Haikyuu: Zero to Almighty

"System," Taichi concentrated as the system promptly displayed Shirabu's data.

[Kenjirō Shirabu: Overall Ability: 82, Height: 174 cm, Strength: 75, Jump: 82, Stamina: 88, Speed: 80; Key Attributes: Receiving 85, Setting 88.]

To Taichi's surprise, the data was quite normal, much like Shirabu's performance as a setter—a composed and understated player.

He had expected a more extraordinary setter to be paired with Wakatoshi Ushijima. Reflecting on this, Taichi suddenly remembered that Shiratorizawa did indeed have another starting setter.

"Found him." It wasn't hard to locate; the other setter was practising with Satori Tendō and Ōhira Reon, while Taichi noticed Tsutomu Goshiki training on serve reception on the opposite side of the net.

[Eita Semi: Overall Ability: 87, Height: 179.5 cm, Strength: 89, Jump: 85, Stamina: 90, Speed: 88; Key Attributes: Receiving 81, Setting 85.]

Wow. Aside from his slightly lower reception and setting stats, his strength, jump, and speed were all superior to Shirabu's.

It was hard to imagine Coach Washijō choosing Shirabu as the starting setter given Semi's impressive abilities.

Taichi approached Tōru Oikawa and asked, "That setter practising with the other third-years—he looks better than Shirabu-senpai. Why is Shirabu-senpai always the one practising with the team ace?"

Oikawa glanced at Semi, pondered for a moment, and replied, "Maybe because he's too good that he got replaced."

"???"

Taichi stared at Oikawa, utterly baffled. That explanation was as good as no explanation at all.

Oikawa chuckled as he recalled, "Last year, when we played against Shiratorizawa, Semi was still their starting setter. He was better. But because he was too eager to show off, Shiratorizawa lost points during the match."

Hearing this, Taichi glanced at Oikawa with a subtle smirk. Showboating with flashy plays? Isn't that exactly your style?

Oikawa instantly caught the meaning in Taichi's gaze and, without hesitation, pressed down on his head. "Hey, my plays are calculated. Letting my teammates score makes me look even better!"

Well, he wasn't wrong. Taichi averted his gaze, deciding to drop the matter.

Oikawa continued, "I guess Shiratorizawa just doesn't want a setter who can't dedicate himself fully to the ace. Compared to someone like Semi, who gets caught up in his own technique, Shirabu's reserved personality makes him the perfect 'obedient little puppy' for them."

"After all, for Shirabu, it seems like he has eyes only for the ace."

Ah, I see. Taichi's perspective on Oikawa shifted slightly. Spending so much time with him during training, he had momentarily forgotten that, aside from being a childish showoff, Oikawa was still the best setter in Miyagi Prefecture.

However, Oikawa had misjudged one thing: the only 'obedient' aspect of Kenjirō Shirabu was his neatly combed hairstyle.

"If it were you, Oikawa-senpai, would you devote yourself entirely to Ushijima if you were on Shiratorizawa's team?" Taichi suddenly felt intrigued by this question.

"Absolutely not! Never! I wouldn't want to be stuck on the same team as him," Oikawa replied, his face full of disdain. "But if that day ever came, I would give him the ball…"

So just passing the ball to Ushijima is enough to guarantee points? Taichi mused. It was clear that Ushijima's strength was undeniable, even to a rival determined to defeat him.

Deep in thought, Taichi suddenly looked up and grinned at Oikawa. "Oikawa-senpai, all you need to do is give the ball to me. I can win the match too."

Oikawa blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected Taichi to remain so confident, even after watching Shiratorizawa's intense practice and witnessing Ushijima's monstrous spikes firsthand.

"You little punk, your trash talk is getting bolder by the day!"

"Hahaha....It's because you've been such a great teacher, senpai!"

----

Taichi stopped grinning and quickly adjusted his mindset. His focus was entirely on gathering intel about Shiratorizawa's players.

After observing Shiratorizawa's current state, he became even more certain of one thing: the importance of intelligence. Especially when facing a powerhouse like Shiratorizawa, precise analysis of their strategies and players could very well be the key to victory.

In the original timeline, Shiratorizawa would lose to Karasuno in the prefectural finals of Spring Nationals.

Aside from Karasuno's offensive strength being on par with Shiratorizawa's—and their solid defence led by Yū Nishinoya with Kei Tsukishima neutralizing Shiratorizawa's attacks—the critical factor was Karasuno's thorough study and relentless defence against Wakatoshi Ushijima.

Meanwhile, Shiratorizawa was caught completely off-guard by this dark horse.

Shiratorizawa's defence wasn't weak, but when facing Karasuno, they couldn't outdo even Aoba Johsai. The key issue was their handling of Shōyō Hinata.

Aoba Johsai, Nekoma, and even Wakunan—all teams that had played against or studied Karasuno—employed strategies to contain Hinata with solo blocking. This approach effectively reduced Hinata from an explosive offensive weapon to a standard middle blocker.

Shiratorizawa, however, had no knowledge of this. Hinata's stellar performance in the prefectural finals not only shone brightly but also empowered Asahi Azumane and Ryūnosuke Tanaka.

As a result, Karasuno matched Shiratorizawa in firepower during the head-to-head battles.

Even with Ushijima's extraordinary skills, his attacking patterns and tendencies could be analyzed. The more attacks Ushijima made, the better Karasuno's coordinated defensive formations became, gradually nullifying his impact.

Aoba Johsai, when facing Shiratorizawa, didn't have this advantage. For years, Shiratorizawa had always considered Aoba Johsai their primary rival in the prefectural finals.

That's why Taichi resolved to gather as much information as possible about every opponent. Who knows? It might yield surprising results during critical matches.

[Reon Ōhira: Overall Ability: 82, Height: 182.7 cm, Strength: 94, Jump: 78, Stamina: 82, Speed: 70; Key Attributes: Receiving 85, Spiking 88.]

Another wing spiker in Shiratorizawa's lineup with incredible strength. He seemed to be a well-rounded player, excelling in both offence and defence.

[Hayato Yamagata: Overall Ability: 85, Height: 174.3 cm, Strength: 78, Jump: 85, Stamina: 94, Speed: 87; Key Attributes: Receiving 82, Setting 80.]

Did this libero spec into the wrong skill tree? His speed and jump stats were outstanding, but his technical skills were slightly lacking.

[Taichi Kawanishi: Overall Ability: 81, Height: 188.3 cm, Strength: 82, Jump: 72, Stamina: 88, Speed: 82; Key Attributes: Receiving 78, Spiking 82.]

Well, well, another Taichi, huh? Kaedehara Taichi decided to give Kawanishi Taichi some special attention during their matchup.

After thoroughly reviewing Shiratorizawa's roster, Taichi finally felt relieved. Each player was undeniably strong, which aligned perfectly with Shiratorizawa's selection philosophy.

"Taichi, what's wrong?" Oikawa asked, noticing Taichi had been motionless for a while. "Don't tell me Shiratorizawa's scared you stiff."

Taichi patted his cheeks and let out a deep breath. "I'm fine. It's just....watching them makes me want to go back and train."

"Fair enough. It's about time we head back anyway," Coach Irihata said, standing up and shaking hands with Coach Washijō.

"There are only two weeks left. Train hard. There are no shortcuts to getting stronger."

"Yes, Coach!"

___________

[T/N] - We finally got Seijoh vs The Eagles!! (Match starts tomorrow!)

160 Powerstones for an extra chapter tomorrow! Let's goo!!!