Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

Chapter 237: A Growing Unease

"Don't hesitate when blocking—just lock down the straight shot!" Iwaizumi Hajime called from the back row.

"Got it!"

The front-row blockers hadn't actually intended to shift their positioning. It was just that Bokuto Kōtarō's first sharp cross-shot had left an incredibly strong impression on them.

The serve rotated once again, and Akaashi Keiji stepped up to the service line.

Boom!

His serve dropped into the front zone—his target was Kaedehara Taichi.

A serve this weak aimed at me? Do they really think I'm that easy to target?

Taichi had noticed a steep rise in the number of serves he was being forced to receive in this Spring High tournament.

Whoosh!—

Taichi calmly handled the ball with an overhead pass, sending it straight to the right wing.

Kindaichi Yūtarō took off.

Bang!

A sudden quick attack caught Fukurōdani completely off guard. Even though Konoha Akinori leapt to block, Kindaichi spiked directly over his hands with an overhand kill.

"Damn it, does being tall make you so great?!" Konoha grumbled in frustration, glaring at the towering Kindaichi.

[Aoba Johsai 2 – 2 Fukurōdani]

"Sorry, Konoha-senpai!" Akaashi Keiji said, clearly unsatisfied.

He had at least hoped to disrupt their offensive rhythm. But on video, Kaedehara Taichi's passing hadn't looked nearly this refined.

And his reaction speed...

The very instant I made my serve, he had already read it.

"Don't dwell on it—next play!" Konoha waved him off.

The serve returned to Aoba Johsai. Kindaichi stepped up for a power jump serve.

Smack!

Komi Haruki delivered a clean first pass—finally, a serve that was at least manageable.

Akaashi set the ball high to the left wing.

He could feel it—Bokuto was still calling for the ball!

Bokuto Kōtarō sprinted forward and launched himself into the air.

"Three-man block!!!"

Matsukawa Issei, Hanamaki Takahiro, and Kaedehara Taichi jumped to form an impenetrable wall.

We have to hold this one!

Iwaizumi was stationed at the cross-shot angle. This time, there were no gaps in their defence!

"No Escape—"

Bokuto's eyes gleamed with a thrill for the challenge.

"Then I'll break through!"

BOOM!!!

He smashed the ball with full force—right into Hanamaki Takahiro's forearm.

SMACK!

It didn't go through!

Gritting his teeth, Hanamaki absorbed the impact and held his ground.

He knew that, as the shortest front-row blocker, he was the natural weak spot in the wall. But he had jumped with the mindset that Bokuto would target him.

He refused to let Bokuto Kōtarō continue scoring unchecked!

The ball deflected high into the air. Oikawa Tōru sprinted toward the sideline to chase it down.

Whoosh—

Oikawa sent the ball soaring back toward the net.

"Taichi!"

—A tough set to handle—but of course, it was meant for their ace!

BOOM!!!—

The ball spun violently to the side, angling sharply toward Aoba Johsai's backcourt.

Iwaizumi Hajime locked onto it, but the ball was simply too fast. The extreme curve made it nearly impossible to predict its trajectory.

Smack!

A second later, it hit the floor.

Bokuto Kōtarō, service ace.

[Aoba Johsai 3 – 4 Fukurōdani]

"That serve was incredibly deceptive! Aoba Johsai's No. 4 was still trying to track its movement when it had already landed, making them look like they were frozen in place!"

"Rather than worrying about how to receive it, they need to focus on just moving their bodies first..."

"Damn it," Iwaizumi muttered, brow furrowing. "Easier said than done. The problem is, I can't even read the ball's path."

Bokuto surveyed the back row, then launched his second serve.

—BOOM!!!

This time, he aimed for the far-right corner, targeting Watari Shinji. The ball carved out a massive curve in the air.

"Watari! Step forward!" Oikawa shouted.

Watari's eyes told him the ball was heading out, but—he trusted Oikawa-senpai's judgment more.

He took a step forward.

—And just as expected, the curve bent it back toward the court.

Smack!

He reached out to receive it—but it was still one step beyond his initial read.

The ball struck the sideline in front of him and bounced inward—still in play.

Bokuto Kōtarō, back-to-back aces!

[Aoba Johsai 3 – 5 Fukurōdani]

No touches.

Two consecutive points.

For the first time in the match, the gap between the two teams widened.

"Hey! Hey!! Hey!!!"

Bokuto Kōtarō was completely in the zone.

"Tweet!— Aoba Johsai calls a timeout."

Coach Irihata quickly signalled for a break.

This was the first time in the Spring High that Aoba Johsai had started a match trailing.

More importantly, missing a receiver and not even touching the ball were two very different things.

Coach Irihata could sense the arena's atmosphere gradually shifting toward Fukurōdani.

Bokuto Kōtarō is too fired up.We need to disrupt his rhythm—right now.

-----

The timeout ended, and the game resumed.

Kaedehara Taichi had indeed heard the system notification—Bokuto Kōtarō's burst mode has ended.

But for some reason, he still couldn't shake this uneasy feeling.

When Aoba Johsai returned to the court, they switched to a four-man reception formation.

Hanamaki Takahiro, positioned at the front in Zone 3, shifted slightly backwards. Iwaizumi moved closer toward Watari's side.

Bokuto fired off his third serve.

BOOM!

The ball carved an arc through the air—soaring toward Aoba Johsai's back row...

_________

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