Secondary Strike After Physics Engine Repair

"Nice bug."

Lu Ren walked up to Yamaguchi Tadashi and patted his stiff shoulder. That Float Serve just now was indeed something special, like a product of server lag.

Yamaguchi was still staring at his palm in a daze. His palm was bright red, clearly not understanding how he'd managed that shot.

"Stop spacing out, strike while the iron's hot," Lu Ren whispered, pointing to the opposite court. "That was luck just now, the system decided you got a critical hit. But that bald guy is definitely going to adjust his positioning. Listen, do the same thing as before, don't try to force it. Think of the ball as your most hated math test, and use the heel of your palm to 'push' its center."

"M-math test?" Yamaguchi blinked, his expression turning strange.

"Yeah, don't let it spin. If it doesn't spin, air resistance will teach it a lesson," Lu Ren said, then leisurely sauntered back to the net.

The whistle blew.

Yamaguchi Tadashi took a deep breath, the image of last week's failing grade flashing in his mind. He gritted his teeth, tossed the ball, and swung his arm.

Crack!

A crisp sound. This time, it was more solid than before, and the motion lacked the awkwardness of relying on luck. The volleyball once again wobbled over the net. Although it didn't have the same bizarre drop as the previous shot, it was still unpredictable.

However, the opponents weren't rookies.

Tanaka Ryūnosuke stood with his feet spread wide, his center of gravity low. Facing such an unreasonable Float Serve, he didn't panic and reach out like Hinata. Instead, he moved quickly with small steps, aligning his body's front to the incoming ball.

"Too slow!"

Tanaka roared, his arms coming together firmly. The volleyball hit his forearm with a dull thud, then bounced up obediently, arcing in a perfect curve straight towards the setter's position.

"Tsk, veteran Experience Points really aren't for show," Lu Ren muttered at the net.

That receive was incredibly comfortable, like being spoon-fed.

Kageyama Tobio was already under the ball's trajectory. His hands were raised high, fingers spread, his posture as elegant as a conductor leading an orchestra. At this moment, Hinata Shoyo had already begun his approach.

The orange-haired boy's starting speed was ridiculously fast, his shoes squeaking sharply against the floor. He wasn't looking at the ball, nor the opponent, not even Kageyama. He just charged headfirst towards an empty space at the net and jumped with all his might.

It was absolute trust.

Or rather, a tacit understanding between lunatics.

Lu Ren's dynamic vision caught Kageyama's wrist movement. Without any pause, without any extra adjustments, the volleyball was shot out the instant it touched his fingertips.

Whoosh--

The ball speed was abnormally fast.

This wasn't a normal high-set at all, but a fired cannonball. The volleyball cut straight towards Hinata Shoyo's swinging arm.

Tsukishima Kei at the net reacted extremely quickly. The moment Hinata jumped, he leaped as well. The tall guy, who usually seemed lazy, displayed astonishing judgment, forming a wall with his arms at the net.

But he was still half a beat too late.

Hinata's hand swept past at the peak of his jump.

BANG!!!

A deafening sound exploded.

The volleyball grazed the outside of Tsukishima Kei's arm and changed its trajectory, like a runaway shrapnel, smashing hard onto the back court floor.

Lu Ren, positioned in the back row, had just started to move for a dig when the ball had already bounced two meters behind him.

A deathly silence lasted for half a second.

"Yeah!!!!!"

After landing, Hinata Shoyo looked at the rolling volleyball and jumped up as if he'd been electrocuted, clenching his fists and roaring at the ceiling. The sound made Lu Ren's eardrums ring.

"Hahahaha! See that! This is the strongest quick attack!" Tanaka Ryūnosuke rushed over, throwing an arm around Hinata's neck and ruffling his orange hair vigorously. "So awesome! I couldn't even see that ball just now!"

Kageyama Tobio stood in place, watching the excited pair. The tension in his shoulders loosened, and he let out a long breath, a hint of undisguised pride appearing on his face.

The score was 4:1.

Lu Ren straightened up, brushed the dust off his pants, and turned to look at Tsukishima Kei beside him.

Although they lost that point, Tsukishima had kept up with the rhythm. This guy might have a sharp tongue, but his brain was sharp too.

"Hey, Four-Eyes," Lu Ren said, pointing at the trio celebrating wildly on the other side. "Did we lose?"

Tsukishima pushed up his glasses and looked over coldly. "Huh?"

"Looking at their celebration, anyone would think they just won an Olympic gold medal and saved the Earth while they were at it," Lu Ren asked with a serious expression. "Did you make some kind of bet with them privately? Like, if you lose a point, you have to drop all our team's gear for them?"

Tsukishima's lips twitched. He glanced dismissively at the other side. "I wouldn't be that bored. That's just the typical excitement of single-celled organisms. Get used to it."

"That's good then," Lu Ren shrugged. "I thought I missed some kind of plot CG."

The match continued.

Rotation for serving. It was Tanaka Ryūnosuke's turn.