Volume 13 Chapter 234-2 Shirogane Aqua, Men Who Have Been Declared Excluded from Combat
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Kansai Aqua IteMaez
First-string mainstay, Himachi Sumire.
Substitute, Sayamu Inko.
Second-string raider, Kato Iria.
Third-string third baseman, Kuga Reira.
Fourth-string designated hitter, Kohina Yukari.
Fifth-string first baseman, Yukishiro Mikuni.
Sixth-string catcher, Habu Chiyoko.
Seventh-string left wing, Jou Maron.
Eighth-string right wing, Kurogami Uruha.
Ninth-string second baseman, Tsukimachi Ayana.
Starting pitcher, Natsuki Sana.
Manager, Atori Ako.
On standby, Washimiya Lisa, Kurumi Kokona, Shirogane Lapis, Kurushima Fran.
………………………………………………
I did a double-take when I saw the order sheet.
The entire outfield of the opposing team is stacked!?
All 3 of them running long distances, jumping around, and bouncing like that──is that even allowed!?
Wait, what the hell am I thinking about at a time like this?
Me!!
”Play ball!”
And so, our sorrowful yet fiery battle began, having been declared out of commission.
”Inko, nice one!!”
”Come on, come on! Let’s go for the steal!”
Inko-san, who reached base on an infield hit, is eyeing a steal from first to second.
They say she was one of the “Formula Seven” at the local elementary school──her legs are fast, aren’t they?
”Iria, if anyone can do it, it’s you!”
”You got this, Iria! Show ’em what you’re made of, Iria!”
Up next, Iria-san takes a big swing, aiming for a home run.
With her power, it looks like she could easily clear the fence.
But Tenga-senpai’s precise pitching and Moja-san’s clever ball placement manage to strike her out.
I see, Iria-san has the power, but her bat control isn’t all that great.
Still, while Iria-san swings and misses, Inko-san successfully steals second.
”Alright, Japan’s pride, the great actress cleanup hitter! Bring it home with authority!!”
”UOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!”
If you look around, the crowd’s starting to gather.
It seems the rest of the staff also heard about Kanon’s labor starting and are restless, unable to sleep.
”I wonder how much it would cost to get these 3 to play baseball on a variety show…”
”Hey, why are these guys playing baseball when it’s not even a variety show?”
”If you’re gonna ask that, then why are we playing baseball at 4 in the morning, when Kanon-sama is in labor?!”
”Seriously. We should just put this on TV or stream it online.”
We can’t help it!!
I… no, *we* would rather be there, watching over Kanon!
But…!!
We got cut from the team… I mean, the rescue squad!
We’d just get in everyone’s way, so Kusano’s baseball is all we can do!
”Nice catch, Reira!”
”Way to go, Reira-kun!”
Tch.
Tenga-senpai got flustered with the crowd growing, and his pitches got a little wild, letting Reira-san get a hit.
That leaves us with one out, runners on first and third, and a hit will score a run.
”Leave the rest to me! I’ll knock a huge home run out of here!!”
Kohina-senpai, even in this clutch situation, didn’t show a hint of nerves, stepping up to the plate naturally.
Just as expected of a great actress.
Quick thinking and a strong mental game!
But, her strong point was only her mental game.
”Strike 3! Batter’s out!”
”Geezzzzz! Why are you throwing breaking balls?! Just stick to fastballs!!”
Kohina-senpai, no one throws fastballs the whole game in this situation.
While Tenga-senpai and Moja-san took care of Kohina-senpai, they let Reira-san steal a base too.
Now it’s 2 outs, runners on second and third.
A decent hit and we’ll be down by 2 runs, not just one.
”Mikuni, I’m counting on you!!”
”Mikuni-sama, please!!”
”Leave it to me!”
Seeing Kohina-senpai cheering on Mother Mikuni just warms my heart.
They’ve been bickering lately, but they seem to get along pretty well, and I think they’re doing better than I thought.
”Ouch!”
”Run, run!!”
Mommy Mikuni smashes a huge hit toward the light, living up to Kohina-senpai and Reira-san’s expectations.
Maruo from Light grabs the ball quick and throws── but both Inko-san and Reira-san are already sprinting for home.
”Mikuni, you’re killing it!”
”As expected of Mikuni-sama!!”
Kohina-senpai and Reira-san high-5 at the bench, cheering loudly.
Told ya she’s the real deal.
Mommy Mikuni, never disappoints.
Still, this shining star of an ace lineup──
outside Kohina-senpai, everyone else keeps hitting normally, it’s insane.
Now it’s 2 outs── runners on second.
The score?
Kansai Aqua IteMaez led by 2 after the first inning.
”Prime Minister, are you sure you wanna get serious against a boy like that?!”
”They’ll say you’re acting like a coward on tonight’s news!”
Without even glancing at the jeering crowd, Prime Minister Habu steers her bat and makes solid contact.
Given her calm, I figured he’d do that.
The situation’s the same── 2 outs, runner on second── but the gap widens to 3 points.
”Alright, this gives me tomorrow’s reason to apologize.”
”That’s cheating, Prime Minister!”
”Don’t hit just to apologize── focus on the game!”
Ugh!
I wish the ball would come my way, but it’s been flying past me all game.
I send a mental message to Maron-san in the batter’s box.
”Come on, Maron-senpai! You’ve got this── go for it!”
”And Maron’s up next, you got this too!”
The moment Maron-san swings, everything slows to a crawl.
What… what was that clumsy bouncing from her huge chest?!
It’s worse than any baseball bat── like a weapon of mass destruction…
In this slow-motion world, her bat strikes the ball── a pathetic pitch from Tenga-senpai.
Here it comes!
Reacting on instinct, I leap sideways── the ball was meant to fly past, but I snatch it cleanly into my glove.
”YOOOOO!!”
”NO WAY──!”
”Aqua-sama, you’re way too athletic.”
”Three points isn’t over yet── we can still turn this around!!”
We just have to get on base… and score at least one more.
Stepping up to the batter’s box, I’m determined not to let the Natsu King get comfortable.
I’m swinging for the fences from the very first pitch.
”Swing away!”
”A double!”
”That crack was fierce!”
I could’ve gone for a home run to secure a point for sure, but I thought putting runners on base and keeping the pressure on would be a better way to turn the screws on the Natsu King.
Next up, Toa steps into the batter’s box, helmet on.
Thanks to Toa’s choice to bunt, I make it to third base.
One out, runner on third, and up next is Shintaro.
”Shintaro, you’ve got this!”
”Yeah, leave it to me, buddy! I’ll bring you home for sure!”
Shintaro… You’ve really come through for us!
From the outfield seats, Awashima-san and Mutsumiya-san are waving their hands, cheering for Shintaro.
”WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!”
Shintaro’s persistent hitting pays off with a solid hit.
The infield nightmare trio──Inko-san at center, Maron-san on the left, and Iria-san on the right──are hesitating, each wondering who’s going to catch the falling ball.
Sliding headfirst back into home, I score the run, all thanks to my teammates.
”Shintaro, I knew you could do it!”
Shintaro blushes a bit at my cheer.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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