Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

After that farcical "face catch" incident, the game resumed.

Although no one said it outright, the atmosphere on the field had visibly changed. Hyuga Shoyo, who used to dart around the field like a flea, was now hesitant in his movements. His jumps were no longer decisive, and his positioning seemed timid and hesitant.

On a volleyball court, if even one gear jams, the efficiency of the entire machine will plummet.

"Bang!"

Dong Fengxu scores again with a spike.

Karasuno's defensive pressure increased sharply. Although Sawamura Daichi was steady, he couldn't fight against so many opponents. Riku Ren was busy in the back row like a player in the midst of a high-intensity QTE (Quick Response Event), his shoes screeching against the floor.

"Good shot! Another point!"

The opposing town's guild has completely gained momentum.

The numbers on the scoreboard kept changing relentlessly.

14: 8.

Karasuno trails by six points.

"Tsk." Lu Ren wiped the sweat from his chin, watching the short, orange-clad guy rotate to the front row. "If the damage dealers are ineffective, no matter how hard the tanks and supports try, they're just slowly dying."

Hinata stood in front of the net, head down, lost in thought.

Just then, Tobio Kageyama suddenly stepped forward from the back row and went straight to the net. Across the net, he faced Asahi Higashimine, Makoto Shimada, and Takigami, who were preparing to block.

What's this kid up to?

Lu Ren raised an eyebrow.

Kageyama stopped, pointed expressionlessly at Hyuga beside him, and said in a loud voice that could be heard throughout the entire stadium: "Um, for the next ball, I'll pass it to this guy."

The entire room fell silent for a moment.

Kageyama continued, "Please do your best to block the ball."

"Huh?" Shimada Makoto was stunned, wondering if he had misheard.

Lu Ren almost slipped.

"Hey, what kind of move is this?" Lu Ren couldn't help but complain. "Is this an open-book exam? Or is this some kind of advanced taunting skill I've never seen before?"

Even Hinata looked up in horror, staring at Kageyama with a "Are you crazy?" expression.

Shimada Makoto snapped out of his daze, his lips twitching: "What's going on... Is this a provocation? Are you looking down on adults?"

"Yes, this is provocation," Kageyama replied confidently, then surprisingly gave a perfect 90-degree bow. "I'm very sorry for saying such arrogant things!"

This combo has left everyone completely bewildered.

Arrogant yet polite, what's that? Schizophrenic trash talk?

Shimada Makoto's temple throbbed, and he laughed angrily, "You little brat...you're really interesting. Fine, since you've said that, bring it on! I accept the challenge!"

"Thank you very much." Kageyama straightened up and walked back to the setter position as if nothing had happened.

On the sidelines, Wu Yangxi was a little dumbfounded.

"What's wrong with that kid..." He scratched the blond hair. "The essence of fast breaks is surprise, using speed to tear apart the defense. Now he's clearly telling the opponent his tactical intentions, and he still wants a head-on confrontation? The little guy will be stopped to death!"

Mr. Takeda pushed up his glasses, his face full of worry: "Yes, the opponent has a tall and strong blocker like Higashimine. In a head-on confrontation, the height disadvantage is too obvious, and the chances of winning are very low."

Inside the venue.

Hinata Shoyo felt his stomach cramping again.

"What the hell is this, you bastard Kageyama!" he wailed inwardly. "Did he deliberately tell them to get me killed? That's Asahi-senpai over there! That towering barrier, and those two experienced old men—I have absolutely no chance against him!"

"Feed".

That cold, icy voice came from behind me.

Hinata turned around stiffly.

With his back to him, Kageyama was adjusting his knee pads, his tone as calm as if he were reading an instruction manual: "Right now, you're just a half-baked player with a bit of jumping ability and slightly faster speed, but terrible technique."

Hinata: "..."

Even though I know it's true, there's no need to say it so bluntly!

Just as Tanaka was about to say something to persuade him, Kageyama turned around, his deep blue eyes fixed on Hinata.

"You really can't become an ace like Dongfeng, who can single-handedly carry the whole team."

Hinata clenched his fist, his nails digging into his flesh.

"But," Kageyama changed the subject, "as long as I'm here, you'll be the strongest."

Hinata suddenly looked up.

Kageyama pointed to the opposite side: "Senior Higashimine's spikes are very powerful; he can break through a three-man block head-on with sheer force. So what?"

Hinata was stunned.

"You can't do that, and I never expected you to." Kageyama took a step closer, looking down at him. "When I passed the ball to you, were you ever blocked by a single player?"

Hinata's pupils contracted slightly.

Memories flashed by like a slideshow.

The feeling of the ball in your hand, the unobstructed view, the sense of openness as if you could see the texture of the floor on the other side of the net.

No.

Not even once.

Because the ball always gets into his hands before the block is even formed.

"As long as you run fast enough and jump high enough, my ball will be delivered." Kageyama's voice carried an almost arrogant confidence. "The rest is none of your concern."

Hinata felt his heart skip a beat.

"Beep—"

The referee blew his whistle, and the game continued.

Makoto Shimada stood behind the service line, his eyes sharp.

"Since you're so boastful, let me see what you're capable of!"

The volleyball whistled out, a serve aimed at the back corner.

Lu Ren didn't move much; he simply took a step to the left, bending his knees slightly and bringing his arms together.

"Just a minor attack."

He silently recited it in his heart.

The volleyball hit his arm, lost its spin, and obediently bounced high into the air, tracing a perfect parabola as it headed straight for the top of Kageyama's head.

"The pass is perfect!"

Almost the instant the ball left their hands, the three people in the front row moved.

The town's team's blocking reaction was extremely fast.

"Keep an eye on that little guy!" Shimada Makoto shouted.

Now that Kageyama had given a heads-up, they couldn't ignore it. Higashimine Asahi, Shimada Makoto, and Takigami, like three towering mountains, moved swiftly towards the net, locking onto Hyuga Shoyo's position.

Looking at the three pairs of raised arms, Hyuga instinctively felt a sense of suffocation.

so high.

Like a wall.

If you hit it, you'll definitely bounce back.

Just as he hesitated, Kageyama's roar exploded in his ears:

"Get out of the way!!!"

The roar was like flipping a switch.

Dodge?

What else can you do? Idiot!

Hinata's mind went blank for a moment, and her body reacted before her consciousness could process it.

He was originally running in a straight line, but in the last step before the jump, his right foot suddenly pushed off the ground, and his body was pulled laterally as if by an invisible hand, instantly sliding two meters to the right!

"What?!"

Dongfeng Xu's pupils were trembling as he prepared to jump and block the net.

The target that was right in front of me suddenly disappeared.

Hinata's figure soared into the air at the other end of the net.

There was no barrier net.

There are no walls.

All that was in front of me was a wide-open court and a volleyball flying towards me at an astonishing speed.

"Whoosh—"

Kageyama's pass was like a precision-guided missile, finding its way perfectly into Hyuga's outstretched hand.

The three defenders tried their best to move laterally to catch up, but their momentum made them a beat too slow.

That's too late!

"Snapped!"

A crisp sound.

The volleyball slammed heavily into the open space on the opponent's court and bounced away.

14: 9.

Hyuga landed, panting heavily, looking at his reddened palms with a lingering sense of disbelief in his eyes.

They actually scored!

Moreover, this was done when the other party clearly knew that the message was going to be sent to them.

Kageyama walked to the net, looked at the three opponents who hadn't reacted yet, then turned to Hinata and said, "Although you're not an ace and don't have that kind of brute strength, with your speed and jumping ability, plus my passes, no block is a threat."

He paused, then held up one finger.

"The point that the ace gets by smashing through the block with power and the point that you get by dodging the block with speed are both the same point on the scoreboard."

Hinata stared at him blankly.

"Even without the cool-sounding title of 'Ace,' as long as you can score points, you're a threat." Kageyama said confidently, hands on his hips. "That's why the enemy keeps a close eye on you. And when their attention is drawn away by you, other spikers—even the ace—need you as 'bait' to get better attacking opportunities."

"Is that so?" Kageyama looked at Tanaka beside him.

Ryunosuke Tanaka grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, and patted Hyuga's shoulder forcefully: "That's right! Exactly! If you can fool the opposing blockers, you'll be a huge help to us! Your presence directly determines our chances of winning!"

Hinata felt something explode in his chest.

Bait.

No longer a supporting role.

It is the core.

It is the most dangerous existence.

Kageyama, frowning as he watched Hinata's ever-changing expression, asked, "Even so, do you still think your current character isn't cool enough?"

This guy just spoke such a long string of words in one breath, and now he's panting heavily.

Hinata stared intently at Kageyama, then glanced at Higashimine Asahi, who looked as if facing a formidable enemy.

That feeling of being valued, being watched, and even being feared...

"I don't think so!"

Hinata puffed out his chest and shouted loudly, his voice brimming with a mix of silliness and excitement, "I think...it's super cool!"

Kageyama paused for a moment, then turned around, concealing the slight movement of his lips: "Okay."

back row.

Lu Ren remained in the position after receiving the ball, watching the scene in front of him, and couldn't help but shake his head.

"Tsk tsk tsk."

He muttered to himself, "It's really tough on Kageyama, that single-celled organism. He's rambled on so much just to coax the kid. His CPU must be about to burn out, right? All those theories."