Haikyuu: Zero To Almighty-Chapter 442: Entry Test (Double-Length)

The once-rowdy gymnasium suddenly fell silent, and everyone's mouths hung open in disbelief.

Yes, they all knew Kaedehara Taichi was strong. But for someone who stood at 193 cm to have that kind of spiking height—it was beyond comprehension.

And if they weren't mistaken, Kaedehara Taichi had just turned seventeen. He was now the youngest professional volleyball player since the founding of Japan's V-League.

"Hm? What's everyone staring for? Don't we still have more tests to do?" A small smirk tugged at the corner of Taichi's lips.

"Ah—right!" One of the staff members snapped out of it and hurried to resume the tests.

"I object!" Nitta Asahiro shouted in protest. "Tom's two years older than me—why is he on the Youth Team while I'm stuck with the old men?!"

"Look at that beard," Kitajima sneered. "You stand next to Yoshii and people think you're ten years older than him. Quit whining."

"Damn it!" Nitta yelled, clearly disgruntled.

He'd grown out the beard to look more mature—after all, most team captains in the league had that serious, seasoned vibe. And even though DH joked around a lot, he still wanted to project some authority when facing outsiders.

"Enough yapping—start warming up!" Kubo Wataru called out lazily after setting up the camera, then strolled over to Coach Nick's side like a fox borrowing a tiger's might.

Warm-up ended quickly, and the match began.

Veteran Team had serve first. Kitajima Kippei unleashed a powerful jump serve.

Everyone knew that the point of this 3v3 match was to build synergy with Kaedehara Taichi.

So naturally, the ball was targeted at him.

BOOM!

Smack!

Taichi received the ball cleanly. Iizuna was already in position, and Tom Wilde was charging in from the right wing.

Whoosh—!

Nitta Asahiro appeared at the net, but he was blocking solo.

BOOM!

The spike bypassed the block and bolted towards the centre of the court.

As Taichi landed from the left side, both Iizuna and Nitta's eyes narrowed slightly.

That was fast—

Right after receiving Nitta's serve, Taichi had launched into an attack without even pausing. But Iizuna, as if on instinct, had already set the ball to the right wing.

Smack!

Kitajima received it steadily. Yoshii Hiyu set the ball cleanly to the right side. Nitta leapt for the spike.

Smooth transition from defence to offence...as expected of the pros, Taichi thought. It reminded him of the Japan-USA exchange match, when all the players were top-tier for their age group. The rhythm of those games had felt faster than anything at Aoba Johsai.

Among the ad hoc team assembled for that tournament, aside from Hirugami who left volleyball to study medicine, most of the third-years had ended up in the V1 League.

Now, facing just three opponents, Taichi could feel that their coordination in both offence and defence surpassed what his old team had achieved back then.

So all that playful joking was just surface-level. Once the match starts, they're dead serious.

Tom Wilde jumped solo to block. His form was solid, but it lacked flexibility.

Nitta's spike skimmed past Tom's fingertips, flying sharply down the line.

Smack!

Iizuna dove to the side, managing a brilliant dig that sent the ball toward the net.

"Cover!"

You're really putting me to the test here...Taichi smiled wryly as he rushed to position.

"Tom!"

Once again, Taichi's quick reaction caught Tom Wilde by surprise. It was a perfect chance for a quick attack, but Tom wasn't ready.

Still, he took a step and jumped. The spike's height was noticeably lower than before.

Whoosh!—

The set landed precisely in front of him.

On the other side of the net, Nitta jumped up to block.

BOOM!!—

—Smack!

Thud!

The ball was ruthlessly stuffed back down. Point for the Veterans.

[Youth Team 0 - 1 Veteran Team]

"Woohoo~" Nitta whistled at Tom Wilde.

"So this is what blocking from a current national team member looks like? Interesting," Taichi murmured, his blood beginning to stir.

Nitta's block just now was a perfect example of late-but-accurate. It wasn't just a read—it was a calculated strike timed after seeing Tom's swing, shutting him down with precision.

"Iizuna-senpai, feel free to toss the ball to the left. Even after a reception, I'll be in position for the attack," Taichi said calmly.

"Got it," Iizuna replied with a warm smile. He was long used to setting for aces.

Just what kind of player is the wing spiker who defeated every high school team one after another?

This was Iizuna's first time teaming up with Kaedehara Taichi—and anticipation was steadily growing in his heart.

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