Tank with Taunt Skill at LV.1 and a Lifeline Called "One Touch"

Oikawa Tōru stood at the baseline, spinning the blue and yellow volleyball in his hands.

The score on the scoreboard read 24:23.

Just one point away, and Aoba Johsai could force the match into overtime, or rather, completely shatter Karasuno's morale.

Lu Ren stood at the back row, watching the man radiating "final BOSS" energy in the distance. He couldn't help but click his tongue inwardly. It was like painstakingly grinding down a BOSS to its last sliver of health, only for it to suddenly enter a berserk mode and unleash full-screen AOE skills without restraint.

And this BOSS specifically targeted the mages, the ones with the lowest defense in the party.

Tsukishima Kei stood at the front row, his expression so grim it could drip water. The last two serves felt like two resounding slaps, leaving the usually cool and aloof tall guy with glasses a bit disoriented.

Just then, an orange head suddenly popped out.

"Hey... King!!"

Hinata Shoyo cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone and yelled at the top of his lungs towards the other side of the net.

The entire venue fell silent.

Oikawa Tōru stopped spinning the ball and raised an eyebrow, looking over.

Hinata took a deep breath, as if to squeeze all the air out of his lungs. "Aim for me too! I'll receive it! Don't mind my height, I can receive too! Serve it over!!"

Lu Ren's eye twitched.

What was this?

A low-level Taunt skill?

And it was the kind that provided no aggro bonus, just pure physical taunting relying on sheer volume. It was like a Novice Village villager in cloth armor shouting "You punk, come at me!" at a max-level Demon King, only amusing and offering no tactical deterrence.

"Stop shouting," Tsukishima Kei frowned, his voice full of disdain. "It's embarrassing."

"Huh?!" Hinata instantly bristled, like a dog whose tail had been stepped on. "I'm helping you draw fire! We're in a major crisis, and you're still this annoying?!"

"Not needed," Tsukishima replied coldly. "Mind yourself."

Hinata's face turned red as he seemed to rummage through his meager vocabulary, finally sputtering out, "Tanaka-senpai said before, in volleyball, as long as we're on the same side of the net, we're all teammates!"

Tanaka Ryūnosuke, who had been in a defensive stance nearby, suddenly straightened up, tears welling in his eyes. "That's right! That's my golden rule! Hinata, you have a good memory!"

Tsukishima's expression was as if he had swallowed a fly; the visceral disgust was almost palpable.

Lu Ren silently shuffled a couple of steps to the side and interjected, "Not all teammates, necessarily."

The three of them turned to look at him simultaneously.

Lu Ren expressionlessly pointed a finger at Kageyama Tobio, who stood at the Set position with a dark expression. "After all, just ten minutes ago, a certain 'teammate' used his Serve to give the back of his own setter's head a 'physical polishing.' The ruthlessness of hitting your own teammate... I don't think even the people from Seijoh could do that."

Hinata's face instantly turned beet red, and his previously determined aura completely deflated. "Th-that was an accident!!"

Kageyama Tobio turned his head, glaring menacingly at Hinata, his fists clenched, knuckles cracking.

"Alright! Stop messing around!"

Sawamura Daichi's voice rang out, filled with undeniable authority. As the patriarch of the team, he knew it wasn't the time for a comedy act.

Daichi walked to the back row, patted Tsukishima's shoulder, and then pointed to the sideline. "Tsukishima, move closer to the sideline. I'll handle the middle."

Tsukishima paused for a moment, then nodded. "Understood."

"Listen up, everyone!" Daichi lowered his stance, his gaze locked onto Oikawa Tōru on the other side. "Wipe those unnecessary expressions off your faces and give the next ball everything you've got! As long as we can get a high set, we have a chance!"

All of Karasuno quickly returned to their positions.

The previous banter felt like the calm before a storm, and the air grew thick once more.

Across the net.

Oikawa Tōru watched Karasuno's shifting formation, a playful smile curling on his lips.

"Relying on the captain, who's good at receiving, to widen the defensive range to protect that glasses-wearing first year?" Oikawa murmured to himself, his voice carrying a hint of all-knowing composure. "Nice idea. But you know, the volleyball court is huge. One person can't cover the whole thing."

He tossed the ball again.

Run-up.

Jump.

This time, Oikawa didn't aim for maximum power like on the previous two serves. In mid-air, he altered his swing trajectory, his palm wrapping around the side of the ball to execute a fast-dropping controlled shot.

The ball speed was still high, but its landing spot was even more lethal.

The ball crossed the net, tracing a wicked arc, heading straight for the open space in front of Tsukishima Kei. That was precisely the area Tsukishima had just vacated to move towards the sideline, and Sawamura Daichi was still two meters away.

"Tch."

Lu Ren cursed inwardly. This AI's algorithm was too smart, specifically exploiting loopholes in defensive positioning.

Tsukishima Kei gritted his teeth and lunged forward. He knew failing to receive this ball would mean handing over a point, but he had to try.

"Bang!"

The ball hit Tsukishima's forearm.