Chapter 26: The Crisis of Defeat and the Omen of Awakening

Jura High’s "Twin Hunting Dragons" combo took down Karane, and next up was Iku at bat… but something was off. The pitches were dead-center, yet she wasn’t even swinging…? There had to be a reason, but—⁉︎

"……‼︎"

"Iku‼︎"

What was that pitch just now? It was clearly way more powerful than before. "Tyrant Dragon’s Cannon—Tyranno Cannon"… "Full Burst"… Seriously?! If she took a direct hit from that, even Iku would—‼︎

"Guh…‼︎❤︎"

The cooling spray helped treat it, but Iku’s arm was hurt. Hey, the heart symbol at the end of her speech didn’t disappear, Iku. Even in this situation, it still auto-attaches, huh…?

But with their pitcher effectively shut down, the Aijou Family’s defense was no longer flawless, and the point gap gradually widened. By the end of the 5th inning, it was 4-0. Not a good flow… We had to do something. It’s frustrating how useless I am in times like this…‼︎

I’m Rapuko Henrogi, a third-year at Surasaki District High. I’m here for a baseball practice match. Today’s going pretty well. I was shocked when I heard Sudo Iku was playing, but Saulko’s "Tyrant Dragon’s Cannon—Full Burst" wrecked her arm. Kshishishi…! If we keep this momentum, we might even score a mercy rule win…!

As long as the opponent can’t hit the "Tyrant Dragon’s Cannon," we won’t lose if we finish this before Iku recovers… But just in case, I wanna crush their morale by exploiting their team’s weak points.

That means targeting the short one… Wait, no. There’s that brat wrapped head-to-toe in bandages. She hasn’t even stepped up to the mound as a pinch hitter. Is she their secret weapon? If she’s their trump card for a critical moment… why isn’t she being used now?

Even with Iku down and the game in our hands, she’s not showing up. What’s the deal? If they’re fielding someone that injured, she must be seriously strong. Judging by the bandages and crutches, her legs and arms are messed up. The exposed skin is covered in gauze and band-aids… Normally, she’d be medically benched.

They’re pushing her to play despite all that, which means she’s that good. Yet she’s not stepping up even in this crisis. Is there a reason she can’t?… As long as that wild card’s in play, I can’t say we’ve absolutely won.

Right now’s break time. Maybe I’ll probe a little. They might get suspicious, but baiting them with talk about the "Tyrant Dragon’s Cannon" should work. I hate doing this to someone who appreciates its greatness, but… no choice. Time for some underhanded tactics… all for yakiniku!

"Hey! You, the bandage brat!"

"Hm? You callin’ me—?"

"Wanted to chat… About the 'Tyrant Dragon’s Cannon'—its origin story…"

"Be right there!"

She bit the bait the second I mentioned "Tyrant Dragon’s Cannon." Normally, she’d be wary… What an idiot. Or maybe… it was just too easy.

"Too eas— Oh! The 'Twin Hunting Dragons' girl too…"

"Wait up, I’ll—Guh-heh⁉︎"

"…You good?"

Kshishishi…! My worries were for nothing—this is our chance. He’s just too physically weak to play multiple innings. Even if he steps up to bat, what can a body that can’t last one inning even do?

Then it’s simple. Break the short one’s spirit, crush their morale, and victory’s ours. That girl—Kawaru—talked a lot, which helped. Honestly, chatting with her was fun… Went ahead and swapped LINE IDs too. Not many appreciate the "Tyrant Dragon’s Cannon" like she does… Kshishishi…!

This is bad. None of us can hit the "Tyrant Dragon’s Cannon," and now… by the 6th inning, the gap’s overwhelming. (The origin story was awesome, though. Worth hearing…‼︎)

Well, I tripped on the way back and my crutch finally snapped. Goodbye, trusty crutch—overworked these past few days. I won’t forget you. Probably.

"Experience really makes a difference, huh…"

"Cheaters! Newbies like us can’t beat that…!"

"Sorry, everyone… If only I hadn’t gotten hurt…!"

The score’s now 6-0. If they widen the gap by one more point by the end of the 7th, it’s a mercy rule loss. We have to stop that.

"Focus on defense first—don’t let them score!"

"Avoiding defeat is the top priority."

"If Iku-senpai recovers…!"

Right. If Iku comes back, we still have a chance. Until then, we must stop the gap from widening. But I’m useless here. So frustrating. Even if I pinch-hit now, my inability to defend afterward would kill our chances. My only shot is the bottom of the 9th. If we hold them scoreless until then, maybe…

…That’s what I thought.

"LANSCO! LANSCO! LANSCO‼︎"

The top of the 7th inning just ended. A mistake from Shizuka led to three runs, making it 9-0. If this keeps up, we lose. Until now, that was the biggest concern—the terrifying crisis of a mercy rule defeat. But now… something else matters more.

"I… I’m… s-sorry…! I-I just… dragged everyone down…"

"That’s not true! Shizuka-chan, you gave it your all…!"

"Yoshimoto Shizuka did everything she could."

"She’s right! You tried so hard…!"

They’re right. Shizuka fought desperately. She did everything she could, pushed herself to the limit. Sure, her stamina failed her, but I haven’t even stepped onto the mound yet. And yet. And yet they—‼︎

"…Ah! Earlier, that lizard-faced girl said something to Shizuka!"

"…I saw it too. Rapuko said something to her… and after that, Shizuka was clearly shaken, her movements got sloppy."

"You don’t mean…!"

"……Hic… huu…!"

We don’t know exactly what was said, but one thing’s clear: They hurt Shizuka.

The moment we realized, the air around us changed. Of course it did. In the Aijou Family, no one lets Shizuka get hurt like this and stays calm—‼︎ Me included!

It’s okay, Shizuka. We’ll turn this around and win. So… you don’t have to cry anymore.

.

.

.

.

.

Bottom of the 7th. The situation’s dire, but not a single one of us has given up. If anything, we’re burning fiercer than ever.

Just look at Karane stepping up to bat. You can tell—she’s barely holding back her fury. She’s enduring, saving every ounce of rage to unleash when it counts. Almost there.

"Hopeless situation, huh?… Don’t worry. We’ll put you out of your misery soon. Just like that runt over there…"

"Like that runt…?"

The air around Karane crackled. Oh. Oh. So that’s what it was. This is… the legendary—

—It’s coming.

"Tyrant Dragon’s Cannon‼︎"

"Shi… zu… ka…! SHIZUKA?!"

A golden aura erupted around her. Her hair stood on end like a spear piercing the sky, sparks of raw energy crackling in the air—and with a swing that could split the earth—

"Dino-Slaying Meteor—SHINE METEOR‼︎‼︎"

KGYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA‼︎‼︎‼︎

"GYAAAAAAAAH⁉︎⁉︎"

She crushed the Tyrant Dragon’s Cannon. Watch closely, Jura High. Watch closely, Shizuka. This… is where the counterattack begins.

It kills me that I can’t step up to bat yet, but it’s fine. Everyone’s here. The game will last until the 9th. My turn will come. And when it does—I’ll give it everything.

After all… my trump card might finally be useful.