Shattering Humanity-Chapter 318: A Takamagahara Instant Classic: Saku’s At Bat
"Any action without the remembrance of Allah is either a diversion or heedlessness except four acts: walking from target to target (during archery practice), training a horse, playing with one’s family, and learning to swim" -The Prophet Muhammed
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Itsuka(thinking): *Here it comes!
The off speed curveball!*
Once again Shelly’s arm cocks back and delivers a speeding fastball right past another swinging Itsuka.
In disbelief, Itsuka takes a step back.
Itsuka(thinking): *She’s gunna strike me out...
I’m gunna fail Saku...*
But from the dugout...
Saku: "Come one Itsuka!"
The blushing young woman looks back and sees Saku hoisting himself over the dugout fence to shout his support for her.
Saku: "You’re behind in the count.
Remember what I just told you!"
Itsuka’s pity washes away and she steps back to the plate ready for the payoff pitch.
Itsuka(thinking): *I have to hit it ...
I have to hit it ...*
Shelly immediately nods her head and delivers the pitch. Just like before, Itsuka notices the twisting release of the ball.
Shelly(thinking): *No it slipped again!*
However this time, instead of it heading for Itsuka’s backside, the slow pitch hangs in the air.
Itsuka’s beautiful eyes grow wide as she notices the mistake and with her 7th and 8th abdominals exposed, Itsuka twists her torso.
The ball ricochets off the bat, rocketing the baseball to opposite center/right field.
The ’everyfielder’ Katsu sprints over and reaches the warning track.
The highly athletic young man leaps at the yellow wall but juuuuust out of the reach of his leather glove, the ball sails over and out of the park for a home run!
{Izanagi:3 Izanami:2}
Everyone (except Laban) cheers for her as Itsuka jogs around the bases.
Even Drakania gives her a congratulatory head nod while she touches 2nd base.
Jormungand: "Holy cow!"
Sol: "Good Job Itsuka!"
Blushing Itsuka rounds third and looks at a distraught Shelly still looking in the direction of the home run.
Suddenly both remember the same exact moment.
[FLASHBACK]
Itsuka swings her sword upwards, Shelly side steps and returns a sword swing. Itsuka back steps to dodge, and does a HIGH jumping front flip forward, one leg bent and the other straight, appearing as an attempt to hit her opponent with a heel drop.
Shelly holds her sword up and uses the other hand to brace the "blade" to block the aerial attack with the slightly chipped and in need of polishing wood.
However, both Itsuka’s hands land on the braced weapon instead.
The "fire" in Itsuka’s eyes is less opac, her stomach tightens making her 7th and 8th abdominal muscles appear. They all watch as she quickly uses the stability of Shelly’s sword to exert all the power in her core and neck to turn and spin her body. Her beautiful platinum hair comes out of the hair tie.
Itsuka uses the sword gripped sideways between her teeth, to crack a wide open and defenseless Shelly right on the side of the head. Shelly’s eyes go fully white for a second and her mouth opens after the connection. She drops her weapon, stumbling backwards, but never falling.
...
Daisuki: "And the winner is...Itsuka!"
...
Shelly: "I’m sorry Katsu.*sob*
So many people... *sob*
...so many people sacrificed their lives... *sob*
including your own parents...*sob*
and I’m still not strong enough!*sob*
What’s all that sacrifice for *sob* if I’m just going to waste it by being weak!?*sob*"
Katsu: "Shelly..."
Shelly: "If I can’t protect you Katsu, we would both lose our most precious treasure, right?
...
So from this day forward, I swear, on my pride and resolve as a woman, I- I will-."
Shelly looks up with tears in her blue wavey eyes shouting with all the conviction she can muster.
Shelly: "I SWEAR, I WILL NEVER LOSE FOR YOU EVER AGAIN! I DON’T CARE WHAT IT IS, I WILL BE THE ’GREATEST EVER’, AT EVERYTHING FOR YOU!!! UNTIL THE DAY I DIE AND DIE FIRST! YOU BETTER NOT HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THAT!
DIVISION LEADER, KATSU!"
[END FLASHBACK]
Itsuka(thinking): *Damn it, why...?
Why do these moments always feel so bittersweet whenever I beat Shelly?*
She then looks over towards her dugout/bench where her team/division is cheering her on.
Saku gives her a thumbs up and a smile making the successful of the two competitive women blush bright pink.
Itsuka(thinking): *But I’m sorry Shelly.
I have my own happiness to worry about too.*
She steps on home plate and gives a double high five to wide smiling Dom, waiting for her.
She turns around and Saku has the bat in his hand. Still smiling, he holds out his fist.
Saku: "I can always count on you.
Good job Itsuka."
As if struck with a freight train of emotions, the platinum haired woman gives him a hearty fist bump with a high pitched "Hm".
Itsuka returns back to the dugout where she gives her team high fives (except Laban) and sits down next to current love rival who is continuing to smoke her blunt.
Laban DaeMon: "Oh you think you’re some hot shit, just cuz you got lucky.
Skalmönd’s pitch slipped and she threw a hanger."
Itsuka: "Yea, sure.
Whatever helps you sleep tonight, hater."
Laban DaeMon: "Aye, I ain’t a hater!
I’m just calling you out cuz it’s easy to fool people who don’t know any better about the sport."
From the other side of TayTay, Sol can condescendingly be heard...
Sol: "Sounds like a hater to me..."
The DaeMon almost bites down on her prerolled cigarillo while responding in anger.
Laban DaeMon: "Well it’s a good thing nobody asked you, ’MaMa Dumbshit’!"
In the outfield, Katsu hops back over the fence and grabs the ball he barely missed robbing.
He jogs the ball back towards the mound.
From behind the plate, Scylia gets up but the coach holds out his hand to stop her. That way he can have a private discussion with his mentally struggling pitcher.
Katsu holds out the ball for her to take, but Shelly doesn’t reach out for the ball.
Shelly: "She always beats me Katsu...
Why...?
Why does Itsuka always beat me at everything?
Is...Is she better than me?"
Katsu: "Shelly, listen to me..."
He grips her shoulder tightly and snaps Shelly out of her own thoughts.
Katsu: "You Will be ’The Greatest’, someday.
The only way to become The Greatest is to be humbled by ’the hump’.
She may not be better than you, but when Itsuka locks in you can’t treat her like a friend anymore.
When we’re a family of Takamagahara, that is the time for emotions, but until these battles are finished, Itsuka is you’re biggest rival more than anybody."
Shelly finally turns around and the two vice captains lock human eyes. Both of the gorgeous and physically gifted athletes give nods toward each other.
Saku takes a few practice swings. Quickly stretching out his shoulders and neck.
Xaaydagaay: "*Eeiiiiieek* *Eii-iii-k!*"
He turns around to see Itsuka holding back the orca girl from proceeding back on to the baseball diamond.
Itsuka: "No! You can’t go back out there yet Xaaydagaay!"
Xaaydagaay: "*ggrrrrrrr*" 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮
The captain takes a deep sigh.
Saku: "Xaaydagaay!
Friend!
Stay!"
Both do as they are told and he takes one more practice swing before looking over at the mound.
Saku: "Are you two done over there?
This is going on way too long than it should."
Katsu releases his grip on his adopted sister’s shoulder and he gives her a nod of confidence.
Katsu: "We only need one more out to get out of this inning. Come on, you got this."
She nods back and takes the ball from him.
Katsu back pedals to the outfield.
Katsu: "Just try not to force those curveballs!
You were doing fine with your four seamers!"
He turns around and sprints to center/ left field.
Once he’s in position, Shelly looks at the ball and turns around to face Saku.
He is already in the right batter’s box awaiting the pitch.
Saku: "Just to warn ya, if you throw one of those slow balls on me, I won’t make you feel any better!"
Shelly smirks at the taunt and holds the glove up to her face. She nods her head once at the signal Scylia is holding and starts her pitch.
She throws a missile of a ball towards the plate and Saku barely tips the ball but it still lands in Scylia’s glove.
Saku: "Damn.
Should’ve figured you wouldn’t want to go right back to that pitch.
Okay, 0-1!"
From the outfield, Katsu slowly creeps to his left, moving more towards center field.
However, only Laban and the batting Saku notice, as soon as Shelly starts her wind-up, Katsu makes a dead sprint to his left.
Shelly delivers another fastball right down the middle.
Saku picks up his left foot and plants it hard in front of him.
*KNOCK!*
The batter makes late contact on the pitchand the baseball sails off the wooden bat. It is on a line drive heading towards "empty" right field.
However...
Laban DaeMon & Saku: "No freaking way..."
Already on the move is the ’everyfielder’ and just before the ball hits the ground, Katsu’s makes a diving effort, backhanding the catch out the air for the third out.
The smiling Yang Vessel slides across the grass and gets up, giggling with grass streaks all over his sweatshirt.
He holds up the ball in his glove.
Katsu: "I got it!
You’re out Saku!"
