Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

For Hinata Shoyo, that kind of "pre-match tension" debuff is like a passive skill engraved in his DNA.

Just a moment ago I was fighting Kageyama for the ball, but now my stomach feels like it's filled with a washing machine.

"Um... I need to use the restroom."

Hinata clutched his stomach, his face pale, and slipped out of the warm-up area.

The restrooms at Sendai City Gymnasium, in a sense, are an information exchange center, but also a high-incidence accident scene. Hinata had just rushed around the corner when his head slammed into a "wall of flesh."

"it hurts……"

Hinata rubbed his forehead, his gaze climbing up the dark green team uniform.

The first thing that catches the eye is a head slicked back, followed by a face that screams "street smarts." The man's brows are furrowed, his eyes are fierce as if he's just returned from a debt collection incident, and his chin is slightly raised, exuding a natural roguish charm.

Shannan High School.

The alarm bells in Hinata's mind went off instantly.

"Ah! I'm so sorry!" Hinata immediately bowed at a ninety-degree angle, her voice echoing in the corridor.

The man—Towada Yoshiki, the commander of the Oginan—looked down at the short man who only reached his chest, and his previously impatient expression froze for a moment.

What's wrong with this kid? He's shaking like a leaf.

Towada sighed, took his hand out of his pocket, and wanted to pat the child's head: "Hey, what are you saying? I'm not going to eat you."

His hands were large and calloused from years of playing basketball. The moment they touched Hinata's messy orange hair, the small guy under his hand shrank back.

"You're a middle school student, right?" Towada glanced at Hinata's black T-shirt, which had "Kanasano High School Volleyball Club" printed on it. "Is that your brother's shirt? Are you here to cheer for your brother? It's pretty cute. My younger brother likes this kind of merchandise too."

The air fell silent for two seconds.

The trembling caused by fear abruptly stopped.

"Smack."

A crisp sound.

Hinata Shoyo raised his hand and slapped away Towada's hand that was on his head without any politeness.

Towada stared in astonishment at his own hands, then at the orange head.

The kid who had been wearing a "don't kill me" expression just moments before now looked up, and the timidity in his brown eyes had been completely washed away, leaving only a clear and stubborn look that was hard to understand.

"I am Hinata Shoyo, a first-year student at Karasuno High School."

Hyuga took a deep breath, stared into Towada's eyes, and said, word by word, "I'm not a middle schooler, and I'm not here to cheer you on. I'm here to win. We'll make it to the national championships."

The air in the corridor seemed to freeze for a moment.

Towada looked as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. A mocking smile appeared on his lips, and his original warmth of "caring for children" instantly turned into the look of looking at a fool.

"Huh? Nationwide?"

Towada, hands back in his pockets, leaned forward, his imposing presence radiating pressure as he approached Hinata. "Hey, kid. Don't just throw around those kinds of words. Do you know how many military units there are in Miyagi Prefecture? Do you know the name of that insurmountable wall?"

"Shiratorizawa".

When Towada uttered that name, his tone carried a resigned weariness and a compromise with reality. "As long as Ushijima Wakatoshi is still around, we're just cannon fodder. Even if you manage to win one or two matches by luck, you'll just be a background character in the end. Until then, let's create some nice memories. Don't push yourself too hard, it'll look bad."

After saying that, he waved his hand and turned to leave.

These overly enthusiastic brats are the most infuriating.

"But……"

The small, slightly trembling, yet remarkably clear voice came from behind.

"I'm serious."

Towada paused, then turned around.

The short man in orange stood there, his fists clenched, his face devoid of any joking expression, displaying an almost predatory focus, like a wild animal eyeing its prey.

"No matter who our opponents are, no matter how high the walls are," Hinata's pupils contracted slightly, "we will defeat everyone and march into Tokyo."

That wasn't blind arrogance, but a belief so pure it was frightening.

Towada felt a chill creep up his back for no apparent reason.

That look in his eyes...

It's really annoying.

"Tch." Towada spat and strode away. "Whatever, just don't cry too much later."

……

When Hinata returned to the warm-up area, the gloomy aura around him was gone, replaced by an excitement that even Kageyama found somewhat dazzling.

"Did you fall into the toilet? You're so slow." Kageyama tossed the ball to him.

"No way!" Hinata caught the ball, his eyes shining brightly. "Kageyama, we have to win."

"Nonsense." Kageyama rolled his eyes at him.

"Alright, alright, everyone gather!"

The voice of Daichi Sawamura came from there.

The entire Karasuno team lined up and walked towards the center of the field.

On the other side of the net, the team members from Shannan High School also entered the court.

The moment the two teams faced each other across the net, Lu Ren, standing at the back of his team, suddenly widened his usually half-open, dead fish eyes, scanning the opposing team before finally settling on someone from his own team.

"puff."

Lu Ren couldn't help but let out an extremely rude sneer.

Ryunosuke Tanaka, standing in front of him, twitched his ears and whirled around: "Hey! Ren! What are you laughing at? This is a serious pre-match formation!"

"No..." Lu Ren pointed to the group of Sennan team members on the other side of the net, who had brown hair, extremely thin eyebrows, and their pants were pulled up very low, exuding a bad aura. He then pointed to Tanaka.

"Ryunosuke, is that your long-lost relative?"

Lu Ren looked like he'd discovered a new continent. "Look at that commander, that hairstyle, that arrogant expression. And the one behind him, that look in his eyes. He's practically a mass-produced version of Ryunosuke Tanaka! I thought I'd just entered a clone copy."

"Huh?!" Tanaka's temple veins bulged instantly. "What nonsense are you spouting! I'm one of a kind! How are those guys like me? They're just bluffing, I'm just born with an aura of dominance!"

"Yes, yes, that's impressive." Lu Ren nodded perfunctorily, stroking his chin as he analyzed, "But from a game modeling perspective, the reuse rate of assets for Shan Nan's team is too high. Apart from the different hair color and hairstyle, everyone looks like they were all cut from the same mold as 'Random Villain A'. It seems like this game is a hack-and-slash game, and it should be easy to win."

"Are you looking down on me?!" Tanaka shouted, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

Lu Ren's attitude of "not taking his opponent seriously" unexpectedly suited his taste.

However, the opposite side, Shan Nan, had obviously also noticed the commotion.

"Hey, look at that bald guy from Karasuno."

One of the members of the team pointed at Tanaka, speaking in a voice that was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for them to hear, "That expression is disgusting. What's with the fierce act? He's obviously one of those idiots who can only yell."

"Yeah, does he think he's some kind of mob boss?"

"Even rural biker gangs don't have that hairstyle anymore, right?"

The taunting skills of the group on the other side were clearly maxed out. Several people huddled together, pointing and gesturing at Tanaka, occasionally letting out a few strange laughs.

Tanaka's smile froze on his face.

Then, the face flushed red at a visible speed, eventually turning a purplish-red.

"Those bastards..." Tanaka gritted his teeth, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets, "How dare they laugh at my hairstyle..."

"Calm down! Tanaka!" Sugawara Koji rushed over and hugged Tanaka around the waist. "Don't be impulsive! The match hasn't even started yet!"

"Let me go! Sugawara-senpai! I'm going to teach them what manners are!" Tanaka struggled desperately in Sugawara's arms, like a live fish just pulled ashore.

Sawamura Daichi walked over with a dark face: "Tanaka! If you keep causing trouble, I'll make you sit on a bench!"

Just then, Lu Ren slowly walked up to Tanaka.

He didn't try to mediate the fight, nor did he glare at the other side. Instead, he put his hand on Tanaka's shoulder and sighed in a tone of disappointment.

"Ryunosuke."

Lu Ren shook his head. "Look at what they're saying, it makes so much sense."

Tanaka paused in his struggle, staring at Lu Ren in disbelief: "Huh? Ren, which side are you on?!"

"I'm on Truth's side." Lu Ren pointed to the other side. "People say you only know how to yell, and isn't that what you're yelling right now? People say you're like a biker gang member, and look at your expression right now, you look more like a villain than a biker gang member. You're making it easy for the referee to misunderstand that we're here to collect protection money, and that will deduct points from Karasuno's impression."

"You..." Tanaka was so angry he almost couldn't breathe.

"And," Lu Ren lowered his voice, adding in a tone only they could hear, "being mocked by a bunch of mass-produced NPCs, you, the 'one-of-a-kind' protagonist, actually broke down. What does that say? It means your mental fortitude is even worse than an NPC's. How embarrassing, Ryunosuke. If I were you, I'd gag them with a ball instead of barking like a Chihuahua whose tail has been stepped on."

"Chihuahua...?!"

Tanaka Ryunosuke felt his sanity had completely snapped.

It wasn't because of the opponent's taunts, but because of his own teammate's precise backstab.

"Lu Ren, you bastard! Who are you calling a Chihuahua!" Tanaka turned around and was about to grab Lu Ren's neck.

"See, it's calling again." Lu Ren nimbly hid behind Tsukishima, peeking out. "Tsukishima, quick, use your taunt skill to draw aggro. If the tank doesn't pull the mobs, how are the DPS supposed to deal damage?"

Hotaru Tsukishima took a step to the side in disgust: "Don't drag me into this, you two idiots."

"Aaaaah! I'm going to kill you, Lu Ren!"

The scene was quite chaotic at one point.

On Karasuno's side, things were in complete chaos. Tanaka was chasing after Rikujin, Sugawara and Daichi were desperately trying to break up the fight, and Kageyama was frowning and asking Hinata, "What breed of dog is a Chihuahua?" Hinata, on the other hand, was excitedly shouting, "I want to join the battle too!"

The entire Shannan team on the other side of the net were dumbfounded.

"Are those guys... fighting amongst themselves?" Towada's lips twitched. "They started fighting before the match even began?"

"It seems... that number 13 has a sharp tongue."

"That bald guy was furious."

Just then, the referee blew the whistle.

"gather!"

Tanaka Ryunosuke, who had been "chasing" Lu Ren, suddenly stopped. He was panting heavily, his face contorted with rage, his eyes bloodshot, and he exuded a terrifying aura that seemed capable of destroying the world.

He stared intently at the Shannan team members on the other side of the net, then turned back and glared fiercely at Lu Ren.

"You just wait, Ah Ren."

Tanaka gritted his teeth, "I'll come back and deal with you after I've blasted those mass-produced 'mass-produced' ones to smithereens!"

After saying that, he strode towards the court, each step seeming as if he wanted to crush the floor.

Lu Ren stood there, straightening his disheveled collar. His previously smug expression vanished instantly, replaced by a faint smile.

"That's how it caught fire."

He muttered to himself, "Although it was the rage buff I got by sacrificing my life points."

Sawamura Daichi walked past him and slapped the back of his head helplessly: "If you dare to play with fire like that again, I'll make you run laps until you throw up."

"Yes, yes, Captain," Lu Ren replied insincerely, but his eyes sharpened.

He looked at the Oginan team member opposite him who had just been mocking Tanaka.

"Alright, let the game begin."

Lu Ren cracked his knuckles. "Since it's supposed to be a lawn-cutting game, we need to be efficient."

The laughter, anger, and scorn of everyday life were completely shut out the moment one stepped onto the sideline of the court.

All that remains is the cruel calculation of "victory and defeat".