"Hey! Katase!"
The others, seeing Shouya Katase collapse and fail to get up for a while, sensed something was wrong. They shouted a few times and, seeing he still didn't rise, quickly took off their gloves and ran over to check on his condition.
Even Akane Nanao, who was watching from the rest room, rushed over in great concern, though due to the public setting and a certain internal feeling, she didn't get too close, standing on the periphery of the club members as she watched Shouya Katase.
"Haah... Ugh~ Cough cough..."
After several experienced second-year members checked him, they confirmed Shouya Katase was only knocked unconscious from the heavy impact and sustained no other dangerous injuries. They quickly pinched his philtrum to revive him slightly and then planned to send him to the infirmary. After all, they were afraid of any potential complications.
Although most people didn't want others to be better than them, at least within the school, they generally wouldn't go so far as to cause mortal harm. So, even though a significant portion of the members weren't truly loyal to Shouya Katase, they cooperated in sending him to the infirmary.
As the 'culprit,' Alistair stood calmly, leaning on the bat, watching the others frantically busy themselves, not at all worried that Shouya Katase might be in mortal danger. This didn't just prevent the people around him from disliking him; it only made them fear Alistair more.
In their minds, the damage Alistair inflicted could have potentially killed Shouya Katase, yet Alistair showed no reaction whatsoever. In such a situation, one was either an idiot or utterly fearless. Was Alistair an idiot? Obviously not. Then he must be fearless. If he was confident he could get away with an act that could lead to death, how powerful must his backing be?
We dare not imagine, we dare not speak, we dare not ask.
Consequently, few people were willing to step up and condemn Alistair's actions. Most Japanese people, due to their upbringing in small social groups, were highly sensitive to background and power. Most could quickly grasp the implications, and the rest, seeing that others didn't dare speak, didn't dare to start, and simply chose to shut up.
This resulted in Alistair being able to leisurely watch the scene like a spectator, with no one criticizing him; instead, they chose to ignore him and distance themselves.
"Hmm? Does she want to talk to me privately?"
Alistair suddenly saw Akane Nanao face him, point toward the sink on the far side of the rest room building, and then turn and walk away. The implication was clear: she wanted Alistair to follow her over, most likely to talk about the person Alistair had just knocked unconscious.
"Hey..."
"My name is Koyasu Alistair, not 'Hey.'"
Akane Nanao, looking displeased, was about to speak but was immediately cut off by Alistair.
Inhale—exhale—inhale—exhale—
"Koyasu-student."
Akane Nanao took a few deep breaths before irritably calling Alistair by his family name. She paused, and seeing that Alistair didn't interrupt her, she continued.
"Why did you hit him so hard? You hit him so hard, Shouya Katase almost died!"
Akane Nanao felt Alistair's actions were deliberate, likely because she cared for Shouya Katase, and Alistair, wanting her for himself, intentionally harmed Shouya Katase.
"Tch, so brainless."
Alistair scoffed at Akane Nanao's angry look, which only made her angrier. However, she wasn't truly brainless. If Alistair said that, he must have a plan. It was just that her concern for Shouya Katase had made her impulsive in confronting Alistair. So, Akane Nanao folded her arms, looking at Alistair, waiting for his explanation.
"Heh heh, since Shouya Katase was 'hiding his strength,' it meant he was only restraining his full power. To possess great strength, one must have a powerful physique, and a powerful physique means his resistance to heavy impact wouldn't be too poor. That's why I tried hitting the baseball at him. And the situation just now clearly indicates that Shouya Katase only suddenly gained strength and stamina; his physique is still the same as before."
Alistair stared at Akane Nanao's full, prominent breasts, which were made even rounder and more prominent by her folded arms, as he casually explained. The logic was clear, causing Akane Nanao to nod, agreeing with Alistair. However, she still resented Alistair's method of using injury to probe Shouya Katase's true condition.
"I understand, but there are so many ways to test him. Why did you choose this one?"
Feeling Alistair's fiery gaze focused on her proud, ample assets, a mixed feeling of pride and shame surged in her, causing her face to blush. She then thought about having to use her proud, full breasts to do that thing for Alistair later, and decided not to dwell on it, treating it as early adaptation. However, she was still puzzled why Alistair chose this method to test Shouya Katase.
"You're the Baseball Club manager, so you should know a bit. But since you were standing on the side, it's normal that you didn't notice. Shouya Katase threw the baseball straight at my face. I value this face of mine. Since he wanted to hit my face, what's wrong with me teaching him a lesson?" Alistair laughed scornfully. He wouldn't tolerate Shouya Katase's actions. In such matters, Alistair always retaliated immediately, with the degree of retribution depending on the circumstances.
In a normal situation like Shouya Katase's, Alistair would usually make him lie in bed for a month or two as a lesson. But this time, he would only be laid up for a few days. If Shouya Katase had access to those strength-boosting, rapid-recovery items, he might even be back to normal tomorrow. If Akane Nanao hadn't been nearby, Shouya Katase's injuries would have been much worse.
It wasn't that Alistair had suddenly gone soft. If the person who was mutually devoted to Akane Nanao wasn't around, Alistair's fun with her would be greatly diminished. So, Alistair had held back considerably this time.
As for occasionally affecting innocent bystanders, why should Alistair care? Alistair never considered himself a good person, and having double standards was normal. Not using his power to arbitrarily bully men and rape women was already Alistair restraining himself. If it were others, they might have turned into literal gods.
"Throwing a ball at your face? Shouya would never do that. He's a very gentle and steadfast person; he wouldn't do something like that. Something must have happened to him." Akane Nanao shook her head, saying with hesitation, unable to believe Shouya Katase would do such a thing.
"I have no reason to lie to you. Believe it or not, it has nothing to do with our deal. Whether you believe it or not is up to you. I've already figured out part of the truth about Shouya Katase's body.
If that hit were on any of the better second-year members of the main team, they would have just rolled around on the ground for a few minutes and been fine. Shouya Katase just instantly passed out. Doesn't that indicate a problem?
He's likely using some substance to enhance himself. Tsk tsk, is this for his baseball dream? But the cost seems to be making him quite irritable."
Alistair easily revealed Shouya Katase's true physical condition to Akane Nanao, though she still had some lingering doubt.
How did Alistair know that his strength would only make the first-team seniors roll on the ground? Since Alistair seemed so certain, he must have his own way of confirming it. So, Akane Nanao decided not to worry about it. What concerned her now was what Shouya Katase was using to enhance himself and where he got it. If she were to investigate, she wouldn't know where to start. Asking him directly would surely yield nothing. For now, she could only rely on Alistair.
Then, Akane Nanao thought that once Alistair finished the investigation, she would have to use her round, ample breasts to do that thing for him. Her face felt like it was on fire. However, since the size of that thing was generally proportional to body size, given Alistair's appearance, it probably wasn't very large, and she had heard that act didn't last long, only a few minutes. She could endure it.
Akane Nanao was still planning how to deal with Alistair later, unaware that she was already implicitly trusting everything Alistair said, no longer questioning even the strange parts.
Only Alistair knew that while his words sounded plausible, he had no idea what level of force he had exerted. Alistair only confirmed that his strength wouldn't be lethal. As for how long Shouya Katase would be laid up, he had no idea. However, the speculation was true: someone might be providing Shouya Katase with something to enhance himself, but it was likely only a temporary buff. After all, how many things could permanently strengthen the body? Alistair only had his current strength through cheating. Why should Shouya Katase have it?
"So, Senior Akane, since there has been initial progress, shouldn't you advance me a little of the payment?" Alistair's smile was playful, his tone eager.
"Advance payment? Didn't we agree that I would do that only after you completed the request? At most, you only have a slight clue now. Are you suggesting you want to grip me now and then take it back later?!" Akane Nanao backed up two steps, afraid Alistair might lunge at her immediately.
"Well, you're going to let me play with them a few times anyway when you grip me. What's wrong with letting me practice kneading the dough now?" Alistair spread his hands, speaking shamelessly in a way Akane Nanao found completely brazen.
"This... This..."
Akane Nanao was about to flatly refuse, but a thought suddenly popped into her mind, making her surprisingly more agreeable to Alistair's words. The hands she had been using to shield her chest unconsciously relaxed...