Tokyo Fall Tournament, First Round.
In the match between Seidou High School and Teito High School, after eight innings of intense play, the total score was 3-0, with Seidou High School in the lead.
As the game reached the final inning, if Teito's batters could not overcome Sawamura in this inning, the match would end here.
Teito High School was understandably unwilling to accept this outcome. The last three batters were desperately trying to get on base.
At this point, their strategy was very simple:
Get a hit to continue the offense; the game must not end on their watch.
However, the reality was harsh.
Strong willpower and spirit alone are not enough to win against opponents.
If the Demon King Sawamura Eijun were that easy to defeat, he wouldn't be that famous.
"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE BATTER OUT!!!"
At the start of the top of the ninth inning, Sawamura struck out Teito's ninth batter, leaving no time for the opponent to react.
With one out, Teito's first batter stepped up. He wasn't the best hitter, but his speed was noteworthy.
He was aware of his limitations and did not expect to hit Sawamura's pitches. Instead, he went for a bunt.
"In the ninth inning, with one out and no runners on base, using a bunt?"
Owada Akiko's voice was filled with disbelief. Even an amateur like her knew that a bunt in this situation was almost equivalent to giving up.
"Perhaps it's a trick play." Fujio, an experienced observer, suggested.
"It's surprising that a prestigious team like Teito High School was forced into using such a tactic. It clearly shows the immense pressure Sawamura-kun has put on them," Fujio noted.
Teito was clearly running out of options. By the final stage of the game, they had not found an effective way to counter Sawamura.
"Even though the third-year players have all left the team, Seidou High School's offensive capability has significantly decreased. But being a National Champion means they still have their most crucial Ace."
As long as Sawamura was on the team, Seidou High School had the credentials and confidence to challenge any top team in the country.
"This Fall Tournament, despite being in the 'group of death,' Seidou High School has managed to overcome the first obstacle. It looks like they're set to go all the way like this," Fujio remarked.
Seeing Teito's first batter attempt a bunt, Seidou High School's battery didn't take it seriously. Sawamura prepared to pitch as usual.
Teito's first batter wasn't attempting a trick play. He genuinely aimed to use the bunt to get the ball into play and then sprint to first base.
Seidou High School's infield defense did not use a forward tactic, which greatly helped a speed-oriented player like him.
If he couldn't seize the opportunity, it would truly betray the good intentions of the Seidou players.
So, facing this pitch, he had no other ideas.
'Just make solid contact and hit the ball.'
The idea was good, but luck was not on his side.
Hours of rain had turned the field into a patchwork of puddles and uneven surfaces. Unfortunately, the ball stopped right in a puddle after being knocked.
What happened next was simple: Miyuki walked over, picked up the ball, and easily tagged the batter Out.
"OUT!"
With two Outs and no runners on base, Seidou High School was just one Out away from victory.
At this moment, Teito High School's second batter stepped up.
"I can't just give up!"
The batter, full of determination, focused intently on Sawamura on the mound.
'Hit it out!! Hit it out!!'
His thoughts were extremely straightforward.
Whoosh!
As he concentrated, the white ball flew over the plate.
The ball was right in the middle!
'Sawamura's center pitches were not easy to hit.'
For Sawamura, who had mastered a variety of breaking balls, even a center pitch could be tricky.
'A Moving ball? A Forkball? A Cutter ball?'
Sawamura's repertoire of breaking balls seemed to replay in the batter's mind, leaving him confused.
Snap!
"STRIKE!"
The first pitch: a standard fastball!
Snap!
"STRIKE!"
The second pitch: a center Forkball!
Whoosh!
Chased by two Strikes, the batter had no choice but to swing at the third pitch.
But as he waited for the pitch, the white ball did not come.
Time seemed to freeze at that moment.
After what felt like an eternity, the sound of the ball hitting the mitt finally came through.
The last ball: A Change-up!
Snap!
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!"
"GAME SET!!!"
"Seidou High School defeated Teito High School with a score of 3-0 after nine innings of fierce match, winning the first round!"
"Ah-choo!"
After the game, Sawamura felt an inexplicable chill and sneezed.
"Who's thinking of me?"
After the match ended, the weather cleared up.
It felt as if the rain had fallen specifically for this game.
"Ah-choo!"
Sawamura sneezed again.
"Damn it! Who's talking behind my back?"
Eijun wiped his nose and looked at the players from Teitou High School on the other side of the field.
They were all dejected.
The loss didn't seem entirely surprising; there were no tears or the kind of deep sadness that typically follows a summer game's end.
Yes, the autumn competition had ended, but their high school career was just beginning.
They still have opportunities in the spring and summer of the coming year.
Only if they lose in the summer would it mean the end of their high school baseball career. (This applies to third-year students.)
After such a defeat, most players would be in tears. It symbolizes the end of an era and the end of high school baseball life for them.
Even Seidou High School, which reached the Koshien finals, ended their journey with smiles mixed with tears.
The tears were a blend of joy and excitement, yet also tinged with reluctance.
'Am I becoming sentimental as I get older?' Sawamura joked with himself, then felt a pang of emotion.
"Ah-choo!"
One sneeze is a thought, and two sneezes are a curse, what about three?
"Oi oi! Are you catching a cold?"
Miyuki, concerned, asked from the side.
Seidou High School's schedule was quite packed. Though this week had only this single game, next Saturday and Sunday they would have consecutive matches.
On Saturday, they were likely to face the up-and-coming team from East Tokyo, Ugumori High School.
Seidou's players initially didn't pay much attention to this team, but surprisingly, their Ace pitcher, Sawamura Eijun, was very wary of them.
This level of wariness, though not as intense as for Inashiro Industrial, was still comparable to Teitou High School.
Such opponents are clearly troublesome.
Even if they managed to defeat Ugumori, they would face Inashiro the next day.
Of course, this is assuming nothing unexpected happens. Both teams could very well lose to their opponents.
However, Miyuki knew this likelihood was extremely low, so low it could be ignored.
If such a situation did arise, it might not necessarily be beneficial for Seidou High School.
A team that can defeat Inashiro Industrial might prove challenging for Seidou as well.
In such a scenario, if Sawamura caught a cold, the consequences would be severe.
A cold is one of the most stubborn illnesses. Whether you endure it yourself or take medicine, the recovery period is generally about one to two weeks.
If Sawamura couldn't participate in matches during this time, Seidou High School would face serious trouble.
"Stop exaggerating. I'm in great shape," Sawamura said dismissively.
"Ah-choo…"
As he spoke, he sneezed again.
'Could it be that Miyuki's bad omen has come true?'
Sawamura shook his head, dismissing the troubling thought.
'It's just a minor cold; even if I did catch one, it wouldn't be a big deal.'
It definitely wouldn't affect the games.
He had long been looking forward to the matches against Ugumori and Inashiro Industrial. He couldn't let a minor cold delay him.
On the other side, within the Teitou High School team.
The Taiyou no longer had the playful demeanor he started with.
He stared blankly at Sawamura.
He hadn't expected the gap between him and the Demon King to be so vast. He had thought that developing the 3D pitching style would be enough to challenge Sawamura and Narumiya.
But…
The reason for Teito's defeat was largely due to the inadequacy of their ace pitcher.
"What happened has already happened. Recognizing your shortcomings isn't such a bad thing. We have a long break ahead; use this time to work hard,"
Kengo Inui comforted his partner calmly.
He too hadn't expected the reigning national champions to be this good.
It was said that three out of the five star players were missing, meaning it was only a partial Champion team.
Even with such a team, they had been overwhelmed almost easily. Inui couldn't even imagine how terrifying the full Seidou High School must be.
Just thinking about it made him feel as if his brain had been struck by lightning.
'It was terrifying!'
'Truly terrifying!!!'
'Seidou!'
'Next time we meet, we'll definitely settle the score.'
Inui clenched his fists tightly.
He believed this defeat wouldn't crush Taiyou.
'Taiyou would soon recover and become even stronger.'
There's nothing more motivating for a pitcher than seeing pitchers of the same age who are stronger than himself.
Inui had faith in Taiyou and in Teitou.
They would recover from this defeat sooner or later.
Teitou High School's players learned to grow through their losses.
Meanwhile, the Seidou High School players were celebrating their victory.
To prevent catching a cold, Sawamura left the field early and went back to the locker room to change clothes.
Wearing damp clothes was uncomfortable and increased his risk of catching a cold.
In the stands.
After the match ended, all the fans stood and applauded.
Although the game was relatively plain, the excitement was undeniable.
They applauded the players' impressive performance.
Among them were Seto Takuma and Okumura Koushuu.
"Really amazing!"
Seto said with genuine admiration.
Even just watching from the side, he could clearly feel the difference in high school-level competition.
The Senpais on the field were far superior to them.
"I've decided!"
The Wolf boy, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke.
"Decided what?" Seto looked confused.
"Actually, I had this feeling during the game break. Depending on who wins, I'll decide where to go."
"What?" Seto's voice was filled with disbelief.
"Damn, why didn't you tell me earlier? If you had, I could have watched the game more attentively!"
Okumura ignored Seto's complaints and continued talking.
"I want to go somewhere I can improve myself and play baseball."
"I'm going to Seidou!"
'Catching for the Demon King should be very interesting.'
Okumura Koushuu's achievements were not particularly outstanding, at least not compared to Sawamura or the top upcoming talents.
However, he had received invitations from over a dozen top teams nationwide, including Seidou and Teitou.
…