Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty

Chapter 49: Nekoma

[May 4th, Tsukimizawa High School]

The players of the Tsukimizawa High School volleyball team were busy practising while chatting amongst themselves.@@@@

"That's incredible... I heard they came all the way from Tokyo."

"Their setter looks so short, though."

"Yeah...and they seem so frail and weak-looking..."

"Could they be a backup setter for their team?"

"I wonder how strong they are. I've never heard of their school before..."

Bang!

The gym doors flew open with a loud thud. A boy with messy, spiky black hair strode in, followed by a group of students dressed in red sportswear.

"We are Nekoma," the boy announced, his voice carrying an unmistakable air of confidence. "And that so-called weak and frail little guy you're mocking is the 'spine,' the 'brain,' and the 'heart' of our team."

"Let's go."

With those words, Tetsurō Kuroo dramatically set the tone.

The practice match between Nekoma High and Tsukimizawa High was officially underway.

An hour later...

[Nekoma 25 vs. 21 Tsukimizawa]

[Nekoma 25 vs. 13 Tsukimizawa]

In a clean sweep, Nekoma crushed Tsukimizawa 2-0.

[Karasuno General Sports Park – Training Camp Dormitory]

"Well then, in two days, we'll finally face the legendary Karasuno," Yamamoto Taketora declared solemnly, sitting before two first-year teammates. "So....does Karasuno have a female team manager or not?"

"I'll bet a Häagen-Dazs they don't!"

"What? I hope they do have a female manager! So, I bet they do!" countered Inuoka Sō, a first-year middle blocker, with a serious expression.

"Me too!" chimed in Shibayama Yūki, the first-year libero.

"Idiots—if they have one and we don't, wouldn't that just make us look bad?" Yamamoto scolded, his face full of frustration. "And even if they do, what if she looks like a gorilla? Then it's not worth it."

"Uh..." The two first-years exchanged puzzled looks, slowly losing track of their senpai's train of thought.

[Shōhei Fukunaga, Wing Spiker. Overall Ability: 84, Height: 178.3 cm, Strength: 82, Jump: 84, Stamina: 83, Speed: 84. Key Traits: Receive: 92, Spike 85.]

"Such balanced stats....but that receiving ability is absurd too."

[Sō Inuoka, Middle Blocker. Overall Ability: 84, Height: 185.3 cm, Strength: 85, Jump: 82, Stamina: 95, Speed: 92. Key Traits: Receive: 65.]

Taichi frowned slightly as he read.

He remembered Inuoka vividly from the original storyline—this was the player who had effectively neutralized Hinata Shōyō.

Looking closely now, Inuoka's stats in height, strength, jumping, stamina, and even speed all surpassed his own.

Definitely a tough opponent.

[Nobuyuki Kai, Wing Spiker. Overall Ability: 82, Height: 176.5 cm, Strength: 85, Jump: 72, Stamina: 82, Speed: 83. Key Traits: Receive: 92, Spike 83.]

"This guy....reminds me of Sawamura Daichi."

[Kenma Kozume, Setter. Overall Ability: 75, Height: 168 cm, Strength: 62, Jump: 68, Stamina: 70, Speed: 78. Key Traits: Receive: 94, Set: 95.]

"If there were a stat for intelligence, Kozume would easily start at 95," Kaedehara mused.

Despite his mediocre physical abilities, Kenma's receiving and setting skills were top-tier. His sharp perception and strategic acumen placed him among the very best setters.

Unlike Oikawa Tōru, who could unleash 100% of his potential on any team, Kozume Kenma was the kind of setter who could elevate Nekoma's performance to 120% of their maximum potential.

[Taketora Yamamoto, Wing Spiker. Overall Ability: 82, Height: 176.6 cm, Strength: 92, Jump: 78, Stamina: 88, Speed: 70. Key Traits: Spike: 84.]

"Pfft." Kaedehara couldn't help but chuckle. "Isn't this just a blond version of Tanaka Ryūnosuke? No wonder they're called copies of each other."

[Yūki Shibayama, Libero. Overall Ability: 75, Height: 172.2 cm, Strength: 62, Jump: 78, Stamina: 72, Speed: 88. Key Traits: Receive: 75.]

Finally, a first-year who seemed more in line with normal expectations. If Shibayama wanted to succeed Yaku as Nekoma's libero, he'd have to endure years of rigorous training.

Kaedehara Taichi took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

After analyzing Nekoma's stats, one thing became abundantly clear: their team composition was utterly bizarre. There wasn't a single player with overwhelming physical abilities.

Yet, apart from Yamamoto and the two first-years, the rest of the team had receiving stats exceeding 90.

"This match....is going to be exhausting."

_________

[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 - /Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]