Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The whistle silenced all the noise on the field.

25:18.

The red numbers were frozen on the electronic scoreboard, glaring and cold.

The volleyball bounced a few times on the floor, rolled towards the sidelines, and finally came to rest at Oikawa Toru's feet. He didn't look down at the ball.

Oikawa Tetsu stood behind the three-meter line, maintaining his defensive stance. Sweat dripped from his nose, splashing onto the floor and spreading into a small puddle. His chest heaved as he breathed heavily in the stale air of the arena.

There was no out-of-control roar, no collapsing to the ground.

He just stood there quietly, watching the Karasuno players on the other side of the net hugging and cheering.

Hinata Shoyo was jumping, Tanaka Ryunosuke was roaring, and Kageyama Tobio was having his hair ruffled by his seniors. That number 13, Riku Ren, was leisurely walking to the sidelines and unscrewing his water bottle, without even breaking a sweat.

Winners and losers. This net has cleaved two worlds.

Oikawa Tetsu straightened up. He raised his hand and casually wiped the sweat from his face with his forearm. His expression was blank.

"Line up."

His voice wasn't loud, and it was even a little hoarse, but it was loud enough for all the Qingcheng team members on the field to hear.

Iwaizumi walked over and stood beside him. The two exchanged a glance, said nothing, and walked towards the net.

Hanamaki Takahiro, Matsukawa Kazushige, Kindaichi Yutaro, Kunimi Hideaki. The Aoba Johsai team members trudged along, standing in a row in front of the net.

The Karasuno team members also ran over. Through the white netting, the two teams bowed to each other.

Thank you for your guidance.

Oikawa Tetsuya stood up, his gaze sweeping over the land of Sawamura and landing on Kageyama Tobio.

Kageyama Tobio stared at him blankly, his eyes filled with the excitement of winning the match, as well as a complex emotion that was hard to describe.

"Fei Xiong," Oikawa Tetsu said, his tone flat and emotionless, "Don't get too cocky. You're lucky today. Next time we meet, I'll beat you to a pulp."

Kageyama Tobio paused for a moment, then straightened up and shouted, "Yes! I won't lose next time either!"

Oikawa Tetsu ignored him and shifted his gaze to meet Lu Ren's eyes.

Lu Ren was wiping his neck with a towel, his eyes vacant, revealing a rationality that seemed to see through everything.

"Your server architecture is perfect, and the data transmission efficiency is also at its peak." Lu Ren draped a towel over his shoulder, his tone unusually serious. "Unfortunately, the computing power of the hardware has its limits. Forcing overclocking will only accelerate the crash."

Oikawa Tetsu looked at him, and after a few seconds, he twitched the corner of his mouth. It wasn't a smile, just a muscle twitch.

"Stop spouting nonsense you can't understand. You arrogant fools." Oikawa Toru turned around. "Don't lose too badly to Ushijima, or I won't let you off the hook."

Lu Ren watched Oikawa Tetsu's retreating figure without saying a word. He turned to look at Kiyosawa Yazhi, who handed him a bottle of sports drink.

"Aren't we going to fight back?" Ya-Chih asked.

"There's no need." Lu Ren unscrewed the bottle cap. "An engineer who optimizes the system to its limits deserves respect. He lost to version updates, not to himself."

The entire Aoba City West team headed towards the stands.

In the stands, Qingcheng's cheering squad had stopped playing. The girls covered their mouths, tears streaming down their faces.

Oikawa Toru stood at the very front of the line.

"Line up—"

"Thank you for the support!"

More than a dozen people bowed at a 90-degree angle in unison.

"Clap clap clap clap—" Thunderous applause erupted from the stands, mixed with suppressed sobs. "Good job!" "Well done!" "Qingcheng is the best!"

Oikawa Tetsu maintained his bowed posture, his gaze fixed on the tips of his shoes. The grain of the wooden floor was clearly visible.

Three seconds. Five seconds.

He bent over for much longer than usual. It wasn't until Iwaizumi nudged his arm that he straightened up and turned to walk towards the rest area.

The process of packing was unusually quiet.

The usually noisy rest area was now filled only with the sound of metal zippers being pulled and sneakers rubbing against the floor.

Yutaro Kindaichi ripped off his knee pads, his hands trembling so badly he couldn't get them into his bag no matter how many times he tried. He sniffed, his eyes red-rimmed. Kunimi Hideki silently walked over, helped him put the knee pads in, and zipped them up.

Kentaro Kyoya sat at the very edge of the bench. He stared intently at his hands, then suddenly slammed his fist into the iron back of the chair.

The loud noise drew the attention of those around them.

Iwazumi walked over, grabbed Kyotani by the collar, and lifted him up.

"Don't go crazy here." Iwaizumi's voice was icy cold, but his eyes were bloodshot. "A loss is a loss. Save your energy for next year's training."

Kyotani gritted his teeth, letting out a low growl like a trapped beast, before finally lowering his head.

Oikawa Toru slung his sports bag over his shoulder. He looked around the rest area to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything.

"Let's go."

He took the first step and headed towards the players' tunnel.

The corridor was dimly lit. The group from the west of Aoba City stood in two lines, moving forward silently.

Oikawa Tetsu walked at the very front. His steps were steady, and his back remained upright. He was the captain, the soul of Aoba Castle West. As long as he was still in the public eye, he had to maintain that pride.

The air outside the stadium carried the coolness of the evening.

As dusk fell, a few early stars hung in the sky. Streetlights illuminated the distant streets, and cars streamed by. I stepped out of the gate and down the steps. A little further on was the bus parking area.

Oikawa Tetsu suddenly stopped in his tracks.

The group behind them also stopped. A gust of wind blew by, stirring up a few fallen leaves on the ground.

Oikawa Tetsu stood still, looking up at the gray-blue sky.

ended.

These three words suddenly materialized, turning into a heavy hammer that slammed into his chest.

Three years of high school. More than a thousand days and nights.

Countless hours of practicing serves until my wrists went numb, countless nights spent rehearsing tactics in the video studio. For what?

To defeat Ushijima Wakatoshi, to prove that the strength of six people is greater than the talent of one, and to stand on the stage of the national tournament. He thought this year was the best time. The team's synergy had reached its peak, and even Kyotani, that mad dog, had been incorporated into the tactical system. They were fully prepared.

However, he was even stripped of the right to challenge Ushijima Wakatoshi.

Karasuno High School. That once-powerful but now-fallen school, with a group of unreasonable monsters, shattered Aoba City's dream of becoming a national champion.

There won't be another chance.

The summer of my senior year of high school is completely over. There will be no next year.

Oikawa Tetsu's shoulders twitched violently.

He suddenly lowered his head, covering his face tightly with his hands. A suppressed sob escaped through his fingers.

This choked sob shattered the facade that everyone in Qingye City West was putting on.

Hanamaki Takahiro turned around, his back to everyone, his hands on his knees, his shoulders shaking with each sob. Matsukawa Kazushige tilted her head back, closed her eyes, and tears slid down her cheeks, landing on her collar.

Kindaichi Yutaro could no longer hold back. He squatted down, covered his head with his hands, and burst into tears.

"I'm not reconciled... I'm so not reconciled..." Kindaichi cried, unable to catch his breath.

Guo Jianying stood beside him, biting her lower lip so hard that it bled, tears streaming silently down her face.

Oikawa Tetsu bent over, sobbing. He crouched on the ground, clutching his hair with both hands. All that pride, all that scheming, all that ease, crumbled in that moment.

"I'm sorry..." Oikawa Tetsu's hoarse voice came out intermittently, "I couldn't... take you all across the country..."

Iwaizumi stood beside Oikawa Toru.

He didn't pull Oikawa Toru away, nor did he offer any words of comfort. He looked up at the streetlights in the distance. The light was blinding.

Iwaizumi's chest heaved violently. He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, causing a sharp pain.

He remembered how, back in junior high, Oikawa Tetsu had become obsessed with being unable to beat Shiratorizawa, almost ruining himself. He recalled the countless nights he had spent with Oikawa Tetsu during extra practice sessions in the empty gymnasium. They had made a promise to travel the country during their final year of high school.

Iwaizumi's vision completely blurred.

Large tears rolled down the tough man's face, tracing lines across his resolute cheeks, and finally falling onto the concrete. He didn't wipe them away, letting them flow freely.

"Damn it, Oikawa." Iwaizumi's voice choked with emotion, thick with nasal congestion. "What are you apologizing for? We... weren't strong enough."

A gentle evening breeze blew by.

Everyone from Aoba City West stood in front of the bus. No one spoke. Only the sound of the wind and suppressed sobs could be heard.

This top team from Miyagi Prefecture, a team that perfected teamwork, faced their most bitter end in the night outside Sendai Gymnasium.

Inside the stadium in the distance, the lights still shone brightly. It was the stage for the victors. But summer in the west of Aoba City had already come to an end.

Fragments of the past three years flashed through Oikawa Tetsu's mind.

When he first joined the club as a freshman, he suffered a crushing defeat against Shiratorizawa. The thunderous crash of Ushijima Wakatoshi's powerful spikes hitting the floor became a nightmare for him for countless nights.

He fought tooth and nail to remove this thorn. He wasn't a genius. He didn't have the innate ball sense of Tobio Kageyama, nor the unreasonable physical attributes of Wakatoshi Ushijima. All he could do was play his cards to the fullest. Understand the habits of each teammate, tap into their greatest potential, and mold six ordinary people into a precise machine.

He did it. Aoba Castle West became the most troublesome team in Miyagi Prefecture.

But fate loves to play tricks. Before the old monster fell, a new one rose from the ground. Number 13 in Karasuno, Riku Ren.

Oikawa Tetsu squatted on the ground, his fingers gripping the cracks in the concrete. The rough surface chafed his fingertips, but he felt no pain. Compared to the agony of being unable to conquer the entire country, this physical pain was nothing.

"Stand up."

A hoarse voice came from above.

Oikawa Tetsu did not move.

Iwazumi reached out and grabbed Oikawa Toru by the back of his collar, forcefully pulling him up.

"I told you to stand up!" Iwaizumi Ichi, his eyes red, growled at Oikawa Toru. "The match is over. A loss is a loss. But you're still the captain of Aoba Johsai. Don't lie here like a coward!"

Oikawa Toru was forced to stand up straight. His eyes were red and swollen, his face was covered in tears, and he looked utterly disheveled.

He looked at Iwaizumi Hajime. Iwaizumi Hajime's face was also streaked with tears. This vice-captain, who was always calm and always pulled him back on track at crucial moments, was also crying at this moment.

Oikawa Tetsu suddenly laughed. A laugh that was more like a grimace.

"Iwa...you look really ugly when you cry." Oikawa Toru sniffed, his voice trembling.

"Shut up, trash Kawa." Iwaizumi gritted his teeth, but his tears flowed even more fiercely.

Oikawa Toru turned to look at his teammates standing to the side. Third-year students Hanamaki and Matsukawa looked at him with red eyes. Second-year students Watari Chikaji, Yakinibu Hideaki, and Kyoya Kentaro kept their heads down and remained silent. First-year students Kindaichi and Kunimi Hideaki were still sobbing quietly.

Oikawa Tetsu wiped the tears from his face and tried to make his voice sound steady.

Listen carefully.

Oikawa Tetsu spoke, his voice carrying on the night breeze. Everyone looked up at their captain.

"Our high school volleyball has come to an end." Oikawa Tetsu's gaze swept over every face. "We couldn't defeat Shiratorizawa, we couldn't go to the national championships. That's a fact. It's regrettable, and I'm very unwilling to accept it."

He paused for a moment, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"But," Oikawa Tetsu raised his voice, "the three years I, Oikawa Tetsu, spent playing with you guys in this volleyball club... were the best three years of my life. I have never regretted choosing Aoba Johsai."

Hanamaki Takahiro covered his mouth, tears welling up again. Matsukawa Kazushige turned around, his shoulders shaking violently.

"Third-year students, our journey has come to an end." Oikawa Tetsu looked at Hanamaki and Matsukawa, then at Iwaizumi Hajime, "Thank you for your hard work."

Then, he looked at the first and second-year team members.

"First and second year students. Next year's Aoba Castle West Championship is in your hands." Oikawa Tetsu's eyes sharpened again. "Go and crush Karasuno under your feet. Go and bring down Shiratorizawa. If you fail, I'll haunt you even as a ghost."

Kindaichi Yutaro abruptly stood up straight, hastily wiping away his tears, and shouted, "Yes! Oikawa-senpai!"

Kunimi Hideki nodded vigorously. Kyotani Kentaro raised his head, his eyes fierce, and gritted his teeth to squeeze out a single word: "Oh."

Looking at his juniors, Oikawa Tetsu finally revealed a smile befitting the commander of Aoba Castle's western region. Though tears still glistened in his eyes, his unique pride returned to him.

"Get on the bus." Oikawa Toru turned around and walked towards the bus door.

The team members caught up one after another.

Iwaizumi was the last to leave. Before getting into the car, he glanced back at the Sendai Gymnasium. The massive building stood like a silent behemoth in the night. It had once held their dreams, but now it buried their youth.

Yan Quan withdrew his gaze and stepped onto the stairs.

The bus doors slowly closed. The engine started, and a plume of white smoke billowed from the exhaust pipe. The vehicle drove into the night, heading towards Aoba West High School.

The carriage was very quiet.

Oikawa Tetsu sat by the window, his head resting against the glass. The streetlights outside swept by, casting alternating shadows on his face.

His eyes were closed.

Volleyball isn't over yet. As long as he's still playing, one day he'll reclaim everything he lost today, with interest, on a bigger stage.

for sure.