Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The next day, Sendai Gymnasium.

The crisp sounds of volleyballs hitting the floor mingled together. The sharp, drawn-out screech of rubber soles rubbing against the wooden floor echoed throughout the stadium. The cheering squad in the stands was already in position, and the uniform sound of the Aoba Josai band's brass band resonated throughout the entire venue, creating an overwhelming sense of pressure.

On Karasuno High School's half of the court, the players were stretching and practicing spiking before the game. Kiyosawa Ayashi stood on the sidelines with a tactical board, noting the running routes of the opposing players. Riku Ren had just finished two sets of high knees, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. He pulled up the hem of his jersey to wipe his chin, his gaze falling over the net on Oikawa Toru, who was tossing the ball behind the service line.

That guy was exuding a peacock-like, flamboyant air about him today, even down to the last strand of his hair.

"Hey, go get that ball." Coach Uyang shouted from the sidelines.

A volleyball rolled across the center line and came to a stop at the boundary between the two teams' halves of the court.

Kageyama Tobio straightened up and strode over. Coincidentally, Oikawa Tetsuya on the other side of the net turned around and walked in the same direction.

The two bent down at the same time, their hands gripping the surface of the volleyball tightly, one on the left and one on the right.

The air seemed to freeze for a second.

Kageyama looked up, his gaze meeting Oikawa's eyes, which held a smile that didn't reach their depths. Oikawa remained bent over, applying pressure to the ball's surface with his fingers, forcefully pulling it half an inch towards him. The veins on the back of Kageyama's hand bulged, his fingers tightening, pulling the ball back without yielding.

"Little Fei Xiong, this is our ball." Oikawa Tetsu said with a smile, his tone revealing a cheeky and irritating tone.

"Oikawa-senpai, this ball rolled across our field." Kageyama said expressionlessly, his voice steady, but the force in his hand was so great that it dented the ball.

"Oh? You wrote your name on it?" Oikawa Tetsu raised his eyebrows provocatively, reaching out with both hands to try and snatch the ball away.

Kageyama hugged the ball tightly, shielding most of its surface with his body: "First come, first served."

The two were locked in a fierce battle, separated only by the center line, over a mere training ball. The surrounding air temperature plummeted, and their auras clashed violently in mid-air, causing even Hinata Shoyo, who was passing by, to circle around and avoid this chaotic scene.

Lu Ren stood not far away, tossing a volleyball in his hand. Watching this comical scene, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

He strolled over slowly, stopped beside the two, and looked down at the two setters who were less than three years old combined.

"Oh dear, the fight hasn't even started yet, and you're already overflowing with competitive spirit?" Lu Ren deliberately dragged out his words, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for the two of them to hear.

Oikawa Tetsu glanced at him but didn't let go. Kageyama Tobio didn't even look at him, staring intently at Oikawa.

Lu Ren twirled the ball between his fingers, sighed, and commented in an extremely smug tone, "Well, you'd be right. They can't even get their hands on a mere volleyball. Judging by this, they're probably going to lose badly today. If they can't even get the ball, how can they expect to score points?"

This statement precisely hit both of their sore spots.

Originally, due to the prolonged stalemate, the tension between the two had begun to ease. Upon hearing Lu Ren's words, a vein bulged on Oikawa Toru's forehead, and his fake smile completely crumbled. Kageyama Tobio's eyes instantly became sharper than knives, and a tangible black aura of resentment began to emanate from his body.

"Huh? You're saying who can't beat me?" Oikawa Tetsu gritted his teeth, pulling back with both hands until his heels were pressed against the floor.

"Lu Ren, shut up." Kageyama Tobio squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth, his arm muscles bulging as he pressed the ball firmly against his chest.

The two exerted their strength again, and the poor volleyball was squeezed into an oval shape between them, making a faint sound of being unable to bear the pressure.

"Push harder, yes, push harder!" Lu Ren chimed in, stirring things up as if he didn't want the world to be in chaos. "Whoever lets go first is a little dog. Oikawa-senpai, your arm strength isn't up to par. Is it because you sign too many autographs that your wrists are getting weak? Kageyama, you too, didn't you eat breakfast? You can't even pull an old man."

"Who are you calling an old man!" Oikawa Toru roared.

"I'm stronger than him even though I didn't eat breakfast!" Kageyama retorted.

Just as the situation was about to escalate into an uncontrollable physical conflict, two dark figures appeared from opposite sides of the arena.

Sawamura Daichi grabbed Kageyama Tobio by the back of the neck with such force that Kageyama groaned, and the strength in his hand dissipated.

On the other side of the net, Iwaizumi kicked Oikawa Tetsu in the calf without any hesitation, and while Oikawa bent over in pain, he grabbed his collar.

"What are you two idiots doing?!" the two captains roared in unison.

"Why did you kick me, Iwa-chan! It was Tobi who wouldn't let go first!" Oikawa Tetsu was being dragged back by Iwazumi Ichi, still turning back to complain relentlessly.

"Stop embarrassing me! Go back and warm up!" Iwazumi's forehead veins throbbed, dragging Oikawa like he was a bag of garbage.

Over here, Sawamura Daichi grabbed Kageyama by the collar and forcibly turned him around: "Kageyama, go practice your serve."

"But Daichi-senpai, that ball..." Kageyama was still thinking about the volleyball that Oikawa Toru had taken away in the chaos.

"There are fifty balls in the training basket! Go pick one!" Dadi's voice was lowered by eight octaves, and the face of Hannya was faintly visible behind him.

Kageyama shrank back and obediently walked towards the training basket, giving Oikawa a fierce glare on the other side of the net before leaving. Oikawa Toru, with Iwaizumi pressing his head down, didn't forget to extend one hand and make a provocative gesture.

The two were forcibly suppressed by their respective captains and dragged away, still cursing and swearing at each other.

"What a bunch of kids." Lu Ren shook his head, put his hands in his pockets, and said with a mature-sounding sigh, "Wasting energy at a time like this, their game sense is terrible."

"the same as you."

A gentle yet chilly voice came from the side.

Lu Ren turned his head and saw Sugawara Koji standing next to him, holding a basket of volleyballs and smiling at him. There was not a trace of warmth in that smile.

"Is it fun to stir up trouble?" Sugawara slammed the basket down on the ground. "If they actually fight and you get suspended, you can be the setter by yourself."

"I'm just conducting a pre-match stress test," Lu Ren argued, "to see how well they can handle pressure."

"And the test results?" Sugawara asked rhetorically.

"It turns out that setters are creatures whose brains aren't quite normal," Lu Ren concluded seriously.

Sugawara sighed, too lazy to pay him any attention, and bent down to pick up the scattered volleyballs.

Lu Ren didn't go to help; his gaze went over the net and landed on the western half of Qingye City.

The Aoki team is practicing their spiking. Oikawa Tetsu stands at the net, setting the ball, while Iwaizumi Ichi, Hanamaki Takahiro, and Matsukawa Kazushige take turns smashing it. Their movements are fluid, their teamwork seamless—a testament to the strength of a long-established powerhouse.

Lu Ren's gaze swept across the waiting area and landed on an unfamiliar figure.

He was a boy with short, blond hair. His hair was cut very short, with stiff stubble standing upright on his scalp, and his sideburns were shaved extremely short, revealing a small patch of bluish scalp. What was most striking was his eyes; they held an undisguised ferocity and irritability, like a wild beast ready to bite at any moment.

He wasn't wearing the vest that signifies a starting player; he was just wearing ordinary training clothes and stood at the very edge of the team, looking out of place among the Qingcheng team members around him.

"Who is that guy?" Lu Ren narrowed his eyes.

As far as I remember, I hadn't seen this character before when we played practice matches against Aoba Johsai. Why is this game secretly changing the gacha pool and adding new characters to the opposing team?

Moreover, the art style of this new character looks strangely familiar.

Lu Ren turned his head and searched around his own grounds, his gaze settling on Tanaka Ryunosuke, who was shirtless and shouting for Nishitani Yu to see his muscles.

Bald, fierce eyes, and a temper that could explode at the slightest provocation.

Let's take another look at that blond guy on the other side.

They are practically identical berserker units.

"Hey, Ah Long." Lu Ren waved to Tanaka.

Tanaka was flexing his biceps at Nishiya when he heard the voice and turned around: "What? Rikujin, do you want to challenge my strength?"

"Come here for a second." Lu Ren beckoned with his finger.

Tanaka put on his jersey and swaggered over: "Get to the point, I need to practice my spikes."

Lu Ren pointed to the blond boy on the opposite half of the court: "Do you know that blond guy?"

Tanaka followed Lu Ren's finger and stared at the blond-haired man for a long time, his brows furrowing deeply. Then, looking completely bewildered, he turned away and said, "I don't know him. Why do you think I would know someone from Qingcheng?"

"Really don't know him?" Lu Ren stroked his chin, scrutinizing Tanaka from head to toe with a critical gaze. "Use your shady connections to think carefully. Haven't you two met at some street brawl? Or sworn brothers at some turf war rally?"

A question mark appeared on Tanaka's forehead: "What nonsense are you spouting? I'm a legitimate high school student! What shady connections, what turf grabbing, what kind of person do you take me for?!"

"Stop pretending." Lu Ren patted Tanaka on the shoulder, speaking earnestly, "Look at that guy's eyes, his posture, that 'I want to devour the net' kind of thing. He's the most like you I've ever seen in terms of appearance and temperament. He's practically your half-brother."

Tanaka's expression froze. He turned to look at the blond-haired man again.

Just then, the blond-haired guy turned his head, and their eyes met in mid-air. The blond-haired guy's eyes were extremely fierce, as if he were looking at a pile of garbage. Tanaka instinctively widened his eyes, raised his chin slightly, and put on his signature intimidating expression.

The two engaged in a silent battle of wits across the net.

A few seconds later, the blond-haired man looked away, scratched his hair in frustration, and turned to walk away.

"See? Even their provocative gestures are exactly the same," Lu Ren added fuel to the fire. "Are you really not related by blood?"

Tanaka's face flushed red, and the veins on his forehead throbbed. He whirled around, grabbed Lu Ren by the collar with both hands, and spat as he yelled, "Who's brothers with that obviously crazy blond guy! I'm way more handsome than him! You bastard, you're itching for a beating, aren't you?!"

"He's getting anxious, he's getting anxious." Lu Ren, despite being grabbed by the collar, remained completely calm and even had the leisure to turn around and call out to Nishitani, "Nishitani, come quick, Tanaka is furious."

"Oh! Dragon! Well done! Let him see the majesty of a senior!" Nishitani Yu suddenly appeared out of nowhere, waving her fists and cheering from the side.

"Lu Ren! Today I'll make you taste the love of your senior!" Tanaka roared, raising his fist to strike Lu Ren on the head.

"What are you doing! Gather yourselves!" Daichi Sawamura's angry shout came from the sidelines.

Tanaka paused, his fist frozen in mid-air. He glared at Lu Ren resentfully, released his grip, straightened his jersey, and said in a low voice, "Consider yourself lucky. I'll deal with you after the game."

"Okay, I'll wait." Lu Ren straightened his disheveled collar and slowly followed Tanaka toward the meeting point.

Halfway there, Lu Ren looked back at the western half of Qingye City.

The blond-haired guy was standing behind the service line, holding a volleyball. He tossed the ball high into the air, took a running start, and jumped. His movements were full of unrefined wildness.

The sound of the ball being hit was extremely loud.

The volleyball hit the opponent's half of the court near the baseline like a cannonball, bouncing extremely high.

"Powerful, and the kind that's uncontrollable." Lu Ren mentally labeled this new character.

That old schemer Oikawa Tetsu, putting such a disobedient rabid dog in the team, definitely wasn't just for show. These tactical geniuses are probably plotting something again.

But that's what makes it interesting.

If we just copy the strategies from the last practice match, then this dungeon will be too boring to play.

Lu Ren walked to the middle of the group and stood in a row with his teammates.

On the other side of the net, the Aoba Castle West team had also lined up. Oikawa Tetsu stood at the very front of the line, his smile completely gone, his eyes now filled only with an intense desire for victory.

The referee blew the whistle.

"Nice to meet you!"

The voices of the two teams echoed in the dome of the stadium.

The competition has officially begun.