Even though it's September, you can definitely feel autumn is on its way. The summer heat hasn't completely disappeared yet, but the breeze has started to carry a touch of coolness.
Despite our attempts to look presentable, the truth is that wearing short sleeves at this time of year means a sudden gust of wind can feel pretty chilly.
It's that awkward transitional period between summer and autumn.
When Sawamura stepped into the Batter's Box, he immediately noticed the intense, almost menacing stares from the third-year seniors.
Sawamura usually holds a lot of respect for the third-year students. However, it's strange—while they sometimes show him the care typical of seniors, more often than not, they treat him as an equal or even a rival.
It's a perplexing feeling.
From Sawamura's perspective, he can't quite understand why the third-years are acting this way. With memories of two lifetimes blending together, his feelings are a mix of past and present. He's noticed that his interactions with the seniors in this life are quite different from before.
In his previous life, even though his time with the third-years was relatively short, their bond was strong. The seniors were very supportive, with Kuramochi and Chris being especially attentive. Even those who were less involved would help whenever asked.
It was a brotherly bond, almost like having mentors who were like family.
But in this life, the relationship is more complex. The third-years owe a lot to Sawamura for helping them win the national championship last summer. They are grateful, but their current interactions are less about brotherly support and more about professional rivalry. They are now more like battle-hardened comrades than protective older brothers.
Moreover, since Sawamura joined Seidou High School, the bond between him and the third-years has remained strong, but it's also competitive. They'd been rivals even before he joined the team.
So, they are both comrades and competitors.
With memories of two lifetimes, Sawamura doesn't view the third years in the same way. He respects them and feels a sense of camaraderie, but not rivalry.
As he stood in the batter's box, Sawamura noticed that the previously relaxed third-years had all changed their expressions to serious ones, preparing intently to face him.
Not just Tanpa and Chris, but also the fielding seniors were watching him like hawks.
Sawamura was momentarily puzzled, unsure why the sudden shift in the Senpais' demeanor.
However, given the clear aggressive, as the core player of the new team and a competent batter, Sawamura knew he had to rise to the challenge.
"A bit overly serious today, isn't it Shisho?" he asked Chris quietly.
Chris responded calmly, "It is a test and training for everyone, and that of course includes you. Right now, a lot of things are on your shoulders, so you too should be up for the pressure.
From the start of the next tournament, the whole Nation will be out for your neck, so you have to be ready if you don't want to lose. Because we too don't want to lose, we too want to face you and win!"
Sawamura nodded, understanding Chris's point. With the end of Kawakami's pitching, the third-years were gearing up to give their all.
They hadn't held back before, but they hadn't been aggressive either.
Now, their attitude had changed. They were ready to fight to the end, making this game more than just a practice—it was a decisive battle between the third-years and Sawamura Eijun.
"If that's the deal, then I accept it!" Sawamura replied calmly.
Chris nodded in approval. He was pleased to see Sawamura ready to give his best.
The third-years believed that once everyone became more familiar with Sawamura, the game would change dramatically. Whether Sawamura could handle the increased pressure was uncertain.
As seniors, they felt it was necessary to show Sawamura that once he was well-understood, his game could be challenged.
This match had two main purposes. The first was to educate the new members of the Seidou High School baseball team, which had already been mostly accomplished in previous games.
The second purpose was to defeat Sawamura decisively here, rather than waiting for him to face challenges in the autumn tournament or Koshien.
The seniors were excited about the prospect of taking down Sawamura and looking forward to the challenge.
The tense showdown between Sawamura Eijun and the third-year seniors was palpable, even to the alumni watching from the sidelines. The atmosphere felt almost frozen.
Takashima Rei stood off to the side with her arms crossed, her eyes filled with complex emotions as she observed the confrontation. This was likely Eijun's final clash with the third-year players.
Memories of their previous encounters played in Takashima's mind like a movie reel.
It was clear that the third-year players were also harboring rivalry since that time. Otherwise, they wouldn't be taking this final duel so seriously. For them, this match was also a chance to fulfill a personal wish.
From an emotional standpoint, Takashima felt it was a fitting final gift for the third-year players. However, as the vice president of Seidou High's baseball team, she couldn't help but feel anxious about the outcome.
Her feelings were tangled, and she wasn't sure which side she hoped would emerge victorious. Even the spectators could sense the shift in the atmosphere, let alone the players on the field.
"This is truly a high-stakes, intense game," she thought.
In the batter's box, Sawamura Eijun held his bat high and slightly adjusted his stance. His stance was precise, but his center of gravity was lower than usual. The challenge was more daunting than ever!
Chris, who had watched Sawamura's development over time from the catcher's position, was well aware of his growth and changes. When they first faced off, Chris was the catcher, and even then, Sawamura, a mere sophomore, showed a formidable prowess at the plate.
Since joining Seidou High, Sawamura had not only refined his pitching techniques but also made significant adjustments to his batting stance, like the current half-squat swing.
Sawamura's body was extraordinarily flexible, especially his wrists and shoulders. Maintaining balance while swinging with such force was a challenge. Hence, his half-squat stance aimed to improve his hitting.
But would this adjustment truly make it easier?
Chris had closely observed Sawamura's new swing and understood its strengths and weaknesses. The first pitch was a high inside Straight.
Without hesitation, Tanpa Koichiro threw a fierce fastball right at Sawamura's zone.
Whoosh!
The ball zoomed past, almost grazing Sawamura's chest, and landed perfectly in Chris's mitt.
Sawamura couldn't swing in time.
SNAP!
"STRIKE!"
With that, Sawamura fell behind in the count. He glanced at Chris, confused. Had Chris intended to pitch there, or was it part of a larger strategy?
He continued to hold his stance, waiting for Tanpa's second pitch.
Whoosh!
The second pitch was almost identical to the first—a high inside Straight ball.
Once again, Sawamura couldn't connect.
His surprise was evident when he looked back at Chris. Sawamura had never mentioned the flaws of his new swing stance, meaning Chris had figured them out himself.
'That was an impressive insight!'
After adjusting his stance, Sawamura found hitting high inside pitches awkward. While he could still make contact, he couldn't fully harness his swing's power. The ball wouldn't travel far and could be easily caught by infielders.
This was the disadvantage of his new stance, making it difficult to hit high inside pitches. Though other pitches might be easier, high inside ones were a challenge.
Realizing this, and with two strikes against him, Sawamura had to find another approach. He straightened up from his half-squat stance. If he continued with the new stance, Chris would likely keep throwing high inside pitches, making it difficult to hit the ball effectively.
Chris, observing Sawamura's adjustment, nodded subtly and signaled Tanpa to throw another high inside fastball.
Chris's strategy was clear: using unexpected pitches would maximize their chances of success. By repeatedly throwing high inside fastballs, he aimed to catch Sawamura off guard.
Tanpa, though momentarily surprised, masked it well to prevent Sawamura from reading his intentions.
Whoosh!
Tanpa pitched the ball with unflinching precision.
Sawamura held his bat high, his eyes locked on the approaching ball.
Chris had a sinking feeling as he watched. His premonition proved correct.
As the ball approached, Sawamura tensed and prepared to Swing.
'Here it comes!'
'Now!'
With a powerful swing, Sawamura connected with the ball.
Chris knew Sawamura's hitting style and tendencies well, so the strategy was sound. However, Sawamura's reverse reasoning had outwitted him.
Sawamura correctly anticipated the high inside pitch.
PANG!
The ball soared high, taking off to the sky like a bird flying to the sky.
The ball flew all the way to the fence hitting the upper net.
"A Home Run!!"
It was the second home run of the game.
And it was hit by the Demon King, Sawamura Eijun!!!
…