Chapter 27: Awakening, Super Aiya People!! Plus My Own...!!

The clearly transformed Karane returns the "Tyrannosaurus Cannon" shot. Rapuko screams in shock, seeing Karane return a ball she couldn't even touch before. Hey hey...if you're surprised by just this, you're in trouble.

This isn't over yet. It doesn't end here. Karane isn't the only one angry about Shizuka getting hurt.

"If you can't hit it, bunt it ORAHHH!!"

The moment Hikari sees she can't return the shot with full power, she bunts it away.

"Yesss! Rentarou-kun's perfect strategy!!"

"That's right Hikari!!"

Nice going Hikari. Even without returning the ball, she advanced the base. Right. If you know where the ball's coming, you don't need to swing.

"Imagine a high bunt knocking it downward!! The vector's front might be strong but the sides should be weak!!"

Rentarou's reversal of thinking is brilliant. He shifted perspective from "must hit at all costs" to this. Now everyone can create scoring chances.

'Dadandandadan!!'

"Gyaaaah the Termin○tor's running bases!!"

"Go Nano!!"

With an expression never seen before, Nano intimidates opponents with her unparalleled running style to successfully steal bases.

"I'll catch this even if it kills me! Throw at 120%!!"

"Understood"

"As expected of Hahari-san and Mei-san!!"

A D○ra Baseball-level pitch...that trajectory's a W-ball? Since the original artist drew it, can we consider it officially approved without censoring? Let's do that. Hahari-san and Mei-san strike out batter after batter with their zigzag W-ball pitches resembling Dora Baseball.

Hahari-san isn't done yet. As a batter too, despite losing balance from her heavy chest, she nails a slide. Though her hands didn't reach base, her provisional #1 girlfriend-sized breasts firmly caught it. Big...no, amazing human body miracle.

"Grrrr...!!"

"Th-the base is being eaten...?!"

"Go Kurumi!!"

Treating the base as food, Kurumi-chan leaps onto it to advance.

'Gorogorogoro!!'

"Whoaa! I caught it!!"

"Kusuri-senpai!!"

Covered in mud from rolling her whole body, Kusuri-senpai still makes the catch.

"Pain my ass!!...Okay fixed!!"

Ignoring the pain, Iku rams her hand into an ice pack, forcibly cooling and healing it.

With everyone's efforts, the score difference shrinks instantly. I knew it. That golden bursting aura, spiked blonde hair, gleaming emerald eyes...this is.

"Where the hell are these guys getting this power...?!"

"You kicked Pandora's box you shouldn't have touched...!!"

"What...? The hell are you people...?!"

"Call us...'legendary warriors awakened by fierce rage while holding gentle love'...'Super Aiya People'!!"

...This is the Super Aiya People legend. Everyone's power drawn beyond limits. Of course that includes me now. Though I haven't had my turn to show results yet...I've powered up with equal love and rage. My bandages have all burst off, injuries mostly healed. My body feels much lighter than before.

Next is bottom of the 9th. Score 9-6. A grand slam wins it. This is it.

---

Bottom of the 9th Inning, thanks to Kusuri-senpai shrinking herself with her drugs to evade a tag-out, she makes it on base. The remaining batters are Hahari-san, Shizuka, and Iku in that order. Considering how Hahari-san winced in pain earlier when she fell due to her chest weight, and the fact that Iku could hit a home run while Shizuka surely wants payback… this is the perfect spot for a pinch hitter.

"Kawaru-chan, I’m counting on you to take my place…?"

"...Leave it to me!!"

Finally. My turn has finally come. Unlike the others, I haven’t had a single at-bat until now. My Super Aiya state hasn’t faded—if anything, my aura’s only grown stronger. Here I go.

---

"Why…? Just ‘cause I pushed that useless weakling a little… this can’t be happening…!!"

"...The real 'useless weakling' here is me. Not to brag or anything, but my athletic ability is on par with the Shizuka you insulted, and my stamina’s even worse."

As I step into the batter’s box and speak up, Rapuko flinches for a second. She quickly regains her composure, but I can see her trembling.

"Y-yeah right! Even if you got that weird hair color power-up, if your base stats are worse than hers—"

"...But y’know what? I thought about it. And I found a way."

"One hit. Just one. I’ll pour everything I’ve got into it. That’s my move."

"You showed me your flashy techniques… so I’ll show you mine. My ultimate secret weapon."

---

Just before stepping into the batter’s box as the pinch hitter, Rentarou stops me. "What now…?" Not that I need to ask—I already know.

"Kawaru? Just… don’t do anything reckless—"

"...Hey, Rentarou. Can I carry this for you?"

I cut him off before he can finish. I don’t even need to explain. I know how much this weighs on him.

It must be killing him. Watching the girl he loves get insulted, yet being unable to fight directly himself. It’s not just when he’s giving orders—it’s been like this the whole time. Clenching his fists so hard they bleed, gritting his teeth…

"...Rely on me for once, dumbass. Yeah, what I’m about to do is insane—but it’s not suicidal. I’m just fighting the fight you can’t. If it were you up there… you wouldn’t play it safe with a bunt. You’d swing for the fences, right? Leave it to me."

"...I’m counting on you!"

"You got it. Alright… let’s do this."

For you, Rentarou. For Shizuka. For Iku. For everyone. I’ll give this everything I’ve got. So watch me, partner.

MY…! TRANSFORMATION…!!

---

"The aura is red...?"

"If it were a Super Iya-jin's aura, it should be gold."

"[Just like Kaiu-ken...]"

"The way the surrounding air gathers feels exactly like the Kaiu-ken...!"

The enveloping aura shifts from gold to red—a scorching, blood-boiling crimson, yet with pinkish lightning crackling violently around it. The air swirls and converges around the body with a roaring "SHUUUU...!"

"W-what the hell is that form...?!"

"...Aiō-ken!! This is my trump card!!"

"T-the pronunciation's similar but it's legally distinct, okay?!"

"Who exactly is that disclaimer for...?"

"Considering the effect, pronunciation, and timing, it's probably still copyright infringement."

Aiō-ken. As the name implies, it's power born from my love for others. To fully unleash this technique's essence—"giving my all for one thing"—I needed a catalyst.

That catalyst...was love. Thinking back, the first time I used something close to this was when making bento for Rentarou. Later I started making them for Kurumi too, but the love never wavered. Apparently, that's how this power works.

"Now I'm a Super Iya-jin like everyone else...plus my Aiō-ken!!"

"...Combined, it's the Super Aiō-ken!!"

Using Aiō-ken while in Super Iya-jin form creates the Super Aiō-ken. I'd never considered combining them, but theoretically it works. The Super Iya-jin form pushes beyond limits to amplify base power. Stack that with Aiō-ken's massive buff (at the cost of stamina)...this should make me unstoppable!!

"D-don't care! If the original's weak...no amount of power-ups matter!! Take this!!"

"Tyranno Cannon!!"

The incoming cannon shot would normally knock me out cold. But.

"I'm putting everything into this one strike...!!"

CRREEEEE...!!

I swing with all my soul. One moment of hesitation and I'd be sent flying. But...but!! I can't lose. Not when everyone's counting on me!!

"EAT THIIIIIIIS!!!!"

KIIIIIIN!!

The bat connects, reversing the ball's trajectory skyward instead of into the mitt.

"H-he hit it?!"

"Not quite a homer but solid contact!!"

"If Kawaru runs now it's a sure hit!"

"You got this, Kawaru!!"

"......!"

Solid contact. No risk of a flyout—Kusuri-senpai can advance. But...

"[What's wrong, Hanakari-san?]"

"Um...in the original series...wasn't combining Super ○Iya-jin with ○ō-ken taboo...?"

"She's right! The newer anime said it's a suicidal technique!"

"While not THAT extreme...Wait! Look!"

Damn. The toll for hitting that shot exceeded expectations.

"Guh...!!"

"Kawaru-senpai can normally only swing three times...was THAT the cost for returning that pitch?!"

"Kawaru-sama's arms aren't moving at all..."

"With Super Iya-jin's speed, she might barely reach base...but like this...!"

The strain was too much. My arms won't budge. My legs are shot from absorbing the recoil. I can still move...but running properly? Impossible. Aiō-ken's spent too. But.

"N-not...done YET...!!"

"She's crawling forward while falling over..."

"Painfully inefficient..."

"Ah...! She'll barely miss the tag and—wait, that's!!"

At the final moment before the tagout, the first baseman freezes—

"Those flailing, useless arms as she desperately flops forward...vh...! Just like...my dying dog Chii-chan's last moments...?!"

...Her deceased pet's image! (Wrong, but someone later WILL resemble it more.) Still a baseball player at heart, she maintains the tag position through tear-blurred vision. (Though she'll soon cry too hard to even tag properly.)

"S-sorry I...whoa legs gave oughh?!"

Blind from tears but accidentally dodges the glove by collapsing. Completely unintentional, but her dead legs made the stumble narrowly avoid the tag.

"Chii-cha—"

"Wrong person! Wrong species! Snap out of it!!"

"...Hah!"

"SAFE!!"

"You did it, Kawaru!!"

"Training paid off, uhoo!!"

"Had almost forgotten she existed..."

Sacrificing both arms, I somehow managed the hit. Now...it's your turn, Shizuka!! Go for it...!

Unlike me, Shizuka doesn't have a killer move like Aiō-ken. But by clinging to the bat with a reverse grip using her whole body—!

CRACK!!

She makes contact!! The reverse grip adds stability, and knowing exactly where the pitch will land lets her bunt even with her slender frame... Tactical victory.

Plus Shizuka's running. She can move like I did earlier. That first baseman will definitely... see Shizuka run and remember IT again!!

"C-Chii-chan...!! No mistake this time...!! My vision's... blurry from... tears...!!"

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"But... Chii-chan...!!"

While she's distracted by Chii-chan memories, Shizuka makes a full-body slide. Make it...!!

"SAFE!!"

YES!! Now just Iku needs to hit a homer to end this!!

"SHIZUKA-CHAAAN!!"

"Nice going, Shizuka!"

"Not bad at all, Shizuka!"

"As expected... Yoshimoto Shizuka."

"You did great, Shizuka-chan...!!"

"Good girl, Chii-chan...sniff..."

"INTERFERENCE! YOU'RE OUT!!"

Man... I kinda feel terrible. Pet loss hits hard... We might've reopened old wounds, but we're just scrappy underdogs doing what we must. Still stings my conscience... Hope we can make it up to her later.

BTW I sacrificed my remaining good leg with Aiō-ken to advance. Tumbled head over heels—thought I might actually die for a sec. Turns out slamming into the ground hard enough to snap bones works surprisingly well.

---

This is finally it. Bottom of the 9th, bases loaded. Batter's Iku with her arms restored. Plus, thanks to Rentarou, she's breaking through her mental block. Ever since that homer hit a spectator kid, she'd freeze up at bat—but now she's overcoming that trauma.

"...But it's okay! Today I'll hit! For the baseball club's survival... for the Aijou family helping us! If I can't hit today... then my whole baseball career meant nothing...!!"

"That's right! You can do it, Iku-san!"

"Knock that cheat pitch to oblivion!!"

"Show 'em what you've got, Iku!"

"[You've totally got this!!]"

Iku fouls twice at bat—still not fully committed. But... this is her limit. She can do it. She's ready.

"❤︎!!"

Iku slaps her cheeks to psych up. Hey, a heart popped out. Is that thing automatic or what?

Iku tenses for the pitch. This is it. The incoming ball is... no way.

"『TYRANNO CANNON: FULL POWER』!!"

"Ghhh...!! ❤︎"

That's... the pitch that shattered Iku's arm!! Since she never threw it again, I thought it had usage limits like Aiō-ken... But she's using it NOW?!

"Gwaaaaah...!! ❤︎"

"The wind pressure's tearing her clothes?!"

"Is this Shaolin Soccer?!"

"Iku-chaaan!!"

The collision's gale force rips Iku's uniform off, leaving her in underwear. That shouldn't physically happen. Well, it did. She might get overpowered at this rate. But—!

"SWING THROUGH, IKU!! RENTAROU'S... GOTTA BE OUT THERE!!"

I can't see from here, but that guy would absolutely be there. If anyone could fix Iku's trauma... he's THAT kind of man.

"IKU!! HIT IT—!! I'LL CATCH IT NO MATTER WHAT!! SO SEND IT MY WAY!!"

Called it. That's our Rentarou. He's already waiting beyond the outfield fence. Understanding his intent, Iku swings with everything she's got.

"RAAAAAAAAAH...!!!"

SCREEEEEECH!!

She connected. CONNECTED!! That trajectory's definitely a homer! Now just... Rentarou needs to catch it!!

"Guh... Grrr...!"

Rentarou strains to catch the falling ball, but the sheer force threatens to overwhelm him. This is bad. At this rate, he'll get pushed back. Why? Normally Rentarou could handle this... Wait. Right. He's been shouting all game, carrying my sluggish ass around since morning... His stamina's way below max capacity now!

Dammit. Should've just bunted instead of training for this. Trying to replace an injured Rentarou with Aiō-ken was... Ugh...!!

...Wait! That could work! A last-ditch Hail Mary. No guarantee a weakened Rentarou can mimic it, but if anyone could... He even went Super Iya-jin before. Then... It's possible!!

"AIŌ-KEN!! Channel power from your gut to your arms!! Don't overthink it!! Just focus on wanting to repay everyone's love—especially Iku's!! RENTAROU!!"

"OOOORRRRAAAAHHHH!!!"

"RENTAROU!!"

---

The spot where Rentarou stood is now a crater, dust still swirling. The ball... sits snug in his mitt.

Clutching the ball tightly, Rentarou radiates a shimmering crimson aura... completely naked. You kidding me? The hell... Wait are those my boxers? Same pattern as the ones I washed last week but the color's... Oh just tinted red from Aiō-ken. Makes sense.

"HOME RUN!! GAME SET!! Hananomitsu University Affiliated High School wins 10-9!!"

"Hananomitsu Whatever High wins!!"

"We did it!!"

So glad we won! As for Iku, she approaches boxer-clad Rentarou in her underwear... Hold up, isn't this too fast?! Well... She's undeniably today's MVP... Screw it, let them go for it!!

Later, we properly apologized to Jura High's Rapuko before both schools (plus the Gourira Alliance) hit up a yakiniku joint. Though I just got carried there limp as a ragdoll. Zero body control left, haha!

Wait no, I said that's wrong! Shizuka isn't Chii-chan, and I'm not some dying puppy! Stop scooping me up under the arms like...!!

...Hell, this carry position's for cats, damn it!!