Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The scoreboard flips over: 15 to 19.

Although that "illegal operation" just now earned them points, it didn't change the fact that Karasuno was still at a disadvantage. The team from Aoba Castle West, which was called a "fallen powerhouse" but was actually an "elite monster group," still had a health bar that was a headache to deal with.

Lu Ren stood behind the service line, twirling the volleyball in his hand. The texture of the ball in his palm was rough and real, unlike the cold feel of a keyboard or mouse. He glanced up at the opposite side. Oikawa Tetsu was bent over, his hands on his knees, his eyes showing no trace of the panic from being interrupted by that kick, but rather a mocking "I saw through you" look.

"Tch, too high an AI level is also a problem."

Lu Ren took a deep breath and tossed the ball.

Run-up, jump, swing your arms.

This ball had no fancy spins; it was purely aimed at the player. The target was clear—Oikawa Tetsu. Since you're the team's strategist, you'll be busy catching the ball; you won't have time to think about how to manage those annoying tentacles.

The volleyball hurtled towards the back row with a whoosh.

"I'll do it!" Oikawa Tetsu moved almost the instant Lu Ren made his move. He didn't dodge, nor did he call for a free agent. Instead, he took a step forward and steadily brought his arms together.

Bang.

The first pass was in place, but the setter was forced to receive the ball, which meant that Aoba Josai's offensive organization was crippled.

"Iwazumi!" Oikawa Toru shouted.

Iwaizumi cut in from the flank, acting as a temporary setter. Although his movements weren't as fluid as Oikawa's, his fundamentals were solid. The volleyball was set high to the left wing.

"Steamed buns!"

Hanamaki Takahiro had already taken his run-up and was in position. Facing Karasuno's messy defense, he did not choose to force his way through, but instead aimed at the gaps in the blockers' defense.

Hinata and Higashimine Asahi jumped to block.

Snapped.

The ball struck the outside of Hinata's forearm, deflected strangely, and fell helplessly to the floor.

"He's not dead!" west Gu Xi's figure glided along the ground, triggered by the passive skill called "Guardian Angel." He made a one-handed leap, catching the ball just before it hit the ground.

"Kageyama!"

The ball flew towards the net. Kageyama Tobio quickly got into position, his eyes fixed on the ball in the air, while his peripheral vision swept across every corner of the court.

Meanwhile, Karasuno's half of the field came alive.

Hinata landed without hesitation, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, instantly launching herself from the right to the left, yelling for the ball. Her exaggerated running route and momentum successfully attracted the attention of Aoba Josai's front-row blockers.

"It's bait!" Matsukawa Kazushige shouted, but his body still swayed slightly in response to Hinata's movements.

In that brief moment of respite, Lu Ren made his move.

Unlike Hyuga, he didn't shout and yell. Instead, like an assassin, he started his run-up just a second before Kageyama passed the ball.

Kageyama's fingers touched the ball, and his wrist flicked.

Without giving Hinata any chance, the ball, as if guided by its own eyes, was shot horizontally towards the uninhabited area on the right wing.

Lu Ren took to the air.

The view suddenly opened up, but the next second, a wall appeared in front of us.

Iwaizumi Ichi.

This guy is like an elite knight who is dedicated to protecting the Boss. Even after being distracted by Hyuga, he still managed to cover for the Boss with his beast-like instincts.

"One person?" Lu Ren met Iwai's gaze in mid-air, a slight smirk playing on his lips. "That won't be enough to stop this devastating attack."

Iwaizumi's arm blocked the straight line.

Lu Ren used his waist and abdomen to forcefully twist his body in mid-air, and his wrist snapped inward the instant he swung his arm.

Inside angle cross-court shot!

The volleyball grazed past Iwaizumi's fingertips and flew straight towards the bottom corner.

That should have been a blind spot.

However, a figure appeared like a ghost at the landing point. Watari Chikaharu, a free agent from the west of Aoba City, had been waiting there for some time.

Bang!

The ball was bounced up.

"Tsk, even the little monster's AI is this advanced?" Lu Ren landed, his brows furrowing.

The counterattack from the west of Aoba City came extremely quickly.

Oikawa Tetsu had returned to the setter position. He glanced at the situation at the net and lightly pushed his finger.

"Kkindaichi!"

The guy with the leek-shaped haircut leaped high into the air. Hyuga and Higashimine Asahi tried to block it together, but Kindaichi's shot was extremely high, resulting in a powerful overhead smash.

"It's over!" Hinata exclaimed.

The volleyball flew past the blocker's fingertips and slammed heavily into the back row.

Just when everyone thought they were going to lose the point, Lu Ren simply took a step to the left.

There was no leaping, no tumbling; he stood there, as if taking a leisurely stroll after dinner, his hands pressing down.

Bang.

The ball struck his forearm precisely, bouncing in a perfect arc.

"Successfully predicted the landing point, and the path calculation was accurate." Lu Ren mentally gave himself a perfect score for this move. As early as when Jin Tian jumped, he had locked onto this attack route based on the direction of the opponent's shoulders and the swing of his arms.

"Good shot!" Daichi Sawamura shouted.

Kageyama launched another attack.

Hinata has already rushed to the net, "Kageyama!!"

That roar carried absolute trust. Kageyama didn't hesitate; it was their sharpest weapon—the Monster Quick Attack.

The ball speed is extremely fast, and Hyuga's arm swing is extremely fast.

But this time, the defensive formation in the west of Aoba City has changed.

Iwaizumi ignored the feint attack from the outside and stared intently at Kageyama's hand. The moment the ball was passed, he and Matsukawa Kazushige jumped simultaneously, their four arms forming a desperate wall in front of the net.

Snapped! ! !

With a crisp sound, Hyuga's spike was firmly blocked. The volleyball bounced off Karasuno's court and rolled out of bounds.

The whistle blew.

The referee gestured towards the west of Aoba City.

15:20.

The point difference has widened to 5 points.

Kageyama Tobio stood rooted to the spot, his chest heaving violently. He stared intently at the volleyball rolling away, a vein throbbing on his forehead.

"Tsk."

A frustrated click of the tongue sounded particularly jarring in the noisy stadium.

That familiar, suffocating aura began to spread around him. It was a sign that the "king of the court" was about to go berserk. He wanted to speed up the pace again; he wanted to use his speed to forcefully tear apart the opponent's defense, even if his teammates couldn't keep up.

Suddenly, Kageyama felt a chill run down his back.

The feeling was like being targeted by some cold-blooded animal.

He turned his head stiffly.

Lu Ren stood in the back row, hands on his hips, looking at him expressionlessly. There was no anger, no accusation, not even a word.

That look was like he was looking at a novice gamer who was about to smash his keyboard in anger because of network lag.

Lu Ren's lips moved, though no sound came out, but Kageyama understood the shape of his mouth:

"Don't load the save file."

Don't turn back into that tyrant who only knows how to act arbitrarily.

Kageyama's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed. The anxiety that surged to his head was forcefully suppressed by that cold gaze. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, most of the crimson in his eyes had faded.

"Sorry," Kageyama said softly. "Next ball, give it to me."

Lu Ren looked away and shrugged.

It's still communicating, so it seems the system hasn't crashed yet.

The game continues.

Aoba Josai serves. Iwaizumi Ichi's powerful jump serve is heavy and forceful, carrying the momentum to end the game.

Lu Ren lowered his center of gravity to judge the ball's trajectory.

"left."

He turned to the side, bringing his arms together to dissipate the force.

Bang.

The ball flew towards the vicinity of the three-meter line after a half-pass.

"Daichi-senpai!" Kageyama shouted.

Sawamura Daichi, in the front row, roared, took a running start, and jumped, assuming a spike-like stance. Aoba Josai's block was instantly drawn, and two players followed suit.

However, Tanaka missed.

This is a cover!

Behind him, a tall figure rose into the air.

Dongfeng Xu!

Tiered attacks!

Kageyama's pass accurately sailed over Tanaka's head and landed in front of Higashimine Asahi, who had made a run into the back row.

"Take this!!"

Dong Fengxu pressed the button heavily.

The ball was powerful and heavy, piercing through the gap in the block. Although Aoba Johsai's libero, Watari Chikaharu, reacted in time, the ball's spin was too strong, and it directly knocked off his wrist.

"Cover up!" Hanamaki Takahiro reacted quickly, rushing out of bounds to barely save the ball.

Oikawa Tetsu jumped at the net, but he was unable to organize an attack and could only handle the ball over the net with one hand.

That's a chance!

Sawamura Daichi caught the soft ball steadily. "Kageyama! Organize the attack!"

Kageyama stood under the net, and the volleyball fell into his palm.

At this moment, time seemed to slow down.

Hyuga is in the front row, Higashimine is in the back row, and Tanaka is on the flank.

to whom?

The blocking net in the west of Aoba City was moving, their eyes darting between the attackers.

Kageyama subtly flicked his wrist backward.

That's the right wing.

Lu Ren took a running start and jumped.

In front of him was an empty net.

The blocking net in the west of Aoba Castle was completely drawn to the feint attack group on the left. Even Iwaizumi was a step too slow and had no time to cover.

"Nice pass."

Lu Ren mentally gave the pass a thumbs up.

There were no obstacles, no interference.

He even had time to adjust his hitting point in mid-air before swinging his arm and smashing the ball.

Bang!

The volleyball slammed heavily into the opponent's three-meter line and bounced high into the air.

The whistle blows.

16:20.

Lu Ren landed and looked at his slightly reddened palms. The feeling of slamming the ball hard onto the floor without any resistance was even more exhilarating than clearing a hellish difficulty dungeon.

"Is this what it feels like to be on an empty network?" Lu Ren shook his hand. "It's quite addictive."

It's Karasuno's turn to serve.

Dong Fengxu stood at the baseline and dribbled the ball. This ace, with his rugged exterior and delicate heart, had a determined look in his eyes at that moment.

Serve!

The ball was fast, but Iwaizumi's receiving was equally solid.

"The pass is perfect!"

When Oikawa Tetsu received the ball, a wicked smile crept onto his lips.

"Kkindaichi!"

It's that leek head again.

Kindaichi jumped again, and this time his jump seemed to be even higher than before.

Nishitani Yu was waiting in the back row, but Kindaichi played a very clever ball, a long ball that landed right on the line.

Although Nishiya received the ball, it didn't lose all its momentum and flew out of bounds.

Kageyama rushed over to try and correct the shot, but the ball was too far off-center.

"relay!"

Kageyama shouted as he ran, choosing not to force a pass but instead to tip the ball high toward the net.

Hinata has already jumped.

"Weird Man's Quick Attack!"

No, this isn't a fast break, it's just a chaotic, all-out attack!

Aoba Josai's reaction was shockingly fast. Iwaizumi Ichi and Matsukawa Ichishige jumped at the same time, as if they had anticipated the script, and completely blocked all of Hinata's routes.

Snapped!

The ball was blocked again.

"It's not over yet!" Kageyama landed and immediately made a side dive, saving the ball that was about to hit the ground with one hand.

The ball flew uncontrollably into the backfield, heading straight for Daichi Sawamura's face.

"Senior Daichi!"

Sawamura Daichi didn't have time to react, and instinctively nudged her with his face... no, with his shoulder.

The ball bounced back, but it flew towards the edge of the field.

There was no one at that spot.

"Out of bounds..." The Aoba Josai substitutes' bench was ready to cheer.

Just then, a figure rushed out from the side.

It's Lu Ren.

He was sprinting like a 100-meter dash, his sneakers screeching against the floor.

"My stamina bar is almost empty, damn it!"

Lu Ren roared inwardly. Just as the ball was about to fly out of the GG area, he suddenly pushed off the ground, his whole body soaring into the air, leaning back extremely high, almost parallel to the ground.

He didn't look online; he relied entirely on his spatial memory.

He swung his right arm in a wide arc and slammed it hard at the volleyball that was about to fall.

"Go back...!"

Bang!

The volleyball was abruptly altered by this brute force, spinning violently as it traced a high parabola, flew over half the court, cleared the net, and landed on the west side of Aoba City.

The entire room fell silent for a moment.

"They managed to save him?!" Oikawa Tetsu's pupils contracted slightly.

Watari hastily received the ball, but his first pass was inaccurate.

"Steamed buns!"

Oikawa Tetsu could only pass the ball to Hanamaki in position four.

A tornado jumps and smashes the ball.

But he was facing Karasuno Teppei, who had already adjusted his condition.

Dongfeng Xu and Zecun Dadi form a double net.

"Don't even think about going there!"

Bang!

A muffled thud.

Hanamaki's spike was blocked by the two players working together, and the volleyball bounced straight back to the west side of Aoba City and landed.

The whistle blew again.

17:20.

"Yay!!!"

Hinata and Nishiya jumped up excitedly.

Lu Ren climbed up from behind the GG sign, dusted off his knees, and gasped for breath. He looked at the scoreboard, a tired but arrogant smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Even though it's a mess of code, as long as it scores points, it's a good bug."

He walked back onto the field and extended his hand.

Kageyama, Hinata, Daichi, and Higashimine slammed their palms together.

"One more ball!"

Looking at the slightly gloomy face of Oikawa Tetsu across from him, Lu Ren felt that the progress bar in his mind, which was called "clearing the game," had moved forward a little bit.