Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The scoreboard showed 23:21.

The lights from the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium's dome shone on the wooden floor, reflecting dazzling bright spots. Lu Ren stood outside the baseline, twirling a volleyball in his hand. Sweat dripped from his chin, splashing onto the red synthetic surface.

He stared intently at the lone claw grinding across the net.

Kenma didn't look at him. The "brain" of the sound horse was looking down, his golden and black hair hanging down, covering most of his face. Kenma's chest heaved rapidly, and his fingers unconsciously rubbed the edge of his shorts.

This is a very typical reaction of players who are stuck on a level.

Lu Rentai was very familiar with this state. When a tower defense player, accustomed to controlling the overall situation, faces monsters darting around the screen and not following predetermined routes, the CPU will enter this state of near-overload and crash. Karasuno's current "multi-core chimera" system, combined with Hinata Shoyo's completely irrational primal instincts, is the most unsolvable virus code.

"Take them all out in one go," Lu Ren mentally decided.

The referee blows the whistle.

Lu Ren tossed the ball, took a run-up, and jumped. Instead of opting for a powerful jump serve, he held back, hitting a deceptively powerful drop shot from the front row. His target was the grinder.

As soon as the grinding is connected, the core of the sound horse's organization will be paralyzed.

The volleyball, with a slight spin, flew over the net and plummeted downwards.

Mo Ran raised his head, his gaze fixed on the ball. He didn't retreat, nor did he call for his teammates to cover for him; instead, his knees buckled, and he fell forward.

"Smack."

The ball struck Mo Ren's forearm, which was held together. The force wasn't great, but the angle was extremely tricky. Mo Ren didn't try to pass the ball to the setter position, because he was the setter himself. Using the momentum of his forward lean, he suddenly flicked his wrist and pushed the ball directly to the right wing.

This was an extremely rough and aesthetically unappealing first pass.

But Tetsuro Kuroo was already waiting there.

Black Tail didn't have any running start distance. He jumped up from the spot, faced the ball with its chaotic trajectory, and swung his arm in a wide arc to deliver a powerful shot.

Hotaru Tsukishima's block was a beat too slow.

The volleyball hit Karasuno's three-meter line and bounced out of bounds.

23: 22.

Kuroo landed, shook her wrist, and walked over to pull up Makoto, who was lying on the floor. "That was a really ugly thing to say, Brain."

Mo Dan brushed the dust off his knees, his voice a little hoarse: "As long as we can score points, that's fine."

Lu Ren stood in the back row and pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

The move he just made violated his usual principle of "optimal solution." Directly converting the first pass into an attack has an extremely low margin for error and is not in line with Otoko's style at all.

"He's given up on the calculations." Lu Ren turned to look at Ying Shan. "He's formatting the system."

Kageyama paused, wiping his sweat with a towel. "What do you mean?"

"When there are too many variables to calculate, the simplest way is to cut off all branch options and only do single-choice questions." Lu Ren pointed to the other side of the net. "Grinding is no longer trying to predict our multi-core route. He has handed over all the defensive authority to Ye Jiu and Lev's instincts, and he is only responsible for finding openings in the chaos."

In the stands.

Lu Jianguo held up the camera, the lens pointed at the scoreboard. "This young punk's got a quick mind. Seeing that the abacus wasn't working, he just smashed it and used it as a hidden weapon."

Qingze Yazhi bit her straw, her brows furrowed: "Then Lu Ren's tactics are useless?"

"Useless? You underestimate your childhood sweetheart." Lu Jianguo chuckled as he adjusted the focus. "This kid is stubborn. The more unpredictable the opponent's moves, the more excited he gets."

On the court, Otoko serves.

Fukunaga Shohei stood outside the baseline. His eyes remained as still as a stagnant pool, devoid of any emotion. He tossed the ball, struck it. A jump float.

The volleyball wobbled strangely in mid-air before flying over the net.

"I'll take it!" Nishitani Yu glided forward and steadily set up the ball. "First pass in place!"

Kageyama Tobio moved quickly under the ball. Karasuno's machines started running at full speed again.

Hinata Shoyo cut in from the left, his speed like an orange lightning bolt. Sugawara Koji provided cross-cover in the middle. Riku Ren started from the right rear, stepping on the three-meter line to prepare to jump.

Three attack points, three completely different routes.

In Otoko's half of the court, Kenma stood at the net, not even glancing at Hinata and Sugawara. His gaze was fixed on Kageyama Tobio's pivot foot.

"Left foot is straining, wrist is flexed inward." Only these few basic physical parameters remained in his brain, which had been grinding away.

Kageyama passes the ball. The volleyball transforms into a streak of white light, flying towards the right wing.

Lu Ren spread his arms in the air.

Just as he was about to unleash his power, everything suddenly went dark. Two towering mountains, Kuroo Tetsuro and Haiba Reifu, stood perfectly in his way.

They were not tricked by Hyuga into jumping, nor were they interfered with by Sugawara.

They were like robots that had received a death order in advance, directly blocking Lu Ren's attack route.

Lu Ren gritted his teeth in mid-air, forcibly changing the angle of his wrist, attempting to hit the ball out of bounds. The volleyball grazed Lev's fingertips and flew out of bounds.

"Yosu!" Kuroo shouted.

Yoruichi slid along the floor, and just as the ball was about to hit the ground, he scooped it up with one hand.

"Counterattack!" Mo Ran ran to the ball and, without pausing, passed it behind his back to the middle.

Lev had just landed when he launched himself again. His movements were extremely uncoordinated, but his height was simply astonishing. Facing Daichi Sawamura's solo block, Lev delivered a long spike, smashing the ball into the corner of Karasuno's backcourt.

23: 23.

draw.

A huge cheer erupted inside the Tokyo Gymnasium. In Otoko's half, Lev was excitedly waving his long arms. Yoru walked over and kicked him, but a smile played on his lips.

On Karasuno's side, everyone was panting heavily.

This match lasted far too long. The physical exertion far exceeded expectations. Hinata Shoyo supported himself on his knees with both hands, sweat dripping down his face. He didn't even have the strength to shout as much as he usually did.

Uyang Shishin didn't call a timeout. He gripped his tactical board, his eyes fixed on the court. Calling a timeout now would only disrupt the players' hard-won composure.

"I've been seen through." Lu Ren pulled up his jersey and wiped the sweat from his face.

"That blond guy didn't even look at our positioning." Kageyama Tobio's voice was a little hoarse.

"He's doing subtraction." Lu Ren looked at the grinding stone.

Moyan was also looking at him. In those cat-like eyes, the previous fatigue and anxiety were gone, leaving only the purest focus.

When a skilled player decides to abandon flashy micro-management and switch to the most basic basic attack, it often means that he has found the underlying logic of the game. The grind filters out all the "garbage data" generated by Karasuno, focusing only on the most crucial point—the setter's passing motion.

"Since he wants a head-on confrontation," Lu Ren cracked his neck, making his bones pop, "then let's give him some serious pressure."

23: 23.

Fukunaga continues serving.

This time, the ball was aimed at Ryunosuke Tanaka. Tanaka's return was slightly off-target, and the ball flew towards the net.

"Fill in!" Daichi Sawamura shouted.

Kageyama Tobio rushed to the net, jumped, and lifted the ball with one hand.

Hinata Shoyo has already taken off. He doesn't need to watch the ball or the block; he only knows that Kageyama will definitely get the ball into his hands.

This is the ultimate "weird fast attack".

The grinding didn't move. He watched Hinata swing his arm in the air, watching the volleyball smash into Nekoma's half of the court with incredible speed.

"Bang!"

The ball did not touch the ground.

Yoruichi stood there, his arms tightly clasped together. The volleyball slammed into his arms with a dull thud. The force of the impact forced Yoruichi back half a step, but he caught it.

"This can actually be connected?!" Kiyosawa Yazhi in the stands stared wide-eyed.

"That kid's positioning is too cunning." Lu Jianguo rubbed his chin.

Grind ran to the ball. He didn't pass to Lev, nor to Kuroo. He glanced at Karasuno's defense. Because of the previous fast attack, Karasuno's center of gravity was entirely at the net.

Grind your fingers and gently flick.

The volleyball traced a very high arc and landed lightly in the corner of Karasuno's half of the court.

Nishitani Yu ran back as fast as he could, diving to make a save. His fingertips touched the ball, but it had already hit the ground.

23: 24.

Otoko has reached game point.

The referee raised his hand. The entire stadium erupted in uproar.

Karasuno was forced to the edge of a cliff.

"It was my fault," Kageyama Tobio gritted his teeth.

"It's not your fault." Lu Ren walked over and patted Ying Shan on the back. "Kenmo used Ye Jiu as the ultimate firewall. As long as Ye Jiu doesn't collapse, Nekoma's health bar will be full."

Lu Ren turned around and looked at the Yinju team on the other side of the net.

Kuro was laughing, Lev was panting, and Yoru was stretching his arms. Grin stood among them, like a player who had just completed a Hell difficulty level and was enjoying the final results screen.

"This is really annoying," Lu Ren muttered.

His inherent stubbornness surged up completely. In volleyball, no one can settle the score until the very last point.

"Kageyama." Lu Ren didn't even turn his head. "Next ball, give it to me."

Kageyama watched Lu Ren's retreating figure without saying a word, only nodding heavily.

Fukunaga serves for the third time.

The ball was served towards Sawamura's defensive zone. Sawamura received it steadily.

"The pass is perfect!"

Kageyama is in position. The entire Karasuno team is activated. Hinata is on the left, Tanaka in the center, and Rikujin on the right.

Grinding stared at Kageyama's hand.

Kageyama passes the ball. The ball flies to the right wing.

Lu Ren jumped.

Black Tail, Lev, and Hisense. Yinju's three-man barrier instantly took shape, like an impenetrable high wall, blocking Lu Ren's way.

There is no route. There is no gap.

Lu Ren hovered in the air, his gaze sweeping across the wall. His brain was frantically calculating angles, forces, and wind resistance.

"The thugs are out of bounds," Lu Ren decided.

He aimed for the edge of Lev's left little finger. If it grazed that spot, the ball would fly out of bounds, and Yoru would have no chance of saving it.

Lu Ren waved his arm.

The volleyball slammed into Lev's hand with tremendous force.

Just 0.1 seconds before touching the ball, Lev's arm suddenly pulled inward.

This is instinct. The instinct of wild animals to avoid danger.

Lu Ren's spike didn't hit Lev's fingers, but instead slammed solidly into Kuro's palm.

"Bang!"

The volleyball was blocked and landed straight in Karasuno's half of the court.

"It's not over yet!" Nishitani Yu rushed out from the back row, sliding along the floor and using the instep of her foot to prop up the ball.

The ball bounced high and flew towards the net.

This is a ball that both sides can contest.

Hinata Shoyo and Kenma jumped at the same time in front of the net.

Hinata's jumping ability far surpasses that of Maro; his hand has already touched the bottom edge of the ball. With just one forceful press, the ball will land on Nekoma's field.

But Momo didn't try to grab the ball.

He stretched out his hands in the air and made a perfect setter's touch. Instead of pressing the ball down, he gently lifted it upwards, following Hyuga's momentum.

Hinata's hand missed its target.

The volleyball slipped from Hinata's fingertips and landed in an open space in Karasuno's half of the court.

Lu Ren rushed over to make the save, his fingertips brushing against the surface of the volleyball.

"Smack."

The ball landed.

The referee blew his whistle, raised both hands, and pointed to the half of the field where the sound horse was.

23: 25.

The second game is over.

A tremendous roar erupted inside the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. The support group for Otoko was playing deafening brass instruments.

On the field, almost the instant the whistle blew, all the Karasuno and Otoko players collapsed to the floor.

Hinata Shoyo lay sprawled on the floor, his chest heaving violently, his throat emitting a wheezing sound like a broken bellows. Kageyama Tobio braced himself on his knees, sweat dripping from his nose and pooling on the floor.

Lu Ren sat on the ground with his legs stretched out. He felt as if his lungs were stuffed with sandpaper, and every breath he took was filled with the smell of blood.

He looked up and gazed at the other side of the net.

Gonma was also sitting on the floor. Kuroo was pouring water over his head with a watering can. Gonma shook his hair, turned his head, and met Rikuren's gaze.

The two were separated by the net, neither of them speaking.

Lu Ren grinned, revealing his gleaming white teeth.

Grind blinked and turned to take the towel that Kuroo handed him.

The score is tied 1-1.

This tower defense game set in a junkyard was forcibly dragged into the final decisive round.

Lu Ren pushed himself up from the floor. He couldn't feel the soreness in his thighs; he only felt a fire burning in his head.

"It's fun." Lu Ren licked his chapped lips. "It's so much fun."