Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The spring sunlight was a bit dazzling, shining through the glass window onto the desks.

Lu Ren pressed his face against the cool tabletop, trying to cool down his burning brain. Last night, that "Valkyrie" had tormented him terribly; for six whole hours, he had died over a hundred times. The intense, agonizing tension followed by the sudden release left him in a state of surreal excitement mixed with exhaustion.

"Stop playing dead."

A hand poked him mercilessly in the back.

Lu Ren didn't move.

"My aunt specifically told me before she left," Qingze Yazhi's voice echoed above my head, "that you absolutely, positively, must join a club at your new school. Even if it's just the home club, you have to go through the motions."

Lu Ren rolled over, leaning back against the chair, his long legs stretched out, blocking the aisle.

"I'm not going."

Why?

"Boring." Lu Ren yawned. "The return on investment for club activities in real life is too low. No experience points, no equipment drops, and you have to consume a lot of physical energy. It's a losing proposition."

Qingze Yazhi crossed her arms. She knew this guy all too well.

If the soft approach doesn't work, we have to take a hard one.

"My aunt said that if you don't have any club activity records this semester, your computer's graphics card might mysteriously disappear."

Lu Ren suddenly sat up straight.

The chair legs scraped against the floor with a screeching sound.

"This is tyranny."

"This is motherly love."

Qingze Yazhi grabbed his school uniform sleeve and dragged him out of the classroom.

"Let's go, my young master. Karasuno High School may not be very big, but it has quite a few clubs. Surely one of them will pique your interest."

Lu Ren was dragged along like a boneless mop.

People came and went in the corridor. The freshmen wore expressions of anticipation for the future, but Lu Ren looked utterly dejected, as if he wanted to go home and play video games.

"How's the Literature Club?" Kiyosawa Masayuki pointed to a poster. "Just sit there and read, you don't have to move."

"I'll fall asleep while reading," Lu Ren glanced at it. "Besides, that minister seems like a hidden control freak. I don't like NPCs that are hard to control."

"The basketball team?"

"Too much running will make me sweat and feel sticky, no thanks."

"The soccer club?"

"There are too many people, and the social pressure is too great."

As they continued their journey, Lu Ren rejected almost every club he encountered, using all sorts of bizarre reasons.

Qingze Yazhi stopped in her tracks. She felt her patience was almost gone.

"Lu Ren".

"exist."

"Are you trying to force me to tell Auntie about what happened last night, that was your 'last billion'?"

Lu Ren shut up.

The two walked through the teaching building and arrived at the second gymnasium at the back.

It's much quieter here than on the main campus, and the air is filled with the smell of stale floor wax.

"This is the last one left." Kiyosawa Yashiro pointed to the slightly mottled door in front of her. "The volleyball club."

Lu Ren looked up at the signboard.

Some of the writing has faded.

"Volleyball?" Lu Ren tilted his head. "It sounds like a sport that will make your arms swell up."

"Kanasano's volleyball team used to be a powerhouse." Kiyosawa Masashi began reciting her prepared notes. "Although they've declined in recent years and are known as 'a fallen powerhouse, a crow that can't take flight,' at least their foundation is still there."

"A fallen tycoon?"

Lu Ren chewed over these words.

This concept sounds interesting. It's like those once-glorious, now abandoned dungeons where only scrap metal remains, waiting for players to discover legendary artifacts.

"Go in and take a look." Qingze Yazhi gave him a push. "If this doesn't work either, I'll have to suggest you join the 'Respiratory Department'."

Lu Ren reluctantly moved his feet.

Before even getting close to the gate, the sharp sound of shoes scraping against the floor could be heard from inside.

*squeak--*

That was the groaning sound of rubber shoe soles hitting a hard spot on a wooden floor.

Immediately following was the dull thud of the ball hitting the ground.

*Bang!*

The voice was deep, and you could tell it was very powerful.

Lu Ren raised an eyebrow. This kind of impactful combat didn't sound like something an ordinary casual player could produce.

Qingze Yazhi pushed open the door.

The field of vision suddenly opened up.

The high ceilings, the bright lights, and the unique air that smelled of sweat and Salonpas.

Lu Ren stood at the door, his gaze sweeping across the room.

Right in the center, a black-haired boy in a black tracksuit is tossing a volleyball high into the air.

That posture is very standard.

It could even be said that it possesses a textbook-like aesthetic.

The black-haired boy took a running start and jumped.

The body stretched out in the air like a taut bow.

*boom!*

The palm strikes the volleyball.

The ball, like a cannonball, hurtled towards the opposite half of the field with a terrifying whistling sound.

"Oh?" Lu Ren opened his eyes a little, which had been half-closed.

This power is somewhat like the charged attack of an elite monster in a game.

Just then, an orange afterimage burst into the frame.

He was short.

The speed is ridiculously fast.

It was almost like using a teleportation skill.

The orange-haired boy appeared instantly at the ball's landing point, his feet planted firmly on the ground, his arms outstretched and joined together.

But this action...

Lu Ren was an amateur, but he could tell that the movements were stiff, like a newly created beginner model, completely unoptimized by the physics engine.

"Caught it!" the orange-haired boy shouted.

It did catch.

The volleyball, carrying tremendous kinetic energy, bounced violently off his hand and struck the orange-haired boy's face.

*Smack!*

Crisp. Loud.

The volleyball was blocked and bounced high into the air.

The ball didn't land obediently; instead, it traced a strange parabola and headed straight for the sidelines.

There were three people standing there.

One was bald, one had silver hair, and the other was a big, intimidating-looking man with black hair.

Beside them stood a middle-aged man in a suit and glasses, his hands behind his back, looking serious as if he were giving a lecture.

The ball is here.

With an unstoppable momentum.

The middle-aged man seemed to sense the danger and turned his head away.

*call--*

A gust of wind swept by.

The volleyball flew past the middle-aged man's head.

No one was hit.

but.

Something flew out along with the ball.

It was a black, furry object.

It tumbled and spun in the air, its graceful movements resembling a crow with a broken wing.

finally.

It landed lightly.

It landed squarely on the head of the tall, black-haired captain.

The world is quiet.

The entire stadium seemed to have been put on pause.

The black-haired boy remained frozen in place, still in the position where the serve had landed.

The orange-haired boy covered his swollen face, his mouth agape in an "O" shape.

The bald boy's expression was contorted, as if he was trying his best to suppress some kind of emotion that was about to erupt.

The middle-aged man—the dean of students—was blankly touching his bald head. Where once a layer of dignity had been placed, only the Mediterranean Sea shimmered under the lights.

The most interesting part was the captain.

He remained motionless.

The wig hung crookedly on his head, covering half of his eyebrows.

A visible black aura rose up from behind him.

That was murderous intent.

Lu Ren sensed it.

This sense of oppression.

This is the pre-cast animation before unleashing a powerful attack.

awesome.

This plot development is something only a masterpiece could have.

"puff."

A soft laugh broke the silence.

It's Lu Ren.

He didn't want to laugh, but he was a funny guy. Not laughing at a scene like this would be a desecration of the series of coincidences that had just occurred.

Qingze Yazhi turned to look at him in alarm, desperately trying to signal him to shut up.

Laughing at this moment would be deadly!

But Lu Ren couldn't stop.

"Hahahaha!"

He laughed so hard he bent over, his finger trembling as he pointed at the group of petrified people in the arena.

"Yazhi, this is it."

Lu Ren laughed so hard his tears almost came out, slapping his thigh as he spoke.

"I want to join this club. It's so interesting. Even screenwriters wouldn't dare write a plot like this."

His laughter echoed in the empty stadium, sounding particularly jarring.

The people inside finally came to their senses.

The dean's face turned a deep shade of liver. He rushed to the captain and, with trembling hands, retrieved his wig.

"Sawamura-kun... Sawamura-kun."

The head of the teaching department's voice was trembling.

"Come with me for a moment."

After saying that, the head of the teaching department haphazardly put the wig on his head, even putting it on backwards, but he didn't bother to adjust it and turned to leave.

The captain, Sawamura, took a deep breath.

His expression was calm.

It was eerily calm.

"Yes."

Sawamura Daichi turned around and followed behind the headmaster.

He didn't say anything as he passed the two first-year students who had caused the trouble.

They didn't even glance at them.

But the orange-haired boy and the black-haired boy seemed to be frozen in place, trembling with fear.

The door closed.

The remaining few people in the stadium looked at each other in bewilderment.

"We're doomed..." The bald boy clutched his head, his face filled with despair. "Daichi-senpai is definitely angry. That expression is a sign of impending rage!"

"Let's worry about those two freshmen first," the silver-haired boy next to him said with a wry smile. "Now, their club application forms are probably going to become their wills."

Lu Ren wiped away the tears of laughter from the corners of his eyes.

He straightened up and strode inside.

Qingze Yazhi tried to pull him back but couldn't.

"Hey! Hello everyone."

Lu Ren stood at the edge of the field, hands in his pockets, looking at the two "culprits" who were still trembling.

"Who learned that 'Wig Ascension' move just now? The accuracy was good; you have the potential to become a sharpshooter."

The black-haired boy, Tobio Kageyama, suddenly turned his head.

His face was very ugly, and his already fierce features were now twisted into a grimace.

"Who are you?"

The tone was unfriendly.

It smelled of gunpowder.

"Don't be so fierce." Lu Ren shrugged, completely ignoring the other party's hostility. "I'm here to join the club. That exhibition match was so exciting, I decided to support you guys."

"This is not a performance!" Kageyama Tobio roared.

"Ah, yes, yes, yes." Lu Ren nodded perfunctorily, "It's a tactic. A tactical strike specifically targeting the enemy leader's hairstyle. It was extremely effective, directly breaking down the defenses of that director who looked like a mini-boss."

Hinata Shoyo, who was still covering his face, couldn't help but interject upon hearing this: "Um...it really hurts."

"Does your face hurt or your heart?" Lu Ren asked, looking at the short man.

This is the guy who was ridiculously fast just now.

Up close, this guy is as thin as a monkey, but the muscle lines in his legs are unusually firm.

Agile character.

Lu Ren mentally labeled Hinata.

And that tall guy with black hair...

Lu Ren turned to look at Kageyama.

This guy exudes a dictatorial aura that says, "I'm the boss, and you all have to listen to me."

He possesses both strength and skill, but his character flaws are obvious.

A typical elite monster design.

"I'm Lu Ren." Lu Ren pointed to himself. "First year. Never played volleyball before, and don't know the rules. But I see you guys are pretty short of people here, especially people who can understand jokes."

"Huh?" The bald boy, Ryunosuke Tanaka, walked over and approached Lu Ren with a menacing look. "Kid, are you mocking us?"

At this moment, Qingze Yazhi finally ran over and quickly stood in front of Lu Ren, putting her hands together in a gesture of apology: "I'm so sorry! This guy has some mental issues; he speaks without thinking! Please don't mind him, everyone!"

She turned her head and glared fiercely at Lu Ren.

"Would it kill you to say less?"

Lu Ren spread his hands innocently: "I was praising them. To be able to accurately hit the target under those circumstances requires an extremely high level of luck."

"You bastard..." Tanaka's forehead veins bulged, and he rolled up his sleeves, ready to step forward.

"Alright, Tanaka."

The silver-haired boy, Sugawara Koji, reached out and stopped Tanaka.

He wore a gentle smile, but there was a hint of helplessness in it.

"This isn't the time to argue. Daichi's been called away, and those two..." He pointed at Kageyama and Hinata, "are in big trouble."

"If you can't get the captain's forgiveness, the two of you probably won't even be able to get into the stadium."

Sugawara's words turned Kageyama and Hinata's faces instantly pale.

"Can't get in?" Kageyama clenched his fist. "I...I want to play volleyball!"

"Me too!" Hinata shouted.

"Then you guys need to figure out how to deal with that 'demon king'," Lu Ren interjected, pointing towards the door. "That captain's anger level is probably off the charts right now. A simple apology definitely won't work if you want to win him over."

Everyone looked at Lu Ren.

"Do you have a way?" Hinata asked, as if grasping at a straw.

"No," Lu Ren said matter-of-factly. "I'm just a spectator."

Everyone burst into laughter.

Just then, the door was pushed open again.

Heavy footsteps.

Hey.

Hey.

Hey.

Every step felt like stepping on everyone's heartbeats.

Sawamura Daichi is back.

He was holding two pieces of paper in his hand.

Those were Kageyama and Hinata's applications to join the club.

His face was expressionless. There was neither anger nor a smile.

This calm is even more terrifying than before.

Like the sea before a storm, seemingly calm on the surface, but with undercurrents surging beneath.

The temperature in the entire stadium seemed to drop ten degrees instantly.

Lu Ren sensed it.

That long-lost feeling of fear when facing a high-difficulty boss.

The fine hairs on the surface of the skin stood up.

Adrenaline begins to be secreted.

The aura emanating from this man named Daichi Sawamura was something that no ordinary high school student could possess.

That is dominance.

It is the pressure of the absolute controller of this field.

Lu Ren was not afraid at all; on the contrary, he was so excited that his hands trembled.

He licked his slightly dry lips.

interesting.

That's so interesting.

This sense of oppression, this suffocating atmosphere.

This is the gaming experience he wanted.

Sawamura Daichi walked up to Kageyama and Hinata and held up the application in his hand.

"I was just thinking about it."

Sawamura's voice was very soft.

"Since you two enjoy working together so much..."

He paused suddenly.

His gaze passed over the two trembling first-year students and landed on Lu Ren, who was standing at the back.

His gaze was as sharp as a knife.

Lu Ren didn't flinch; instead, he met that gaze with a grin.

Sawamura Daichi was slightly taken aback, then turned his gaze back and slammed the application in his hand onto Kageyama Tobio's chest.

"Then prove it to me."

"If you two can't be teammates, then neither of you should even think about joining the Karasuno volleyball club!"

After saying that, he pointed to the door.

"Get out now!"

Kageyama and Hinata were pushed out of the door.

The door slammed shut behind them.

*boom!*

The door panel vibrated, and a few specks of dust fell.

The stadium returned to silence.

Daichi Sawamura turned around and looked at the remaining people.

Finally, his gaze settled on Lu Ren.

"Are you here to join the club too?"

Sawamura's voice still carried the lingering anger.

Qingze Yazhi nervously grabbed Lu Ren's clothes.

Lu Ren took a step forward.

He stared directly into Sawamura Daichi's oppressive eyes, as if he were standing at the feet of the final boss, holding that unsharpened beginner's sword in his hand.

"That's right."

Lu Ren's voice carried a carefree air of recklessness.

"My name is Lu Ren. My specialty is gaming."

He glanced at the tightly closed door, then at Sawamura Daichi, who exuded an imposing aura.