Haikyuu: Zero to Almighty

"Kuroo, that guy is totally staring at us, isn't he?"

Kozume Kenma had always been highly sensitive to the gazes of those around him. As soon as the warm-up began, he noticed a player on the opposing team sizing up Nekoma's members one by one.

"Oh? Isn't that just like you?" Kuroo Tetsurō smirked mischievously.

"I don't have that habit," Kenma retorted, shooting him a glare.

"Sure you do."

"Do not."

"You do."

"Don't."

"You—"

Tweet!

The referee's whistle cut through their bickering, signalling that the match was about to begin. Both teams were instructed to take their positions.

"——We are the blood." Nekoma's players huddled into a circle, their voices low but unified. "We must flow freely and smoothly, carrying oxygen to ensure the 'brain' can function properly!"

Kenma: "…"

He wanted to disappear on the spot!

"Let's go!" Kuroo raised his hand with enthusiasm.

"Oh!!" the team responded in unison.

Kenma, his face painted with exasperation, muttered, "Kuroo….Can we not do this kind of pep talk next time? It's….embarrassing."

"Why not? It's great! It's all about the vibe, Kenma, the vibe!" Yamamoto Taketora exclaimed, striding toward his position with a broad grin.

Kai Nobuyuki chimed in, smiling at Kenma. "Think of it as a form of self-suggestion. It's kind of cool, don't you think?"

Kenma: "…"

Kuroo laughed and patted Kenma on the shoulder. "That's the spirit! Alright, let's take the court."

On the other side of the net, Aoba Johsai had witnessed the entire pre-game ritual.

Taichi thought to himself, That kind of team chant feels overly dramatic in real life.

"Wow, that was so cool! Don't you think so, Taichi?" The energetic voice of Kindaichi Yūtarō snapped Taichi out of his thoughts. "When are we gonna start doing something like that for Seijoh?"

Taichi: "…"

Right. I almost forgot. Even the typically rational Aoba Johsai had its fair share of oddballs.

The game began.

Aoba Johsai's starting lineup:

Front row: Setter Oikawa Tōru, middle blocker Kaedehara Taichi, and wing spiker Kunimi Akira.

Back row: Opposite hitter Hanamaki Takahiro, middle blocker Matsukawa Issei, and outside hitter Iwaizumi Hajime (libero Watari Shinji).

Nekoma's starting lineup:

Front row: Middle blocker Inuoka Sō, wing spiker Yamamoto Taketora, and wing spiker Kai Nobuyuki.

Back row: Setter Kozume Kenma, wing spiker Fukunaga Shōhei, and middle blocker Kuroo Tetsurō (libero Yaku Morisuke).

Nekoma served. Kenma sent the ball toward Iwaizumi Hajime.

Oh? The ball flew toward the corner—not powerful, but the placement was precise and tricky!

"Iwa-chan!"

Iwaizumi stepped to the side, perfectly receiving the ball and sending it toward the ideal spot above Oikawa.

The extra receive training has really paid off, Oikawa noted, impressed. A few days ago, Iwa-chan would've managed to dig the ball, but it wouldn't have been this clean.

From the corner of his eye, Oikawa caught sight of Kaedehara Taichi already jumping at the net.

Bang!

The 'Taichi-Oikawa Quick' unleashed its first strike!

Taichi spiked the ball cleanly through Nekoma's defence, scoring the first point.

[Aoba Johsai 1 – 0 Nekoma]

Coach Nekomata was startled. "What was that?!"

Inuoka Sō tilted his head in confusion. "A quick attack….from there?!"

Even Yaku Morisuke leaned forward from the back row, his expression frozen in shock.

On the opposing team, Kaedehara Taichi and Oikawa Tōru exchanged a glance and broke into identical sly grins.

Suddenly, Taichi felt a chill run down his spine. Turning around, his sharp instincts caught an unusual pair of eyes staring at him. Those eyes sparkled with an unsettling intensity.

It was Kozume Kenma. He stood motionless, his gaze locked onto Taichi as though he were reading his every thought.

When Taichi turned to meet his stare, Kenma gave a small nod and said in his usual calm voice, "That was impressive. A fascinating spike, really…"

The next serve came from Aoba Johsai. Kunimi Akira delivered a straightforward serve, his casual demeanor betraying nothing.

Hmm? Kaedehara squinted. The angle was oddly precise. Lucky, maybe? He glanced at Kunimi, who still looked as indifferent as ever.

On Nekoma's side, Fukunaga Shōhei positioned himself beneath the ball and received it cleanly, sending it gracefully toward Kenma.

Iwaizumi Hajime's expression sharpened. The receive was perfect!

Kenma, as always, seemed to hesitate. He observed the ball in silence, making no move until it was nearly overhead. Then, with impeccable timing, he set the ball to the left.

"Rahh!" Yamamoto Taketora roared as he slammed the ball down with full force.

But Hanamaki Takahiro and Oikawa Tōru, just a fraction of a second too slow in their block, let the ball slip through to the back row.

Watari Shinji barely managed to dig the ball.

Oikawa, quick on his feet, retrieved it and sent it flying toward Taichi, who once again leapt at the net.

"Double block!" Yamamoto and Kai jumped in unison to intercept him.

Bang!

The ball deflected off their hands and landed in Hanamaki's waiting palms, who delivered a sharp spike.

Aoba Johsai scored again.

[Aoba Johsai 2 – 0 Nekoma]

"So far, Nekoma doesn't seem all that strong," Kindaichi Yūtarō remarked, turning to chat with whoever was closest. He froze when he realized the person next to him was Kyōtani Kentarō, whose perpetually fierce expression offered no comfort.

Embarrassed, Kindaichi turned back, muttering to himself. With Kunimi preoccupied on the court, there was no one to talk to.

"But something about this feels off," Yahaba Shigeru said, picking up where Kindaichi left off. "If this is the extent of Nekoma's skill, they wouldn't have managed their recent streak of victories."

Kindaichi looked at Yahaba with newfound admiration. "Yahaba-senpai—! I thought you were just calm on the surface but actually shallow. Turns out you're pretty sharp!"

Yahaba: "…"

Back on the court, Aoba Johsai maintained the upper hand. Their attacks were varied and effective, consistently scoring points. Nekoma, on the other hand, seemed stuck in defence, barely holding the gap with their multi-pronged offensive plays.

Fortunately for Nekoma, Oikawa's next serve—a powerful jump serve—sailed out of bounds. Otherwise, the score differential might have widened further.

The current score: [Aoba Johsai 12 – 8 Nekoma]

"How many points has their #10 scored so far?" Coach Nekomata asked the team manager who was keeping stats.

"Of their 12 points, #10 has scored 4 directly. Plus, his presence as a decoy has boosted the success rate of their other attackers."

Nekomata stroked his chin thoughtfully, his perpetually half-closed eyes opening slightly.

"I see. He's quite the handful…"

Tweet! The referee signalled a timeout, requested by Nekoma.

The players gathered around Coach Nekomata, while the first-years quickly handed out water and towels to their seniors.

"How's it feeling out there?" the coach asked, looking at his team.

Yaku wiped the sweat from his forehead. "We're starting to get a handle on most of their attacks, but that quick is….tough to stop for now."

"Yeah, it's a real headache," Kai added.

"You mean their #10? His speed and power are tough to deal with."

"I think Coach is talking about their ace setter," Kuroo interjected, setting his water cup down. "That guy's insane. He can deliver pinpoint sets at lightning speed, right at the peak of the spiker's jump. His precision….it's unreal."

"Hahaha…" Coach Nekomata suddenly chuckled. "There's no helping it—genius is genius."

Then, his eyes shifted toward Kenma, who had been silently watching him from the corner of the huddle.

"But Kenma…" Nekomata grinned slyly. "You've already figured it out, haven't you?"

_________

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