Kusunoki could only smile wryly as he heard the crisp sound of the baseball hitting the mitt.
'They got me!'
He had thought that with Sawamura's skill level, he wouldn't bother using breaking balls against an opponent of his caliber in the first place.
But for an Ace pitcher like him, it was actually quite foolish. Against opponents, he could easily solve, was it necessary for Sawamura to take it so seriously?
Despite these thoughts, Kusunoki couldn't help but feel pleased.
At the last moment, Sawamura's willingness to go all out allowed him to witness his true strength.
As a Senpai, he was truly grateful for this.
This way, he would have no regrets throughout his three years in high school.
Although he never stood at the pinnacle of the national stage as the protagonist, he had already seen the view from the top. His team had conquered the nation, and in the day-to-day, he had witnessed the abilities of top players.
As for the gap between him and players like Sawamura, Kusunoki didn't dwell on it too much.
In this world the difference between people is inevitable.
Being able to play with the nation's top and most outstanding players was already a source of happiness and pride for him. As for not becoming the protagonist himself, he understood that well enough.
After all, he was not that kind of monster or genius. In the end, he was just an ordinary person, and achieving what he had achieved so far was already quite good.
Some things cannot be achieved through effort alone.
One Out, no one on base.
On the batter's box, Kusunoki felt like he had just ridden a roller coaster, experiencing a complex journey in a short time.
But to the spectators, this result was undoubtedly expected. Not to mention a hitter of Kusunoki's level, even some of the strong hitters who had made a name for themselves nationally, faced Sawamura's pitching and similarly struggled.
Therefore, it was expected that Kusunoki would be dealt with. If Kusunoki had managed to get a hit off Sawamura from the start, the coaching staff of Seidou High School's baseball team would have had to reconsider many things.
How blind would they have to be to ignore such a player?
Sawamura on the pitcher's mound didn't show any expression of joy for successfully handling Kusunoki.
For him, the challenge was just beginning.
Kusunoki-senpai was just warming up; his real opponents were the next few batters.
"Second batter, second baseman, Kominato Ryosuke."
When Ryo-san stepped up to the batter's box, he still wore a smiling expression. The smile on his face appeared very sincere, he looked like a harmless elder brother happily seeing his younger brother.
To be honest, this expression was quite deceptive. Sawamura on the pitcher's mound was almost fooled.
Suddenly he snapped out of it on his own.
Because the other's smile was too friendly, he almost mistook Ryo-san for a friendly big brother.
If he faced Ryosuke with such a mentality, he might end up with nothing left but ashes.
'Oh shit, he improved in a different way.'
Sawamura smiled bitterly, looking at Ryosuke in the batter's box.
'To think he will improve like this is unexpected, this is the psychological suggestion that Chris-senpai uses sometimes.'
Even Sawamura, as 'straightforward' as he was, knew that his senior was probably up to no good.
"Ryo-niisan! This is a proper game, so stop making such a disgusting smile. It looks creepy." A bit anxious, Sawamura said directly.
In the batter's box, Ryosuke had a slightly hurt expression, as if misunderstood.
"This is just a way for Senpai to care for their Kohai. Aren't you moved?"
"To be honest, not really," Sawamura replied truthfully.
Seeing Ryosuke's previous look, he had no intention of being tricked. His unease was growing.
Can you imagine a cunning Devil smiling kindly at you?
At least Sawamura couldn't.
Ryosuke seemed a bit embarrassed. He held the bat just right, his entire batting stance spread out.
In the catcher's position, Miyuki Kazuya didn't idle either. While Ryosuke and Sawamura exchanged words, he kept an eye on Ryosuke's actions.
When he saw him assume such a stance, Miyuki quickly made an accurate judgment.
'With his stance spread out like this, he was preparing to wait for a hit, which meant he was going to entangle.'
'Ryosuke's height was five centimeters(2 in.) shorter than his younger brother Haruichi.'
'It should be noted that Haruichi's height among his peers is not high at all, belonging to the middle to lower reaches.'
It can be imagined how small Ryosuke's figure is.
The man before him, relying on his incredibly robust physique, has indeed earned the title of The Devil Batter.
If Sawamura is a huge legend, then Ryosuke, to some extent, is also a small legend.
All that he has accomplished is also unimaginable for ordinary players.
'It seems that he really used his superb skills to make up for his physical shortcomings.'
'But the reality is not entirely so.'
Kominato Ryosuke was still limited by his physique.
This limitation is innate and almost impossible to change.
Unless during the process from 17 to 23 years old in the future, his height rises.
Otherwise, his height will never be able to change.
Of course, this limitation is not obvious, and ordinary opponents cannot see it. In fact, until Seidou High School participated in the National Tournament and won the Championship, no team studied the weak points of Ryosuke's batting.
'To say it's a weak point, it's not particularly appropriate. The accurate term should be a natural limitation.'
For example, when Ryosuke wants to hit normally when aiming at the ball and when he wants to entangle, the waiting stance for the hit is not the same.
'Ordinary unfamiliar opponents, of course, cannot perceive the faint changes here.'
But for teammates like Miyuki, they are very obvious.
They can completely judge what Ryosuke is planning based on his preparatory actions.
Now, Miyuki is doing this. After seeing Ryosuke's stance ready to wait for the hit, he quickly judged Ryosuke's true intention.
'In the first round of fighting with Sawamura, Ryo-san's plan is.'
'Entanglement!'
'In this way, the probability of swinging at the first and second pitches is very low.'
'Then...'
Almost in the blink of an eye, Miyuki had a game-calling plan.
…
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And Powerstones are much much welcomed!