One Out, with runners on first and third base.
It was now Sawamura's turn to bat.
For Homei's team, this was a difficult decision.
Given the current situation, they didn't necessarily have to confront Sawamura head-on. After all, second base was still open.
They could walk Sawamura and then face Seidou High School's next batter.
But the problem was, that the next batter for Seidou High School was their team's captain, main catcher, and fourth batter, Miyuki Kazuya.
Miyuki was just as formidable, if not more so, than Sawamura when he stepped into the batter's box.
In this case, Homei High School's battery had to decide: face Sawamura with one Out and runners on first and third, or face Miyuki with one Out and bases loaded?
It was a significant dilemma.
The Homei battery had no good solutions and turned to their coach for guidance.
The Coach had decided to go with a tough front.
'In a crisis like this, why give Seidou an easy base?'
'Be bold and take action.'
Isn't a crisis also an opportunity?
If we could handle Sawamura and Miyuki aggressively, it could definitely turn the unfavorable situation around and shift from a defensive to an offensive stance.
At that point, it would be anyone's game.
'Go for it!'
'Now is the time to show your fighting spirit.'
The Coach's tough attitude clearly influenced the players. With a tough coach, Homei's players were anything but timid.
They faced Sawamura head-on without flinching.
Meanwhile, Sawamura, standing in the batter's box, was equally aggressive. His bat was held high, and his stance was wide.
His aggressive stance indicated he was ready for a long hit.
Whoosh!
At that moment, the white ball flew in.
The ball was fast, approaching 140 km/h, and pitched from a tricky angle.
Facing this tough situation, Homei's Ace pitcher displayed all of his pitching ability.
Sawamura, initially poised for a powerful hit, suddenly pulled back his bat and adopted a bunt stance, making contact with the incoming ball.
Ping!
The ball rolled to a spot perfectly between the first baseman and the pitcher.
The speed of the ball was neither too fast nor too slow.
"What a brilliant bunt!"
"But…it is still a bunt."
Even though some might have found it disappointing, it was undeniably a well-executed bunt.
"OUT!"
Despite the excellent bunt, Sawamura was out by a narrow margin, just a step away from reaching base.
'Too bad!'
Although Sawamura's speed was decent, his start-up speed limited his performance.
If only he could improve his starting speed by a step or two, he would reach a whole new level.
Even though Sawamura didn't reach base, his tactical objective was achieved. Kuramochi, who was on third base, had already made his way back to home plate like a tornado.
"SAFE!"
Seidou High School scored their first run.
For fans hoping to see Sawamura's full strength, this result wasn't ideal.
But this is Seidou High School's style.
They take risks when necessary and play it safe when needed. Against evenly matched teams, as long as Seidou High School has a slight edge, they will do whatever it takes to secure their advantage.
The score was now 1-0, with the situation on the field being two Outs and a runner on second base.
Now it was Miyuki's turn to bat.
With two Outs, Miyuki's tactical options were limited.
Instead, he could face Homei's pitcher directly.
Ping!
After a few tense pitches, Miyuki hit the ball beautifully.
A sudden whirlwind swept across the field as Homei's shortstop rushed to where the ball landed, picked it up, and threw it to first base in one quick motion.
"Woah!"
"That was a good play!"
"Excellent!"
Even Seidou, the opponent, could only secretly applaud such a play.
It was so beautifully executed.
With such light and effortless defense, only a few players in Seidou High School could manage such a feat.
Three Outs, offense and defense exchange.
Miyuki, frustrated, rested his bat on his shoulder and looked at his opponents.
'If they could defend against such a hit, there was little I could do.'
After all, Homei was one of the top teams in the country.
Their strength should not be underestimated.
In the top of the fourth inning, Homei took their turn to attack.
Before heading to the field, Miyuki asked Sawamura for his thoughts.
"The opponents disrupted our rhythm from the start. Although we managed the Outs smoothly, choosing the next pitch has become a problem."
"Can't we use the Fastballs?" Sawamura suggested.
"Which one? The four-seam, the Straight-Fastball, Or the two-seam?"
"All of them!" Sawamura said confidently.
"This is the first match, and the opponent isn't that strong. Aren't we making a big deal out of this?"
Miyuki didn't want to use this card early on.
"No matter how good the breaking ball is, if the fastball isn't sharp, it's useless. I was the one who got caught up before. Coach Ochiai was right. If we can't perfect a level 4 or 5 breaking ball, let's sharpen the fastball first."
After the fall competition, Seidou High School had already been eliminated.
That said, a huge thanks is owed to their rival, Inajitsu High School. It was Narumiya's and Inajitsu's hard work in the subsequent Jingu competition that allowed Seidou High School to qualify for the playoffs.
This qualification was incredibly important for the Seidou High School baseball team.
For the current third-year players, it directly impacted their chance to make it to Koshien in their lifetime.
For five consecutive years, Seidou High School failed to advance to Koshien.
This harsh reality remained even if Seidou High School had dominated nationally.
Fortunately, luck was on their side, and they avoided another big slump.
After that, their path was relatively smooth.
However, even after the fortunate promotion to Koshien in the spring, Seidou High School's baseball players did not ease up on their own standards.
Their previous advancement was thanks to Inajitsu.
They didn't want to face the same situation again.
So, they resolved to never lose in the upcoming games.
Driven by this determination, the players underwent rigorous training during their hellish special training sessions.
Their unyielding spirit continued to fuel them, causing them to shine brightly.
Over the past few months, the players showed varying degrees of growth.
Sawamura was no exception.
To take his skills to the next level, Sawamura was working on perfecting his level 5 Breaking ball.
In the past, Sawamura spent several years trying to hone it without success.
He thought if he could hone it early it could be a great help. But he didn't get the preferred results.
Just as Sawamura was at a loss, Coach Ochiai suddenly offered a different suggestion.
"Weren't you working on your fastball before? Why did you give up?"
"I feel like my ball speed is already very good. And unless my body grows, it's hard to improve further."
A ball speed of 150 km/h is easy to talk about, but how many can actually achieve it?
In Koshien, a pitcher who throws at 150 km/h is recorded in history.
This highlights how rare and valuable such a ball speed is, and it's not something that can be achieved just through hard work.
Sawamura Eijun's fastball had been honed to over 143 km/h.
Since he was in the developmental stage, his ball speed would naturally improve slightly with his body growth.
Under these circumstances, Sawamura thought he had reached the limit of his fastball.
To advance further, he could only focus on his Breaking ball.
"Fastball! It's not just about speed!" Coach Ochiai said. "Ball speed, ball power, pitching form… Even the most basic fastball has different effects depending on the pitcher. If you're stuck with your Breaking ball, it might be helpful to practice the fundamentals first."
Ochiai's words struck Sawamura like a heavy blow.
Why had he been stuck in this mindset?
Why was he still using his past experience as a reference?
He was clearly different now.
"I see! That could work. Thank you, coach!"
Sawamura bowed deeply to Ochiai.
"There is no need to make a big deal out of it, this is just normal. Now have you tried to use your wrist and…" Ochiai continued to advise and discuss with Sawamura how to improve his fastball.
Even though Ochiai did not think much of it, Ochiai's advice was incredibly helpful, clearing up a major issue for Sawamura.
His past experiences had given him great skill and early fame.
Yet, unknowingly, he had been limited by those experiences.
It was like relying too much on a cheat code in a game: if you depend on it too much, you're nothing without it.
Even if the cheat code is always available, your basic skills can be hindered.
In the months after joining Seidou High School, Sawamura made tremendous progress.
But since the summer competition, he had hit a plateau.
For nearly half a year, there had been no growth in his pitching.
Sawamura himself felt puzzled.
Now, with Coach Ochiai's guidance, Sawamura's mind was suddenly clear.
'The past was the past; the present was what mattered.'
His previous experiences had helped him as far as they could.
Now, he could completely let go of his past experience and find a new path.
He had been the Prince of the Change-up.
Now, he was the king of the field.
The invincible Demon King.
With his right foot raised high and then brought down like a battle axe, Sawamura's body shifted weight, and he suddenly launched like a speeding car.
The small white ball in his hand was thrown toward the plate.
Whoosh!
The thrown ball made a sharp sound.
The batter from Homei High School stood stunned, watching the fastball.
'So fast!!'
The ball landed heavily in Miyuki Kazuya's Mitt without giving him any time to react.
SNAP!!
"STRIKE!"
The entire place fell silent.
The audience in the stands was also stunned.
They stared in shock at the electronic speedometer showing the number.
147 km/h! (91 mph)
At this moment, Sawamura had shattered his previous barriers.
He threw a terrifying 147 km/h fastball.
Only a few exceptionally talented pitchers nationwide can reach this speed.
Many scouts who came to observe Seidou High School's game had their faces fall.
The Maou's pitching was already fearsome.
With his fastball now at a solid level, his pitching would likely improve as well.
"He has grown stronger again!"
"Scary!"
"The real ball speed is now 147 km/h, plus his unique pitching form. His speed might be even more intimidating from the batter's perspective."
Everyone was familiar with Sawamura.
Since last summer, when Seidou High School claimed the national championship, Seidou and Sawamura became the top adversaries for all teams.
Their thorough research on Seidou High School made them acutely aware of how terrifying Sawamura had become with his increased speed.
The Demon King had evolved once more.
Sawamura Eijun showcased his four-seam Straight-Fastball, astounding the entire Koshien Stadium.
His expression was cold and intimidating.
"It's working great!"
As a teammate, Miyuki was thrilled.
After months, he finally saw Sawamura's breakthrough again.
'It felt really good.'
'I wonder just how far this guy can grow?'
…