Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

That progress bar called "daily life" always seems to speed up without you even realizing it.

That afternoon, the gymnasium door was suddenly flung open with a bang. When Coach Takeda rushed in, he nearly tripped over the threshold and fell flat on his face, waving several sheets of A4 paper in his hand as if pleading for help.

"It's out! Everyone! The matchups are out!"

That shout abruptly cut off the sounds of balls being hit throughout the hall. Everyone seemed to be put on pause, turning their heads in unison to look at the entrance.

Mr. Takeda adjusted his crooked glasses, and before he could catch his breath, he pasted the fateful piece of paper onto the tactics board.

"The Harutaka Miyagi Prefecture representative selection tournament is next month."

Everyone gathered around. It was a densely packed tree diagram, much like a skill tree in an RPG game, except that each node didn't represent a new skill, but rather an opponent that would be eliminated.

Hinata Shoyo tiptoed, his orange head weaving in and out of the crowd, his finger tracing the top line downwards: "Karasano...Karasano...Ah! Here it is!"

The finger stopped in a conspicuous spot.

"Huh?" Hinata paused for a moment, then turned to look at Kageyama. "Kageyama, we don't have any opponents in the first round?"

"That's a bye." Kageyama Tobio crossed his arms, his gaze fixed on that spot, his brow still furrowed. "Because we made it to the top four in the last IH qualifiers, we're a seeded team."

"Seed team..." Hinata repeated the word twice, his eyes gleaming at a visible speed. "So, does that mean we're now the kind of 'very strong BOSS'? Like the Great Demon King sitting in his castle waiting for a hero to challenge him?"

"You can understand it that way." Lu Ren stood on the outskirts of the crowd, tossing a volleyball in his hand, his tone lazy. "But to put it another way, the system determined that our level was high enough, so it skipped the tutorial."

"Wow! That sounds so cool!" Hinata clenched his fists and jumped up and down twice. "We're super strong!"

"Don't get too excited yet." Sawamura Daichi crossed his arms, his voice steady, yet it felt like a stone weighing on everyone's hearts. "Having a bye in the first round means that in our first match, our opponents have already warmed up, won a game, and are in good form. We, on the other hand, are starting cold. For us, who are slow starters, this isn't necessarily a good thing."

Lu Ren glanced at Sawamura. The old captain was indeed clear-headed.

This is similar to a ranked match. Someone else has already finished a game with a hot hand, and you just log in and have to fight them head-on. It's easy to have "disrupted operation" or "a gap in awareness".

"Moreover," Sugawara Koji pointed to the other end of the match list, tracing several lines with his finger, "if we advance smoothly, we will most likely meet here in the quarterfinals."

Where the finger stopped, four characters were written: Jōzen-ji.

Further analysis is needed.

The location for the semi-finals was clearly marked as Aoba City West.

And the finish line of the final was still that same name: Shiratorizawa.

The air in the stadium thickened. The oppressive feeling brought by that name hadn't diminished with time; on the contrary, as everyone grew stronger, the imposing presence of that mountain became even clearer.

"No matter who the opponent is."

Kageyama Tobio suddenly spoke up, grabbed a volleyball, and turned to walk towards the court.

"If we keep winning, we can go nationally. It's that simple."

This simple and blunt statement was like a fire, instantly igniting the pile of dry tinder called "ambition".

"That's right!" Ryunosuke Tanaka slapped his bald head hard, making a crisp sound. "Who cares if it's Aoba Castle West or Shiratorizawa, just knock them all out! Alright! Back to training!"

"oh!!!"

……

The school bell rang a long time ago.

The sky was soaked in ink, but the stadium remained brightly lit, like a lone boat sailing in the night. The sharp squeak of shoes scraping against the floor and the dull thud of volleyballs hitting flesh intertwined to create a monotonous yet addictive melody.

No one mentioned the word "go home".

The stadium was invisibly divided into several smaller sections.

Kageyama and Hinata occupied the far right half of the court.

"Too slow! You idiot!"

"I'm already very fast!"

"Faster! Hit the ball the instant you get it! Don't think! Your brain capacity is already limited; thinking will only cause you to lag!"

"Kageyama, what did you say?!"

Despite their argument, the ball moved incredibly fast between them. Kageyama's toss no longer aimed for absolute "stagnation," but instead incorporated a bit of forward momentum, forcing Hinata to accelerate a second time in mid-air. This was a "new version" they had been forced to develop during their Tokyo training camp.

The other side of the stadium.

Sawamura, Sugawara, and Tanaka are practicing their receiving skills. Higashimine Asahi stands on the other side of the net, putting all his strength into every spike.

"One more ball!" Sawamura roared.

His T-shirt was soaked through, but his eyes shone with an alarming intensity. He was the foundation of this team. If the foundation wasn't solid, Lu Ren's so-called "Chimera" tactic would be nothing but a castle in the air, crumbling at the slightest breeze.

"Daichi-senpai really went all out today," Sugawara said, wiping away sweat and panting.

"Because I don't want to lose." Sawamura stared at the incoming ball, his feet firmly planted on the floor. "I don't want to experience that feeling of watching others go to the national championships again."

And in a corner of the stadium.

Lu Ren, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and Nishitani formed a strange mahjong game.

"Hey, four-eyed guy." Lu Ren tapped Tsukishima's shoulder with his pen cap while holding a tactical tablet. "That block just now, trying to be the good guy again?"

Hotaru Tsukishima was bent over, his hands resting on his knees, sweat dripping down his glasses. He looked up, annoyed. "I blocked the straight line."

"Yeah, a perfect block, textbook perfect." Lu Ren crossed out the stick figure drawing, "And then got blasted away from a wide-open diagonal shot. Are you trying to win the 'Best Blocking Posture Award'?"

Tsukishima clicked his tongue: "Then what do you suggest we do? Nishinoya-senpai is on the left."

"Just kidding him," Lu Ren said matter-of-factly, pointing to Yamaguchi who was preparing to serve on the opposite side. "Just pretend you're going to block the straight shot, make an exaggerated hand gesture, and wait until the attacker—that unlucky guy I'm imagining—thinks the cross-court shot is a wide road, then you reach out your hand."

"That's close to a foul."

"If the referee didn't call it, it's a good shot." Lu Ren turned to Yamaguchi and said, "Tadashi, go for it hard. Don't worry about hitting Nishiya-senpai, he's tough and can take a lot of hits."

"Lu Ren, are you praising me?!" Xi Gu Xi shouted from the other end, but this did not affect his lowering of his center of gravity, his eyes like those of an eagle eyeing its prey.

Tadashi Yamaguchi took a deep breath. The yellow and blue ball in his hand felt heavy.

He used to always look at other people's backs. He looked at Tsukishima's back, he looked at Hinata's back. But now, he holds the only weapon that can keep him on the field.

Throw the ball.

approach.

Swing your arm.

There was no earth-shattering roar. The ball seemed to be pushed by a ghost, floating lightly over the net, then suddenly dropping in front of Nishitani Yu, before drifting strangely to the right.

"Good shot!" Lu Ren shouted.

Nishitani Yu's pupils contracted, and her body twisted almost against the laws of physics, her hands supporting her sides.

"Smack."

The ball bounced up, slightly off course, but didn't land.

"Tsk." Nishitani Yu rolled on the ground and got up. "That Yamaguchi kid's balls are getting more and more disgusting!"

"Thank you for the compliment!" Yamaguchi Tadashi clenched his fist, his face flushed red.

Lu Ren turned to look at Tsukishima: "See that? This is what you call being unreasonable. If your blocking could be this 'disgusting,' our winning percentage would increase by at least 20%."

Tsukishima adjusted his glasses, glanced at the still excited Yamaguchi, and muttered under his breath, "What a nuisance."

But he walked to the web again and raised his hands. This time, his fingers were slightly curled, like a spider preparing to hunt its prey.

Lu Ren watched this scene and a slight twitch appeared on his lips.

Everyone's gone mad.

This virus, called "Nationwide," is incredibly contagious.

……

Under the same night sky, in another corner of Miyagi Prefecture.

Aoba Josai High School.

Oikawa Tetsu is still serving.

"Bang!"

The ball hit the opposite floor, bounced off the second-floor railing, and made a loud echo.

"Hey, Trash Kawa." Iwaizumi stood at the door, carrying a gym bag. "The janitor is coming to lock up. Are you trying to sleep in the gym?"

Oikawa Tetsu wiped the sweat from his face. His face, which usually wore a frivolous smile, was now expressionless. He looked at his palms, which were red from excessive hitting.

"Iwao." Oikawa didn't turn around. "That genius junior seems to have evolved recently."

"You mean Kageyama?"

"It's not just him." Oikawa picked up another ball. "There's also that freak named Lu Ren. In the last practice match, that number 13 gave me a really bad feeling. It was like... playing against a computer without any emotions."

As soon as Iwaizumi walked over, he kicked Oikawa in the butt.

"pain!"

"Who cares if it's a computer or a calculator, just smash it!" Iwaizumi glared at him. "If your knees are ruined, you won't even see that freak, let alone beat Ushiwaka. Go back and ice it!"

Oikawa Tetsu rubbed his backside and grinned, "That's true. After all, I'm the setter who's going to lead the whole team."

……

Date Industrial High School.

The slogan "Iron Wall" still echoes.

Kenji Futakuchi watched the spike being blocked and whistled, "Not bad. Although it's still a bit lacking compared to the seniors, at least it scared someone to tears."

Qinggen Gaoshen didn't speak, but silently raised his huge hands, making a blocking gesture. His eyes held no extra emotion, only a determination to swat everything that flew at him to the ground.

We must reclaim the dignity that belongs to the Iron Wall.

……

Shiratorizawa Academy.

The training facility here is as big as the stomach of a giant beast.

Ushijima Wakatoshi was making his final physical sprint. Each of his steps was heavy and powerful, making a rhythmic sound on the track.

He is the absolute king of Miyagi Prefecture. He is a mountain that all challengers must climb.

"Wakari," Tendo Satoru said, hanging upside down on the horizontal bar, swaying as he watched the figures running past below, "I heard those crows have been causing quite a stir in Tokyo lately, haven't they?"

Ushijima Wakatoshi didn't slow down, his voice as steady as if he had no heartbeat: "It doesn't matter."

No matter what tricks the opponent plays, no matter how complex their tactics are.

In the face of absolute power, all skill is like fragile glass.

"I will win."

This is not just confidence, but a fact he has long been accustomed to.

……

The entrance to Karasuno High School.

Lu Ren pushed his bicycle, and Qingze Yazhi walked beside him, holding a cup of steaming oden in her hand.

"Here you go." Yazhi forked a piece of radish and held it to Lu Ren's mouth. "You look like a dead dog, have some to eat."

Lu Ren opened his mouth and bit down, saying indistinctly, "What dead dog? This is called ashes burned out for a dream."

"Stop being so glib." Ya Zhi rolled her eyes at him, but took off her scarf and tried to wrap it around Lu Ren's neck.

"No, it's hot." Lu Ren tried to dodge, but Ya Zhi forcefully suppressed him and tied his scarf into a tight knot.

"It's cold at night." Yazhi clapped her hands. "Watching you train just now, everyone seems different."

"Hmm." Lu Ren tucked his chin into his scarf, where there was a faint scent of laundry detergent. "Before, everyone was 'playing' volleyball; now, they're 'competing' in volleyball."

He looked up at the moon. It was bright, but the edges were a little blurry, as if a wind was about to pick up.

"Ya-Zhi".

"Um?"

"This time, we might go very far."

Lu Ren recalled Tsukishima's awkward block, Hinata's tireless running, and Kageyama's increasingly pure eyes.

These guys have honed themselves into the sharpest fangs.

"Then let's go." Qingze Yazhi smiled, her eyes crinkling, shining like a beacon under the streetlights. "Anyway, no matter where we go, I'll have to go with you as the manager, and you can't shake me off."

"Too."

Lu Ren straddled the bicycle, supporting himself on one foot.

"Hold on tight, the experienced driver is about to start."

"roll!"

The bicycle wobbled into the night, its wheels crunching over fallen leaves with a crisp cracking sound.

The wind picked up.

The storm known as "Spring High" is already just around the corner.