Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

20 to 18. The numbers on the scoreboard were glaringly red, as if relentlessly counting down Karasuno's lifeline.

Hoshino stood at the net, his chest heaving at an alarming rate, sweat dripping from his nose onto the wooden floor, leaving a small ripple. He was down by two points. At this stage of the deciding set, two points seemed like an insurmountable chasm.

The roar from the stands came in waves, as if trying to lift the dome of the entire stadium. Karasuno's supporters had long since lost their voices from shouting, yet they continued to wave their banners with all their might. Lu Jianguo stood up straight in the stands, a large drum that had appeared in his hand at some point, and he raised the drumsticks high, ready to strike out the most exhilarating rhythm.

Xinghai raised his hand and fiercely wiped the sweat from his chin, but his eyes were as cold as ice.

"He's too short to play volleyball."

"Go practice libero. Outside hitters need height, that's a major weakness."

"What a pity. If he could grow another twenty centimeters, he would definitely be a genius..."

Those voices he'd heard since childhood suddenly resurfaced in his mind like a revolving lantern. From elementary school to middle school, and then to high school. With each change of environment, a different group of people would repeat the same arguments in his ear, using the same regretful or contemptuous tone.

Not being tall enough puts you at a disadvantage in terms of strength, limiting your vertical reach. These are objective physical laws, insurmountable barriers.

But in order to break these rules, he paid a price that is unimaginable to ordinary people.

Every day, without fail, he did squats and core training, countless vertical jumps, and read all sorts of dry volleyball theory books until the pages were worn out. He remembered his junior high coach patting him on the shoulder, his tone full of regret; he remembered the contemptuous smile on his opponents' faces when they watched him enter the court.

To compensate for his height disadvantage, he forced himself to drink three cups of milk every day, even when it made his stomach churn and he almost vomited; he ran with heavy sandbags strapped to his ankles until his meniscus issued a dangerous warning; he studied video footage like a madman, dissecting the jumping postures of top attackers frame by frame. He treated his body like a precision machine, modifying and pushing it to its limits.

He learned to utilize the maximum power of every muscle and to find that one-centimeter blind spot in mid-air. Others only saw him flying lightly in the air, but they didn't know how much blood and sweat he shed in countless deserted nights to grow those wings.

Having come this far, standing on the stage of the top eight in the country, Xinghai Guanglai has never relied on luck, but on his hard work and dedication!

"How could I... fall here?" Xinghai murmured softly, a dark blue fire burning in his eyes.

Karasuno serves. Higashi Minegisu steps onto the baseline again, spinning the volleyball in his hand.

Throw the ball, take a long run-up, and jump!

With a muffled thud, a powerful jump serve! The volleyball, spinning intensely, hurtled towards the back row of the Outai team like a cannonball.

"I'll take it!" Shang Lin lowered his center of gravity, his arms bracing against the ball's terrifying force. The immense power instantly turned his arms red, but he still managed to steadily pass the ball up. "First pass, perfect!"

Suwa quickly stepped in, his gaze sweeping across the room.

Xinghai suddenly started from the back row, moving with incredible speed, like a cheetah. His run-up was completely fluid, each step precisely timed to the perfect rhythm, converting kinetic energy into upward potential energy.

Jump!

In mid-air, Hoshino's view was incredibly expansive. Karasuno's three-man defensive formation had taken shape like an impenetrable wall; Tsukishima, Kageyama, and Tanaka, their three raised arms intertwined, firmly blocking all routes in front of them.

Xinghai didn't choose to blindly confront the ball head-on. He displayed a breathtaking static force in mid-air, with an extremely precise twist of his wrist and a light flick of his fingertips on the side of the volleyball.

The fighter is out of bounds!

The ball narrowly missed Tsukishima's little finger and flew out of bounds.

20:19.

Outai managed to pull back a point!

Hakuba Mei shouted excitedly and ran over to give Hoshino a big high-five. Hoshino didn't say anything, just breathed slightly, and turned to run towards the service area.

It's Xinghai's turn to serve.

He stood outside the baseline, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and briefly shut out the noise from the stadium. He tossed the ball and took a run-up.

The volleyball was hit precisely in mid-air, making a crisp "bang".

Jump float ball!

The ball's trajectory was so unpredictable, it seemed to glide through the air, heading straight for Nishiya Yu's defensive zone. Nishiya reacted extremely quickly, diving to the side to set the ball high towards the net.

"Kageyama!"

Kageyama received the ball and, without hesitation, passed it to Hyuga in the middle.

Hinata leaped up like a spring, his arm whipping out like a whip.

However, the double block of Hirugami Yukiro and Hakuba Mei was like two mountains blocking their way.

"Bang!"

The ball was blocked solidly and slammed directly onto the floor.

20:20.

draw!

Aaron Murphy clenched his fist on the sidelines, his eyes gleaming. At this crucial moment, Outai displayed a chillingly resilient spirit.

Karasuno immediately requested a pause.

Ukai Shishin, sweat beading on his forehead, gripped the tactics board and spoke rapidly, pointing to the positioning diagram: "Oudai's blocking is tightening; they're defending against Rikuren's second attack and Hyuga's quick attack. We need to widen the attack; we can't let them dictate our pace!"

Lu Ren hastily wiped the sweat from his face with a towel, panting as he interjected, "Hiruga's jumping rhythm is indeed very steady, but his immunity to feints is decreasing. I just tried a few times, and he hesitated for a fraction of a second. Kageyama, we can take advantage of that."

Kageyama wiped the sweat from his chin and nodded emphatically: "Understood."

The timeout ended, the whistle blew, and everyone returned to the field.

Lu Ren stood in the front row, grinned at Zhou Shen across the net, revealing his white teeth: "Zhou Shen, guess whether I'm going to spike... or pass this ball?"

The God of Daylight remained expressionless and silent, his eyes fixed on the volleyball, though a hint of wariness flickered deep within them.

The serve goes over the net.

Sawamura Daichi caught the ball steadily, and it flew towards Kageyama.

Lu Ren suddenly leaped high into the air in front of the net, his arm swinging in a wide arc, displaying astonishing momentum. Zhou Shen and Bai Ma tensed up, immediately jumping to block the attack!

However, at the highest point, Lu Ren suddenly pulled back his strength in mid-air, and the volleyball glided past his fingertips with extreme gentleness, falling to the back row like a feather.

Dong Fengxu surged forward from the back row like a heavy tank, delivering a powerful spike as the volleyball fell!

"Bang!" Score! 21 to 20.

But Oudai immediately retaliated. Facing a triple block from Karasuno at position four, Seikai forcefully twisted his body in mid-air and hit an incredible, extremely short diagonal shot, the ball hitting precisely inside the three-meter line.

21:21.

The match turned into a brutal meat grinder. Every point was pushing both sides to their limits.

Karasuno leads 22-21. Rikujin has the serve.

He stood at the baseline, head down, patting the ball. His thigh muscles ached as if countless needles were pricking him; a jump serve was absolutely out of the question.

He took a deep breath, tossed the ball, took a run-up, and hit an overhand float shot.

Although the ball speed was not fast, the landing point was extremely tricky, and it was aimed at Shang Lin, the libero at Outai.

Shang Lin has solid footwork, steady ball reception, and perfect first pass.

"Starry Sea!" Suwa shouted.

Xinghai once again appeared from the back row like a ghost and jumped.

Hotaru Tsukishima stared intently at him from the net, her hands raised high, attempting to use her height advantage to block the straight shot.

Xinghai's eyes sharpened in mid-air, and he instantly changed his spiking motion, flicking his wrist to deliver a light drop shot!

The volleyball flew past Tsukishima's fingertips and landed lightly in the back row.

With a roar, Nishitani Yu made a desperate diving save, her fingertips even brushing against the rough surface of the ball, but the ball still landed mercilessly.

22:22.

The Outai substitutes' bench erupted in a roar of cheers that seemed to lift the roof off.

Aaron Murphy nodded approvingly from the sidelines. Xinghai's judgment was still so sharp even in a state of extreme fatigue; he was simply a monster.

The serve returns to Oogawa. Hirugami Yukiro serves.

The jump float ball cleared the net, targeting Tanaka, who was extremely exhausted.

Tanaka gritted his teeth and received the ball, but his first pass was only half-complete.

Kageyama moved quickly and jumped in front of the net. He caught a glimpse of Oudai's block out of the corner of his eye, and instead of passing to Hyuga in the front row, he made a very subtle back pass to Rikuren in the back row!

Lu Ren jumped from three meters out and swung his arm hard at the ball.

Bai Ma Meisheng and Xinghai immediately followed up with a double block.

Lu Ren calmly caught the fleeting gap between the nets in mid-air, and with a sudden burst of power, he hit an extremely sharp straight shot!

"Bang!" The ball slammed heavily into the bottom corner of the Outai platform.

The referee promptly raised his flag; in bounds!

23:22.

Karasuno is in the lead again!

Lu Ren landed, his heels slightly numb. He rubbed his sore shoulders and whistled at Bai Ma through the net, shouting, "Hey, what's the use of being tall? You need brains to block, big guy!"

White Horse was so angry that his face turned red and his veins bulged. He was about to rush forward when Day God grabbed him.

"Ignore him, calm down, he's just trying to provoke you," the God of Day said in a deep voice.

The serve goes to Karasuno. Tadashi Yamaguchi is substituted into the game.

The key player made the crucial distribution. The entire arena seemed to fall silent for a moment.

Yamaguchi stood at the baseline, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and listened to his heart pounding like a drum. He tossed the ball, took a run-up, and launched a float!

After the ball crossed the net, it plummeted rapidly with an uncanny arc.

Xinghai Guanglai reacted extremely quickly, stepping forward and catching the ball.

The ball was lifted steadily.

"Great pass!" Suwa shouted.

After landing, Xinghai quickly retreated without pausing for even half a second, and then took another running start and jumped.

His physical abilities are simply a bottomless pit!

Facing Karasuno's well-prepared three-man block, Hoshino forcefully exerted his strength in mid-air, unleashing his core power and forcefully breaking through the block's hand!

"Bang!" The ball slammed heavily into Karasuno's half of the field with a dull thud.

23:23.

draw.

Every touch of the ball, every jump, was frantically draining the last of their energy.

Tanaka Ryunosuke was panting heavily, his chest heaving like a broken bellows, and his legs felt as heavy as lead.

too tired.

This was the most exhausting match he had ever experienced in his volleyball career. The opponent was an absolute powerhouse at the national level, and every ball, every defense, and every run required immense physical and mental exertion.

A strong, metallic taste of blood rose in my throat, and even swallowing my saliva felt painful.

A weak voice was whispering in my head.

"Getting this far... isn't that pretty good already?"

"We've already beaten Inarizaki and Otokoma, so we've already reached the quarterfinals. That's more than enough."

"I really can't jump anymore, my legs are shaking. Is it okay to stop here? Everyone will understand..."

Tanaka closed his eyes in pain.

Sweat streamed down his eyebrows and into his eyes, the stinging sensation jolting him awake.

He opened his eyes, blinked hard, and looked around.

Hinata was like a tireless monster at the net, jumping again and again, falling down and getting up quickly each time. That little guy, even though his stamina was almost depleted and he could barely stand, still had a burning fire in his eyes!

Kageyama's jersey was completely soaked and clung tightly to his back, but his fingers were still constantly rubbing the volleyball, and his brain was frantically calculating the trajectory of the next pass.

Despite his legs cramping up, Lu Ren was still running all over the court, his mouth never stopping as he tried to distract the opposing blockers with words, thus relieving the pressure on the attackers.

Daichi-senpai stood in the back row like an unshakeable mountain, steadily catching every crucial ball; Asahi-senpai continued to attack the opponent's defense, even as he was repeatedly blocked.

Everyone is working incredibly hard.

Even Tsukishima, who usually loves to slack off and always says "it's just a club activity," is gritting his teeth and persevering, not even bothering to wipe the sweat from his glasses.

"What utter nonsense am I spouting!" Tanaka cursed himself inwardly.

Why can we stop here?

How could anyone have such a disgusting and cowardly thought!

He is Karasuno's next-generation ace! A senior! One of the team's sharpest scorers!

If even he gives up, then Karasuno will have truly lost!

Give me the ball!!!

Tanaka suddenly raised his head and let out a tearing roar.

The roar was particularly loud in the noisy stadium, carrying a do-or-die determination, and even drowned out the clamor from the audience.

Kageyama suddenly turned his head and glanced at him, a glint of light flashing in his deep eyes.

The serve belongs to Oudai. Hakuba Meisen jumps to serve.

The ball was extremely fast, hurtling towards the back row with a whistling sound.

Sawamura Daichi shouted, lowering his center of gravity to its lowest point, and caught the ball steadily: "Well done!"

"Kageyama!"

Kageyama dashed to the net like a gust of wind and jumped!

The netting at Oogami Island was instantly drawn to the scene. Hiruzen and Hoshino stared intently at the restless Hinata and Rikuren.

However, Kageyama paused for a fatal fraction of a second in mid-air, then slammed the ball to the left wing with both hands!

There, Tanaka gritted his teeth, finished his run-up, and took off!

His thigh muscles were protesting wildly, and his calves were trembling uncontrollably, but he still managed to jump to the highest point with amazing willpower!

In front of him was Bai Ma Meisheng, who quickly filled in for a solo block.

With a terrifying height of 2.03 meters and outstretched arms, he resembled an insurmountable wall of sighs.

Tanaka stared wide-eyed into the air, his eyeballs bloodshot.

He did not back down, nor did he hesitate for even a moment!

With his arm swung to its fullest extent, all the remaining strength in his body was concentrated in his palm!

Get over there!!!

"Bang!!!"

The volleyball slammed into Hakuba's arm with a deafening thud!

The force was immense, far exceeding Hakuba's imagination! Hakuba's arm was forcefully deflected, and the volleyball changed direction in mid-air, spinning wildly as it flew out of bounds!

"Beep—!"

The referee blew his whistle loudly and pointed directly to Karasuno's half of the field!

Out of bounds! The thug has gone out of bounds!

24:23.

Karasuno, you've got match point!

Tanaka landed, stumbled, and nearly collapsed to his knees.

Lu Ren reacted quickly, grabbing his arm and giving his sweaty bald head a good squeeze, laughing loudly, "Well done, Baldy Qiang! That shot really had the feel of an ace!"

Hinata jumped and danced with excitement in front of the screen: "Tanaka-senpai is so cool!!!"

Tanaka, panting heavily, flung Lu Ren's hand away, but couldn't help but smile and curse, "Stop talking nonsense... I was, I was always the ace!"

On the other side of the net, Hoshino Kōrai stared intently at the glaring "24" on the scoreboard, his face extremely grim.

Outai was completely pushed to the edge of a cliff.