Haikyuu!!: The Disaster of Gamers

The setting sun cast long shadows outside the stadium, and the air still carried the salty smell of evaporated sweat and the pungent odor of Salonpas.

Compared to the tense atmosphere during the match, the current atmosphere is as eerily strange as a large-scale family reunion.

"My friend—!"

A mournful howl shattered the silence. Tanaka Ryunosuke, tears streaming down his face, gripped Yamamoto Takeo's hand tightly, as if they were facing a life-or-death separation. An outsider might have thought they had just experienced an epic love story that transcended species.

"Farewell, dear friend!" Yamamoto Taketora cried like a two-hundred-pound child, his two eyebrows, which had been fierce just moments before, were now trembling.

Lu Ren stood to the side, his eye twitching. These two single-celled organisms really were thinking the same thing; just moments ago they were ready to tear each other apart, now they were practically ready to chop off chicken heads, burn yellow paper, and become sworn brothers.

Compared to the commotion here, the atmosphere on the two team captains' side was frighteningly low.

Sawamura Daichi wore the standard "good student" smile, but his right hand was tightly gripping Kuroo Tetsuro's hand.

"Thank you for your guidance, Kuroo-kun." Sawamura's voice was gentle, but Riku could clearly see that the muscles on his forearm were taut like a rock. "Next time, Karasuno won't lose again."

Kuroo Tetsuro grinned like an old cat that had just stolen some fish, and he increased the pressure on his hands as well. The joint between their palms even began to turn white due to the increased blood flow.

"Likewise, Sawamura-kun. But we'll definitely win next time." Kuroo squinted, his tone flippant. "After all, cats have nine lives."

Although both of them were laughing, Lu Ren felt that if he didn't separate them quickly, the two of them might have a real-life fight right at the school gate in the next second.

Looking further to the side, the two coaches were also carrying out a ritual that was called "reminiscing" but was actually "declaring war".

"The next time we face each other will be in a formal tournament." The young coach, Nekoma, gripped Ukai's hand tightly with a sinister look. "Don't let me down, Ukai."

"Of course." Ukai's eyes were full of "You just wait," "Next time I'll show you what the fully-formed Karasuno is like."

Lu Ren raised an eyebrow.

Strange, he remembered that Coach Ukai had said he would only lead the team until the end of the practice match with Nekoma. The old smoker's tone now sounded like he was going to take these problem kids to the national tournament.

Forget it, the adult world is too complicated, I don't want to think about it anymore.

Not far away, Hinata was jumping around Kenma, muttering things like, "Next time I'll definitely stop you!" Kenma shrank his neck, looking like he wanted to go home and play games, but he didn't turn away.

"Alright! Get in the car!"

With a shout from Coach Nekomata, the Red Army of Nekoma finally began to move.

The bus slowly started moving. Through the window, you could still see Yamamoto Takeshi's face, pressed and distorted against the glass, and Tanaka's arm waving after chasing the bus for a couple of steps.

"Alright, stop embarrassing yourself." Sawamura Daichi dragged Tanaka back expressionlessly.

As the exhaust fumes dissipated, the filter of "liveliness" shattered instantly, leaving only a wave of exhaustion surging from the depths of the body.

"Everyone, back to the gym!" Ukai Shishin clapped his hands. His voice wasn't loud, but it invigorated everyone. "Don't think you can rest just because the game is over. The debriefing meeting starts now."

……

The lights in the stadium were still bright, but the suffocating scraping sound from before was no longer heard on the floor.

Everyone sat in a circle, each holding a water bottle. Kageyama was wrapping tape around his fingers with a dark expression, while Hinata was sprawled out in a starfish shape, spitting out his soul.

Wu Yangxi stood in front of the whiteboard, arms crossed, his gaze sweeping over the group of defeated soldiers.

"You had a great time playing today, didn't you?"

No one spoke, but the light in everyone's eyes said it all.

"It was exhilarating, but a loss is a loss." Wu Yang's tone shifted abruptly, shattering the illusory sense of satisfaction. "And it was a loss achieved by being outsmarted."

He turned around and wrote the word "defense" heavily on the whiteboard.

"Your receiving was a complete mess, and your positioning was a disaster. Except for the last few balls where you looked somewhat decent, most of the time you were like monkeys being played around."

Although the words were harsh, there was no way to refute them.

"Lu Ren".

Suddenly called out, Lu Ren, who was in standby mode, was stunned for a moment and pointed to his nose blankly.

"what?"

"Don't play dumb. You were the one who used your brain the most on the field. Tell me what problems were exposed in today's game." Wu Yang threw a marker at him.

Lu Ren hurriedly caught the pen and sighed. What was this? A forced plot replay after a hidden quest?

He slowly stood up, walked to the whiteboard, and looked at the pairs of eyes below, eager for knowledge (or simply exhausted).

"Well, since the coach told me to speak, then I won't hold back."

Lu Ren uncapped the pen and drew a crooked circle on the whiteboard, representing Karasuno's formation.

"The biggest problem, as the coach said, is that our receiving is terrible, like a sieve."

He ruthlessly poked several holes in the circle.

"Apart from Daichi-senpai and Nishinoya, everyone else's defense is basically useless. As long as the ball doesn't get into their hands, we're in complete chaos. Especially against a team like Nekoma, who's good at playing defensively and persistently, our margin for error is too low."

Hinata shrank back guiltily.

"Secondly, the attack methods are too limited."

Lu Ren drew a knife and a stick next to it.

"We have Tanaka-senpai's power, Asahi-senpai's heavy artillery, and Hyuga's fast attack. It sounds impressive, but once the opponent adapts to the rhythm, like today, we'll be completely shut down."

He pointed to Kageyama.

"As for serving, apart from Kageyama's powerful jump serve which can score directly, the rest are basically just giving away opportunities. My ceiling serve and jump float serve are only half-baked; they're good for intimidating people, but against a libero like Yoku, they're just easy prey."

Kageyama frowned, seemingly wanting to argue, but in the end he just silently took a sip of water.

"Finally, there's that half-finished weirdo's fast attack."

Lu Ren looked at Hinata, who was staring at him expectantly.

"The final attempt at 'opening the eyes' was indeed impressive, but Kageyama's 'ball control' technique is still inconsistent, and Hyuga's aerial handling is only slightly better than random swinging. Against a slightly experienced blocker, they will still be taught a lesson."

At this point, Lu Ren paused, recalling the smooth and seamless coordination of Yin Ju.

"Also, we rely too much on individual ability. The tactics of Nekoma, where everyone runs up together and attacks from multiple points, are really disgusting, but they are also really effective. For a team like ours with many attackers, that 'all-out attack' style of play might be a good reference."

After finishing speaking in one breath, Lu Ren felt his throat was parched. He capped the pen and tossed it back to Wu Yang.

"That's about it. To sum it up: the fundamentals are too weak, there are too few routines, and the teamwork is too stiff. That's all."

The stadium was silent for a few seconds.

Sawamura Daichi chuckled wryly and scratched the back of his head: "That really is... so insightful it makes me want to cry."

Wu Yangxi took the pen and nodded in satisfaction: "That's very comprehensive. It seems you were actually using your brain when you were slacking off on the field."

Lu Ren rolled his eyes, too lazy to explain that it was "tactical AFK".

"Just like Lu Ren said, the focus of the training going forward is very clear." Wu Yang drew several lines heavily on the whiteboard. "First, everyone needs to improve their ball-receiving skills. I don't expect you to become like Nishiya, but at least you need to be able to lift the ball high. Second, increase offensive tactics and practice 'one-man time difference' and 'multi-point attack'. Third, Kageyama and Hinata, practice your new fast break until you're sick of it."

"yes!!!"

The synchronized responses shook the floor.

"Alright, dismissed! Pack your things and go home!"

……

By the time I stepped out of the school gate, it was completely dark. The dim yellow light from the streetlights cast long, distorted shadows on the asphalt road.

Lu Ren dragged his heavy steps, feeling as if his legs were not his own, and each step required a tremendous amount of willpower.

"You look like a zombie."

A crisp sound came from the side. Ya-zhi, carrying her schoolbag and still holding the notebook, was tilting her head to look at him, like a woodpecker observing a rare insect.

"Don't even mention it." Lu Ren waved his hand, his voice weak and listless. "I feel like my soul has left my body and I'm watching this body writhe from a third-person perspective."

Ya-zhi chuckled and quickened her pace to keep up with him.

"How was today's practice match? You seemed pretty into it at the end."

"Investment?" Lu Ren thought for a moment, then gave a wry smile. "How should I put it? It's a very strange feeling."

He looked up at the moths fluttering under the streetlights.

"The Sound Horse team is like a disgusting boss in a game with an extremely long health bar, extremely high defense, and the ability to regenerate health. You think you've unleashed a dazzling combo, but upon closer inspection, you realize they've only taken a minor hit and then immediately apply a bunch of slow and weakening debuffs to you."

"That sounds hopeless," Ya-zhi said, her hands behind her back and her steps light.

"Yeah, it's despair." Lu Ren nodded. "Every time I spike the ball and it gets caught, every time that pudding-haired setter tries to fool me with his eyes, I just want to smash the controller and quit playing."

"but……"

Lu Ren stopped and looked down at his hands. The rough texture of the volleyball still lingered on his fingertips, and his palms were red, swollen, and hot from catching so many balls.

"When that last ball landed, even though we lost, I actually felt... I wanted to play another game."

The thrill of finding a weakness in an intense tug-of-war, the tension of overworking your brain, and the way the whole team fought with all their might for that one point in the final moments.

Compared to the methodical way of passing levels before, the thrill of potentially failing at any moment was actually somewhat addictive to him.

"Am I a masochist?"

Lu Ren suddenly blurted out, his expression horrified, "Why do you seem to have masochistic tendencies? That feeling of wanting to continue even after being tortured to the point of near death, that's definitely not normal, right?"

Ya-Chih paused for a moment, then laughed so hard she bent over.

"Hahahaha! Lu Ren, are you an idiot?"

She reached out, grabbed Lu Ren's wrist, and pulled the self-doubting guy forward.

"That's not called masochism, that's called a competitive spirit."

Ya-zhi's fingers were slightly cool, but her palms were warm. She didn't turn around, her voice carrying a hint of playful laughter.

"Because they're unwilling to accept defeat, because they find it interesting, because they want to win. Isn't that normal?"

"Really..." Lu Ren let her pull him along, watching the girl's hair bounce under the streetlights, "But I still think that pudding-shaped haircut is really annoying."

"Then that's your problem."

"Hey, don't get the wrong idea about that 'M' thing. I'm a legitimate gamer."

"Yes, yes, I'm a serious player." Yazhi replied dismissively without turning her head. "Let's hurry up and go, serious player, or we'll miss the last bus."

"Slow down, my legs are sore..."

"Who just said they wanted to play another round?"

"That's a mental issue; the body is already beyond repair!"

The two figures walked further and further away under the streetlights, their shadows overlapping, then slowly separating, and finally merging into the night.

Although we lost the game, this damn game seems to be getting more and more interesting.

Lu Ren silently marked the task called "National Competition" in his mind with "Aim for this".

Of course, before that, you need to figure out how to lengthen your stamina bar. Otherwise, you'll be exhausted from running around the map before you even see the boss.