In his time in the Major League, Sawamura was not only an exceptional pitcher but also known for a strikingly loud nickname:
The King of Bunt!
But Sawamura himself was not very satisfied with the title, even if he was proud of it.
Because it is just a bunt, it is like saying this guy is the best at tying shoes.
It would not matter how much you are good at it, a 4-year-old kid can still get the same effectiveness even if he learned it a few minutes ago.
The same is true with bunts, no matter how good he was at it, a batter who 'half-assed' it can still get the job done.
So Sawamura worked hard to improve the effectiveness of his bunt but failed in the end, and he had other things to worry about so he gave up.
It was only when he learned the new batting stance that he got an idea of how to improve his bunting.
And he used it just now.
Except for Chris, the catcher, no one else clearly saw what Sawamura had done.
If a high-definition camera had recorded Sawamura's recent action, it would reveal that the moment Sawamura made contact with the ball using his bunt, his body shifted forward, and the bunt included a slight forward push.
This movement appears very subtle and might be hard to notice. After all, a standard bunt does not involve staying completely still.
Baseballs don't have an autopilot system, and won't hit your bat on their own.
To truly make contact with the ball, the batter has to continuously adjust.
As a result, each batter's bunt involves a different range of motion. Sawamura's recent bunt seemed like a minor adjustment.
But if you compare the high-definition footage, you'd find this action highly unusual.
Sawamura's bat didn't just move up and down like other bunt techniques, it also moved back and forth.
From the initial bunt position to hitting the ball, his bat swung back and forth approximately thirty centimeters(1 ft.).
Because Sawamura had learned how to use the power of his upper body in his swing, he thought he could use it this way too in his bunting. After all his new stance was already close to bunt from the beginning.
Adding his superb skill at bunting and his unique body flexibility, made this motion less noticeable and more perfect.
Chris, who had been closely watching the bat, realized something was off.
"This guy!"
Even as a teammate, Chris had never seen Sawamura use such a technique before.
Chris's face turned grim for a moment and then relaxed.
'A new technique!'
The Demon King, Sawamura Eijun.
Although teammates knew Sawamura's skills were exceptional and his reputation was formidable, they might not have fully understood his talent.
Only by standing in the opponent's shoes could one truly understand Sawamura's terrifying strength.
'He has more to give!'
'He still has more room to grow!!!'
Onlookers were stunned by Sawamura's bunt. How could a bunt send the ball so far?
It's not just about skill; without sufficient power, such a feat is impossible.
People quickly turned their curious eyes to Sawamura at second base.
How did he manage such a fast and dexterous hit?
Seeing someone like Sawamura, who could bunt the ball 30 to 40(100 ft.) meters with such power, was a first.
At second base, Sawamura looked at his hand in a bit of joy.
'It worked!'
He had planned to reveal this trick at a more suitable moment. Tanpa-senpai's pitch was too perfect, and his body took the gamble.
Not every pitch could be bunted like this, and he wanted to try this trick in a real match to see how effective it was.
And it totally broke his expectations!
'To think it would be this effective.'
Sawamura knew from the beginning that this bunt could be very useful, but not this much.
It is something only Sawamura can do, so no one has seen anything like that.
What elated Sawamura more was that he was improving.
This is something he didn't have before his regression, and only someone with his talent could unlock such a thing after a lot of training.
And the result was obvious.
No Outs, runner on second base!
Now it was Miyuki's turn to bat with someone on base.
Seidou High School's scoring opportunities were still alive.
"What an exciting performance!"
Miyuki looked at Sawamura with excitement.
Originally, he thought that after Sawamura walked Kuramochi, their chances might be over.
But now, the situation has changed dramatically.
'Every cell in my body is racing.'
Miyuki raised his bat high and stared intently at Tanpa on the mound.
'Bring it on!'
'Bring it on!!!'
'I will not lose.'
Miyuki's aggressive behavior seemed to unsettle Tanpa.
He threw two balls in a row but failed to trick Miyuki into swinging!
Miyuki, in the strike zone, appeared contemplative.
'The first pitch was a high inside ball, and the second pitch was a low inside ball.'
It wasn't that Miyuki didn't want to swing; the pitches were placed where he couldn't reach them.
Miyuki, trying to anticipate the next pitch, was clearly confused by the two bad balls.
He understood that Chris's strategy was the main reason for this confusion.
The aim was to disrupt his judgment, making it difficult for Miyuki to predict the next pitch based on the previous balls.
'How cunning!'
Though Miyuki was frustrated, he knew that Chris-senpai had completely seen through him.
Chris's strategy was designed to make it hard for Miyuki to judge the pitch with a runner on second base.
'No going easy on the Kohais at all.'
Miyuki grumbled but quickly adjusted his swing.
Though he rarely used it, he was capable.
'Bunt!'
As a baseball prodigy, Miyuki could execute a bunt effectively.
Ping!
The ball rolled into the corner after Miyuki made contact.
Miyuki hadn't given a sign to Sawamura at second base, so Sawamura was momentarily caught off guard by the sudden bunt.
But his body reacted instinctively.
The moment the ball was hit, Sawamura sprinted from second base toward third.
"The fourth point—let's make it happen!" Miyuki muttered with a smile.
As the team's fourth batter, Miyuki Kazuya shamelessly used a bunt.
If this was a forced strategy to score, it would be acceptable. Although bunting isn't particularly glamorous, it's justifiable as long as it scores points.
"But what's with this bunt walk now?"
"Is it just to advance Sawamura to third base?"
Some spectators were puzzled, struggling to understand why Miyuki made this move. As the fourth batter, and especially just now as the fourth batter, his use of the bunt without any mental burden felt very awkward.
No matter how you looked at it, it was quite strange.
Everyone stared intently at the audacious Miyuki. At that moment, he was already out. His speed wasn't exceptional, and despite a nice play, he couldn't get on base.
Miyuki himself seemed unfazed, waving his hands around.
To those who knew, he had just been shut out; to those who didn't, it might have seemed like he hit a home run.
Coach Kataoka, who had been silently overseeing as the home plate umpire, suddenly asked in a cold tone as Miyuki was leaving the field:
"What is your view of the fourth batter, Miyuki?"
Miyuki was momentarily taken aback but answered honestly:
"A fourth batter is the batter who can advance the team's style."
"Is this the style we need to be the Champion?"
Coach Kataoka's gaze grew colder, clearly displeased with Miyuki's answer.
Miyuki remained calm and didn't change his stance due to Kataoka's attitude.
"National Championship is a thing of the past. Our current team's ability to secure consecutive hits is incomparable to the previous one. If we cling to past glories and trophies, we'll end up suffering. Instead of holding on stubbornly, we should cherish every opportunity to attack and score. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to overcome the opponent and win!"
It was rare to see Miyuki with such a determined expression. His willingness to do anything for victory was clear—though his approach might differ, his resolve was undeniable.
Coach Kataoka's expression finally softened, and he nodded in approval.
While he personally didn't appreciate this approach, he had to admit Miyuki made a valid point. Although Kataoka preferred a more traditional style for the fourth batter, Miyuki's unique style and charm were also impressive.
Even if others didn't agree with his methods, they couldn't help but respect him.
This is Miyuki! Despite his sharp tongue, he was undeniably a genius—a super genius who deserved the fourth hole at Seidou High School.
'Yes, the team's style had changed, and sticking to old ideas would only disadvantage Seidou.' Kataoka thought.
'Lying on past glories only diminishes one's fighting spirit.'
'Even though Seidou's ambition for national dominance was achieved, the establishment of a new team meant starting afresh.'
The game continued.
With two Outs and a runner on third base, Sawamura Eijun, despite being slightly delayed, made it to third base safely.
Miyuki's bunt was executed beautifully. Though not as impressive as Sawamura's, it was sufficient to advance the runner to third base.
"Fifth batter, first baseman, Maezono."
Under these circumstances, Maezono, who looked as fierce as a warrior, stepped into the batter's box.
As soon as he entered, he stared at Tanpa with The Scary Face.
'The fourth batter, Miyuki, used a bunt.'
'I, the fifth batter, Maezono, had no intention of doing the same.'(not like he can anyway.)
He raised his bat high, ready for a powerful swing.
In terms of courage alone, it was quite impressive.
Against such an opponent, both Chris and Tanpa couldn't afford to be careless.
They focused on Maezono, strategizing how to deal with him.
To be honest, while Chris never underestimated any opponent, he was puzzled by Maezono being the fifth batter for the new team. He felt Shiratsu should have been in that spot.
'This is actually good for us.'
Although he felt a bit uncomfortable with Maezono as the opponent, Chris felt more confident facing him compared to Shiratsu.
'Let's get those outs one by one!'
Chris's strategy was sound, and things seemed to be unfolding just as he planned.
The formidable Maezono ended up hitting a high fly ball to the outfield, caught by Kadota-senpai.
The ball traveled nearly 60 meters from home plate.
"OUT!!!"
The outfield fly was caught, and Sawamura was left hanging on the third base.
The situation Miyuki had painstakingly set up was nullified.
The score remained 4:3.
On the surface, the difference was only one point.
But that single point felt like an unclimbable cliff…
…
T/N: As always, Thank you all for reading!!
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