From the moment everyone learned Sawamura's name, people have wondered when the Maou would finally concede runs. Sawamura had lost points in middle school, but back then, he wasn't the nationwide force he is now.
As his high school started, many expected Tokyo's fierce competition to test him. However, throughout the summer tournament, Sawamura remained unscathed, facing strong opponents without yielding.
When it came to Koshien, the ultimate stage for high school players, still, no one managed to get the better of Sawamura.
Time flies, and Maou remains Maou, as legendary as ever.
Now something new has happened.
Sawamura has been conquered!!!
In this practice game, Sawamura lost runs for the first time in high school! Not due to a defensive error or another's fault, but simply because his pitching was hit.
Everyone watched as if witnessing history. They stared at Sawamura on the mound, wondering what this meant for him.
"Sawamura-kun has lost a run!" Owada Akiko gasped in disbelief, revealing she's a huge fan of Sawamura and finds this result unbelievable.
Fujio felt a pang in his heart. Although losing points is normal for pitchers, it's different for Sawamura! He hadn't lost a Run for a long time, and this moment felt like a ticking time bomb. If not addressed before the autumn competitions, it could spell disaster.
"The third-year players have true affection for Sawamura-kun," someone noted. They had been planning for this moment, and the reality was bittersweet. No one celebrated.
Everyone, including teammates, seniors, and spectators, watched anxiously, worried about how Sawamura would cope.
On the mound, Sawamura's face was expressionless. The crowd waited for his reaction. Miyuki, deeply concerned, thought, 'Don't be defeated here, partner.'
Kuramochi frowned, ready to intervene if necessary. He wanted to shake Sawamura out of it and remind him of his strength.
"Eijun-kun," Kominato Haruichi also looked worried.
In the rest area, Furuya, who had been replaced, stood with a cold expression, asking, 'Do you want to switch players?' He wanted to cheer Sawamura, even though his chance to play was gone.
On the mound, Sawamura suddenly smiled at Yuuki, who had reached second base.
"Awesome!"
Sawamura's reaction showed he wasn't fazed. While setbacks are challenging, they are parts needed for growth. His struggles have led to improvement, and this setback only strengthened his resolve to Level up his pitching.
For now, Sawamura and Miyuki are close to the threshold of reaching the next level of his pitching but need more time. With the autumn competition approaching, he'll focus on perfecting the Cutter Ball and Bunny ball. Mastering these might naturally lead to achieving Level Five.
This was Sawamura's mindset after losing a run.
With two Outs and a runner on second base, the new team trailed 5-4.
"Fifth batter, catcher, Chris!"
Now, it's Chris's turn to bat.
Sawamura's smile brought immense relief to everyone who cared about him.
Miyuki felt the same relief. After taking a moment to settle his thoughts, he signaled to Sawamura.
'Focus on the next opponent, partner!'
On the mound, Sawamura nodded, recognizing that his new opponent was his Shisho, Chris.
'That's fine by me!'
Facing Chris in this final moment was something Sawamura looked forward to with excitement. Even though he had just lost a run, his mood remained upbeat. The third-year seniors, like Chris, were formidable and almost otherworldly.
'I'm going to use my new Cutter!' Sawamura announced with conviction.
"Hmm?" Miyuki looked at Sawamura, puzzled by his decision.
Not only Miyuki, but even Sawamura himself wasn't entirely sure of his reasoning. He simply felt an urge to showcase his new skills to Chris.
'Let's do this!'
Miyuki wasn't one to back down. If Sawamura wanted to pitch this new ball, then so be it. He was ready for the challenge.
As Sawamura prepared to pitch, Yuuki on second base made an unexpected move and stole the base.
Miyuki, preoccupied with the new pitch, had overlooked the runner.
'Huh?!'
When Miyuki realized what had happened, his eyes widened in disbelief.
'Stealing from Sawamura?!'
The scene before him made Miyuki question his understanding of the game. How could Tetsu-san steal a base so boldly?
'The opponent was Sawamura, and such a daring steal seemed reckless!'
Miyuki's distraction had caused him to miss the optimal moment to prevent the steal.
Thinking about it, Miyuki gave a sign to Sawamura who was pitching.
Too bad it's too late!
Before the ball is released, Sawamura can indeed change the landing point of the ball at will.
But the ball was already in the air, it was too late.
'It's not over yet!' Miyuki's eyes burned with determination.
Since Sawamura was unable to act, Miyuki would handle the situation himself. He quickly adapted, half-squatting to catch the ball and then throwing it swiftly to third base.
SNAP!
The ball shot like a laser over 30 meters, reaching Kanemaru's mitt just as Yuuki touched the base.
"SAFE!"
With two Outs and a runner on third, Miyuki and Sawamura were caught off guard by the steal, which was not part of their strategy. Their frustration heightened, and they focused on the next pitch against Chris.
'No need to panic. Like this, we only need to solve Chris-senpai.'
Sawamura made his stride and pitched the ball.
Whoosh!
SNAP!
"STRIKE!"
'Good! Now the last pitch!'
With two strikes in place, Sawamura threw his improved Cutter ball.
'Hmm?'
But the moment he threw it, he felt something a miss.
On the strike zone, Chris watched as the white ball approached. Ready to hit the ball.
The ball flew straight at the zone!
'Now is the chance!'
Chris prepared to swing, confident he could make solid contact. But suddenly, the ball vanished from his view.
'Gone!!!'
Chris's eyes widened in panic as he heard sounds behind him.
SNAP!
The baseball hit Miyuki's mitt and veered out of bounds.
The catcher missed the ball!
The cutter was faster than Miyuki thought, so it broke faster resulting in the error.
Thus, the game's biggest error occurred!
Chris, who was momentarily stunned, quickly ran to first base.
Yuuki, on third base, seized the opportunity and raced home, adding another crucial Run.
Sawamura felt deeply embarrassed. He realized the issue only after releasing the ball. His increasing speed affected his breaking ball.
Facing such a desynchronized pitch at such a crucial moment, it's no wonder Miyuki-senpai struggled to catch it. Sawamura felt so frustrated.
While Sawamura was mortified, others were in shock. They had just witnessed Miyuki, known as a genius catcher, miss a pitch. They didn't know it was the first time Sawamura had thrown this pitch and assumed it was an error on Miyuki's part.
The missed catch indicated just how fearsome and sharp the pitch was.
Kuramochi frowned deeply, his expression one of mixed emotions. "Is this the rumored Level 5?"
Although it was known that Sawamura and Miyuki practiced privately, no one expected such a powerful breaking ball. It was no wonder they used it so cautiously if it was difficult to catch.
Yuuki, having reached home plate, was reluctant to leave, his fighting spirit at an all-time high. He understood why Sawamura hadn't used this pitch before, probably due to their need for better cooperation. Yet, he eagerly wanted to face this pitch again.
In the final Out, Masuko made contact with the ball, but it did not fly out. The ball bounced in front of the third baseman, was caught by Kanemaru, and thrown to first base.
The earlier blunder had caused quite a stir, but the scene was now eerily silent. Everyone was still processing the shock of what they had just witnessed. They couldn't imagine how a pitch so sharp could be countered if Sawamura and Miyuki truly mastered it.
Three Outs, offense and defense exchange!
After the inning, Sawamura approached Miyuki to apologize.
"Honestly, I didn't expect the pitch to break like this, so…"
"Don't say that!"
"Why?"
"Do you think saying that will make me relax? Idiot!"
Miyuki did blame himself for missing the pitch. If he wasn't in the catcher's position, he might not have seen the ball's trajectory.
The ball was actually sharper than what they usually trained, but that was not an excuse for Miyuki who has a lot of pride in his catching skills.
So this ball lit the fire under Miyuki, urging him to improve too.
…