Ch.75 Event Stream "Brutality! Buster Ball!" ②
A high-pitched clang echoed across the blue sky. It was the sound of a white ball bouncing off a metal bat. The batter throws their bat awa
A high-pitched clang echoed across the blue sky. It was the sound of a white ball bouncing off a metal bat. The batter throws their bat awa
A high-pitched clang echoed across the blue sky.
It was the sound of a white ball bouncing off a metal bat.
The batter throws their bat away and runs to first base.
However, it couldn't be called fast by any stretch, and it was a slow grounder.
Before their foot even stepped on the base, the ball hit the first baseman's mitt.
"Out!"
The announcement of the PE teacher, who is acting as the referee, echoes across the field.
"Oh, I thought they finally got it."
"What can we do? The pitcher is 'that' Kongouji. Even a lucky hit would be helpful."
"That game the other day was amazing. You struck out 16 batters in a row against a strong opponent. That was awesome."
"Well, we still lost. Our baseball team relies entirely on the ace. Our batting line-up is too weak."
"Ba〇ji... how sad."
"ー I can't hit it!!"
"Batter out!"
As the two of them suddenly started talking, I resisted the urge to join in.
How nice, they look like they're having fun high-fiving each other.
There's no high school girl these days who can talk about Gu〇dam.
As I looked on enviously, a continuous squealing sound caused by shoes rubbing against the floor echoed behind me.
It's gym class now.
The boys had baseball practice on the field and the girls had volleyball practice in the gym.
So what was I doing? I was sitting on the steps at the entrance to the gym, staring blankly at the boys playing baseball.
No, I'm not slacking off or anything.
I'm on a break right now.
I had been pretty much unbeatable on the court up until just now.
It was quite exhilarating to shut down the volleyball team's attacker and brought a "What... did you just...?!" look on her face.
The experiences from my previous life are not just for show.
My current body is also pretty high spec.
Well, it was a little scary to see the way the volleyball club members looked at me change.
This is also a way to escape, so I turned to watching baseball.
"Those guys' behavior changed the moment you started watching."
Kaede, who was sitting next to me, gave me a cold look.
This girl has also started to quietly keep herself by my side.
Was it just my imagination that the image of Sakura's face, with an indescribable expression, flashed through my mind?
"Well, that's just how men are. They want to look cool in front of cute girls."
"You say it yourself."
"If you don't have self-awareness when you look like me, you must have a disease. I'm not an anime character."
"Are there people like that in anime?"
"A lot of them, actually. Even though those kinds of characters are depicted as being clearly popular, they don't really think of themselves as cute or popular."
"That's a very convenient development."
"But that's the kind of girl Otaku-kun like...!!"
"That's a strong argument"
Because even though she's in a position where she seems like a girl out of reach, she has the attributes that make it possible to approach her casually.
Of course you'll fall in love with her...!
Moreover, such characters generally have good personalities.
Her personality is so good it makes you wonder if she's an archangel.
Otakus are weak to that sort of thing.
I like it too.
It's good to be an unconscious heroine.
Convenience? If it's cute, then it's okay.
"But I think some of the boys over there are curious about Kaede. Kaede is cute enough."
A dignified expression and long black hair is definitely Tier 1.
"I don't think that's the case though..."
Oh, how cute, you're embarrassed.
"Compared to Aria, I'm normal."
"Good point."
Silver-haired half-Japanese are Tier 0.
I also has big breasts.
"... At least deny it a little."
When I agreed with her opinion, Kaede got annoyed.
◇◆◇
"ーDo you like baseball?"
A few minutes had passed since then, and as I was still watching the baseball game, Kaede suddenly asked me a question.
"Yeah, I guess I would have liked it if it was just hitting the ball. But there was another reason I was watching."
"Another?"
Since Kaede had a questioning look on her face, I began to explain.
"Yeah. In the Blue Sphere there is a sport that replaces baseball. It's called Buster Ball."
"So it's a sport from another world."
Kaede muttered to herself that it might be relatives to softball.
"The basic structure is the same as baseball or softball. There is a clear division between offense and defense, and you hit the ball with a bat and score a point by going around all four bases."
"It's the same in that way too."
"And if you defeat the referee, you get five points."
"......?"
"You get 1 point if you defeat the opposing player"
"???"
"The bat is basically a nail bat, a club or a hammer. In baseball, when you hit the ball, you put the bat down and run, but with Buster Ball, you keep the bat in your hand as you run. That's because you have to attack the infielders."
The cry of "DIEEEE!" is VERY COMMON.
It's an industry where it's actually considered rude if you don't act with the intention of killing someone.
"???"
"The defense doesn't just sit back and take it. The moment it becomes fair, anyone other than the player chasing the ball starts firing rocket launchers at the runners. Of course, that puts the offensive team at a disadvantage, so the bench players start retaliating with rocket launchers as well."
Characters who stated that explosions are art, could have become a huge star in the major leagues if there's Buster Ball.
"Wait. Hold on a second."
"What's wrong, Kaede?"
Looking up, I saw Kaede holding her head.
Was there anything that bothered her?
"Oh, of course it was real ammunition! If we brought out cheap weapons like sticks or water guns, it could lead to a war."
"No it's not! What a stupid sport! Don't they have any sportsmanship?!"
Hahaha.
So that's what she's confused about
"There's no such thing. It's a tradition to step on a picture of a morality textbook when lining up before the game and have a campfire. Buster Ball is about slapping common sense, morals, and rules with violence and shady schemes."
"T-that's crazy..."
"That's not true."
"Look me in the eye. Aria, you probably think something is wrong too. It's obvious that you're trying to deceive yourself."
But...that crazy sport(?) is the most popular.
Both Kaguya-senpai and Licia are totally into it.
Anyone who isn't into it is considered a heretic.
When in Rome, you have to do as the Romans do.
But it's also true that it's worth seeing.
Is it because the world is like that?
I guess the more violent sports are more popular.
While I was looking off into the distance, the noise on the field started to get louder.
What, did they bring a nuclear warhead to the field or something?
"O-oi! Calm down, Kongouji!"
"Shut up! I can't take part in any more of your house-playing!"
The one who made the blunt statement was the pitcher on the mound.
Um, Kongouji-kun? Hopefully it's fine to call him that.
I'm pretty sure it was a boy from the class next door.
Since our physical education classes are joint, there are a few students whose names I don't know.
Among them all, this Kongouji-kun stood out like no other.
He is over two meters tall and has a muscular build.
Above all, his style is different.
His face was so strong it made me want to ask, "Did he come from Fist of the 〇 Star?"
his presence is on another level.
"Calm down, Kongouji. I'm sure you think their level is low, but this is a lesson. Stop being selfish and play baseball properlyー "
"Ridiculous! I don't believe this is baseball!"
He didn't care about the teacher's cries of disapproval.
His voice was deeper and more mellow than his teacher's.
Is that really 16 years old?
In fact, it was the first time I'd ever seen someone say "ridiculous" in real life.
(TL Note : they use the word 「笑止」 (Shoushi) which I don't think anyone's using that word in that way in real life)
It was also the first time I'd seen someone use "ware" as their first person pronoun.
Is that person actually a Vtuber?
"Baseball is a clash of souls! Anyone who doesn't put their life on the line for a single pitch has no right to step up to bat!"
Kongouji-kun's anger continues to grow.
Maybe the other students who had been playing along too softly had finally reached their limit.
Well, I can understand how athletes feel, but this is just a PE class.
"I guess it can't be helped."
"Let's get going" I said, standing up.
"Aria?"
"I'll be back in a bit."
After telling Kaede that, I changed into my shoes and headed out to the field.
The commotion continued even after I stepped inside the white diamond, and a tense atmosphere prevailed.
However, when he noticed me about to jump into the middle of the vortex, his confusion and anger intensified.
"Eh? Um, Kisaragi-san."
"Don't worry. Leave it to me."
I smiled at my male classmate and passed by him. "Wow, ah... that smells nice..." You don't need to say that out loud.
"...I'm going home. There were no other baseball players on this field except for me."
"ーPlease wait, Kongouji-kun."
Eighty percent angry, but also 20 percent sad, I called out to Kongouji as he was about to leave the mound.
Then I picked up the bat that had fallen near the base and stepped up to bat.
"What are you planning, little girl?"
Little girl.
"Let's have a one-off batting. I can play baseball with you."
"What nonsense. It is extremely unpleasant for a woman to set foot on such sacred grounds. You should leave immediately. Otherwiseー"
He clenched his big fists tightly.
The commotion grew louder and several people stepped forward to protect me.
I suddenly looked around and saw some students looking out the window.
If this kind of commotion were to occur during class, there would surely be a few curious onlookers.
"Are you running away?"
"…… What?"
"So, to cut off your escape route, I'll make a declaration. The first pitch you throw - I'll hit it over the fence."
I pointed the tip of the bat straight ahead and hit a predicted home run.
"I can't swallow the words you spit out, little girl...!"
His expression was one of threatening anger.
He probably never expected that I, a woman, would say something like that to him, but at the same time, he probably couldn't contain himself.
Kongouji-kun took to the mound again.
Big.
Once on the mound, his huge body looked even more imposing.
The eyes looking down at me are full of hostility, and it is clear that he has no mercy whatsoever.
The ground was now completely quiet, as if the hustle and bustle from moments before had never happened.
With many eyes on me, I moved into batting position.
"Ah, that's...!"
"The same form as the legendary No. 51!"
It seems that the exact copy trick ended up making things even worse.
Adding further fuel to his anger, Kongouji-kun gripped the ball tightly, nearly crushing it, and got into his pitching form.
Legs raised high.
Using his lower body firmly, he transfers the energy concentrated in his fingertips onto the ball and releases it.
"I am Kongouji! I am a man who surpasses even that two-sworded samurai!"
The overhand pitch was worthy of being called a bullet.
bullet.
That's right - it's just a bullet after all.
"Kaguya-senpai's Direct Teaching - Heaven's Secret Strike Technique: Thunderbolt"
◇◆◇
The sound of the ball hitting the ground was not heard.
However, the white ball he had thrown was no longer in the catcher's mitt.
All Kongoji could understand was that something had passed just short of his face.
No way.
That's impossible.
As if to betray his feelings, he felt a thunderbolt strike from far behind him.
He turns around, eyes widening in shock.
There was a white ball stuck in the fence.
That was the end of this match.
A loud cheer erupts.
He saw a girl leisurely playing around the base in the midst of the loud music, as if she didn't care about the class at all.
There is no emotion or joy there.
Kongouji was astonished by the reaction, which seemed to say that it was a natural result.
This is no coincidence.
His own winning shot.
That girl had perfectly seen through the ultimate straight pitch that even a nationally renowned slugger had declared to be a magic ball.
The moment he realized this fact, Kongouji collapsed to his knees.
"K-Kongouji, your knee...?!"
"The diamond shattered...!"
The scene must have been hard to believe.
His classmates and players on the baseball team who knew him well couldn't believe their eyes.
A shadow approaches him.
It was none other than the girl who had dealt Kongouji his defeat - Kisaragi Aria.
Her silvery white hair sparkles in the sunlight and dances in the wind.
Her amethyst eyes, emitting a mysterious hue, were not looking down on him and were endlessly clear.
"ーUse this defeat as motivation to make further progress."
Kongouji was impressed by the words that came from those small, plump, cherry-colored lips.
"O strong rival (goddess)!"
Kongouji watched Aria turn around and leave the field for a long time.
◇◆◇
And then, Kaede, who was watching the whole exchange, muttered to herself.
"What is this?"
Indeed.
ーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーーー
Author's Note:
・Heaven's secret technique・Thunderbolt
This is the supreme and ultimate batting style that has been passed down from generation to generation since its founder, Kaguya's great-grandfather.
Kaguya's great-grandfather was a Buster Ball player.
As he approached the age where he could be called a veteran, he felt the limits of his own body and striking ability, and after much deliberation, he finally came to the conclusion that
ーHe was grateful.
He was eternally grateful to the batting that had helped him grow.
He decided that in his own way, he wanted to give back, even if just a little, by showing gratitude 10,000 times a day.
Calm down, worship, and pray.
Take a stance and swing.
(Omitted below)
As he descended the mountain, he left the sound behind.
There was no sound of the ball hitting the ground. All that could be heard was the thunderous roar of the white ball hitting the ground.
It was a thunderbolt.
Those who witnessed that supreme swing all said the same thing.
ー They saw God.
Returning to the stadium, he steps up to bat with a deep sense of gratitude.
He prayed, then got ready.
"---I'm grateful. For meeting you, for everything that has happened so far!!"
With that, he struck out.
Well, all he did was just practice swinging.