<43> Inhuman Talent

Chapter 43: Inhuman Talent

"Begin!"

"Please take care of us!" The two teams promptly began training the next day.

Sendo made his classic sideways eye-roll expression and, carrying his gear, walked over to the umpire's position.

Since he had a laborer at his disposal, there was no reason not to use him. Coach Nakani wasn't going to be polite about it either—he had enlisted Sendo to help with the pitching and catching training today.

"Pop!"

"Ball!"

"Correct!"

"Strike!"

"Eh, that pitch was a ball!"

"Ball! But it feels like that one could've gone either way. This must be the kind of call Coach Nakani was talking about, where it depends on the umpire's strike zone!"

"Yeah, something like that. But keep in mind, umpires can change their calls based on the actual situation. Don't trust your judgment too easily. Be cautious!"

"Got it!"

....

"This is so boring! When is that old guy coming back?"

"Haha, Sendo, we just started!"

"Shut up! I know that!"

…

Sendo grumbled as he sent off one batter after another.

Who knows how much time passed before Coach Nakani finally returned. Just as Sendo was about to switch with him, he was told to take a break.

"Still mad, huh?" As everyone was eating their packed lunches, Coach Nakani came over to chat with Sendo again.

"I'm not mad!"

"Alright, if you say so! You're tough to read, kid. You don't show much emotion."

"Did you need something?"

"Your team's ace pitcher can really run, huh? That's good. At his age, building a solid foundation is important. But I'm curious—who's your number two pitcher?"

"Number two?"

"You don't know? In high school and below, there are restrictions on how many innings or pitches a pitcher can throw in a day to avoid overworking them."

"But what does that have to do with the number two pitcher? Wait... are you saying that in middle school tournaments, there's a chance we'll have to pitch in back-to-back games like in Koshien?"

"You call yourself a coach and don't even know the tournament format?"

Sendo genuinely didn't know. Most of what he knew about baseball came from watching anime in his past life, and they rarely touched on the issue of consecutive pitching in regional tournaments.

"Looks like you really didn't know. Let me explain: after winning a few rounds in the middle school tournament, there could be two games in one day! If you win in the morning, the next game is played in the afternoon. At that point, the consecutive pitching rule kicks in. Without a number two pitcher..."

"You forfeit by default..." Sendo was a bit speechless. This was the first he'd heard of such a thing.

"Don't worry about it. These guys will probably lose in the first round anyway! It's no big deal." Sendo quickly made up an excuse, looking like he was ready to move on to the next topic.

"Fine. I heard your pitcher used to just play around for fun? I've got a good method to help him improve his balance."

"What's the method?"

"Have him stand on a narrow board, one foot wide, and balance on one leg while raising the other leg up and down. It'll train his balance!"

"I see!" Sendo exaggeratedly drew out his response.

"Why does this method sound so familiar?" he thought to himself.

By the time they finished talking, they had also finished their lunches. With the others still resting, Coach Nakani kept chatting with Sendo.

"Do you know what your current physical test results are?"

"No idea, never measured."

"Well then..."

"I refuse! It's too much trouble!"

"…"

"Okay, there's a simple test. Stand up for a sec!"

"For what?"

"Just stand up already!"

Following orders, Sendo stood up.

"Put your toes together."

… Sendo complied.

Then, out of nowhere, Coach Nakani pulled out a ruler, rolled up Sendo's pants leg, and began measuring.

"What are you doing? What does this have to do with a physical test?"

...

"As I thought! Even when you were a kid, I noticed your explosive power was incredible. Now it all makes sense!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Your Achilles tendon! You really are a bakemono (a monster, a term for someone with inhuman abilities). Even someone as experienced as I am can't help but wonder if you're even human."

"I'm definitely human, no doubt about it! But I don't quite understand what you're saying."

"Do you know?

The average person's Achilles tendon is about 10 to 15 centimeters long, though some can reach 20 centimeters.

But yours... your Achilles tendon is already over 30 centimeters!

While some of that length comes from the stretching exercises you've done, the fact is, the tendon doesn't change much over time.

Plus, you're still three months shy of turning 13, meaning your body hasn't fully matured yet.

For your Achilles tendon to be more than twice the average length at this stage of development…"

"Huh? Is that okay? I haven't felt any discomfort or anything."

"What are you talking about?"

"Isn't it common for disproportionate body parts to be a sign of disease? And couldn't that cause complications later on?" Sendo didn't know much about these things, only vague rumors he'd heard from somewhere.

"Wait, your tone doesn't make it sound like it's a bad thing!" Sendo realized.

"Of course not! I'm talking about your potential here, your natural talent!"

"Oh, you scared me for a second! So, what's this tendon good for?"

"..." Coach Nakani was momentarily speechless, taken aback by how quickly the conversation had shifted.

"Alright, the Achilles tendon plays a crucial role in physical performance—explosive power, jumping ability, all of that is linked to it. The longer your tendon, the more your jumping ability and explosive power will surpass those of people with the same physique," Coach Nakani explained, reorganizing his thoughts.

"Oh! I see! And then?"

"Well, your jumping ability will far exceed that of ordinary people, and your explosive power means that your short bursts of speed and sustained power will be extraordinary.'

"This is why, even a few years ago, your sprinting speed and acceleration were already so impressive. Back then, I suspected your Achilles tendon might be unusually long, but I didn't expect it to be this extreme. While accurate measurement requires medical equipment, I just wanted to get an idea of its length."

"I can't wait to see what your current sprinting speed is! You're definitely not like the average human…"

"Don't even think about it!" Sendo cut Coach Nakani off mercilessly.

Having his intentions seen through, Coach Nakani could only retreat for now.

It was a long game after all.

Whether it was the number two pitcher or other bits of information, he was probing and subtly hinting at things, giving reminders that Sendo might not notice.

Even if he didn't expect immediate results, it was worth trying.

"I need to keep my distance from this old man! He's always trying to get me to do these boring tests!" Sendo thought to himself.

-----------

If you want to read 20 chapters advanced.

Visit my patreon: patreon.com/Shu_21