi about the changes within the team since he had left, and Taichi listened quietly while watching the match unfold on the court.

First, there was the situation within Miyagi Prefecture. The era once dominated by a single powerhouse—first Ushijima Wakatoshi, then Kaedehara Taichi—had ended. Now, Aoba Johsai and Karasuno were neck and neck, hard to separate.

In the Spring High qualifiers, the top four teams in the prefecture were Aoba Johsai, Karasuno, Kakugawa Academy led by Hyakuzawa Yūdai, and Shiratorizawa under Goshiki Tsutomu's leadership.

Kimura Ryōta, despite his efforts, couldn't carry Date Tech alone. The team that once made the national quarterfinals had fallen out of the top four in Miyagi.

For Aoba Johsai to make it back to nationals at Spring High was no easy feat. With only one slot for the prefecture, they had to overcome the now third-year powerhouse duo of Hinata and Kageyama at Karasuno.

That match went to five gruelling sets, but in the end, it was Aoba Johsai—led by Kunimi Akira, Nakamori Daiki, and Kindaichi Yūtarō—who came out on top, securing their ticket to nationals by the narrowest of margins.

At nationals, they then faced Kamomedai High, led by the prodigy ace Narisa Ao, and Fukurōdani Academy, now captained by the increasingly mature Sarukui Fūto. Each match was a brutal struggle. For Kunimi, it felt just like that first year when they entered nationals for the first time.

Their own strength hadn't grown overwhelming, so it felt like nothing but strong opponents every step of the way—a true hellish bracket.

On the dreaded Day Three of Spring High, Aoba Johsai played three full-set matches against both Kamomedai and Fukurodani, eventually pushing through to Day Four.

And now, today, their opponent was none other than the reigning Inter-High national champions—and Aoba Johsai's old rival—Inarizaki, led by one of the top three aces in the country: Riseki Heisuke.

However, the two teams in the other semifinal were no pushovers either. They were Itachiyama Academy, featuring Chita Chidō, and Inubishi Higashi High, led by Kubo Terunao—both ace outside hitters who had made Japan's U-19 youth team back when they were still first-years.

Though many spectators believed the overall strength of teams had declined with the graduation of the "monster generation," this only made the outcome of the championship all the more unpredictable.

"Kunimi has his own style now, huh."

Watching Kunimi Akira's attack, Taichi noticed something. Aside from his precise choice of spike trajectories, Kunimi's spiking rhythm was downright strange. Whether he was synced with setter Tōma Kaoru or libero Nakamori Daiki, his approach varied—sometimes fast, sometimes delayed—paired with unpredictable timing when he jumped. It kept Inarizaki's blockers constantly guessing.

Moreover, while Kunimi's spike height and power weren't enough to simply overpower opponents, his variety of shots at the net—dinks, wipes, off-speed attacks, or even faked spikes turned sets—made his offence extremely difficult to block.

"No wonder he's considered one of the top three aces in the country. You can speak with confidence when you've got the strength to back it up," Taichi said with a grin.

On the court, Kunimi jumped at the net. Facing a double block, he tipped the ball to the far right. Kindaichi Yūtarō leapt up to spike.

Inarizaki reacted quickly—the last remaining blocker closed in on Kindaichi without hesitation.

Smack!

As Inarizaki's back-row defenders shifted to the right, Kindaichi instead tipped the ball to the far left corner of their court…

Thud!

The ball landed cleanly. Kindaichi Yūtarō scored.

"…What was that?!"

It was as if something flashed through Kaedehara Taichi's mind—a brief but unmistakable spark.

_________

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