Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The air inside the stadium still carried the scents of Salonpas spray and sweat. The floor, damp from the intense friction of the recent workout, appeared somewhat dull.

Wu Yangxi stood in front of the whiteboard, twirling the marker between his fingers twice before pressing it into the slot on the board with a click.

"Listen up, today's match against Date Industries," Coach Ukai looked around at the players sitting on the floor, scratching his messy blond hair, "How should I put it, it's like the first sip of beer."

The audience was deathly silent.

Hinata Shoyo tilted his head, his expression saying, "I don't understand, but it sounds amazing." Kageyama Tobio, on the other hand, frowned, seemingly pondering the tactical connection between beer and volleyball. The underage high school students exchanged bewildered glances, completely unable to construct a taste model of their "first sip of beer" in their minds.

"Um..." Ryunosuke Tanaka raised his hand, "Coach, beer is very bitter, isn't it?"

Wu Yangxi choked for a moment, his expression turning somewhat frantic: "It's just a metaphor! Do you understand metaphors? That feeling of exhilaration, that—tsk, kids these days really are..."

"What the coach means is," Lu Ren said, sitting cross-legged in the back row, lazily raising a finger, "that's the first gulp of ice-cold cola you take after being cooped up in a room without air conditioning all afternoon in the sweltering heat of 38 degrees Celsius."

"Oh oh oh oh!"

Everyone instantly understood. Hinata even made a gulping sound as he swallowed.

"That's right! That's exactly what I mean!" Wu Yang pointed at Lu Ren with a "you really know me" look on his face. "The first sip is always the most special. Whether it's beer or cola, the reason it tastes good is because it's the 'first sip'."

He turned around and drew a large circle on the whiteboard.

"Our match against Date Industries was the first time we showcased the 'New Monster Fast Attack' in a formal setting. That speed, that fighting style that defies the laws of physics, was an unknown shock to them. This 'first-meet kill' effect gave us a huge advantage."

Wu Yang's face darkened, and his marker tapped loudly on the whiteboard.

"However, things are different in the west of Aoba City."

This one sentence quickly cooled the atmosphere that had just been immersed in the joy of victory.

"In the previous practice match, although we lost, we also exposed a lot of things. That guy Oikawa Tetsu, and even the whole of Aojo, know our hand to some extent. Although our attack power is indeed very high, there is no doubt about that, it is no longer possible to score points by 'surprise attack'."

Sawamura nodded emphatically, his expression grave. Intelligence warfare, in competitive sports, is often deadly.

"The first thing to address is Oikawa's serve." Ukai wrote the two large characters "Oikawa" on the whiteboard and then drew a big X on it. "If that serve dominates the rhythm of the game, that would be the worst-case scenario. That's the situation we least want to see, but it's also the most likely to happen."

Lu Ren nodded silently below. Oikawa Tetsu's serve was not only powerful, but also disgusting in its dominance and oppressive feeling. It was a numerical monster that treated the service game as a personal show.

"Currently, when we receive serves, we use a formation where everyone except the setter receives the ball." Ugao looked at the tactical board in his hand, his gaze sweeping over the two tall figures in the crowd. "But this time, Hyuga and Tsukishima, you two will not participate in receiving the first pass."

"Huh?" Hinata's eyes widened instantly, and the ahoge on his head drooped down.

Although Tsukishima Kei didn't speak, the finger that was pushing up her glasses paused noticeably, and her lips pursed into a thin line.

"Focus on the offense." Uyo's voice left no room for argument. "Once you confirm the opponent's serve, prepare to move into position immediately. The task of receiving the ball is assigned to Daichi, Nishinoya, and the outside hitters."

"Yes..." Hinata and Tsukishima responded sparsely, their voices revealing obvious reluctance.

For highly competitive teenagers, being excluded from the defensive system is, in a sense, like being labeled as a "burden".

"Hey, stop making that deadpan face."

Ukai Shishin put her hands on her hips and raised her voice, "I know what you guys are thinking. You think your defense is bad? You feel unhappy being protected? Your friends are watching from the other side, and you feel inferior?"

The two people, whose secrets had been exposed, froze.

"Think back to the match against Date Industries just now." Ukai pointed towards the stands. "If you weren't standing on the court today, but sitting in the stands, looking at those massive structures like city walls, at that net that blocks out even the light, what would you think?"

Hinata was stunned.

If you were standing outside the arena... looking at that iron wall...

"You must be thinking, 'This is impossible to win,' 'This is terrifying,' and you might even get scared before the fight even starts, right?'" Uyang grinned, a hint of roguishness in his eyes. "But what was the result? Who won?"

"It's us!" Hinata suddenly raised his head, the gloom in his eyes vanishing.

"That's right, the same goes for tomorrow." Wu Yang waved his hand. "No matter how well Qingcheng knows us, no matter how strong Oikawa Tetsu is, as long as the ball hasn't landed, our chances of winning are fifty-fifty. As long as you can spike it, we won't lose!"

"yes!!!"

The unified roar shook the stadium. The previous dejection and confusion were washed away in that moment by the simple and brutal passion.

"Okay, let's clarify everyone's positions one last time..."

Just then, the stadium doors were pushed open with a loud bang.

A middle-aged man in a gray tracksuit came running in, panting, waving a CD in his hand. He was the owner of Takinoue Electric Store and a staunch supporter of the Karasuno Volleyball Club.

"Uyang! Got it!"

Takigami wiped the sweat from his forehead and handed over the disc. "This is a recording of the match in Aoba Castle West. I asked a friend to record it, and it's just been burned."

"Thanks!" Wu Yang's eyes lit up as he took the CD. "I'll treat you to drinks next time."

"Don't give me that crap, we'll talk after we win!" Takigami waved his hand, not lingering, and turned to leave. "I'm busy at my shop, good luck to you guys!"

Mr. Takeda adjusted his glasses and leaned closer for a look: "Was that the match from Aoba Johsai just now?"

"Ah." Ukai looked at the disc in his hand, his thumb rubbing the plastic casing. "Even after watching this, I might not be able to return Oikawa's serve tomorrow. But..."

He looked up at the group of boys who were packing their protective gear; they were tired, but their eyes were shining.

"I can't settle down if I do nothing."

……

As night deepened, the streetlights cast long, thin shadows.

After the meeting ended, Lu Ren, carrying a shoulder bag, walked side by side with Qingze Yazhi on their way home.

A cool evening breeze dispelled the heat emanating from the stadium. Most of the shops along the street were already closed, with only the lights of the vending machines still tirelessly burning.

"Lu Ren".

Qingze Yazhi kicked a small pebble on the roadside, breaking the silence.

"Hmm?" Lu Ren held a can of coffee he had just bought in his hand, without opening it, just feeling the cool touch of the metal can.

"Can we win?"

Yazhi stopped and turned to look at him. The glow of the streetlamp illuminated her profile, obscuring her expression, but her tone was far from joking.

"With Qingcheng?" Lu Ren also stopped and pressed the coffee can against his face to cool down.

"right."

Lu Ren remained silent for a few seconds.

His mind flashed back to Oikawa Tetsu's fake smile, his incredibly accurate pass, and Iwaizumi Hajime's unreasonable spikes.

"To be honest?" Lu Ren sighed, "If I had another year to improve the attributes of this body, I'm confident that I could lead Karasuno to crush the current Aoba City West. Even that Ushijima Wakatoshi of Shiratorizawa, I could handle him perfectly."

He paused, then looked up at the not-so-bright stars in the night sky.

"But now... the NPCs in Aoba Castle West aren't the same anymore. That guy, Oikawa Tetsu, is the first boss I've ever encountered that I truly 'can't beat' since I came to this dungeon."

This is not modesty; it is an objective conclusion drawn from data analysis.

While Karasuno currently possesses the "Weird Fast Break" as a weapon, its overall defensive system, bench depth, and tournament experience are significantly inferior to Aoshiro's.

Especially himself. His stamina is too low, and his technique is flawed. If Oikawa Tetsu finds a weakness and targets him, he could easily become the team's Achilles' heel.

"So..." Ya-zhi tilted her head, observing his expression, "Are you troubled right now?"

"distressed?"

Lu Ren was stunned for a moment, then his lips slowly curled into a smile as if he had heard a joke.

"No, Ya-zhi. You've got one thing wrong."

He gripped the coffee can tightly in his hand, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

"I'm excited."

Ya Zhi was all too familiar with that look. It was the expression Lu Ren would show whenever he stayed up all night tackling difficult games and faced a hidden boss with only a 0.1% success rate.

A bit crazy, a bit immature, but absolutely focused.

"Whether it's a game or a competition, it's too boring if you just grind through monsters step by step." Lu Ren tossed the coffee can up and caught it again. "You know what? Humans are actually quite similar to Saiyans. They only evolve under the high pressure of being on the verge of death."

"It's like the first time I played a fighting game."

As Lu Ren walked, he gestured to himself, explaining, "At first, I was completely overwhelmed. The more aggressive and faster the opponent's attacks, the faster my brain had to work. To keep up with that pace and to avoid being knocked out, you force yourself to push your limits."

"The current Qingye City West is that bastard who used a max-level account to ambush people at the entrance of the newbie village."

Lu Ren pulled the tab, and with a "pop," the sound of bubbles rising was particularly clear on the quiet street.

"But I'm fired up right now."

He tilted his head back and took a swig of bitter coffee, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"Yazhi, tomorrow's match might be ugly, it might be embarrassing. But..."

Lu Ren turned around, his back to the streetlight, his whole body shrouded in shadow, only his eyes were frighteningly bright.

"That's part of the main storyline that you have to complete. How can you play this game without taking down that 'King'?"

Qingze Yazhi looked at him and suddenly burst out laughing.

"What? So you were already in the zone all along." She quickly caught up and slapped Lu Ren hard on the back. "Then let's go make a scene, Demon Child."

"Hey! Go easy on me! My HP is already low!"

"Stop arguing. If you lose tomorrow, I'm giving all your figurines to the chubby kid next door!"

"That's my life! You wicked woman!"

The sounds of their playful fighting gradually faded into the distance, disappearing at the end of the street.

Meanwhile, a few kilometers away at Aoba Josai High School, Oikawa Tetsu had just finished extra practice and was fixing his hair in front of the mirror when he suddenly sneezed.

"Someone's insulting me?" Oikawa rubbed his nose, then flashed his signature wicked grin. "It must be Tobihiro who's scared. Tomorrow, I'll crush you all."

The gears of destiny have begun to turn.