Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The middle-aged man in the tight-fitting sportswear across from them was somewhat annoyed. Being provoked by a few high school students, especially that kid with the spiky hair, had clearly touched his pitiful sense of self-esteem as an adult.

After walking to the service line, he didn't even dribble to find his rhythm like before; instead, he simply tossed the ball high into the air.

Run-up, jump, swing your arms.

The movement was fluid and seamless, without any fancy feints, just pure power. This ball was heavier than any before, compressed into a flat oval shape in the air, and slammed into this half of the court with a sickening whistling sound.

"I'll do it."

Iwaizumi's voice wasn't loud, but its reassuring quality was like the armor of a tank. He didn't move much, but simply slid a step to the left, pressing his arms down together.

"Bang!"

The volleyball hit his forearm with a dull thud, like a drumbeat. The immense impact made Iwaizumi pause for a moment, but his upper body remained motionless, using his well-honed muscles to absorb all the ball's spin and kinetic energy.

The ball bounced high, with a perfect arc, heading straight for the three-meter line in front of the net.

"Nice, catch!" Oikawa Tetsu had already run to the spot below the ball's trajectory.

At the same time, Kunimi Hideki moved. This first-year student, who usually seemed to be sleepwalking, had an astonishingly fast starting speed. He cut in from the left wing, and his timing for jumping was perfect, coinciding with the moment the opponent's block was formed.

The two middle-aged men on the other side were clearly also provoked, and their double block shut down all possible attack routes.

In mid-air, Kunihiro did not smash the ball with force. He looked expressionlessly at the two large hands in front of him, flicked his wrist slightly, and touched the ball with his fingertips.

The volleyball gently struck the middle fingertip of the blocker, bounced backward, and wobbled back onto the west side of the Qingye City court.

A soft attack style, utilizing blocking to create second attack opportunities.

"remedy!"

Although Kindaichi usually seems a bit slow-witted, he's quick to react. He lunged forward and used the back of his hand to cushion the ball before it hit the ground. Instead of flying towards the net, the ball soared high into the air beyond the three-meter line.

Chaos.

In such situations, the only options are usually to launch a counter-attack or simply drop the ball over the net.

But Oikawa Tetsu was smiling.

He jumped the instant Kindaichi touched the ball. Not at the net, but near the three-meter line. He stretched his body in the air, his gaze lingering on Iwaizumi on the left for a full half-second.

The opposing team's attention was instantly drawn to that heavy hitter.

However, at the moment Oikawa Tetsu touched the ball, his wrist defied the laws of physics and veered to the right.

The volleyball seemed to be equipped with a navigation system, drawing an extremely flat straight line, crossing half the court, and flying straight towards the back row on the right wing.

That's the path Lu Ren is running up to.

Lu Ren was simply following the "NPC Behavior Guidelines" for tactical positioning and didn't expect the ball to be passed to him at all. After all, it was a chaotic ball, and ace Iwaizumi was already in position.

But as he took his final step, the yellow and blue volleyball appeared abruptly and precisely in front of him, as if timed perfectly.

Perfectly accurate, the height was exactly the highest point he could hit the ball after jumping.

He didn't even need to reach for the ball, nor did he need to tighten his stomach. The ball just hung there, as if telling him: Press the attack button, now.

Before Lu Ren's brain could react, his muscle memory had already taken over the operation.

Jump and pull up with your arms.

The view from the air was exceptionally clear. Because of Oikawa Tetsu's deceptive glance earlier, the opponent's blocking weight was completely shifted to the other side, and the uncle who rushed over to block only had time to extend one arm.

Lu Ren saw it very clearly.

That arm is like a highlighted weak point detection area in a game.

He didn't opt ​​for a powerful slam; his current physical attributes didn't support such a violent attack. He stared at the outside of that arm, his hand lashing out like a whip.

"Snapped!"

The volleyball didn't hit the floor; instead, it slammed into the outside of the blocker's forearm, then suddenly changed direction and bounced into the stands outside the boundary.

The thug went out of bounds.

The referee blows the whistle, and the point is scored.

Lu Ren landed and watched the volleyball roll away. The trembling comfort he felt when he hit the ball still lingered in his palm.

That feeling was so strange.

In the past, when playing games, "good feel" meant responsive button presses and smooth, consistent frame rate. But just now, in that instant, it felt like even the real world was free of frame rate drops. It was as if the ball had been fed directly to his mouth; he didn't even need to chew it, he could just swallow it whole.

"Nice-kill!" Oikawa Tetsu's voice came from the side, with that characteristic flippant tone at the end.

Lu Ren turned his head and looked at the brown-haired setter who was giving Iwazumi a high five. His alarm was raised to the highest level.

This guy named Oikawa Toru has definitely opened a shop.

If Tobio Kageyama's passing is like a precise but erratic robotic arm, forcibly shoving the ball at you, then Tetsu Oikawa's passing is like a top-tier intelligent assist system. He doesn't require you to adapt to the ball; the ball automatically adjusts to your stats.

How many goals?

They fought for less than ten rounds in total.

Lu Ren knew very well that he was a "blank slate" player; his jump height, arm swing speed, and approach rhythm were all far inferior to those of professional players. But just now, Oikawa Tetsu had accurately calculated his less-than-ideal highest hitting point and even predicted his slight deceleration during his approach run.

Is this the strongest setter in Miyagi Prefecture?

This isn't playing volleyball; it's practically writing cheat scripts on the spot.

"Fanma-kun, what are you daydreaming about?" Oikawa Tetsu leaned over, smiling and raising his hand. "That was a pretty good shot. Although the last spike looked a bit like swatting a fly, your awareness of finding the ball to hit out of bounds was very clear."

Lu Ren's lips twitched, and he reluctantly raised his hand to give him a high five: "You were lucky, and it was because you passed it so comfortably."

"Oh?" Oikawa Toru raised an eyebrow. "Is it comfortable? That's good."

He turned around and walked back to his serving position, his smile fading slightly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

He did that shot on purpose.

In that chaotic situation, passing the ball to Iwaizumi was the safest option. But he deliberately passed it to this temporary worker who called himself "Baki Hanma".

He is testing.

Testing the upper and lower limits of this "Shiratorizawa newcomer".

The result was interesting.

His movements were indeed very rough; his take-off posture was incorrect, and his core strength in the air was insufficient. Judging from his basic movements, he was a complete novice who had only been playing volleyball for less than two months.

but……

Those eyes.

At the moment of takeoff, this kid wasn't looking at the ball, but at the opposing block. In a very short time, he judged that he couldn't attack forcefully, and then instantly adjusted the angle of his wrist to force the ball out of bounds.

This calm judgment and spatial awareness are not something that can be learned; they are innate.

"Shiratorizawa..." Oikawa Tetsu chewed on the name in his mind, clicking his tongue in annoyance, "Just how many good cards does that bastard Ushiwaka still have hidden in his hand?"

This type of player, possessing top-tier football intelligence but weak fundamentals, would be a complete waste in a system like Shiratorizawa's that favors "simple, brutal, and overwhelming" tactics.

If it's in the west of Aoba City...

If it's under my pass...

Oikawa Tetsu looked at Lu Ren's retreating figure as if he were looking at a rough gem thrown into the mud. Since Niu Ruo is an "absolute king," then I'll either poach your troops one by one, or... destroy them.

"Hey, trash Oikawa, stop smirking, it's serve!" Iwaizumi Ichi's roar interrupted Oikawa Toru's thoughts.

"Okay, Iwa-chan! Don't call me Trash Kawa!"

The game continues.

Meanwhile, at the scoreboard on the sidelines, another "battlefield" was quietly unfolding.

Qingze Yazhi was holding a notebook that she had found somewhere, and she was writing something down in a very fast and fast hand.

Her gaze was frighteningly focused; she would occasionally glance up at the situation on the field, then quickly write down a string of data.

"That...little girl?"

The elderly gymnasium manager, who was in charge of flipping the scoreboards, hesitated before speaking, "You're the... manager of Aoba City West, right?"

Ya-zhi paused for a moment, her pen stopping in her hand.

She glanced at Oikawa Tetsu and the others on the field, who were wearing Aoba Johsai team uniforms (albeit training uniforms), then at Riku Ren mixed in with them, and finally looked down at what she had written down:

[Oikawa Tetsu (Setter): His serve pre-attack motion involves lightly tapping his right toes twice; he likes to attack weak areas when receiving serves. His passes are extremely deceptive, suggesting he may have an external vision cheat.]

[Iwaizumi Hajime (Outside Hitter): Power rating S, but his straight shots tend to land too deep.]

[Kindaichi's fast-paced offense is predictable and lacks a consistent rhythm.]

[Lu Ren: My stamina bar is currently at 60%, and my bravado is rising. I need to be wary of getting overconfident after the match.]

If this is discovered, he'll probably be kicked out on the spot.

Yazhi adjusted her glasses (though she wasn't nearsighted, she wore them to enhance her professional image) and nodded calmly: "Ah, yes. I'm recording the contestants' performance data so we can review it later."

The old administrator suddenly realized, "Oh, no wonder they're so professional. These days, top university clubs are really something else; even their practice matches are so rigorous."

Even the Aoba Seishi team members on the field, when they saw Yazhi during the break, subconsciously assumed that she was a friend brought by Lu Ren or a volunteer from this side, and no one suspected that she was doing "commercial espionage".

While getting a drink of water, Lu Ren slipped to the sidelines and whispered, "What are you writing? The Death Note?"

"I'm writing down your strategy." Yazhi turned a page in her notebook, obscuring the contents and revealing only her cunning eyes. "That guy named Oikawa Tetsu is dangerous. He could have easily passed that ball to that buzz-cut guy, but he gave it to you. He's testing your limits."

"...Can you please not be so ambiguous in your speech?" Lu Ren took a swig of water and wiped his sweat. "I felt it too. That guy's passing is cursed; once he makes a pass, you want to make it again. Is this what they call a top-tier support? I want to bring him into the team as my accessory."

"Stop thinking about it." Yazhi tapped his head with the pen. "He's the boss, not an NPC. And from what I've observed, his interest in you seems a bit off."

"Something's not right?"

"Hmm." Yazhi looked at Oikawa Tetsu serving in the distance and said in a low voice, "It's like seeing a limited edition figure you like, wanting to buy it, but being afraid that the figure has flaws."

Lu Ren shuddered: "You should read less of those weird comics."

"Anyway, be careful." Ya-zhi closed her notebook. "Don't show your underwear to anyone. The full movie isn't until next Saturday; this is just a trailer."

Lu Ren threw the empty water bottle into the trash can and turned to walk back to the court.

"Don't worry." He waved his hand with his back to Yazhi, "Real players never use their ultimate moves in the newbie village."

On the field, Oikawa Tetsu was holding the ball, his eyes fixed intently on this side.

Lu Ren took a deep breath and adjusted the position of his knee pads.

Since you want to test me, I'll play along to the end.

However, you may not have complete control over the script of this play.

"One more ball!" Lu Ren shouted, getting into a receiving position.

Although his posture was still as awkward as a crab's, the player's competitive spirit had been completely ignited in his eyes.