Carlos saw K getting up from the bch out of the corner of his eye and smiled widely.
“It’s about time you joined us! Hahaha.”
K didn’t respond, still awaiting the confirmation from the coach. He wasn’t like Carlos who selfishly put his own desires above his coach and his team.
Ev Coach Goto seemed a little embarrassed from the affair. Since they needed Carlos’s talt, he had pandered to the kids demands more oft than not.
Whever he didn’t want to play a game, the coach would relt. But that was where it usually stopped, he’d never se the kid act in such a way before. It was as if he was obsessed with K for some reason or another.
Obsessed ough to forcefully foul every ball from the currt pitcher in order to draw K off the bch.
Coach Hanada locked eyes with the opposition coach for a momt, almost as if he was questioning if it was Goto’s idea. However, he only needed to see the exasperated and apologetic expression on his face to understand he had nothing to do with it.
He let out a small sigh before making up his mind.
“Alright. Don’t let this kid continue to make a joke out of this game we love.” Coach Hanada said, placing his hand on K’s shoulder.
With his decision made, he walked onto the field and got the atttion of the umpires.
“Pitcher change, K Takagi will be replacing Akira Matsui.”
The umpire heard the coach and made the sign for a substitution, pausing play.
K grabbed his hat and glove and began to rotate his shoulder, stimulating the blood flow.
*DING*
NEW MISSION HAS BEEN ISSUED.
#MISSION: Baseball’s Honor (Urgt Mission)
DESCRIPTION: An opposing player is taking the game lightly, willfully placing their whims above those of their teammates and jeopardizing their success. System has deemed this unacceptable and requested you teach this arrogant player a lesson.
*Task: Humble the arrogant Carlos Toro by striking him out 3 times in this match and win the game.
REWARDS:
>S-Grade Physicality Elixir
>Skill: Showdown
PUNISHMENT: (In case of failure)
>Pitching grade reduced by
MISSION IS MANDATORY AND HAS BEEN ACCEPTED.
K’s eyes wided after reading the sudd mission that appeared in front of him. It seemed that the system also had a problem with Carlos’s actions in this game, leading to such a result.
This was the first time that the system had done something like this, however…
‘Pitching grade reduced by !? What the hell!’
He’d worked so hard to get it to A- grade and no matter how much he improved it wouldn’t budge. But now the system was prepared to take it away from him? Ev forcing him to accept the mission…
Although the punishmt was harsh, a part of K felt ev more motivated to punish Carlos. He already had the inttion to destroy him, now he just had more inctive.
The easiest way to humiliate a slugger was to strike them out. To do so 3 times in a single match would have the ultimate effect.
The rewards were something he desperately needed since he intded to win the game and get to Koshi next. There would be much better teams at nationals than Shuei after all.
As for the punishmt, he only glanced at it briefly.
‘I have no inttion of failing.’
K walked onto the field, this time a small smile pulling up the corner of his lips.
“Nice work Akira, I’ll take it from here.” He said, holding out his glove to receive the ball.
Although he seemed a little downcast, Akira evtually gave the ball over. He couldn’t help but feel a little humiliated at this momt, since he’d be played with by the foreign batter.
“Make sure you get him back for me.”
With that, Akira headed back to the dugout alone. K watched his retreating figure, feeling a little bad for him. He had made that walk from the mound to the dugout after being replaced before, it was not a good feeling.
However, now was not the time to dwell on such things. He turned his atttion to Carlos who had be waiting patitly for this momt. A gigantic grin formed on his face, exposing his pearly s.
“I’m getting fired up!” He shouted, gripping his bat tightly and getting ready to swing.
“Oi, get out of the batters box.” The umpire said, giving the guy a weird look.
“What? No I want to bat…” He replied, a frown forming on his face.
“We need some warm up pitches.” Yuta decided to chime in, considering the guy had lost all reason.
“Ah, of course of course”
Carlos stepped away from the plate and squared up a few meters away. He waited until the first pitch was thrown, swinging his bat in time and creating a whooshing noise.
‘No no, it needs to be faster.’
WHOOSH
‘Faster’
‘Faster!’
‘FASTER’
PAH
“That’s it… That’s what I’ve be waiting for.”
A look of satisfaction crept onto his face as he heard the sound of the ball ter the catchers leather glove. There was a particular sound that was made wh a fast pitch landed into a glove, that sound was his second favorite sound.
Of course his true favorite sound was the ball hitting his bat.
“Okay we’re ready.” Yuta told the umpire who th motioned for Carlos to return to the batters box.
K juggled the rosin bag in his right hand as he waited for the batter to get ready. Seeing the large grin on the man’s face only made him want to humiliate the guy ev more.
Since it was currtly an 0- count, K only needed to throw one strike to complete his first strikeout of the mission. While they were ahead on the count, he had no inttions of trying to bait a swing with a well placed ball.
As if reading his mind, Yuta placed his glove in the cter of the strike zone and gave the signal.
“Hehe, looks like we’re in sync today Spai.” He mumbled, getting into his stance.
Lifting his left knee to his chest, K compacted his body before leaping forward and planting his foot, whipping out the ball with tremdous velocity.
Carlos’s eyes wided as he took on the beautiful pitch he’d be dreaming of for the past few months. This was the momt he’d be waiting for, obsessing over night after night.
“Thanks for the meal.”