Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The score is now 24-23. Itayama Gakuin has been forced to win the match point, and Karasuno now has the championship point.

The volleyball spun rapidly in the air, emitting a soft hum as it rubbed against the air. Lu Ren stood in the back row, his chest heaving, sweat dripping from his chin onto the smooth wooden floor, splashing into a small water droplet.

"Zuo Cang!" Lu Ren roared, his voice already somewhat hoarse.

The left-handed cannonball burst in from the side like a cheetah. On the other side of the net, the three-man block of Itayama had already taken shape, like a wall of sighs. Sakusho Seishin's arm blocked the route of the straight ball like an iron tower.

Zuo Cang's eyes sharpened; he didn't choose a direct confrontation. Instead, he flicked his wrist in mid-air with an incredibly subtle movement—an extremely stealthy dart!

The ball floated lightly over the block and landed in front of the libero from Jingtashan. The opponent reacted extremely quickly, making a desperate diving save, barely changing the ball's trajectory as it flew out of bounds.

"Don't even think about landing!" The setter from Itayama sprinted to save the ball, and just as it was about to touch the ground, he lifted it high back to the net. Sakuya jumped from the back row, and his signature spike, with its extremely strong spin, hurtled straight into Karasuno's half of the court, accompanied by the sound of air being cut through.

"Leave it to me." Lu Ren stared intently at the ball's trajectory, lowered his center of gravity, and clasped his hands together, as firm as a rock.

"Bang!"

The volleyball slammed heavily against his forearm, the violent spin accompanied by a burning friction that felt like it was tearing his skin apart. But Lu Ren's arm remained perfectly still; the ball's ferocious force was steadily neutralized, transforming into a beautiful parabola as it bounced high towards the net.

"Great pass!"

Kageyama Tokio was already in position, his eyes sharp as knives.

Hinata Shoyo cut in from the right like an orange lightning bolt; Asano followed up from the left with steady steps. The double setter system was operating at high speed at this moment, keeping all of Itayama's defensive nerves on edge.

However, Kageyama did not pass it to Hinata, nor to Asano.

He turned his back to the net and seemingly casually pushed the ball with both hands.

The volleyball traced an unconventional trajectory through the air, flying straight to the back row.

"What?!" The defenders from Jingtashan's defense team suddenly narrowed their eyes.

Lu Ren stepped outside the three-meter line, his leg muscles bulged, and he soared into the air. For a fleeting moment, the entire stadium seemed to slow down.

In view, the once impregnable defense line of Jingta Mountain had a fatal gap of half a meter wide due to the pulling just now.

This is the last piece of the puzzle.

His arms swung like whips, carrying all the sweat and resentment of the past three years.

boom--!

The volleyball flew like a blur, hitting the baseline corner with pinpoint accuracy.

A deathly silence.

Immediately afterwards, the referee's sharp whistle pierced the air in the stadium.

The referee held out his hands firmly, pointing towards Karasuno's side.

A deafening cheer erupted from the stands.

Sawamura Daichi gripped the railing tightly with both hands, his fingernails digging into the metal seams, his eyes red-rimmed.

Sugawara Koji covered his face, tears streaming down his face through his fingers, murmuring, "I did it... I really did it..."

Ryunosuke Tanaka didn't shout as usual. He squatted in the aisle, buried his head in his knees, and his broad shoulders trembled incessantly.

Nishitani Yu stood in the front row, her hands raised high above her head, as if to embrace the entire dome.

"We won—!!!" Nishiya roared hoarsely, his voice filled with ecstasy and release.

On the field.

Hinata Shoyo stared blankly at the volleyball landing, then turned to look at the huge scoreboard.

The score is tied 3-2.

Kageyama Tobio stood in front of the net, his chest heaving violently, sweat blurring his vision, but an uncontrollable smile appeared on his lips.

Tadashi Yamaguchi rushed onto the court and hugged Hotaru Tsukishima tightly. For once, Hotaru Tsukishima didn't flinch and dodged away, letting Yamaguchi wipe his snot and tears all over his sweat-soaked jersey.

Lu Ren landed steadily, a familiar soreness shooting through his ankle. He let out a long breath and casually wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Zuocang and Asano ran over like two crazy calves, crashing heavily into Lu Ren's shoulders from the left and right.

"Ouch—that hurts." Lu Ren rubbed his shoulder, his brows furrowed slightly, but his eyes were full of smiles.

"Captain, we won...we really won!" Asano's voice trembled, tears mixed with sweat streaming down his face.

As Lu Ren looked at his teammates, who were covered in sweat, crying and laughing, his vision gradually blurred.

"Yes, we won. We are the national champions."

……

The awards ceremony has concluded.

The lounge was filled with the strong smell of liniment for sprains and bruises, mixed with the scent of sweat and youth.

No one spoke; everyone seemed still reeling from the victory.

Lu Ren walked to the corner, unzipped the slightly faded backpack, and took out a heavy, black hard-cover notebook with worn edges.

"Asano, Saakura, come here."

Upon hearing the sound, the two walked up to Lu Ren and stood ramrod straight.

Lu Ren handed over the notebook.

"Over the past three years, I've collected the tactical systems, core player data, and defensive weaknesses of the top 50 high schools in the country." Lu Ren looked at Asano with a deep gaze. "It contains all the solutions I've annotated, every page is filled with practical experience."

Asano solemnly accepted the notebook with both hands, head bowed, his fingertips trembling slightly.

"The Chimera system isn't a fixed formula; it's dynamic." Lu Ren pointed to his notebook. "After I leave, you'll be the setter. How to manage the team, how to allocate stamina, how to find opportunities in dire situations—you'll have to figure that out yourself. Don't let me down."

Zuo Cang raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed, biting his lip tightly.

"Don't make that face, it's like we're going through a life-or-death situation." Lu Ren chuckled and patted Zuo Cang's broad back. "If you guys can't even make it to the top four next year, I'll come and cause a scene myself, and give you a good beating while I'm at it."

Hinata Shoyo walked over, tears welling up in his eyes, like a wronged child.

"Lu Ren, are you really not going to play professionally? Your skills are clearly enough..." Hinata asked, choking back tears.

Lu Ren casually slung his empty backpack over his shoulder with one hand.

"I've already completed the main storyline of this volleyball game. It's time to switch to a different map for the rest of the time."

Kageyama Tobio stepped forward, gave him a deep look, and extended his hand.

Lu Ren grasped his hand; both of their palms were covered in calluses.

"You are a very difficult opponent," Kageyama said seriously.

"You're a genius with a terrible temper," Lu Ren retorted without any politeness.

Unable to contain themselves any longer, the crowd surged forward and surrounded Lu Ren tightly.

There were no more of those usual childish slogans, only suppressed sobs and heavy breathing.

Lu Ren closed his eyes, letting them hug him, feeling the weight that belonged only to his youth.

……

Two days later. Miyagi Prefecture, Karasuno High School.

The warm, gentle afternoon sun slanted across the slightly mottled exterior walls of the volleyball hall.

Lu Ren, dressed in casual clothes and dragging a dark gray suitcase, stood quietly outside the gate.

The sound of first-year students practicing their serves could be heard from inside the stadium.

Bang, bang.

The rhythm sounds a bit chaotic.

"You're not keeping up! Didn't you eat lunch?!"

"That kid Zuo Cang is swearing again." Lu Ren chuckled as he listened to the commotion inside.

Kiyoshi Aya stood beside him, wearing a soft knit sweater and holding two steaming cups of coffee.

"Aren't you going in to take a look? Everyone's here." Ya-zhi handed him one of the cups of coffee.

Lu Ren took the paper cup, took a sip, and tasted a bittersweet flavor.

"No." Lu Ren looked at the old iron gate. "At least it had a perfect ending, leaving something to look forward to is enough. The stage now belongs to them."

Ya-zhi quietly looked at his profile.

"So what do we do next? There's still some time before university registration," she asked softly.

A gentle breeze swept by, stirring up a few withered yellow leaves from the ground.

Lu Ren placed the paper cup steadily on the stone stool next to him.

He reached into the side pocket of his backpack and rummaged around for a moment, his eyes suddenly becoming incredibly serious.

"Actually, I've wanted to give it to you for a long time." Lu Ren turned around and looked directly into Ya Zhi's eyes, "but I just haven't had the time. I've been calculating data, thinking of tactics, and watching videos every day. My mind is full of how to win."

The iron gate of the volleyball hall was suddenly pushed open with a "creak".

Hinata, Kageyama, Tsukishima, Yamaguchi, and several first-year students were carrying trash bags, preparing to take out the trash.

Upon seeing the people outside the door, they instantly stopped in their tracks, frozen in place.

Lu Ren ignored the shocked gazes behind him.

He took a deep breath and took out a dark blue velvet box.

Then, under everyone's gaze, he knelt on one knee.

Ya-zhi froze on the spot, the coffee cup in her hand tilted suddenly, spilling a few drops of warm liquid onto her shoes, but she was completely unaware.

"Will you be my forever love?" Lu Ren looked up, the sunlight shining on his face, outlining his gentle features.

The box clicked open.

An exquisite ring lay on black velvet.

Gold and silver intertwine in a spiral, like two intertwined vines. There are no superfluous diamond embellishments, only the perfect harmony of the two materials, understated yet timeless.

"I've calculated a lot of probabilities," Lu Ren said in a calm and firm voice, "the win rate of the match, the opponent's error rate, the risk of injury, and even the probability of it raining today."

He looked at Yazhi's already reddened eyes.

"But there's only one thing I don't need to calculate. That's my feelings for you."

Ya-zhi suddenly covered her mouth, trying to hide her sobs.

Tears slid down my cheeks and dripped onto the back of my hand, burning hot.

She had waited too long for this day.

From childhood sweetheart to volleyball manager, from watching him occasionally slack off on the court to seeing him fight tooth and nail for the team, covered in bruises, she witnessed every single moment of his life.

She nodded vigorously, her voice trembling with tears yet crystal clear.

"I do. I've always done."

Lu Ren smiled, as if relieved. He carefully took out the ring and slipped it onto her ring finger.

The size is just right, and it fits perfectly.

A thunderous applause and cheers erupted behind him.

Gu Direnhua ran over, hugged Yazhi tightly, and cried even more bitterly than the person involved.

"Waaah... Congratulations, Senior Ya-zhi! You must be happy!" Ren-hua cried out while wiping away her tears.

Lu Ren stood up, opened his arms, and pulled Ya Zhi into a tight embrace.

Sunlight pierced through the thick clouds, shining down on them without reservation, bathing them in a golden halo.

The rhythmic sound of volleyballs hitting the ball echoed through the volleyball hall once again.

A new game has begun.

Lu Ren's main mission has been successfully completed.