CH 96.5

We weren’t the only ones who had been working hard since summer to defeat the zarkudo style team.

Our comrades from the same faction, who were placed at the 3rd base and shortstop, also supported us.

However, baseball is a game in which it doesn’t matter how strong a few players are.

The game was still zero to zero in the 5th inning.

However, there was no doubt that we had made much more progress compared to what we were last summer.

If it had been us last summer, the zarkudo style would have already scored ten in two innings.

But now, they didn’t score a point even though we’re already at the 5th inning which means we have grown.

Baching! The 5th inning was almost over when the game took a turn.

「Whoahh!!!!」

「Amazinggg!!」

「Zarkudo, you’re halfway there!!」

Raimii Zarkudo ran around the bases with ease, receiving thunderous applause and cheers from the audience.

-0-

Ah, amazing…..the princess has hit a homerun.

She’s the batter who can hit any kind of ball so it can’t be helped…..

The princess must have been truly frustrated because she was the only one to run when she hit a homerun.

The score is now tied at 1 to 1.

The game was beginning to heat up quietly.

Boom boom boom! Boom boom boom!

「「「You can do it! East-sama!」」」

My partner, East, also goes to bat while being cheered up by the Schenker family band.

It would be great if he could follow up Princess Slayra.

The entire team were all focused on East, that fool, who winked frivolously at the cheering squad.

「Time out!」

「Time out!」

The opposing team called for a timeout, the most painful words for us now who wanted to ride the momentum of the game.

「Pitcher change! Raimii Zarkudo!」

Yeah, the opposing team’s ace had showed up.

Chestnut colored hair gathered under a hair net and jet black helmet with a silver dragon engraved on it.

I could see the very hard ball in her tiny hand change shape like a squishy children’s toy ball.

She’s a direct descendant of a great swordsman family and she is famous for her competitive spirit.

Sure enough, East and the next batter struck out on three pitches and now, it’s my turn.

I was so nervous that I could feel my heart was about to jump out of my mouth.

-0-

In the blink of an eye, it was the bottom of the eighth inning and it was the Slayra’s turn to attack.

The game, which is almost at the end with and still has scores of 1 to 1, might have been boring for the spectators.

However, for those who were playing, there had never been such a tiring game.

No matter who the batters tried, they couldn’t hit Raimii Zarkudo’s pitches…..

As for me, I managed to get through my turn by throwing knuckleballs so much that I bit my teeth out and had to be treated by the healing mage Sawadi Slayra.

And as expected, I’m almost out of energy……

Rather than sitting down on the bench, I fell down to it after a long and tedious walk from the mound.

「Second Lieutenant Robos」

「Y-yes!」

Even in such a state, when Princess Slayra called me out, my body jumped up automatically with a straight stance.

As a military person, no matter how tired or sleepy I am, my trained body will move on its own at times like this.

Why on earth did she call me for?

If possible, I would have preferred to stay lying on the bench until my turn……

「I wanted to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning, and do whatever it takes to hit the ball. To do that, can I ask you to pitch at the top of the ninth inning?」

「But, isn’t Raimii Zarkudo going to bat at that inning…..?」

「Might be the 1st or 8th but I’d like to bet given how well you’re doing in this game…..how about it?」

「Le……leave it to me……This Pen Pen Robos will make sure they’ll be scoreless!」

Whatever my inner thoughts were, that’s all I could say.

I was so exhausted that I wanted to fall to the ground, even if I got covered in sand. However, given my position, there was no “I can’t do it” when I was asked to.

Whatever the case is, I had no choice but to do it.

I hoped that the players who are going to bat in this inning would at least prolong the offensive as long as possible. However, as a matter of course, they were all struck out and were soon replaced.

I can’t blame them.

I know firsthand the strength of the zarkudo style.

They couldn’t help but be struck out.

Before coming off the bench, I had a short meeting with East.

「Robos-dono, what are you planning to do?」

「Will knuckle still work?」

「I don’t think it’s a magic ball that can be countered with just one game or so I hope.」

「No, it must be. It’s a magic ball that only the two of us understands, let’s try to believe in it.」