What does 300 kilometers per hour actually mean?
It's the speed of a Shinkansen bullet train hurtling at its absolute limit.
The moment that white baseball left the pitching machine, a piercing sonic boom erupted in the air.
"That's not a baseball at all!"
Utahime Iori stood up in the stands, her face pale with terror.
"Get out of the way!"
But Yoru didn't move. He didn't even blink.
At that moment.
The world became incredibly slow in his eyes.
The trajectory of the wind, the drifting of dust...
...and that spinning baseball, flying toward him with an aura of pure destruction.
Everything was crystal clear.
[TOTAL CONCENTRATION BREATHING.]
Yoru took a soft breath.
Massive amounts of oxygen flooded his lungs and surged through his bloodstream, awakening every single cell in his body.
And then.
He swung his bat.
To the onlookers, the movement was absurdly slow.
It looked like a hobbling old lady waving a cane to shoo away a fly.
It was eerie... incredibly slow.
"What... what is he doing?"
Noritoshi Kamo froze.
Mechamaru was stunned as well.
At that speed, forget hitting a 300 km/h baseball—he'd probably miss a shuttlecock in badminton.
However.
Just as the seemingly slow bat was about to make contact with the ball...
BOOM!
A thunderous roar exploded like a bolt from the blue.
Everyone's vision blurred for a split second.
The bat, which had been moving so sluggishly, seemed to shatter the laws of physics the instant it touched the ball, unleashing a horrifying surge of power.
CRACK—!!!
The aggressive projectile didn't even have time to deform upon impact.
It was swept up by an invisible shockwave and sent hurtling back at an even more terrifying speed.
Riiiip—
The sound of the air being torn apart made everyone's eardrums ache.
The baseball turned into a brilliant meteor, trailing a long streak of light as it shot across the entire field.
It sailed over the outfielders' heads, cleared the home run fence...
And even...
...flew right out of Jujutsu High's barrier!
"..."
The entire stadium fell into a deathly silence.
Only the slightly vibrating bat bore witness to what had just transpired.
"A... a home run?"
The umpire raised his hand tremulously, his voice thick with uncertainty.
This wasn't just a home run.
It was a surface-to-air missile launch!
"Is this... the power of a Special Grade?"
In the stands, Kasumi Miwa's jaw dropped so far her precious katana slipped from her hand and clattered to the ground unnoticed.
As the pitcher, Mechamaru had completely short-circuited.
His ultimate pitching machine...
Had just...
...been swatted away like a fly?
"Should we keep going?"
Yoru maintained his follow-through posture, his tone as casual as if he were asking what was for dinner.
"Of... of course!"
Mechamaru's voice came through the speakers, gritted with frustration.
"I don't believe you can keep this up! That had to be a fluke!"
And so...
The second pitch.
BOOM!
Home run.
The third pitch.
BOOM!
Home run.
The fourth pitch...
This wasn't a baseball game anymore.
It was a one-sided massacre.
Every swing was accompanied by that despair-inducing roar.
Every hit was an unquestionable out-of-the-park home run.
By the end...
Everyone from the Kyoto School was numb.
They didn't even bother trying to chase the balls anymore. They just stood there, staring as meteor after meteor streaked across the sky, silently counting in their heads.
"That's nine..."
Noritoshi Kamo pulled off his mask and slumped to the ground, looking like he'd lost all will to live.
How are we even supposed to play?
As long as Yoru was at the plate, a score was guaranteed.
And in such an utterly nonsensical way.
"Too strong! My Brother!"
While everyone else was on the verge of a breakdown, Aoi Todo alone maintained his outrageous enthusiasm.
He stood in the outfield with his arms wide, a manic grin plastered on his face.
"Come on! Hit it right at me!"
"I want to feel the weight of my best friend's soul with my very face!"
"Are you insane, Todo?!"
Kasumi Miwa, standing nearby, was scared out of her wits and clung desperately to his leg.
"That's a blow that could send a Special Grade Cursed Spirit flying! You'll die! You'll definitely die!"
"For friendship! What's a little thing like death?!"
Todo continued to struggle, his ready-to-die expression leaving everyone speechless.
"Enough!"
Satoru Gojo finally finished his laughing fit and stood up from his chair.
He wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and gave a wave.
"Game over! Tokyo School wins!"
Though it was a simple announcement, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
Especially the Kyoto students; they felt like they had just survived a disaster.
This wasn't a friendly match; it was a masterclass in shattering their worldview.
Deeply shaken by Yoru's god-like hit, they watched his silhouette as he shouldered his bat and slowly walked off the field.
In their eyes, there was nothing but awe.
Nothing else remained.
That boy named Yoru...
...had once again used an absurd method to leave an indelible mark on everyone's hearts.
Whether one possessed cursed energy or not...
...in the face of absolute power, everything else was an illusion.
[ Author's Note : If you're loving the story, a power_stone, review or comment means the world!
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