Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

Time flows silently. A few years is enough for the greenhorns in the starting village to level up to the maximum.

Tokyo, Japan. A V-League regular season match.

Spotlights shone down from the ceiling, illuminating the central wooden floor. The stands were packed, and the waves of cheering sticks reverberated, making the air vibrate.

Tonight is the main event.

Schwaden Adler (AD) vs. MSBY Black Wolves (BJ).

In the VIP box on the third floor, Lu Ren leaned back on the leather sofa, his legs crossed. He was wearing a well-tailored dark shirt today, with the top two buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up to his forearms. Beside him, Qing Ze Yazhi was holding a bucket of popcorn, munching away noisily.

On the other side of the single sofa, Kozume Kenma, head down, pressed the buttons on his handheld game console without looking up: "You sponsored this competition just to sit here and watch them fight?"

"Wrong." Lu Ren picked up the black coffee on the table and took a sip. "I came here to watch max-level accounts battle it out. And also to check out the return on my investment in Brazilian cheats from back then."

The announcer inside the stadium began to draw out the players' names as they entered the stadium.

AD's lineup was nothing short of luxurious. It featured Wakatoshi Ushijima, Kōki Hoshino, and world-class foreign player Romero. Finally, Tobio Kageyama emerged, clad in a deep blue jersey.

He's taller and broader than he was in high school. Standing there, without saying a word, his imposing presence spreads along the net. The current Kageyama has long since shed his "king's" aloofness, transforming into a precise, ruthless, and meticulously calculated volleyball machine.

BJ's side was equally impressive. Kotaro Bokuto, sporting his signature hairstyle, stormed onto the court, shouting something. Yu Miya followed behind, spinning a volleyball with one hand, grinning smugly.

At the end of the line, a young man with orange hair stepped forward.

Hinata Shoyo.

The Brazilian sun had tanned his skin to a bronze color. Unlike in high school, he didn't nervously search for the restroom; instead, he stepped lightly onto the court. His legs, honed through countless hours on the sand, had smooth, solid muscle lines that held terrifying explosive power.

The two teams lined up in front of the net.

Hinata looked up and met Kageyama's gaze.

There were no further pleasantries. Their eyes met briefly in mid-air before returning to their own places.

"These two are still the same as ever." Yazhi leaned over the glass of the private room and looked down. "Kageyama's face is so sour, like someone owes him eight million."

"That's pre-match focus." Lu Ren put down his coffee cup. "But today's game is going to be interesting."

The referee blows the whistle.

In the first game, BJ serves.

Gong You stood behind the baseline, raising the volleyball with one hand. The entire Black Wolves fanbase fell silent instantly.

Throw the ball, take a running start, and jump.

Gong You's palm struck the ball, sending the volleyball flying with a gust of wind towards AD's backcourt corner.

AD libero Xinghai Guanglai quickly moved to the side and parried the ball with both arms. The ball was received slightly off-center, but the arc was high enough.

Kageyama Tokio made a move.

He took two steps to the spot where the ball would land and jumped. The movement was clean and crisp, without the slightest unnecessary movement.

Ushijima Wakatoshi started running simultaneously on the left wing.

Kageyama's hands touched the ball, his wrists flicking almost imperceptibly. The ball seemed to have eyes, precisely delivering it to Ushijima's highest hitting point.

Ushima waves his arm.

That was pure violent aesthetics. The left-handed heavy cannon slammed into BJ's defenses.

Mutu and another middle blocker formed a double block. The ball grazed Mutu's fingers, changing its trajectory and rapidly falling into the back row.

Just as the ball was about to hit the ground, an orange figure slid across the floor.

Hinata Shoyo.

Instead of diving, he knelt on one knee, lowered his center of gravity, and positioned his arms firmly on the ball's landing point.

The volleyball struck the arm with a crisp sound, bounced high, and headed straight for the net.

A perfect first pass.

"Good shot!" Wood Rabbit shouted and began his running back.

AD's net play immediately shifted towards MuTu.

But at that moment, Hyuga Shoyo stood up from the back row and started running without any hesitation.

His pace changed.

It's no longer the instinctive sprint he used in high school. Beach volleyball training taught him how to find his leverage point on the sand, where he could absorb the force. Now, back on the hardwood floor, he utilizes the reaction force to its fullest extent with every push-off.

One step, two steps, jump.

Hinata leaped into the air, so fast that even the broadcast cameras could barely keep up. He cleared the height of the front row's net and stopped in mid-air.

Gong You's messenger arrived just in time.

Hinata stretched out his body in the air, swung his right arm in a circle, and then brought it down.

The ball landed inside AD's half of the court and bounced towards the stands.

There was a moment of silence, followed by a burst of cheers that seemed to lift the roof off.

Inside the private room, Moyan stopped playing his game and looked up at the replay on the big screen.

"His sense of balance, hang time, and jumping efficiency are all different now," Moyan commented. "He learned incredible things in Brazil."

Lu Ren leaned back on the sofa, tapping his fingers on the armrest.

"This is the gift of beach volleyball." Lu Ren looked at the orange-haired boy below who was still high-fiving Mu Tu. "On the beach, there are no teammates to rely on. Receiving, setting, spiking—all skills must be maxed out. He's no longer the 'bait' who could only spike with his eyes closed."

On the court, Tobio Kageyama looked at the volleyball that had landed in his half of the court and wiped the sweat from his chin.

He turned his head and looked at Hinata through the net.

Hinata was also looking at him, grinning and revealing a bright smile.

The game continues.

AD's counterattack came extremely quickly. Kageyama began to demonstrate his world-class setting dominance.

He was no longer limited to feeding the ball to Ushijima. Hoshino's high-point fast breaks and Romero's back-row runs made AD's attacking options dazzling. Kageyama's passing amplified the strengths of each attacker to the fullest.

比分交替上升。8比8，15比15，20比20。

This is a true meat grinder showdown.

On BJ's side, Miya Yu and Hinata's teamwork is becoming increasingly seamless. Hinata not only participates in the offense, but his defensive range is also astonishingly large. Several times, he saved Ushijima's powerful dunks from extremely tricky angles.

"Shohoku's defensive anticipation now is a bit like yours in high school," Mojin said, turning to Lu Ren. "They position themselves in advance and receive the ball with minimal movement."

"Don't compare me to him." Lu Ren looked at the field. "I rely on calculation ability, he relies on intuition. A beast's intuition, plus skills honed through experience, that's what makes him the most difficult to deal with."

At the end of the set, with the score at 24-23, BJ had set point.

AD serves. Romero's jump serve disrupts BJ's first pass.

The ball flew out of bounds.

Hinata turned and sprinted, catching the ball with one hand just before it hit the ground.

"Yu-senpai!" Hinata shouted.

Gong You jumped at the net and tossed the half-high ball to the left wing.

Kotaro Bokuto leaps high into the air, facing a three-man block from AD, and delivers a powerful straight shot.

The ball grazed Kageyama's fingers and landed within the boundary.

25 to 23. BJ takes the first game.

The stadium erupted in cheers.

Halftime. Lu Ren picked up his phone and sent a message to his team.

Less than two minutes later, the door to the private room was pushed open.

Hotaru Tsukishima walked in dressed casually, adjusting her glasses. Tadashi Yamaguchi followed behind her, carrying two drinks.

"Hey, big boss." Tsukishima pulled out a chair and sat down. "I thought you were going to book a front-row seat downstairs today."

"It's too noisy." Lu Ren pointed to the snacks on the table. "Help yourself. What are you two doing here too?"

"On vacation." Tsukishima looked down at the stadium. "And while I'm at it, I'll see how those two single-celled organisms have evolved."

"Tsukishima is now the main middle blocker for Sendai Frogs," Yamaguchi Tadashi added with a smile. "He just won the blocking points title in the match a few days ago."

"It's still a long way off." Tsukishima said calmly, but his eyes remained fixed on Kageyama and Hinata on the field.

The second game begins.

AD changed their tactics. Kageyama began to increase the proportion of second-chance attacks.

In a perfect counter-attack, Kageyama pretended to pass the ball to Ushijima, but at the highest point, he flicked his wrist and gently deflected the ball over the net, landing it in BJ's defensive blind spot.

After landing, Kageyama glanced at Hinata.

It was highly provocative.

Hinata gritted his teeth and retaliated in the next round with an extremely difficult hit that went out of bounds.

These two people are always secretly competing, as long as they stand on the same court.

"Kageyama's passing is becoming increasingly unreasonable," Tsukishima commented. "His vision now covers almost the entire half of the court. As long as the first pass is accurate, he can pass the ball to anyone, and it will land in an absolutely perfect spot."

"Hyuga isn't bad either," Lu Ren chimed in. "He's now an all-around opposite hitter. He can receive, pass, and dunk. This BJ lineup is practically designed to maximize his dynamism."

The competition has reached a fever pitch.

AD won the game 25-22.

In the third game, both players were exhausted, but their movements remained perfectly consistent.

These professional players have volleyball ingrained in their very being.

AD leads 20 to 19.

Hinata receives Hoshino's spike from the back row. Miyako passes to Bokuto, who is blocked.

Hyuga dives to save the ball again.

A protracted tug-of-war that lasted for thirty seconds.

The ball returned to AD's side. Kageyama passed it to Ushijima.

Ushima jumps and swings his arm.

Hinata takes a step in front of the net, jumps, and stretches out his arms to block the straight line.

The ball hit Hinata's arm and bounced high into the air.

"Good catch!" Gong You shouted, quickly making his move.

Hyuga landed without pausing, immediately retreated, and prepared to jump again.

Just then, Kageyama Tobio crossed the net and stared intently at Hinata's starting line.

Their eyes met at the net.

Hinata jumped.

It's not a fast break, but a strong attack from a high point.

Miyako's pass was perfectly timed.

Hinata faced a double net from Kageyama and Hoshimi in mid-air.

Instead of forcing a breakthrough, he snapped his wrist the instant his palm touched the ball.

Drop ball.

The volleyball sailed over the blocker and landed lightly in the open space in front of AD.

20 to 20.

Hyuga landed, clenched his fists, and let out a roar.

Inside the private room, Lu Ren stood up and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.

"At this stage of the game, stats and equipment are no longer important." Lu Ren looked at the two gleaming figures below him. "What matters is who can create more variables in this instance."

The match ultimately went the full five games.

The deciding set is tied at 14-14.

BJ has match point, AD has the serve.

Kageyama stood behind the baseline.

He tossed the ball high into the air.

Run-up, jump, swing your arms.

A powerful jump serve headed straight for BJ's backcourt.

Hinata Shoyo spread his legs apart and lowered his center of gravity.

The ball, spinning intensely, slammed into his arm.

Hyuga withstood the force and managed to lift the ball.

"Senior Yu!"

Gong You ran to the ball and passed it behind his back.

Hinata stepped in from the back, his entire body resembling a fully drawn bow.

Kageyama and Ushijima jumped at the net, forming an impenetrable wall.

Hinata saw the gap in the blocker's arm from the air.

Without hesitation, he slammed his right arm down.

The volleyball pierced through the gap and hit AD's court with a crisp sound.

16:14.

MSBY Black Wolf won the match.

A thunderous cheer erupted from the stadium. Hinata was tackled to the ground by Bokuto and Miyayu, pinned to the ground in a heap.

Kageyama stood on the other side of the net, looking at Hinata surrounded by his teammates, and wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand.

He walked over and reached out his hand across the net.

Hinata broke free from her teammates, stood up, walked over, and took Kageyama's hand.

They didn't speak. But both of them knew this was just the beginning.

Inside the private room, Lu Ren turned around and picked up his coat, which was draped over the sofa.

"Let's go treat these NPCs to a good meal," Lu Ren said to Ya Zhi. "Judging by the time, Oikawa Tetsu's flight should be landing soon."

Ya-zhi took his arm and said with a smile, "Didn't you say you wouldn't be a nanny anymore?"

"They're not nannies." Lu Ren pushed open the door to the private room. "They're investors inspecting the results. Let's go, the second half has just begun."

The night sky outside the venue was dotted with stars.

The game of volleyball has no end; as long as the ball hasn't landed, these guys will keep running.

This is their world.

Pure, passionate, and never-ending.