Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The atmosphere on Otoko's side is a bit off right now.

Especially when Kuroo Tetsuro stared at Lu Ren with those dead fish eyes, there was a clear accusation that "this kid is really cunning." That second attack just now was indeed a bit of a mental tactic; after all, acting on the volleyball court inevitably involves a bit of "dirt."

But I don't care, as long as I win.

However, Lu Ren wasn't optimistic enough to think he could keep fooling people with such clever tricks. Kozume Kenma was too calm. Although Lu Ren had fooled him, there was no panic in his eyes; instead, he stared at Lu Ren as if he were observing a lab rat. That look sent chills down Lu Ren's spine—he was analyzing data.

Lu Ren's "delayed judgment" and "feint" are based on the premise that the opponent is unfamiliar with Lu Ren. Once that Pudding-headed guy figures out Lu Ren's behavior pattern, this move will become ineffective.

Moreover, the most critical problem has not yet been solved.

Lu Ren glanced at Inugami Kaname on the other side of the net. That guy was bouncing around, high-fiving his teammates, as energetic as a tireless golden retriever. As long as Hyuga's fast break remained sealed, Karasuno's offense would always be missing a leg. Relying on Lu Ren, this half-baked opposite hitter, to sneak around at the net would eventually expose their true colors.

We need to unseal that "weird fast attack" technique.

But how to solve this? Simply relying on speed, Inugami Kaname has already adapted. That guy's physical abilities are also a bug; as long as Hyuga jumps, he can keep up.

Lu Ren recalled that Kageyama had mentioned before that Hinata had played against him in middle school. Back then, there wasn't a freakish setter like Kageyama, and Hinata relied on his athleticism to spike the ball. In other words, this simple-minded creature actually had the ability to "spiking while watching the ball," but the current "weird fast attack" had robbed him of his vision, turning him into a pure execution terminal.

What if I don't close my eyes?

Taking advantage of the gap before the serve, Lu Ren walked behind Hyuga and patted him on the shoulder.

"Xiangyang".

"Whoa!" Hinata exclaimed in surprise, turning around. "Lu Ren, what's wrong?"

"If there's a chance later, I'll pass you the ball." Lu Ren lowered his voice and spoke quickly. "Just run at the pace of the 'weirdo' fast break, and jump with all your might. But this time, keep your eyes open."

Hinata was stunned, blinking her big eyes twice, her face clearly saying "Huh?".

"Open your eyes?" he asked, puzzled. "But Kageyama said..."

"Ignore what Kageyama says, just treat it like playing a new game, going through the tutorial." Lu Ren interrupted him, "Remember, watch the ball, watch the block, don't close your eyes."

Hinata nodded, seemingly understanding but not quite. This guy might be slow-witted, but his execution was impeccable.

Having dealt with one, I now have to deal with the even more troublesome one.

Lu Ren walked over to Ying Shan's side. The talented setter had a dark expression on his face, clearly unhappy that he hadn't assisted on that point.

"Kageyama," Lu Ren said, "I'll pass the next ball to him."

Kageyama whirled around, his expression as absurd as if he'd heard Riku say he was going to boil and eat a volleyball: "Huh? What nonsense are you spouting?"

"Just one point." Lu Ren held up one finger, staring into his eyes. "I want to try and see if I can find an upgrade patch for your stuck fast attack."

Kageyama frowned, his sharp gaze sweeping over Lu Ren's face. He was stubborn and had an insatiable desire to control the ball. Getting him to give up his setter position would be worse than killing him.

But he's also a crazy person who wants to win.

The standoff lasted for three seconds.

"...Just one ball." Kageyama squeezed out these words through gritted teeth, then turned his head away. "If you mess this up, you'll be facing a thousand serves."

"make a deal."

Lu Ren returned to his seat and took a deep breath.

The game continues.

"One more ball!"

Daichi Sawamura serves. The ball travels steadily, heading straight for Nekoma's backcourt.

Nekoma's defense was truly hopeless. That outside hitter, Fukunaga Shohei, was usually quiet, but his ball reception was as steady as a machine. With a slight bend in his knees and a gentle push of his arms, the volleyball obediently flew towards the net.

The pass was delivered perfectly.

Lone Claw grinds without even moving a foot. He raises his hand, the sound of his fingers touching the ball so soft it's almost inaudible.

"Black Tail!"

Kuroo Tetsuro had already jumped. This man's attack wasn't as loud and boisterous as Hyuga's; it carried a sense of adult cunning and power.

Tsukishima and Higashimine jumped to block the ball.

"It's a slash!" Tsukishima's judgment was accurate.

But Kuroo twisted her wrist in mid-air, forcefully avoiding the core area of ​​the net and hitting an extremely tricky diagonal shot.

"Bang!"

The ball hit the ground... no, it hit my arm!

"Well done!"

Nishitani Yu rolled across the floor and saved the ball. Although his form wasn't great, the ball had risen very high, presenting a perfect opportunity to adjust his attack.

"An opportunity ball!"

Kageyama instinctively tried to move, but Riku had already positioned himself at the landing point. Kageyama abruptly stopped the car, giving Riku a look that said, "You'd better not mess this up."

Lu Ren looked up at the falling volleyball.

Although Lu Ren plays as an opposite hitter and has practiced setting, compared to Kageyama's precise and accurate shooting, my skill level is that of an average casual player.

However, it's enough.

Out of the corner of my eye, a streak of orange lightning had already shot out.

Hinata Shoyo.

Just as Lu Ren had said, he took a full-speed run-up, landed, and took off.

At the same time, the guy named Inugami Kakeru followed. He was like a piece of chewing gum that couldn't be shaken off, sticking to Hinata relentlessly.

"Open your eyes!" Lu Ren shouted in his mind.

Lu Ren touched the ball with both hands and pushed it out with all his might.

Target: Hinata Shoyo's hitting point.

This pass wasn't perfect; it was a bit low and not as fast as Kageyama's bullet pass.

Hinata was in the air. Instead of blindly waving his arms with his eyes closed as usual, he opened his eyes wide.

He saw the ball.

He also saw Inuoka Kakeru blocking his way.

For a fleeting moment, Hinata's body froze in mid-air. He was thinking. He wanted to dodge the net, to adjust the angle of his arm swing.

But it was too late.

In the fraction of a second that his mind was racing, the volleyball had already whistled past the front of his hand.

It missed.

Hinata's hand slapped the air, and the volleyball flew out of bounds and landed on the floor.

"Beep—"

The referee blew the whistle, and Soundhorse scored.

The scene became very awkward.

Hyuga landed, staring blankly at his hand, then looked back at the ball outside the bounds, looking completely bewildered.

Kageyama Tobio's face was as black as the bottom of a pot. He strode over, looking ready to berate someone.

"pause!"

Before Kageyama could speak, Lu Ren turned around and made a gesture to Coach Ukai on the sidelines.

Uyang reacted quickly and immediately asked the referee for a timeout.

"Phew..." Lu Ren breathed a sigh of relief. If it had been any later, Hyuga would probably have been scolded by Kageyama and forced to retreat into the ground.

The crowd gathered around the edge of the field.

The atmosphere was a bit somber. That mistake just now was so basic; it was a complete breakdown in coordination.

Hinata hung his head, clutching a towel in his hand, like a child who had done something wrong: "I'm sorry... I missed."

"Um..." Sugawara wanted to say a few words of comfort.

"The opponent has completely cracked the weird fast attack, there's no dispute about that, right?" Lu Ren unscrewed the water bottle, took a sip, and bluntly stated his point.

Everyone paused for a moment.

Although everyone knows the truth, it's still a bit hurtful to hear it said so bluntly.

Kageyama clenched his fists and remained silent. Hinata lowered his head even further.

"That guy on the other side, number 7 (Inuga), is already used to this speed." Lu Ren pointed to the opposite side. "As soon as Hyuga jumps, he jumps after him. Anyway, Hyuga shoots in a straight line with his eyes closed, so as long as he blocks the line, he can kill him. It's like fighting a boss; the boss has already memorized the patterns, so no matter how fast you speed up, it's useless."

"What do we do then?" Tanaka scratched his head anxiously. "We can't just give up on fast breaks, can we?"

"We need to upgrade," Lu Ren said.

"Upgrade?" Sugawara was taken aback.

"That's right." Lu Ren put down his water bottle and looked at Hyuga and Kageyama. "You two are already very strong in terms of speed, and there's no way to improve that now. The problem lies in your accuracy and variability."

Lu Ren pointed at Hyuga: "That last shot, Shoyo, did you see the block?"

Hinata suddenly looked up: "I saw him! That tall guy was blocking my way. I tried to get past him, I tried to fight to the side..."

"And then the ball flew over," Lu Ren continued, "because you thought about it. You wanted to adjust, to find an opening. But that takes time. Even a fraction of a second of hesitation, under that kind of super-fast passing, is enough to make you miss the hitting point."

The surroundings became quiet.

Kageyama seemed to understand what Riku Ren meant, his brows furrowing even more: "You mean, my ball was too fast?"

"Yes, and no." Lu Ren looked at Kageyama. "Your passing is top-notch, fast, accurate, and powerful. But that's precisely the problem. Your fast break passes are designed to complement Hyuga's 'blind' behavior. Because he doesn't need to think, he only needs to wave his hand, so the ball has to be fast enough to get through the block."

"But now, in order to avoid that number 7's block, Hyuga must open his eyes, think, and choose the ball's trajectory himself."

Lu Ren paused for a moment, then put forward his conclusion: "To think in the air, you need time to stay in the air, or rather—the time the ball stays in the air."

"Hyuga's CPU processing speed can't keep up with your transmission speed. If you want him to unleash his 'watching and playing' ability, your passes can't be those straight, bullet-shaped balls."

Uoyo Shishin, who had been listening with her arms crossed, finally spoke up.

"Lu Ren is right." The coach's expression was serious. "Kageyama, you need to change the quality of your passes."

Kageyama looked at the coach: "Quality?"

"It's not just about slowing down." Coach Ukai gestured with his hand to illustrate a parabola. "Now, the ball 'whooshes' through you. You need to pass it with... how should I put it, using reverse spin, so that the ball seems to be suspended in mid-air the instant it reaches Hyuga's hitting point."

"Stagnation?" Kageyama was stunned.

"It's about 'sending' the ball there, not 'shooting' it there," Coach Uga explained. "It gives Hyuga time to observe the block and choose his path in the air. Not a straight line, but a slight curve, using gravity and spin to make the ball 'die' at its highest point."

This sounds like magic.

How can you pass a ball that defies physical intuition while maintaining the pace of a fast attack?

Lu Ren glanced at Ying Shan. The guy's expression was priceless—shock, confusion, but mostly a kind of excitement at being provoked.

"It's really asking you to change your moves all of a sudden, which is asking too much," Coach Ukai sighed. "But this might be the only way to break the deadlock right now. To turn Hyuga from a 'passive weapon' into an 'active killer.'"

Kageyama remained silent for a few seconds.

He turned to look at Hinata. Hinata was staring at him expectantly, her eyes filled with no doubt, only pure anticipation.

That was the desire to "become stronger".

"...I'll give it a try." Kageyama turned his head, his voice not loud, but firm.

"It's not a 'try,' it's a must," Lu Ren interjected, patting his back with a smile. "After all, you're a genius; this kind of minor patch should be implemented in no time, right?"

Kageyama glared at me: "You're so long-winded."

The whistle blew, and the pause ended.

Karasuno returned to the field.

On Nekoma's side, Kuroo looked at Karasuno with a playful smile: "Oh? Looks like you've come up with some kind of countermeasure? Hopefully, it's not another weird second attack?"

Lu Renlu passed by the net and shrugged at him: "Who knows, maybe his ultimate move is fully charged."

Kozume Kenma remained expressionless, but his gaze towards Kageyama became even more focused.

The game continues.

Whether we can clear this dungeon called "Sound Horse" depends on this round.

Kageyama stood in front of the net and took a deep breath. He twitched his fingers slightly, as if sensing the air resistance.

Lu Ren could see it clearly; the fire in his eyes had ignited.

This is the kind of plot Lu Ren wanted to see.

Come on, let that little guy who can only wave his arms blindly evolve into a true aerial overlord!