Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The afternoon sun made the wooden floor of the Civic Gymnasium quite hot. The air was filled with the smell of deodorant spray and the burnt smell of rubber shoe soles rubbing together—the unique odor of sports venues.

Lu Ren just wants to go home and lie down right now.

The lactic acid from his forced morning run was still causing a party in his thigh muscles, and now with every step he took, those muscles were screaming in protest. He felt like a low-health character who had just finished a max-level dungeon and hadn't had time to repair his gear, desperately needing to return to the safe house called "home" for a long rest.

"Hey, look over there."

Qingze Yazhi's voice drifted from the side, and before Lu Ren could react, a hand had already pointed to a corner of the stadium.

There was a group of people passing the volleyball. Although they were wearing messy training clothes, their height and build clearly indicated they weren't ordinary citizens there to digest their food. The trajectory of the volleyball in their hands was frighteningly stable, without any unnecessary spin or fluctuating rhythm; it was a "program" etched into their muscle memory after thousands of repetitions.

"No," Lu Ren answered decisively. "My stamina bar is already red; training any further will reduce my durability."

"The morning run was just a warm-up; we haven't done the daily tasks yet." Yazhi pulled out a sports drink from somewhere and waved it in front of him. "And look, they're short-handed over there; this is a chance to gain experience delivered right to our door by the system."

"That's someone else's server, why should I, a player from a foreign server, get involved..."

Before he could finish speaking, Yazhi's hand was already on his back. The seemingly gentle movement actually concealed a deadly intent. Lu Ren felt a soft spot on his lower back being precisely locked onto; if he dared to take even half a step back, it would trigger a "physical critical strike."

"Go on, Pikachu." Yazhi smiled and gave it a push.

Lu Ren staggered a few steps forward, but the momentum forced him to stop in front of the group of people.

The people in the room stopped what they were doing and all looked over.

The boy in the lead was very tall, with brown hair and a frivolous smile that made you want to punch him. But the moment his eyes swept over, Lu Ren instinctively tensed up.

That was the look of a high-level player scrutinizing a low-level monster.

"Um... sorry to bother you." Lu Ren forced a smile and tried to end the conversation in the most timid tone possible, "It seems like you're short-staffed..."

"Oh? You want to join?" The brown-haired boy twirled the volleyball in his hand, his tone light as if he were flirting. "Perfect timing. We have four people on our side, but those guys on the other side have five. We're just wondering how to split up for the match."

Lu Ren glanced around. Besides the brown-haired man, there was a man with a buzz cut whose arm muscles were as solid as rocks, and two new faces who looked like freshmen—one with a haircut like chives, and the other looking like he hadn't woken up yet.

This lineup doesn't look like a random team at all.

"Which school are you from?" the buzz-cut man next to him asked, his voice steady and powerful, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

Lu Ren's heart skipped a beat.

If he said he was from Karasuno, what if these people knew Sawamura Daichi or that "tyrant" Kageyama? His morning run had taught him that Karasuno was going to have a practice match with some "Aoba Johsai". If he revealed this information in advance, his "secret weapon" (although he called it himself) would lose its mystery.

You have to lie. And you have to tell a lie that they won't dare to underestimate, but that they can't immediately verify.

Lu Ren's brain raced, pulling up the database of volleyball powerhouses in Miyagi Prefecture. In this scenario, only the school known as the "Absolute King" could hold its own.

"Shiratorizawa," Lu Ren said nonchalantly, "first year."

The four people opposite were clearly taken aback. Even the sleepy-looking boy who had been half-asleep opened his eyes.

"Shiratorizawa..." The brown-haired man's smile deepened, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "That's a prestigious school. But I haven't seen you on the official selection list?"

"I'm just an amateur enthusiast. I'm not in the volleyball club; I just play around with it on my own." Lu Ren continued to refine his persona, emphasizing a "hidden master" style. "My position is opposite hitter."

"What's the name?"

Lu Ren remained silent for two seconds.

Since we've already started rambling, let's go all the way. As long as I'm not embarrassed, it's others who will be.

"Baki Hanma".

The air froze for a second.

"Pfft—" The boy with the leek-head hair almost couldn't hold back his laughter, but after being glared at by the buzz-cut man next to him, he quickly covered his mouth.

The brown-haired man—who was none other than Oikawa Tetsu, the commander of Aoba Castle West—froze for a moment, but quickly recovered. He probably hadn't expected anyone to flaunt the name of a protagonist from a fighting manga.

"Good name, very... impactful." Oikawa Tetsu even clapped twice. "Then, Hanma-kun, since you're a master from Shiratorizawa, why don't you help us make up the numbers? I'm Oikawa Tetsu, this is Iwaizumi Hajime, and those two first-years are Kindaichi and Kunimi."

Oikawa Toru.

Lu Ren quickly searched for the name in his mental "NPC encyclopedia," but couldn't recall it. However, judging from its appearance, it was at least an elite monster.

He glanced back at the sidelines. Qingze Yazhi was sitting on a bench, holding her phone, and gave him an "OK" sign.

This means: Recording has started, and data analysis mode has been activated.

Now that the support is in place, let's play along with these high-level monsters for a bit.

The competition format was 5v5. Lu Ren was assigned to the same group as Oikawa Tetsu, and their opponents were the adult amateur team that was based at the gymnasium.

Although they were an amateur team, those guys looked like seasoned veterans who frequented amateur basketball courts. They had dark skin, muscular calves, and shrewd eyes that seemed to be ready to teach people a lesson.

"Since this is a temporary team, Fanma, you can play the opposite hitter position. You don't need to participate in receiving the first pass; just focus on attacking," Oikawa Tetsu explained the tactics simply.

Lu Ren nodded and walked to position two in front of the net.

The whistle blew.

The burly-looking guy on the other side walked to the service line with the ball. He tossed the ball, took a run-up, and jumped.

"Bang!"

The volleyball, like a cannonball, hurtled towards the backcourt with a dull thud.

Wow, that's fast! This is definitely not the level of a normal amateur game. Is this guy a retired professional player?

Lu Ren instinctively tried to make a defensive move, but before his body could react, a figure had already blocked the path of the ball.

"I'll do it!"

Iwaizumi firmly planted his feet in a horse stance, arms together. The volleyball slammed heavily against his forearm with a sickening thud, but his body only shuddered slightly as the ball was lifted high and flew in a perfect arc towards the setter's position.

What a tough tank. Lu Ren mentally labeled Iwaizumi Ichi with "Defense S". Sawamura Daichi's receiving was steady, but Iwaizumi Ichi's receiving was full of power, as if it could withstand all physical damage.

The ball flew to the front of the net.

Oikawa Toru has arrived.

As a front-row attacker, Lu Ren instinctively began his run-up. However, he did not jump with full force, but instead reserved some of his strength to observe the setter's movements.

Lu Ren had witnessed Kageyama Tobio's passing technique before. It was an extremely precise mechanical operation, where the ball would appear at the point of impact at the fastest speed and along the shortest path, forcing the attacker to use all their strength to chase that point.

But Oikawa Toru is different.

The moment he touched the ball, Lu Ren felt an invitation...

There was no sense of pressure like "jump up and spike!" Oikawa Tetsu's fingers were soft yet strong, and the volleyball seemed to stay in his hands for a few milliseconds longer than that of a regular setter.

In those few milliseconds, he seemed to have read the data of everyone on the field.

"Whoosh."

The ball flew out, its target not Lu Ren, but Kindaichi on the other side.

The pass wasn't fast, but its height and landing point were ridiculously perfect. Kindaichi didn't even need to adjust his footwork; he just jumped with momentum, swung his arm, and the ball stopped precisely at the most comfortable point of force in his hand.

"Snapped!"

Kindaichi scores with a spike.

"Nice kill!" Oikawa Tetsu laughed and gave Kaneda a high five. "Was that ball a little too low? Next time I'll raise it by half a ball."

"No, it's perfect! It feels so good!" Kindaichi's face flushed red, his eyes filled with excitement. This was completely different from the fear he felt when facing Kageyama, when he was scolded for not buttoning his shirt properly. This was a feeling of being completely trusted and having his potential unleashed.

Lu Ren stood to the side, his expression turning serious.

If Kageyama Tobio is a lone wolf player with top-notch skills who carries his teammates with his individual abilities, then this guy named Oikawa Toru is a top-tier guild commander.

He wasn't passing the ball; he was giving his teammates a buff.

In that last shot, Kindaichi's jump height wasn't particularly impressive, but because the rhythm of the pass perfectly matched his breathing and footwork, he delivered a shot that surpassed his usual level.

"Is this... another type of genius?" Lu Ren murmured to himself.

The game continues.

It was Oikawa Toru's turn to serve.

He stood at the baseline, gently spinning the volleyball, his gaze instantly shifting from gentle to sharp as a knife. That change in his aura sent a chill down Lu Ren's spine as he stood at the net.

Throw the ball, jump, swing your arm.

The movements were as fluid as a fully drawn bow.

"boom!"

The volleyball hit the corner of the opposite baseline so fast that even the old man didn't have time to react.

A point is scored from a serve.

"Wow, you're feeling pretty good today." Oikawa Toru whistled and flashed a V-sign at Iwaizumi Hajime. "See that? That's skill."

"Shut up, trash Kawa, don't get too cocky." Although Iwaizumi was cursing, he couldn't hide the trust in his eyes.

For the next few balls, Lu Ren was basically just coasting along.

He watched as Oikawa Toru manipulated the rhythm of the entire court like a magician. He turned Kunimi Hide's lazy playing style into an "energy-saving surprise weapon," he brought out Iwaizumi Ichi's strength to the fullest, and even the seemingly naive Kindaichi was turned into a powerful scoring point.

This is not a temporary team formation at all.

This is a sophisticated combat system instantly constructed with Toru Ayakawa at its core.

"Fan Ma, stop spacing out!"

Suddenly, Oikawa Toru's voice rang in my ears.

Lu Ren snapped back to reality and realized the ball was flying towards him. It was a counter-attack opportunity. Iwazumi received the first pass, and the ball was heading towards the setter's position.

"Since it's Shiratorizawa receiving the pass, this kind of shot shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Oikawa Tetsu didn't look at Lu Ren. The instant the ball flew towards him, he subtly flicked his wrist.

This is a story told from behind.

There was no eye contact, no signal. He delivered the ball simply based on his observation of Lu Ren's running habits over the previous few rounds.

The ball was faster than the one given to Kindaichi, and the trajectory was flatter.

This is a test.

He was testing whether this guy who called himself "Baki Hanma" really had the skill level of Shiratorizawa.

Lu Ren's body acted before his brain did.

This is a conditioned reflex formed after being forcibly stretched by that devil Kiyosawa Ayashi and bombarded by that serving machine Kageyama these past few days.

Now that we've been dragged into the battle, we can't let the players down.

Even if it's using a pseudonym, even if it's acting.

Lu Ren pushed off the ground and jumped. The soreness in his thighs was masked by the adrenaline at that moment.

The ball traced a straight line in the air, precisely finding the trajectory of Lu Ren's arm swing.

No, it's not that the ball found a hand, but rather that the ball was "waiting" there.

This feeling... is so weird. It's like playing an FPS game with an aimbot enabled, and the crosshair automatically attaches to the enemy's head.

Lu Ren gritted his teeth, tightened his abdomen, and lashed out with his arm like a whip.

"Bang!"

The ball hit the edge of the opposite blocker's hand, changed direction, and flew out of bounds.

The thug went out of bounds.

Lu Ren landed, slightly out of breath, looking at his palms. The sensation of hitting the ball still lingered; for a moment, he even felt he had become stronger.

But this is an illusion.

It wasn't him who became stronger; it was the person who passed the ball that made him stronger.

"Not bad, Hanma-kun." Oikawa Toru turned around, smiling at him, but with a hint of inquiry in his eyes. "Your arm swing is fast, and although your jumping form is a bit amateurish, your ball control is surprisingly good."

"Just lucky," Lu Ren said dismissively, but alarm bells were ringing in his mind.

This guy is too dangerous.

Tobio Kageyama is like putting the ball in front of you and ordering you to "hit it over there."

Oikawa Tetsu feeds you the rice, chews it a couple of times for you, and gently asks, "Is it good?"

But behind this gentleness lies absolute control over the situation. He can control the attackers' rhythm through passing, and even... control their mentality.

"Shiratorizawa is indeed full of hidden talents," Oikawa Tetsu said meaningfully, then turned and walked back to his service position. "However, if that's all you're capable of, you might not be able to beat us."

Lu Ren did not respond.

He glanced at Qingze Yazhi on the sidelines. The girl was typing rapidly on her phone with her head down. Sensing Lu Ren's gaze, she looked up and made a "throat-slitting" gesture.

It means: If you dare to give yourself away, you can forget about having dinner tonight.

Lu Ren sighed.

This isn't playing volleyball, it's like playing Werewolf.

but……

Looking at the tall and straight back of Oikawa Tetsu in front of him, Lu Ren's long-dormant player spirit stirred for a moment.

The excitement of encountering a hidden boss is truly irresistible.

"One more ball," Lu Ren said in a low voice.

This time, it's not about completing a task, but about seeing what other tricks this "Great Demon King" named Oikawa Tetsu can pull off.