Haikyuu: Zero to Almighty

[May 6th - The Final Day of Aoba Johsai's Training Camp]

The last day of Aoba Johsai's volleyball club training camp had arrived.

"I really wish we could watch the practice match between Nekoma and Karasuno," Taichi Kaedehara muttered, sprawled out on the gym floor.

"If you don't train properly, you'll end up getting eliminated by Karasuno and watching them compete on the national stage from your TV," came the sharp retort from Shigeru Yahaba, his voice drifting over from the other side of the court.

Was it just his imagination, or had Shigeru's remarks grown increasingly cutting since Kentarō Kyōtani rejoined the team?

There was that one time when Akira Kunimi was slacking off during practice. Just as Hajime Iwaizumi was about to give him a proper scolding after the match, Yūtarō Kindaichi hurriedly intervened, saying, "Yahaba-senpai has already handled it."

At that moment, Iwaizumi felt a twinge of relief. He silently resolved that from now on, the unruly first-years and even Kyōtani would be Shigeru's responsibility.

When the third-years retired, Shigeru would undoubtedly be the best candidate for team captain.

The final day of Aoba Johsai's camp continued with intense training, each player giving their all to prepare for the challenges ahead…

[Elsewhere, at Karasuno General Sports Park]

The atmosphere at Karasuno's gymnasium was charged with excitement. Surprisingly, the most exhilarating person wasn't a player but their relatively new coach, Keishin Ukai.

A match between Karasuno and Nekoma had always been dubbed a 'historic rivalry'.

However, of the current Karasuno lineup, only Keishin had firsthand experience playing against Nekoma High.

Word had it that Nekoma's current head coach, Manabu Naoi, had been Ukai's opponent back in the day—though both of them had been benchwarmers more often than not.

What truly unnerved Keishin, though, was Nekoma's overall coach: the legendary Yasufumi Nekomata.

Not only was he a celebrated figure in the volleyball world, but he also shared a close friendship with Keishin's grandfather. Being in Nekomata's presence always made Keishin feel like a child standing before an elder.

In his memories, Karasuno had always lost to Nekoma. This time, though, they had to win—no matter what.

"Just you wait, you city boys. We're going to show you what we're made of!" shouted Ryūnosuke Tanaka, the team's resident mood-maker, punching the air with enthusiasm.

"Yeah!" the Karasuno players roared in unison, their morale soaring.

As Keishin surveyed his team, he could see it in their faces. Each of them radiated confidence and determination. Even the usually tense ones were brimming with energy today.

"Listen up. Don't get as nervous as you did last time," Tobio Kageyama said sternly, glaring at Shōyō Hinata from the sidelines.

"Got it! Everyone on this side of the net is a teammate!" Hinata replied, his voice slightly stiff. While his expression still betrayed a hint of nervousness, his eyes gleamed with sincerity and resolve.

"Should be fine….I hope," Daichi Sawamura murmured, observing the first-years before turning his gaze to the players from Nekoma who were now approaching from the other side of the court.

"Line up!" he called.

The two teams formed neat lines on the court, their uniforms contrasting starkly. Nekoma, clad in vibrant red, faced Karasuno, shrouded in jet black.

After five long years, the fabled Battle at the Garbage Dump between the Cats and the Crows was about to reignite.

--------

[Karasuno 22 vs. 25 Nekoma]

[Karasuno 23 vs. 25 Nekoma]

[Karasuno 22 vs. 25 Nekoma]

[Karasuno 24 vs. 26 Nekoma]

[Karasuno 25 vs. 27 Nekoma]

[Karasuno 30 vs. 32 Nekoma]

After three matches (a total of six sets), Karasuno had fought with everything they had, yet they failed to win even a single set.

"A newly formed team, just barely pieced together."

"Individual abilities are uneven, and teamwork is far from seamless."

"An untested lineup facing an unfamiliar opponent."

If one sought to analyze Karasuno's loss objectively, there were plenty of reasonable explanations.

However, none of them changed the fact that they had been defeated.

Looking at the determined expressions on Karasuno's players, though, it was clear—they would come back stronger next time.

"Line up! Let's hear the feedback from the coaches!"

This had become a cherished tradition after training matches. Both teams would gather in front of the opposing coach to receive their critiques.

Coach Nekomata of Nekoma gazed at Karasuno, a team often referred to as "The Fallen Giants—The Flightless Crows." He couldn't help but feel a wave of nostalgia and admiration.

"Honestly, you're stronger than I expected, especially your offence! It's true to Karasuno's scrappy, all-encompassing style. But I think this match has also shown you the importance of reception if you want to sustain your attacks."

"This isn't something that can be rushed. Defensive skills take time, repetition, and experience to develop. Right now, as a team, Karasuno is raw and undertrained. But your potential is overwhelming. Keep training, and you'll definitely become stronger. I'll see you at Nationals!"

"Thank you for the guidance!!" Karasuno's players bowed deeply toward Coach Nekomata.

Meanwhile, Coach Ukai kept his comments to Nekoma brief. After losing six straight sets, he felt too embarrassed to offer much in the way of advice.

The players from both teams began cleaning up the gym and packing up their equipment. As expected, those with similar energy levels quickly found one another.

For example, Taketora Yamamoto and Ryūnosuke Tanaka.

Or Shōyō Hinata and Sō Inuoka.

"You're amazing, Shōyō! That quick attack of yours—it's just like whoosh! and then bam!" Inuoka exclaimed, jumping to mimic the move as he spoke. "Oh, by the way, I'm Inuoka! First year."

"You're amazing too! You're so tall, and you can still move like whoosh! like that!" Hinata responded enthusiastically, bouncing on his feet as he spoke. "It's like Taichi—you can even block my spikes!"

"Yeah, yeah! And you're like Taichi too, with those killer spikes!"

Somehow, both of them saw a reflection of Taichi Kaedehara in each other.

"No wonder I couldn't get past you at the start of the match. So you guys just had a practice match with Aoba Johsai, huh?" Hinata said, realization dawning on his face.

Thankfully, after being blocked by Taichi in their previous match, he had already begun working on new attack strategies. Otherwise, today's loss might have been even more devastating.

"But Taichi doesn't feel like a first-year at all," Inuoka remarked. "Even Kenma-senpai and Kuroo-senpai were paying a lot of attention to him."

"Really?" Hinata mumbled. A month ago, when Karasuno played against Aoba Johsai, Taichi had been a substitute. Even then, he'd been impressive, but Hinata hadn't expected him to become a key player that even Nekoma's stars would focus on.

What Hinata didn't realize was that he himself was also someone strong teams kept an eye on.

On the other side of the gym, Tobio Kageyama was hovering around Kenma Kozume like a vengeful spirit.

"Excuse me, when did you start playing volleyball? Who was your coach? When did you start setting? Could you teach me how to fake sets?" Kageyama rattled off his questions in rapid succession, refusing to let Kenma escape.

After hearing that Nekoma had managed to take a set from Aoba Johsai, and that even Oikawa Tōru held Kenma in high regard, Kageyama had latched onto him with a vengeance.

Kenma, visibly drained by the relentless questioning, glanced over at Kuroo Tetsurō for help, only to be met with an amused smirk.

"You're on your own, Kenma," Kuroo mouthed silently, leaving his setter to fend for himself.

_________

[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 - (P)atreon.com/Iseeblack [Remove the brackets]