Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The night, like a sponge soaked in ink, pressed heavily over Saitama Prefecture. The cicadas, perhaps tired of chirping, only let out a few weak, occasional screechs.

The corridor outside the bathhouse was filled with the mixed smells of cheap soap and Salonpas. For these high school boys who had just endured a hellish physical ordeal, every second should be dedicated to their pillows and blankets.

Except for Lu Ren.

This guy was in incredibly good spirits, showing no signs of having just been bombarded by several top universities during the day. He was carrying a bag of chilled drinks bought from a vending machine, and like a peddler selling illegal CDs, he was sneaking around the dormitory entrances.

Ten minutes later, in an empty faculty lounge.

A few figures stood scattered around, all wearing the same expression—"Are you crazy?"

The lineup that was forcibly dragged in was nothing short of luxurious: Kozume Kenma, the "brain" of Otokoma; Yoru Eisuke, the guardian deity; and Kuroo Tetsuro, whose hairstyle defied gravity; Akaashi Kyoji of Fukutani; Gora Masami, the captain of Ikugawa; the stern-looking Kano Daiki; and their own Karasuno members Sawamura Daichi and Sugawara Koji, plus the disgruntled Tsukishima Hotaru.

"I say," Kuroo Tetsurou yawned widely, squeezing out two physiological tears from the corners of his eyes, "Brother Lu Ren, if you want to throw a pajama party, could you at least find a few cute female managers? Are you trying to wake us up by gathering this bunch of sweaty, stinky old men together?"

"I want to go back to sleep." Grinding into the corner, still clutching the game console, he didn't look up. "This level isn't over yet."

"We have morning practice tomorrow." Sawamura Daichi rubbed his temples. His sense of responsibility as captain made him ready to immediately disband this pointless gathering. "Lu Ren, stop fooling around. Everyone is tired."

"Yeah, that's right," Qiangluo Changji scratched his buzz cut, looking憨厚ly, "Although your hot pot broth is really good, it's the middle of the night..."

Lu Ren sat cross-legged on the tatami mat in the center of the room, shuffling a deck of cards with a clattering sound.

"Want to play a round?" He smiled and held up a card. "Werewolf. This kind of game that tests acting skills and logic is only fun for smart people like you all. Single-minded people like Bokuto-senpai or Hinata would expose themselves in the first round because they can't lie, so it's not an enjoyable experience."

"Not interested." Tsukishima pushed up his glasses, turned around and was about to leave. "You should ask Nishiya-senpai to play this boring social game with you."

Kyoji Akaashi nodded politely, "Sorry, I need to go back and check if Bokuto-senpai kicked off the blanket."

For a moment, the sound of slippers scraping against the floor echoed in the room.

"it's a pity."

Lu Ren sighed and casually tossed the playing cards onto the tatami mat. Then, he slowly reached under the pillow behind him.

The movements were slow, as if some kind of ritual was being performed.

"I was thinking that these books take up too much space, so I was going to find an opportunity to give away a few of them."

Snapped.

A black-covered notebook lay on the tatami mat. The cover was crumpled, and the pages were curled up, clearly indicating it had been read countless times.

Kurowei paused for a moment as she reached the door.

Snapped.

The second book.

Snapped.

The third book.

There were five notebooks in total, neatly stacked in a row.

Lu Ren casually picked up the top book and read it aloud as if he were reading a market brochure: "This is 'Analysis of the Vulnerabilities in the Soundhorse Defense System and Prediction of the Extreme Values ​​of Kozume Masami's Physical Abilities.' It details the habitual deviation angles of Kuroo-senpai's blocking hand positions, as well as the periods of distraction in Masami's attention during long, drawn-out battles..."

The air in the room seemed to freeze.

Just moments ago, Tetsuro Kuroo looked drowsy, but now his dead fish eyes widened instantly, his pupils shrinking to pinpoints. His finger, hovering over the grinding button in the corner, froze in mid-air. The "Game Over" message on the screen flashed red, but he paid it no heed.

Lu Ren ignored their reactions and picked up the second book.

"This book is titled 'The Fukutani Emotional Management Method: How to Put Kotaro Bokuto into Negative Mode in Three Sentences.' The appendix also includes a breakdown of twenty-seven details of Akaashi-senpai's setting habits, including minor deviations in your passing route under pressure."

Kyoji Akaashi's hand was still on the doorknob, but his body was as stiff as a stone. He slowly turned around, and for the first time, a look of "danger" appeared on his usually calm face.

"And this one," Lu Ren patted the third book, "Optimal Solution for Ikawa's Serve Rotation and Blind Spots in Receiving Positions."

Gora Masaki's honest expression vanished, replaced by a wariness akin to that of a wild beast guarding its prey.

"As for this one..." Lu Ren waved the fourth book, looking at the grim-faced Little Deer, "'Time Difference Trap and Countermeasures for Multi-Point Attacks.' Your so-called 'coordination' has been reduced to nothing but a skeleton in this book."

Finally, Lu Ren placed his hand on the last book, grinning like a fox who had stolen a chicken.

"This is a compilation. It records the personal habits of everyone here. For example, Daichi-senpai's right foot shift when receiving the ball, Sugawara-senpai's little tricks when switching tactics, and Tsukishima..."

He glanced at Tsukishima Hotaru, who was standing motionless at the door.

"Statistics on how often you subconsciously close your eyes when faced with a powerful dunk."

Dead silence.

Absolute silence.

The room, which had been filled with drowsiness, was now filled with a chilling sense of oppression. It wasn't the kind of passionate competition on a volleyball court, but a colder, more naked game of strategy.

That's the instinctive reaction of a hunter seeing prey, or a wild animal seeing a trap.

No one spoke; only their breathing became heavy.

Are the contents of these notebooks true?

No one doubted it.

Because Lu Ren has been wandering around the basketball courts like a ghost these past few days, his ballpoint pen never stopping. His disgusting anticipation and positioning on the court are the best proof of that.

This isn't a notebook; it's clearly a Damocles' sword hanging over everyone's head.

If these things fall into someone else's hands...

Kuroo Tetsurou slowly turned around, a dangerous smile curving his lips, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. He strode back to the tatami mat and sat down cross-legged.

"Oh dear," his voice had a slightly hoarse, metallic quality, "I suddenly feel that the night is long, and we really shouldn't waste this precious time."

Kyoji Akaashi loosened the doorknob. He walked back expressionlessly, sat down opposite Kuroo, and stared intently at the notebook about Fukutani.

"I also think that appropriate mental exercise can help with sleep."

Masaki Gora and Daiki Kogane exchanged a glance, and without saying a word, they squeezed into the circle.

Even Moyan silently put away his game console and moved to the position closest to Lu Ren, his cat-like eyes staring at Lu Ren as if he were looking at some kind of system bug that had to be removed.

Sawamura Daichi and Sugawara Koji exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and helplessness in each other's eyes. They knew Lu Ren was gathering intelligence, but they hadn't expected him to use it as leverage.

"You rascal..." Dadi sighed, walked over and sat down, "You even schemed against your own people?"

"Intelligence doesn't distinguish between friend and foe, Captain." Lu Ren grinned, revealing a set of white teeth. "Want to erase your dark history? Then win it back with your own abilities."

Hotaru Tsukishima stood still. His gaze swept back and forth between the notebooks and Lu Ren's smiling face, and finally he let out a cold snort.

"A perverse sense of humor."

Despite saying that, his body betrayed him as he walked back and found a seat.

The circle has taken shape.

Lu Ren looked with satisfaction at the group of people sitting around him. Yinju's cunning cat, Xiaogu's calm eagle, Shengchuan and Senran's strong shield and sharp spear, and his own crows.

This is hardly a werewolf game!

This is clearly a negotiating table for a group of apex predators before dividing up their prey.

"The rules are simple."

Lu Ren picked up the deck of cards and skillfully dealt them.

"The winner can take one book with them. Whether you take it home to study or burn it is none of my business. The loser..."

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.

"You have to grant me a small 'request' for tomorrow's practice match. Don't worry, it won't violate sportsmanship; it'll just be a little...cooperating with my experiment."

"Deal the cards," Kuroo interrupted him, his narrow eyes burning with competitive spirit. "Stop talking nonsense."

"Wait a minute," Yoruichi suddenly spoke, pointing to the pile of notebooks. "If I win, I want the part about Kuroo. I want to see what weaknesses this guy has that I don't know about."

"Hey! Yoru!" Kuroo bristled. "We're on the same team!"

"Precisely because we're on the same team, we need to have something on you." Yoru said confidently.

"I want that one too," Moyan whispered. "It seems really useful."

"You bunch of traitors!"

The atmosphere instantly shifted from tense to heated, but that heat was mixed with the glint of swords.

Lu Ren's smile deepened as he watched this scene.

This is what he wanted.

Data alone is static; only by throwing it into a pack of wolves and letting it ferment through competition and battle can its true value be extracted.

"Close your eyes when it gets dark."

Lu Ren's voice lowered, like the whisper of a demon.

"Werewolf, open your eyes."

At his command, several pairs of eyes slowly opened.

In this cramped room, a silent war of wits, lies, and intelligence has begun. And the guy sitting in the middle dealing the cards is enjoying this chaotic feast he himself has woven.

Tonight, no one is destined to sleep.