Chapter 109 - 107: Decaying Eyes View Human Foundation_1

Under the azure sky, on the spacious baseball field, the shouts of three hot girls made the boys look at Aozawa with a somewhat peculiar gaze. Envy, jealousy, and the strong murderous intent that single men harbor towards those with partners, all converged on Aozawa. His expression was a bit helpless. Aozawa wasn’t familiar with Takahashi and the others; he was only close to Ayatsuki Ayaka. Judging from Iroha’s somewhat bewildered little expression, she was obviously being teased by her friends as well. Aozawa could only pretend not to hear and, with pursed lips, strode to the batter’s position, eyes fixed ahead. Such composure made Furusawa Kyoichiro quite impressed. "To be able to focus on the game at a time like this shows you are stronger than the other boys," he commented. "I don’t need your praise." Aozawa raised the baseball bat, settling into his batting stance. Furusawa Kyoichiro smiled and gripped the baseball tightly. Lifting his leg, striding forward, his movements were fluid. Furusawa Kyoichiro did not underestimate Aozawa. As a member of the disciplinary committee, he tried to stop Aozawa at the school entrance every day. But Aozawa’s running speed was truly fast. This made Furusawa unsure what level of force to use to stop him without causing him to fall. Aozawa was also the captain of the Kendo club, so his physical fitness needed no further explanation. But Furusawa Kyoichiro was no weakling either. With a heavy stomp on the ground, Furusawa Kyoichiro unleashed a powerful aura, every movement exuding sheer strength, palpable even to a layman. He threw a full-force changeup. The white baseball, like a rocket, sliced through the air. Reaching Aozawa, he didn’t hurry to swing. Instead, he twisted his waist to adjust his angle, allowing the ball to continue its approach, slowing for an instant. A grey filter enveloped the world. The baseball hung frozen in mid-air; everyone’s expressions were equally frozen. Aozawa quickly took a practice swing, finding the optimal trajectory for his hit. Time began to flow again. Without a hint of hesitation, Aozawa swung the bat along the pre-rehearsed path. His bat struck the ball with precision, and reinforcing the hit with Telekinesis, he sent the ball flying out of the ballpark. "Home run!" Ayatsuki Ayaka excitedly yelled, her fingers clutching the holes of the protective fencing as if she were the one who had swung that stunning hit. "How is that possible?" Furusawa Kyoichiro’s face was a picture of shock. He felt Aozawa’s motion completely defied the common sense of baseball. How could the ball be hit when it was already in that zone? He watched blankly as the white baseball soared out of the field. Aozawa started running the bases, completing the circuit back to home plate. The P.E. teacher marked it as one run. Aozawa bent down, picked up the bat, and said, "Let’s continue." Furusawa Kyoichiro’s shocked expression vanished. He pushed up his glasses and declared, "Very well, Aozawa, you are indeed not to be underestimated! Let me use all my strength against you!" "I don’t mind." Aozawa smiled. He knew that with his Time Suspension superpower, no matter how fast Furusawa Kyoichiro’s pitch or how tricky its course, it couldn’t escape its destiny of becoming a home run. Of course, for someone who hardly ever played baseball to hit consecutive home runs would be too conspicuous. Hitting three or four would suffice. 「...」 "Home run!" The P.E. teacher was stunned. The boys were also stunned. They knew how difficult it was to hit a home run, yet Aozawa had managed four in a row—all against Furusawa Kyoichiro, the ace of the baseball club. This made the feat even more significant. Furusawa Kyoichiro didn’t get angry at his loss but admitted in genuine admiration, "Aozawa, it’s such a pity you’re not in the baseball club. If you teamed up with me, we could definitely win Koshien this year!" "I’m not interested in baseball." Aozawa shrugged. He didn’t understand baseball at all; he was just cheating with his superpower, using it to get the better of Furusawa Kyoichiro. A little fun in private was enough. He had no interest in relying on this superpower for a professional career. In fact, if he really wanted to profit from his superpower, why bother with baseball? Japan’s criminal code was his real gold mine. "Aozawa is truly worthy of being the captain of the Kendo club, excelling in every aspect," Takahashi Saeko said with a hint of admiration, then turned to Ayatsuki Ayaka, who looked quite proud, and remarked, "Our Mrs. Aozawa seems very happy, doesn’t she?" Ayatsuki Ayaka’s proud expression quickly vanished as she muttered, "I am not Mrs. Aozawa. We’re just having a bit of fun." Seeing the joy practically radiating from Ayatsuki Ayaka, Takahashi Saeko desperately wanted to hug her tightly, pinch her chubby cheeks, and ask why she was so adorable. Tama Chan said with a smile, "Indeed, becoming Mrs. Aozawa won’t be easy. Look over there." Ayatsuki Ayaka followed her gaze. Among the trio of girls, a blonde stood there, a slight look of happiness on her face. "If you want to be with Aozawa, you’ll need to defeat that most formidable rival. Without defeating her, you have no chance," Tama Chan continued. "I’ve told you, our relationship isn’t what you think!" Iroha retorted, flustered. "Iroha, you have to trust my judgment. Phoenix Academy Maggie definitely has some feelings for Aozawa, and Aozawa..." Tama Chan trailed off. From her years of experience dealing with men, she could detect a hint of a player in him. The shout she’d given earlier had indirectly voiced Iroha’s inner feelings. Any guy with decent emotional intelligence would understand Iroha’s feelings. But Aozawa seemed completely oblivious. This reminded Tama Chan of how she used to feign innocence to lure men in. She’d deliberately foster good relationships with them but then avoid making things clear. She’d feign ignorance of some men’s advances, compelling them to confess their feelings first, which allowed her to take the lead in the romance. "It’s hard to say what he’s thinking. You should be careful, Iroha." "No worries, I’m pretty high-level myself." In front of her best friends, Iroha never showed a hint of timidity, always maintaining a confident, invincible, Ocean Empress-like demeanor. Tama Chan and Takahashi Saeko exchanged glances, each recognizing a hint of concern and helplessness in the other. They knew all too well what level Iroha was really on. To use a gaming analogy, she was like a newbie who had just created an account; any veteran player could easily outmaneuver her. Next to her, Miyahara Kaoru cheerfully said, "Iroha, I believe you can win over Aozawa!" "Hehe." Iroha smiled. Takahashi Saeko shook her head. She had figured out what Miyahara Kaoru was planning but was powerless to stop it. This sort of thing ultimately depended on Aozawa’s intentions. 「...」 In the second half of the baseball game, the teams switched offense and defense. "Let me pitch!" Hojo Tetsuji decided to take over the pitcher’s mound. Thanks to Aozawa’s consecutive home runs, many girls from the class had gathered to watch by the baseball field’s protective netting, Yoshikawa Sayuri among them. This filled Hojo Tetsuji with an invigorating drive. He had to use this opportunity to wash away the shame of being struck out. "Then I’ll be the catcher!" Aozawa volunteered. Apart from him, no one else dared to catch for Hojo Tetsuji. The batter for the Blue Team was naturally Furusawa Kyoichiro, leading off. With the roles reversed, Hojo Tetsuji gripped the baseball, determined to strike out Furusawa Kyoichiro. The P.E. teacher blew the whistle. Hojo Tetsuji imitated Furusawa Kyoichiro’s pitching stance—lifting his leg, striding forward, and channeling all his strength into the ball through his index and middle fingers. BOOM! The sound of the baseball leaving his hand was incredibly loud. The white baseball shot out in a straight line. Hojo Tetsuji didn’t need any technique; he simply used his Strange Strength to make the ball’s speed terrifyingly fast. Furusawa Kyoichiro’s pupils dilated, finding no time even to swing as the small baseball smacked into Aozawa’s mitt. BANG! The tremendous force nearly knocked Aozawa off his feet, even though he had braced himself with Telekinesis in anticipation. "Strike!" Aozawa shouted, his hand tingling slightly from the impact. Hojo Tetsuji eagerly glanced towards the spectators. Yoshikawa Sayuri exclaimed with a surprised face, "That’s amazing!" Hojo Tetsuji felt as if his own cosmos had instantly ignited. Without looking back, he caught the baseball Aozawa threw back to him. Furusawa Kyoichiro tightened his grip on the bat. Hojo’s pitches were fast, but their trajectory was straightforward. If he could adapt, he was confident he could hit one. Hojo Tetsuji turned his head, his expression extremely serious, his right hand pulsing with Strange Strength as if about to crush the baseball. "Aozawa, get ready! Here comes a pitch filled with all my love!" "Go ahead and pitch!" Aozawa responded loudly. He knew the next ball would probably be even more fearsome than the last. Without using Time Suspension, he’d likely be sent flying. Their conversation drifted to the edge of the baseball field, catching the attention of Nomura True Wave, whose penchant for spotting romantic subtext in stories was considerable; she read all sorts of manga. "No way! Could it be that Hojo Tetsuji was rejected by Little Sayuri and then, after Aozawa comforted him, they developed *that* kind of relationship?!" She felt as if the secret behind Hojo Tetsuji’s return to school had suddenly been unveiled. Yoshikawa Sayuri also looked astounded and turned to ask, "Maggie, are they really close?" "They’re like brothers who would entrust their backs to each other," Phoenix Academy Maggie replied. "No wonder Aozawa isn’t interested in you! So that’s how it is, hehe," Sayuri teased. A question mark flashed through Phoenix Academy Maggie’s mind; she felt they might have misunderstood something. "What are you all thinking?" she asked. Yoshikawa Sayuri and Nomura True Wave eagerly explained their theories from either side of her. Phoenix Academy Maggie was initially shocked. Then, as she visualized the scenario they described, her face flushed beet red. "Don’t be ridiculous!" she stammered. "They don’t have that kind of relationship! They’re just good friends!" "Aw, what a shame," Nomura True Wave said, looking disappointed. 「...」 "Red Team wins!" the P.E. teacher announced. Although Furusawa Kyoichiro of the Blue Team was strong, he couldn’t prevail against the Red Team, which boasted two overpowered players like Aozawa and Hojo Tetsuji. The game ended with the Red Team defeating the Blue Team by four runs. Furusawa Kyoichiro stepped forward and said, "Hojo-kun, you have a gift for pitching. Would you consider joining the baseball club? If we joined forces, we could sweep Koshien in the future!" "Not interested." Hojo Tetsuji didn’t think Yoshikawa Sayuri would go out of her way to watch baseball games. He still wanted to become a manga artist and win her over with his comics. That’s it! This time, I’ll draw a manga about Koshien! He had a brilliant idea. He strode over to Aozawa, slung an arm around his shoulder, and began whispering to him about the manga plot. This scene, witnessed by Nomura True Wave and Yoshikawa Sayuri, was such a display of intense bromance that it made them doubt Phoenix Academy Maggie’s earlier words.