Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The volleyball was tossed high into the air, tracing a breathtaking arc under the blinding lights of the dome.

Oikawa Tetsu began his run-up, each step slamming into the floor, the rubber soles of his high-end cleats screeching sharply. The muscle definition he'd honed through countless hours in the Argentine league was now vividly visible under the lights. His right arm stretched back in the air, like a fully drawn bow, poised to be released. The instant his hand struck the ball, there wasn't a single superfluous movement, only a pure, violent outpouring of power.

"Bang--!"

With a strong backspin, the volleyball flew like a cannonball into the corner of Team B's backcourt.

Lu Ren moved sideways quickly. In that instant, he didn't even look up at the rapidly spinning ball; instead, his gaze was fixed on the direction of Oikawa Toru's shoulder and the slight angle of his wrist as he landed.

"Take a half step to the left, spin downwards, and apply 90% of your power."

His brain completed the calculation in a fraction of a second. He positioned himself half a beat ahead, his arms together like a solid iron plate. The volleyball slammed into his forearm, the dull thud echoing through the empty arena. The force was immense, far exceeding the childish serves of his high school days! The impact sent Lu Ren sliding half an inch backward, his shoe leaving a barely perceptible scorch mark on the new wooden floor, but the deadly volleyball was steadily deflected towards the highest point at the net.

"Kageyama!" Lu Ren gritted his teeth and hissed.

"Leave it to me." Kageyama Tobio had already arrived like a ghost. The ball was still climbing in mid-air when the four top attackers of Team B seemed to hear a silent starting gun, and they all started frantically at the same time.

Hinata Shoyo cut in from the right like an orange lightning bolt; Hoshino Kōra took off from the left like a seagull; Sakusho Seishin followed silently from the back; and Kiryu Hachi drove straight in like a heavy tank.

Four people, four completely different directions, four monsters capable of leading a team single-handedly. At the net, Kuroo Tetsuro's pupils contracted sharply, his brows furrowed, and his mind frantically calculated who this "Chimera" system, which had no defensive logic whatsoever, would ultimately pass the ball to.

At the moment of contact with the ball, Kageyama's wrist underwent an extremely subtle, almost ergonomic, rotation. It was a back pass!

The ball landed precisely in Hoshino Kōrai's hands.

Xinghai displayed terrifying hang time in the air. Facing Gusen Genya, who was desperately rushing to cover, he didn't choose to confront him head-on. Instead, he deftly flicked his wrist and hit an extremely tricky edge ball. The volleyball narrowly grazed Gusen's fingertips and landed lightly in bounds.

The referee blows the whistle. Score. 1:0.

Team A was not discouraged by conceding the first goal. Miyako lazily picked up the ball and casually tossed it to Oikawa.

"Oikawa-senpai, you tossed that ball about five centimeters too high just now, and the spin was obviously not enough, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to catch it." Miya Yu didn't hold back in nitpicking, a smug smile on his lips.

"Shut up, I don't need you, you golden fox, to teach me." Oikawa Tetsu wiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes revealing an extremely strong, even somewhat morbid, competitive spirit. "Next ball, I'll smash right through the floor."

The match continued, and it was Ushijima Wakatoshi's turn to serve. A powerful left-handed cannon, devoid of any fancy techniques or calculations, simply a pure, absolute numerical domination.

Hinata Shoyo made a diving save, catching the ball but sending it flying high out of bounds. Seeing this, Lu Ren sprinted a few steps and, just as his body was about to collide with the "GG" sign on the sidelines, managed to hook the ball back.

"Highball! Organize the attack!" Lu Ren shouted, his chest heaving violently, his breathing becoming rapid.

Sakusho Seishin leaped high from three meters out, his wrist snapping as he unleashed his signature, nauseatingly terrifying spin smash towards the other side.

Genya Komori's eyes narrowed as he accurately predicted the landing point. He lifted the ball with both arms, causing it to bounce high and cleverly dissipate most of the spin.

"Oikawa!" Kuroo shouted at the net, calling for the ball.

Oikawa Tetsu was running and assumed a passing stance, but at the last moment he flicked his wrist, looked to his left, and passed the ball to Bokuto Kotaro who jumped from the back row.

"Hey! Hey! Hey! Here comes the ace!" Wood Rabbit roared excitedly in the air, his muscles bulging, and an unreasonable, violent smash came crashing down.

Lu Ren, positioned in the back row, anticipated Mu Tu's straight-line trajectory and gritted his teeth to receive the ball. His arms were instantly numb from the impact, as if he had lost all feeling, but he managed to lift the ball using his core strength.

In the stands outside the stadium.

Sawamura Daichi, his hands gripping the railing, watched the group of tireless, frantic figures running around on the field and couldn't help but sigh, "These guys are monsters... They haven't practiced together much, yet their teamwork is so seamless it's terrifying."

Sugawara Koji nodded in agreement: "The most outrageous one is Lu Ren. He has been retired and working in the business world for so many years, sitting in an office every day, yet he can still keep up with this world-class professional pace."

Hotaru Tsukishima pushed up her glasses, a cold glint in her eyes, and offered a succinct critique: "He's not following the rhythm, he's creating it. Team B's lineup doesn't even have a proper middle blocker; their defense relies entirely on his anticipation and command. He's treated himself as a defensive patch for the entire team, using his mental calculations to bridge the gap in physical attributes. He's a truly terrifying capitalist."

On the field, the game entered a heated phase. The score was neck and neck, with neither side able to pull ahead by more than two points.

Lu Ren's stamina began to plummet, sweat dripping from his chin onto the floor, splashing up droplets. He panted heavily, looking at Oikawa and Miyako on the opposite side. These two top setters were really going all out today, orchestrating Team A's offense flawlessly. Miyako's passes were full of aggression and attack, while Oikawa was better at motivating the attackers' emotions and rhythm. The two took turns on the court, leaving Team B's already thin defense constantly scrambling.

"Hyuga." Riku called out in a low voice while wiping sweat from his brow.

Hinata Shoyo, like a vigilant puppy, immediately turned his head.

"Next ball, don't jump." Lu Ren pointed to the net, his eyes deep.

Hyuga was stunned for a moment; this completely went against his instincts, but he immediately nodded vigorously. Kageyama Tobio, who was not far away, also heard it. He didn't speak, but silently withdrew his gaze, rapidly reconstructing the attack route in his mind.

Team A serves. Gong You delivers a powerful jump serve. Lu Ren grits his teeth and returns the serve, steadily passing it to Ying Shan.

Team B launched into action once again! Hoshino, Sakuhachi, and Kiryu Hachi jumped simultaneously, the sound of their volleyball shoes scraping the floor filling the air.

Kuroo and Ushijima stood ready at the net, their eyes fixed on the most active orange figure.

But this time, Hinata Shoyo didn't jump. He stood rooted to the spot, his eyes fixed on Kuroo on the other side of the net, even winking defiantly.

Kuroo's nerves were already stretched to the limit. Distracted for a moment by Hinata's unusual movement, his brain momentarily went blank, causing his jump for the block to be a full beat too late. He was so used to Hinata running around the court as bait; this sudden stillness became the most lethal feint in the entire match!

How could Kageyama Tobio let such an opportunity slip by? He decisively seized the fleeting opening and passed the ball to Sakuya, who was following up in the back row.

"Bang!" Sakuya spiked the ball, scoring without any suspense. 16:15.

"Well done! Brother Lu Ren's tactics are amazing!" Hinata shouted excitedly.

Lu Ren wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled.

Oikawa Tetsu sneered across the net, "Little Riku, you've gotten more cunning in the business world, haven't you? You still like to play dirty tricks."

"All's fair in war, right, Senior Oikawa? To deal with a bunch of max-level accounts like you, I need to use some unconventional methods, or my old bones won't be able to keep up," Lu Ren retorted, while bending over to stretch his aching ankle.

In the ensuing match, both sides played with absolute intensity, holding nothing back. Bokuto's straight spike was incredibly blocked by Hoshino; Ushijima's powerful shot was deflected by Hyuga's face; Miyabi and Oikawa's double-setter system was executed flawlessly; Bokuto went berserk, entering an unstoppable "absolute ace" state, hitting almost every shot. However, Team B's multi-core offense also caused Team A considerable trouble, with Kiryu Hachi's unreasonable and violent attacks repeatedly tearing through the defense.

The game went to the third and decisive game, with the score tied at 24-24, leading to a brutal tiebreaker.

Lu Ren's stamina had reached its true limit; his legs felt as heavy as lead, making it difficult to even lift them. He supported himself on his knees, looking at his teammates on the court: Hyuga, Kageyama, Hoshino, Sakuhachi, and Kiryu Hachi. This group of people, this group of incurable volleyball fanatics, were all soaked in sweat, but their eyes burned with a fiery passion to devour their opponents.

He suddenly felt a little dazed. These past few years, he'd been working his way up in the business world, dressed in a suit and tie every day, reviewing reports, negotiating mergers and acquisitions, and attending banquets. Although he'd earned more money than an average person could spend in several lifetimes, he always felt an emptiness inside, as if something was missing. Now, he finally understood. What he lacked was that pure, exhilarating feeling of sweating it out on the field, giving his all for a single point.

"The last ball!" Lu Ren took a deep breath, straightened up, and shouted with all his might, "Take it!"

Hyuga Shoyo serves. Team A receives the ball steadily, and Oikawa Tetsu passes it to Ushijima. Ushijima Wakatoshi leaps into the air, unleashing a devastating left-handed smash!

Lu Ren accurately predicted the ball's trajectory from the back row, but he knew his arm was too numb to provide sufficient cushioning. Instead of catching it head-on, he leaned back sharply to the astonishment of the entire audience, raising his right leg high and using the instep of his foot to deflect the cannonball-like volleyball!

"Bang!"

This extremely unreasonable, street-soccer-like save completely broke down Oikawa Toru's defense, who incredulously cursed, "Damn! What is that?!"

"Kageyama!" Lu Ren roared as he fell to the ground.

"Here they come!" Kageyama Tobio was already in position. The entire B team unleashed their last bit of energy, with Hyuga, Hoshino, Sakuhachi, and Kiryu Hachi, the four top attackers, jumping at the same time.

Multi-core operation, the Chimera system is finally recreated!

With a flick of his wrist, Kageyama sent the ball flying like a white streak to Hyuga Shoyo on the right wing. Hyuga displayed terrifying hang time in the air. Facing the wall of despair formed by Kuroo and Ushijima who were rushing to cover, he didn't exert any force. Instead, he flicked his wrist very gently and hit an extremely tricky, edge shot.

The volleyball gently grazed the nail of Heiwei's middle finger, changed its trajectory, and flew out of bounds.

The referee blows the whistle, hands outstretched. Hand out of bounds!

Team B scores! 26:24! Game over!

A deafening roar erupted from the crowd. Hinata, Hoshino, Bokuto (who was still ecstatic despite their loss) and the others hugged each other without any regard for their image, shouting and jumping like a group of middle school students just out of school.

Lu Ren collapsed onto the floor, sprawled out, gasping for breath, feeling like his lungs were about to explode. A shadow blocked the overhead light, and Oikawa Tetsu walked over and handed him a bottle of ice water.

"Little Riku, you've regressed. That last ball, you would have caught it with your hands before, but now you used your feet." Oikawa Tetsu teased with a smile, but his eyes showed an undisguised approval and respect.

Lu Ren struggled to take the water, tilted his head back, and gulped down a large mouthful. The icy liquid flowed down his throat, dispelling some of the heat. "Senior Oikawa, you're still so stubborn. I call this making good use of my body's resources—a businessman's wisdom, understand?"

The two looked at each other's disheveled appearance and smiled.

Sawamura Daichi and Sugawara Koji stepped down from the stands and handed Lu Ren a dry towel.

"You've had a tough time, boss," Sugawara joked with a smile. "When I saw you collapse just now, I thought I had to call an ambulance for you."

Lu Ren wiped the sweat from his face and stood up, supporting himself on the floor. He looked around at his former rivals and teammates who were still bickering and arguing. The long-lost passion in his heart gradually subsided, replaced by an indescribable sense of fulfillment.

Wearing an elegant dress, Yazhi gracefully walked down from the stands, handed him a specially made iced lemon tea, and casually took a tissue to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"Is it fun?" Ya-Chih asked softly with a smile.

"It's alright, but it's a bit exhausting. I probably won't be able to get out of bed tomorrow." Lu Ren took a sip of his sweet and sour lemon tea, then turned to look at Hyuga, who was still arguing with Kageyama about whether the pass was good or not, and Miyayu, who was stirring things up and watching the show from the sidelines.

"Everyone." Lu Ren suddenly clapped his hands, and his clear voice instantly silenced the venue.

Everyone turned to look at the biggest spender in the room.

"A bet's a bet." Lu Ren's lips curled into a wicked smile as he pointed at the dejected seniors of Team A. "The mop is in the storage room. I just asked the manager; this venue is 12,000 square meters. Not an inch can be left untouched. Mop it all clean. Oikawa-senpai, you're the captain, you're in charge of supervising. If even one tile is missing, I'll deduct your club's sponsorship."

Oikawa Tetsu's smile froze instantly, and he almost dropped the water bottle in his hand.

"Hey! You're too vengeful! This ace is not going to mop the floor!" Kotaro Bokuto yelled, clutching his head, his face full of despair.

Kuroo Tetsuro sighed in despair, covered his face, and squatted down: "I knew it, it's not easy to get a good deal from this big boss. I should have known better than to block that ball..."

Lu Ren completely ignored their deafening protests and wails, turned around gracefully, took Ya Zhi's hand, and walked towards the stadium entrance without looking back.

"Oh, by the way, I'll have the top-tier protective gear for next season delivered directly to your respective clubs." Lu Ren waved with his back to them, his voice echoing in the empty stadium. "As for next year's arrangements... we'll see how I feel next year!"

Sunlight streamed through the enormous glass skylight in the dome, cascading onto the brand-new, gleaming wooden floor and casting long, vibrant shadows of these volleyball fanatics. This private gathering, devoid of media cameras and cheering spectators, became the most exhilarating farce of these individuals' professional careers, standing at the pinnacle of world volleyball.

As for Lu Ren, he had already perfectly completed his main quest. Now, he was simply enjoying the purest and most exhilarating pleasures that this world offered him.