Final Boss Entrance Effects and a Massive Social Death Scene

The whistle ending the Second Game sounded like a life-saving gospel.

Lu Ren practically dragged his legs back to the rest area. To help that pair of "freaks" stir things up during the last game, he—a slacker who had only wanted to be a "fountain commander"—had been forcibly turned into a support roaming the entire court.

The moment he dropped onto the bench, he felt as though the air in his lungs had nearly been sucked dry. Kiyosawa Mashiba handed him a bottle of water. He took it and tilted his head back to gulp it down, too lazy even to say thanks. He merely waved a hand to indicate that he was still alive.

Nearby, Sawamura Daichi, Sugawara Kōshi, and Tanaka Ryūnosuke stood in a circle, fiercely discussing their strategy for the third game.

"Even though we pulled one game back, that Iwaizumi Hajime is hard to deal with." Daichi's voice was slightly breathless. "And their blockers adapt too quickly. In the last few points, Hinata's decoy effect was weakening."

"As long as Hinata can still run, they won't dare leave him completely unguarded." Sugawara drew circles on the tactics board. "The key is whether Lu Ren can keep up with the pace..."

Lu Ren heard his name, but chose to play dead. What a joke. If he kept running, the other side would not even need to do anything—he would die on the spot from lactic acid buildup first.

Just then, a piercing wave of screams suddenly erupted from the second-floor stands.

"Ahhhhhh—!!"

The decibel level and sheer penetrating force of that sound made it seem like some kind of sonic weapon. Lu Ren's hand trembled as he drank, and he nearly splashed water all over his crotch.

For a second, the entire gym seemed to freeze.

Lu Ren wiped the water from the corner of his mouth and looked up at the second floor in bewilderment. "What's going on? Did Ximen Chuixue show up? Or is Ye Gucheng about to duel atop the Forbidden City? With that kind of commotion, anyone who didn't know better would think some top idol had parachuted in."

Following the direction in which those girls were waving frantically, Lu Ren turned his gaze toward the other side of the court.

There was one more person among Aoba Johsai's players.

He wore a blue-and-white tracksuit jacket, with a tall, slender frame and slightly fluffy chestnut hair. He was merely standing there casually, yet the atmosphere around him had changed. The previously somewhat subdued Aoba Johsai players seemed to have instantly found their backbone because of his arrival, even standing a little straighter.

Lu Ren narrowed his eyes.

Though a net separated them, he could clearly see the red ID seemingly floating above the man's head—the oppressive aura unique to a high-level BOSS.

"Looks like easy mode is over." Lu Ren squeezed the water bottle until it crackled. "The DLC for hell difficulty has loaded."

Across the court, at Aoba Johsai's bench.

Coach Irihata looked at the figure who had just arrived, his tone calm. "Oikawa, you're back."

"Yeah." Oikawa Tōru wore an easy smile as he loosened his ankle. "The doctor said that as long as I don't overdo it, a simple practice match is fine."

Iwaizumi Hajime, standing beside him, frowned as he stared at the brace on Oikawa's knee. "Didn't I tell you to stay home and behave? What did you come here for?"

"Oh, Iwa-chan, you're so cold." Oikawa Tōru spread his hands, looking utterly innocent. "That 'genius' junior is here. As his senior, how could I not come over and say hello? Besides, I was about to grow mold at home."

"Cut the crap." Iwaizumi snorted. "If you get hurt again this time, I'm not carrying you back. I'll just throw you by the roadside for dogs to eat."

"That's so cruel! Iwa-chan, is your heart made of stone?"

As the two spoke, the girls in the second-floor stands screamed again. "Oikawa Senior! Look over here!"

Oikawa Tōru immediately turned around. The punchable expression he had worn while facing Iwaizumi vanished in an instant, replaced by a standard idol-like smile. He raised his right hand and waved at the stands, even flashing a somewhat greasy V-sign.

"Ahhhhhh—Oikawa-kun is so handsome!!"

The screams grew even louder.

On Karasuno's side, Tanaka Ryūnosuke's face instantly darkened like the bottom of a pot. He pointed at the guy across the court who was radiating hormones and asked through gritted teeth, "Kageyama! Who's that pretty boy? He seriously pisses me off! Can I go over there and spike him right now?"

"Even though I want to as well, that would be a foul." Kageyama Tobio was adjusting his knee pads. At Tanaka's words, his movements visibly stiffened. He looked up, and for once, his dead-fish eyes showed a trace of gravity—perhaps even a little... fear?

"He's Oikawa Tōru." Kageyama's voice was slightly tight. "Aoba Johsai's captain, and their setter."

"A setter?" Hinata Shoyo poked his head out curiously. "Like Kageyama?"

Lu Ren added gloomily from the side, "No. More accurately, he's the setter who understands the words 'teamwork' most thoroughly on this server right now. If Kageyama is a solo player who relies on Numerical Domination, that guy is a top-tier guild commander who can buff the whole team. They call him—King Oikawa."

"What the hell is King Oikawa?" Sugawara could not help complaining.

"Don't worry about the details." Lu Ren shrugged. "Anyway, he's trouble."

Kageyama Tobio took a deep breath and continued, "Oikawa Senior is an ultra-offensive setter. His attacking ability is among the best in the entire prefecture. Especially his serves... they're nightmare-level."