Tanaka Ryūnosuke, the Tank with a Level 1 Taunt Skill, and the Lifeline Called "One-touch"

Oikawa Tōru stood at the end line, spinning the blue-and-yellow volleyball in his hands.

The scoreboard read 24:23.

Just one more point, and Aoba Johsai could drag the match into overtime—or, more accurately, completely break Karasuno's spirit.

Lu Ren stood in the back row, watching the man in the distance radiate the aura of a "final boss." He couldn't help clicking his tongue inwardly. It was like painstakingly whittling a boss down to critical health, only for it to suddenly enter berserk mode and start unleashing screen-wide AOE attacks like they cost nothing.

And this boss was specifically targeting the mage with the lowest defense in the party.

Tsukishima Kei stood on the front row's wing, his expression dark enough to drip. Those last two balls had been like two loud slaps, leaving the usually cool and aloof, tall boy with glasses completely rattled.

Just then, an orange head suddenly popped up.

"Um... Great King!!"

Hinata Shoyo cupped his hands around his mouth like a megaphone and shouted at the other side of the net.

The whole gym fell silent.

Oikawa stopped spinning the ball and raised an eyebrow at them.

Hinata took a deep breath, as though trying to force every last bit of air from his lungs. "Aim for me, too! I'll receive it! Don't let my height fool you—I can receive, too! Serve it over here!!"

Lu Ren's eye twitched.

What was that supposed to be?

A beginner-level taunt skill?

And one with no Aggro bonus whatsoever, relying purely on the physical taunt of a loud voice. It was like a Novice Village villager in cloth armor shouting, "Hey, you big lug, get over here!" at a max-level demon king. It might get a laugh, but it had no tactical value at all.

"Stop shouting," Tsukishima said with a frown, his voice full of disdain. "You're embarrassing yourself."

"Huh?!" Hinata instantly bristled like a puppy whose tail had been stepped on. "I'm helping take some of the heat off you! We're in the middle of a huge crisis, and you're still so annoying at a time like this!"

"I don't need your help," Tsukishima replied coldly. "Worry about yourself."

Hinata's face flushed red. He seemed to rummage through his meager vocabulary, then finally managed, "Tanaka said before that in volleyball, as long as you're on the same side of the net, you're all teammates!"

Tanaka Ryūnosuke, who had been crouched nearby in a defensive stance, abruptly straightened up. Tears of emotion welled in his eyes. "That's right! Those are my words of wisdom! Hinata, you've got a great memory!"

Tsukishima's expression was like he'd swallowed a fly. His visceral disgust practically leaped off the screen.

Lu Ren silently shifted two steps to the side and chimed in, "Not necessarily all teammates, though."

The three of them turned to look at him at the same time.

With a blank expression, Lu Ren pointed toward Kageyama Tobio, who stood at the setter position with a dark look on his face. "After all, just a few minutes ago, one 'teammate' used a serve to physically buff the back of his own setter's head. I don't think even the Aoba Johsai players could hit their teammates that hard."

Hinata's face turned beet red, and all his earlier resolve instantly evaporated. "Th-that was an accident!!"

Kageyama turned and glared ominously at Hinata, clenching his fist as his knuckles cracked.

"Enough! Cut it out, all of you!"

Sawamura Daichi's voice rang out at just the right moment, carrying unquestionable authority. As the team's dependable leader, he knew this was no time for banter.

Daichi went to the back row, patted Tsukishima on the shoulder, then pointed toward the sideline. "Tsukishima, shift closer to the sideline. I'll cover the middle."

Tsukishima paused, then nodded. "Got it."

"Listen up, everyone!" Daichi lowered his center of gravity, his gaze fixed on Oikawa across the net. "Forget the distractions and get ready for the next ball! As long as we can get it up high, we'll have a chance!"

The Karasuno players quickly returned to their positions.

Their joking around had been like the calm before the storm. The air grew thick again.

On the other side of the net.

Watching Karasuno adjust their formation, Oikawa's lips curled into an amused smile.

"Using the captain, who's good at receiving, to widen the defensive coverage and protect that first-year with glasses?" Oikawa murmured, his voice carrying the calm of someone who saw through everything. "Not a bad idea. But the volleyball court is huge. One person can't cover the whole thing."

He tossed the ball again.

He began his approach.

He jumped.

This time, Oikawa didn't go for the overwhelming power of his previous two serves. In midair, he changed the path of his swing, wrapping his palm around the side of the ball and sending it down in a fast, controlled shot.

The ball was still moving quickly, but its landing point was even more dangerous.

It cleared the net in a tricky arc, heading straight for the open space in front of Tsukishima. That was exactly the spot Tsukishima had just left open when he shifted toward the sideline, while Sawamura Daichi was still two meters away.

"Tch."

Lu Ren silently cursed. This AI's algorithm was way too smart. It was specifically targeting gaps in the defense.

Tsukishima gritted his teeth and lunged forward. He knew a bad receive would hand them the point, but he had to go for it.

"Thump!"

The ball slammed into Tsukishima's forearms.