Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The baseline service area.

Lu Ren twirled the volleyball in his hand, the rough texture of his palm rubbing against the leather surface, making a soft rustling sound. Even though they were already leading by seven points, these guys from Jozenji didn't seem too bothered. The blond guy named Terujima Yuuji was even waving to the girls in the stands.

"You have such a good attitude. These kinds of NPCs usually have a lot of health bars."

Lu Ren muttered something to himself, his eyes darkening.

The whistle blew.

Without any fancy preparatory movements, Lu Ren tossed the ball high into the air. This time, he tossed the ball higher than ever before, adjusting his breathing rhythm the instant he took his run-up, as if he were hitting the perfect beat in a rhythm game.

Push off the ground and jump.

The body stretches out in the air like a taut longbow, and the power generated by the core muscles is transmitted through the spine to the arms.

"Blow it up!"

The sound of the hand striking the ball was dull, like a heavy hammer blow to the chest. The volleyball, with a blur too fast for the naked eye to follow, hurtled towards the back corner of Jozenji's court.

"Here it comes!"

Tsuchiyu Shin, the free agent from Jozenji, roared. The ball's trajectory wasn't erratic; it was simply fast and heavy. A pure numerical crushing. He dared not be careless, not even daring to catch the ball with his upper hand. He lowered his center of gravity, bringing his arms together to forcefully push the ball up.

"Bang!"

The volleyball hit his forearm, the force of which made him stagger back two steps and land hard on his backside. But the ball still went up, not quite in the air, but high enough.

"Well done!"

Shinji Futaba quickly moved to the landing point. This was a semi-perfect first pass, which would only allow for a counter-attack in a regular team, but Jozenji was clearly not in the "regular" category.

The attackers in the front row did not give up their run-up just because the ball was not in place; instead, they charged even more fiercely.

In Karasuno's front row were Tanaka, Kageyama, and Hinata. The three quickly moved together, forming a wall in front of the net.

"Trying to take it by force?" Lu Ren landed and quickly returned to his position, his gaze fixed on the attacker in the air.

However, just as the attacker swung his arm, the guy who looked like he was about to smash a wide, diagonal shot suddenly stiffened his wrist in an extremely unnatural way. It was like a model animation error in a game; the originally powerful and sweeping smash instantly turned into a light, delicate fingertip flick.

The volleyball flew past the fingertips of the three-person blocker and landed lightly in the gap behind the three-meter line.

"Smack."

The ball landed.

8: 15.

Lu Ren's lips twitched.

"Tsk, they've actually learned to use their brains." He looked at the other person's celebrating back with some displeasure. "I thought we could take them down in one go, but it seems this BOSS has a second phase."

Being broken on his serve in the first round was a minor surprise for Lu Ren. After all, in his calculations, he expected his opponent, a simple-minded individual, to choose a head-on approach.

Jozenji serves.

The ball's trajectory was very straight, almost too straight. For Lu Ren, who had just received a powerful jump serve, this kind of ball was like a slime given to him in the beginner's village.

He didn't even need to move much; he just turned slightly to the side and placed his arms firmly on the ground.

"In place!"

The volleyball traced a perfect parabola and landed precisely within Kageyama Tobio's control range.

Kageyama jumps.

Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of a tall, thin figure moving to the net. It was Tsukishima Hotaru, the girl who always seemed to dislike trouble, but today she was surprisingly enthusiastic about running around.

"Give it to that four-eyed guy!" Tanaka shouted from the side, though he was trying to get the ball for Tsukishima, it sounded more like a provocation.

With a flick of his wrist, Kageyama passed the ball behind his back.

Hotaru Tsukishima timed his jump perfectly. He has one of the tallest players on the Karasuno team, and this jump made full use of his wingspan advantage.

"Go to hell."

Tsukishima felt nothing, and simply waved his arm coldly.

"Bang!"

The spike was powerful, but the ball wasn't pinned. The player from the back row at Jozenji, who had been running around aimlessly, somehow stumbled into the ball's path and headed it up with his chest.

"An opportunity ball!"

The ball didn't cross the net and bounced back to Jozenji's half of the court.

Shinji Futaba's eyes lit up as he watched the ball fly back. He was standing right in front of the net at that moment, at that height, at that distance...

He jumped up.

With fluid movements and one hand raised high, he was clearly preparing for a second attack.

On the other side of the net, Kageyama Tobio's pupils suddenly contracted.

The tingling sensation from catching the ball with his face in the previous set still lingered in his nasal cavity; the feeling of that warm liquid flowing through his nose was simply a nightmare. Seeing the opposing setter jump again, Kageyama's body reacted before his brain could.

"Don't even think about slapping me in the face again!!"

Kageyama gritted his teeth and jumped with all his might to block the net. His hands were tightly protecting his face, and his posture was more like that of a respectable man afraid of being slapped in the face by a thug than a net blocker.

However, the anticipated shock did not materialize.

Shinji Futaba, watching from the air, saw Kageyama's face-protecting gesture, which looked like he was facing a formidable enemy and was even a little comical, and a very irritating smile appeared on his face.

He abruptly stopped his spike in mid-air, pressing his wrist back.

The fake dunk is a true masterstroke!

The volleyball flew over Kageyama's head and landed in the back row.

Meanwhile, the children on Terujima Island had already taken off with a running start.

"Are you an idiot?" Terujima laughed loudly in mid-air, swinging his arm and slamming it down hard on the empty backstage area.

"boom!"

An unimpeded backline attack.

9: 15.

When Kageyama landed, his face was as black as if he had rolled in a coal pile.

"Whoa~ That scared me to death! I thought you were going to eat me!" Terujima made a face at Kageyama through the net after landing. "That face-protecting move you made just now was so cute. Do you have some kind of psychological trauma?"

Shinji Futaba, standing nearby, added fuel to the fire by flashing a peace sign at Kageyama: "Yay~ I fooled you."

The veins on Kageyama's forehead throbbed, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"Um... Kageyama?" Hinata cautiously leaned closer. "Are you alright? Is your nose bleeding?"

"Shut up, you idiot!" Kageyama growled, turning to look in Riku's direction, seemingly seeking some tactical reassurance.

As a result, Lu Ren was clutching his stomach, his shoulders shaking like a sieve.

"Pfft...cough cough, Kageyama, that defensive stance you just used might get full marks in a fighting game, but it's a negative score in volleyball." Riku Ren mercilessly added, "Were you planning to scare the ball back with your face?"

"Lu Ren!!"

At that moment, the referee's whistle saved Kageyama's life.

Substitution.

Lu Ren moved to the back row, and west Gu Xi stood on the sidelines holding up a sign.

"Leave it to me!" Nishitani patted Lu Ren on the back. "With me in the back, not even a fly can get through!"

"Then I'll leave it to you, Guardian Deity." Lu Ren shrugged and walked off the stage.

In the front row, Hinata was also substituted, and Higashimine Asahi walked up with an expression that said, "Although I'm nervous, I have to play."

Karasuno's lineup has become complete.

The front row consists of ace Higashimine Asahi, middle blocker Tsukishima Hotaru, and setter Kageyama Tobio. The back row consists of captain Sawamura Daichi, outside hitter Tanaka Ryunosuke, and libero Nishiya Yu.

This lineup boasts the best defensive toughness and offensive power among Karasuno's current lineups.

Jozenji serves.

Just as the ball crossed the net, an orange figure glided across the ground.

"So light!"

Nishitani Yu didn't even make many adjustments; what seemed like a powerful serve to an ordinary person was as docile as a balloon in his hands. The volleyball was raised high and gently sent to Kageyama's head.

Kageyama took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his anger at being tricked.

calm.

We must turn this anger into cannonballs and fire it back.

His gaze swept across the entire field in an instant, finally settling on the left wing.

There, a heavy cannon was already set up.

"Senior Xu!"

The pass was quick and steady, with a fierce edge.

Dong Fengxu took a running start and jumped. His signature little ponytail swung behind his head, and he hovered in the air for a moment, like a brown bear poised to pounce.

The fence around Jozenji Temple hadn't been closed yet.

"Thump!!!"

This shot involved no skill whatsoever, just pure power. The volleyball slammed onto the floor with a sickening thud, then bounced high into the air, flying directly into the second-floor stands.

9: 16.

"Good shot—!!" Nishiya shouted excitedly from the back row.

After landing, Dong Fengxu scratched the back of his head somewhat embarrassedly, but the light in his eyes was brighter than ever before.

That's the power of an ace.

Next, it's Karasuno's turn to serve.

Sawamura Daichi took the ball and walked to the service line. Unlike Lu Ren's aggressive serves, Daichi's serves were reassuringly steady, but for his opponents, this flawless serve was the most torturous slow poison.

The ball was served over the net.

The mess at Jozenji Temple remains chaotic, but they don't seem to care about the chaos.

Shinji Futaba jumps from three meters out to pass the ball, aiming at the fast break player in the front row.

"It's too obvious."

At the net, Hotaru Tsukishima adjusted her glasses.

Unlike Hinata, who jumped based on intuition, or Kageyama, who was swayed by emotions, he didn't. His mind seemed to contain a sophisticated chart, analyzing in real time his opponent's approach run, timing of the jump, and swing angle.

The moment the opposing attacker jumped, Tsukishima moved.

It wasn't an explosive leap, but rather like a spider that had been waiting for its prey, silently extending its fangs.

He reached out his hands at the highest point of the opponent's spike.

He pressed down with his palm, sealing off all the circuits.

"Snapped!"

The crisp sound of the net being blocked.

The volleyball bounced straight back and hit the attacker's feet.

9: 17.

"If it were Hyuga, he would have jumped too early for that ball," Tsukishima said casually after landing.

On the sidelines, Tadashi Yamaguchi excitedly waved a towel, shouting, "Aki! That was so cool!"

Lu Ren sat on the bench, unscrewed the water bottle and took a sip: "That's the advantage of intelligence-type characters. No need for manual operation, it all depends on numerical judgment."

The game continues.

Daichi Sawamura serves again.

Jozenji's resilience truly exceeded expectations. Even trailing by eight points, their movements remained fluid and dynamic, becoming even more... aggressive as the lead widened?

Free agent Tu Tangxin directly used a diving tackle to lift the ball.

"Terujima!"

The ball is passed to the left wing.

Terujima Yuji's running run was crooked and seemingly haphazard, but at the moment of takeoff, his physical abilities were on full display.

He twisted his waist forcefully in mid-air, avoiding the net in the field, and made a very sharp diagonal shot.

"Don't even think about it!"

As if she had anticipated this, Nishitani Yu from the back row made a diving save, retrieving the ball with one hand.

"Kageyama!"

The ball flew towards the net.

Kageyama Tobio jumped while moving.

At this point, only Tsukishima Kei was available to attack from the front row.

The three blocking players from Jozenji instantly formed a wall in front of Tsukishima.

"Three people...?"

Tsukishima looked at the arm that blotted out the sky in front of him, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.

It's unwise to fight head-on.

Since you've all jumped up, then...

Tsukishima's arm-swinging motion abruptly stopped in mid-air, and he gently poked her with his fingertips.

Drop ball.

The volleyball passed the blocker and slowly drifted towards the open space behind the block.

"I've succeeded," Tsukishima thought to himself.

However, at that very moment, something happened that violated the physics engine.

The player named Numajiri, who was in the back row of Jozenji, rushed up in an extremely contorted posture, like a fish out of water, and just before the ball hit the ground, he put his hand underneath it.

"They rescued her?!" Tsukishima's pupils dilated slightly.

The ball bounced up.

At this moment, the three blocking players who had just landed jumped again without even finishing the cushioning motion of their knees.

There was no running start.

There was no tactical coordination whatsoever.

It's just a simple, animalistic instinctive reaction.

Three players jumped to spike the ball at the same time, while Karasuno's defensive formation had not yet fully adjusted due to the previous lob shot.

"This is... utter chaos!"

Yuuji Terujima laughed loudly in the air, and before anyone else could react, he slammed the still-spinning volleyball into Karasuno's court.

10: 17.

The entire audience erupted in uproar.

This kind of shot completely defies the basic logic of volleyball. They've just landed from the block, their center of gravity is unstable, how can they possibly jump and spike immediately? Are these guys' knees made of springs?

Tsukishima stared at the ball rolling to his feet, his brows furrowed deeply.

This irrational style of play is the type he hates the most.

Lu Ren, standing on the sidelines, narrowed his eyes slightly as if he had spotted some interesting bug.