Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 302: A Calculated Strategy (D-L)

"Aoba Johsai really is terrifying. Even though it's obvious they're not at full strength, no team has been able to beat them?"

"Is Date Tech really going to lose just like that? Looks like they still don't have an answer for Kaedehara Taichi…"

In Date Tech's bench area, despite losing the first set, the players remained fired up.

Coach Oiwake tapped his tactical board, his mind racing as he faced a difficult decision.

"We are wearing Taichi down, but if we continue at this pace, we might lose the match before it even matters."

"The team is gradually adjusting to Aoba Johsai's offence, but if we make any drastic changes, new issues will arise."

"Kanji's effectiveness in the back row is still limited—his reception hasn't improved enough yet. But when we're on the offensive, he's our best weapon at the net."

Futakuchi Kenji was deep in thought as well. Sometimes, players on the court could sense problems even better than the coach.

If Date Tech's strongest front-row rotation could only trade points with Kaedehara Taichi, then the moment both sides rotated to the back row, his impact on the game would far surpass any of them.

Even though they had all talked tough earlier, and they did want to shut him down with their blocks, if the goal was victory…

"Coach, we need to make a change, don't we?" Futakuchi asked.

"Mm." Oiwake seemed to have made up his mind. "Kaedehara Taichi is incredible. His rate of improvement is beyond what I imagined."

"So, I'm going to cut him off from the rest of his team entirely."

"Aone, you'll mark Kaedehara Taichi one-on-one! That way, we can rotate our strongest blocking lineup away from him!"

"For this set, we're going to shut down the rest of Aoba Johsai!"

All eyes turned to Aone Takanobu. Even in a single-block situation, he was a nightmare for most spikers.

But Kaedehara Taichi wouldn't be like most spikers.

"…Got it." Aone gave a firm nod. "I'll do my best to stay with him."

Date Tech: "!!"

"Whoa, Aone-senpai actually spoke!"

"Aone, that was so cool!"

"Don't worry, we won't leave you one-on-one for too long." Futakuchi held out a fist. "Just hold out for two rotations, and we'll be there."

Aone's expression remained serious as he slowly lifted his right arm, pressing his fist to Futakuchi's.

"…Mm."

-----

The teams switched sides. The second set began.

Aoba Johsai's lineup:

Front row—Middle Blocker Kindaichi Yūtarō, Setter Yahaba Shigeru, Outside Hitter Kaedehara Taichi.

Back row—Outside Hitter Kyōtani Kentarō, Outside Hitter Kunimi Akira and Middle Blocker Honda Heisuke (Libero: Watari Shinji).

Date Tech's lineup:

Front row—Middle Blocker Aone Takanobu, Outside Hitter Obara Yutaka, Outside Hitter Onagawa Tarō.

Back row—Outside Hitter Futakuchi Kenji, Setter Kanji Koganegawa and Middle Blocker Fukiage Jingo (Libero: Sakunami Kōsuke).

Date Tech served first, with Fukiage Jingo stepping up to the service line.

"What's this? Is Date Tech giving up already?" Kamihara Atsushi muttered through a mouthful of snacks.

After watching Shiratorizawa get steamrolled by Aoba Johsai yesterday, Kamihara had been so frustrated that he didn't touch food for an entire hour. He hadn't even planned to watch today's match, but in the end, he couldn't resist when Kimura Ryōta insisted.

So far, Date Tech had been fighting hard. But no matter what they did, they still couldn't stop Taichi-senpai.

Kamihara had been hoping Date Tech would go all out in the second set. Even if they lost, at least they should go down swinging. But looking at their opening formation—they weren't opting for a powerful serve.

They weren't even sending out their strongest attackers in the front row.

It looked almost as if…they were handing points away.

"Maybe… this is their real all-or-nothing gamble," Kimura muttered, his gaze sharp as he watched the court.

He had a bold theory—Date Tech was giving points away.

Because their goal wasn't this rotation.

After missing his serve at match point last set, Fukiage Jingo's presence at the service line drew loud jeers from the stands.

"Seriously…" Fukiage sighed. "I'm working on it, okay?"

Boom!

His standard jump serve was easily received by Kunimi.

Without hesitation, Taichi launched into an attack from the right side.

"So fast?!!"

Though it wasn't as ridiculously quick as his hyper-speed attack from before, Onagawa Tarō wasn't a strong blocker to begin with.

A first-tempo attack straight off the reception.

Onagawa Tarō had barely reacted when the ball already sailed past his head.

Smack!

Fukiage barely had time to re-enter the court before the ball struck the floor at his feet.

Kaedehara Taichi, point scored.

[Aoba Johsai 1 – 0 Date Tech]

The jeers grew even louder.

Fukiage's face turned red. This wasn't his fault, right…?

Service switched. Aoba Johsai to serve.

Kindaichi stepped up, unleashing a powerful jump serve straight at Date Tech's back row.

Smack!

Sakunami made the reception. Koganegawa leapt to set.

"Whoa! The positioning's shifted?"

Taichi blocked Obara Yutaka in front of him, while Aone lined up against Yahaba.

Obara swung—and missed completely!

The ball flew further left—Aone adjusted, then hammered it straight down.

Boom!

The ball sailed past Yahaba's outstretched hands.

Aone Takanobu, point scored.

[Aoba Johsai 1 – 1 Date Tech]

"Nice set, Kanji!"

This start was even better than Coach Oiwake had expected. They weren't falling behind early.

Service switched. Date Tech to serve. Futakuchi rotated to the front row.

Onagawa Tarō sent a float serve across the net.

"I got it!" Kunimi stepped up for the pass.

The ball sailed toward the middle—Taichi leapt, completely unreadable.

"Again?!" Futakuchi admired their guts, but—

"This time, we're ready."

"Triple block!"

Futakuchi, Aone, and Obara sealed off the net.

Taichi's attack pattern shifted again. He didn't challenge the block—Instead, he set the ball to the right.

Boom!

Honda Heisuke smashed it down.

[Aoba Johsai 2 – 1 Date Tech]

Aoba Johsai reclaimed the lead with ease.

"Shake it off! Next play!" Futakuchi called back, unfazed.

On the other side, Taichi had already figured out what Date Tech was trying to do.

The real match would begin—

Once he rotated to the back row.

Yahaba's serve was harmless.

With Futakuchi in the front, Date Tech's offence flourished.

Sakunami delivered a solid pass, and Koganegawa, wary of Taichi's block, set to the far right.

Onagawa hammered a straight shot down the line.

[Aoba Johsai 2 – 2 Date Tech]

"Perfect!" Coach Oiwake clenched his fist.

If Aoba Johsai was like Shiratorizawa, then even if Taichi could match Ushijima one-on-one—

His team was nowhere near as dominant.

A one-man army couldn't win this fight alone.

Obara Yutaka stepped up for his next serve.

Smack!

Watari handled the pass. Yahaba set a high ball to the left—

Even knowing Date Tech's strategy, they still needed to score.

There was no hiding it—

This was a calculated strategy.

Taichi sprinted in, then launched himself into the air.

"Triple block!!!"

Unexpectedly, Date Tech had no intention of letting this rally go easily—their strongest Iron Wall was already in place!

Koganegawa Kanji, Futakuchi Kenji, and Aone Takanobu jumped up in unison.

Boom!

Smack!

"One touch!" Koganegawa called out excitedly to the back row.

Sakunami Kōsuke recovered the ball, and Onagawa Tarō barely managed to set it to the front row. Aone took off for a spike.

"Double block!" Honda Heisuke and Kunimi Akira positioned themselves in front of him.

Boom!!—

Aone slammed the ball with full force. It tore through Honda's block and crashed into Aoba Johsai's court.

Aone Takanobu scores.

[Aoba Johsai 2 – 3 Date Tech]

Even before Kaedehara Taichi had rotated to the back row, Date Tech had already overtaken them on the scoreboard.

This was also the first time Date Tech had taken the lead in the final!

"Aone! That was a beautiful spike!" Futakuchi clapped his hand against Aone's.

"Yeah!!!"

A team capable of growing mid-match wasn't just limited to Aoba Johsai.

"Sorry," Kaedehara Taichi muttered under his breath. After more than half a year of training together, Koganegawa had fully integrated into Date Tech's blocking system.

There was no time to dwell on other things—just dealing with the block in front of them required his full focus!

Obara Yutaka sent out his second serve.

Smack!

Watari Shinji delivered a perfect reception, and Yahaba Shigeru's eyes flicked over to the front row of Date Tech.

Damn it—against this blocking formation, there was no option but to set to Taichi!

"Give me the ball."

Kaedehara Taichi's firm request erased Yahaba's hesitation—if I'm in the front row, then just set it to me.

Whoosh!—

The ball arced toward the left wing. Taichi was right behind it, leaping into the air.

"Triple block!" Date Tech, having tasted success, strengthened their net defense.

Boom!—

Smack!

Koganegawa felt the ball connect solidly with his hand, and for a brief second, joy flickered across his face.

But before he could even react, the ball had already landed.

Thud!

Off the block and out.

Kaedehara Taichi scores.

[Aoba Johsai 3 – 3 Date Tech]

"Koganegawa, if you think just raising your hands in front of me is enough to stop me, you're way too naive."

Kaedehara Taichi had no problem putting on a little extra display—if it meant messing with Koganegawa's blocking rhythm and forcing mistakes, then all the better.

"Ohhh," Koganegawa Kanji nodded in apparent understanding. "Then…how do I block you?"

Taichi: "???"

"Kanji, we're in the middle of a match," Futakuchi said helplessly. Could this guy at least pretend to be serious?

"Hmm…" Koganegawa furrowed his brows in thought before suddenly lighting up. "Then, Taichi, can you teach me after the match?"

Taichi: "…"

"Is that a no?" Koganegawa asked when both Taichi and Futakuchi remained silent. "But during training camp, Taichi taught me how to set—"

"Ahem," Futakuchi cleared his throat, suddenly recalling the days when Moniwa-senpai was still around. "Let's talk about it after the match."

"Okay, okay." Koganegawa nodded eagerly.

Service switch—Aoba Johsai to serve.

Kaedehara Taichi stepped up to the line.

"Seriously, is that guy really going to ask me after the match…?"

Bang!—

A powerful jump float serve rocketed straight toward Koganegawa Kanji.

"Forward, move forward!"

Hearing Futakuchi's urgent call, Koganegawa didn't hesitate—his inability to predict the ball's trajectory actually worked in his favor this time.

The ball dipped sharply over the net, and Koganegawa dug it up forcefully.

Smack!

The ball soared high in front of the net.

"That worked? Just brute force? Some kind of beginner's luck?" Futakuchi's eyes widened in disbelief.

But he didn't hesitate—he quickly shifted and set to the right side.

Aone Takanobu launched into a spike.

"Double block!" This time, Aoba Johsai sent Kunimi Akira and Kyōtani Kentarō to challenge him.

Not enough!

Boom!—

The ball landed.

Aone Takanobu scores.

[Aoba Johsai 3 – 4 Date Tech]

In just one rally, Date Tech had neutralized Kaedehara Taichi's service rotation.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

From the sidelines, Coach Oiwake could almost see the Goddess of Victory leaning entirely in Date Tech's direction.

Service switch—Date Tech to serve.

This was exactly the situation Coach Oiwake wanted. Aoba Johsai's only real front-row threat in this rotation was Kyōtani Kentarō, while Date Tech's blocking line remained dominant.

This was their chance to pull ahead!

Aone Takanobu took a deep breath.

At 193 cm, with top-tier strength, incredible speed, and explosive jumping ability, Aone was a player even Washijō Tanji would covet. But for over a year, he had focused solely on blocking, neglecting other aspects of his game.

As his perspective broadened, Aone began to realize what he lacked.

To stand at the top, being a specialist wasn't enough. Even if he couldn't be an all-rounder, he couldn't afford to have glaring weaknesses.

He tossed the ball, took his approach, and swung.

Boom!!!

No mistakes this time.

The ball landed between Watari and Yahaba, bouncing high into the air.

Aone Takanobu scores on a service ace.

[Aoba Johsai 3 – 5 Date Tech]

"Stay calm! Aone-senpai's serves are still predictable—just focus on getting the next one!" Kaedehara Taichi's voice cut through the moment.

This rotation was crucial—they couldn't allow Date Tech to build momentum!

"Aone, that was a great serve!"

"Senpai, one more!"

"Mm." Aone's face remained serious.

As long as it landed inbounds, it was fine. Sacrificing a little precision for power was a fair trade.

Aone sent out his second serve.

Boom!!!

The ball streaked toward Aoba Johsai's left backcourt.

Smack! Taichi received it cleanly. This kind of serve was no longer an issue.

Yahaba quickly adjusted, setting to the right side. Kyōtani Kentarō ran in from outside the boundary and leapt for a spike.

"Triple block!" Fukiage Jingo, Obara Yutaka, and Futakuchi Kenji sealed off the diagonal angle.

Futakuchi left a slight gap on the right—Aone was waiting there to take on the straight shot.

"Don't underestimate me!"

Kyōtani faked a diagonal spike but twisted his wrist to drive the ball down the straight.

Boom!!—

—Smack!

The gap that had been left open was now covered—Futakuchi's hands swung down diagonally, redirecting the ball.

Tap, tap, tap…

Date Tech scores on a block.

[Aoba Johsai 3 – 6 Date Tech]

Was the defender in the back row just a decoy? Kyōtani Kentarō's expression darkened as he glared at Futakuchi.

"Damn, that hurt!" Futakuchi shook out his hand, unfazed by Kyōtani's stare.

"You…you did that on purpose, didn't you?" Kyōtani asked, his tone laced with irritation.

Futakuchi's eyes sharpened instantly as he shot back, "Don't think anyone can just ignore Date Tech's Iron Wall!"

With three consecutive points, Date Tech had successfully widened the gap!

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