Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

18:24.

Lu Ren collapsed onto the wooden floor, his thigh muscles spasming uncontrollably, each twitch feeling like steel needles stabbing into his muscle fibers. Salty sweat streamed down his brow bone and into his eyes, instantly drawing out bright red blood vessels. His chest heaved violently as he stared back at the glaring white fluorescent lights on the ceiling, gulping down the stuffy, sweltering air of the arena like a drowning man.

"Beep—" The referee raised his hand, and the sharp whistle forcibly brought the game back to reality. The serve returned to Karasuno.

Sugawara Koji walked over, his eyes already red-rimmed. He didn't say anything, but gritted his teeth, reached out and tightly grabbed Lu Ren's armpits, forcefully pulling the almost exhausted junior up from the floor.

Lu Ren dragged his right leg, which was completely broken and trembling even when he was standing, and slowly and heavily moved back to the service area.

Holding the volleyball in my hand, the familiar leather texture was now incredibly slippery from the sweat.

The referee blew the whistle again.

Lu Ren dribbled the ball twice, his palms drenched in cold sweat. He couldn't jump anymore; his body's capabilities had been pushed to their absolute physical limits. He stood behind the baseline, took a deep breath, tossed the ball, and swung his arm.

A basic, unpretentious overhand serve. No spin, no change of direction, and certainly no power to tear apart the defense. The volleyball sails over the net and drifts slowly toward Kazusa's half of the court.

On the stage of the national semi-finals, at the crucial match point that determines life or death, this kind of serve is no different from directly raising the white flag and giving away a point.

Kasaka's libero, Keisuke Yunnan, barely moved, easily setting up the pass. The first pass was perfectly placed, its arc so precise it was almost unbelievable.

Usuri Mitsuru stood at the net, his fingers deftly supporting the ball. In that instant, he even had a moment to glance at Karasuno's half of the court out of the corner of his eye—Hyuga Shoyo was still desperately rushing towards the net, but his steps were already erratic; Kageyama Tobio's movement was half a beat slower, and he was panting heavily; Tsukishima Hotaru's knees were bent to less than half their usual degree, and her face was as pale as paper.

Everyone was low on health. Karasuno's defenses were riddled with holes.

Usutoshi didn't hesitate to push the ball to the left wing. An extremely high and stable pass.

Kiryu Hachi begins his run-up. One step, two steps, three steps! The heavy sneakers scrape the floor with a deafening screech. This man, like a heavy tank, leaps high into the air, his broad back muscles fully extended, as if he were suspended at the highest point of the net, blocking out all the lights.

On Karasuno's side, Hyuga, Kageyama, and Tsukishima gritted their teeth, squeezing out their last bit of strength to force a jump. Their three arms barely managed to create a flimsy barrier in front of the net. Not high enough, the gaps too large.

Kiryu Hachi waved his arm.

"Bang--!!"

The volleyball, like a cannonball, forcefully cleaved through the air, carrying a suffocating wind pressure, and pierced through the gaps in Tsukishima and Kageyama's arms. The ball's speed was so fast that its afterimage was not even visible to the naked eye.

In the back row, Nishitani Yu abandoned all premeditation and lunged forward purely on animalistic instinct. His chin slammed heavily on the floor with a thud, and his arms stretched out with all his might, his fingertips almost digging into the wooden floorboards.

It was about half a hand's width apart.

The volleyball slammed onto the floor with terrifying force, then bounced high into the air, heading straight for the stands.

"Beep—!!"

The referee blew the long whistle to signal the end of the game, the sound piercing the dome of the stadium and shattering Karasuno's summer dream.

The scoreboard flipped relentlessly. 18 to 25. The overall score was 0-2.

ended.

A moment of stunned silence fell over the entire stadium. Then, thunderous applause surged from all sides of the stands, instantly engulfing the entire arena like a tsunami. The commentator's impassioned voice echoed over the loudspeaker, announcing that Sasaka High School had advanced to the Spring High School Finals.

Hinata Shoyo remained kneeling, still in his landing position, staring blankly at the mark left by the volleyball. Kageyama Tobio lowered his head, large beads of sweat dripping from his nose onto the floor, splashing tiny droplets. Tsukishima Kei silently removed her fogged-up glasses, wiping them haphazardly with the hem of her jersey, her hands trembling violently.

Lu Ren stood at the bottom line and exhaled a long breath of stale air that had been building up in his chest.

The game failed. The blood-red "Game Over" screen still popped up.

He looked down at his hands, still trembling uncontrollably, his palms covered in scrapes, red marks, and blisters. No regrets, truly no regrets. Losing is losing; in a game of pure numerical superiority, tactical micro-management can't make up for it.

"Line up!" Daichi Sawamura's voice rang out. Hoarse and tired, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor at the end of his voice, he still steadily supported the backbone of the entire formation.

The entire Karasuno team dragged their leaden legs toward the net.

Across the net, Lu Ren met Usuri Mitsuru's gaze. The setter from Kazusa was also covered in sweat, his chest heaving violently, completely lacking the composure he had at the start of the game, and his eyes were filled with deep apprehension as he looked at Lu Ren.

The two shook hands.

Kiryu Hachi's hands were broad, rough, and surprisingly warm. He gripped Riku's hand tightly, looking down at the boy who had caused them so much trouble, and unusually spoke: "You guys are strong. The last round was incredibly grueling. If you had been a little more physically fit, we might have lost."

"Thank you for the compliment." Lu Ren grinned, revealing his chapped lips. He pulled at the corner of his mouth, drawing a trickle of blood. "Next time we meet, I'll show you some even more disgusting tactics. Be prepared, big guy."

Usuri Mitsuru, who was standing nearby, heard this and his cheeks twitched uncontrollably twice.

The entire Karasuno group turned to face the audience and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle. In the stands, Lu Jianguo was frantically pounding his support drum, tears streaming down his face; Qingze Yazhi, her eyes red, was vigorously waving a black banner that read "Fly!" The deafening cheers became the poignant background music as they left the stage.

The walk down from the court felt exceptionally long, as if it were the entirety of my youth.

I pushed open the locker room door. The noise, flashes of light, and cheers from the corridor were completely shut out by the heavy door.

The room was dimly lit, with only the hum of the exhaust fan and the strong smell of sweat mixed with Yunnan Baiyao.

Hinata Shoyo threw his backpack on the bench and slid down onto the floor, landing on the cold metal counter. He buried his head in his knees, his shoulders trembling. At first, it was just suppressed sobbing, but in less than ten seconds, his emotions completely broke down, turning into unrestrained wailing.

Ryunosuke Tanaka covered his face tightly with a towel, leaned against the corner of the wall, and let out a whimper like a wounded beast. His tears soaked the towel.

"Damn it... so close..." west Gu Xi slammed his fist on the cabinet door, denting a piece of the metal. His eyes were red, and he gritted his teeth, his cheek muscles bulging as he desperately tried to hold back his tears.

Kageyama Tobio sat on the edge of the bench, his hands behind his head, his ten fingers digging deep into his scalp, like a sculpture frozen in death.

Suppressed. Resentful. Wronged. My heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly by a giant hand.

Along the way, we've overcome so many invincible foes. We defeated the reigning champion Shiratorizawa, triumphed over the invincible Inarizaki, survived the fateful final battle in the junkyard, and toppled the impenetrable walls of Oogawa. We were only two steps away from that highest podium.

But the dream shattered on the cold floor during the semi-finals.

Lu Ren found a corner to sit down, silently unfastened his knee pads, and pressed his thumb hard against his cramped calf muscles, gasping in pain. He looked at the group of high school students crying their eyes out, saying nothing. At times like this, any pale words of comfort would be useless; emotions needed an outlet.

Wu Yang leaned against the doorframe, lowered his head, and lit a cigarette. His hands trembled violently, and it took him three tries to light it. He took two deep drags, his eyes welled up, and he stubbed it out and threw it in the trash can. He turned to look down the corridor, unable to bear the sight inside.

Daichi Sawamura stood in the center of the locker room. He didn't cry. He looked around at his wounded teammates, his gaze lingering on each of their faces, as if trying to etch this scene into his soul.

"Have you cried enough?" the earth asked, its voice not loud, but unusually clear in the enclosed space.

The locker room quieted down a bit, with only intermittent sobs remaining.

Daichi cleared his throat, walked up to Hinata, and vigorously ruffled Hinata's sweat-dampened, messy orange hair. "Lift your head."

Hinata raised his face, his face covered in tears and snot, his eyes red and swollen as he looked at his captain.

"We lost the match. We stopped at the semifinals." Daichi's tone was calm, as if he were stating something trivial that had nothing to do with him. "But look at you now. We went from being a 'fallen powerhouse' and 'crows that couldn't fly' all the way to the national tournament, fulfilled our promise to Nekoma, and finally stood on the stage of the semifinals. You've done very well."

The ground seemed to pause for a moment, and tears finally welled up in his eyes, which he had been holding back. He took a deep breath and forced a smile that looked worse than crying.

"Our youth ends here."

The moment those words were spoken, the air in the locker room fell completely still.

Sugawara Koji abruptly turned his head, his shoulders trembling violently, tears streaming down his face. Higashimine Asahi covered his mouth, tears falling in a steady stream, splashing onto the floor. They were third-year students. Spring High was their last match of their high school career. Losing this match meant retirement. The keys to the volleyball club would be handed over.

"Captain..." Hinata's voice trembled as he desperately reached out his hand.

"Don't look at me like that, you idiot." Daichi shook his head with a laugh, but tears finally streamed down his face. "These past three years have really been worth it. Before, we couldn't even get past the first round of the prefectural tournament, but now we can play two full games against the three national aces, and we can push monster teams like Mosaka to the point of exhaustion. I have no regrets."

Daichi turned around and looked at Kageyama, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, Tanaka, and Nishitani, finally fixing his gaze on Rikuren in the corner.

"Our chapter has come to an end. But yours has just begun!" The voice of the earth grew louder and louder, carrying an irresistible penetrating force and the weight of inheritance, "Engrave all the tears shed here today, the pain of muscle cramps, the sound of the opponent's spike hitting the floor, and this unwillingness—etch them all into your bones!"

"Now, it's your era!"

These words sound too much like a dying wish.

Hinata Shoyo suddenly stood up, hugged Daichi tightly around the waist, and cried his heart out, "I don't want to! I still want to play basketball with my seniors!"

Tanaka Ryunosuke rushed over and hugged Sugawara Koji tightly. Nishitani Yu could no longer hold back, tears streaming down her face, which she then clung to Higashimine Asahi's neck.

The first- and second-year players all rushed over, tightly surrounding the three third-year seniors. Cries filled the air, tears mingling with sweat, smearing themselves onto each other's jerseys.

The third-year students, with tears in their eyes, patted the backs of their juniors forcefully, forcing smiles as they offered words of comfort.

"We have to bring the championship back next year, next ace." Sugawara Koji rubbed Tanaka's bald head.

"You bunch of idiots, don't cause trouble for the new captain in the future, do you hear me!" Sawamura Daichi patted Hinata on the back, his voice choked with emotion.

Lu Ren sat in the corner, rubbing his legs as he watched this classic tearjerker scene from a Japanese shonen anime. He sighed, pulled a sports drink from his backpack, unscrewed the cap, and took a sip.

It tasted salty. I don't know if it was sweat or something else.

He stood up, limped to the edge of the crowd, and cleared his throat.

"I said, Captain," Lu Ren said, his voice lazy and with his characteristic nonchalant tone, as if he could use the sky as a blanket even if it fell down.

The untimely voice suddenly rang out, and everyone turned around with tears in their eyes, staring blankly at him.

"Your dialogue is so reminiscent of an NPC giving their will," Lu Ren said, pointing to the tactics board next to him and pursing his lips. "We've progressed this far in the main quest, and we've even touched the threshold of the final boss. It wouldn't be fair if you didn't give us some completion rewards and just kept killing people off, would it? The developers would be furious."

Sawamura Daichi was stunned, his tears still wet on his face, and his expression was somewhat comical.

Hinata Shoyo sniffed, then asked blankly, "Lu Ren, what are you talking about? What NPC?"

"What I mean is," Lu Ren walked over, put his arm around Daichi's shoulder, and pulled Sugawara and Higashimine over, forcibly putting the three third-year students together, "games have save points. Today's semi-finals are our Karasuno's new save point. Although the third-year accounts are offline due to level restrictions, the epic equipment you obtained, the tactical systems you left behind, and the complete strategy guides are all safely stored in the guild warehouse."

Lu Ren turned his head and looked at his teammates, whose eyes were red, his gaze gradually becoming sharp.

"Kasaka is strong. Kiryu Hachi is an unreasonable stat monster. But so what?" Lu Ren grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth, his smile exuding an unbridled arrogance. "Next year, I will upgrade the 'Chimera' tactical system to version 2.0. I will patch up all the defensive loopholes. I will make Kageyama's passes 0.1 seconds faster, Hyuga's jumps 5 centimeters higher, and Tsukishima's blocks ten times more disgusting!"

Upon hearing his name, Kageyama Hiro, who had been looking down, suddenly raised his head, and the flame that had been extinguished in his deep blue eyes reignited. Hinata Shoyo also stopped crying, wiped his face haphazardly, and stared intently at Riku Ren.

Lu Ren patted the earth's chest, making a "thump thump" sound.

"So, seniors, don't act like it's a life-or-death situation. I've reserved front-row VIP seats for you guys at next year's Spring High School Finals. Remember to bring your popcorn and cola, and keep your eyes peeled as we crush the number one BOSS in the entire server."

These words were mixed with a bunch of incomprehensible gaming jargon, but everyone in the locker room understood them perfectly.

The oppressive and suffocating atmosphere of sadness was largely dispelled by this extremely arrogant and outrageous declaration.

Tanaka Ryunosuke paused for two seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter through his tears, wiping his face vigorously: "You little bastard, you're still so arrogant even after losing the game! But... it's fucking awesome!"

Sawamura Daichi looked at Lu Ren, then at his teammates whose fighting spirit had been rekindled, and the gloom in his eyes completely dissipated. He took a deep breath, raised his fist, and lightly punched Lu Ren on the shoulder.

"It's a deal then. If we don't win the championship next year, I'll definitely run back to school and beat you guys to a pulp."

"Leave it to me." Lu Ren rubbed his sore shoulders, smiling like a triumphant fox.

Outside the locker room.

As Wu Yang listened to the sounds inside change from crying to laughter and cursing, a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips. He put his hands in his pockets, turned around, and strode into the depths of the corridor, his back view appearing much more relaxed.

Although the feathers of these little crows were broken today, their bones are very strong and not broken at all.