Chapter 881

Keisuke Kuroda finally found his voice again and spat out these words in a dry tone.

Sho Sano, however, could not say a single word; he simply removed his mask slowly, revealing a face filled with shock, bewilderment, and a complex emotion akin to witnessing history.

For the next period of time, the two coaches already knew that fastballs could not stump Chikage Natsume.

Afterward, almost mechanically and relying on their remaining professional instincts, they began to instruct Chikage Natsume in attempting simple breaking balls—the basic grips and force-application essentials for sliders and curveballs.

They felt that these more difficult pitching methods would stump Chikage Natsume and keep him occupied with learning for several days.

Because even a genius like Sho Sano, who had risen steadily from high school to become a professional player,

had spent several months or even half a year practicing such highly difficult pitches before he could master them perfectly.

Therefore, he felt that even if Chikage Natsume had better talent than himself, it would take at least a week or two, or perhaps a month.

However, the result... still left them numb.

Chikage Natsume was like a sponge with infinite absorption capacity; he quickly understood the principles and, through his terrifying body control, was able to throw decent breaking balls with preliminary movement after only a few attempts.

Even after three or four consecutive pitches, he could already consistently hit the center of the strike zone.

He could even follow their instructions to hit specific targets while throwing breaking balls.

This speed of learning and ability to grasp core essentials had already left both men completely speechless.

Finally, Sho Sano did not know what else to teach, so he could only propose an idea with a complex expression.

He intended to suppress Chikage Natsume a bit so that he would understand the pressure on the field.

After all, baseball is not a game you can win just by pitching accurately.

If you get hit by the opponent, no matter how accurately you pitch, it is meaningless.

You must know that in the current professional arena, which pitcher cannot hit their target?

Yet they still lose all the same.

This is because the opposing batters are also geniuses, and they are just as good!

"A-kun, a pitcher must not only know how to pitch but also how to coordinate with the catcher, read signs, and execute tactics."

Sho Sano briefly explained the most basic hand-sign system between catcher and pitcher.

"Next, I will stand in the catcher's position and give you signs, and you will throw the designated pitch according to the sign, such as a fastball or the simple breaking ball you just learned."

"Coach Kuroda will act as the batter, stand in the batter's box, and take swings."

"The purpose of us doing this is mainly to see if you can consistently throw strikes under pressure."

Keisuke Kuroda also nodded, picked up the bat again, and stood in the batter's box with an eager smile on his face.

"A-kun, bring it on! Let me also experience the pitching speed of a 'novice' like you!"

Clearly, as a top batting coach, although he was shocked, deep down he did not believe he would be unable to hit a pitch from a novice who had just learned to pitch, even if the speed was high.

He wanted to experience the "texture" of Chikage Natsume's pitching firsthand.

Chikage Natsume nodded to indicate he understood.

For the first pitch, Sho Sano placed his glove on the outside and signaled for a fastball with his fingers.

Chikage Natsume glanced at Keisuke Kuroda, who was feigning ease in the batter's box, and threw a fastball as soon as he raised his hand.

Pitch speed: 155 km/h.

Location: Outside corner, low, almost grazing the edge of the strike zone.

Keisuke Kuroda's previously relaxed expression froze instantly; his eyes captured the trajectory, and his body instinctively made a small adjustment, but the pitch was too fast and the location too tricky. His bat had just started to move halfway when the ball already drilled into Sho Sano's glove with a "bang."

"... Strike." Keisuke Kuroda put down the bat, his mouth twitched, and the way he looked at Chikage Natsume changed.

He only felt that he had been away from the field for too long and was being bullied by a young person.

Now he did not intend to go easy; he was really going to get serious!

"Not bad, A-kun! Your control is very precise!" Sho Sano praised, giving the next sign: an inside high fastball.

Chikage Natsume nodded and threw again.

Pitch speed: 157 km/h.

The white ball was like a precision-guided missile, diving straight for the upper inside corner.

Keisuke Kuroda was more focused this time, but the combination of speed and angle still made him swing and miss, the bat missing the ball by a hair's breadth.

"Tsk!" Keisuke Kuroda clicked his tongue, feeling that his form hadn't returned, and now he was really, truly serious. "Interesting... come again!"

Third pitch, breaking ball sign.

In Chikage Natsume's eyes, he could seemingly see Keisuke Kuroda's swinging motion in his current stance.

He was seen slightly gripping the baseball, then throwing a slider with slightly reduced speed (140 km/h) but obvious lateral movement.

Keisuke Kuroda judged it to be a fastball, his swing timing was completely wrong, and he missed again.

Fourth pitch, fifth pitch, sixth pitch...

Whether it was a precise, fast fastball attacking the corners or a breaking ball that had just been mastered but was already deceptive, Keisuke Kuroda, this former professional-level batting coach, hadn't even touched a single ball!

His expression went from serious, to solemn, to unbelievable, and finally to... doubting life.

Tenth pitch, another 158 km/h inside high fastball; Keisuke Kuroda swung with all his might, yet still only sliced through the air.

"Hoo... hoo..." He braced himself on his knees, panting heavily, sweat already visible on his forehead, his eyes staring blankly and trance-like at the ground.

And Sho Sano, as the catcher, was not having an easy time either.

Having continuously caught heavy pitches at speeds over 150 km/h, even with a thick catcher's mitt, his left hand had long since been shaken numb and stinging, his palm bright red.

Every heavy impact of catching the ball reminded him of the violent power possessed by the boy on the pitcher's mound.

Sho Sano looked down at his aching wrist, then at Chikage Natsume's ultimate talent that easily surpassed his own, his expression becoming increasingly dazed and shocked, unable to speak for a long time.

And Chikage Natsume saw that the two coaches were already silent, no longer moving or giving orders.

He also fell into silence and stopped pitching.

Keisuke Kuroda slowly straightened up, the previous ease or shock gone from his face, leaving only a deep exhaustion and... a hint of realization.

He finally understood completely why Sho Sano, as a pitcher, had knelt on the ground and remained silent for a long time when the last training session ended.

When the skills and difficulty of a sport you have studied and believed in all your life are easily crossed and even surpassed by a novice with such unreasonable talent and speed, that kind of shock is enough to shake a person's professional convictions.

You must know that Sho Sano was also a genius pitcher, yet at the time, he couldn't break through the attack range of A-kun, who was a batter.

He was hit by everything.

Could his mentality not collapse?

And now... it was his turn.

It was the turn of him, a batter, to be unable to hit a single one of Chikage Natsume's pitches.

You must know, he was also a genius in the eyes of the world...

"I... I think I understand your feelings from last time, Sano," Keisuke Kuroda said with extreme bitterness.

Sho Sano rubbed his wrist, looking at Kuroda's dejected appearance; although his own hand was very painful, for some reason, a strange sense of "misery loves company" and "at least I'm not the only one" comfort rose in his heart.

Chikage Natsume looked at the silent state of the two coaches, then recalled his previous pitching situation.

He felt he was already fully proficient and there was no need to continue practicing.

Thinking of this.

He politely nodded slightly to the two coaches who were still in the aftermath of great shock.

"Coach Kuroda, Coach Sano, thank you for your guidance today."

"And thank you for the baseball glove you gave me; I will definitely cherish it very much!"

After speaking, he turned and walked toward the direction of the player tunnel, preparing to meet up with Hitomi Konoe.

Only the two top coaches remained, standing in the middle of the empty field, looking at each other, unable to recover for a long time from the subversive shock brought by the boy named "Chikage Natsume."

And in the spectator stands.

Hitomi Konoe had been sitting there quietly the whole time.

Her eyes, which were always calm and deep like an ancient well, had been firmly locked onto the figure on the pitcher's mound below from beginning to end.

From the awkward first pitch to the earth-shattering 158 km/h fastball.

From the first attempt at a breaking ball to the pitch that hit every target, with perfect speed control and elusive movement.

From a novice who knew nothing to the perfect suppression power that left professional batting coaches helpless.

She saw it all.

So... when the number 158 km/h appeared on the speed gun, her slender, fair fingers tightened imperceptibly for a moment.

On that flawless but emotionless, beautiful face, ripples finally appeared beneath the calm ice.

She finally understood at this moment that Chikage Natsume's talent in sports was likely universal.

Whether it was kendo, baseball, swimming, etc., it was probably all the same...

At this time.