Since the purpose of this game was just to play, the game was played in a shorter format, being that the first team to score 5 points wins, and the four players take turns to serve, regardless of who scored in the previous set.
As for the matches I participate in, the other three will adjust to my physical abilities. The rules aren't so strict that they'll be disqualified if their power goes over by even a little bit, and it would be alright as long as everyone adjusts their strengths... Well, the general rules are something like that.
[Now then, even if I were to match my physical ability with Kaito-san... Reflexes and dynamic vision really aren't something that we could just adjust, so in terms of physical ability, Kaito-san would be at a slight disadvantage.]
[I see... Do you have any good strategies in mind?]
A quick strategy meeting with Alice before the match... In a place where everyone's in swimsuits, looking at this stuffed costume really makes me feel like it's out of place... Well, it's Alice after all, so I guess it can't be helped. If I think about it too much, it would be my loss.
[Yes, of course. The difference in reflexes and dynamic vision doesn't necessarily work in Kuro-san's favor. In particular, since all of us will be adapting to Kaito-san's ability, patterns like "I can react, but my body couldn't keep up" might occur, and that's the part that we will be aiming for.]
[Fumufumu.]
[Also, each of us would adjust our own physical abilities, so the ball closes in on the team playing against Kaito-san... a time lag would pop in their minds where they would think that "Will Kaito-san be able to respond to this ball?", so being under these rules doesn't necessarily mean that Kaito-san is at a disadvantage.]
As expected of Alice, she is a very dependable guy who can analyze a situation like this very easily. I'd like to think that her wearing a stuffed costume in a situation like this, ruining the seriousness of the scene.... is nothing but a minor issue.
[...Well, even though I said all sorts of things, what I mean is that they would have openings that we could take advantage of. Please leave exploiting those openings to me, and Kaito-san, please respond to the incoming balls with all your strength.]
[Fumu... That means...]
[Yes, it means that we should just enjoy this beach volleyball without worrying about winning or losing.]
[I see, that's easy to understand.]
Well, it's like a mini-game without any kind of prize, so rather than thinking about this and that, the best to do here is have fun.
After our strategy meeting, we headed to the court that Shiro-san had quickly prepared for us.
As Shallow Vernal watched each team make their own preparations, Alice approached and spoke in a voice that only Shallow Vernal could hear.
[...That ain't me though... Heck, isn't that totally her...]
[...Just for today, I'll obediently apologize. My apologies.]
[No, well, looking at the situation, the one being unreasonable here is her... What exchange did you have that the situation became like this?]
In response to Alice's question, Shallow Vernal looked tired for a moment... before she started talking about Eden... who was operating the stuffed costume that became Kaito's pair.
[It seemed like she had been watching us, and seeing that Kaito-san didn't have a pair, she asked to participate in the game. I thought about refusing her, but she had often accepted my requests until now... but there had been lots of times where it feels like I'm forcing her patience, so I've decided that it would be a bad idea to have her accumulate any more dissatisfaction.]
[Ahh~~ Well, she certainly was dissatisfied back in the housewarming party, didn't she?]
[Yes. And her request today of "wanting to participate in beach volleyball as Kaito-san's pair"... Well, it was a light request for her...]
[That's why, it's better to let her join us here, where we have members who can stop her even if she goes out of control, than to refuse her and have her make absurd requests again later huh... I see.]
Nodding her head in agreement when she heard about how Eden managed to participate in the beach volleyball, Alice then looked to Shallow Vernal and asked the questions that were still unanswered.
Just by her gaze, Shallow Vernal already knew what Alice wanted to ask, and without a change in her expression, she let out a light sigh before continuing her explanation.
[...Many of the participants would feel intimidated if she were to participate with her normal appearance, so we made it a condition of participation that she would wear a stuffed costume and pretend to be Alice so that her true identity wouldn't be revealed.]
[So, that's why she showed up dressed like that huh...]
[The only strange thing though was that she accepted the request so readily. I thought she was going to complain, but she agreed without any other complaints. Is she really alright with that?]
[Well, if the person herself is alright with it... then, I guess it should be alright?]
As Shallow Vernal curiously tilted her head, looking like she's trying to pretend that she didn't hear anything, Alice turned her gaze towards the court.