After hitting the ball, Nishiyama let go of the bat and sprinted toward first base.
At the same time, Miyuki, who had been patiently stationed at second base, found himself unexpectedly presented with an opportunity.
Though he hadn't anticipated it, he didn't hesitate to act. Realizing that Nishiyama's hit would land, he dashed away from second base toward third.
As he neared third base, he saw the base coach on the third base signaling for him to keep running.
This meant there was an opportunity.
Without even looking back, Miyuki stepped on the third base bag and sprinted toward home plate.
He had complete trust in his teammates—not just the ones on the field with him, but also in the base coach's judgment.
In the end, before the small ball was thrown back to home plate, Miyuki had already stepped on the home plate.
"SAFE!!"
The entire Jingu stadium erupted in cheers.
All the supporters of Seidou spontaneously stood up, waving everything they could. One enthusiastic fan even raised his seven-year-old son in excitement.
The child, who had been held tightly in his father's arms, was suddenly lifted and began to wail in fear.
The mother next to them quickly delivered a sharp kick…
In any case, the scene was chaotic with excitement.
For the supporters of Seidou, their exhilaration was entirely justified.
On one hand, they were thrilled to see Seidou overpower their long-standing rivals, Sankou.
On the other hand, they were reveling in the current strength of the team.
Sankou's impressive historical performance aside, their performance in this year's Tokyo Spring Tournament was also astonishing.
First, they defeated the Spring Koshien runner-up, Inashiro Industrial! Then they knocked out the Niougakusha Ootsuki in a previous match.
These two schools were not to be underestimated; they ranked among the top in the nation. The fact that Sankou could defeat them was undeniable proof of their strength.
Many fans had predicted that the matchup between Sankou and Seidou would be an unprecedented battle.
But now, it seemed like anything but that.
A quick thought led to the realization that if Inashiro Industrial couldn't handle Sankou, and Sankou was being crushed by Seidou…
The gap between the two teams was obvious…
"Seidou, the champion!"
"It looked like their position was solid."
With such realizations, it was no wonder that the fans of Seidou were so ecstatic.
"SEIDOU!"
"SEIDOU!!"
Owada Akiko raised her notebook and camera high, joining the fans in cheering.
It wasn't until Fujio shot her a disapproving glance that she remembered what she was actually there for.
She lowered her head in shame and sat back down.
"Don't forget your job!"
Fujio's gaze was surprisingly stern.
Akiko nodded repeatedly, like a chick pecking at grains.
With Nishiyama's timely hit, Seidou's lead jumped to five runs.
The situation was exceptionally favorable!
The teammates from Seidou were also extremely excited. Watching the current developments, they felt that Seidou might achieve a completely unexpected result.
A result that even the members of the Seidou baseball team hadn't dared to imagine before the game.
The first-year players now sitting in the stands felt it even more deeply.
"This guy is simply inhuman!"
One of them remarked.
Another nodded in agreement.
He also thought Nishiyama was outstanding, ranking among the best of the new students.
'But I won't lose either.'
The flow of the game continued to be surprisingly unpredictable.
One out, runners on first base.
Shiratsu also hit the ball!
Ping!
The small ball arced, dropping to the side of the first baseman.
Hoshida dove but couldn't stop the ball.
The second baseman behind him reacted in time, also diving to barely catch the ball in his mitt.
However, with both first and second basemen diving, the backup from Amahisa was not timely…
So Shiratsu managed to reach the first base without issue.
Nishiyama, who had been at first, advanced smoothly to second base.
The situation changed to one Out, with runners on first and second.
The supporters of Seidou in the stands felt like they were going to lose it. They wildly waved everything they had, shouting the name of Seidou at the top of their lungs.
Starting from Sawamura's home run, Seidou had already scored two runs this inning.
Initially, everyone thought that was enough and that Seidou should stop there.
Unexpectedly, the development of the game took an unforeseen turn; Seidou's lineup seemed to connect perfectly.
They displayed extraordinary strength.
Each batter was performing exceptionally well, giving the impression that the onslaught would never cease.
Excellent!
In the Seidou dugout, Coach Kataoka nodded vigorously, feeling invigorated.
The offensive rhythm was quite impressive, and Seidou should have a great chance to completely crush Sankou.
Before the Kanto Tournament begins, and before the summer competition arrives.
Such a refreshing victory would hold significant meaning for Seidou.
Having already claimed the Spring Koshien championship, the players' momentum was already strong. Now, a significant win over Sankou would only boost their confidence further.
At the very least, they would no longer feel inferior to the previous third-year players.
If we talk about strength, the current team of Seidou is already very strong. Even if they aren't quite as good as the one before, they're very close.
However, the players' mindset hadn't changed; they still viewed the graduated Senpais as the strongest.
They were the peak that loomed over their hearts.
Initially, that thought wasn't problematic, but still holding onto it now was limiting the players' progress to some extent.
'Be more confident!'
'Believe that you are the best in the nation.'
Feeling somewhat regretful, Coach Kataoka glanced at Nishiyama on second base and Shiratsu in the dugout.
Actually, today's game arrangement had another layer of meaning for Coach Kataoka.
But unfortunately, that meaning had not been expressed.
The game continued.
Since conceding three runs in the first inning, Amahisa Kousei had gradually found his rhythm, effectively containing Seidou's lineup.
Yet unexpectedly, he conceded two more runs in this inning.
Amahisa's expression no longer bore the calmness it had at the start. Instead, it had taken on a more sinister tone.
'Damn!'
'Damn!!!'
He was humiliated by a first-year Kohai; it was utterly disgraceful.
'And then there was Shiratsu…'
His teammate's performance was also disappointing; that ball could have been caught.
With both external and internal pressures, the optimistic and resilient young man was on the verge of being crushed.
"Whew!!!"
He let out a long sigh, trying to calm himself.
The encouraging shouts from his teammates became clearer.
"Let them hit it!"
"We'll stop it!"
Remembering these teammates beside him, Amahisa Kousei understood very well that they were not lacking in prowess, at least not compared to Seidou's lineup.
The predicament they faced was entirely of his own making.
'NO!!!!'
A roar of unwillingness echoed in his heart.
In that instant, Amahisa grasped many things.
He couldn't continue like this; if he kept muddling through, he would only be pushed toward the abyss by Seidou.
'No, absolutely not!'
At times like this, retreating was not an option.
Even if it meant exhausting every ounce of strength, he had to deal with these batters from Seidou.
Revitalized, Amahisa radiated a captivating aura.
He summoned all his strength to pitch the ball.
WHRROOSH!!!
"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE!!"
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"
There was no doubt; that the sharp breaking ball was never touched by Maezono from the start to finish.
Two Outs, runners on first and second.
In search of an opportunity, Coach Kataoka intentionally substituted Higasa into the game at this moment.
This move stemmed not only from dissatisfaction with Kanemaru's batting performance but also aimed to find someone to create a chance.
On the field, Amahisa gradually became aware of the situation.
Suddenly switching a player at this moment—how would the opponent respond?
It could provide insight into their strategy to some extent.
The idea was beautiful, but the outcome was harsher than expected.
"STRIKE!"
"STRIKE!!"
"STRIKE! BATTER OUT!!!"
Three Outs, offense and defense exchanged.
In the blink of an eye, the game reached the bottom of the sixth inning, with Sawamura taking the mound.
With no one on base, he faced the lower-order batters from Sankou.
Sawamura appeared calm, pitching naturally.
Ping!
"OUT!"
"OUT!"
Ping!
"OUT!!!"
All were thrown with his Moving pitches; Sawamura achieved three Outs in just five pitches.
Though his pitching was simple, the results were ruthlessly clear.
No chance!
The great demon king, Sawamura's pitching, left the opponent with nothing but deep despair, with no chance of a comeback.
By the end of the sixth inning, the score was 5:0.
In the Sankou dugout, there was complete silence.
It felt as if dark clouds loomed overhead; it was clearly daytime, but the sky had darkened…
After a long pause, Superintendent Tahara finally shook his head with a wry smile.
"Truly the great demon king!"
A person's name may be unfit, but a nickname is never wrong.
Only someone like Sawamura Eijun, when facing him, can evoke a deep sense of despair.
That is what makes him the great demon king!
…