Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The bus on the return trip was like a mobile disco.

Aside from the absence of flashing lights, the noise level was perfectly within acceptable limits. Tanaka Ryunosuke and Nishitani Yu, that pair of lovable goofballs, were using the roof of the car as a trampoline, yelling at the top of their lungs. The lyrics were probably some unknown victory song, but the melody had drifted off to Siberia. Hinata Shoyo was kneeling on his seat, his eyes shining as he clapped along to the beat, like an orange tabby cat that had just had some catnip.

"The whole country! The whole country! We're going to the whole country!"

"We took down Oikawa Toru! Hahahaha!"

Sawamura Daichi sat in the front row, the veins on his forehead throbbing. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to maintain the dignity and tolerance of a captain.

The back corner.

Lu Ren pulled his hoodie over his head, looking like a melting slime, and leaned haphazardly against Qingze Yazhi's shoulder. His battery had completely died when the ball landed, and he was now in a forced shutdown state.

Yazhi stood stiffly, clutching the notebook in her hand, not daring to move. She glanced at the head on her shoulder; the guy was fast asleep, his breathing even and deep, occasionally twitching with the bumps of the car.

"Pig..." she muttered softly, but gently adjusted her posture to make him lean back more steadily.

"It's so noisy!!!"

A roar shook the car windows. Sawamura Daichi, finally losing his temper, turned around and yelled, "Shut up, all of you! We're only twenty minutes from school, can't you save your energy?!"

The carriage fell silent instantly, with only the roar of the engine remaining. Tanaka and Nishiya shrank back and immediately sat up straight.

Lu Ren's eyelids twitched slightly from the shout, but he only twitched them briefly before burying his face even deeper into Ya Zhi's coat.

……

It was already late when we returned to the Karasuno High School gymnasium.

Lu Ren was woken up by Ya Zhi pinching his nose. He opened his eyes groggily and found that everyone was already sitting in a circle. Wu Yangxi was standing in front of the tactics board, his face not relaxed.

"Awake?" Wu Yang glanced at him. "If you're awake, then listen."

Lu Ren rubbed his sore neck, yawned, and found an open space to sit cross-legged.

"Winning against Aoba Castle West today was a tough battle." Wu Yang took off the magnet from "Aoba Castle West" and replaced it with "Shiratorizawa". "But to be honest, luck played a big part in our final victory. Plus, Lu Ren's messy tactics were something the opponents had never seen before, so they didn't have time to react."

"First encounter kill," Lu Ren interjected, his voice still a little hoarse. "This kind of move won't work the second time; it'll be countered until you die."

"That's right." Ukai nodded, tapping his fingers on the whiteboard. "Tomorrow is the final, and the opponent is Shiratorizawa. The absolute champion of Miyagi Prefecture."

The air seemed to freeze for a moment.

"We have too little intelligence," Ukai sighed. "Our understanding of them is basically limited to that name—Ushijima Wakatoshi. The ultimate ace, left-handed, with ridiculously high strength. Apart from him, the configuration of other positions and their tactical habits are all blind spots."

"Conversely, they probably haven't done much research on us either," Sugawara Koji said.

"This is both our only advantage and our only disadvantage," Ukai frowned. "Because Ushijima Wakatoshi alone could potentially destroy most tactical systems."

Lu Ren stared at the name on the whiteboard, but no data panel popped into his mind. His impression of Shiratorizawa was still based on Oikawa Tetsu's words, "The soil there is too barren."

"Let's adjust the starting lineup for tomorrow." Ukai picked up a marker. "Tsukishima, Rikujin, Tanaka in the front row. Daichi, Nishinoya, Kageyama in the back row. We need to solidify our defense first and probe the opponent's firepower."

"Use a defensive counter-attack?" Kageyama asked.

"No, we're going to take the hits head-on," Lu Ren complained. "Put the tankiest units in front and see if they can withstand the boss's first phase of berserk mode."

"Though the words are harsh, that's roughly the gist of it." Wu Yang put away his pen. "Go back and rest. No one is allowed to practice extra tonight; getting some sleep is the top priority. Tomorrow's match will be even tougher than today's."

"yes!!!"

The group dispersed.

Lu Ren slung his bag over his shoulder, his legs still feeling weak. He slowly made his way towards the school gate, and as he passed the second gymnasium, he heard the sounds of balls being hit coming from inside.

He stopped and peered through the crack in the door.

Hinata Shoyo was jumping again and again, while Kageyama Tobio tirelessly dribbled the ball. Sweat pooled on the floor.

"These two guys..." Lu Ren's eye twitched, "Are their stamina bars locked? Or are they using an infinite mana cheat?"

"Let's go." Yazhi grabbed his backpack strap from behind. "Stop looking. You won't learn that monster physique even if you keep looking."

"I didn't want to learn, I was just wondering if I could report them for cheating." Lu Ren was being dragged forward, muttering to himself, "This is unscientific, it completely violates the law of conservation of energy..."

……

The following day. Miyagi Prefectural Gymnasium.

The atmosphere at the finals was completely different from yesterday. If yesterday was a thrilling arena, today was a heavily fortified execution ground. The support group from Shiratorizawa was perfectly synchronized, their school song sounding like a military anthem, creating an overwhelming sense of oppression.

Lu Ren stood on the court, flexing his wrists, his gaze passing through the net and landing on the man in the purple and white jersey on the other side.

Ushijima Wakatoshi.

He just stood there, and it felt like a Tyrannosaurus Rex was crouching on the other side of the net.

"Beep—!"

The whistle blows, and the game begins.

There was no probing, no beating around the bush. On the very first ball, Shiratorizawa's setter passed it high to Ushijima.

The man took a running start and jumped. His posture wasn't fancy; in fact, it could be described as somewhat simple, but the sense of suspension in the air was terrifyingly strong.

The front three defenders were in position. Tsukishima Hotaru's arm was outstretched, blocking the diagonal shot; Riku Ren was covering on the flank; and Tanaka was blocking the straight shot.

The wall looks completely airtight.

Ushijima Wakatoshi waved his arm.

"boom!"

It wasn't a "bang," it was a "boom."

Lu Ren felt as if a thunderbolt had exploded in his ears. The volleyball struck Tsukishima's arm without hesitation, sending his blocking hand flying and slamming heavily onto the floor, bouncing even higher than the second-floor stands.

"..."

The entire stadium was silent for a second, then erupted into a deafening roar of cheers.

Tsukishima looked at his reddened forearm, his face pale.

"This is... absolute power?"

Lu Ren swallowed hard. His dynamic vision caught the trajectory of the ball, and his brain issued a red warning that it was "unstoppable" in that instant.

It's not about skill or tactics. It's pure numerical superiority.

The rest of the match turned into a one-sided massacre.

Karasuno attempted to change formation, trying to counterattack with a fast-paced, unorthodox attack. Hyuga did score a few points; their lightning-fast offense caught Shiratorizawa off guard for a moment. But only for a moment.

Ushijima Wakatoshi doesn't care what tricks you guys play. When it's his turn to spike, it's a point. When it's his turn to serve, it's a disaster.

Midway through the first game. Wakatoshi Ushijima serves.

Lu Ren stood in the back row, staring intently at the ball-throwing motion. The left-handed spin, combined with that terrifying power.

"Bang!"

The ball is here.

It was as fast as a bullet. Lu Ren judged the landing point and his body reacted accordingly. But when the ball hit his arm, he felt like he had been hit by a truck.

It's impossible to control.

The ball flew directly into the stands.

"Sorry!" Lu Ren gritted his teeth.

The second ball. Nishitani Yu received it, but the ball, with a strong sidespin, bounced directly back to Shiratorizawa's court, where it was smashed by the opponent with a tip.

The third goal. A direct score.

The fourth goal...

The numbers on the scoreboard were jumping wildly, as if mocking Karasuno's helplessness.

Coach Wu called a timeout, substituting Lu Ren with the better defensive player Yuan Shima. Lu Ren sat on the bench, a towel over his head, listening to the heavy thuds coming from the court.

Wakatoshi Ushijima scored a whopping 8 points on his serve alone.

The difference has widened to double digits.

This is a game on a completely different level. Karasuno is like a group of novice players with wooden swords who have stumbled into a dungeon with a max-level boss. Even if Nishitani Yuu finally adapted to the spin and could barely catch a few balls, and even if Hinata Shoyo jumped desperately at the net, he couldn't bridge this enormous gap.

"Beep—beep—beep—!!!"

The final whistle blew.

The score on the big screen was glaringly disheartening.

0:2.

There was no miracle. There was no reversal.

Lu Ren watched as Shiratorizawa's teammates celebrated on the field, while Ushijima Wakatoshi remained expressionless, as if he had simply completed a routine check-in.

"It's over," Lu Ren said softly.

I feel empty inside, as if a piece of me has been ripped out.

……

The post-match dinner was held at an ordinary family restaurant.

Everyone ordered a table full of dishes: pork cutlet rice, ramen, curry... all steaming hot and smelling delicious.

But no one spoke.

The only sounds were the clinking of chopsticks against the bowl and the chewing of food.

The atmosphere was so oppressive it made me want to vomit.

Lu Ren mechanically stuffed rice into his mouth, finding it tasteless. He couldn't even tell if the pork chop was salty or bland.

Suddenly, a suppressed sob broke the silence.

Lu Ren put down his chopsticks and turned his head.

Hinata Shoyo held a bowl in his hand, large tears sliding down his cheeks and dripping into the rice. He cried as he desperately shoveled rice into his mouth, his cheeks puffed out as if he wanted to swallow all his resentment.

Kageyama Tobio lowered his head, the veins on the back of his hand holding the chopsticks bulging, and his shoulders trembling slightly.

Nishitani Yu bit her lip, staring intently at the water glass on the table.

Sawamura Daichi opened his mouth, wanting to say something comforting, but found that his throat was blocked and he couldn't make a sound.

Lu Ren put down the bowl, feeling a tightness in his chest.

"I'm going out for some fresh air." He stood up and walked out.

Outside the shop, the night breeze was slightly cool.

Uyang Xixin was leaning against a lamppost, two cigarette butts lying at his feet. The embers flickered uncertainly in the darkness.

Lu Ren walked over and leaned against the pole without saying a word.

"Not full?" Wu Yang exhaled a smoke ring, his voice a little hoarse.

"I can't eat." Lu Ren looked at the sparse starlight in the distance. "It feels like my stomach is full of stones."

Wu Yang smiled, but it was a bitter smile: "It's my first time making it to the finals, and I got completely crushed. It's not a pleasant feeling."

"Are you alright?" Lu Ren turned to look at him. "You're an adult, don't expect me, your student, to comfort you."

"You brat." Wu Yang reached out and ruffled Lu Ren's hair. "I'm fine. But you, who usually seems so carefree, seem to have taken a big hit this time?"

Lu Ren slapped his hand away and tidied his messed-up hair.

"It's alright." He put his hands in his pockets, his tone returning to its usual nonchalant teasing. "Actually, I'd thought this day would come. This is reality, not a wish-fulfillment novel. There are so many volleyball teams across the country, and there are plenty of monsters better than us."

"But..." Lu Ren paused, his eyes darkening slightly, "I didn't expect to lose so badly. It felt like you painstakingly leveled up, crafted equipment, and researched strategies, only to have the BOSS slap you and tell you, 'Your stats aren't high enough, go back and start over.'"

That feeling of powerlessness is more painful than losing the game itself.

Wu Yang remained silent for a while, then threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out.

"What should we do then?" The coach looked at his players with a thoughtful expression.

Lu Ren took a deep breath, filling his lungs with the cold air.

"What else can we do? Reloading and starting over is out of the question." He shrugged, a somewhat forced smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "Since the stats aren't good enough, we'll go back and level up. Since the equipment isn't good enough, we'll go farm for better gear. As long as the server doesn't shut down, we'll keep playing the game."

"Failure is not scary, what's scary is deleting your account and quitting the game."

Lu Ren turned to look at the bright window of the restaurant. Inside, Hinata Shoyo had already wiped away his tears and was fighting over the meat in Kageyama's bowl. The two of them started arguing like fighting cocks again.

"Looks like I was worrying for nothing," Lu Ren chuckled. "Those guys regenerate health at an astonishing speed."

Wu Yang followed his gaze and a smile crept onto his lips.

"Yeah." Wu Yang took out a cigarette case from his pocket, took out another cigarette, but didn't light it, just held it between his fingers. "They're not the kind of guys who would give up after one failure. Even if it's a wall, they'll find a way to get over it, even if they're banging their heads against it and getting hurt."

"Because we are crows."

Lu Ren stretched, his joints making a cracking sound.

"Omnivorous animals eat everything, even the bitter fruit of defeat, which can be chewed up and turned into nutrients."

"Let's go, Coach." Lu Ren turned and walked back. "Let's go back and eat. You need to fill your stomach after you've finished crying, otherwise you won't have the energy to level up."

Wu Yang watched the boy's retreating figure, which cast a long shadow under the streetlight. Though thin, the boy stood ramrod straight.

"You brat, you've got a whole set of stories to tell."

Wu Yang put the cigarettes back in the box and quickly followed.

"Hey, Lu Ren! Leave me a pork chop!"

"That's all. I just saw Hinata eyeing your bowl."

"That little brat!"

Pushing open the store door, the noise once again flooded my ears.

"Another bowl, please!"

"I want to eat meat!"

"Lu Ren, you're back! Here, have some!"

Looking at his noisy teammates, Lu Ren thought that this meal might not be so hard to swallow after all.