Mash-Up: I'm Not A Substitute

Just as Amatani Kensuke was preparing to sub out Takashi and send in Ushikubo Hiiragi, he saw Takashi's face contort in pain. 

The boy bit the edge of his jersey, propped his knee into his armpit to stabilize his arm, and used his other hand to slowly twist it, guiding his shoulder back into place.

Click!

The close-range microphone clearly picked up the sharp crack of the joint snapping into position.

Takashi, soaked in sweat and ghostly pale, looked like someone recovering from a serious illness after manually resetting his shoulder.

After a brief rest, he slowly straightened up and waved at the catcher, motioning for the ball.

Amatani Kensuke, stunned, rushed up to the mound. "What the hell are you doing?"

"What do you think?" Takashi said, pointing at Ushikubo Hiiragi.

"You were going to sub me out?"

"Yeah, with your condition—" Amaya didn't finish before the whole crowd gasped.

Takashi grabbed his coach's collar with his right hand, eyes fierce like a wild beast. "Who said you could take me out?"

"Don't forget—this team made it to the final four because of me, Kitahara Takashi."

"If we're going to lose, we lose on my terms."

"No one else has that right."

Amatani Kensuke had never seen Takashi like this. He was stunned silent.

Usually, Takashi came off as calm, gentle, easygoing—someone who laughed easily and took jokes well.

At first, even when teammates rejected him, he responded with warmth and eventually won them over.

To the media, he acted arrogant and cocky.

But in reality, he was someone very easy to get along with. At least, that was the impression students from his class had.

He rarely said no to teachers or classmates.

In every way, he was the ideal "good student."

At least… that's what people thought.

But was it true?

Only Yukino, Hitomi, and Narii were able to see past the surface—to glimpse Takashi's true nature.

Obsessive.

Takashi knew better than anyone—if he stepped down now, Aoba was finished.

He didn't want to lose.

He refused to.

He had held on this long—why should he be the one to fall?

To him, losing at the finish line or the starting line made no difference.

Second place or last—it didn't matter.

That was Takashi's nature. If he was going to do something, he'd do it to perfection—or not at all.

Amatani Kensuke stared at him, then erupted in fury: "I'm the coach!"

In high school baseball, the coach's word is law.

No one could defy that.

What Takashi was doing now was outright defiance.

"I told you to get off the field! Did you hear me, Takashi!?"

Takashi's eyes were full of stubborn fire. "And I'll say it again: I'm not leaving."

He didn't care if Amaya was the coach.

Even if Amaya were Hokage—he wasn't leaving.

They glared at each other, neither willing to back down.

Amaya took a deep breath, realizing he couldn't win this argument. He turned and shouted at Ushikubo Hiiragi, "Ushiku, get in there!"

Takashi pointed at Ushikubo. "You want to try me? Go ahead—step up."

Ushikubo looked at the coach, then at Takashi—who looked like a furious lion.

He already didn't want to go up.

Now, faced with Takashi's wrath, he caved.

He stayed where he was.

That said it all.

"You…" Amaya couldn't believe even Ushikubo was disobeying him.

Takashi ignored him. He turned to the rest of Aoba's players and shouted:

"You all were supposed to be eliminated in the first round."

"I was the one who stepped up when our ace dropped out!"

"I was the one who led us to beat Private Sobu High, then crushed Shuwa, and even took down Osaka Toin, the seeded champion!"

Breathing heavily, Takashi continued, "All those promises we made, the dreams you didn't want to end—I'll carry them all for you!"

"Because I'm Kitahara Takashi!"

"As long as I'm here—you won't lose. You are the strongest!"

One by one, the boys on the field stared at Takashi, emotions boiling in their chests.

Their throats felt tight. They wanted to shout something.

"KITAHARA!!"

At last, the captain of the First Team's baseball club—Kuzuta Musashi—stepped forward.

He knew full well he should be siding with the coach.

But he wanted to win too badly.

Aoba wasn't the strongest team this year. But as long as that man was here, Aoba was the strongest. They were invincible.

At least under Takashi's leadership, they had never lost.

"Takashi!!"

"Takashi! Takashi! Takashi!"

With Kuzuta Musashi taking the lead, the other players also began shouting Takashi's name.

They all needed Takashi!

Amatani Kensuke looked around and was struck by the painful realization: this team no longer belonged to him. 

Everyone around him was Takashi's man now.

"Go back, coach," Takashi said gently.

Amatani Kensuke looked like an old lion defeated by a young king. Dejected, he walked back to his position.

Takashi saw it and felt a sharp pang in his heart. He understood—Amatani was trying to take him off the field for his own good.

From a health standpoint, he should be taken out.

But he really didn't want to lose.

He didn't want to be a tragic hero.

Ever since he stepped onto that mound, standing at the center of the field, there was only one thing on his mind: Victory! Victory!! Victory!!! He had never left himself a second option.

To be honest, at this point, he wasn't doing it for Otani Shota, or for anyone else. It was just that his own obsessive desire to win wouldn't let him lose.

"Ball!"

Takashi called to the catcher again.

This time, the catcher didn't hesitate. He threw the ball to Takashi.

Seeing Takashi insist on playing, the umpire said nothing.

The coach of Chukyo University shouted to his players on the field, "He's just barely holding on—keep pushing! Victory belongs to Chukyo!"

"Yes!"

The players of Chukyo were deeply shaken by Takashi's willpower, but they didn't believe they'd lose.

Their fighting spirit surged as they locked eyes on Takashi, green fire burning in their gaze.

Only an opponent this great was worthy of them.

The stronger the demon lord, the more glorious the hero's victory.

There was nothing more beautiful than seeing a mighty enemy fall in defeat!

Chukyo's third batter stepped up. His eyes were filled with confidence as he stood in the batter's box, gripping his bat and watching Takashi.

If it was a fastball under 157 km/h, he was confident he could hit it.

Takashi flexed his right arm, took a deep breath. 

This time, he didn't raise both hands above his head—he crouched low and flicked the ball out like he was skipping a stone across water.

The moment his arm snapped forward, the shoulder that had just been set dislocated again.

The Chukyo coach smiled.

It was exactly what he expected.

But the next moment made his pupils quake. He shot up from his seat.

He saw Takashi's clearly dislocated arm snap back into place after he released the pitch.

__

This fic really became a full-blown Diamond Ace lmaoo.

___

20 Advanced Chapters available on p@ tr eon (.) com/HalflingFics

Also, please point out my mistakes in the comment, thank you!

Don't forget to leave a review too~

Check out the other translations too

___