So with no other choice, Kaden sucked it up.
'I just have to take it…'
Now back in position, he turned to Ken and gripped his bat tightly. If the guy was going to hit him, then he just needed to be quick enough to get out of the way.
In the next moment, Ken's arm swung past, sending a blitzing fastball to the inside once again. Perhaps it was because he was so conscious of being hit, Kaden instinctively backed away from the plate, allowing the ball through to the catcher's glove.
PAH
"Strike."
'Damn it!' Kaden cursed inwardly. The ball wasn't close enough for him to panic, but subconsciously, Steve's mischievous smile was still imprinted in his mind.
Shaking his head, he got back into position and glared at Ken.
'I won't let you make a fool of me.'
PAH
"Strike."
Kaden flinched. The next ball had been slider to the outside, but he did not react in time.
"What are you doing Kaden? Swing at the pitch…" Coach Daniels called out, obvious annoyance in his tone.
It wasn't just Coach Daniels, even the Head Coach was looking at Kaden weirdly. They didn't expect such a seasoned player to be so timid, especially against a freshman.
Feeling like a fool, Kaden had no one to complain to. He couldn't exactly tell the umpire and coach's that the two freshman were aiming to hit him with a pitch. Not only did he have no evidence, none of the pitches were blatant enough for his words to be believed.
'That's it… I'll just take the damn beanball. I don't even care anymore.' He resolved in his heart. He would rather take a 100mph pitch than be tossed off the main squad because he was skittish.
And just like that, he turned to Ken once more, like a soldier facing off against the hero of the opposing army. Either he would repel the enemy, or he would die spectacularly in the final standoff.
'Alright you bastard… Show me your worst.' Kaden gritted his teeth and waited.
Ken was expressionless as he looked down the lane at Steve, waiting for his next lead. But upon seeing it, his eyes narrowed slightly. He was about to shake his head, but Ken stopped himself.
He had already told Steve that he would follow his leads. If this was what he wanted, then he needed to trust him and just throw what he asked for.
Ken lifted his front leg and brought his hands to his chest before taking a long stride forward. The power generated by his spectacular form was electifying, making good use of his tall frame and long limbs.
As the ball left Ken's fingertips, it spun rapidly down the lane right towards Kaden.
'DAMN IT!' Kaden shrieked in his heart, closing his eyes and tensing his body instinctively as the ball approached him rapidly.
PAH
"Strikeout!"
"Eh?"
Kaden's tensed body suddenly relaxed as he heard the call, but his confusion only grew.
He turned to the umpire and then Steve, as if waiting for some kind of explanation. However, all he received in turn was the same mischievous grin plastered all over his stupid face.
"Y—You…"
But before he could complete his sentence, Coach Daniels had already approached Kaden with a frown on his face. "How could you miss that easy slider?"
"Slider…?" Kaden blinked, his confusion growing.
However, suddenly everything finally made sense. The ball which seemed to be flying towards him must have broken before it had the chance to hit him.
"Damn it!" He cursed under his breath. If he had not closed his eyes, it would have been an easy ball to hit since the slider would have ended up in the middle of the zone.
Grinding his teeth, Kaden was forced to leave the batters box, feeling a level of embarrassment that he had not felt in quite a long time. The two freshman had played him like a fiddle throughout his at-bat.
Coach Brown and Coach Daniels didn't have the backstory, so both of them were rather confused. However, they had a feeling that something else was at play.
'Was it this freshman battery that made this possible?' The Head Coach pondered.
But since this was only the first at-bat, he didn't want to jump to any conclusions. Even he was curious how the High School battery would hold up against the fully fledged Columbia main squad.
After securing the out, both Ken and Steve felt a sense of vindication. While they might not have verbalized their plans, both of them were satisfied with the outcome.
Steve sent Ken a mischievous grin, feeling proud of himself. This had felt much better than just calling for a beanball.
But Ken just waved him off, telling him to hurry up and get ready. Striking out Kaden was only a side quest. He still had the main quest to go.
The next batter Levi came up to the batters box. He was a thick guy which was why it was surprising to see him batting at 7th, especially with the amount of power he held.
Steve called for a fastball on the outside of the strike zone, wanting to bait a swing from the big guy. Ken nodded, eagerly beginning his pitch wind up.
WHOOOOOSH!
PAH
"Strike."
Ken felt a cold sweat form on his back in that moment. The sound of the air being displaced by the swing was like a plane taking off from the runway. Now that he was much closer to the plate, he could finally hear it properly.
'That guy is dangerous…' Ken thought, receiving the ball from Steve.
'But if he is only at 7 in the batting line up, there must be a flaw in his batting.'
Ken threw the next ball, a slider this time. With his eyes locked onto Levi's frame, Ken did his best to analyze the swing.
WHOOOOOOSH!
PAH
"Strike."
In the midst of looking closely, he saw the ball actually move after the swing had missed it by an inch. The displacement of air was enough to alter the course, causing Ken to pale even further.
'He's so powerful, but he must lack accuracy…'