As the night slowly swallowed up his last thoughts, a glimmer of hope rose in the darkness. A glow that would transcend the boundaries of life and death, that would open the way to a new existence. For in that moment of agony, on the threshold of eternal oblivion, as Jacob lay there, on the threshold of eternal darkness, images of his past life swirled in his mind, like fragments of broken glass. He sees the moments of happiness and pain, the faces of those he loved, the choices he had made, good or bad. Each memory was like a sharp blade, puncturing his soul already bruised by physical pain.
Suddenly, a strange sensation invaded him, as if his entire being was being sucked into an invisible vortex. A whirlwind of light and shadow enveloped his mind, transporting him to an unknown elsewhere. In this semi-conscious state, he felt an irresistible force pulling him away from his dying body, as if an invisible hand was drawing him toward a new and uncharted destiny.
The sounds around slowly faded away, replaced by an oppressive silence. The flashes of light from the street fade away, giving way to a deep, calming darkness. Jacob floated in this ocean of darkness, lost between sleep and wakefulness, between life and death.
Then, suddenly, a dazzling glow burst forth in front of him, illuminating the darkness with a golden aura. He felt his entire being being drawn towards this light, as if drawn by an invisible magnet. A powerful force seemed to guide him, directing him towards a mysterious destination.
As the light grew, the blurred outlines of his body redefined themselves, taking shape in this new environment. He felt a comforting warmth invade him, dispelling the darkness that had enveloped him. His mind cleared, his consciousness sharpened, as if an invisible veil had been lifted from his thoughts.
And then, the next moment, he opens his eyes amazed by what he was observing at that moment. He was sitting in a chair in a meeting room. In this room, there were a lot of teenagers, all of different sizes and ages.
At the back of the room, where everyone was looking, is a middle-aged man with an imposing and sturdy build. He was quite tall, had a beard and dark glasses. He wore a black shirt and gray pants.
Next to him there was a woman, she seemed younger than the man and was also smaller. She had her hair tied in a ponytail and also wore glasses. However you could see through his glasses. His gaze was gentle, almost attentive. She wore a broad smile.
"What...what's happening? Where am I?" he muttered, his voice trembling. "I was on the ground with the whole team, why didn't I die?" His hands shook slightly as he examined the body he now inhabited.
The two boys on either side of him exchanged a puzzled look. Furuya Satoru, with his calm and reserved demeanor, and Kominato Haruichi, the younger and often more expressive, seemed confused by their teammate's unusual behavior.
"Furuya-kun, look," Haruichi whispered, tilting his head towards Jacob. "He looks really shaken. Do you think he's okay?"
Furuya observed Jacob carefully before cautiously asking, "Uh, Sawamura, are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Jacob blinked and came straight out of his thoughts, looking deeply at Furuya who had just spoken to him.
"What did he just say? Sawamura? Wait, I think I know that name." Jacob thought before answering Furuya.
"Um… yes I'm fine. Well I think." Jacob blinked, suddenly remembering where he was and who he was supposed to be. He tried to suppress his growing panic.
Furuya and Haruichi stared at Jacob with worried expressions, waiting for a response to their questioning looks.
Furuya, in a calm but curious voice, asked, "Sawamura, is everything okay? You seem agitated for the past few minutes. Is there something bothering you?"
Haruichi, looking at Jacob carefully, added, "Yes, you're acting strange. Did something happen that you want to talk about?"
Jacob, trying to remain calm despite the whirlwind of conflicting emotions and thoughts, replied with a slight tremor in his voice, "No, no, everything's fine. I'm just a little distracted, that's all."
Furuya crossed his arms, still looking unsure. "Are you sure? It looks like something is bothering you."
Haruichi nodded slowly, not taking his eyes off Jacob. "If you want to talk about it, we're here, Eijun-kun. Especially since tomorrow is the final. If you don't feel well, it could harm the team."
Furuya nodded and spoke arrogantly. "Anyway, I don't intend to give you the mound tomorrow. I plan to play all the rounds."
What are they talking about ? A match ? A final ? Either way, I definitely need to reorganize my thoughts. So before having more information I will go in their direction. But one thing is certain I am Sawamura Eijun, the protagonist of the manga that I read in my previous life. Agh… who would have thought that I would be reincarnated into this world full of baseball players.
"Everything is fine, don't worry. I'm also ready for tomorrow." Said Sawamura with a reassuring look.
The two nodded reassured, they were very worried about their friend. They were afraid the stress would consume him.
Before they could speak, a commanding voice was heard throughout the room. It was Coach Kataoka's voice. Indeed, this man stopped at the back of the room was the coach of Seidou high school.
"GOOD ! Now that everyone is here, I will announce the starters for tomorrow's match." He said with a loud voice
"HAIIIII" all the high schools present responded in unison.
"The starters are as follows, starting pitcher Furuya, relief pitcher Tanba, Kawakami and Sawamura will warm up depending on the situation. Otherwise, apart from that, we will start with the usual starters." Said Kataoka, taking care to look at each player.
After a brief moment of silence, he spoke again, "That will be all, you can dispose of it."
"Yes sir !" All the players said in unison.
Sawamura began to think deeply about every detail of the series he had watched and read. He couldn't afford to ask these teammates who they were going to play against, that would be too weird.
Well from what I can see, the third years are still present. Whether it's Tetsu or Jun. Which means that I am currently in my first year. If I am in the first team which will play this famous final tomorrow then I can exclude the Kanto tournament or the autumn tournament.
At that time Sawamura was not yet in the first team. So I can conclude that today is July 30th. So it's the day before the final of the 89th Tokyo West summer tournament and tomorrow's opponent is Inashiro Industrial High School.
Unfortunately for me, this is the worst situation. However, heaven has offered me a second life, a second chance and I intend to seize it. I was considered the best pitcher in the world in my old life, what's stopping me from doing the same in this world. I will take full advantage of this second life that heaven grants me, from now on I am Sawamura Eijun.