Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

Xilan Yu wiped the sweat from her brow, walked to the sidelines, and picked up her number plate. It was time for her turn to rotate.

Hinata Shoyo bounced onto the court like a springy doll. The moment the two crossed paths, Nishinoya gave Hinata's butt a hard slap—a silent exchange.

Lu Ren stood in front of the net, his gaze sweeping over the formation of Qingye City West on the opposite side. Oikawa Tetsu was squinting at him, his expression as if he were assessing the remaining health of his prey.

"Hey, Hinata." Lu Ren turned his head and lowered his voice.

Hinata immediately leaned closer, her ears perked up like antennas: "Lu Ren?"

"If you get a chance to play the ball later, don't worry about where it is, just run to an open space where no one is watching." Lu Ren pointed to his temple. "Don't look for the ball with your eyes, use your intuition to find your way. Just like when you usually dodge Kageyama's flying kick."

Hinata paused for a moment, then nodded emphatically: "Oh!"

The whistle blew.

Ryunosuke Tanaka stood at the baseline, the volleyball in his hand spinning rapidly. He took a deep breath, tossed the ball, ran up, and jumped.

"Eurah!!"

That shot was powerful, but the landing point was a little too straight.

Hanamaki Takahiro from Aoba Castle West took a half-step back and steadily hoisted the ball up: "First pass in place!"

Oikawa Tetsu was in position almost the instant the ball left his hand. His movements were so deceptive; his gaze drifted to the left, but his wrist flicked to the right.

"Iwaizumi!"

Iwazumi burst out from the right wing, his entire body like a heavy hammer smashing into the volleyball.

"Bang!"

This powerful dunk struck directly towards Karasuno's backcourt center.

"I'll do it!" Daichi Sawamura stood like a stubborn rock, his feet firmly planted on the floor, his arms clasped together. The volleyball struck his forearm with a dull thud and bounced high into the air.

"Great pass!" Sugawara Koji shouted, quickly moving under the ball.

At this moment, the front row of Karasuno consisted of Rikujin, Hinata, and Tanaka.

Sugawara's gaze swept quickly over the three men. Who should he give it to? A quick attack? Or should he create space?

His fingers touched the ball, and he made the decision.

"Lu Ren!"

The ball flew to the left. Lu Ren took a running start and jumped.

But the moment he jumped, the light in front of him dimmed. Kindaichi and Matsukawa Kazushige's double block had sealed off all attack routes. Aoba Josai's reaction speed was outrageous; this was the foundation of a strong team.

"Tch, the road is blocked." Lu Ren clicked his tongue in mid-air.

A hard spike would definitely be blocked, and if you try a lob, Oikawa is lurking behind, waiting to pounce.

Since there is no road, let's build one.

Lu Ren swung his arm without hesitation, but he wasn't aiming at the floor; he was aiming at Kindaichi's fingers.

"Snapped!"

The volleyball hit Kindaichi's finger, flew out, changed its trajectory, and instead of landing, bounced high back into Karasuno's half of the court.

"A thug... rebound?!" Kindaichi's eyes widened.

"Chance ball!!" Daichi Sawamura reacted quickly, making another save and cushioning the rebound.

The ball flew very high and landed near the three-meter line.

At this point, chaos ensued.

Sugawara had just passed the ball and was still adjusting his balance at the net. Kageyama wasn't on the court. Who would pass the ball?

"Run!!"

A loud roar broke the deadlock. Hyuga Shoyo really listened to Lu Ren's words. He didn't even look at the ball. Instead, like a headless fly, he rushed towards the weakest gap in the middle of Aoba Josai's block.

The defenders on the west side of Aoba City were momentarily stunned.

Kageyama isn't here, so why is that short guy running so fast? Who's going to set the fast break for him? The substitute setter is still on the left!

In that chaotic second.

Lu Ren made a move.

He didn't just land to watch; the instant the ball bounced back, he had already predicted its landing point. He took two steps to the vicinity of the three-meter line and placed his hands in front of his forehead.

"Setter?!" Oikawa Tetsu's pupils contracted sharply.

The Aoba Castle West blockers instinctively tried to block Tanaka on both sides and Asahi in the back row, creating a huge vacuum in the middle of the defense.

Hinata has already jumped up.

He was in the air, his eyes wide open, staring at the empty space.

Where's the ball?

Lu Ren's fingers touched the ball.

That strange feeling welled up again. No need to think, no need to calculate the spin, just simply want the ball to "stop" there.

"Go, Pikachu," Lu Ren thought to himself.

A slight tremor of the wrist.

The volleyball flew from his fingertips, not fast, even leisurely. It traced a gentle arc, heading straight for the highest point in front of the net.

Hinata waved her arms.

Just as his hand was about to miss, the ball seemed to be paused, freezing in mid-air for a moment in a strange way.

There was no fall.

There is no rotation.

It just hung there quietly, waiting for that hand to arrive.

Hinata's eyes reflected the clear lines of the volleyball. He could even make out the logo on it.

There's no need to chase the ball, no need to make adjustments.

Just keep fighting!

"Bang!!"

The palm made perfect contact with the ball, producing a crisp sound. The volleyball transformed into a white streak, smashing straight into the center of the Aoba City West court.

The floorboards made a loud thud and then bounced towards the ceiling.

23:20.

The entire room fell silent.

Kindaichi remained in the landing position after blocking the net, his mouth agape wide enough to fit a light bulb. Matsukawa Kazushige rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things.

"That...that was..." Ukai Shishin, standing on the sidelines, dropped the fan in her hand.

Kageyama Tokio is not included.

There is no such genius setter.

But that "freakish fast attack" that defies the laws of physics has been resurrected.

Moreover, Hinata Shoyo's eyes were open.

"Whoaaaaaah!!" Hinata screamed like a groundhog after landing, looking at her palm. "It stopped! It really stopped! Rikuren, are you a magician?!"

Lu Ren flicked his wrist and turned around calmly: "Don't yell, that's just a system delay."

On the west side of Aoba Castle, the smile on Oikawa Tetsu's face completely disappeared.

He stared intently at Lu Ren, and for the first time, a look of apprehension appeared in his eyes.

"This is going to be difficult..." Oikawa Tetsu muttered to himself. "I thought that sealing Kageyama would cripple that monster duo. I didn't expect there to be an even more unreasonable one hiding here."

Karasuno's halftime was already boiling over.

Tanaka rushed over to give Lu Ren a bear hug, but Lu Ren nimbly dodged. Sugawara Koji walked over, his hands trembling slightly.

"Lu Ren... how did you do that?" Sugawara's voice was tinged with disbelief. "That ball, that feel... that wasn't just an ordinary toss, was it?"

Seeing Sugawara's shocked expression, Lu Ren simply shrugged: "Let's win this round first. Explaining it would be too much trouble."

The game continues.

Karasuno leads 23-20.

The situation reversed instantly.

The blocking in Aoba Castle West was in disarray. They had to divert their energy to defend against Hyuga's unreasonable quick attacks, even though Kageyama wasn't their setter.

This hesitation is fatal for defense.

Tanaka seized the opportunity to break through on the left wing and score.

24 to 20, game point.

On the final point, Oikawa Tetsu attempted a counter-attack, but the disorganized attackers' coordination faltered. Iwaizumi Hajime's spike was blocked by Sawamura Daichi, and Higashimine Asahi delivered the decisive blow.

25:20.

Karasuno won the second game.

"Yay!!!"

Cheers resounded throughout the stadium.

The players left the court to rest and prepare for the decisive game.

Lu Rengang had just walked to the rest area and picked up a water bottle when he was surrounded by a group of people.

"Hey! You brat!" Kageyama Tobio squeezed out of the crowd, his usually stern face now as black as the bottom of a pot. He stared intently at Lu Ren, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles cracked.

"When did you learn that from Hinata?" Kageyama's voice sounded like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth. "That ball-handling technique... that technique of keeping the ball suspended in the air, when did you learn it?"

The surrounding air froze instantly.

Everyone could feel the oppressive aura emanating from Kageyama, a pressure so intense it felt like it was about to explode.

The feeling was like having your most precious treasure stolen right in front of you, and someone using it even more skillfully than you do.

Lu Ren unscrewed the bottle cap, took a sip of water, and then slowly looked at Kageyama.

"Just now."

"Huh?" Kageyama was stunned.

"Actually, I've had the idea for a while now." Lu Ren leaned back in his chair, looking nonchalant. "Just now, a sudden inspiration struck me, like unlocking a new skill in a game."

"Don't be ridiculous!" Kageyama growled. "How could that kind of precise coordination possibly be achieved on the first try?! Do you know how precise the calculations were needed to match that guy's jump?!"

"So, I'm different from you."

Lu Ren interrupted him.

He put down the water bottle and pointed to his head.

"You're relying on your ball handling and technique to try and catch up with Hinata's highest point. You're trying to get the ball to 'that point'."

"As for me, I don't have your kind of abnormal touch. I'm gambling."

"A bet?" Coach Uyang frowned.

"That's right." Lu Ren looked at Hyuga, who was grinning foolishly beside him. "I know Hyuga. I know where this single-celled organism will run and where he will jump in this kind of net formation."

"I didn't pass the ball to that spot; I anticipated that he would appear at that spot, and then placed the ball there in advance to wait for him."

"It's half luck, and half analysis of NPC behavior patterns," Lu Ren said, shrugging. "If he hadn't jumped there, the ball would have landed directly on the ground. So, it's a gamble."

Kageyama fell silent.

He had his head down, his bangs obscuring his eyes, so his expression was not visible.

But the sense of defeat emanating from him was so intense it was suffocating.

He had always believed that only he could control Hyuga, only he could make passes like that. That was one of his irreplaceable values ​​in the team.

But now, a guy who is usually lazy and only started learning halfway through his career has accomplished the same thing in a completely different way.

Even better... because Hinata's eyes were open.

"I..." Kageyama's voice was a little hoarse, "Does that mean... you don't need me anymore?"

The teammates around him panicked.

"Hey! Kageyama, what nonsense are you talking about!" Tanaka shouted anxiously.

"That's right! Lu Ren was just lucky!" Sugawara quickly tried to smooth things over.

Lu Ren sighed inwardly as he looked at Ying Shan's pathetic state.

Teenagers during puberty are such a hassle.

"If that's all you're doing, you'll feel like you've been replaced..."

Lu Ren's voice suddenly turned cold, taking on a sharpness rarely seen in his voice.

"That only proves that the so-called volleyball genius, the king of the court, is nothing more than that."

Kageyama abruptly looked up, his eyes blazing with anger: "What did you say?!"

"Did I say something wrong?" Lu Ren met his gaze without backing down, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "A single, accidental success has shattered your Dao heart? Is that all you've got?"

"If you feel like you've been replaced, then go sit on the bench. Anyway, I quite like passing the ball to Hinata; it feels really good."

"You!!" Kageyama trembled with rage, a mixture of anger from being humiliated and a surge of competitive spirit.

"Alright, alright!" Coach Ukai waved his hand, stepping between the two. "Save the arguing for after we win the match! The third set is starting right away!"

Ukai looked at Kageyama, his eyes stern: "Kageyama, you're up for the third round. Have you calmed down?"

Kageyama took a deep breath, glared at Lu Ren, and turned to the coach: "I'm fine. I will prove... that I am the most suitable setter for this team."

"Very good, keep it up." Wu Yang nodded in satisfaction.

As the whistle blew, Kageyama stepped back onto the court, exuding a fierce aura.

Lu Ren stood by the bench, watching Ying Shan's back, and his mocking expression instantly crumbled.

"Hey..." he muttered under his breath, turning to look at Sugawara beside him. "Was I too harsh? You looked like a villainous boss just now."

Sugawara Koji looked at him with a wry smile: "Was that a provocation? It worked, but Kageyama will probably hold a grudge against you for a long time."

"What can I do? I have no experience." Lu Ren scratched his hair, looking troubled. "How should I comfort him in a situation like this? 'It's okay, you're the best'? That's too cheesy."

Suddenly, as if he had thought of something, his eyes lit up, and he patted Sugawara on the shoulder.

"By the way, Sugawara-senpai, you must be the most experienced at this feeling of having your starting position taken away, right? Why don't you go and comfort him later? After all, you're a professional."

Sugawara's smile froze instantly.

Even though I know this guy has a sharp tongue, this last bit of sarcasm was just too precise!

"Lu Ren..." Sugawara put his hand on Lu Ren's shoulder, smiling brightly, "After the match, let's have a good chat about life, shall we?"

"Uh... just kidding." Lu Ren shrank his neck.

Beside him, Hinata Shoyo watched this scene and couldn't help but shiver.

"Lu Ren... can be really cruel sometimes," he muttered to himself.

Hotaru Tsukishima, standing to the side, adjusted her glasses, a smirk playing on her lips. "This is what they call 'the wicked always have their match.' That king certainly needs a good jolt."

On the field, the game resumes.

Kageyama Tobio stood in front of the net, his eyes sharper than ever.

Lu Ren's words were like a thorn stuck in his heart.

Replaced?

What a joke.

I will show you what true "domination" looks like.

Oikawa Tetsu looked at Kageyama, whose aura had completely changed, through the net, and frowned slightly.

"That bespectacled brat..." Oikawa glanced at Lu Ren in the audience, "It seems like he's unleashed some incredible monster."