In the stands, in the area where players of Seihou are watching, As Ichinose Raimu looked on, Sawamura took his stance in the batter's box, a sudden thought crossing Ichinose mind.
'This duel could very well determine the outcome of today's game.'
"Which side do you think has the advantage, Akashi?" he asked, unsure of his own thoughts.
Akashi, while lacking the astonishing IQ of 200 like the former Ace Akutsu, had a deep understanding of baseball as a whole.
"It's hard to predict a clear winner, but this confrontation will likely influence the result," he replied.
Ichinose sensed that Seidou High School had the upper hand, but Akashi didn't voice that opinion.
Despite Seidou trailing in score, and Komadai Fujimaki needing just two more outs to secure victory, Akashi remained skeptical of their chances.
In the game's closing stages, Seidou had proven to be tough.
What Champion would willingly hand over victory to others? None, including Seidou.
They would certainly launch a counterattack in the final moments.
Previously, the duels between Masamune Hongou, Sawamura Eijun, and Miyuki Kazuya had been closely contested. While it appeared they each had a 50% chance of winning, the reality was more complex.
In duels this late in the game, the odds are often stacked against the pitcher. As pitch counts rise, a pitcher's power and speed typically decline, while batters can adjust their timing through repeated observation.
It had become common for Ace pitchers to falter in the game's final stretch. Even Hongou would struggle against this trend, especially with opponents like Sawamura and Miyuki.
After such a lengthy game, Akashi doubted Komadai had no insights into the situation.
"Do you also think Komadai Fujimaki's chances of winning are slim?" Ichinose asked, glancing at the scoreboard.
With the score at 2:1 in favor of Komadai Fujimaki, it seemed they held the advantage.
Yet, Ichinose felt that the team likely to advance to the finals would be Seidou.
He couldn't explain why, but the feeling was undeniable.
"No, I think Komadai Fujimaki actually has a decent chance of winning," Akashi countered.
Meanwhile, Nishidera Yu—the Coach of Seihou— heard the discussion of his students and turned to look at the field, especially the pitcher Hongou, the scenario of how the game would develop had already formed in his mind.
In the field, the catcher Enjou Renji was having a dilemma.
With one Out and a runner on second base, the upcoming batters were Sawamura and Miyuki.
And that, of course, is very very dangerous.
While Komadai Fujimaki had a solid lead, Renji knew that Seidou wouldn't go down without a fight.
The safest strategy would be to intentionally walk Sawamura and Miyuki. While Seidou's fifth batter was strong, he was far less intimidating compared to the duo.
With first and third bases empty, it was a feasible option.
Renji glanced at their dugout, noticing Coach Nitta had no plans to make substitutions.
Renji understood. Coach Nitta intended for his Ace pitcher to face the opponent head-on.
'It's a bold move!' Renji thought, not surprised by Coach Nitta's decision.
Although it appeared that Coach Nitta was putting pressure on Hongou, he actually trusted his Ace's ability and was willing to leave critical situations in his hands.
Hongou wouldn't intentionally Walk a batter; that wasn't in his nature.
'Since you're all so stubborn, I'll just have to go all in,' Renji decided.
"Sawamura!"
"Sawamura!!!"
At that moment, Sawamura Eijun stepped into the Batter's Box, eyes fixed on the mound, bat raised high.
The Komadai Fujimaki fielders adjusted their positions, especially the outfielders, who retreated a bit.
'Do they already have a plan against me?' Sawamura thought, his gaze locked onto the pitcher.
He calculated silently in his mind.
'He is still not tired enough, he had plenty of energy left. Hongou had planned to unleash his power in this crucial moment, but it seemed Komadai Fujimaki was well-prepared.'
If he couldn't hit a home run, the ball was likely to be caught by an outfielder.
He glanced at the speed monitor: 151 km/h.
Hongou's pitch speed hadn't dropped significantly, showcasing his incredible stamina.
While Furuya, in a similar situation, was clearly exhausted, Hongou seemed fine.
'What the hell!' Sawamura thought, momentarily reconsidering his approach.
He shifted to a bunt stance, surprising the Komadai Fujimaki players.
'Is he serious?' they thought, unbelieving. 'He is bunting? Again?'
There were only two reasons for such a stance: either he genuinely intended to bunt or he was trying to deceive them.
On the mound, Hongou's previously cold expression turned to confusion.
Even he couldn't comprehend what Sawamura was planning.
He looked to Renji for clearance, hoping for a hint.
Renji felt a sense of desperation.
Sawamura's bunt stance allowed for too many options, especially with Kuramochi on second base.
No one could predict what these two might execute together.
'Damn!' he thought, shooting a frustrated glance at Sawamura. He had no choice but to trust his partner and pitch confidently.
At the moment Sawamura set up for a bunt, the Koshien Stadium, filled with tens of thousands of spectators, fell into a brief silence.
In that instant, the whole world seemed to quiet down!
Time appeared to slow, and the air grew still. It felt like a slow-motion battle scene from a movie.
"Wooh, whew!"
On the mound, Hongou's breathing was no longer steady; it had become rapid.
At this moment, he could even hear the pounding of his own heart.
'Renji! What ball should I throw?'
Hongou had no idea how to proceed. He could only look to Renji, the catcher, for help.
Renji felt equally at a loss.
But he wouldn't let his anxiety show to the Ace pitcher preparing to throw.
Hongou needed to maintain his confidence and deliver his most powerful pitch.
Only then would they have a chance to defeat the formidable opponent in front of them.
Sawamura Eijun's bunt was indeed more challenging than facing a regular batter.
But overall, it still came down to a few types.
There were ordinary bunts, the strange far-hitting bunt, and his famous slash bunt!
The slash bunt had already missed once.
Normally, a batter would instinctively avoid using things that had already failed.
Of course, against an opponent like Sawamura, you couldn't be 100% certain he wouldn't employ a trick.
But overall, the probability of that option was the lowest among the three scenarios.
Next, they needed to consider whether Sawamura was going for a normal bunt.
As this thought crossed Renji's mind, he suddenly felt enlightened.
He had a hunch that Sawamura would not simply concede. In critical moments, he tended to be more on the gambling side.
Given the current situation on the field, Komadai Fujimaki High only needed two more Outs to secure victory.
In this context, what would Sawamura, batting third for his team, do?
If Renji put himself in Sawamura's shoes, what would he choose?
Given Renji's personality, he would never willingly give away outs to his opponent in this situation. Each Out loss meant Seidou High's chances of winning dropped by half.
If Masamune wasn't planning to avoid the showdown with Sawamura, how could Sawamura possibly hand over the Out?
They were, after all, fundamentally the same type of person…
If Sawamura's concession could guarantee that Seidou scored, he might be more pragmatic.
But the current situation was clearly not like that; if Sawamura chose to bunt, it would mean walking the position.
Then they would have two Outs!
With two Outs, even if Kuramochi reached third base, they wouldn't have to worry.
They could just focus on the remaining batters!
Statistically, this scenario was more favorable for Komadai Fujimaki High.
'Was Sawamura-kun the kind of person who would do something that advantageous for the other team?'
'Of course not.'
Based on Renji's previous dealings with Eijun, Sawamura was not a "good person."
Though he wasn't outright cunning, he was equally as strategic as anyone else when it came to tactics.
Whew!!!
Taking a long breath, as if caught in an inner battle, Renji finally made up his mind and signaled to Hongou.
In this situation, the chance of a fake was very small, and a normal hit was out of the question!
The most likely outcome was Sawamura employing some unusual bunt to hit the ball into a defensive gap.
Thinking backward, that possibility had the highest probability.
'For this, we should use the forkball Masamune was best at!'
Using a forkball had at least two advantages. First, it was Hongou's signature pitch, the most likely way to deal with the opponent effectively.
Second, a rapidly sinking pitch would make it difficult for Sawamura to execute a bunt.
Roaar!!
After receiving Renji's signal, Hongou on the mound threw the baseball with full force, without any hesitation.
The baseball shot like a rocket, slicing through the air and advancing rapidly.
In the blink of an eye, it reached above home plate.
Faced with this sudden pitch, Sawamura remained remarkably calm.
He retracted his bat without any sign of hesitation.
'I guessed wrong!'
Seeing Sawamura pull back his bat, Renji's glasses almost slipped off his nose.
Sawamura had chosen the very option he should be avoiding.
Why?
No matter how Renji thought about it, he couldn't figure it out.
In fact, even Sawamura himself had no answer.
He simply felt intuitively that the incoming pitch should be a forkball.
So he swung normally.
Fortunately, he guessed right.
Facing the bunt, Hongou indeed threw a forkball.
'Perfect!'
Sawamura shouted internally as he pulled back his bat and stepped forward.
As he shifted his weight, his body moved like a windmill, swinging the bat powerfully at the approaching baseball.
Pang!
The white ball soared high into the air after being struck.
At that moment, Renji's voice turned hoarse.
"OUTFIELD!!!" Urgently, he shouted.
He jumped up, pushing his mask off his face.
In the outfield, two outfielders ran toward the ball's landing spot.
But that mischievous little ball sailed over their heads, landing heavily behind them.
PAK!
As the baseball hit the ground, a triumphant smile spread across Sawamura's face.
Done!
He let go of the bat and began to run forward at full throttle.
He should be reaching second base was no problem.
But that wasn't the most important…
"NOW GO!! KURAMOCHI-SENPAI!!!"
"Hyaa-ha-haa!"
Before he even opened his mouth, Kuramochi transformed into a blue streak running like he was depending on it.
And before long, he stepped on the plate.
"SAFE!!!" the umpire announced with a loud voice.
…