Bang!
The small ball zipped all the way to the outfield fence, hitting it, and rebounding back to the field.
It was a clean, powerful hit that left all the spectators at the scene unable to remain calm.
Even the supporters of Seidou, including the fan club of Sawamura, had to admit that this hit was truly impressive.
Hoshida Mamoru dropped his bat and sprinted past first base, charging directly toward second base.
Even upon reaching second, he showed no intention of stopping, ready to push on to third base.
Then he saw the base coach at the side of the third base signaling him with crossed arms.
'Stop!'
'Why?'
Hoshida turned back, puzzled, glancing toward the outfield. He felt certain this ball had the potential to push him to the third base. If Seidou's outfielder had reacted just a moment slower, it might have even been an inside-the-park home run.
How could he just stop a second?
In that instant, he witnessed an incredible scene. Nishiyama, who had fallen while attempting to catch the ball, had somehow gotten back up.
And in his hand, he was holding that ball.
Whoosh!
Like a sharp laser, it instantly covered a distance of several dozen meters and landed in the third baseman's Mitt.
Snap!
At that moment, the crowd fell silent, taking two or three seconds to process what had just happened.
"Wow, what was that just now?"
"What an amazing long throw!"
"Must have been at least 70 meters, and perfectly accurate!"
"Truly worthy of the King Seidou."
"Who is that outfielder? He looks like a pitcher too."
"That seems to be a first-year student at Seidou, named Nishiyama."
"Impressive!"
The audience marveled though some couldn't resist making sarcastic remarks.
"If it weren't for his defensive error just now, the situation wouldn't be so dire."
Not everyone at the scene was oblivious; some understood the situation. A bearded uncle shook his head and said, "The blame for that last play can't fall on this student. The fact that he got to the ball so quickly is commendable."
Rather than attributing the play to Seidou's shortcomings, it would be more accurate to say that the batter from Sankou High School made an outstanding hit.
Hoshida Mamoru! In Tokyo, a place filled with geniuses and monsters, his name isn't particularly loud—just somewhat well-known. In terms of popularity, he might even fall slightly behind the second-tier star players of Seidou.
But that doesn't mean he lacks strength. On the contrary, being able to hold the cleanup spot for Sankou High School, Hoshida's batting prowess is nothing short of monstrous.
This time, he was also the first to conquer Sawamura's Moving ball!
For the members of Seidou's baseball team, the scene unfolding before them was something they had already anticipated.
Sawamura's Moving balls naturally had their strengths. Each change in angle, direction, and velocity was unique. Faced with such a variable pitch, opponents were left scratching their heads.
Yet, Sawamura's Moving balls also had fatal flaws.
Firstly, even Sawamura himself couldn't control the angles and directions of these pitches; they were completely unpredictable.
It could be that the baseball's movement was incredibly sharp—sharper than any of Sawamura's breaking balls.
Or it might be not much different from a straight ball…
In such a scenario, if the opponent managed to read the pitch correctly, hitting it out wasn't impossible. Although the probability was low, there was always a chance.
Additionally, Moving balls generally don't break much. If the batter's strength is formidable enough, they might simply overpower the ball.
Although Sawamura had yet to encounter such a monster, that didn't mean they didn't exist. Just like Hoshida before him, who had used his fluid swing and immense strength to launch Sawamura's Moving ball almost out of the park.
"This is trouble!"
Moving balls are a double-edged sword. On one hand, they can effectively save Sawamura's stamina; on the other, they come with the risk of being hit.
Just like now, the ball had been hit.
'To play it safe, we could no longer rely on his Moving ball. Continuing to use it could lead to consecutive hits by the opponent.'
Though the likelihood wasn't exceedingly high, Seidou could not afford any risk.
Otherwise, they would truly lose face.
Miyuki Kazuya, positioned as the catcher, grasped the situation almost instantly and signaled to Sawamura.
"Focus up."
There's no turning back in high school baseball. If a bad sign appears, you must use the most ruthless methods to eliminate the opponent.
'Kill all threats at their roots.'
On the pitcher's mound, Sawamura felt the situation even more acutely than Miyuki.
To be honest, today's game was harder for Sawamura than any he had pitched for a while.
On the surface, it seemed like he was effortlessly dealing with his opponents. But the reality was different; the opponent's swings were fierce. Even if he wanted to resolve the situation, he had to expend a lot of energy.
So, although Sawamura looked relaxed, he was already getting fatigued.
No one could see this but him.
Taking a deep look at the batting lineup from Sankou High School, Sawamura thought to himself.
'As expected of a team that had previously defeated Mei-san.'
Though that game had drawn much criticism.
Some even claimed that Coach Kunitomo had intentionally let the game slip.
According to the online commentators' analyses, the possibility that Coach Kunitomo willingly forfeited that game was indeed significant.
Sawamura was noncommittal regarding such remarks. In an intense game, no one could truly understand it except those involved.
Since Sawamura hadn't participated personally, he had no right to speak on it.
But one fact was undeniable: if Sankou lacked the strength, even if Inajitsu wanted to throw the game, they would never win.
Having faced off against Sankou's batting lineup made Sawamura's perception clearer.
He realized the opponent's strength was not as simple as he had imagined. Instead of feeling disheartened, Sawamura's fighting spirit surged.
He hadn't felt this excited in a long time.
In high school, there were fewer and fewer opponents who could pose a threat to him. Sawamura had believed that, in all of West Tokyo, only two opponents remained who could make him serious: Inajitsu and Yakushi High School.
Unexpectedly, Sankou High School had given him a surprise.
'Very good!'
The entire state of Sawamura transformed.
If Hoshida knew that his excellent hit had fully ignited Sawamura's fighting spirit that much, would he regret it?
But now, even if they wanted to regret it, it was too late.
His right foot lifted high, crashing down like a battle axe. With the shift of his body's center of gravity, Sawamura's movements flowed like water.
Seemingly slow yet incredibly fast.
In the blink of an eye, the small ball flew out.
'Fast!'
Much faster than expected.
The ball was like a flash of light, instantly landing in Miyuki's Mitt.
Not only was Sawamura fast, but his entire pitching rhythm was terrifyingly swift.
Snap!
"STRIKE!"
Sasaki Shinsuke, batting fifth for Sankou High School, felt like he was about to cry.
'This is too unfair!!!'
When Sawamura had dealt with others before, he had seemed normal. Why was it like he was trying to eat him alive when facing him?
Before he could even react, the ball had come.
In the meantime, Hoshida, who had already reached second base, dared not move.
"Come on, this runner is way too still!"
"Steal the base!"
"Even if he doesn't want to, he should at least act like he's stealing!"
Fans in the stands complained angrily.
They had originally been neutral fans, but seeing Sankou High perform so poorly made them feel disappointed.
A Seidou supporter next to them rolled his eyes.
"I hate sitting next to a clueless baseball cabbage like this."
Hoshida wasn't unaware that he should steal the base; he simply didn't dare to.
First, he isn't a fast runner, and everyone in Seidou knows that. Therefore, any try from him will seem fake.
Second, Sawamura was not only exceptional at pitching.
His pick-off skills were also inhumanly good!
If Hoshida chose to steal the base now, the only outcome awaiting him would be doom.
Sankou had finally managed to get a player on base, and they certainly didn't want to waste it.
On the other side, Sawamura, now ahead with a strike, received the ball returned by Miyuki and immediately threw the second pitch without hesitation.
Whrroosh!
This pitch looked sharper than the previous one.
'A fastball!'
Sasaki had an inkling the moment Sawamura released the ball.
He watched helplessly as the ball approached, and in order not to be overwhelmed, he could only swing his bat forcibly.
Ping!
Though he touched the ball, he failed to hit it forward.
The baseball grazed the top of his bat and flew behind the catcher and the umpire.
"FOUL!"
At that moment, Sasaki was so surprised he couldn't find the words. As the fifth batter for Sankou, one of their core hitters, he was very confident in his own strength.
Although he had yet to achieve any significant results, he didn't believe for a moment that his skills were inferior to the batters of Seidou.
Holding onto that belief, Sasaki was confident he could hit Sawamura's pitch.
But when it came to actual competition, it was a completely different story.
Right now, he could barely make contact with the ball, let alone hit it.
'Tsk! This Monster!'
Just to make contact with the ball, he had nearly exhausted all his energy.
But while his mind was swirling, he remembered his Coach's words.
-'Usually, when Sawamura returns to his full power rhythm, he tends to mix fastballs and Change-ups.'-
-'So the moment he going all out again, don't just focus on his fastballs, but also be ready for his Change-ups.'-
Remembering those words, Sasaki thought again.
'Just now, he used two fastballs consecutively. Which means there is a high chance of him pitching the Change-up next.'
With a semi-plan in mind, Sakaki got ready for the third pitch.
…