"Sawamura!"
"Sawamura!!!"
"Demon King!"
"Demon King!!!"
Because Tokyo is the base of the Demon King's Guards, and with it being Sunday, even more people have shown up!
Their fans alone occupy nearly a quarter of the stands. Adding the Brotherhood of the Red Heart's members, the total number of supporters is even greater.
With so many people shouting in unison, many spectators nearby, eager to join in, also began cheering.
The entire Hachioji Stadium instantly turned into Sawamura's personal venue.
The enormous cheers made the entire stadium shake.
"These guys are insane!"
A middle-aged man in his forties, who had initially joined in the shouting, soon realized he was being looked at strangely by those around him and quickly stopped his irrational behavior.
Inashiro Industrial High School has many fans who are already of a certain age. They cannot be compared to the young members of the Demon King's Guard. As for the Red Heart Brotherhood, they are the most professional cheering squad, equipped with gear, unlike ordinary fans.
Gradually, the stadium was filled only with cheers for Sawamura Eijun. Occasionally, there were shouts in support of Seidou High School, but those supporting Inashiro seemed to have disappeared.
Standing in the Batter's Box, Carlos felt as if he was against the entire world.
Previously, whenever he stood in the Batter's Box, he could always hear cheers around him.
This is the standard treatment for a star player! Even during the bleakest times for Seidou High School, their core players received such treatment. Whenever players like Yuuki Tetsuya took the field, there would be cheers from the crowd.
Moreover, Inashiro Industrial is currently in a strong phase, having participated in the Koshien numerous times in recent years.
As a core player of Inashiro Industrial, Carlos also had many supporters.
Yet today, he couldn't hear their voices at all.
'This is terrifying!'
Even Carlos had never experienced such a feeling before.
Not to mention, in terms of fame and appeal, Sawamura Eijun is undoubtedly the top high school player today.
'What an enviable guy!'
Faced with such a scene, Carlos was not intimidated but rather enthusiastic.
'If I could hit Sawamura's pitching, I could probably silence these guys,' Carlos thought with a challenge.
His every move did not escape the catcher, Miyuki's eyes.
'He's going to swing from the first ball!'
'Carlos is showing a lot of aggression; it doesn't seem like he's aiming for a bunt! If there are no surprises, he must be intending to face Sawamura head-on.'
'Excellent!'
This is exactly what Miyuki hoped for.
Although it's been just over two months since their last encounter, Sawamura's skills have advanced significantly in this period.
Whether it's due to Koshien or not, after returning from Koshien with a victory, Sawamura's skills have progressed rapidly. However, since his baseline is already high, the improvement might not be very apparent to outsiders.
But Miyuki, as his partner, is very aware. Sawamura's fastball speed and control have both seen improvements.
Sawamura has been practicing both control and speed. Maintaining precise control while also increasing his speed. When his speed reaches its limit and can no longer improve, he will then focus solely on control.
So even though Sawamura's average speed has only increased by three or four kilometers, the impact is significantly different.
'Let's go!'
Miyuki signals Sawamura to start with the Forkball.
To strike Out Carlos, there can be no room for complacency; they must seize the initiative from the start.
On the pitcher's mound, Sawamura subtly nods.
He still has complete trust in Miyuki's pitch-calling.
After taking a deep breath, Sawamura raises his right foot high and then brings it down sharply like an axe.
As his weight shifts, his body moves continuously. At the same time, his right-hand mitt pushes forward like a wall, covering his shoulder.
Then, his left hand grips the baseball and his arm swings like a whip, lancing the ball forward.
Whoosh!
Without any warning, the baseball suddenly flies out.
Carlos's eyes widen in shock.
'Fast!'
'Really fast!'
He has experienced this feeling before; But now, the ball seems even faster than before.
'It's not the pitching form, but Sawamura's speed has indeed increased.'
In the blink of an eye, the ball is upon him.
Carlos isn't hesitating either; his bat swings out as if it's an extension of his arm.
First pitch, he swings!
Sawamura is tough, and Carlos doesn't hold back.
'For this moment, we have prepared thoroughly.'
Everything seemed just as Carlos anticipated, but just as his bat was about to hit the ball, the white ball suddenly dropped.
The drop angle is just enough to avoid the incoming bat.
Snap!
The sound of the baseball landing in the Mitt is heard.
Carlos, who missed his swing, is deeply shaken.
'This is Sawamura's Winning shot, the Forkball!'
'It's frightening! The pitching motion is identical to a fastball, with no visible difference.'
'The ball's initial rotation and movement are similar to a fastball.'
'The only difference is the angle of the drop.'
The entire course is a diagonal line with no predictable pattern. Whether the batter swings horizontally or vertically, finding the precise hitting point is difficult.
"This guy!"
Carlos's pupils contract repeatedly, finally focusing on Sawamura who was standing proudly on the mound.
'Not simple, really not simple.'
From Carlos's own feeling, there are probably only a few pitchers nationwide who can throw a pitch of this caliber.
What's more frightening is that Sawamura Eijun's repertoire of breaking balls is not limited to just this one.
Behind the plate, Miyuki's lips curl into a smile.
'The momentum has started to shift in their favor!'
'Good!'
With the momentum on their side, Miyuki is confident they can handle Carlos smoothly.
'Let's go!'
'Second pitch: the Moving-Up!!'
'The previous breaking ball must still be on Carlos's mind; using a Moving-Up now will definitely throw him off.'
'No problem!'
Miyuki is very confident about this.
He has paired with Sawamura many times and can gauge Sawamura's condition the moment he catches the ball. Although it's not in peak condition, it's still quite good.
In this situation, as long as his pitch-calling doesn't go wrong, dealing with Carlos should be no problem.
'Let's finish off the opponent in front of us with this momentum.'
On the pitcher's mound, Sawamura Eijun has no objections to his partner's suggestion.
The baseball flies out like a laser beam.
Carlos in the batter's box seems stunned by Sawamura's previous pitch and shows no reaction to the incoming ball.
He remains motionless, and Seidou's fielders can only stay in their positions.
To them, this pitch should be enough to handle Carlos.
Suddenly!
Carlos, who had been motionless in the Batter's Box, suddenly changes his stance.
He shifts from a normal grip to a bunt.
Ping!
Carlos's bunt is very precise. The ball is knocked and slowly rolls towards the first base.
"Zono-san!" "Zono!"
Sawamura calls out and then runs to first base.
'Bunt!'
When Carlos suddenly laid down a bunt, many of Seidou High's players were incredulous. Based on previous observations, Carlos had not shown any intention of using a bunt.
A star player who had been determined to face off against Sawamura now suddenly switched to a bunt after seeing Sawamura pitch? While this might sound cool, the likelihood of it happening in reality was extremely low.
Star players have a certain pride about them.
Carlos' speed was exceptional, but he had rarely used bunts before. As Carlos had confidence in his hitting power.
Given these circumstances, why would he so resolutely use a bunt?
Because they hadn't expected it, most of Seidou's players were momentarily confused when Carlos laid down the bunt.
Two infielders even forgot to move forward.
However, not everyone was flustered.
For instance, Miyuki, the catcher, had clearly anticipated such a situation. Thus, he remained calm and instructed the first baseman, Maezono, to field the ball.
The ball rolled toward first base.
For a ball in this position, it's most appropriate for the first baseman to run forward and field it. Once the first baseman leaves the base, someone must cover the first base.
Either the second baseman or the pitcher could fill this position, as these two spots are closest to first base.
Sawamura comes forward to cover first base. After years of habit, he considered this action as instinctual.
As he ran, he also reminded Maezono to pick up the ball.
Compared to these two exceptional players, Maezono was more conventional. He only realized what was happening when the ball hit the bat.
At Seidou, he had undergone the toughest training, including countless repetitions of this scenario.
Once he understood, Maezono immediately sprinted forward.
However, he was fast, but the runner was even faster. By the time Maezono reacted and started running, a figure was already charging toward him.
Like a streak of lightning, Carlos was upon Maezono in the blink of an eye.
Almost instinctively, Maezono's gaze turned to Carlos.
'This guy is so fast!!!'
Maezono, running opposite Carlos, shuddered inwardly. Of all the runners he had ever seen, Carlos' full-speed sprint was the fastest.
Carlos' speed was almost unreal, and in an instant, the two were face to face.
Carlos sped past Maezono like a whirlwind.
The wind from his run made Maezono feel breathless for a moment.
'This guy!'
Maezono realized he had to be faster.
If he wasn't, he might struggle to prevent Carlos from reaching base.
Thinking quickly, Maezono dashed forward, grabbed the baseball, and threw it back.
At first base, Sawamura was already in position.
'Faster!' Carlos thought.
'Faster!!!' Maezono thought.
As Carlos approached first base, Maezono's throw arrived.
Snap!
The baseball landed in Sawamura's mitt, and almost simultaneously, Carlos crossed first base.
Both players looked at the umpire at first base.
The umpire hesitated, then consulted with the home plate umpire before raising his hand and making the call.
"SAFE!"
No Outs, with a runner on first base.
Inajitsu had managed to get an effective hit at the start of the game.
The crowd in the stands also felt the moment was surreal.
"Damn, what was that?"
"A bunted ball to the first base and the batter still makes it to base?"
"That speed is insane!"
"So fast!"
"Even though Kuramochi from Seidou is fast, he can't compare to this."
"Carlos!"
"Carlos!!!"
Cheers erupted in the stands.
It was only then that Carlos noticed his fans, who were surrounded by the Demon King's Guard.
Compared to Sawamura's massive fan base, support for Carlos was minimal.
If not for Carlos' impressive performance, they might have remained silent throughout the game.
Miyuki, the catcher, smiled wryly.
"This guy's speed is also off the charts."
Sawamura reluctantly returned to the mound from first base.
He had almost gotten Carlos Out.
That close margin made a significant difference. No Outs with a runner on first base is very different from having one Out and no runners on base.
Not to mention the runner was Carlos.
Even he and Miyuki had to pay extra attention to this player.
If Carlos found the right opening, he could drive straight through.
'No!'
'Absolutely not!!'
Sawamura's eyes narrowed with resolve.
What was once a bit distracted focus was now completely sharpened.
In Inajitsu's dugout, Coach Kunitomo habitually stretched his neck, which cracked due to long-term stillness.
'Here they are. Seidou's weaknesses were starting to show.'
'Sawamura's performance was superb, his response was perfect, but his teammates weren't on this level yet, they can't keep up with him.'
'The lack of synchronization gave Carlos the opportunity to reach base. If this pattern continued, the gaps in Seidou's performance would only grow.'
'And we will stab at every single gap,' Coach Kunitomo thought to himself.
…