Shattering Humanity-Chapter 314: A Takamagahara Instant Classic: Jormungand’s At Bat.
"In early ancient mankind, Tao has been in existence in one’s true nature.
Men possess It without knowing.
One then acts with virtue and honor which is inferior to Tao.
The less superior is to act with fear.
And the least superior is to act with disgrace.
This occurs because one does not have enough faith, and hence has no confidence.
The nature of Tao is distinguished by wordless teaching with the natural act of virtue without
action.
As such, people would act effortlessly and harmonize with the Nature Tao." -Chapter 17
___________________
[Just Outside Mammon’s Forest]
Esau: "I got news for you, girlie.
In this life, everyone is just trying to discover new ways to mask our past disappointments and our own individual despair.
Life isn’t about finding happiness or a purpose.
It’s about suffering, then finding ways to keep our minds occupied to cope with what can’t be undone."
He takes one step forward but...
Stephanie: "No.
You’re wrong..."
The man with shoulder length black hair and red ends, stops in his tracks, but he doesn’t turn around to face her.
Keeping his back to Steph, the very dangerous man, who has been labeled as the unchosen Yin Vessel gives the Sanguine Savior a chance to rebutt his nihilistic statement.
Stephanie: "Life, especially human life, is all about helping the immediate living beings around you, and having those same individuals besides you when hard times and tough challenges fall upon yourself.
Yeah, terrible events happen in every type of life. Human or not.
There’s deaths that are more gruesome and merciless than others, while some deaths are easily avoidable in retrospect.
Other times, the life is simply in the wrong place at the wrong time."
With his back turned to her, Esau gets ticked off. Thinking she is referencing the loss of his wife, not her trying to relate with the unfortunate event of her parents losing their lives while on vacation.
Stephanie: "The terrible might be inevitable, but in the same way that it’s impossible for a person to go through their life without making a mistake or without sinning, it’s also impossible to avoid those mistakes or sins..."
Esau looks at his silver wedding banner around his right hand’s ring finger.
Stephanie: "...All we can do is keep our heads up high and fight through each tough time, together.
We’re all in the same boat now Mr. Esau. If our ship sinks, we all sink.
Teehaha!"
With the same surprised reaction to her distinct laugh, Esau spins around.
Esau: "Wait...you sound...just like-"
Isfet: "Esauuu!"
The brother in law gets double caught off guard from the sounds of his lost sister in law.
Esau: "Iz-Izzy?"
Running towards the man is a snowflake dropping Isfet.
Esau can’t believe it, the same young woman who was once incapable of self reliance, is now in full sprint towards him.
Isfet runs into his arms and her muffled sobbing is heard from his pectorals.
Isfet : "Esauuuuuu!
I missed youuuu!
Ahhhhhhhh!"
Tears begin to form in his eyes as he slowly pets his little sister in law’s head. Her hair having tints of the same red as the lock of hair in his satchel.
Esau looks over at the young woman he has just given a cynical speech to and she smiles, proudly. Not in a smug way, but in a relieved way.
As the rest of the group exits the forest, MamMon’s ears twitch and she quickly makes her way over towards General Nephilim who is admiring the reunion between Esau and Isfet.
MamMon DæMon: "We must hurry back to Erebus City, General.
I have a sneaky suspicion that we will be having company, both good and bad, arriving there pretty soon."
The General gets a surprised look at first but suddenly nods in approval.
[Faithful Friends Firehouse Field]
Drakania: "There’s more than just one type of love in this world..."
The two young women watch as Katsu walks up to the plate to bat right handed while they continue their talk.
Drakania: "...Just from watching the two of you, and after being adopted into your division, I can tell you two are a different type of close, compared to me and Jormy."
Saku: "Strike one!"
Katsu has swung on and missed the first pitch.
Katsu: "Holy cow Big Sis!
That’s some freaking heat!"
Saku diagonally side eyes his rival while crouched, throwing the ball back to the complemented pitcher.
Itsuka: "Th-Thanks, Katsu..."
Back in the dugout...
Drakania: "But in the end, it doesn’t really matter which form you allow yourself to take on ..."
Saku: "Strike two!"
Katsu missing his second swing looks over at his dugout, and right at Shelly.
He smiles brightly and nods with confidence over towards her.
Drakania: "...As long as it’s any of those forms of love, because there are plenty more forms of hate to easily have."
*CRACK!*
The ball flies off of Katsu’s swung bat, towards left field over the heads of the chasing Xaaydagaay and Friend, finally landing behind the yellow fence, and out of sight.
After the deep talk between the older adopted sister and the older biological sister, Shelly watches the base trotting smile glowing Katsu, with a twinkle in her eye.
[Five Minutes Later]
Saku: "Strike 3!
...
Xaaydagaay!
Friend!
Come on!"
The two "outfielders" look in and run towards the young man/catcher.
The top of the bat falls to the plate with Drakania still holding on to the other end, looking discouraged.
She takes a deep sigh before Jormungand jogs up to her.
Jormungand: "That was a decent try Sis!"
The timid older sister looks up, blushing at her taller younger brother her soft voice is even softer when she has disappointment in herself.
Drakania: "Jormy..."
Jormungand’s Iceman hand takes the bat from his older sister, while his human hand pats her on the head.
Saku takes off his catcher’s gear behind them and Scylia walks up to him. She starts putting on the protective equipment that Saku takes off.
Saku: "Wait you’re...?"
Scylia: "Yep!
I’m gunna catch!"
He watches as smirking Katsu jogs across the infield and the two leaders EyeEngage briefly as the Izanagi Captain runs towards center field.
Saku disengages and looks over towards the mound.
Shelly picks up the ball with her glove tossing it up in the air behind her back, and snatching it perfectly out of the air while spinning to face the proper direction.
Saku smirks and takes his shin guards off while looking around the infield.
Playing shortstop is a confused Zoram.
At 2nd base is an even more confused Drakania.
Aiden is once again at first base and still in the dugout is Princess Rebekah.
With the padding off his body, and Jormungand ready to bat, the Izanami captain looks at Shelly on the mound.
Saku: "So this is the defense you’re playing with?"
The more than capable pitcher has a smug look on her face.
Shelly: "Don’t worry about it, hehe."
Saku shrugs his shoulders.
He watches Scylia slide the catcher’s helmet on over her head and then looks at his team’s batter.
Saku: "Good luck, Jorm."
Jormungand nods with a smile and as a right haned batter, kick digs a small hole for his back foot.
From center field, Katsu shouts support for his pitcher.
Katsu: "Let’s go Shelly!
You got this!"
Shelly nods and holds up her glove covering the bottom half of her face.
Just like Itsuka, Shelly presses the right side of her right foot against the white rubber, but she only raises her left knee up and drives the leg forward.
From over the shoulder, her arm cuts the wind and a white blur fires out from her hand.
Clocking in easily over 100 mph(~1.6kmh) the pitch zips through the air right into Scylia’s glove, easily passing by Jormungand’s swung bat.
Jormungand: "Damn..."
Scylia takes her hand out of the glove and shakes it out a bit.
Scylia: "Damn..."
The highly competitive Valkyrie descendant gets worried and puts a hand over her mouth.
Shelly: "Sorry Big Sis, Scylia!"
The tough woman laughs it off and throws the ball back before returning the glove to her hand.
Scylia: "It’s okay!
I just need to get used to catching with the webbing of the glove instead of my damn palm."
Shelly(thinking): *Maybe I should slow down my pitches a bit...*
But from the outfield...
Katsu: "Nice pitch Shelly!
Deliver another one!"
Shelly(thinking): *No!
I can’t hold up..."
She once again starts the wind-up to her pitch and delivers a white blur from her hand.
It sails over the plate and *CRACK*.
Jormungand makes perfect contact with the ball and it goes sailing towards right field.
The purple haired batter drops the thick wooden stick and sprints for first base.
But from the dugout everyone watches in disbelief....
[Rewind]
Shelly once again starts the wind-up to her pitch and delivers a white blur from her hand.
In the outfield, Katsu makes a mad dash for right field.
*CRACK!*
Jormungand makes perfect contact with the ball and it goes sailing towards right field.
Running perfectly underneath the pop fly just in time to catch it is the quick and aware outfielder/captain.
Shelly jumps in excitement while everyone else stares in disbelief, especially Jormungand who stops rounding first and stands in the base path in front of his equally gobsmacked sister. She recovers and smiles sweetly at her ’out’ brother.
Drakania: "Well that was better than when I tried, Jormy."
The young man finally accepts the out and smiles while shaking his head.
Jormy: "I knew they were both good, but damn."
Smiling Katsu whips the ball back in with easy, perfectly over the brother and sister’s heads, back in to Shelly at the pitcher’s mound.
She catches it and waves as a silent form of congratulations to her chuckling outfielder.
Shelly(thinking): *Katsu isn’t just a good football player, but he’s also exceptional at other sports too!
I have to impress him and show him I can be talented at other things too.
Not just fighting.*
She looks over at home plate and sees Laban already pointing the bat towards the sky.
Laban DaeMon: "Y’all better just sit down, cuz this ball ain’t coming back."
Everyone from the dugout on her side has their head in their hands.
Itsuka: "This dumb bitch."
