Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The whistle that blew at the start of the second set dispelled the lingering anxiety in the arena.

The two teams switched sides. Lu Ren sat on the bench, a towel covering his head, only his lifeless eyes visible as he stared at the field. Although his stamina bar was still flashing red, the tactics panel in his mind was running at lightning speed.

"Curl serve," he muttered to himself.

Hanamaki Takahiro from Aoba Castle West stood at the baseline. He was a player with very average stats. He didn't have a flashy finishing move like Oikawa Tetsu, but he was good at being consistent.

The ball was served, and it landed on the left side of the back row.

"I'll do it!"

Ryunosuke Tanaka roared. The powerful inside smash at the end of the previous set had clearly cleared away his negative effects. Now he was like a berserker who had just received a buff. Although his receiving motion was rough, his "I absolutely have to get it" attitude forced the ball to the net.

In place.

Kageyama Tobio quickly moved to the landing point. His gaze swept across the entire field in an instant, his brain processing the positioning information of all the attackers like a sophisticated CPU.

The person in the front row is Hotaru Tsukishima.

He was a rational person who, though sharp-tongued, would never hesitate to act decisively in crucial moments.

With a flick of his wrist, Kageyama volleyball found Tsukishima's hitting point precisely without any spin.

On the other side of the net, Kindaichi Yutaro followed suit with a jump. Although this "leek-headed" middle blocker harbored complex psychological trauma towards Kageyama, his physical attributes were undeniable, and his jump height was quite impressive.

However, Tsukishima had no intention of competing with him in terms of altitude.

He watched Kindaichi's all-out effort to block the diagonal shot, a hint of mockery flashing in his eyes behind his glasses, and with a deft twist of his wrist.

Straight shot.

The volleyball whizzed past Kindaichi's inside arm and landed near the undefended sideline.

"Good shot!" Daichi Sawamura clapped and shouted.

Karasuno took the lead with a score of 1-0.

The pace of the game didn't ease up after that point. Aoba Johsai was like a stubborn piece of chewing gum; no matter how Karasuno attacked, they always managed to stick to them.

The score went back and forth.

For every point you score, I'll chase it down.

This kind of tug-of-war is extremely draining on mental energy. Lu Ren frowned slightly as he observed the situation on the field. Although it seemed evenly matched, the Boss named "Oikawa Tetsu" hadn't truly unleashed his full power yet.

Until that moment comes again.

Rotation.

Oikawa Toru took the ball and walked towards the service area.

The atmosphere in the arena changed instantly. The previously noisy cheers seemed to have been muted, with only the synchronized serve music from the Aoba Johsai side remaining.

"Here they come." Coach Wu Yang crossed his arms and leaned forward.

On the field, Karasuno's formation suddenly changed.

The players, who were originally standing in scattered positions, quickly spread out to the sides, completely clearing out the central area of ​​the backcourt.

Immediately afterwards, Sawamura Daichi and Nishitani Yu, the two characters with the highest defensive strength in Karasuno, stood side by side like two gatekeepers in the most dangerous area.

Setter Hiroo Kageyama stayed close to the net and no longer participated in receiving serves.

This is a special attack formation specifically designed to counter Oikawa Tetsu's killer serve—if you can't receive it, then let the person who can receive it do it, and the others just need to stay out of the way.

Behind the service line, Oikawa Tetsu spun the ball, his eyes scanning the opposing formation.

"Oh?"

He raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement creeping into his signature frivolous smile. "A special setup prepared just for me? How honored."

Throw the ball.

approach.

Take off.

The series of movements was so fluid, it was like watching a meticulously crafted cutscene.

Bang!

The sound of the volleyball being hit was so muffled it was chilling. The ball was so fast it was almost impossible to see with the naked eye, hurtling towards Karasuno's backcourt with devastating force.

If it were a normal first pass, you probably wouldn't even have time to dodge this kind of ball.

But standing there was the captain of Karasuno.

Daichi Sawamura did not back down. He didn't even make any extra movements, just took a step to the right, lowered his center of gravity, and raised his arms as if they were welded together.

"Thump!"

The volleyball slammed into his arm, the immense impact causing his upper body to lurch violently. But he remained firmly rooted to the ground, using his core strength to absorb the brute force.

The ball bounced high, tracing a perfect parabola, heading straight for the setter.

A perfect first pass.

"Great catch!" Sugawara Koji, sitting on the bench, clenched his fist excitedly.

Kageyama Tobio stood at the landing point, his heart pounding.

This was a point the captain returned with all his might. This was the first point in a service game against that "King".

If they can secure this point, it will not only disrupt Oikawa Tetsu's rhythm but also greatly boost the team's morale. This point is more valuable than a regular ten points.

Who should it be given to?

Hyuga's fast break? No, Aoki's blocking has already adapted to that speed.

Tsukishima? That rational guy is steady, but in times like these, a more drastic way to break the deadlock is needed.

Senior Dongfeng? He was just stopped and killed, and is still recovering.

Kageyama's gaze instinctively shifted to the left wing.

There was a bald guy there, his face contorted with rage, demanding the ball, his eyes practically screaming, "Give me that damn ball!"

Ryunosuke Tanaka.

The man who was targeted and nearly collapsed in the last game, but then got back up on his own. Now is the time when he's in his best form and most motivated.

"Tanaka-senpai!"

Kageyama roared and passed the ball over.

The ball was set a little too high, a so-called "net shot." This gave the attacker ample space to run up and generate power, but it also meant that the opposing blocker had enough time to organize a defense.

Two blockers from Aoba Castle West quickly closed in and blocked the route.

Tanaka looked at the high wall in front of him without any hesitation.

hide?

Are you kidding me!

He swung his arm in a wide arc, pouring all his frustration, anger, and resentment into that one strike.

Super powerful straight smash!

The volleyball whistled past the blocker's fingertips, slammed onto the floor, and bounced far away.

"Yay!!"

After landing, Tanaka looked up at the sky and roared, tearing at his jersey as if he were a caveman.

Kageyama breathed a sigh of relief and clenched his fist.

We've won this point.

However, Lu Ren, sitting on the sidelines, did not cheer. He looked at Kageyama Tobio's back, then at Oikawa Toru and Iwaizumi Hajime exchanging words on the opposite side, his eyes still racing with data.

The game continues.

Although they broke Oikawa's serve, Aoba Johsai's resilience was simply terrifying. They were like an AI with self-learning capabilities; after each point, their defensive positioning became more precise.

Hyuga's eccentric fast break occurred again. Although he scored, Iwaizumi's fingers had already touched the ball before it hit the ground.

"cut."

Lu Ren clicked his tongue, stood up, and walked over to Coach Wu Yang.

"coach."

Uoyo Shishin, his eyes fixed on the arena, didn't even turn his head: "What's wrong?"

"Shouldn't we replace Kageyama?"

These words were spoken calmly, but at this moment, they were like a thunderclap.

Ukai suddenly turned his head, staring wide-eyed at the usually lazy boy, his face full of disbelief: "What did you say? The score is so close right now, and Kageyama just organized a beautiful counterattack, and you want me to substitute him?"

"It's precisely because it bites so tightly that it's dangerous."

Lu Ren pointed to the court, "Look at the opposing team's block. If it were the first set, they wouldn't even have been able to react to Hyuga's quick attack. But just now, Iwaizumi already got to it."

Wu Yang paused for a moment, then looked towards the arena.

"That's what they call 'adaptability'," Lu Ren continued, his tone carrying the calmness one displays when encountering a game-like monster with its mechanics. "The 'Monster Quick Attack' cheat is about to expire. The boss on the other side has already memorized its attack frequency and wind-up animation."

"Moreover," Lu Ren's gaze fell on Kageyama, "that single-celled king's CPU is about to overheat. Oikawa Tetsu is putting too much pressure on him; all he can think about now is 'I have to be faster than him' and 'I have to be more accurate than him.' If this continues, that 'tyrant' who only knows how to act arbitrarily will make a comeback."

Ukai fell silent. He could indeed sense a hint of anxiety in Kageyama, though he concealed it well, his passing choices were becoming increasingly rushed.

"Then who do you think should be replaced?" Wu Yang asked, even though he already had an answer in his heart.

"Sugawara-senpai."

Lu Ren turned to look at the silver-haired boy on the bench who had been watching the game intently. "Although Sugawara-senpai's stats aren't as flashy as Kageyama's, he has two advantages that Kageyama definitely doesn't have."

"First, he's a new character. Oikawa Tetsu has Kageyama's data, but he's never seen Sugawara-senpai play. That's the new 'first-meet kill'."

"Secondly," Lu Ren paused, "compared to Kageyama's 'you all have to cooperate with me' passing style, the current team may need Sugawara-senpai's 'I will cooperate with you' style to stabilize their mentality."

Wu Yangxi took a deep breath and scratched his head.

This was indeed a risky move. At such a crucial moment, they substituted the talented setter with a third-year substitute.

But looking into Lu Ren's calm eyes, he inexplicably felt that the kid was right.

"it is good."

Ukai turned around and shouted towards the substitutes' bench, "Sugawara! Get ready to come on!"

Sugawara Koji paused for a moment, then quickly took off his coat. As he passed by Riku, he glanced at the first-year student with some surprise.

"Thank you," Sugawara said softly.

Lu Ren shrugged: "Don't get me wrong, I just think the current dungeon mechanics are more suitable for your skill set. Good luck, don't let that King Jiji get too arrogant."

The whistle blew.

"Kanasno makes a substitution."

The referee raises his sign.

Kageyama Tobio, who was about to serve, froze when he saw the number plate being held up.

He was puzzled, angry, and a little panicked.

Why did they have to switch me? I clearly didn't make any mistakes!

His hands were trembling slightly as he walked to the sidelines and took the number plate.

"Don't look at me like that abandoned puppy."

Lu Ren stood next to him, handed him a bottle of water, and said in an irritating tone, "Watch closely down here. See how that so-called 'mortal' middleman is conquering the dungeon using methods you look down on."

"You..." Kageyama gritted his teeth, wanting to retort, but was interrupted by Lu Ren.

"Your skills are indeed top-notch, there's no doubt about that." Lu Ren took a sip of water, watching Sugawara high-fiving the attackers on the court. "But sometimes, playing a game isn't just about skill. You need to look at the 'beginner's guide' and learn how to make your teammates more effective."

Kageyama gripped the water bottle, his knuckles turning white, but he didn't say anything more, only staring intently at the arena.

On the field.

Sugawara Koji took a deep breath, his signature gentle smile appearing on his face. He patted Tanaka and Hinata on the shoulder, said a few words, and the two, who had been tense, instantly relaxed considerably.

On the other side of the net.

Oikawa Tetsu looked at the silver-haired setter who had just entered the game, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"They changed the person?"

He originally thought Karasuno would rely on that genius first-year student to fight to the bitter end.

"He seems cheerful." Oikawa Tetsu narrowed his eyes, quickly searching his mental database, only to find it blank. "A guy I've never seen before... I wonder what kind of person he is."

The unknown often means variables.

The game continues.

The bright red numbers on the scoreboard were glaring.

Aoba Castle West 10:8 Karasuno.

Although they were down by two points, the air, which had been somewhat tense, began to flow again with the appearance of this variable named "Sugawara Koshi".

Lu Ren leaned back in his chair, watching the figures on the field, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"Alright, let's begin the second phase. Let's see another side of this team."