'The Forkball was hit…'
In the catcher's position, Aoki's eyes were filled with disbelief.
The Seidou High School team had stunned him repeatedly. If Sawamura Eijun, the 'Maou,' could hit the forkball beautifully, that was one thing.
After all, the Maou was undoubtedly strong. If he didn't crush everything in his path, how could he be called the Maou?
'Kominato Haruichi!'
In the current Seidou High School baseball team, Kominato Haruichi's presence was significant, but he wasn't exceptionally powerful—merely a mid-level starter.
Unexpectedly, he managed to catch the rhythm against Jack's forkball on his first attempt.
For Aoki Sugimoto, Jack April's strength was monstrous, almost incomprehensible to them.
Previously, the only reason Nishiyama had a chance was because they underestimated him a bit. Otherwise, if they had gone all out, Nishiyama would never have hit April's pitch.
Kominato Haruichi should be the same.
But completely unexpected, Kominato displayed such strength while standing in the Batter's Box. He accurately grasped the rhythm and hit the ball.
Although it wasn't well-hit.
His terrifying ball sense still sent shivers down spines...
'Fortunately, it wasn't a perfect hit.'
Aoki felt a small sense of relief, but when he looked up, he suddenly saw the faint smile on Kominato Haruichi's face.
'Wait, why was he smiling after only hitting the ball a mere seven or eight meters?'
'Did it mean his task was complete?'
Suddenly, a flash of insight struck him.
Aoki turned in disbelief toward third base.
There, a tall figure was running fast towards him!
'So close!'
In the blink of an eye, this figure was just ten meters away from him.
Even if his brain was momentarily slow, Aoki was still a talented player. Almost instantly, he grasped what was happening.
'This was what Seidou intended!'
'They actually chose to hit and run while firmly in the lead!'
'You know, if things went wrong...'
'They could end up with an Out.'
Clearly, the Seidou's players had absolute confidence in their teammates.
The runner at third base, Nishiyama Kibo, fully trusted his Senpai, Kominato Haruichi, to get a suitable hit.
So he ran early without hesitation.
And then there was Kuramochi!
His situation was identical.
Running ahead of time, without hesitation.
When Jack April picked up the ball, his whole face twisted in disbelief.
"Are you kidding me?"
The opponent's actions were hardly manly; didn't they agree to face off? How could they do this?
April's heart was filled with indignation and frustration.
'These guys on the Seidou team were so reckless!'
After picking up the ball, he prepared to throw it to home plate.
"It's too late, throw to first base!"
Right now, Nishiyama was less than five meters from home plate.
There was no chance of tagging him Out now.
In this case, it was better to throw directly to first base and secure an Out.
Snap!
Although April was furious, he didn't let anger cloud his judgment.
He still recognized the stakes, and after hearing Aoki's reminder, he threw the ball to first base.
Snap!
"OUT!"
"SAFE!!!"
Without a doubt, Kominato Haruichi was directly Out.
But his mission was accomplished; Nishiyama returned safely to home plate, scoring the second point for the team.
The score became 2-0!
During the entire offensive sequence, Nishiyama's performance was truly impressive.
His overall quality far exceeded that of a first-year freshman.
"The player who got the prowess and experience is truly exceptional."
Ochiai stroked the goatee on his chin with satisfaction, murmuring proudly.
Seidou High School had gained two such newcomers at once.
Besides Nishiyama Kibo, there was also Yui Kaoru, Nishiyama's partner and the Captain of the runner-up team.
That young man's strength was also commendable.
While he may not be as immediately impactful as Nishiyama, his overall skills were impressive.
'Combined with the rest of the new players.'
'In the next two years, the Seidou's baseball team seemed free from lineup concerns.'
Of course, Ochiai's ease also stemmed from the game's dynamics.
With Nishiyama scoring the second point, Seidou had effectively locked in their victory.
Though only leading by two points, which might seem insignificant,
On the pitcher's mound stood Sawamura Eijun.
Until the end of the sixth inning, Sawamura had not allowed a single batter to reach base.
The outcome had become clear, but Seidou's offense was far from over.
Or perhaps it was just beginning.
One Out, runner on second base!
Not only was Nishiyama involved, but Kuramochi, previously at first base, had also joined in the hit-and-run.
Seeing that Kominato might hit a grounder, he swiftly decided to steal the base.
When it came to reading the mood in such situations, who could compare to Kuramochi?
Sawamura, batting third, stepped into the Batter's Box.
He gripped his bat tightly, eyes fixed on the mound.
Sawamura clearly expressed one intention:
To hit hard.
Naturally, Jack April hoped for such an outcome.
But these guys on the Seidou High School baseball team were too cunning. Who knew if Sawamura would pull any tricks during the attack?
Sawamura adopted a blunt front.
With his bat raised high, he made it clear he intended to swing with all his might.
Jack April, who had been played by Seidou multiple times, was unwilling to believe that Sawamura truly wanted to confront him.
Although he had been hit by Sawamura twice before, the current situation was also extremely favorable for the attacking Seidou High School.
They didn't necessarily have to go for a direct confrontation; there might be more secure scoring methods available.
Just when Jack April was caught in a dilemma, he saw his partner give him a signal.
'No!'
After seeing the sign, April decisively shook his head.
'Are you kidding?'
'I am one of the best rising talents in the U.S.; how could I Walk Sawamura?'
For someone who has a lot of pride in his skills, retreating is absolutely not allowed.
That's a coward's act.
He would not accept it.
'Stubborn!'
Aoki felt helpless at his partner's resistance.
'Had he not noticed through previous encounters? April's current pitching was ineffective against Sawamura.'
'Facing him was almost like playing with a child.'
'At most, the difference was that with a breaking ball, we could risk a home run, while a straight ball presented a different opportunity...'
Thinking this, Aoki felt foolish.
How could he have been so naive?
'Since April was unwilling to back down, we would have to rely on power to pressure the batter.'
'Sawamura's hitting power was not weak; if it were, he wouldn't frequently hit home runs.'
'However, it wasn't overwhelmingly strong.'
'Compared to April's power pitching, it was lacking.'
'In this scenario, April could use his might to suppress Sawamura.'
'Even if the unfortunate happened and Sawamura hit it, it would likely only mean sending Kuramochi to third base.'
'Not a big deal.'
They had already lost two points; getting an Out for a base is not a bad deal.
'Moreover, if luck was on their side, perhaps we could get the outfielder to catch a fly ball...'
In an instant, Aoki felt enlightened.
To maximize strength, he needed to throw extreme outside corner pitches!
'Bring it!'
'Throw the ball as far into the corner as possible.'
Whoosh!
The ball flew in almost against the outside corner of the strike zone.
Ping!
As the ball entered the strike zone, Sawamura swung his bat fiercely.
The ball rolled directly out of bounds without stopping.
"FOUL!"
In the Batter's Box, Sawamura clenched his fist, frustration etched on his face.
'This feeling was quite extraordinary.'
The opponent's power exceeded his expectations.
He couldn't tell if it was the pitcher's power that had truly increased or just the nature of the outside corner pitch.
Sawamura's unusually calm demeanor in the Batter's Box deeply stimulated Aoki's nerves.
This made him mistakenly think that the previous strategy had failed.
'No!'
'If we kept throwing outside corner pitches, Sawamura would soon catch the rhythm.'
'We needed to mix in some inside corner pitches.'
With that thought, he positioned the Mitt on the inner corner, pressed tightly against Sawamura's stomach.
Whoosh!
The small ball shot in like a laser beam.
Sawamura instinctively stepped back.
SNAP!
The sound of the baseball hitting the Mitt was crisp.
"BALL!"
The pitch, almost too close to the batter, ignited the anger of the Seidou High School baseball club teammates.
"Too much!"
"How can you pitch directly at someone?"
"It's dangerous, don't you know?"
"Oh! Sorry!" (In English.)
When Jack April said this, there was no hint of sincerity on his face—his tone was utterly dismissive. If it weren't for the referee's pressure forcing him to say something, he might not have uttered a single word.
"What a joke!"
"What kind of apology is that? Even if you're pretending, at least try to look sincere!"
The supporters of Seidou, especially fans from Sawamura's fan clubs, couldn't accept his half-hearted apology. They rallied in the stands, shouting their support for Sawamura.
"Unbelievable!"
Jack April glanced at the stands, fear flickering across his features. The referee, caught in a dilemma, felt the tension rise. The pitch he threw wasn't aimed directly at Sawamura; it was too close for comfort but seemed intended to make him back off. However, the actions of the Bunkyo's pitcher raised serious questions about his intentions. It felt almost like he was trying to mislead the audience…
'Though he hadn't committed a foul, he was sullying his own image. Was he foolish or just plain reckless?'
The referee was baffled but had to remain impartial. He issued no warning and allowed Bunkyo High School to continue pitching.
In the Seidou's dugout, Maezono's expression darkened.
"That referee must be an idiot. He should've at least given a warning for that pitch!"
He wasn't alone; many in the dugout shared his anger. The opposing pitcher had clearly thrown at Sawamura—intentional or not, a warning was warranted.
In the on-deck circle, Miyuki thoughtfully glanced at the catcher's position, then the pitcher's mound, his expression revealing deep contemplation.
The atmosphere was charged, yet Sawamura stood unfazed in the strike zone. After stepping back, he casually returned to his original position once the pitch was complete, not uttering a single word or offering any hint of what he was thinking.
Sawamura's calm demeanor gradually calmed his supporters, who stopped dwelling on the earlier pitch.
'Not even a flinch?'
Sawamura's composure didn't provide any relief for Bunkyo's catcher; instead, it left Aoki Sugimoto in a quandary.
April's previous antics had a clear purpose—he thought Sawamura, given his status, wouldn't tolerate such provocation. Yet, Sawamura's collected response took him by surprise; it was as if the earlier insult hadn't affected him at all.
'The Demon King, Sawamura Eijun.'
The more Aoki played against him the more he came to understand why Sawamura's previous opponents had given him that nickname.
'It fit him perfectly. When facing Sawamura, any weaknesses were completely hidden, while his eyes seemed to see right through you.'
Aoki felt like a clown, all his schemes laid bare before Sawamura.
He shook his head, trying to dispel the awkwardness.
As the saying goes, "Once you draw the bow, you cannot take it back." Since they had already decided on a strategy, giving up was not an option.
'Continue!'
Aoki Sugimoto readied his Mitt, placing it firmly in the inner corner.
This time, he positioned it even closer to Sawamura's body than before.
On the mound, Jack April wore a menacing smile, clearly pleased with Sugimoto's positioning.
He took a deep breath and unleashed the ball with all his might.
Whoosh!
The ball shot like an arrow, aimed straight for Sawamura's waist.
As the ball approached, Sawamura's expression finally shifted, anger flaring in his eyes.
He skillfully evaded the pitch just in time.
SNAP!
"BALL!"
With two consecutive Balls, the count moved to one Strike and two Balls.
"Where's he aiming now?"
"Unacceptable!"
"If you hit me, you won't leave this field!"
"I'm sorry!" (In English.)
This time, Jack's tone was a touch more serious, but his actions were increasingly reckless.
The referee could no longer ignore the situation and prepared to issue a warning.
"No problem!" (In English.)
Before the referee could speak, Sawamura interjected.
His English was surprisingly clear—much clearer than Aoki's attempts. A few exchange students listening were taken aback by how well he sounded.
Back in Seidou High School's dugout, a few friends were equally puzzled.
"Does Sawamura-senpai speak English that well?"
Nishiyama had returned to the dugout. He learned English, too, but his fluency didn't match Sawamura's.
"That's to be expected. Sawamura is determined to reach the Major League."
Maezono looked at Sawamura with admiration.
Though he was a year older, Maezono respected Sawamura greatly.
'Is he aiming for the same goal as me?'
Nishiyama pondered, admiring Sawamura.
Being in Tokyo and at Seidou High School felt like a dream come true. The time they had as teammates in high school would be short-lived.
Once they entered the Major League, everyone would go their separate ways.
The thought was thrilling.
Back on the field, the battle raged on.
After Sawamura's exchange with April, the previously tense atmosphere dissipated.
Even as Aoki and April tried hard to revive the earlier intensity, it was futile.
Sawamura's calmness had unwittingly relaxed the tension.
'Damn it!'
For both April and Aoki, this realization was uncomfortable, yet there was nothing they could do.
Sawamura didn't seem to care, even if they persisted with their previous tactics.
It was as if he could see through their plans entirely.
'Damn it, this means it's time to go all out.'
Aoki Sugimoto studied Sawamura in the Batter's Box; even if Sawamura was aware of their intentions, it didn't matter.
The two consecutive balls in the extreme inner corner had already forced Sawamura to back off.
In this scenario, a sudden outside corner pitch could catch him off guard, even if he was mentally prepared.
'It's time to collect the profits!'
With this thought, he decisively signaled to April.
Now's the moment!
After laying the groundwork with consecutive inner corner pitches and trying to provoke Sawamura, everything was leading to this instant.
An unexpected outside corner pitch would be the key to taking down Sawamura.
'The pitch had to have power.'
'Getting hit was acceptable; the outfielders are prepared.'
Aoki Sugimoto considered every possible outcome.
In his mind, he envisioned Sawamura being taken down.
'Do it!'
The determined student exuded an air of intimidation, his eyes burning with intensity as if they could melt everything around him.
'Let's go!'
On the mound, Jack felt some unexplainable motivation surge within him. He summoned every ounce of strength and threw the ball with all his might.
Whrroosh!
The small ball darted across the field like a laser, traveling a distance of over ten meters before reaching Sawamura.
After two inside pitches, the sudden appearance of an extreme outside corner ball made it even harder to hit.
Given the pitch's speed and the preceding setup, hitting this ball was going to be a challenge.
Most importantly, while Sawamura's hitting power was good, it wasn't so overwhelming that he could crush everything in his path.
He wouldn't be able to hit this one.
Every pitch has its reason.
Aoki's strategy stemmed from Sawamura's past performances.
'He had never managed to hit such powerful outside corner pitches for home runs.'
Sawamura understood this well.
To maintain his hand's flexibility, he hadn't been swinging with all his might during practice, unlike Maezono.
If he developed thick calluses on his palms, he wouldn't be able to control his breaking balls.
Even so, for someone aspiring to be a legend, Sawamura refused to allow such weaknesses to be exploited.
So he devised a new way.
He improved his modified stance to add more power.
At some point, Sawamura raised his right foot, and his whole body was twisting like a rope.
As the ball flew toward him, his body moved in perfect synchronization. He made a stride with a low center of gravity, using the momentum of his shifting weight, and released his full potential, his body snapping back like a stretched rubber band.
BUZZZZZZZ!!!!
The air around the bat was vibrating from all the power it was holding, yet it locked on the ball like it was magnetized.
PUUNNGGG!!!!!
The bat connected with the ball, launching it soaring into the air.
Whoosh!!
The ball continued flying at a high speed until it cleared the stands.
PaaK!
"IT IS HERE!!"
"OUT OF THE PARK!!!!"
"Sawamura Eijun Has Hit The Second Home Run Of The Game, A Two-Run Homer! Seidou High School Has Extended Its Lead To Four Points!!!!"
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"
The entire stand erupted in a frenzy.
The crowd cheered and roared, their excitement spilling over as they struggled to contain their emotions.
"SEIDOU!"
"KING SEIDOU!!"
"SAWAMURA!
"SAWAMURA!!"
With a score of 4-0, Seidou High School had all but sealed the game's outcome.
…