"FOUL!"
The ball that was hit and flew out of the field strayed about a meter from the boundary.
If that ball had moved just a little, Sawamura would have secured a home run.
As the ball landed out of bounds, most fans in attendance let out disappointed sighs.
"What a missed opportunity!"
"Such bad luck."
If that ball had been a home run, Seidou would have had a four-point lead.
While a four-point lead wouldn't make Sankou feel hopeless, it would certainly reassure Seidou's supporters.
The audience felt regret, and so did the players of Seidou's baseball team. If only Sawamura had hit that home run, it would have added just one point.
However, there was a strong possibility he could completely defeat Amahisa.
Once Amahisa was defeated, the threat of Sankou would vanish.
Supporters of Seidou naturally felt disappointed.
But for the supporters of Sankou, it felt like a narrow escape.
At that moment, their gazes toward Sawamura were filled with fear and panic.
"What The F*** Was That?!?!"
"This Guy Is Practically Superhuman!"
"As a pitcher, his pitching skills are impressive, but how can he also instill such despair at the plate?"
In their encounters with Sawamura, the big demon king, the word that resonated most with Sankou's supporters was despair.
They were genuinely hopeless.
In the ranks of Seidou's freshmen, all the newcomers looked eagerly at the unbeatable Sawamura on the field, filled with admiration.
"Simply amazing."
They knew that their opponent wasn't a weak team. If it were a weak team, it wouldn't be surprising for Sawamura to perform this way. Their opponent was a powerhouse in West Tokyo, on par with Seidou, a top contender in the nation!
And such a prestigious school seemed like mere chicks in Sawamura's hands.
"So Cool!!!"
Especially watching the surrounding fans cheer for Sawamura like a tsunami made them prideful and hopeful.
When would they ever be able to become players like Sawamura-senpai?
Even if they couldn't become players like him, just standing on the same field with Sawamura-senpai felt great...
At that moment, most of the freshmen looked at Nishiyama and Yuuki with less-than-friendly gazes.
There was a mix of envy.
Sometimes, a bit of envy isn't a bad thing; it's one of the driving forces of humanity.
Unknowingly, a different momentum permeated the Seidou's freshmen.
Their eyes toward the two first-string freshmen were filled with covetousness.
"If those two guys don't perform well in this game, they're going to be in trouble," Yui Kaoru muttered with a grin.
He was also one of the challengers but had no intention of covering for Nishiyama and Yuuki.
At that moment, Yui felt immensely grateful.
Grateful that he could attend Seidou; the feeling was simply wonderful.
Everything around revolved around baseball, leaving no time to think about anything else. If you were distracted by worries during this time, sorry, but you'd surely be eliminated.
Seidou didn't lack talented newcomers or hard-working seniors.
As long as you're willing to give up your position, there are plenty waiting to squeeze in.
Let's return to the duel on the field.
Amid everyone's eager anticipation, the clash between Sawamura and Amahisa continued.
After letting out a sigh, Sawamura regained his stance and raised the bat in his hand.
The ball flying out of bounds surprised him.
At the same time, it gave him a clearer understanding of Amahisa's breaking ball.
This wasn't the first time Sawamura had seen Amahisa's vertical Slider. The last time he was out, it was due to that same vertical Slider.
Now he had a mental image, combined with that wonderful State.
Sawamura had been confident he could hit the ball without hesitation.
But now he found himself doubting his previous judgment.
'Was my judgment really accurate?'
Amahisa had been on form before, yet he hadn't hit any of his pitches...
At that moment, Sawamura's mind raced like a movie, filled with countless thoughts.
Ultimately, his focus sharpened.
'The State wasn't all-powerful; it could only serve as support. If I wanted to hit the ball, I had to rely on myself.'
Sawamura held the bat high, spreading his stance wide...
Seeing Sawamura like this, Takami felt a chill run down his spine.
'Sawamura!'
No matter how many times he witnessed it, Takami had to admit that the guy in front of him was the toughest opponent he had ever faced.
If he could, he wouldn't want to confront Sawamura even once.
He'd rather Walk him every time.
Though it might embarrass his school, he still believed it was necessary against Sawamura.
However, this strategy simply wouldn't work. Pitchers were self-centered creatures, and their Ace Amahisa was no exception.
Or more like he is the embodiment of the rule.
If Amahisa were asked to abandon the confrontation with Sawamura, he would likely give up the game in an instant.
As a partner, all Takami could do was bolster his teammate's resolve.
Support him and let him unleash a stronger fighting spirit.
'Bring it on!'
The Mitt was ready, and the signal was given.
When it was time for the second pitch, Takami called for Amahisa's best Slider.
To maximize the effect of Amahisa's vertical Slider, it had to be paired with his regular Slider.
'If Sawamura was aiming for Kousei's Slider right now, we would undoubtedly face disaster.'
The stakes were high, but the Sankou battery had no other choice. To defeat Sawamura head-on, they had to go for it.
Seeing the signal from Takami, Kousei's entire momentum surged.
Whrroosh!
He threw the baseball without holding back, pouring every ounce of strength he had into it.
Takami's support instilled Kousei with immense confidence, causing his spirit to soar.
In the Batter's Box, Sawamura watched the baseball flying toward him.
He, too, swung his bat without hesitation!
In this extraordinary State, Sawamura chose not to guess the pitch.
He could wait until the opponent threw the ball to determine its type and course.
At the same time, he could wait until the ball was in the strike zone before swinging!
From this perspective, this remarkable State transformed Sawamura into one of the top batters in the country.
Whrroosh!
Sawamura could see it clearly, and he swung without a moment's hesitation.
PANG!!
After making contact with the ball, it didn't fly out of the field as Sawamura had expected.
Instead, it shot off at high speed toward third base.
PAK!!
Just a few centimeters from the line, the baseball landed out of bounds and bounced away.
"FOUL!!"
Two consecutive Fouls left Sawamura's face stiff.
Since awakening to this State, Sawamura has always been successful at the plate.
Before, whether against Masamune or Mei, he had handled them smoothly.
While Amahisa's pitching skills were good, they definitely weren't superior to those two.
Yet, Sawamura had just hit two Fouls in a row, failing to secure a single hit or home run.
'Strange!'
Even Sawamura couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong with him.
Otherwise, why was he unable to hit that long-awaited home run?
Frowning, he glanced at Amahisa on the pitcher's mound.
The opponent's current state resembled a tiger unleashed, wildly aggressive.
'It was the breaking ball's sharpness!'
Sawamura instantly understood that the current situation stemmed from Amahisa's exceptionally sharp breaking ball.
His issue wasn't with contact; it was that his swing lacked thoroughness.
Sawamura lifted the bat high and twisted his entire body into a coiled shape.
This time, he was determined to hit the ball.
'No holding back!'
Sawamura's significant change in batting stance naturally caught Takami's eye. He noticed Sawamura's adjustments clearly.
However, he didn't pay it much attention.
Or rather, he felt it suited him perfectly.
'To some extent, the sharpness of Kousei's breaking ball exceeded Sawamura's.'
'At that moment, Sawamura wasn't looking to play it safe; he wanted to hit the ball harder.'
'This was simply a self-hanging.'
If the opponent wanted to be solved, as a rival, he certainly wouldn't hold back.
'Bring it!'
Once again, it was a vertical Slider.
On the pitcher's mound, Amahisa's momentum soared terrifyingly. He threw his third pitch without hesitation.
Whrroosh!
The small ball flew like a sharp dart, curving and descending mid-flight.
Such fierce movement would leave 99.99% of batters helpless.
But unfortunately, Sawamura happened to be that 0.01%.
His entire coiled body unfurled completely. Sawamura gathered all his strength into the two arms swinging the bat.
BUUZZZZZZZZ!!!!!!!
As he watched the incoming baseball, he swung his bat decisively, meeting it head-on.
PAAANNNGGG!!!!!
At that moment, he exerted all his power.
The ball itself had slight deviations, but against Sawamura's powerful swing, those nuances faded away.
The ball was struck and soared high into the sky.
It broke past Jingu Stadium, flying into the unknown distance.
"HE DID IT!!!!"
At that moment, the commentator at Jingu Stadium was nearly hoarse.
He hadn't seen such a spectacular home run in a long time; the small ball had actually flown out of the stadium.
"SEIDOU'S SAWAMURA HAS HIT A HOME RUN, HELPING THE TEAM LEAD BY FOUR POINTS."
The score became 4:0.
The atmosphere in the stadium reached its peak.
…