Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

Lu Ren stood at the bottom line.

He looked up at the stadium's dome. It was considerably higher than Karasuno's second stadium, and the rows of high-hanging incandescent lights resembled a giant net of light. To ordinary people, this was a blinding source of interference, but for players who had already constructed a spatial model in their minds, it was an excellent reference coordinate system.

"call……"

Without any unnecessary dribbling motions, Lu Ren didn't even take a step back like a normal serve. He simply turned to the side, took a half step back with his left foot, lowered his center of gravity, and curled up like a taut bow.

The volleyball in his hand was gently tossed into the air, very low, barely reaching his head.

But the moment the ball fell, Lu Ren's body sprang up, his waist and abdomen powering his right arm, and with an extremely awkward yet explosive posture, he struck the bottom of the volleyball hard with the heel of his palm.

"Go on."

A muffled thud.

Instead of flying forward, the volleyball shot almost vertically into the air. Spinning violently, it instantly pierced through the blinding strip of lights and continued to rise until it shrank into a tiny black dot in everyone's view, as if it were about to pierce through the ceiling.

Everyone on the field was stunned.

"What is this...?" Kindaichi asked, head held high, mouth slightly agape.

"A ceiling serve?" Oikawa Tetsu narrowed his eyes, his gaze fixed on the black dot that disappeared into the halo of light.

This type of serve is extremely rare in formal matches because it requires precise height and is prone to going out of bounds. However, in the complex lighting of an indoor venue like this, it is like a "flashbang" with a physical blinding effect.

The ball paused briefly at its highest point before beginning to fall.

Gravitational potential energy is converted into kinetic energy, and the volleyball, accompanied by the sound of falling wind, accelerates faster and faster. As it passes through the layer of lights, the dramatic alternation of light and dark makes it impossible for the receiver's pupils to adjust their focus.

The adult group opposite them had clearly never seen such an unorthodox approach. The middle-aged man in the back row squinted, trying to judge the landing point, but the black dot swayed left and right in the shadows of the lights, like a texture that was rendered incorrectly by a graphics card.

"I'll do it!" The middle-aged man took a step forward with his hands clasped together.

However, he clearly lacked respect for the physical concept of "gravitational acceleration".

"Bang!"

The sound of the ball hitting the floor was almost too crisp.

It didn't hit his arm, but rather the wooden floor outside the boundary line.

It was only about ten centimeters from the baseline.

The referee (a random passerby who was temporarily conscripted) raises his flag: Out of bounds.

Lu Ren remained in the position of finishing his arm swing, his lips twitching slightly.

"Tsk."

The power judgment wasn't right, and I used too much force. This kind of high-difficulty maneuver definitely shouldn't be used recklessly without practice. If you accidentally hit someone, it's not a serve, it's intentional injury.

"What a pity." Although Oikawa Tetsu said that, the light in his eyes was frightening.

This kind of thinking—willing to do anything to win, even resorting to such acrobatic skills—is exactly to his liking.

Just how many strange tactics does this kid have in his head?

Possession of the ball changes.

The opposing adult team was clearly enraged. The middle-aged man who had been blocked earlier walked to the service line with a dark expression and smacked the ball twice.

Toss the ball, take a run-up, jump, and slam dunk.

A standard jump serve.

The ball was fast, carrying the heavy, powerful feel of an adult, heading straight for the back corner.

Lu Ren rolled his eyes inwardly.

What's going on? Is the powerful jump attack a basic skill given to newbies in the starting village these days? Why does every villainous NPC know this move? Did I just miss claiming a system gift pack?

"Kindaichi!" Iwaizumi shouted.

Yutaro Kindaichi reacted a beat too slow. The ball spun more than expected, bouncing strangely as it hit his arm.

"Feel sorry!"

The ball didn't fly towards the setter's position, but instead flew directly to one side of the net, and it wasn't high enough.

This is a typical bad ball.

Oikawa Tetsuya was about to start his run to save the ball, but the distance was too far, and Kunimi Hideo was blocking his path as he was retreating.

"It can't be fixed." Oikawa Tetsu made the judgment instantly.

The ball traced an awkward arc in the air, and it looked like it was about to fall within the three-meter line.

Just then, a figure suddenly rushed out from the side.

It's Lu Ren.

His position was originally on the right wing, and when he saw the ball coming, he almost instinctively cut into the setter's position.

"I'll do it!"

Lu Ren shouted and slammed his feet on the floor, making a screeching sound.

The ball has arrived.

The position is awkward; the body hasn't fully turned around yet. If it were a standard setter, they might choose to set a pass or adjust the ball to the attacker closer to the target.

But Lu Ren isn't a setter. He's a player.

In the eyes of players, there are only "optimal solutions" and "easy points".

His peripheral vision caught a glimpse to his left. There, Iwaizumi Ichi had already begun his run-up. No matter how bad the pass was, as the ace player, Iwaizumi Ichi would definitely jump.

This is trust, or rather, this is the AI ​​logic of top-tier NPCs.

Lu Ren did not hesitate. He forcefully twisted his waist and abdomen, raising his hands in front of his forehead.

There was no unnecessary force reduction, nor any delicate finger manipulation. He was like a pre-programmed catapult, using the instantaneous stiffness of his fingers and wrist to forcefully "push" the ball out.

Target: High ground on the left flank.

The ball speed wasn't fast, and it even drifted a bit, but its landing point was clear.

Iwaizumi's pupils contracted slightly as he stood in mid-air.

This ball...

Although it had no spin and no lead time designed to accommodate attackers, it simply hung straight at the net.

It's like someone put a target there.

"Easy to beat!"

Iwaizumi roared inwardly, unleashing his pent-up power. His arm lashed out like a whip, his hand precisely enveloping the sphere.

"boom!"

The volleyball, like a cannonball, blasted through the opposing team's block, which hadn't even had time to close, and bounced high off the floor.

Score.

"Nice kill!"

Kindaichi excitedly clenched his fist.

Lu Ren shook his slightly sore wrist and breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, although there was no skill involved, it was all about emotion.

However, before the celebration was over, a commotion suddenly broke out on the sidelines.

"Oikawa-senpai?!"

Lu Ren turned his head and saw that Oikawa Tetsu was sitting on the ground, clutching his ankles with both hands and frowning.

At his feet lay a mineral water bottle, which no one knew who had thrown there.

In that last play, although Oikawa Tetsu didn't go to receive the ball, he was constantly moving and drawing attention as bait. Clearly, when he stepped back, he stepped into that damn "map trap".

"Are you alright?" Iwaizumi was the first to rush over, his face ashen.

"It's nothing, it's just a twist." Oikawa Tetsu waved his hand and tried to stand up, but as soon as his feet touched the ground, his face contorted in pain. "Ouch—okay, maybe it's a little serious."

People quickly gathered around.

Lu Ren stood on the periphery, watching this scene, and sighed inwardly.

It seems the instance is about to be forcibly ended.

Although it's a bit of a shame that I couldn't gain more experience, considering that my body's durability is almost at its limit, this is probably the system's anti-addiction mechanism at work.

A few minutes later, Oikawa Tetsu was already sitting on the sidelines with an ice pack on his ankle.

The match naturally couldn't continue.

Lu Ren walked to the sidelines, picked up his bag, and gave Ya Zhi a wink.

"Then we'll be going now," Lu Ren said to Iwaizumi. "Please tell Oikawa-senpai to take good care of his injuries."

Iwaizumi nodded, looking at Lu Ren with a complicated expression: "Thanks for today. Your pass... was very interesting."

Lu Ren shrugged and turned to leave.

"Hey, Fan Ma over there."

The voice of Toru Oikawa came from behind.

Lu Ren stopped and turned around.

Oikawa Tetsu sat on the bench with one leg crossed over his shoulder. Although his posture was somewhat awkward, his eyes were still so sharp that no one dared to look directly at him.

"I don't know why you would waste your time in a place like Shiratorizawa," Oikawa Tetsu pointed at Riku Ren, a signature fake smile playing on his lips, "but that school, filled with the smell of sweat and muscle worship, is not suitable for you."

"Your brain is very useful, but it will rust among those calves who only know how to use brute force."

Oikawa paused, lowering his voice slightly, but making it even clearer.

"If you ever want a change of scenery, the gates of Aoba City's west side are always open for you. I'll show you what kind of team can maximize your value."

This is blatant poaching.

And it happened in front of their own ace player and junior students.

Kindaichi and Kunimi were both stunned; they had never seen Oikawa-senpai speak so highly of a first-year student from another school.

Lu Ren remained silent for two seconds.

He looked at Oikawa Tetsu, the match that had just taken place flashing through his mind.

Although he has a terrible personality, he is impeccable as captain and setter.

"understood."

Lu Ren neither refused nor agreed. He simply waved his hand, slung his bag over his shoulder, and said, "But you'd better forget about the name Baki Hanma."

After saying that, he took Yazhi's hand and walked out of the stadium without looking back.

Only after the two figures completely disappeared through the door did Iwaizumi turn his gaze to his partner beside him.

"Are you serious?" Iwaizumi asked. "That kid may have good awareness, but his fundamentals are terrible."

"You can practice the basics." Oikawa Tetsu leaned back in his chair, looking at the ceiling, "but that instinct to instantly find the optimal solution in chaos can't be trained."

He turned his head and looked at Iwaizumi Ichi, his eyes showing a rare seriousness.

"Xiaoyan, how did you feel about that shot?"

Which ball?

"That ball that guy passed to you."

Iwazumi paused for a moment, then looked down at his palm.

The feeling of that dunk still lingers in my palm. That exhilarating feeling of scoring without needing to think or adjust, just by exerting force.

"It's very rough," Iwaizumi said frankly. "The ball speed is slow, there's no spin, and the intention is too obvious."

"But?" Oikawa Tetsu pressed.

Iwaizumi was silent for a moment before slowly speaking: "But... it's very comfortable."

He frowned, as if searching for the right words.

"Just like...you when you were in fourth grade."

Oikawa Tetsu's pupils suddenly contracted.

"Back then, your skills weren't as amazing as they are now, and you didn't use any fancy feints," Iwaizumi recalled. "Back then, you only had one thought when passing the ball: to get the ball to where I could generate the most power."

"That's the feeling I got from that kid just now."

That kind of pass, purely for the purpose of scoring points for the attacker.

There was no showing off of skills, no self-expression, only absolute rationality and a service-oriented mindset.

A brief silence fell over the stadium.

After a long while, Oikawa Tetsu suddenly grabbed his hair in frustration and let out a long sigh.

"Ugh! This is so annoying!"

He buried his face in his hands, and his voice came out muffled.

"I knew it! That awful intuition was right!"

"Iwa! Quick! Go and bring them back before they get too far!" Oikawa Tetsu suddenly looked up, pointing at the gate. "Whether it's ramen or an autographed photo, tie that Hanma Baki up and take him back to the west side of Aoba Castle!"

Iwaizumi looked speechlessly at his childhood friend who had suddenly gone mad, and coldly remarked, "Too late."

"ha?"

"They've long since disappeared," Iwaizumi said, pointing to the empty gate.

Oikawa Toru froze.

A few seconds later, he slumped back into his chair like a salted fish that had lost its dreams.

"That damned Ushijima..." Oikawa Tetsu gritted his teeth, muttering the name of his nemesis, "Holding such a good hand, and still playing it like a primitive man... What a waste! It's a crime!"

Seeing his captain's behavior, Iwazumi couldn't help but slap him on the back of the head.

"Alright, stop howling. Since you're from Miyagi Prefecture, we'll run into each other on the field sooner or later."

Iwazumi stood up and stretched his shoulders.

"Then we'll just beat him."

Oikawa Tetsu rubbed his head, the resentment in his eyes slowly fading, replaced by an even stronger fighting spirit.

"Too."

He looked towards the gate, and that infuriating smile returned to his lips.

"Next time we meet, I'll let him know that choosing the wrong side comes at a price."

……

Meanwhile, on my way home.

"Achoo!"

Lu Ren sneezed loudly and rubbed his nose.

"Who's insulting me?"

"Probably that Oikawa who you completely fooled," Yazhi said, walking beside her with the notebook in her hand, grinning like a cat that had just stolen some cream. "Baki Hanma?"

"Don't mention that name, it's incredibly embarrassing." Lu Ren buried his face in his scarf. "But today's raid was worth it. At least we figured out the situation in western Qingye City."

"That Oikawa Tetsu is very strong." Yazhi's smile faded. "Although he only played half the match, I could feel that his control of the game was much stronger than Kageyama's."

"Of course." Lu Ren looked at the streetlights that had come on by the roadside, his eyes somewhat unfocused. "Those are the setters for the final boss form."