"Not getting nervous are we?" Coach Hanada stepped off the bus and asked Ken, a small smile creeping onto his face.
"Nah. I'm just happy to be playing baseball again." He responded truthfully.
'Huh?' Seiji tilted his head in confusion, not entirely sure of what he meant. Hadn't he played baseball all the way from elementary school?
Without clarifying, Ken walked off, following the rest of the group towards the dressing rooms.
The coach shook his head and mumbled under his breath, "As long as he plays like usual there shouldn't be any issues."
Soon enough the team had gathered after getting changed into their uniforms. The atmosphere was serious and determined, yet there was an undercurrent of excitement amongst the teenagers.
"I won't say too much before the game. Trust all the hard work that each and every one of you have put in this year and execute. If we can do that, there's no one that can beat us.
Words of agreement broke out within the team as they felt their confidence increase at the coach's words.
"Alright good. We're running mostly the same line up for this game. Ken, Yusuke, you'll be starting in place of Akira and Yasushi."
"Yes coach!"
Both Ken and Yusuke called out, showing their readiness.
"Okay good. There's a few players that we need to be wary of on their team. The catcher & pitcher duo made it to top 16 at Spring Nationals earlier this year. Not only is their defense top notch, they also have some sluggers."
Coach Hanada began to outline some areas that they needed to focus on in order to not let the game get away from them.
Ken listened, his mind half occupied.
*DING*
SYSTEM HAS DETECTED THAT USER IS PART OF THE LINEUP FOR KANAGAWA PREFECTURE TOURNAMENT.
#NEW MISSION: Kanagawa Prefecture Tournament
*Task 1: Strike out 30 players
*Task 2: Hit 6 home runs
*Task 3: Make the finals of the Kanagawa Tournament
*Task 4: Win the Tournament
*Task 5: Win player of the Tournament
REWARDS:
>Task 1 rewards - 300 Major points
>Task 2 rewards - 300 Major points
>Task 3 rewards - 500 Major points
>Task 4 rewards - 1000 Major points
>Task 5 rewards - 1500 Major points
A smile formed on his lips as he looked at the mission in front of him. He originally thought that the system wouldn't have a mission for him until he made it to Koshien, however he was pleasantly surprised.
Sure the rewards were just major points, but that just happened to be what he needed the right now. He was currently 2500 away from being able to afford the next system upgrade, which meant he would need to complete at least the first 4 tasks.
This suited him most since these were things that were actually within his control. Ken never liked to rely on things such as luck which he had little impact on. If any of the judges were to dislike him for whatever reason, he'd miss out.
"Ken? Does that work for you?"
Coach Hanada's voice broke him out of his thoughts, causing him to almost yell out in fright.
"Sure, no problem." He answered, his Poker Face skill automatically activating and saving himself some trouble.
"Great. With Ken at the 5th spot, everyone else will shuffle down in the batting order. Yusuke, you'll be 9th."
"Yes coach."
Yusuke didn't seem disappointed at all, in fact he looked happy to be a part of the starting line up. Ever since recovering from his knee injury, he had improved by leaps and bounds, particularly in his agility.
Since he was drafted as a lead-off batter, having him 9th in the batting order could take the opposing team off guard.
The coach placed his hand in the middle of everyone, to which the players also reciprocated.
"YOKOHAMA!"
"FIGHT!"
The whole team joined in, raising their voices loudly as a declaration for the battle that was about to begin.
The team trudged onto the field and lined up from the batters box towards the mound in a straight line, awaiting the players from the opposite team.
They didn't have to wait long as Zama High came sauntering onto the field, dressed in their white and purple baseball uniforms. Not long later, the two teams faced each other and bowed as a sign of respect.
Such was the custom in Japanese baseball, dating back for many years.
Since Ken hadn't played against Zama High before in his previous life, he wasn't too sure which players he should be on the lookout for. He scanned the opposition, finally focusing on another player who was around his height.
Perhaps it was instinct, but he could tell that this guy was strong. Yet he wasn't so worried that he would use Identify on him, especially since it almost felt like cheating.
The player in question seemed to see Ken looking at him and proceeded to glare back, trying to look menacing. Ken found it quite amusing, yet his face remained stoic thanks to a very handy skill.
Seeing that his intimidation tactic wasn't working, the tall Zama High player clicked his tongue and looked for someone else to intimidate. His eyes suddenly fell upon a shorty in the line up with messy black hair and bags under his eyes.
From an outsider perspective, this kid looked as if he was the kind of person who would get no sleep the night before a game due to nervousness.
Thinking he was an easy target, Hiroshi Asami the tall Zama High pitcher performed his best scowl, wanting to intimidate the shorty till he pissed his pants.
'This is it, he's looking my way.' Hiroshi thought, his excitement rising.
The kid's dull brown eyes locked onto his, however there was no reaction in his features. His face looked dead and his eyes seemed empty, yet it felt as if they contained an infinite abyss of pain and suffering within.
Hiroshi felt his blood run cold and he instinctively took a few steps back out of fear and fell onto his backside, almost dragging his teammates back with him.
"Eh? Hiroshi are you okay?"
'W-What the hell is with that guy!?'
Shiro watched as the guy who was scowling at him suddenly fell over, creating a disturbance. While he was puzzled, he was far too sore and worn down to care.
'Everything hurts. I wanna go home…'