Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

Kageyama Tobio stood at the baseline, spinning a volleyball in his hand.

This kid's aura has changed. If he was on the verge of exploding in the first set because of Hinata's "back of the head serve," then now, that emotion has cooled down, compressed, and turned into pure focus.

He throws the ball and takes a running start. The floor shakes.

"Bang!"

It wasn't one of those fancy float serves, but a solid, powerful jump serve. The volleyball, like a cannonball, hurtled towards Aoba Castle's backcourt with a clear downward trajectory.

"I'll do it!"

Aoki's libero, Watari Chikaji, made an extremely accurate judgment. He cut into the landing point just before the ball hit the ground, bringing his arms together.

A muffled thud.

The ball was heavy, and Watari Chikaharu leaned back slightly, but his heels were firmly planted on the ground, managing to absorb the impact. The volleyball bounced high, and although it didn't reach the net directly, for a team like Aoshiro, correcting this kind of shot is a fundamental skill.

"Ya towel!"

Substitute setter Hideaki Yagami quickly ran to the vicinity of the three-meter line and held the ball with both hands overhead.

Meanwhile, in the front row, Takahiro Hanamaki had already started his run-up.

Three-point attack.

Hotaru Tsukishima and Ryunosuke Tanaka quickly closed in, forming a double net in front of the net. Hotaru leaped, arching her body in mid-air, her right arm swung high, her entire body taut like a fully drawn bow.

This posture clearly indicates an attempt to force a breakthrough.

"Smash!" Tanaka roared, pressing his arm down forcefully.

At that very moment, Lu Ren's eyelid twitched.

Not right.

From Lu Ren's perspective, although Hua Juan's movements were full of power, the "power bar" wasn't full in the frame before he swung his arm. It felt like in a fighting game, where the opponent makes a heavy attack with a long wind-up, seemingly to break your guard, but actually to trick you into using your fighting technique.

This is a choice.

A throw after faking out the defender, or a drop shot.

Lu Ren's body moved faster than his mind. As he jumped from Moon Island, he didn't choose to stay in the back row and hold the line. Instead, he took two quick steps forward and rushed into the no-man's-land within the three-meter line.

In mid-air, Hanamaki Takahiro's palm did not slam hard onto the ball. Instead, he flicked his wrist with remarkable fluidity, his fingertips gently rubbing the bottom of the ball.

The originally aggressive smash instantly turned into a gentle drop shot.

The volleyball traced a very short parabola, just past Tsukishima Hotaru's outstretched fingers, and wobbled as it landed in the gap behind the net.

Tsukishima was still falling and had no way to turn back.

"Got it." Just as Huajuan's lips were about to curl into a smile, she saw a figure in a black team uniform suddenly emerge from the gap.

Lu Ren, like a sixth brother who had been crouching in the grass, placed his hands together and steadily cushioned the ball.

"I've seen this kind of combo of canceling the recovery animation and then launching a light attack many times in the arena."

Lu Ren sneered inwardly. Having played too much PvP, everyone seemed like they were just going through the motions. These feints might fool innocent high school students, but trying to fool a seasoned veteran like him was too naive.

The volleyball was bounced up; although the arc wasn't high, the direction was very straight.

Kageyama Tobio didn't even need to move his feet; the ball obediently landed on his head.

"Hinata!"

There was absolutely no need for extra signals. That guy with the orange hair had already darted out the moment Lu Ren caught the ball.

No running start distance? Doesn't matter.

Bad angle? It doesn't matter.

Hinata Shoyo pushed off the ground with both feet, and like a spring unbound by gravity, he sprang into the air.

Kageyama's pass was as fast as a laser, accurately piercing through Aoki's still-developing defense and striking Hyuga's outstretched hand.

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound.

The volleyball hit the center of the court in Qingcheng and bounced towards the ceiling.

16: 12.

After Hua Juan Guida landed, he looked at Lu Ren, who was getting up from the ground and patting his pants, and his brows furrowed into a "川" shape.

coincidence?

No, that number 11's movement was too decisive. He started running forward before I even swung my arm, as if he was certain he wouldn't dunk. What's in that guy's head? Radar?

"Never mind! Next ball!" Iwaizumi clapped his hands, drawing everyone's attention back.

The game continues.

Over the next few minutes, the scene became somewhat eerie... "peaceful".

Without those heart-stopping wonder shots, both sides entered a phase of testing their basic skills.

Aoba Castle West demonstrated their strength as one of the top four teams in the prefecture. Even without the formidable Oikawa Tetsu present, the team operated with the precision of a Swiss watch.

The first pass accuracy rate is extremely high, the setter, while not particularly outstanding, is absolutely solid, and the attackers' error rate is frighteningly low.

Hotaru Tsukishima made a block and touched the ball, slowing its momentum.

Daichi Sawamura made a diving save, cushioning the ball's trajectory.

Ryunosuke Tanaka hits the ball out of bounds, scoring a point.

Round transition.

Guo Jianying scored by tapping the ball lightly from a blind spot.

Iwamoto broke through the net with force.

The two sides traded blows, with the score fluctuating back and forth.

While Karasuno's offense was sharp, especially Hyuga and Kageyama's "weird fast break" which remained a scoring weapon, Aoba Johsai's adaptability was ridiculously strong. They stopped trying to keep up with the ball's speed and instead began to compress their defensive formation, using positioning to limit Hyuga's routes.

17: 15.

18: 16.

18: 17.

When the scoreboard showed 19:18, Lu Ren wiped the sweat from his chin, and that feeling of irritation welled up inside him again.

This feeling is terrible.

It's like fighting a boss with high health and defense. You've figured out all its attack patterns—a raised hand is a sweeping attack, a stomp is a ground slam, and red eyes mean a charge. Theoretically, you can whittle it down by dodging and attacking in a methodical way.

However, it's too boring.

Moreover, this monotony concealed a deadly danger. The western part of Aoba City was like a tireless machine, waiting. Waiting for Karasuno to falter due to fatigue or mental lapse and make a mistake. The moment Karasuno showed the slightest weakness, this machine would crush them.

"Is this what they call 'the foundation of a strong team'...?" Lu Ren took a breath and looked at the group of calm-looking guys opposite him.

That's what completion rate is.

Karasuno is like a newbie character who just got god-tier equipment but is still at a low level; he has strong burst damage but is inconsistent. On the other hand, Aoba Seishi is a max-level character; although his equipment isn't top-tier, all his attribute points are maxed out.

Lu Ren hated this feeling of being slowly boiled like a frog.

He needs a little stimulation. Or rather, this stalemate needs a "variable" to break it.

Taking advantage of a dead ball situation outside of bounds, Lu Ren moved closer to Kageyama Tobio.

"Hey, Kageyama."

Kageyama, who was wiping sweat with a towel, turned around upon hearing this, his deadpan eyes fixed on Riku Ren: "What?"

"If we keep dragging this out, we'll lose." Lu Ren lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of charlatanism.

Kageyama frowned and glanced at the scoreboard: "We're leading by one point."

"That's an illusion." Lu Ren pointed to the opposite side. "Didn't you notice? That guy named Kunimi, and that guy Iwaizumi, their breathing rhythms haven't faltered. They're adapting to our rhythm. Once they've completely gotten used to the speed of the monster's fast attack, we're finished."

Kageyama paused for a second. As the setter, his perception of the situation on the court was sharper than anyone else's. He also noticed that in the last two balls, the opposing libero had been able to find the line of Hinata's spike.

"So?" Kageyama asked, "What are you trying to say?"

Lu Ren's lips curled into a smile that Ya Zhi thought was definitely "he's about to court death again."

"I'm going to jump like Hyuga in a bit." Lu Ren pointed to himself, "That kind of reckless running start, you know? Give me a Hyuga-style ball."

Kageyama was stunned.

He looked Lu Ren up and down, his eyes saying, "Are you an idiot?"

"You can't jump high enough," Kageyama bluntly refused. "Besides, you don't have Hyuga's instinct for complete trust. Passing you that kind of ball would be a complete waste."

"Huh?" A vein bulged on Lu Ren's forehead. "Looking down on me, huh? I may not be as jumping as that orange-haired kid, but my prediction is accurate! As long as you pass it in the right place, I'm sure I can hit it!"

"No." Kageyama turned around, cold and ruthless. "The current score doesn't allow us to waste any opportunities."

"You stubborn fool..." Lu Ren gritted his teeth.

These damn NPCs are so unintelligent; they don't even understand what tactical deception is.

Since the setter route is not viable, we have to find another way to approach it.

Lu Ren turned his gaze to Hyuga Shoyo, who was gulping down water on the side.

This kid is naive and easily fooled.

Lu Ren leaned over, put his arm around Hinata's shoulder, and pulled him to a corner.

"Hinata, wanna try something a little more exciting?"

Hinata put down her water bottle, her eyes sparkling: "What's so exciting? Is there a new special move?"

"I suppose so," Lu Ren said gently, "You see, the other side is already on guard against you. If you just keep making normal runs, it'll be hard to use you as bait anymore."

Hinata immediately tensed up: "What should we do?"

"It's very simple." Lu Ren pointed to himself, "If Kageyama doesn't pass the ball in the next play—I mean, if the first pass is inaccurate, or if it's a messy ball situation, and the ball ends up in my hands."

"Mmm!" Hinata nodded vigorously.

"If I were the setter," Lu Rentu revealed his true intentions, "you still need to jump like that weirdo's fast break. Jump with all your might, don't care where the ball is, even if the ball hasn't been passed out yet, you still jump."

Hinata tilted her head: "But... what if you can't transmit it accurately?"

"That's my fault," Lu Ren assured, patting his chest. "But if you hadn't jumped, the other side wouldn't have been fooled. You were the ultimate decoy, right? A decoy has to act like it's real even in situations like this!"

"The ultimate bait..." Hinata's eyes blazed with youthful chuunibyou once more. "I get it! No matter where the ball is, as long as you have it, I'll jump!"

"make a deal."

Lu Ren released his grip and watched Hyuga run excitedly back onto the field, feeling a slight sense of relief.

Looking at Lu Ren's expression, Qingze Yazhi on the sidelines couldn't help but facepalm.

"That guy... treated his teammates like summoned beasts in a game."

The referee whistle blows.

The game continues.

Aoba Josai serves.

The shot was tricky, heading straight for Tanaka in the front row.

"Sorry! It was a little low!" Tanaka crouched down and tried to catch the ball, but the catch wasn't perfect, and the ball flew directly towards the net.

This is a typical chaotic situation.

Kageyama Tobio moved quickly, trying to correct the shot. However, the ball was too close to the net; if he forced a pass, it would easily touch the net or be tackled by the opponent.

Just then, a dark figure darted up ahead of Shadow Mountain.

It's Lu Ren.

"I'll do it!" Lu Ren shouted.

He jumped at the net, arms raised high. The pose looked like he was about to pass the ball, or perhaps he was about to launch a second attack.

Iwaizumi and Kindaichi on the opposite side immediately became alert and jumped up to block at the same time.

However, just as Lu Ren touched the ball, he caught a glimpse of an orange lightning bolt out of the corner of his eye.

Hinata Shoyo didn't even look at who had the ball. Just like Lu Ren had told him, he only had the command "jump" in his mind. He cut diagonally from the other side of the court and, without any warning of the ball's trajectory, jumped with all his might in that empty area.

"Is that guy crazy? There's no ball there at all!" Kindaichi exclaimed, his eyes widening in mid-air.

But the next second, everyone was stunned.

Lu Ren, in mid-air, neither spiked the ball nor passed it to the originally designated outside hitter, Tanaka. Instead, he awkwardly pushed his wrist to the side.

The volleyball flew horizontally, not very fast, and even with a little irregular spin.

But the ball landed precisely on the trajectory of Hinata Shoyo's swinging arm.

This wasn't a precise toss; it was practically "throwing" the ball right into Hyuga's hands.

Hinata stared blankly at the volleyball that suddenly appeared in front of him, his mind blank, his body instinctively swinging his arms.

"Bang!"

The volleyball bounced off an empty field where no one was defending.

The entire room fell silent.

20: 18.

After landing, Hyuga stared blankly at her palm, then at Rikuren: "Huh? How did the ball... get here?"

Lu Ren landed, and although his posture was a bit awkward, his smile was exceptionally bright.

"See," he raised an eyebrow at the dumbfounded Tobio Kageyama, "I told you we needed some new patches. I can't believe it actually worked. I'm a genius."

Kageyama looked at Rikuren, then at Hinata, and his lips twitched involuntarily.

This is not a volleyball tactic at all.

This is reckless.