Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

Before the whistle blew for the second set, both teams took their positions back on the court.

Both Karasuno and Shiratorizawa maintained their formations unchanged. After the fierce battle in the first game, both sides knew that playing fancy formations against their current opponents was pointless. In this level of competition, the only way out was to utilize their most familiar system to its fullest potential.

Lu Ren stood in the back row, peering through the net at Shiratorizawa's half of the court. The composition of this team was simply breathtaking.

If Aoba Johsai is the most polished team in Miyagi Prefecture, squeezing every last drop of potential and achieving a synergistic effect through precise teamwork, then Shiratorizawa represents the other extreme. The least polished team in the entire prefecture. Their tactical system is shockingly brutal—everyone serves Ushijima Wakatoshi. Ushijima's individual skill is the team's ceiling.

Lu Ren couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly. No wonder Ushijima Wakatoshi was so eager to poach Oikawa Tetsu. If Shiratorizawa, this heavy artillery turret, were equipped with Oikawa Tetsu's top-notch fire control system, the scene would be too beautiful to bear. Not to mention Ushijima, even Lu Ren himself would want to tie Oikawa Tetsu back to Karasuno as his personal serving machine and setter. Unfortunately, that stubborn guy Oikawa Tetsu would rather drag Aoki down with him than bow his head.

"Beep—"

The referee blew the whistle, and the second set officially began.

Karasuno has the serve. Lu Ren twirled the volleyball in his hand and slowly walked towards the baseline.

Currently, there are two players in Karasuno's squad whose serves are the most threatening. One is Tadashi Yamaguchi, who specializes in jump float serves and sticks to that one style; the other is Rikujin. The two are exactly two extremes. Yamaguchi has mastered a single serve style to an unpredictable level, while Rikujin's skill set is bottomless; you never know what disgusting serve he will pull out next.

Lu Ren stopped and looked up at the high dome of the Sendai Gymnasium. The lights were bright. He held the ball in one hand, took a deep breath, and thrust his arm upward with force. The volleyball didn't fly forward; instead, it shot straight into the air.

Ceiling serve.

This move isn't particularly fast or powerful, but it's all about delivering a killer first impression. The volleyball flies extremely high, almost touching the steel frame at the top of the stadium, before starting to plummet rapidly under the pull of gravity.

In the Shiratorizawa half of the court, libero Hayato Yamagata tilted his head back, his eyes half-closed. The intense sunlight from the dome pierced his pupils, blurring the shadow of the volleyball. Yamagata took small, hesitant steps, trying to find the right landing point. He kept adjusting his position, but a voice inside him kept asking himself: Is the position right?

The ball's vertical drop and extremely long hang time are fatal to judgment. In the last second before the volleyball hit the ground, Yamagata finally couldn't overcome his nervousness and his right foot involuntarily moved half a step to the side.

"Bang."

The volleyball grazed the edge of his left shoe, hit the floor, and rolled out of bounds.

A serve in bounds results in a direct point.

Karasuno 1:0 Shiratorizawa.

"Well done!" Daichi Sawamura clapped enthusiastically from the front row.

Lu Ren flicked his wrist, and Yamagata Hayato raised an eyebrow. Yamagata slapped his thigh in frustration, then turned to his teammates and shouted, "Sorry! We'll definitely catch the next ball!"

Lu Ren retained control of the serve. He stood at the baseline again, spinning the ball twice in his hand.

The same toss, the same run-up. But this time, the volleyball didn't fly towards the ceiling. At the highest point, Lu Ren swung his right arm in a wide arc, slamming his palm hard into the lower middle part of the volleyball.

A powerful, rapid-fire cannon.

The volleyball, carrying immense pressure, tore through the air and headed straight for Shiratorizawa's back row. This time, Yamagata Hayato didn't back down. He gritted his teeth, crossed his arms, and met the cannonball head-on. The tremendous impact made him groan, but the ball bounced steadily into the air.

"Well done!"

Kenjiro Shirabu had already started moving, his footwork swiftly cutting to the net. Without any unnecessary movements, the instant his hands touched the ball, he pushed it directly to the right wing. The speed was astonishing.

There, Ushijima Wakatoshi had already taken to the air. Karasuno's blocking formation hadn't even fully closed in, and Tsukishima Hotaru's arm was only halfway out. Ushijima's left arm swung down. A thunderous roar echoed throughout the stadium. The volleyball pierced Karasuno's still-developing defense, slamming heavily into the three-meter line.

Karasuno 1:1 Shiratorizawa.

Lu Ren's eye twitched as he looked at the sweat stain left on the floor. This counterattack was simply unreasonable.

The ensuing match descended into a suffocating vicious cycle. The two teams were like wild beasts locked in a struggle, neither willing to give an inch. One team would finish their turn, the other would take the stage. Shiratorizawa, relying on Ushijima Wakatoshi's absolute stats, relentlessly bombarded the net. Karasuno, on the other hand, used their multi-pronged "chimera" attack to tear Shiratorizawa's blocking apart.

The score went back and forth.

The serve returned to Shiratorizawa. Goshiki Kou stood at the baseline and delivered a powerful jump serve straight to Karasuno's backcourt. Sawamura Daichi received the serve steadily. Kageyama Tobio quickly moved under the ball. Hyuga Shoyo started from the other side, his speed so fast that even a blur couldn't be caught.

Tendo Satoru stared intently at Hyuga's footsteps at the net. His intuition told him the ball would be passed to Higashimine Asahi on the left wing. Tendo moved a step to the left. The volleyball flew from Kageyama's hands, but in a very short, straight arc. Hyuga Shoyo rose from the middle, swinging his volleyball heavily to meet it.

"Bang."

The volleyball hit Shiratorizawa's half of the court, and Tendo Satoru hadn't even finished his jump.

Karasuno 2:1.

Hinata landed and excitedly pumped her fist. Tendo Satoru rubbed his red hair, muttering, "That little guy, he's really fast."

Shiratorizawa quickly retaliated. Ohira Shion's first pass was accurate, and Shirabu Kenjiro passed the ball to Goshiki Kou on the left wing. Eager to make a move, Goshiki Kou, facing Tsukishima Hotaru's block, forced a very narrow straight shot. The ball cleared the block and headed straight for the bottom corner.

Lu Ren was already waiting there. He pushed off with both legs, sliding across the floor and using one arm to cushion the ball. "Good shot!" Kageyama shouted, immediately organizing a counterattack. Tanaka Ryunosuke scored with a powerful spike from the right wing.

Karasuno 3:1.

On the Shiratorizawa bench, Coach Washi's face was ashen. Karasuno's system had completely disrupted Shiratorizawa's defensive rhythm. But Shiratorizawa's strength always came from that powerful hitter on the court.

It was Ushijima Wakatoshi's turn to serve. The air in the entire arena tightened instantly. Ushijima tossed the ball, took a run-up, and jumped. There were no fancy techniques, only pure brute force. The volleyball, with terrifying spin, slammed into Karasuno's half of the court. Nishitani Yu made a diving save, the ball hitting his forearm and bouncing directly into the stands. Serve, point.

Karasuno 3:2.

Ushijima serves second. The same power, the same pressure. This time, Sawamura Daichi receives the ball. He manages to reach it, but it flies directly over the net. Tendo Satoru easily smashes the ball down at the net for the point.

3: 3.

The score remained neck and neck, each point requiring immense physical exertion. By the middle of the game, both sides were visibly expending more energy. Hinata Shoyo's breathing became heavy, and Kageyama Tobio's sweat dripped from his nose, yet his passing accuracy remained undiminished. In the back row, Riku Ren continuously used data analysis to adjust Karasuno's defensive positioning.

"Ushijima's spiking routes are increasingly more straight," Lu Ren said to Tsukishima Hotaru during a break in the game. "He's starting to conserve his energy. When we block later, block more cross-court shots and let me have the straight shots."

Tsukishima adjusted his glasses and replied indifferently, "Understood."

The score came to 15:15.

Karasuno serves. Tadashi Yamaguchi is substituted in to execute the crucial serve. This usually timid first-year student stands outside the baseline, tosses the ball, jumps, and performs a jump float. The volleyball barely spins in the air, its trajectory unpredictable. Shiratorizawa's libero, Hayato Yamagata, steps forward to receive the ball, but it suddenly drops just as it touches his arm. A first pass error; the volleyball hits the ground directly.

Karasuno 16:15.

Tadashi Yamaguchi clenched his fist and let out a long breath. Shiratorizawa immediately adjusted. Shion Ohira expanded his defensive range, relieving pressure on Yamagata. Yamaguchi's second serve was received smoothly. Kenjiro Shirabu passed the ball to Ushijima. Ushijima jumped from the back row and unleashed a powerful shot. Hotaru Tsukishima, following Rikujin's instructions, blocked the diagonal shot. The volleyball hurtled straight towards the backcourt.

Lu Ren slightly parted his legs, lowered his center of gravity to its lowest point, and crossed his arms, forcefully withstanding the blow. The volleyball bounced high, flying towards the net. "Counterattack!" Kageyama Tobio passed the ball to Higashimine Asahi. Higashimine Asahi faced the block of two people and hit a beautiful spike out of bounds.

Karasuno 17:15.

Shiratorizawa called a timeout. Coach Washi roared from the sidelines, ordering his players to concentrate the ball on Ushijima and use overwhelming power to break through Karasuno's defense.

The timeout is over. Shiratorizawa has completely abandoned any attempts at a multi-pronged attack, pushing the "four-protect-one" tactic to its absolute limit. As long as the first pass is accurate, the ball will inevitably reach Ushijima. Ushijima's stamina is a bottomless pit.

17: 16.

18: 18.

20: 20.

The score remained neck and neck.

The serve returned to Karasuno, and Riku Ren stood outside the baseline. He dribbled the ball, his gaze meeting Ushijima Wakatoshi's over the net. Those eyes held no fatigue, only a pure will to win and absolute confidence in his strength. Riku Ren smirked. He tossed the ball, jumped. His arm blurred through the air as he delivered a powerful jump serve straight to Ushijima's defense. He wanted to force Ushijima to receive the first pass, to wear down this monster's stamina.

Shion Ohira took a step to the side and forcefully blocked the ball. "Shirobu!" Ohira shouted. Kenjiro Shirobu quickly moved forward and pushed the ball with both hands, sending it flying to the right wing again. Wakatoshi Ushijima took a running start and took off. At the Karasuno front row, Hotaru Tsukishima and Shoyo Hyuga formed a double block. Ushijima forcefully stayed in the air, avoiding Tsukishima's block, and slammed the ball down hard on the outside of Hyuga's arm.

The thug went out of bounds.

The ball changed trajectory and flew out of bounds. Lu Ren turned and chased after it. His sneakers screeched on the floor. He leaped in front of the barrier and scooped the ball back with one arm. "Got it!" The ball flew high back into the court. Kageyama Tobio received the ball near the baseline and made a pass, sending it back to the net. Higashimine Asahi jumped to meet the ball and spiked it. Tendou Satoru blocked the ball back to Karasuno's half of the court. Sawamura Daichi made a diving save.

A fierce battle ensued at the net. The volleyball flew back and forth in mid-air, neither side able to deliver a decisive blow. Finally, Ryunosuke Tanaka seized an opening in Shiratorizawa's defense and scored with a drop shot.

Karasuno 21:20 Shiratorizawa.

Lu Ren stood in the backcourt, his arm muscles trembling from catching consecutive powerful dunks. This high-intensity competition placed an immense strain on his body. But his mental processing power was skyrocketing. Ushijima's jumping height had decreased by 1.5 centimeters. Shirabu's passing arc was 5 degrees lower than at the start. Tendo's defensive success rate was declining. These statistics coalesced into a clear chart in Lu Ren's mind. Shiratorizawa, this heavy machine, was operating at overload.

The second round of the fierce battle has only just entered its most crucial stage.