The match between Seidou High School and Inajitsu High School was in full swing.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, it was Seidou High School's turn to bat. The attack, planned by Watanabe and approved by Kataoka, began.
However, the plan had barely started before it was abruptly cut off.
As of now, Kuramochi and Kominato had both been Out.
Seidou's offense seemed to have exhausted all its energy and came to an abrupt halt.
"It's getting tough for Seidou!" Fujio said with a heavy tone from the stands.
'Judging by the recent plays, it was clear that Seidou had prepared for an attack, but their luck and tactical execution had not been smooth.'
'The situation was becoming increasingly unfavorable.'
'Seven more Outs!'
Narumiya Mei's performance in this game had been flawless.
The game was nearing its end. So far, Seidou had not managed a single effective hit. Unless Inajitsu School faced, it would be difficult for Seidou's lineup to turn things around, even with their top players.
Fujio had a premonition that if Sawamura couldn't secure a hit this time, Seidou might be out of luck.
Relying solely on the batters behind Sawamura, even with Miyuki among them, it was unlikely they could pose a significant threat to Inajitsu's defense.
Seidou High School and Inajitsu High School.
The two teams had very similar styles, concentrating their best players in the top batting positions. In fact, this was a common strategy among most teams, with the top five batters generally stronger than the bottom four.
Theoretically, Seidou had reached a critical do-or-die moment.
Right now, Sawamura Eijun stood in the Batter's Box.
There was no trace of tension on his face.
He could easily sense the tension of the game. Yet, in the face of such a crisis, Sawamura seemed completely calm.
"This guy!"
Many professional baseball scouts in the stands were intrigued.
Seidou High School had been on a winning streak before, and they had not noticed this particular trait in Sawamura. He seemed to be born for big moments. The more tense the situation, the better he performed.
No matter how high the stakes, Sawamura's behavior only revealed a fighting spirit, never any signs of despondency.
It was partly due to his personality, and also directly related to his experience.
Two outs, no one on base.
Sawamura Eijun had no intention of avoiding the challenge, nor was he feeling nervous.
His goal was straightforward: to hit the ball.
With his bat held high, Sawamura's inner world was perfectly calm.
His eyes were fixed on Narumiya.
Originally, he had hoped to find the same state he had against Ugumori High School, but he had failed to do so.
'Now, I have let go of that expectation.'
Some things cannot be forced; letting them flow naturally is better.
With this mindset, Sawamura was able to concentrate better because he was no longer struggling internally.
And what happened next was out of his expectations.
Unconsciously, Eijun felt his mind clear, and the world around him seemed to slow down.
'I did it…?'
It was only when he gave up on it and focused on the task at hand that he got his wish.
'I see…'
After two attempts, Sawamura finally understood the key to entering this state.
It was a kind of mental skill after all. Only with wholehearted concentration could he eliminate all distractions and focus completely.
Entering the realm of the extraordinary.
With further training, Sawamura would be able to adjust his mindset and enter this state whenever he needed.
'Excellent!'
Sawamura was satisfied with himself, but still kept looking at Narumiya on the mound.
In the past, Sawamura had been limited by his base talent, and his performance in hitting had not reached its peak. Now, however, he had found a new path forward. Though he was only at the threshold, he believed that with deeper understanding, his hitting could experience a rebirth.
'It was worth it!'
'Losing a point and reaching this situation was worth it!'
If the game had not been extremely dangerous, he would never have reached this level of attentiveness.
No matter the outcome, Eijun's gains from this game were significant.
Moreover, with this breakthrough, Eijun felt more confident about hitting Narumiya Mei's pitching.
"Bring it!"
His eyes seemed to shine with determination.
On the pitcher's mound, Mei's face momentarily stiffened.
He had a premonition.
'The ball would be hit!'
Without any concrete basis, it was just a feeling he had.
No reason, no logic—just a pitcher's sense. This wasn't about Sawamura being stronger than Narumiya; it was a matter of course.
"Damn!"
Bowing to fate was not Narumiya's style.
At that moment, Narumiya Mei's eyes turned red.
'What a cursed premonition—who would believe such a thing!'
So far, he had only showcased his speed and power, along with his signature breaking ball. He had not yet used his real winning pitch.
'Now was the perfect opportunity.'
'Let this brat see the big gift I've prepared just for him.'
Despite his premonition of being hit, Narumiya Mei was determined not to back down. He was still intent on pitching.
And he was confident that his newly honed pitch would solve Sawamura.
'Bring it on!'
Sawamura didn't use his usual batting stance, as if preparing for a decisive showdown.
Similarly, Narumiya Mei on the pitcher's mound was set for a head-to-head battle.
'This…!'
Tadano hesitated and looked towards the dugout.
Coach Kunitomo nodded firmly.
'Some confrontations were unavoidable. Allowing Narumiya to walk Sawamura not only affected Narumiya's state but could also trigger a chain reaction.'
'Now, it was essential to trust the Ace's strength.'
Tadano nodded in agreement and readied his Mitt.
For a moment, he was overwhelmed by Sawamura's momentum and had thoughts of retreating.
Sawamura gave him a very dangerous feeling that made him shiver. He too felt that there was something wrong but he couldn't pinpoint it.
He was sure that Mei-san had felt that too.
'But Mei-san showed no intention of backing down.'
'Mei-san!'
With his respect and admiration rising, Tadano gave Narumiya the sign.
'With Sawamura's strong momentum, it was best to disturb his focus from the start to solve him in one go. Using a new breaking ball for the first pitch was ideal in this situation.'
This tactic wasn't Tadano's original idea. He had learned it from Miyuki.
As he delivered the signal, a smile appeared on Narumiya's face.
"Clever kid, he is learning well!"
This pitch call suited Narumiya's intentions perfectly.
'Retreat was not an option. To break his destiny, one must be strong.'
"How thrilling!"
Standing on the pitcher's mound, Narumiya felt as if every hair on his body was standing straight.
Nervousness, excitement, thrill, fear…
A mix of emotions.
Narumiya could even hear his own breathing.
This sensation was utterly captivating.
Facing a strong opponent was indeed fascinating.
"Haha!"
It's scenes like this that captivate him.
Narumiya couldn't help but laugh. It was only now that he realized how wonderful it was to play baseball. Otherwise, would he ever face opponents like Kazuya and Eijun?
'I gave you the summer, but such a thing will not happen again!'
In Narumiya's eyes, there was a resolute determination.
One run!
So far, they were only leading by one run.
As the Ace of the team, he must protect this lead at all costs.
'Come, let me see what you have got, Eijun!'
With a deep breath, Narumiya seemed to expend all his energy and threw the baseball.
Roaar!
As Narumiya released the pitch, the crowd fell silent.
They watched the showdown intently. Although they didn't fully understand it, they could sense the tension in the air.
At the Batter's Box.
Eijun watched the incoming baseball, his mind perfectly calm. To him, the world seemed to slow down.
A ball traveling at 150 km/h!
It zoomed past like a high-speed Shinkansen train, truly astonishing.
Such speed makes it nearly uncontrollable for many drivers.
Yet, in Sawamura's eyes, it appeared slow.
'So slow!'
With no hesitation, Sawamura swung his bat.
Just as the bat was about to make contact with the baseball, the small white ball suddenly dropped.
'A Forkball?'
Sawamura's mind went blank. It clearly wasn't a Forkball grip just moments ago…
The bat swung through, missing the ball.
Snap!
"STRIKE!!!"
…