Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

In October, the air in Sendai City Gymnasium is always filled with a sour smell that is a mixture of rubber flooring, antiperspirant spray, and so-called "youth".

For high school volleyball players in Miyagi Prefecture, this place is both a sacred ground and an execution ground.

The area where the buses were parked was already filled with school uniforms of all colors. Among the colorful procession, a patch of pitch black stood out conspicuously. It wasn't some kind of deliberate understated style, but rather the oppressive feeling of a flock of crows perched on a telephone pole overlooking carrion.

Lu Ren slung his gym bag over his shoulder and yawned. He had stayed up all night watching a rather unexciting replay of a game to study his opponent for today's first match, leaving him only at about half his usual mental state.

"Wake up, you're drooling." Qingze Yazhi walked beside him and handed him a bottle of water. "If you sleepwalk during the performance later, Daichi-senpai will kill you."

"Don't worry, loading is complete." Lu Ren unscrewed the bottle cap and took a swig. "I'm now in 'high-precision mode'."

Karasuno and his group walked through the noisy corridor toward their assigned warm-up area. Wherever they went, the other school team members, who had been laughing and joking, seemed to have been muted, their voices noticeably lowered.

In the corner, two boys wearing unidentified team uniforms huddled next to a vending machine, their eyes fixed on the group of people in black uniforms.

"Hey, see that? That's Karasuno." The shorter one nudged his companion with his elbow, his voice extremely low, as if afraid of startling some wild beast.

"Kasuno? I've never heard of him before. Is he strong?" His companion was clearly a first-year student who was out of touch with the world.

"Are you a caveman?" The short man stared wide-eyed, looking at him like he was a country bumpkin. "Last time in the IH qualifiers, they were the ones who took down Aoba Johsai! Although they lost to that 'absolute king' Shiratorizawa in the finals, they're the only team in the whole prefecture that could go the distance with Oikawa Tetsu and still win."

"Really...really?" The new student's eyes changed.

"Look at that guy walking at the front," the short guy pointed to Kageyama Tobio, who was adjusting his knee pads, "the 'King of the Court' from Kitagawa First, his passing is so accurate it's like he has a navigation system. And that guy with the little tuft of blond hair sticking up, Nishitani Yu from Chidoriyama, the best libero in junior high."

His finger moved slightly, pointing to Sawamura Daichi, who was talking to Sugawara: "That captain is a monster too. It's said that he can even catch Oikawa Toru's killer serve steadily."

Just then, Lu Ren happened to pass by them and glanced at the drinks in the vending machine.

The short man froze, and only dared to speak again after Lu Ren had walked away: "See that number 13? That dead fish eyes."

"He seems...not very motivated."

"Don't be fooled! That guy's name is Lu Ren, and he's an incredibly troublesome 'troublemaker.' I heard he thinks faster than the setter on the court, and he's good at messing with people's mentality. Last time, he completely disrupted Aoba Johsai's rhythm in the match. And that tall guy with glasses..."

His gaze swept over Hotaru Tsukishima's indifferent profile.

"That 190cm middle blocker, although he didn't stand out much during the first half of the game, is said to have a very cunning blocking style. The two people responsible for defending the left half of the court are a nightmare."

The new student listened, stunned, his gaze unconsciously drifting to the back of the line, his eyes suddenly lighting up: "But... their managers are really high-quality!"

"Idiot! Don't stare, you'll get killed!" The short man slapped his companion on the back of the head, then pointed solemnly at the orange figure in the middle of the group.

"He's the last one."

Hinata Shoyo was looking down, his hands covering his stomach, exuding a gloomy aura that kept strangers at bay.

"That short middle blocker, Karasuno's number 10. Don't let his height fool you, he jumps like lightning. His and Kageyama's fast breaks are unstoppable. Last IH, it was he who spiked the final shot to defeat Aoba Josai." The short man swallowed hard. "Look at his face right now, it's terrifyingly dark. He's definitely gathering his killing intent, preparing to unleash a rampage as soon as he steps onto the court..."

At this moment, Hyuga Shoyo, who was regarded as "possessed by the god of death", suddenly turned his head.

His face was ashen white, his eyes were sunken, and his lips twitched weakly.

"Uh..." Hinata made a muffled sound, similar to a clogged sewer.

"Hinata-kun!" Hitoka Yachi nearly jumped up in fright, frantically rummaging through her bag for a plastic bag. "Are you...are you alright? Are you feeling unwell? An ambulance! Should we call an ambulance?!"

Hinata waved weakly, her soul seemingly floating halfway out of her mouth: "N-nothing... I'm fine, Hito-chan. I already threw up in the roadside grass on the way here. Now... my stomach feels empty, which makes me feel much better."

The "NPCs" who were eavesdropping nearby were instantly petrified.

Is this what you call murderous intent? This is clearly someone who's about to die!

Hotaru Tsukishima looked down at the scene, adjusted her glasses, and curled her lips into a mocking smile: "Stuffing yourself with that enormous pork cutlet rice bowl first thing in the morning, no wonder you'd throw up. Is your stomach a garbage dump?"

"Because...because we have a match today!" Hinata forced himself to straighten up, his legs still trembling, but he remained defiant. "Eating pork cutlet (Katsudon) before a match is for 'victory (Katsu)'! That's common sense!"

"That's superstition, from single-celled organisms," Tsukishima added mercilessly.

Lu Renzheng, with his hands in his pockets, was watching this scene with a bored expression. Hearing this, he couldn't help but interject, "Superstition aside, carbs do make people happy. That's why I ate cake this morning."

The air was quiet for a second.

Tsukishima turned her head and looked at Rikuren with the same gaze one would give a single-celled organism: "Huh? Cake? Are you trying to raise your blood sugar not fast enough, or do you want to stage a hypoglycemic fainting spell on the court?"

"You don't understand, that's a buff." Lu Ren held up a finger and shook it, talking nonsense with a straight face. "Besides, it's a birthday cake, it has special bonuses."

"Is today your birthday?" Yachi Renka covered her mouth in surprise. "Um... Happy birthday, Riku Ren!"

"No." Lu Ren shrugged. "I passed by a cake shop yesterday, and that particular cake was on sale. It said 'Happy Third Birthday to Xiaoming' on it. I thought it was auspicious, so I bought it."

Tsukishima: "..."

Renka Tani: "..."

"Can't you two be a little more serious?" Kageyama Tobio walked over with a dark face, holding a volleyball in his hand, his knuckles white. He first glared at Hyuga, who was still trembling, and then glanced at Riku, who was spouting nonsense.

"Eating random things at a time like this, are you an idiot?" Kageyama yelled at Hinata, "Hinata, you big idiot (Boke)!"

The roar was powerful and resonated even in the noisy stadium.

Lu Ren was still savoring the sweet taste of the discounted cake when he heard the familiar word "Boke." He raised an eyebrow, reflexively turned around, and grabbed Kageyama by the collar.

"Hey, you expressionless face." Lu Ren leaned closer, his dead fish eyes instantly turning fierce. "Who were you calling an 'idiot' just now? Were you making veiled accusations? Huh? What's wrong with me eating a cake? That's my tactical supply! What do you know about the law of conservation of energy, you tall, milk-drinking monster!"

"Huh?!" Kageyama was completely bewildered by the accusation, but his instincts as a simple-minded individual instantly put him into battle mode. "I was yelling at Hinata! What are you doing getting involved! Besides, it's weird enough to eat someone else's birthday cake!"

"A name is just a label! What matters is the cake itself!" Lu Ren persisted. "You're just jealous that I get to eat cake!"

"Who would be jealous of that kind of thing! Let go!"

"No! Unless you admit the cake is innocent!"

As the two were about to engage in a full-blown brawl in the warm-up area, the other school team members around them were dumbfounded. Was this the legendary, calm and terrifying Karasuno mastermind and the king of the court? They looked more like two kindergarteners fighting over candy.

"Snapped!"

A crisp, muffled sound.

Lu Ren was struck hard on the back of the head by some hard object—most likely a tactical board or a folder.

"Ouch!" Lu Ren covered his head, tears almost streaming down his face.

With a blank expression, Qingze Yazhi put away the folder in her hand, and with her other hand, she skillfully grabbed Lu Ren by the back of his collar and dragged him to the side like a dead dog.

"Disgraceful." Yazhi coldly uttered four words, then nodded to Yingshan, "Sorry, this guy has consumed too much sugar and his brain is a bit overstimulated. I'll take him to calm down."

Lu Ren struggled on the ground, kicking his legs wildly: "Ya Zhi! This is domestic violence! I'm going to complain to the coach... I'm going to apply for labor arbitration..."

"Shut up, or I'll sew your mouth shut."

Watching Lu Ren being dragged away, Kageyama straightened his disheveled collar, snorted coldly, and turned to look at Hinata.

Hinata has stopped vomiting, but her complexion is still terrible.

Not far from him, Higashimine Asahi, who had been warming up, turned pale at Hinata's miserable state and gagged, covering his mouth, "Seeing...seeing Hinata like this, I feel a little nauseous too..."

"Asahi-senpai!" Nishitani Yu exclaimed in alarm, "You're the ace! Don't throw up with me!"

Even Yamaguchi Tadashi felt a tightness in his throat and nervously grabbed Tsukishima's sleeve: "Tsukishima... I think I feel a little nauseous too..."

Tsukishima pulled his sleeve back in disgust: "Stay away from me. Is this some kind of new infectious disease?"

Sawamura Daichi stood on the sidelines, looking at the chaotic scene, and sighed deeply.

"Sure enough," he rubbed his throbbing temples, "no matter how much they've evolved, these guys are still essentially the same troublesome problem children."

But even so.

The moment the volleyball was tossed high into the air, and everyone's attention was refocused on the court.

Whether it was Hinata, who had just vomited, or Lu Ren, who was still acting foolishly, the slight sluggishness and weakness in their eyes vanished in an instant.

Instead, hunger took its place.

Extremely hungry for victory.